When God's Commands Seem Burdensome

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 5:1-5

Our relationship with God can be hindered when we try and earn His acceptance through our performance or obedience to His commands. Often, we try and follow His commands by our resources, leaving us alienated and forgetful of His love for us. We should cultivate focus towards His promises and ask for Jesus' help to guide us and empower us. As a result, we can have renewed awareness of God's love and an ability to rest in His grace and lean on our brothers and sisters for help in our weakness.

Christians and Generosity (Part 1)

Dennis McCallum

Isaiah 44:13-16

Paul preached to the early church that they should give their money as a stewardship of the things God has blessed them with. Giving is an important way to invest in God's work, and He wants us to give out of what we have. God wants us to be open, honest with our finances, and to view our possessions as the things that He has given us.

Joy and the Secret of Contentment

Jim Leffel

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Everyone is looking for contentment. Some of us spend our entire lives chasing it. What is contentment and how do we find it? Is there a place for discontentment? Paul said he found the secret to being content in any and all circumstances. He discussed two aspects of learning this secret: transforming our inner lives with God and accepting God's provision for our lives. God wants us all to experience contentment.\r\n

Stages of Spiritual Development

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 2:14

John highlights the stages of spiritual development for Christians, including: 1) childhood; 2) young adulthood; and 3) mature adulthood. The focus of spiritual development within the childhood phase includes the assurance of God's complete forgiveness and the personal-love relationship we have with Him. As we mature, God wants to remind us of our victory against Satan and regularly exposing us to His Word and learning how to obey it. As we get to adulthood spiritually, God is able to deepen our appreciation of our personal relationship with Him and produce stability and confidence after years of depending on Him. Healthy spiritual development isn't automatic, but occurs within the confines of a healthy community of Christians.

Background and Lessons

Dennis McCallum

2 Corinthians 9:1-2

Paul was willing to share his faith in a culture that was full of immorality and greed. He knew God's message could speak to a people that was at the end of themselves. Paul wanted to win people to the Lord in this culture without giving way to the world system.

Saul Pursues David: Waiting Upon the Lord

Dennis McCallum

Psalms 37:1-40

For fifteen years, Saul pursued David throughout the wilderness. David knew he was meant be king, and it would have been easy to take matters into his own hands. He had multiple opportunities to kill Saul and immediately take the throne. Instead, he trusted in God's promise and decided to wait for God and His timing. As followers of God, we too, are often called to wait. It is during these periods of waiting where important internal changes take place.

David & Goliath

Dennis McCallum

Numbers 13:25-14:9

After God rejected Saul as king, He led Samuel to David, an unlikely choice by human standards but a man after God's own heart. David had a rich devotional life, meditating on the Word day and night. Because he was deeply rooted in Scripture, he had a strong willingness to act knowing God would come through for him. When the Philistine army put forth Goliath to fight one of the Israelites, no one would volunteer. David, knowing the battle was God's and trusting that He would rescue him from the hands of Goliath, stepped up and defeated the Philistine champion.

Saul

Dennis McCallum

Genesis 15:16

When the Israelites asked God for a king, he appointed Saul as their ruler. Though Saul started out strong, he consistently relied on his own strength and power rather than God's. People followed him, but he didn't follow God and proved time and time again that he didn't trust Him. Because of his rebellion against God, God rejected him as king. Saul's life went into a tailspin, ending badly and becoming an example to us of what happens when you harden your heart toward God.

Working with At-Risk Youth

Scott Arnold

Genesis 15:16

The Bible commands believers to look after the poor and deprived. An at-risk teen is a youth whose environment or behaviors have a high correlation to substantially negative future life choices. Because of all of the factors that go into bringing a teen to this point, the gospel message we bring needs to be holistic, focusing on trust, relationships, stability, and building hope.