LIVING FOR GOD IN A THREATENING WORLD
Summary: Acts 3-4
Date: November 24, 2019
PETER: A TOPICAL STUDY- THIS ROCK I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH UPON
Summary: Life of Peter
Date: September 15, 2019
THE GOOD SHEPHERD
Summary: John 10: 1-42
Date: April 7th, 2019
PERSEVERANCE IN SUFFERING
Summary: 1 Peter 1: 10-21
Date: September 7th, 2014
MATTERS OF CONSCIENCE
Summary: Romans 14
Date: August 17th, 2014
GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY
Summary: Romans 9
Date: August 3rd, 2014
THE MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION
Summary: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21
Date: June 8th 2014
ALWAYS BY FAITH AND FAITH ALONE
Summary: Romans 4
Date: June 1st, 2014
THE POWER OF GOD THAT BRINGS SALVATION
Summary: ROmans 1: 1-17
Date: May 4th, 2014
THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD, I SHALL NOT WANT
Summary: Psalm 23–A Psalm of Radical Trust in God.
Date: April 6, 2014
JUDGE AND BE JUDGED
Summary: Matthew 7: 1-12—Sermon on the Mount teachings
Date: March 9th, 2014
HOW TO PRAY
Summary: Matthew 6: 7-15 (Lord’s Prayer)—Sermon on the Mount teachings
Date: February 9th, 2014
SALT AND LIGHT
Summary: Matthew 5: 13,14—Sermon on the Mount teachings
Date: January 12th, 2014
CORROSION OF THE RICH
Summary: James 5: 1-6
Date: December 15th, 2013
THE TONGUE
Summary: James 3: 1-12
Date: November 17th, 2013
TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS
Summary: James 1: 12-18
Date: October 20th, 2013
TWO WAYS OF RELATING
Summary: Galatians 4: 1-11
Date: September 15th, 2013
TRUSTING THE MESSAGE
Summary: Galatians 1:21 – 2:9
Date: August 18th, 2013
THE CROSS OF CHRIST
Summary: Why did Jesus have to die? Why did he have to die on a cross? As we survey Mark 14 & 15, we’ll consider some of the physical and emotional aspects of the Crucifixion. However, our primary focus will be to shed light on the spiritual implications of why Jesus died for all of humanity and laser down to the individual benefits for each of us personally.
Date: July 28th, 2013
ZEBEDEE BROTHERS: PRIDE & HUMILITY
Summary: In Mark 10, the Zebedee brothers, James & John (Jesus’ disciples also known as ‘Sons of Thunder’), selfishly request special favor from Jesus as He heads towards Jerusalem in the shadow of the cross. We explore the pride in the hearts of these brothers and measure this against our own hearts today. We consider Pride and its antithesis, humility. What does Jesus mean when He says “Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?” and “whoever wants to be first must be slave of all”?
Date: June 30th, 2013
HELP ME WITH MY UNBELIEF!
Summary: Mark 9: 14-27. This passage explores an encounter between Jesus and a father with a demon-possessed son. The father pleads with Jesus to heal his son, crying out, “I do believe, help my unbelief!” This encounter raises some compelling questions… What is unbelief? Is it the same as doubt? How much belief does God require, and how important is it? Answers to these questions as they relate to our relationship with God may be very different from what we might expect!
Date: June 9th, 2013
SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP
SUMMARY: 1 Thessalonians 5: 11-13 Paul, addressing all the brothers and sisters of the Thessalonian church, urges his listeners to appreciate the leaders among them. He suggests that God designates leadership within the church and that plurality of leadership is always emphasized in the New Testament writings. God defines leadership in the church not as one in authority who lords it over people, but instead, as one who sacrificially serves for the good of others.
Date: May 26, 2013
LESSONS IN MINISTRY
Summary: Mark 6 – You might be surprised to discover that the account of the feeding of the 5000 in scripture is much more than just a lesson in provision. In fact, Jesus is multitasking with his disciples by also showing them the immense spiritual need for a lost humanity and the sea of aimless people …a need that can be totally overwhelming to the ones in God’s service. Very quickly, the disciples realize their own limitations and their need for God’s power to do anything for Him. Still today, those of us who desire to serve God in ministry can be quickly overcome by the enormous human need in front of us, sometimes leading to fatigue, exhaustion, and sometimes even despair. Jesus’s lesson is the same today for all who serve in God’s kingdom… His work, His provision, by His power.
Date: May 5, 2013
THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE…
Summary: (Mark 4 & Matthew 13) In this study, Jesus speaks in parables to the crowds… describing both the Kingdom of God & the Kingdom of Heaven. Most people tend to believe that these kingdoms refer to some distant future eternal far-off realm…. But instead, we find that Jesus was speaking about the coming age of the church, which exists in this present day! And those who know Jesus are part of it right now! This truth makes these parables extremely relevant to each one of us. Let’s look at what He says.
Date: April 7, 2013
AUTHORITY OF CHRIST
Summary: Early in the gospel of Mark (Chapters 1 & 2), three miraculous accounts are recorded to establish the authority of Christ as the predicted and chosen Messiah. Jesus demonstrates his unique authority over both the spiritual and natural realms by casting out demons, cleansing a leper, and healing a paralytic. This account also explores His claim to possess the power and authority to forgive sins.
Date: March 10th, 2013
BECOMING LOVERS OF GOD: Part 2
Summary: 2 Timothy 4: Knowing that his time of execution is near, Paul summarizes what’s most important to his beloved young friend, Timothy. Paul urges him to keep the gospel of grace pure and to fulfill the plan God has for his life. He then looks ahead to his own immediate future and reward in heaven, having finished the course God had laid out for him. What is it that kept Paul so passionate and zealous for the grace of God all the way to the very end of his life? How can we, as Christians, cultivate that same zeal?
Date: February 17th, 2013
Listen to teaching
GUEST SPEAKER: KENDAL TRIPLETT
BECOMING LOVERS OF GOD: Part 1
Summary: 2 Timothy 3: While awaiting execution in prison, the great apostle Paul pens his final words to his beloved son in Christ, Timothy. Words of warning as well as words of encouragement. Paul warns of the difficult times ahead for Timothy as he leads the church in Ephesus and spearheads his charge for Christ. Men will more and more become lovers of self and lovers of pleasure. Paul encourages Timothy to continue in his faith and to hold steady his course by relying on God and the Scriptures. As relevant as this counsel was for Timothy and the church in Ephesus, we find this same counsel may be even more compelling for us today as we get closer and closer to the return of Christ.
Date: February 10, 2013
DON’T FEED THE LAZY
Summary: 2 Thessalonians 2:13–3:18. A particularly difficult and puzzling passage for the modern reader. What is God’s will in this whole area of how to respond to the busybody, the lazy or idle Christian? What are the biblical principles that speak to the treatment of lazy Christians… from not giving them food to the point of possibly not associating with them at all? This seems harsh, but we discover that in some situations, this action is possibly the most loving response.
Date: January 13, 2013
BELIEVING WITHOUT SEEING
Summary: John 20 summarizes the account of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His encounter with His disciples, and specifically details His encounter with “doubting” Thomas. We consider Jesus’ command to go out into the world and spread the good news and also answer the question. Is there a difference between “believing without seeing” and“believing without evidence” when it comes to trusting in the person of Jesus Christ
Date: December 16th, 2012
THE CROSS
Summary: John 19…Was the cross of Christ really unique? If so, in what way? What physical and spiritual victories did Christ accomplish for the sake of the human race? What impact does his death have on you personally? Answers to these questions and more in this discussion…
Date: December 2nd, 2012
SERVANT LOVE: A FOOT WASHING
Summary: John 13: Foot-Washing: On the last night of his life, Jesus performs an amazing act of servant love by getting up from the Passover dinner table and washing his disciples’ feet. Although he was fully aware of his impending fate within the next 24 hours, he tells us that he did this to give us an example of how we should do likewise for one another. This lesson suggests some important motivations to consider as we follow Jesus’ example in serving God as well as in serving other people.
Date: November 4th, 2012
TRUE SIGHT AND TRUE BLINDNESS
Summary: John 9: “The blind will see, and those who do see will become blind….” What was Jesus saying in this famous riddle as He revealed His identity to the man whose blindness He had just cured? And why did He speak these words well within the hearing of the eavesdropping religious leaders of the day? Jesus is homing in on two very different heart attitudes that existed in people during His day and exist in our present day as well. What is your heart attitude? How do you respond to Jesus in your life? A good question for all of us to consider on a regular basis.
Date: October 7th, 2012
DO YOU WISH TO GET WELL?
Summary: John 5: In His third of seven miraculous signs in the Gospel of John, Jesus heals a man crippled from birth at the pool of Bethesda. We’ll explore the deeper meaning behind the question Jesus asks the man just prior to healing him, and we discover that this very pointed question is the same one Jesus presents to each of us personally. Do you wish to get well?
Date: September 9th, 2012
WATER INTO WINE
Summary: In John 2, we explore the first of several specific signs that are highlighted in the gospel of John. While attending a wedding, Jesus saves the day when the wedding party runs out of wine during their celebration. But far more significant than the immediate need for wine is the underlying symbolism that connects some Old Testament accounts and images with the current-day experience of the wedding- goers. Furthermore, this passage also points to future events like the culmination of God’s kingdom, often described in scripture as a wedding ceremony, a great banquet or feast!
Date: August 12, 2012
*Note: The first couple of minutes we had some microphone issues, but it cleared up as we went along.
THE IMPORTANCE OF FACE TO FACE RELATIONSHIPS
Summary: (1Thessalonians 2&3) In this letter, Paul stresses the importance of time spent in face to face relating.. He uses some very emotional language to express his deep love for this young but very faithful church at Thessalonica. Though Paul longs to be with these young believers, he is quick to remind them of God’s enemy, Satan, and his efforts to thwart our attempts to reach people we love with the gospel of grace. In this study, we also explore how to have healthy Christ-centered relationships that are neither co-dependent nor disengaged and the potentially dangerous influence on our relationships from the IT age in which we live.
Date: June 3rd, 2012
SOME PARTING PRINCIPLES
Summary: Paul concludes his letter to the church at Philippi (Philippians 4:9-20) with 2 important principles. First, he expresses thanks to these brothers and sisters for their financial support. The support for missions, both financially and in prayer, is as critical in the spreading of the gospel today as it was in Paul’s day. Secondly, he goes on to impart some very personal wisdom on learning the secret of contentedness.. no matter what life circumstances we may face…
Date: May 13th, 2012
BEWARE OF THE DOGS
Summary: The beginning of Philippians 3 is an intense section of scripture where Paul addresses a specific group of false teachers. In a fierce defense of the gospel of the grace of God, Paul launches out with some harsh language by referring to them as “dogs”. These were religious guys who would come in behind Paul and attempt to steal the joy from brand-new Christians by teaching a distorted and false view of Christianity. The gospels also narrate Jesus’s own choice words that directly challenge and condemn this type of false teacher. Let’s look at Paul’s advice here and see how we should respond. It might be far different than you think.
Date: April 22nd, 2012
REGARD ONE ANOTHER AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOURSELVES
Summary: As we consider Paul’s words in the first part of Philippians 2, we discover a command in scripture that is extremely challenging when taken literally. Verse 3 commands us to“regard one another as more important than ourselves". If we really take the time to think about acting on this, is it even humanly possible? Fortunately, Paul does not make this statement without qualifications, and it is interesting to discern exactly what God’s perspective is on this imperative. We find principles such as “being of the same mind” and “being united in spirit,” and the high value that God places on spiritual unity within the community of His people.
Date: April 1st, 2012
SIMPLICITY THAT IS IN CHRIST
Summary: So many times we, as believers in Christ, make our faith so complicated that we forget how simple the Christian message is. Today we are going to look at an emphasis in the bible (2Corinthians11) on the importance of keeping the message of Christ simple and, furthermore, protecting against complicating it by adding or removing key elements, which lead to some common deceptions that we as humans fall into very easily.
Date: March 4th, 2012
AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST
Summary: What an odd metaphor in scripture? However, when you think about it, an ambassador is what we truly are when we think of our role as Christian servants. The Apostle Paul uses this metaphor in the last half of 2Corinthians5 to describe our part when it comes to reaching people for God. We explore what it means to be an effective ambassador for the “King of the Universe” and the importance of embracing this #1 task committed to us by God: this message of reconciliation, out to a lost and suffering world.
Date: February 12th, 2012