God's Sovereign Choices

Scott Risley

Romans 9:1-25

In this difficult passage, Paul explains God's sovereignty. While some interpret this chapter to mean that people do not have free will to choose whether to turn to God, a closer reading shows us that Paul is speaking of God's sovereign choices in regards to nations he uses - in this case, the largely Gentile church - over the nation of Israel.

What Does it Mean to Be Human?

Gary DeLashmutt

Genesis 2:5-25

A profoundly important study on what it means to be human. Many voices are clamoring for our attention on this topic with many different answers. There are huge implications to the answers we base our lives on ? will we trust God and His Word and allow Him to transform us according to His design or not?

Our Despair in Adam, Our Hope in Christ

Chris Hearty

Romans 5:12-21

Adam was an imperfect earlier type of the perfect type to come later, Jesus Christ. In chapter five of Romans, Paul gives several ways Jesus perfected Adam's errors. Through Adam, many died, but through the grace of Jesus, eternal life is available to all people. Adam brought condemnation , but Christ brought forgiveness. Adam brought a reign of death, but, much more did Christ bring a reign of life. Adam's single act brought death, but Christ's single act brought life, and abundantly.

The Beginning of the Two Humanities

Gary DeLashmutt

Genesis 4:1-16

In the story of Cain and Abel, we see man approaching God in 2 different ways, and God is pleased with one and displeased with the other. This contrast teaches us that God desires personal trust over mental assent and a reverent heart over religious formalism. God's interaction with Cain shows that while we can harden our hearts against God, God will never stop pursuing us.

Humanity's Wrong Turn

Gary DeLashmutt

1 John 2:15-16

In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam and Eve a clear command to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, a choice that represented either trusting Him or taking authority for themselves. Satan appeared in the form of a serpent to persuade them to eat the fruit, a choice that has led to mankind being alienated from God, each other, their own heart, and creation. Then God initiated a plan of hope and rescue.

Goodness Without God - A Natural Delusion or a Delusion of Naturalism?

James Rochford

1 John 2:15-16

Can we have goodness without God? Typical human experience tells us that there are objective moral evils along with subjective beliefs and morals. But as we observe the logic of naturalism, we see that there is no basis for having objective morals. This presentation follows three steps in the argument of theism versus naturalism. First, if naturalism is true, objective moral values and duties do not exist. Second, objective moral values and duties do exist. And finally therefore, naturalism is false.

Esau: The Gravity of our Decisions

James Rochford

Genesis 27

The recounting of Esau and Jacob illustrates that our decisions can have permanent and irreversible consequences. Too often, we make our decisions based on the seen and fleeting rather than the spiritual and eternal. The free will with which God has blessed us must be respected and used with this knowledge.

The Causes, Effects, and Solution for the Fall

James Rochford

Genesis 3:1-24

When God created Adam and Eve, they lived in the Garden of Eden in perfect harmony and contentment. However, Satan approached Eve and prompted her to question God's instructions about the Tree of Life. Since God gave them free will, Adam and Eve ate fruit from the tree that God said not to; therefore, rebelling against God and allowing sin to enter the world. Take a look at the causes, effects and the solution to the fall of man-that still has lasting consequences to this day!

Legacy of Sand

Pat Reeder

Luke 6:46-49

Jesus tells a parable showing the differences between building a house on rock and on sand. In the end, the effect of building on sand is collapse and ruin. When we look into our culture, there is plenty of evidence that supports the idea that if we base our lives on things other than biblical morals, the outcome is not good. By looking into the specific areas of pornography use, sexual "liberation," and divorce, we can easily see the damage that follows these paths.