The Ten Commandments Part 1

Conrad Hilario

Exodus 20:1-11

Concepts of right and wrong and humans responsibility are real. They ae not social constructs. They are objective. This is because God exists, and He has spoken and revealed His will to us. The Ten Commandments are given in the context of a loving relationship. He gave them to us for our good.

Good and Evil Are Real

Dennis McCallum

Exodus 20:1-11

Good and evil are objectively real. They are not a social construct. We cannot control or dictate what is moral or not. We were created by an infinite, personal God who knows better than we do what is good for us.

Jacob and Leah

Paul Alexander

Genesis 29

The story of Jacob and Leah is a sad tale of idolatry. Jacob put his love of Rachel ahead of his love of God and gives up fourteen years of free labor to his father-in-law to have Rachel. Leah thought bearing sons to Jacob would make him love her. In the end, Leah realized she needed God's love more than Jacob's.

Two Ways to Live

Chris Hearty

Philippians 3:17-21

Paul offers that there are two ways to live. One way is the earthly mindset that invests in temporal things that are destined to perish, that is enslaved to desires, and ends in ruin. The other way to live is accept the gift of salvation that is in Jesus. This enables one to have an eternal mindset that leads to investment in things that last forever. The eternal perspective leads to the realization of unparalleled freedom in Christ, no longer to be enslaved to worthless things. This leads to the glory that comes from God who transforms us.

The Deeper Problem

Mike Sullivan

James 4:1-10

The danger all Christians are susceptible to is being driven primarily by our sin nature. Although we were given a new spiritual nature, our sin nature did not go away at conversion. When we fall in love with the 'kosmos' we are operating in Satan's domain. His value system is designed to lure us away from God. When hearts are more in love with the world than we are in love with Jesus, we are giving in to our sin nature. James, in Chapter Four, explains the greater grace God has given us to combat the pleasures that wars within us. It begins with humbling our hearts and drawing near to a gracious God.

Dimensions of True Spirituality

Jim Leffel

Romans 12:1-8

What does it look like to live the Christian life in the framework of Christian community? Because of the crazy times we are living in today, we want to be deliberate in bridging the gap between where the lost and hurting people are and where there is real hope in Christ. Instead of being defeated by all the dismaying obstacles in our way, we can ask, "Where do I see opportunities to build up God's Church? Where can I share the gifts God has given me?" True spirituality recognizes what God has done and what it means to be His children.

Praise the Lord

Chris Hearty

Psalms 103:1-22

In Psalm 103 the psalmist reflects on the futility of worshipping or putting our trust in anything except God, as anything else is fleeting and unreliable. In God the psalmist finds forgiveness and eternal life, as well as meaning as he puts his trust in God. When this dynamic is in our lives we will enjoy our relationship with God and appreciate His great gifts more.

Our Temporary Residence

Chris Hearty

1 Peter 1:17-25

What if we view this life as our permanent residence? The Bible is clear that this life is only temporary. 1 Peter 1 details God's incredible motivating plan to help us align our hearts and minds with our true home in heaven and away from all of the distractions that so often entangle us. Which residence will we invest our lives in?\r\n

The Connection between Simple Living and Spirituality

Dennis McCallum

1 Timothy 6:6-11

It is important for any Christian to understand the Bible's view of finances. And we all must find the balance of living at the need level and not the greed level; with neither riches nor poverty. The world system promotes materialism. Learning to live simply can help us enjoy life better, be an example to our children, and be better stewards of what we have been given.