In the World, But Not Of the World

Dennis McCallum

1 Corinthians 9:19

Jesus knows that his departure is close at hand. In light of this, he prays to the Father, acknowledging that his disciples are not of the "kosmos" or system of the world, though they will be witnesses to the world. Other sections of scripture, 1 John 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 9:19 provide practical content on areas in which Christians should adopt the practices of the world/culture, and areas in which Christians should be different from the world and culture.

In the World, But Not Of the World

Dennis McCallum

John 17

Jesus knows that his departure is close at hand. In light of this, he prays to the Father, acknowledging that his disciples are not of the "kosmos" or system of the world, though they will be witnesses to the world. Other sections of scripture, 1 John 2:15 and 1 Corinthians 9:19 provide practical content on areas in which Christians should adopt the practices of the world/culture, and areas in which Christians should be different from the world and culture.

The Cross of Christ

Jim Leffel

Galatians 6:11-16

The central message through Paul's letter to the Galatians has been the cross of Christ. As Christians, our boasting should come from the incredible work of Jesus Christ at the cross which gives us a new lens of viewing the present world. As a result of our new identity in Christ, we are able to live in this world with peace, as we understand God's grace and mercy towards us and await our real home in eternity with Him.

The Bread of Life

Dennis McCallum

John 6

Moses provided the Israelites with bread that came from heaven and in this passage, Jesus explains that God is now providing them with the Bread of Life through Jesus himself. We have an option in this life to try to fill ourselves with temporary things or be fulfilled by a relationship with God through Jesus' death. Peter believed and experienced the fulfillment of a personal relationship with God through Jesus; so much so that he saw no alternative to the life of service he was living alongside Jesus.

The Effect of Living On

Dennis McCallum

Philippians 1:21-27

Paul calls believers to be others focused and to strive for unity in the Body of Christ. The world system preaches a message of self interest because they see this life as all we have. As believers who know that there is an afterlife we are called to spend this life serving and loving others which is truly beneficial for us.

Considered Theologically II

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 3:10

We take a look at the nature of evil and how it is explained through the lens of different worldviews such as naturalism, pantheism, postmodern relativism, and theism. How does what we believe about God coincide with the evil that we see every day in the news? We will specifically focus on the WTC attacks at the end, and see how the lens of other worldviews explains why those who committed the atrocity did so based on their beliefs.

Considered Ethically and Theologically

Dennis McCallum

Romans 14:22

We are not called to blindly follow any governing body and subject ourselves to them in moral matters. We look into the theology of Islam which calls on those who follow it to act based on rules in the Koran. We also look at the history of the Christian church and its' own actions in the past. We do not have any calling in the Bible to create a Christian power government in any country. Our kingdom lies with God in heaven, we are here to guide people to His love and His good news.

Considered Philosophically and Prophetically

Dennis McCallum

Revelation 12:9-13

Are we becoming so politically correct that we can't call an evil act exactly what it is? Will holding to objective truths lead to violence? We see that when put to the test our post-modern consensus fails the test of reality. We look into what real truth is and what true prophesying, such as comparing the foretelling of the regathering of Israel against vague works like Nostradamus.

The Gerasene Demoniac

Jim Leffel

1 John 2:15-17

Jesus performed miracles to verify his claims about himself and to demonstrate his teaching in action. These miracles included interactions with the supernatural, and it is clear from the Gospels that Jesus' exorcisms of demonically possessed people foretell his future victory over Satan. Furthermore, modern Christians do not live in a spiritually neutral world, and Satan is still active in modern times through waging war against Christians and promoting his system of values. Christians should seek to live in a way that is cognizant of the spiritual war around them and to follow God's eternal priorities.