Confrontations with the Priests (or four good reasons to reject religion)

Jim Leffel

Luke 19:45-20:40

Four reasons to reject religion include: 1) hypocrisy; 2) dogma and deafness; 3) group-think; and 4) a body of teachings with no solutions. Instead, we are called to be ambassadors of Christ, delivering the good news to all people in faith, hope, and love.

Jesus vs. Legalistic Religion

Dennis McCallum

Luke 6:11-38

Most people have heard some version of the "Golden Rule" but do they really know what it says? Jesus said, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" and he took it a step further when he said, "Love your enemies!" According to Jesus, loving other people involves action on our part. It is not a passive thought or passing feeling. Learn more about this type of love in The Sermon on the Plain.\r\n

Sermon on the Plain (Part 1)

Conrad Hilario

Luke 6:17-36

Jesus teaches the Sermon on the Plain including the Beatitudes. He explains three lessons to the crowd: 1) those who want to serve God will suffer; 2) God will generously reward in heaven those who make sacrifices in this life; and 3) service for God is characterized by sacrificial love.

Peter's Calling and Commission

Conrad Hilario

Luke 5:1-11

Jesus calls Peter to follow him and become a ?fisher of men.? We should consider following Jesus like Peter because eternity exists, people's eternal lives depend on it, and it is exciting. Jesus banked his entire ministry on the twelve disciples, concentrating on the few while not neglecting the multitudes. He calls on us to follow his example and make discipleship our primary strategy to make an eternal impact.

Offering Yourself to God

Conrad Hilario

John 15:18-19

Most American Christians view worship as a part of a church service with singing and praise. Genuine worship, however, involves allowing God to transform one's mind from the patterns of the world system and giving Him every part of one's life as well, and this form of worship is pleasing to God.

Living the Life of Faith (Part 6)

Dennis McCallum

Hebrews 13:12-21

The author of Hebrews concludes the book with instructions on biblical worship. Hebrews explains this as a lifestyle of praise, service, and God's community. This teaching explores other interpretations of worship and compares them to our author's intent.

A Lawyer Tests Jesus

Jim Leffel

Luke 10:25-37

God's way is being blessed by God to be a blessing to others. In response to the lawyer, Jesus raises the standard of who we should consider ?my neighbor? and defines love as allowing ourselves to be inconvenienced by people in need.

Running the Race

Conrad Hilario

Colossians 1:28-29

God has given each Christian a unique role in His plan to reach those who do not know Him, and the author of Hebrews compares this plan to an individual endurance race that each person is running. While the race might be tiring and difficult, Christians are to resist the temptation to quit by fixing their eyes on Jesus, the forerunner who empathizes with Christians in their suffering. During this race, God disciplines Christians to refine their character and prove His love for them, and we can experience the benefits of God's discipline if we are willing to submit to it.

Two Key Aspects of Biblical Freedom

Gary DeLashmutt

Galatians 5:22

Biblical freedom, like all freedoms, is comprised of a negative and positive aspect: freedom from and freedom for. God has freed Christians FROM acceptance based on performance, and God has freed Christians FOR loving others powerfully through the Holy Spirit. Gary explores subtle signs of a legalistic, 'acceptance by performance' mentality and gives a positive vision for how loving others within the protective boundaries of love ethics can turn enslaving self-absorption into a healthy self-forgetting.