Destruction to Destiny

Chris Hearty

Ephesians 2:1-10

Paul recalls that all believers were once separated from God and living lives of sin, but God, in his unfailing mercy, saved us while we were dead in our transgressions. Paul emphasizes that we are saved by grace and not works, and salvation is a gift from God, so we cannot boast about receiving it.

The Endless Privileges of Being United with Jesus

Chris Hearty

Ephesians 1:1-14

Starting off the book of Ephesians, Paul states that God has blessed His people with every spiritual blessing and gives us an eternal inheritance. He goes on to say that at the moment we put our faith in Christ, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Peace with God

Ben Foust

Romans 5:1-11

Paul wraps up his extensive logical argument for God's offer of salvation, not through good works, but through receiving the gift of forgiveness through Jesus' payment on the cross. He finishes with a joyful celebration of all the good things that come to those who accept this gift, primarily peace with God. This peace opens the door to full, open access to God and hope for the future. All people who have received this gift should rejoice in these truths and fully explore them.

The Beneficial Results of Justification

Ben Foust

Romans 5:1-11

When we ask God to forgive our sins because of the work Jesus did on the cross, we are justified by faith. If the forgiveness of our sins was all we received at that moment, it would be more than enough! But justification is only the beginning of the many blessings God pours out upon us. He get peace with God, not just an end to hostility, but true reconciliation. We get the hope of future glory and so much more!

The Justifier

Ben Foust

Romans 3:10-31

In Romans 3 Paul argues that no person can claim righteousness before God--that even one sin renders them "guilty," and in fact, sin permeates people's lives. Paul says though you can be declared innocent or "justified" before God, not by being good enough, but by appropriating Jesus' payment for those sins--justification based on Jesus' righteousness, not our own. This approach gives us a way to constructively deal with our true guilt, not trying to deny the guilt or fix the guilt.

Stick with Scripture

Scott Risley

2 Timothy 3:6-17

Paul reminds Timothy that it is normal that Christians will suffer in this life, but we can take the long view knowing that Scripture gives us the wisdom that leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Both Jesus and Paul taught that Scripture is inspired by God. False teachers on the other hand make up all kinds of strange and foolish ideas. God empowers Christians who stick with Scripture.

The Cross

Ryan Lowery

Romans 5:7-9

The cross of Christ is where God demonstrated His love for a rebellious and sinful people by sacrificing His son, Jesus, on the cross to pay for our sin debt. The cross allowed a way for a hopelessly sinful people to be reconciled to a perfect God. How absurd is it for Christians to be antisemitic and blame the Jews for Jesus' death! God's act of love at the cross should impact the way we view others.

A Solid Foundation in All Circumstances

Chris Hearty

2 Timothy 2:8-26

Paul writes to Timothy to have hope in Christ, even if our circumstances our bad, reminding ourselves of our eternal salvation. He urges us to turn away from wickedness and watch out for false teachers. Lastly, Paul calls us to pursue a life of righteousness, peace, faith, and love so that we may be used as instruments to the Lord.

Long for the Word

Mike Sullivan

1 Peter 1:22-2:3

Peter exhorts us to long for the Word of God as a baby longs for its milk. We know physical bodies grow in response to physical nourishment. Spiritually, we grow from being nourished by the Word. Science and human knowledge can let us down but the Word of God endures forever. If you are struggling to get into reading the Bible, pray and ask God to open your eyes to see what we have in His Word.