Gospel and Cross

Jim Leffel

Psalms 22:1

The crucifixion is an event supported by history and an understanding of modern biology. Christ's death was clearly intentional, and accomplished the Messiah's mission to offer humanity a chance to be saved. While one could take the cross as foolishness or a scandal, the Bible declares that the cross is the ultimate expression of God's love.

The Power of the Gospel to Spread

Gary DeLashmutt

Colossians 1:1-8

The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Colossae, a church he's never met, around 60 AD while imprisoned in Rome. He begins the letter by thanking God for their faith, hope, and love that overflows from the power of the gospel and continues to spread as they understand more and more about it. The gospel refers to the good news that Jesus Christ wants a personal relationship with each person and made it available through his death on the cross. As we deepen in our understanding and appreciation of the gospel, we will begin to see our lives being transformed as well.

The Gentile Pentecost

Dennis McCallum

Acts 10:1-48

Cornelius, a centurion and God-fearing man, has a vision from God telling him to find Peter. Peter himself falls into a trance, as God shows him the new way of relating to those previously seen as "unclean" now that Christ has come. Through the conversation between Peter and Cornelius, it becomes clear that the vision and trance were meant to communicate that all people are able to access God now through the forgiveness of Jesus Christ. The principle of this encounter is that God has orchestrated His new plan, that through the church, the gospel of Jesus Christ can break through prejudices, traditions, and arbitrary absolutes.

Gospel and the Last Supper

Jim Leffel

Mark 14:12-26

The last supper has an important historical and prophetic meaning as it is symbolizes the pattern of salvation. Just as the Passover lamb was a substitution and a ransom for sin, Christ gave himself as a ransom to save mankind. Today, the last supper is memorialized in communion, a time to remember the work of Christ. Applying God's grace this way in our inner lives allows us to go from bondage to freedom.

Paul: God's Radical

Dennis McCallum

Acts 9:1-19

While on the road to Damascus, the Pharisee Saul encounters Jesus Christ. Saul was a very zealous and wealthy citizen that studied under Gamaliel and was a member of the Sanhedrin. Jesus asks Paul why he continues to persecute his church and tells him to go to Damascus to await further instructions. From Damascus, it's revealed that God has selected Paul to be His witness to the Gentiles with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. From this encounter with Jesus, Paul realized his own belief system had been wrong, and that real purpose came through Jesus Christ, along with personal salvation. As a result, Paul wasn't afraid to lose everything for the sake of God's work progressing.

Breaching Culture

Dennis McCallum

Acts 8:1-38

The message of Jesus Christ is continuing to spread in the early church, as God uses Philip to bring a sorcerer named Simon to faith in Jesus. However, there is a delay in Simon receiving the Holy Spirit until the arrival of Peter and John, in order that the issues of racism and prejudice would be silenced. Later, Philip meets an Ethiopian eunuch and tells him about the good news of Jesus Christ. Both of these stories show the miraculous reality of Christ's love as the Gospel penetrates and breaks through cross-cultural barriers. As Christians, we should reject racism and look to see how the loving message of the Gospel can be reached to all types of people, which accurately reflects God's deep heart for all people.

Teaching Kids How to Pray

Kathy Steinman

Acts 8:1-38

Jesus loved children and valued their faith immensely. We should, therefore, be proactive about teaching kids to pray to the Lord, despite several of our culture's common misconceptions about kids. First, children's spiritual capacity is not as limited as we are tempted to think, for which there are both Biblical and extra-Biblical examples. Second, it is incorrect to say that only adults do the real spiritual work, because many children posses a natural eagerness for the Lord that draws them to follow Him. Teaching kids how to pray starts with us, how we react to our children's questions about God, how we exemplify our own growing relationship with God, and how we live our lives. We must also remember amidst teaching prayer that God has a role that is active and unique apart from our role.

A Meditation on Joy

Gary DeLashmutt

John 13:3-17

When you come into a relationship with Jesus Christ, God indwells you with His Spirit. This kind act by God gives His followers the ability to experience joy at any time because the Holy Spirit is powerful. God wired us to be joyful and He is the one who offers true joy. It is in this joy that we can influence others to trust God and give their life to Him. To continue in a life full of joy, it is crucial to focus on the Gospel of God's grace and give His love out to others.

The Cross and the Problem of Pain

Ajith Fernando

John 13:3-17

Every worldview has a different explanation for the problem of pain. Many of these explanations leave people feeling hopeless, purposeless, or apathetic to life. The Cross, however, presents a much different answer that goes beyond karmic law being the source of suffering. We suffer in this world sometimes due to our own actions, but often because the world itself contains sin and evil. Under the Christian worldview, suffering does not have to be in vain, and we can actually use our sufferings to glorify Christ. We also receive comfort knowing that Jesus can truly empathize with our pain as he subjected himself to great pain for our sake.