The Way People See Jesus

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 26:34-35

Before Jesus' resurrection, there were five reactions to him: 1) the religious rulers questioned his authority; 2) the disciples were not prepared to suffer for the truth; 3) Herod viewed him as a novelty; 4) Pontius Pilate refused to make a decision; and 5) the thieves crucified with him either rejected him or gained salvation. Today, Jesus is still a polarizing figure.

Three Essentials for a Healthy Church

Gary DeLashmutt

Jude 1:1-25

The book of Jude was written by Jude, likely the half-brother of Jesus and brother of James. He is writing to an unnamed church or group of churches and highlights three essential elements of a healthy church: 1) resisting false teachers; 2) focusing on and growing in God's love; and 3) reaching out to people for Jesus.

Does Jesus Speak for God?

Dennis McCallum

John 7:1-52

Jesus and His disciples are traveling through Galilee on the Feast of Booths when his brothers question why he doesn't make his works know to the world. Jesus tells them that his time has not yet come. There were disagreements concerning who Jesus was: 1) a good man; 2) a deceiver; 3) an insane man; or 4) the Messiah. Jesus also distinguishes the difference between seeking glory for self versus seeking the glory of the Father. This question of who Jesus is must be answered by every person, as his claims have huge weight on eternal life.

Four Witnesses to Jesus' Authority

Scott Risley

Nehemiah 2:1-8

Scripture and secular historians confirm Jesus is the Christ, the son of God. Four witnesses to Jesus' identity include: 1) John the Baptist; 2) Jesus' works; 3) God's inner voice; and 4) Scripture. A prophecy from Daniel 9 also points to the validity of Jesus' claims. The evidence provided for the dates and events described in the prophecies are undeniable.

4 Witnesses to Christ's Authenticity

Dennis McCallum

Nehemiah 2:1-8

Jesus demonstrates four witnesses that authenticated his authority to his Jewish audience: 1) John the Baptist; 2) the miracles and works God had given Jesus the power to perform amidst the people; 3) inner witness of the Holy Spirit; and 4) the Scriptures that predicted Jesus. Jesus proves here that he has authority given to him by God the Father and we as Christians today should listen to him because of his authority.

Faith And The Official's Son

Scott Risley

John 4:43-53

John 4 highlights the second of seven signs (miracles) that John describes in order to help the reader believe that Jesus is the Messiah. After a royal official begs Jesus to heal his dying son, Jesus leads him to Biblical faith and heals his son. Biblical faith believes God's Word, acts on God's Word and grows as it eventually sees. There are limitations to miracles: 1) they are different from evidence; 2) they require interpretation and remembering; 3) they can be manipulated by frauds. A TV clip of an ABC News Primetime Live investigation of W.V. Grant's phony faith healing ministry is included.

Lessons from Ephesus

Jim Leffel

Acts 18:21-20:38

During his second missionary journey, Paul visits the city of Ephesus. He stayed at Ephesus for three years, as the city had become a strategic center for spirituality. While there, an amazing spiritual transformation took place as many came to believe in Jesus and remove themselves from occult practices and magic publicly. There was also strong opposition from Demetrius the silversmith, leading to a riot within the city. Before Paul leaves, he gives a farewell address to the leaders of the church at Ephesus, which demonstrates different principles of servant leadership: 1) personal engagement with those who God's put in your lives; 2) telling the truth; 3) answering God's call and being a good steward; 4) looking after and protecting God's people as shepherds of the flock.

faith vs. FAITH

Dennis McCallum

John 4:46-54

Jesus returns to Galilee where a royal official asked him to heal his sick son. Jesus addresses their attitude of desiring signs and wonders over authentic faith. Biblical faith isn't some mental assent, or feeling of what is true, or whatever we choose to believe. In this event, Jesus speaks a word and the official is willing to act on his word, and after acting God confirms the experience to be true. Biblical faith is the same today: it comes from hearing and acting on God's word, and afterwards experience can follow acting in faith on the word of God. This teaching includes an in-depth interview from Primetime TV from Dianne Sawyer and also includes a skit describing blind faith.

Communicating Christ Cross-Culturally

Jim Leffel

Acts 17:16-34

On his second missionary journey, Paul waits for Silas and Timothy in Athens, where he interacts with Jews and Gentiles. Through their interactions, there are some principles with how to communicate about Christ with people from different cultures: 1) spiritual sensitivity; 2) earning the right to be heard through humility and grace; 3) communicating about who God is and why that matters; and 4) presenting the Gospel as an answer for people's real needs.