Encouragement

Gary DeLashmutt

1 Thessalonians 5:14

Encouragement is a major theme in Paul's first letter to the church in Thessalonica. Encouragement is one of the central features of true spirituality and a quality that all Christian communities should be known for. God is the ultimate Encourager, but He primarily wants to communicate His encouragement through His followers. Biblical encouragement communicates God's truth and hope in ways that personally strengthen others to follow His will for their lives. The four types of encouragement are affirmation, praise, consolation, and exhortation. We should strive to be both givers and receivers of Biblical encouragement. This teaching includes a video testimony from Tim Gleason on how encouragement has changed his life.\r\n

Living in Real Spiritual Community

Dennis McCallum

Titus 3:10-11

The Corinthian church was plagued with many moral issues, but God was able to speak powerfully in Corinth. Paul called them to unity and to focus on the Gospel.

Dealing with Despondency

Dennis McCallum

Luke 24:13-33

Jesus' followers are despondent following his death because their own plans and expectations seemed to be crushed. Meeting two of them on the road to Emmaus, in response Jesus explains the scriptures and God's plan. We deal with despondency in our own lives, and God's Word provides the comfort and revelation to us today. His plans are greater than our own!

Remember & Remind - Focusing on the Essentials

Jim Leffel

Ephesians 1:20-21

Spiritual warfare is fierce and suffering is guaranteed, the Christian must understand that God has already secured victory. Following Christ is difficult, we face discouragement and doubt; we risk becoming despondent and deserting this whole call altogether. A healthy life of faith remembers and calls to mind God's faithfulness. Remembering God's past provision gives us hope for the future, so that we can live in the present.

Fanning the Flames, The Call

Jim Leffel

2 Corinthians 12:9

Paul writes to Timothy as his own life is coming to an end. Timothy was a fearful young leader who was facing many obstacles; by human standards, he was hopelessly unfit for this line of work. Every believer in Christ can identify with Timothy in being unable to effectively serve God of their own effort. Christian workers can have confidence despite everything because of what God has given us: power, knowledge of His Will, calling of us into ministry, and His Spirit in us.

Christian Community (Part 3) - Encourage One Another

Gary DeLashmutt

Hebrews 10:24-25

Biblical encouragement communicates God's truth and hope in ways which personally strengthens us to go on following God's will for our lives. We can encourage one another by affirmation, praise, consolation, and exhortation. It takes practice to become a good encourager in Christian community, but God provides His Word to lead the way.

Sermon on the Mount (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum

Matthew 6:1-6

Jesus calls Christians to be the salt of the Earth, he wants us to share God's message through our lives and how we interact in our world. Many Christians today look to protect themselves from the evils of the world. God calls us to share His message to the watching world, and not box ourselves in to protect ourselves from sinful people.