Excellent Behavior

Ben Foust

1 Peter 2:11-25

Peter advises the church how to respond when being slandered. Rather than retaliate, he tells them to live such good lives that their critics' accusations fall flat and people may come to faith in Christ. Likewise, believers today can show Jesus' love to the world by what we do.

The Mission of the Church

Conrad Hilario

Romans 15:15-21

Paul explains that worshipping God is not just something Christians do on Sunday, but rather should encompass our entire lives. It should involve offering God praise, thanksgiving, and material resources, but the crucial part is sharing the message of Jesus with the world. This is controversial in today's culture, but is the only reasonable response if the Bible is true--and it is the central mission of the church.

Sharing God's Message with the World

James Rochford

Romans 15:3-20

After decades of following Christ, Paul is still as passionate as ever about sharing the Gospel with the world. We can cultivate a similar, livelong zeal by spending regular time in God's Word, actively trusting in God's promises, and enjoying unity in fellowship with other believers. Although the mission of evangelism put forth by the Bible is unpopular in today's climate of cultural relativism, when we examine different worldviews closely, we see the the Biblical worldview is the only one that is based on evidence and reason, brings humility and love into our lives, and brings healing and help to a world that desperately needs it.

Peace with God

Jim Leffel

Romans 5:1-11

The desire for a sense of peace--a sense of inner harmony--is common to man, yet is elusive, particularly to people in our modern culture. People cannot say why they matter or what makes them significant--questions that must be answered to have inner peace. God offers people a way to peace through the justice and forgiveness offered through Jesus' substitutionary death on the cross, opening the door to them enjoying eternal security and significance, and a warm, personal relationship with God.

The Place of the Local Church in the Global Church

Dwight Smith

Romans 5:1-11

For much of the history of missions, there has been little return on investment in terms of number of conversions, in spite of earnest efforts on the part of Christians. In the 20th century, world receptivity to the gospel changed and more and more people began coming to Christ. This raises the question of how local churches in America can connect to the growing global church and support global evangelism, especially in light of the decline in the American church.

Being a Both-And Christian

Rich Nathan

Romans 5:1-11

In an age when culture presents us with many either/or issues and pressures us to choose one side or the other, the church is often best served by choosing a both/and position. One of the most important of these issues is whether to focus on evangelism or social justice issues. Rather than choosing one or the other, the most effective approach is to follow the Bible's model of spreading the Gospel while also meeting the physical needs of others. Emphasizing one while neglecting the other will lead to an imbalanced and less-effective Christianity.

Showing and Sharing the Love of Christ to Your City

Rod Dempsey

Romans 5:1-11

The Gospel is the only hope for our hopeless world. Jesus wants to provide salvation, healing, and love to our broken and hopeless cities. Yet, how will our cities hear and feel the love of Jesus if we aren't sharing? Jesus says in John 13:35, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." We will look at how to share the love and forgiveness of Christ with our broken cities, not only in spiritual conversations, but in the way we love and serve.

The Whole World for Christ

Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus said in Matthew 28:19, "Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Jesus has commissioned a global rescue mission and we each get to play a part. What else does scripture say about missions? Xenos has a specific vision of our role in missions that is guided by scripture. We will look at what this vision is as well as the key scripture that motivates this vision.

Christ over the Natural

Mike Sullivan

Matthew 28:18-20

The Bible is littered with miracles from the Old to the New Testament. What is the point of these miracles? What is the role of miracles in the church today? And what role do miracles play with people who don't know Jesus?