I AM the Resurrection

James Rochford
John 11:1-53

In this account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, we learn why Jesus waited four days to intervene and what this reveals about the heart of God.  We also learn several important things from the grief of Mary and Martha that can help us endure difficult times of grief.

Let All Things Be Done for Edification

Mike Woods
1 Corinthians 14:1-26

Paul admonished the Corinthians for valuing spiritual gifting over love.  He called them to pursue love above all the gifts.  He outlined what the principle of love would look like in our fellowship gatherings where everyone was prepared to edify each other with both our gifting and love.

Pursue Love

Lee Campbell
1 Corinthians 13:1-13

The pursuit of love first involves receiving God's love through Christ, then reflecting on God's love toward you so you avoid the drift toward self-love, and finally, asking God to help you love when you are unmotivated to love.

Questions of Conscience and Love

Lee Campbell
1 Corinthians 8:1-13

The practice of eating meat sacrificed to idols does not seem relevant to us today, but the principle of living under the Law of Love does still apply.  The law of Love should drive our decision-making about what we allow and don't allow.  We should voluntarily constrain our freedoms for the benefit of others.

The Kindness of the King

Scott Risley
2 Samuel 9

The kindness King David showed to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth is a picture of God's grace. Just as King David searched for and called Mephibosheth and gave him abundant gifts and honor, so does God seek, call and give extravagantly to all who respond to Him.

Two Lost Sons

Patrice McCormac
Luke 15:11-132

The parable of the prodigal son is really about the extravagant love of the father. Jesus is reproaching the self-righteous Pharisees for thinking their moral righteousness is what gets them right with God instead of the humble repentance eventually displayed by the younger son

Mephibosheth: A Lesson In God's Grace

James Rochford
2 Samuel 9

The story of Mephibosheth is a lesson in God's grace. God in His grace pursues us even though we have done nothing to deserve His gifts. We deserve death but He gives us everlasting life. His grace blows away our anticipations.

God's Lovingkindness

Conrad Hilario
2 Samuel 9

God's lovingkindness can transform us by inspiring our loyalty, by inspiring grateful trust, and by liberating us from envy. Jonathan's son, Mephibosheth, knew that he deserved nothing good from King David, but David lavished him with blessings because he had made a covenant with Jonathan to take care of Jonathan's family when he became king.

Loving God with All Your Heart

James Rochford
2 Samuel 5-6

Loving God with all your heart involves letting yourself display emotions. David's source of his passion was his deep trusting relationship he had with God. His wife, Michal, on the other hand kept aloof, allowed hard-heartedness to take root, leading her to develop a twisted narrative of David's joyous dancing before the Lord.