Overcoming Prejudice with Love

Jim Leffel
1 John 3:17

James calls us to practice the love that Christ showed us. The world sees people in terms of their temporary status or wealth, but we are called to see people how God sees them. God sees them as loved, and so we should see everyone as a masterpiece of God's own creation.

Being Ready for the Coming of the Son of Man

Dennis McCallum
Matthew 25:1-43

Jesus teaches his disciples through three separate stories what it means to be ready for the coming of the Son of Man. The first, a parable about ten virgins, teaches that there will be many who profess themselves to be Christians, or nominal Christians, that will not be ready for Jesus' return. The second, a parable of the talents, teaches the principle of stewarding the resources God has given us before He returns. The last parable is about the sheep and goats, and shows the urgency of serving Jesus by serving those in real need. In light of what God has given us, Christians are called to consider how their lives reflect stewardship.

Jesus Versus Religion

Dennis McCallum
Matthew 11:16-12:21

Jesus and his disciples break grain during the Sabbath, infuriating the Pharisees. Jesus goes to discuss the difference between the "religious" mentality of the Pharisees versus what God actually cares about. Jesus argues directly with the Pharisees about their hypocritical religious mentality. For the religious, the focus is following all sorts of external regulations to be seen as righteous before people and seeing this as the way to please God. Jesus came to point out that real righteousness comes from humbly recognizing our inability to meet all the regulations of God's law, but instead to admit our brokenness and ask for forgiveness in faith. God desires to show people compassion rather than needing sacrifices from them.

What About Miracles?

Dennis McCallum
Matthew 8:1-15

Jesus performs four miracles. He heals a man with leprosy, who would be seen as a total outcast at that time. He sees the faith of a gentile centurion and heals his slave servant and then goes on to heal a woman. All of these people were see as unimportant in society, but not to Jesus. Jesus miraculous power was used to authenticate his claims and demonstrated his love towards those who are deemed as unloved. Jesus wants to express his love to all people through his work on the cross.

Why Christianity Offends

Jim Leffel
1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Paul in this part of his letter to the church in Corinth speaks to one of the biggest questions of Christianity: what is the meaning of the cross? In order to apply the purpose of the cross, human wisdom cannot reveal this. Through God's revealed wisdom, people are able to comprehend the mercy of the cross. By God's grace, the death of Jesus reconciles, regenerates, and redeems human beings to God through a relationship with Him.\r\n

Dealing With Negativity

Dennis McCallum
Romans 8:5-7

Christians are called to forbear with one another's faults and to cultivate a positive mindset. For most believers though, negativity is natural and accepted, \r\nbut this casual attitude blinds them to the truth that negativity is self-fulfilling and a serious sign of unbelief. In contrast, believers with positive mindsets focus on what is good and choose to be grateful in the midst of difficult circumstances, and this mindset provides relief from anxiety and self-absorption. A video testimony from Joe Botti is included.

A Servant's Compassion

Jim Leffel
Matthew 25:34-40

Paul called Timothy to provide for the widows of the Ephesian church, and this furthers the call for Christians to practice compassion for the needy. Serving and loving those in need is a great opportunity to share God's love with people in a broken and fallen world.

A Servant's Passion

Jim Leffel
2 Timothy 4:7-8

Paul told Timothy that God gifted him in ministry, likewise he has gifted each of us. God has given us a purpose to go out and share His message of love and salvation to this world, and He wants us to use the gifts He has given us to accomplish this purpose. God has a powerful plan for your life, and if you depend on Him, He can use you to do things that will leave an eternal impact.

Affluent Christians and Their Poor Neighbors

Dennis McCallum
James 2:5

The Chrisitan worldview is one of the few worldviews that elevates the poor out of a social structure that says they are a burden or unwanted. We all are fellow heirs to the kingdom with equal status in our standing with God to those who have redemption in Christ. Are we grateful to God to be in the position to have a positive impact and meet the needs of the poor in the world? Or do we go through our busy lives of excess and forget about the great commission?