An Invitation To Suffer

Ryan Lowery

Philippians 3:8-9

God's love and grace gave Paul the motivation to become a servant with a purpose, but it did not spare him of a life free of suffering. In fact, serving God requires Christians to wade into suffering so that others may know Him just as Christ was willing to undergo suffering for our sake. This sort of service requires that: we become servant leaders by laying down our lives for others, we bring the truth of God to those who don't know Him, and we commit to other people through discipleship.

Joyful Suffering (Part 2)

Jim Leffel

Colossians 1:24-2:5

The Christian life involves activities that bring with them, at the same time, suffering and joy. One of these is the process of helping others along to spiritual maturity, which is an extremely fulfilling interpersonal process that comes with relational risk. Another is the commitment to unity in the church, which is incredibly rewarding but can grate against our selfish nature.

Joyful Suffering (Part 1)

Jim Leffel

Colossians 1:24-2:5

If there's nothing that is worthy of our whole life, then our lives will be made up of trivialities. Advancing Christ's work will result in some suffering, and joy comes through the deep connection that forms through giving our lives for others. According to the Bible, God has revealed a great mystery set forth in the Old Testament through Christ. Knowing God is the greatest knowledge that brings us the greatest joy.

Real Community

Ryan Lowery

Acts 6:1-7

In the early church, Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews were culturally at odds in the diverse city of Jerusalem. They overcame cultural prejudice in four ways: 1) The leaders acknowledge the problem publically; 2) they delegated authority to a trustworthy group; 3) they didn't overreact; and 4) both sides trusted in the leadership of the church. In order to fight division, we must understand the basis for our unity in Christ, be on the lookout for division, and be a community of the Word that also serves each other.

Dealing With Failure

Scott Risley

1 Peter 5:2-4

When Christians fail, it is easy to believe that God has abandoned them or will punish them for their mistakes. The example of Peter's failure, however, demonstrates that God is gracious towards us and can even use our failures for good, and those who choose to accept the second chance God gives them can become more effective servants for Him.

Features of a Transformed Community (Part 2)

Jim Leffel

1 Thessalonians 5:14-15

In every relationship, Christians are to treat others with the same grace that God has demonstrated toward us. This means forgiving people instead of seeking payback and showing patience to everyone. It also means having difficult conversations with people, encouraging the discouraged, and moving compassionately towards those who are vulnerable.

Features of a Transformed Community (Part 1)

Jim Leffel

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

An important part of a spiritual community is the leadership appointed by God. Spiritual leadership means leading as a servant, being directive, and remaining centered on truth. All believers should desire the maturity and the blessings that come with spiritual leadership. The whole church is called to follow leaders by responding to them, recognizing the importance of their office, and seeking peace over needless rebellion.

The Upper Room

Dennis McCallum

John 13:1-17

Jesus is with his disciples before the Passover and is awaiting the hour which he will go to the Cross and take on God's judgment, causing him great agony. While the disciples among him were arguing on who was the greatest, Jesus began to wash their feet, placing himself in the position of servant to serve the needs of the disciples. Jesus did this to serve as an example of radical self-sacrificial love that he wanted his followers to emulate. Today, Christians are called to love one another in the way Jesus did, as it shows the outside world that we are his followers and will lead to real satisfaction in our lives as we look to meet the needs of others. This takes real practice and isn't simply a theoretical, but must be accompanied by action.

A Shocking Act of Service

Conrad Hilario

John 13:1-17

On the last day of Jesus' life, he shows his disciples how much he loves them by washing their feet. We learn that we need to undergo two types of washing ourselves: 1) we need to be washed morally clean before a perfect God; and 2) we need to regularly be refreshed by God in our daily lives. Jesus calls his disciples, and us, to figuratively wash each other's feet by sacrificing for each other and providing spiritual refreshment. He gives us three motivations to do this: 1) he provided the example for us to follow; 2) he has met all our needs so we can meet the needs of others; and 3) we will be blessed if we serve others.