Doing God's Work God's Way

Ryan Lowery

Nehemiah 5:1-19

According to the Bible, God values love above anything else. Love is essential to carry out God's work, but it can often be difficult and require sacrifice. Often, God allows difficult circumstances to bring up areas of character weakness where we have neglected the ethic of love. In order to be effective Christian workers, we need to follow Nehemiah's example of fighting to ensure that God's work is carried out with love as the guiding principle.

The Character of a Spiritual Leader, Part 2

Conrad Hilario

1 Timothy 3:3-13

Christian leadership is vastly different than the kind of leadership that we often see in our culture. The character qualifications for elders and deacons are a picture of spiritual maturity. Some of these qualities include hospitality, perseverance, gentleness, and authenticity. Elders and deacons are also called to lead their families, learn to teach well, and to avoid both drunkenness and the love of money.

The Character of a Spiritual Leader

Conrad Hilario

Titus 1:5-7

The Bible speaks of the desire to lead for God as a noble ambition. Instead of setting a standard of gifting or talent, God instead chooses to set a standard of character. Some of these character qualifications for elders include: being above reproach, being self-controlled, being level-headed, and to have a well-ordered life.

The Paradoxical Way to Happiness

Gary DeLashmutt

Isaiah 58:10-11

Human beings deeply desire personal happiness, and live in ways they believe will result in happiness. God affirms this desire to be happy, but declares that our way of seeking through a self-centered life is wrong. Instead, Jesus declares that the self-giving perspective results in true happiness. In order to live this sacrificial lifestyle, we must consistently receive God's love and then give it out to others.

Grace-Motivated Serving

Jim Leffel

1 Timothy 1:12-17

The grace, mercy, and love of God form the basis for serving others. Understanding these things will result in gratitude, humility, and praise that are necessary to truly love others.

The Goal is Love

Jim Leffel

1 Timothy 1:1-7

Throughout his letter to Timothy, Paul exhorts him to make the most of his life. In order to fulfill this, the prime goal of the Christian life is love. This requires a pure heart, should be done in good-conscience, and is a product of a sincere faith.

Freedom and Slavery

Gary DeLashmutt

Galatians 5:13

The Bible tells us to consider ourselves as utterly free yet at the same time as slaves. Christ has purchased our freedom from slavery to: humans, the Law, and sin. However, this freedom is also for the purpose of become "slaves" to God, and our experience of this freedom increases through choosing to live as slaves according to God's design.

Adorning the Gospel in Your Community

John Cleary

Sherri Fojas

Galatians 5:13

God calls His followers to adorn the gospel with word and deed. To effectively participate in this, Christians need to be convinced and motivated by grace. It is also essential to serve those outside the church community because God's purpose and goal are to share His love with those who don't yet know Him. Being prepared with a short answer about why you serve as well as a short personal testimony will give you the ability to answer when people ask why you serve. Jesus is our ultimate example to follow and we need to be sure it is every member that participates in serving the community. Get involved where you are burdened and gifted and consider how to mobilize others to do the same.\r\n

Marriage and Family, God's Way

Scott Risley

Colossians 3:18-21

God has a specific design and way he desires us to live out our marriages and family life. Within marriage, God's emphasis is each partner playing their role within marriage. For the husband, that means to demonstrate sacrificial, loving leadership like Christ. For wives, this includes support and respecting the husband's leadership.