Becoming Who You Are

Scott Risley

Colossians 3:1-11

Living out of who God says we are includes focusing on our new identity and putting off the "old" self and way of living. Spiritual growth often results from thanking God for what He's done for us and relating to others in the new way He offers. As we focus in faith on who God says we are, gradually our behavior will reflect our inward beliefs.

Saul's Conversion

Ryan Lowery

Acts 26:14

Saul was a Jewish leader who harshly persecuted Christians. In his encounter with Jesus, it is obvious that his passion to persecute the church was fueled by an emotional rebellion against the evidence. Once he saw the truth of Christ, he immediately chose to live out the implications for his life. Ananias was also willing to take a step of faith toward Saul despite his fears.

The Paradox of Fulfillment (Part 1)

Jim Leffel

Matthew 5:1-12

There is great suffering in this world and we have become people who are trying to hide from it and deny it. We turn away from God, but He is the one who we can take comfort in. He is asking for us to place our worries on Him. We must be willing to let our hearts break.

A Model Church

Doug Patch

Revelation 3:7-13

John's letter to the church of Philadelphia is one of encouragement and promise. Christ's recognizes their focus and faithfulness to His Word and their intent on sharing the gospel with others. Christ rewards their faith with four promises: 1) access to God and more opportunities to share their faith, 2) vindication from people who mock them, 3) protection in difficulties, and 4) "complete and lasting security" in His Kingdom! The dynamic between trust in God and His provisions is expanded upon, emphasizing the importance of meditating on Scripture.

Developing a Confident Faith

Mark Mittelberg

Revelation 3:7-13

Mark Mittelberg outlines six different faith paths, or approaches, that people use to decide what to put their faith in. The first is the relativistic path, that truth is what you make it and it is personal. The second is the traditional path, that truth is what you've always been taught. Others follow the authoritarian path, that truth is what you've been told to believe. The intuitive path is rooted in truth being what your feel in your heart, similar to the mystical path where truth is what you think God has told you. Finally, there is the evidential path, that truth is what logic and evidence point to. Mittelberg presents a brief list of several examples of the evidence pointing to Christianity.

The Resurrection of Christ

Ryan Lowery

Luke 23:50-24:49

The resurrection of Christ is a critical issue: if Christ was not raised then Christianity is false, but if he was raised then it confirms all of Jesus' teachings. There is a myriad of historical evidence for Jesus' bodily resurrection, including eyewitness accounts in the gospels and extra-Biblical sources. No alternative explanation can account for the evidence. Ultimately, the resurrection assures us of salvation and of God's power.

The Way People See Jesus

Ryan Lowery

Matthew 26:34-35

Before Jesus' resurrection, there were five reactions to him: 1) the religious rulers questioned his authority; 2) the disciples were not prepared to suffer for the truth; 3) Herod viewed him as a novelty; 4) Pontius Pilate refused to make a decision; and 5) the thieves crucified with him either rejected him or gained salvation. Today, Jesus is still a polarizing figure.

Feeding of the Five Thousand

Conrad Hilario

John 6:35

A crowd of 5,000 men gathers around Jesus near the Sea of Galilee. Jesus and His disciples discuss how they will feed this crowd. This passage reveals the differences between having a horizontal and vertical perspective on life. Through the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus shows He wants to meet humanity's innermost needs and use His followers to do this work.

faith vs. FAITH

Dennis McCallum

John 4:46-54

Jesus returns to Galilee where a royal official asked him to heal his sick son. Jesus addresses their attitude of desiring signs and wonders over authentic faith. Biblical faith isn't some mental assent, or feeling of what is true, or whatever we choose to believe. In this event, Jesus speaks a word and the official is willing to act on his word, and after acting God confirms the experience to be true. Biblical faith is the same today: it comes from hearing and acting on God's word, and afterwards experience can follow acting in faith on the word of God. This teaching includes an in-depth interview from Primetime TV from Dianne Sawyer and also includes a skit describing blind faith.