The Personal Integrity of a Gospel Witness.

Christians long to have confidence in sharing the Gospel. Paul provides a model for an effective gospel witness. Paul could say that he was not ashamed of the Gospel because he lived out the Gospel. It was something that he not only professed with words, but possessed in his daily life.

An authentic, bold gospel confidence is preceded by personal spiritual integrity. Integrity is characterized by being undivided. Paul was wholeheartedly submitted to the Gospel and the Person at the heart of the Gospel, Jesus Christ.

Our Spiritual Virtues.

The Great Commission, found in Matthew 28:19-20 and Acts 1:8, is God's assignment for the church. The task of reaching the world with the name of Christ is bigger than any individual. It is even bigger than the collective group of believers. This task requires the power of God. Thankfully, that which God calls us to, He also empowers us to do. As we continue to grow spiritually, God does the work to accomplish His eternal mission.

The Prosperous Believer.

What is the true center of global outreach? Are Christian training institutions central to Gospel work? Is the height of global influence found in evangelistic parachurch organizations? God intended individual believers in the local church to be the true center of global outreach. The front line of Gospel advancement is you!

God is Infinitely Greater than Our Largest Ministry Obligation and Opportunity.

The pastoral epistles are often said to be about the structure and governance of the church. This may sound dry and unappealing to the average Christian in the pew, until you realize that the church cannot be structured or governed without people! Paul's letter to Timothy is instructive not just for pastors but for every group in the church.

Discipleship Lessons from the Life of Barnabas.

Before leaving earth, Christ left a task for each believer in the church: to make disciples as a way of life (Matthew 28:19). Last week, we saw three requirements of disciple-makers from the life of Barnabas. This week, we will look at four expectations in the discipleship process.

Discipleship Lessons from the Life of Barnabas.

Before leaving earth, Christ left a task for each believer in the church: to make disciples as a way of life (Matthew 28:19). We flesh out what it means to love God and others through disciple-making. As we exercise our own spiritual gift, each believer is also to be teaching truth from God's Word.

Respect shown to worthy pastors ensures longevity with integrity for the church.

In the second half of 1 Timothy 5, Paul teaches Timothy and the Ephesian churches how to obtain quality leadership. We have already looked at how pastors are to be compensatedand how to handle an unrepentant pastor. Paul reminds Timothy that that shepherding God's people is a sober undertaking done "in the presence of God." Next, Paul instructs Timothy how to choose church leaders so he can avoid dealing with the same issues in the future.

Jesus is a King like no other, with the divine right to rule your life.

The book of Matthew was written to a Jewish audience to convince readers that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Our passage immediately follows Jesus' coronation (His baptism by John) and His testing by God. Unlike any other king, Jesus performed perfectly under the test. He resisted the tempter, commanded his worship, and finally banished him.

What will the reign of this King be like? Matthew 4:12-25 shows the first three acts of King Jesus which set the tone for His rule.

The Protective Value of a Genuine Testimony.

Every believer has been born again of a supernatural cause. Paul gives his testimony in the first chapter of his letter to Timothy to remind him that spiritual new birth is what keeps the church revived, refreshed, and protected. A healthy church is one that sees people being saved, discipled, and serving. This is the natural progression that God uses to build His church. One person who walks with the Lord can have a spiritual influence so great that only the Lord knows its true extent.

Who Comes First?

A disciple is simply someone who follows Christ. Luke 9:57-62 and a parallel passage in Matthew 8:18-22 tell of Jesus' interaction with three different disciples. It is easy to follow Jesus when doing so is popular, but many disciples leave when things become difficult (John 6:66). Jesus' response to each disciple highlights the question of who they will follow first. Each one's heart attitude is revealed in what the Lord says to him.

What does an ungodly nation need from the body of believers?

This psalm asks a significant question on this July 4th weekend, a question relates to the current moral character of our country. Any ungodly nation needs believers in its midst to send out God's light and truth to individual men and women.

Spiritual Fathers — Spiritual Sons

Mothers Who Prepare Their Children to Be Spiritual Leaders.

From preachers to presidents, good leaders have often praised the value of virtuous mothers. We celebrate motherhood this week because the Bible also honors women. Jewish genealogies did not include women, yet Jesus' mother is mentioned by name in Matthew 1:16. The Bible mentions Mary because she displays several virtues that should characterize all Christians. What can we learn from her godly example?

The Personal and Corporate Integrity of the Church.

Learning the Development of the Church.

We continue to follow Timothy's journey as he learns how God builds His church. The normative pattern we see in the book of Acts is not churches being grown around programs or a person. God's primary way to grow a church is through people getting saved as a result of believers interacting with the unsaved. A church grown around the Bible will have the desire to plant other churches, then network together to reach even more regions in the world.

Theme: The enjoyment of unseen spiritual realities prepares our hearts for unified daily living in God’s glorious church.

This week, we finish up the doctrinal teaching portion of Ephesians. Paul’s main point can be summarized in 1 sentence: God desires to take every soul on the globe, from various cultures and backgrounds, and blend them into one family in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

This pinnacle passage takes the form of a prayer, preparing us for the practical instructions to come in chapters 4-6. Last week we discussed God’s Enablement and Indwelling. Remember that these four aspects flow into one another as a natural Spirit-given progression. If we’re governed by the Spirit, Christ will feel at home in our hearts. As Christ is at home in our hearts, we will know the infinite measure of love God has given to us in His Son Jesus Christ. As we know that love, we will know increasing maturity over time.

Theme: We have adequate, divine resources to fulfill Christ’s mission in a way that honors Him.

Paul continues discussing the resources available to Christians in service of the “mystery.” What was not formerly understood by everyone is now revealed: God offers the Gospel to all the world. Paul’s focus shifts back to his person for these verses – but he is also describing you! All members of the new, unified Christian family have a responsibility to carry out the mission.

Living Contrasts: From Death to Life in Christ

Paul often describes our lost state to set up a contrast with our new life in Christ.

The structure of this passage reveals its main points. The Greek only contains 2 sentences (verses 1-7 and verses 8-10) but three sections. This week we will look at the first sentence, which outlines two different states of being: lost and saved, dead and living.

Theme: Our Eternal Foundation, part 2 – Every Spiritual Blessing is in Christ.

You may not have a million dollars waiting to be claimed by you, but Christ has something of indescribable value with your name on it. Our passage today may be the most exhaustive description of the value of our salvation in Scripture. Though these spiritual blessings are outlined as experienced in the past, present, and future, they all came to us at the moment we believed.