Text: Ephesians 5:21-6:9 Paul talked about being “subject to one another” and the various relationships in which we do this. This is the idea of placing ourselves “under” someone – not by force as if we were defeated, but willingly. Ultimately, we do this because we are subjecting ourselves to the Lord as it is done “in […]
February 21, 2022
Developing a Resilient Faith
Text: 1 Peter 1:3-9 I recently read the book, Faith for Exiles: 5 Ways for a New Generation to Follow Jesus in Digital Babylon by David Kinnaman and Mark Matlock. The book described how living in today’s godless and digital society is like living in exile (like Babylonian captivity). Based on research of 18-29 year olds who […]
October 18, 2021
Dangers on the Safe Side (Part 2): Expanding Fellowship
Text: 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 This is the second lesson in a series about dangers that exist “on the safe side.” This phrase means “avoiding danger, with a margin for error” (definition). Sometimes this is fine or even wise, but there is a difference between wisdom and safety. Sometimes they overlap, but not always. At times, staying “on the safe side” […]
June 28, 2021
Collective Responsibilities
Text: 1 Corinthians 12:27 In our text, Paul explained that Christians were individually part of a collective body. They each had a role to play and responsibilities as individuals. They were also to contribute to the function of the body as a whole. In this lesson and the previous one, we’re going to discuss these different responsibilities. In this […]
February 1, 2021
Practicing Church Discipline
Text: 1 Corinthians 5 Church discipline is often not a pleasant topic, and is even more difficult to practice. However, while this is often difficult and painful to practice, there are times when it is absolutely necessary. Also, when it is done for the right reason and in the right way, it is actually for good – benefitting […]
January 27, 2020
Turning Blessings into Curses
Text: Proverbs 25:16 In the Bible, honey is often used to symbolize God’s great blessings for man (cf. Exodus 3:8). Yet in our text, the wise man pointed out that this same blessing can be turned into something with negative effects. It is possible to take the good things God blesses us with and turn them into […]
December 16, 2019
The Desire for Unity
Text: Psalm 133 This is a brief psalm about the blessings of unity among God’s people. But too often unity is taken for granted, perverted from God’s plan, or destroyed through division. Unity is GOOD and PLEASANT. Therefore, it is important that we understand what this is and why it is important. Unity Must Be Based Upon […]
