The God of Compassion

Jim Leffel

Exodus 2:23-25

Exodus gives two examples of God's compassion. First, in our suffering. God is moved by human suffering because He hears people and God is an emotional being. Secondly, God is not only moved by our suffering but His compassion produces action. An example of how God takes action is seen in His forgiveness and redemption for the people of Israel. This message of redemption is the Bible's central message.

Servants of a New Covenant

Dennis McCallum

Exodus 34:29-34

Paul explained that through Christ the veil of the law has been lifted and now we relate to God through grace. Christ died for all of our sins and now we can view our relationship with God as something where we draw near to Him and depend on Him, rather than trying to try to justify ourselves to Him. God's grace offers us freedom and peace as we work with Him.

Motivations for Generosity

Gary DeLashmutt

Acts 4:32-33

This teaching is part of a funding campaign for Xenos Christian Fellowship. What is generosity and what motivates is highlighted throughout this teaching. There are 6 motivations for generosity. First, God has given generously to you through his son Jesus; grace is God's riches at Christ's expense. A second motivation is because God has made you a steward of His resources. A comparison of stewardship and ownership mentalities is included. Thirdly, you can be generous even if you are not wealthy; it is an attitude of giving that God is looking for, not a specific or large financial amount. Fourthly, God wants all of his people to have enough and does so through His people's generosity. Fifth, your financial gift will be handled with integrity among church leadership. Lastly, God will richly bless you for your generosity. You cannot out-give God! Refers to Craig Bloomberg's book Neither Poverty Nor Riches: A Biblical Theology of Possessions as a valuable resource on generosity topic.

David and Bathsheba

Dennis McCallum

Psalms 32:1-5

Years after David''s throne is established, he begins making poor choices that lead his life in a bad direction. The culmination of this is when he commits adultery with Bathsheba, impregnates her, then tries to cover it up by having her husband killed in battle. A prophet named Nathan confronts him about this, and David finally chooses to admit to his wrongdoings and repent rather than continuing to lie and hide his sin. Through his repentance, we see the joy and happiness that comes from the release of guilt that God's grace offers. We also see that God's grace covers all sin, no matter how big.

Mephibosheth

Dennis McCallum

Ephesians 2:8-9

When David finally became king, he sought out the last known living relative of Saul in order to show him God's kindness (chesed) for Jonathan's sake. He went to Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, and promised to show him kindness, restore to him the land that belonged to Saul, and take care of him. This is a perfect picture of God's grace (chesed) toward us, from Mephibosheth's awe of David's kindness to the life-changing impact it had on him. Grace is an important character trait of God and the only way anyone can come to Him. Just as God shows us grace, we should learn to show it to others the way David did.

Christians and Their Neighbors (Part 3)

Dennis McCallum

Colossians 4:4-6

Three ways to reach out with the message of God: 1) prayer; 2) lifestyle; 3) words. Five main components to consider when using our words to share God's message include: 1) sender; 2) message; 3) encoding/decoding; 4) receiver; 5) noise. Most effectively this is done through relationship with an emphasis on grace. The point is to communicate God's message of grace in a way that the receiver can hear best. This is an exciting part of the Christian life! All Christians should look for ways to be part of what God's doing around us.\r\n

Lifestyle Evangelism

John Rue

Connie Rue

Colossians 4:4-6

Lifestyle evangelism means focusing on other people's eternities. Believers do this by freely distributing God's love and living as people under grace; only then are they able to distribute the same grace and love. This kind of lifestyle will radically impact every area of our lives, relationships, and community.

Putting on Christ

Dennis McCallum

Colossians 3:9-17

Putting on Christ is living out the new identity God has given us. This involves a transformation powered by God as we cooperate with Him. God produces selfless qualities in us that make us more like Christ. This results in lasting love relationships that are unifying and produce peace which are in contrast to relationships that do not follow God's way.

The Spiritual Mindset

Dennis McCallum

Colossians 3:1-12

What is doubt and how should we deal with it? This is the first of a two-part series on doubt that addresses what doubt is, what it is not, and what it might look like in the life of a believer. Everyone struggles with doubt at some point in their lives. We should pursue our doubts and search out answers to the questions we have. Common issues that trigger doubt and the problem of evil in the world are also discussed.\r\n