From Good to Great

Jim Leffel

Hebrews 8:6-13

The Old Covenant was good because it demonstrated God's moral character, prescribed a just society, and was a means of securing blessing for ancient Israel. Though the Law itself was good, sinful human beings could never keep it. The New Covenant is superior because it is unilateral, does away with sin, and results in an internal change of the heart. Believers today should seek to relate with God under the New Covenant, not the old.

Warnings!

Jim Leffel

Hebrews 10:26-31

The author of Hebrews gives a warning against "falling away" or to "go on sinning willfully" that might seem to threaten the idea of eternal security. In one case, the author is speaking of those who are convinced of spiritual truth but never choose to become believers. In the other case, the author is saying that those who keep on rejecting Jesus cannot be saved until they change their minds. Ultimately, faith for true believers has real content and is based on a concrete decision.

Water to Wine

Gary DeLashmutt

Isaiah 25:6-9

Jesus' first miracle was to turn water into wine. Jesus condemned the ritualistic relating of the people of his day, while showing his love and compassion for the people in his life. God is a good God, and He has good and wonderful plans for our eternity.

Entering God's Rest

Jim Leffel

Hebrews 4:4-16

Rest is a dynamic term, present in the pattern of history as receiving God's promise to blessing. Rest in the finished work of Christ means that we are prepared to receive and accept his sacrifice. To rest in an ongoing way means continuing to trust in God's provision and depend on Him in the whole of life. Dan Beech gave a testimony about the way that he learned to trust God.

The Birth of Christ

Gary DeLashmutt

Luke 2:1-14

The birth of the savior occurs in an unspectacular fashion. Christ voluntarily gave up his perfect position for a life of humiliation, misunderstanding, and rejection. He takes this low standing to show people how desperate their situation is, wholly displaying that God loves us with an amazing love.

Jesus' Unique Conception

Gary DeLashmutt

Matthew 1:18-25

The birth of Jesus removes itself from being considered a myth by being deliberately lodged in history. This means that God really did come down in human form. There are several reasons that God did this: 1) to provide evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, fulfilling all of the prophecies along the way; and 2) to provide salvation for the human race as a substitute. This knowledge prompts the response of entrusting ourselves to God.

Jesus' Family Tree

Gary DeLashmutt

Matthew 1:1-17

The genealogy of Christ shows that he was the descendant of Abraham and David, which is important because it fulfills God's promises to each of them. This was just one of many promises or prophecies about Christ's birth, showing that God went through a lot of trouble so people could know that Jesus was God's unique Messiah! Christ also came from a long line of sinners because he came for such people. This beginning of the gospel teaches that it's not about how good people are, but how gracious and merciful God is.

God's Rest

Cathy Treyens

Matthew 1:1-17

Biblical rest is an active to choice to trust God. It includes trusting His unconditional affection towards us, His power to work through us, and His ability to change us. It also means we stop trusting that our good works earn His acceptance. As we rest in God's unfailing love for us, we are able to work out of His grace to love and serve Him and those around us.

Parents and Children

Jim Leffel

Ephesians 6:1-4

Living a purpose-centered life applies to all of the relationships believers have with each other, including parents to children and vice versa. Children are to obey and honor their parents for their own benefit. Parents should avoid performance-based acceptance and disengaged relationships and keep four points in mind: 1) knowing & serving God is the purpose of life and the primary goal of parenting, 2) gain awareness and development of personal strengths, 3) be aware of how their strengths can be a deficit & ability to grow in self-discipline in these areas, and 4) know how to address sin patterns. Most importantly, parents need to stand under grace and keep learning humility.