Serving Love and the Body of Christ (Part 2)

Dennis McCallum
1 Thessalonians 5:11-15

In the Body of Christ, Christians are called to warn, encourage, help, and extend grace to one another. All of these actions are to be done with the vital quality of patience, a quality that differs drastically from softness. When these actions are consistently practiced in a community of believers, true spiritual growth and a tangible demonstration of God's love ensues.

Serving Love and the Body of Christ (Part 1)

Dennis McCallum
Mark 10:42-45

Paul commands the Thessalonian believers to respect their leaders and to live peaceably with everyone. But what is biblical leadership? The Bible is clear that God calls and appoints leaders, and these leaders are then recognized by others for their proven service to God and His people. These leaders must be relatively more mature than others in the church, exhibit godly character, and have a solid foundation in God's truth. Those who have not been called into leadership yet should cultivate a healthy appreciation for their leaders and work towards becoming spiritual leaders themselves.

The Dynamics of Serving Love

Dennis McCallum
1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:13

The Bible teaches clearly that fulfillment and happiness come from eternal relationships built around serving love. These relationships are neither codependent (clinging to others out of neediness) or disengaged (low involvement due to a lack of availability), nor are they primarily tribal or diffuse. Instead, mature serving love is deeply involved and seeks to give to others whenever possible, and this sacrificial love is learned through personal experience in the body of Christ.

Authentic Christian Community (Part 3) Spiritual Gifts

Gary DeLashmutt
1 Corinthians 12:1-31

Paul speaks to the Corinthians about spiritual gifts, explaining that they are to be used to serve others. We are to live inter-dependent lives with other believers, and learn to love them sacrificially. Each of us has a role to play, and spiritual gifts are just one way God wants to use us to support the body.

Wisdom and Friendship

Scott Risley
Proverbs 20:5

Choosing and cultivating friendships is a prominent theme in the book of Proverbs. Throughout Proverbs, there are warnings against befriending the fool. In contrast, it also highlights qualities of godly friendships, among those being loyalty, transparency, patience and generosity. The foundation of a good friendship is the fear of the Lord, receiving and giving His sacrificial love.

Authentic Christian Community (Part 2)

Gary DeLashmutt
1 Corinthians 11:17-34

Paul calls the Corinthians to come to their meetings ready to serve others in love. Those attending the home churches in Corinth were stuck in a selfish mindset, choosing to not welcome others or share with them. The result was that their worship of God was empty, since no actions backed their words. Paul rebukes their selfishness, and reveals to the Corinthians that God has been disciplining them with the goal that they'll repent and choose to love.

The Poor and the Needy

Ryan Lowery
Deuteronomy 15:7-11

Poverty is a major topic in the book of Proverbs. God's heart is inclined toward the poor. He wants His followers to love and serve the poor out of gratitude for His love toward them. World poverty is a prevalent issue that many Americans do not fully grasp. A Christian's proper response to the poor is not to judge them, but rather to advocate for just treatment of them, speak up about injustice against them, and be generous toward them. The church needs to rally together to develop an impact on poverty that is spiritual, long-term, holistic, contextualized, and that fosters independence. Xenos offers many opportunities to combat poverty right here in Columbus, Ohio.\r\n

Entering the Fray

Jim Leffel
2 Timothy 2:3-7

Paul asks Timothy to consider moving deeper into complicated relationships with the message of God. With this example, we're challenged to have a radical others-centered focus, while taking a sober look at what the world is truly like.

Rekindling the Fire

Jim Leffel
2 Timothy 1:1-7

The apostle Paul encourages Timothy in his effort to lead the church in Ephesus by reminding him of the gift of Christ's forgiveness, and the God-given abilities to accomplish His purposes. By not neglecting these gifts and moving forward, Christians can cultivate genuine spiritual excitement and vitality. Includes information from "Spiritual Leadership" by Oswald Sanders.