In this week's sermon, the Apostle John shows us how there are two agendas battling for our attention and submission. The Holy Spirit seeks to capture our attention with the truth of the Gospel while Satan tries to distract us with the ways of the world.
Our text this week expounds on the social test of being a follower of Jesus Christ, do I love like I believe Jesus is Lord?
The Gospel is the predetermined plan, incarnation, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and impending return of Jesus and all of its effects. Because of this, Christians live for a day because they have been changed by a day.
Tonight we unpack this statement in our text: Jesus has called us to Gospel life and mission. His enemies seek to replace truth and destroy assurance, but God has provided for our perseverance.
3 John provides us with practical insight for leadership in the church.
In this week's passage, John addresses three groups of people in the church: spiritual children, the spiritually growing, and the spiritually mature. He encourages them but also warns them that the kingdom of this world seeks to take away our attention from the kingdom of God.
This week's passage help's us tackle two questions; how do we know Jesus and what is his will? We learn that these are more that what we realize and start in our hearts before they are ever worked out in our lives.
John lays out two truths for us. God is light and in Him there is no darkness and we are sinners. As we look at tonight's passage we can either believe the lies of the darkness and live in them or believe the truth of the light and walk in it.
In our last session we see that we are not only called out to righteousness but we are also called to take the Gospel to the world around us.
In this session, we look at how discipleship helps us to grow in the Gospel.
In this first session we take a look at what it means to be the Church as we are called out of darkness and into light, to live in community on mission for the sake of the Gospel and the glory of God.
In this session, we look at mission and how to participate in the Gospel.
In this session we take a look at the element of story, how to tell the Gospel. We will seek to better understand our story in light of God's story so that we can better tell the Gospel. *****We had technical difficulties during this session so please pardon the audio when it cuts in and out*****
In this session, we look at how hospitality prepares for and shows the Gospel.
In this session, we look at care and how we cultivate the Gospel.
As we begin a new book of the Bible with a new series one question is asked, is what we believe about Jesus very important? The Apostle John begins his letter with a resounding yes. To understand who we are we have to view Jesus properly.
As we wrap up this series we look at the ultimate tool that God gives us, His presence, the Holy Spirit. He is the lead missionary as we strive to be a church seeking the glory of God by focusing on the person and work of Jesus Christ and depending on the power of the Holy Spirit.
This week we take a look at community as a tool for mission. We know that God has created us to live in community but we must understand that it cannot terminate on itself, rather it must thrust us to tell and live the Gospel.
Worship is the fuel and goal of mission. We have to grasp the fact that God uses our worship, outward praise, as a tool for the world to know the truth of the Gospel. We are going to take a look at why we need worship for mission and how we use worship for mission.
This week's tool for the mission is scripture. Jesus tells us in John 8:31 that abiding in His words make us disciples. After we understand the need for it we also can see how it plays out practically in our lives.
Continuing in our Tools for the Mission series, we learn about how prayer is essential but often overlooked. From Jesus' Sermon on the Mount we learn who to pray to, what to pray for, and how to pray.
As we shift our focus from going through a book of the Bible, we are going to take time this summer to look at and understand the tools for being on mission. The place we must start is with Jesus himself and our passage in John 15 tells us to abide. Mission begins with abiding.
In this week's passage, Solomon gives us some good news then some bad news then some really good news. As we unpack the text with the Gospel we see some instructions on what we know, what we don't know and what we are supposed to do about it.
The text this week begs our reaction and then action to some big questions. What's our reaction and action when we here that the wicked die? Solomon explores this under the sun but we can see the clear Gospel connections to each situation we look at.
There are two things your dad told you to never talk about, religion and politics. Our passage this week tackles both. Solomon gives us his incomplete view "under the sun" but we know the Gospel demands more of us.
Solomon tells show us the human tendency to follow one of two wrong paths: religion or irreligion. He shows us our need for a third way, the Gospel, and gives us practical insight on how to live it.
God shows us His grace by shaping our lives to see our need without Him and our need for Him. God has called every believer to grasp, live and share this truth with the world around them.
Often times modern Christianity is filled with visions of "buddy" God. Solomon provides a stern warning against this in this week's passage. Our approach to God is key to a life that is worship.
Community can often be overlooked as an essential for the Christian life. We know that people often seek community in other places besides the church and this is why the Gospel must shape community for us. This week's passage provides us with 4 imperatives for living in Gospel-Centered Community.
This week we see Solomon tackle some big questions about God's justice over injustice and wickedness in the world. We also learn of our response because of the Gospel.
