SERVANT EVANGELISM The apostle Paul described his approach to sharing the gospel as becoming “a slave to everyone, in order to win more people” (1 Cor. 9:19). In other words, he sought to find common ground with his hearers when sharing the good news. When Paul was in Athens, he used their monument to
ARE YOU ATTENTIVE TO THE WORD AND WORSHIPING TOGETHER? Nehemiah led a group of Israelites back to Jerusalem to rebuild its broken down walls. They had lost their nation and freedom to worship 70 years earlier when the Babylonians had invaded. Jerusalem was destroyed and its people and wealth were carried away. But after 70
YOUR RIGHTS ARE LIMITED BY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO LOVE OTHERS Our freedom in Christ does not relieve us of our responsibility to consider others, especially new believers. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he was concerned about those who felt free to eat meat offered to idols without consideration of those who would be tempted
WHEN MAY THE LORD BE FOUND? David wrote of a time when his unconfessed sin weighed heavy on him. He finally decided to stop trying to hide his iniquity and to confess his sins to the Lord. When he did, the Lord heard his prayer and forgave him. Experiencing the Lord’s forgiveness himself, David urged
LIVING OUT YOUR NEW IDENTITY IN CHRIST After admonishing believers in Corinth for suing other brothers in court, rather than handling things within the Church, Paul reminded them that they had a new identity in Christ. He listed some of their former identities, which were really marked by their favorite sins. Identities like: “Fornicators, idolaters,
REJOICE, FOR GOD SEES YOUR AFFLICTION This Psalm of David teaches us to choose gladness and worship, while giving our troubles to God. David wrote that God had “seen” his trouble. In other words David had stopped thinking about his affliction and had given it to God for His consideration. This was how the
FAITHFULNESS IS SUCCESS Paul called himself a “steward of God’s mysteries” (1 Cor. 4:1). A steward is a manager who serves on behalf of the owner. Managers in business are judged by their success. But Paul said that stewards of God are judged by their faithfulness. In God’s Kingdom, faithfulness is success. It’s not
UNDERSTANDING OUR PLACE IN WITNESSING Paul wrote to correct the Corinthian church for its disunity and favoritism. For some were claiming to be followers of Paul and others followers of a preacher named Apollos. Paul told them that “neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives
THE SPIRIT OF UNDERSTANDING Have you ever been asked how you can know that God has saved you? The question may come from someone who lacks assurance of salvation themselves, so they want to understand from where you get your confidence. Or the question may come from an agnostic who wishes to challenge the basis
TALKING ABOUT JESUS Why is it easier to invite someone to church than it is to invite them to follow Jesus? Talking about church is not the most comfortable thing in our modern culture. It signals a shift in our everyday generic conversation with neighbors and coworkers, for it moves from that which we have