Lesson by Scott Shifferd
Recorded January 22, 2017
Why do you believe in the Bible? One might reply, “I believe in Jesus.” “The evidence surrounding Jesus’s death demonstrates that Jesus rose from the dead.” “The Bible is the most attested book in history.” “The Bible has changed the world for good.” “The Bible is filled with hundreds of fulfilled predictive prophecies.” All of these are excellent replies. The Bible is the effect of a miracle. Forty writers from Moses to John wrote the Bible over 1600 years. As Jesus is infallible so are the words of Jesus’s infallible. Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt 24:35). Jesus gave those words to His apostles and promised the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth. Apostolic writers formed the Christians Scriptures that has been a wonder to the world. There is much more that is amazing about the Bible, and the Christian’s confidence to uphold the unlimited inerrancy of the Bible is compelling.
Scripture Reading: 2 Peter 1:16-21 (read by Justin Hirt)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded January 22, 2017
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Jesus proclaimed, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matt 5:8). Do most people perceive their hearts as good or evil? While many would say “good,” how many would describe their hearts as pure? This lesson presents a biblical picture of the heart as the inner self of thought and emotion. God knows the hearts of all people (1 Cor 4:5). God will judge the hearts of all people (Rom 2:4–6). How will your heart stand before God? There is a way to change the heart.
Scripture Reading: Luke 6:43-45 (read by Marcq Rhodes)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded January 15, 2017
“It is the Lord who judges me.” “It is a very small thing that I should be judged by you.” Some may say such things because they do not want correction, blame, or to feel guilt. Such familiar statements can remind Christians that their focus must remain upon God for judgment. The apostle Paul has some insightful points from 1 Corinthians 4:1–7 for which this study centers. How much should Christians allow the judgments of others to affect them? The apostle Paul encourages believers by his example to identify oneself as a servant of Christ and steward of the ministries of God. The Christians must maintain a heart that does not judge others by one’s own personal measure, and rather assume the role of a servant humble before God. There is great danger when someone inflates oneself from boasting from low self-esteem according to what others say or from high self-esteem by what one thinks of oneself. However, this focus on self is very hurtful and the inflated person will deflate. This lesson turns the believer’s attention to identifying oneself through God in Christ.
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 3:18-23 (read by Christopher Howell)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded January 8, 2017
In 2017, the elders of the Dean Road church of Christ want to focus the congregation on “Being a Servant.” Serving others is easier out of love rather than self-will. Harder is serving those of whom one is resentful, feels inferior, or fears. Jesus’s disciples disputed among themselves of who was the greatest. Jesus taught the disciples to lead by serving and not to lead by authority over others (Luke 22:24–27). Jesus’s incarnation is the perfect example of service as Jesus came in the likeness of mankind to serve as a bondservant. For one to serve, the believer must put off the old self and put on the new self by renewing the spirit of the mind (Eph 4:20–24). This lesson focuses upon choosing to change one’s mind to love and thus serve others.
Scripture Reading: Philippians 2:5-11 (read by Will Salisbury)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded January 1, 2017
The Christmas season is a great time to share the Gospel of Christ. Jesus came in the flesh to save the lost. The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes hearts, minds, desires, and behaviors. The Christian knows love because Jesus laid down His life and Christians ought to lay down their lives for the brothers. The focus of a person’s heart upon God’s love may vary, but the Christian must focus primarily upon God’s love. No other person’s love should fill the attention of a Christian and come close to equal with God’s love in one’s heart. Love exists because God exists. Love comes from God because God is love. Those who have been born of God know God and know His love. By love, God indwells within Christians. Can you recognize God’s love? This lesson turns the Christian to see God’s unconditional love. God loves all while yet sinners. There is no way that someone can separate oneself from God’s love.
Scripture Reading: I John 4:7-12 (read by Don Kovar)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded December 25, 2016
The apostle Paul recognized that the true God is the God of hope (Rom 15:13). Even from the beginning, God gave hope of salvation when humanity fell in sin. The world causes problems and finds itself hopeless to address those problems. Biblical hope is a confident expectation. Self-pity, resentment, and anxiety hold even believers back from the hope of change. A person cannot change without hope. Jesus Christ is the believer’s hope (1 Tim 1:1). Jesus rose from the dead so that Christian put their confident expectation in God (1 Pet 1:20–21). Furthermore, God gave the Scriptures to give hope. This lesson challenges the believer to hope in a way that produces real change. There are many reasons to expect a life now that is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22–23).
Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-5 (read by Marcq Rhodes)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded December 18, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL
In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul confronted guilt, resentment, and anger. Paul taught these believers to replace anger with the forgiveness for which Christ forgave us. Christians must accept God’s unconditional love and give that love back to God and others. While Christians value the opinions of others greater than their own, the opinions of others is not God’s Word. These do not deserve the Christian’s attention more than the Word of God. Paul spoke about how faith and knowledge of the Son of God produces a mature Christian. The mature Christian finds importance and value in Jesus Christ apart from seeking significance in personal accomplishments or in pleasing everyone else. Christ must become the fullness of the Christian’s life. God is enough for the mature Christian. The apostle Paul urged Christians to renew the Spirit of the mind to put off the old person and put on the new.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:17-31 (read by Christopher Howell)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded December 11, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL
God’s first mission for the prophet Elijah was to send him to King Ahab of Israel to declare that rain will cease. For Elijah to pray to the LORD for the rain to cease was a direct blow against Ahab and Jezebel’s worship of Baal, the god of thunder, rain, and wind. Ahab pursued Elijah for three and half years because there was no rain. God sent Elijah to Ahab promising that the LORD would send rain on the earth. However, Elijah instructed Ahab to assemble the prophets of Baal and the people of Israel at Mount Carmel, which was a very significant place to glorify God again and pray to God for rain. This message recognizes God’s work through Elijah, Elijah’s character to overcome the worship of Baal, and how Christians can follow the same pattern for overcoming falsehood today.
Scripture Reading: I Kings 18:30-37 (read by Marcq Rhodes)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded December 4, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL
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Within the heart of every person, there are spiritual needs. With those needs is the reason to thank God. Why do so many people who claim to believe in God and do not thank Him? People allow what God has given them to keep them too long from thanking God. After God fulfills the needs of some; life, friends, and family distracts them from thanking God. Some think that they deserve God’s blessings so they have no thanks. Many believe that obeying God is enough and easily forget thanksgiving. The New Testament Scriptures contain some strong exhortations for thanking God. In truth, thanking God does more for the person than ever for God. Prayer with thanksgiving comes with God’s promise of peace that passes understanding. Thanking God is essential to maintaining a strong and active faith. The Bible warns of those who do not thank and glorify God. This lesson will challenge the listener to behave in a responsible and holy way, and thus give gratitude to the heavenly Father.
Scripture Reading: Psalm 118:19-29 (read by Justin Hirt)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded November 27, 2016
All spiritual blessings are in Christ. God's blessings are “in Christ.” Throughout the New Testament, the apostolic writers remind everyone of the identity of Jesus Christ. He is God come in the flesh. From the foundation of the world, God chose those who are in Christ. Forgiveness of sins and redemption are in Christ. The Christian’s eternal inheritance is in Christ. This lesson presents a number of passages teaching these truths. However, only three passages speak of how to get into Christ. All three scriptures declare the same thing. For most believers, the answer may not be what they think.
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (read by Gene Bryant) Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded November 20, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL
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