Lesson by Scott Shifferd
Recorded August 13, 2017
Does your focus clothe your appearance? Paul instructed disciples to put on the qualities of God’s chosen, holy, and beloved people. These faithful followers clothed themselves in Christian virtues. Where do we begin? In Colossians 3, Paul also exhorted Christians to look to things above and not earthly things. Paul even specified that the earthly things were sexually immoral and prideful speech. How do people lose their focus on what really matters? Everyone faces death and yet many try to distract themselves from reality. The hope of change begins in the Gospel message of Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. In this process, Christians mature and put on the Christian virtues like compassion. Those qualities are what unite Christians and cross racial and social divides. May God bless those who consider this biblical message from the Holy Spirit.
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:12-17 (read by Gene Bryant)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded August 13, 2017
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The world wants everyone to accept them as they identify themselves, but they refuse to accept how God made them in His image. They refuse to accept the identity of Christ. They want others to accept their way of life while they reject the Christian’s way of life. People are confused. If we look, one thing that all people can see is that no one can keep their own moral code perfectly. Most people rationalize immoral behaviors. Immorality increases to more immorality. People corrupt their own morality. That morality they have invented comes selfishly for themselves. Humanity is guilty and needs a Savior. However, God loved humanity while yet sinners and sent Jesus Christ. God’s grace has come through Christ. However, God’s grace does not permit that we continue to do wrong but that we are saved from evil, sin, and lawlessness to turn from such evil. This message presents that God forgives us of all sins as long as we walk in the light. How do we walk in the light?
Scripture Reading: I John 1:5-10 (read by Gerrit Dekker)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded August 6, 2017
What is so amazing about God's grace? Humanity does not deserve grace. No one can earn salvation from the guilt and eternal consequences of sins. However, while dead in sins, God demonstrated His love and mercy to all in grace giving salvation through Christ. This message presents a concise definition of God’s forgiving grace. God’s grace works through the Gospel — the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. The Scriptures are clear about the devastating state of humanity. All by nature were children of wrath. “For by grace you have been saved through faith.” God’s grace compels the believer to live godly and upright. By grace, God has purified for Himself a people of His own possession. Grace changes believers.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-10 (read by David Johnson)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded July 30, 2017
Where is God’s grace? This message presents the broadness of God’s grace often known as God’s providence. God blesses people through hard times. Paul prayed three times for God to remove a thorn in the flesh, and God responded that His grace is sufficient. God’s power is complete through human weakness. At Corinth, the apostle Paul faced slanderers. His reaction was to boast of his weaknesses so that the power of Christ rested upon him. Paul’s concern was not so much about the slander than the false apostles who would lead the congregation astray. Paul’s approach remained the same. He boasted in his weaknesses. Paul’s weaknesses included insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. Let this message encourage you to better address life’s struggles and further trust in God.
Scripture Reading: II Corinthians 12:7-12 (read by Gerrit Dekker)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded July 23, 2017
Must a Christian believe that God created the universe in six literal days? Jesus did use Genesis to demonstrate that God created Adam and Eve in the beginning. How much did Jesus rely upon Genesis? Jesus did refer to the writings of Moses. He emphasized how essential faith in these texts are to believing Jesus. Must faith in Christ require faith in six-day creation? The Scriptures are emphatic that God spoke the creation into existence. God created the universe by His Word. This message will explore the Genesis account of creation and its harmony with science.
Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:1-5 (read by David Johnson)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded July 16, 2017
Can hope of eternal life help someone to live a holy life? That should be true, but many claim a confidence in eternal life apart from Christ. Many Greeks and Romans did the same in the first century. However, God promises eternal life through Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection. This is a much greater assurance of things hoped for. This lesson explores the hope that overcomes sin. The apostle John revealed that those who hope purify themselves as Christ is pure. Some hope in an eternal life different from what the Scriptures describe. Their hope is not a living hope based in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The hope of eternal life for Christians is a bodily rising from the dead and transformation by putting on immortality. This message emphasizes a true hope that encourages believers to purify themselves as Christ is pure.
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:8-12 (read by Don Kovar)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded July 9, 2017
Should the Bible have to warn believers of lewdness and sensuality? The Scriptures do. Peter warned of the passions of the flesh that wage war against the soul. Peter described those who try to entice and allure others astray by such passions. Whose fault is it if one person tempts another? Jesus spoke against tempting others to sin. Such temptations can come through the immodesty of others in obscene talk or lack of clothing. Modesty is a part of self-control. The world wants to place the blame on the one of whom others entice and tempt. All believers are accountable and must prepare themselves to resist such evil. Jesus described lewdness as evil that defiles the heart (Mark 7:20–23). God demonstrated modest clothing by what He gave Adam and Eve when they were clothed with figs leaves and yet were naked. This message will also offer the biblical guidance for self-control and modesty. May God bless all who listen.
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:3-5 (read by Christopher Howell)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded July 2, 2017
The assembly of Christians is not only for worship but explicitly for the edification of Christians. Edification means “building up” and includes teaching of revelation and knowledge for encouragement and consolation. In 1 Corinthians 14, the apostle Paul established that understandable words are essential to the edification of the church. Because of the necessity of words for edification, Paul excluded foreign languages (without interpretation) from the assembly. Paul established a principle that excluded anything in the assembly lacking understandable words. Paul taught that one must pray and sing with the spirit and the mind. Many today have added musical instruments to singing in the assembly, yet these instruments cannot communicate words. No one can preach, pray, or praise with an instrument. For this reason, most churches throughout history have excluded the instrument from the assembly. In fact, the apostle Paul described such instruments as “lifeless” and “soulless.” This message challenges the listener to accept the primary need of intelligible words in edification and worship in the assembly.
Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 14:12-19 (read by Gerrit Dekker)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded June 18, 2017
This message presents the purpose of the assembly especially the necessity of edification through intelligible words. The concept of “worship service” originates from man’s tradition and not the Bible. The New Testament described the gathering of Christians for the Lord’s Supper as “the assembly.” The church of Christ must restore the assembly. Paul wrote the church at Corinth to overcome the display of spiritual gifts for pretense. Instead, Christians are to strive to excel in the edification of the church. Should Christians expect to contribute to edification in the assembly? Yes. The Scriptures exhort followers of Christ to stir one another to love and good works. This is the beginning of a series to depict a biblical picture of the assembly.
Scripture Reading: I Corinthians 14:1-12 (read by Ken Adams)
Lesson by Scott Shifferd Recorded June 11, 2017
The Apostle Paul was confident in his salvation because devoted himself to obeying God’s will. Paul wants all Christians to focus on the Spirit because there is life in the Spirit; but many focus too much on the flesh. If we want to get into heaven, we must learn to overcome the desires of the flesh and focus on the things that do not perish. But then again, what does it mean to be focused on the flesh and how do we know if we are concentrating on the Spirit? What are the consequences of focusing too much on the flesh and the rewards of devoting ourselves to the Spirit? Lastly, can we be as confident in our salvation as Paul was in his; and if we can, how?
We will answer these questions and more by discussing three aspects of Paul’s ministry: (1) life in the Spirit, death in the flesh; (2) Traditions of the men are traditions of the flesh; and (3) focusing on the Spirit of God.
Scripture Reading: 2 Timothy 4:1-8 (read by David Johnson)
Lesson by Undre Griggs Recorded June 4, 2017 |
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