Blog Archives

"THIS IS ETERNAL LIFE"

10/27/2019

John 3:16-21

These bodies will not last forever.
Eternal life does not refer to the immortality of the soul.
If you are a Christian, you have already entered eternal life.

1. The source of eternal life is Jesus Christ.

To Nicodemus- “you must be born again. (3:3-7)
To Thomas - “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.”(14:6)
To the expert in the law, He directed him to the law. (Luke 10:25-29)
To the rich young ruler, He directed him to his riches. (Luke 18:20-23)

The law shines the light on ourselves, so we see the only source for eternal life has to come from outside ourselves. (3:19-21)

2. The nature of eternal life is not something that is physical, but rather something that is spiritual. (John 17:1-3)

This is eternal life, to know God through Jesus Christ. (I John 5:11-12)

3. The result of eternal life is that we are immune from condemnation. (3:17-18)

Our salvation means that we have passed from death to life. (John 5:24)
If we can grasp this truth, the the lives we lead while on this earth will be radically different. (Romans 8:1)

"LOVE AND GIFTS"

10/20/2019

I Corinthians 12:27-13:3

I Corinthians 12 – spiritual gifts and their importance
I Corinthians 14 - abuse and misunderstandings surrounding spiritual gifts
I Corinthians 13 - love and not behaving as little children

1. A child will compare the gifts he receives.

It is the diversity of the gifts that brings out the childishness in many Christians. (12:4-6)

2. The Church is like a body. (12:7-26)

A mature understanding- not to measure the gift according to it apparent value, or earthly standards,
but according to the thought God put into each gift.

3. You measure your maturity by how well you love one another. (13-1-3)

Spiritual gifts are given to teach us how to give.

4. Spiritual gifts were given so that the people of the Church could build each other up and to bring harmony and order and understanding to the Church.
(I Corinthians 14:1, 12, 26)

If not used with love, the same gifts are apt to bring division, disorder, and confusion.

"LOVE AND CHILDREN"

10/13/2019

I Corinthians 13:4-13

Faith and hope are child-like qualities.
Love is something that a child really can't do.

Contrast of love and childishness
1. Patience vs. Impatience (4a)
Patience is the ability to endure.

2. Kindness vs. Unkindness (4a)
being “grown up” in the Lord means doing things we don't expect little children to do.

3. Good-will vs. Envy (4b)
A mature person has learned to be happy about the blessings that other people have.

4. Praise vs. Boasting (4b)
Love compels us to look for those things that are praiseworthy in others.

5. Humility vs. Pride (4b)
A child is truly not able to understand that the world does not revolve around him.

6. Thoughtfulness vs. Rudeness (5a)
Mature love means being thoughtful regarding the sensitivities of others.

7. Self-sacrificing vs. Self-seeking (5a-7)
A special word, agape, is reserved for the concept of Christian love. You can only really be mature by the power of salvation in Jesus Christ.

"BABY TALK"

10/6/2019

I Corinthians 3:1-7

Some Christians spend their whole lives looking for something that will either fascinate them or gratify them.

A baby's needs relating to our spiritual growth
1. A baby needs spiritual milk.
(I Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:12)
a. spiritual milk is something that is good and necessary.
b. We cannot restrict ourselves to the milk only.

2. Babies are only concerned with themselves.
Baby Christians are still mainly concerned with their worldly needs and how those needs are going to be met.

3. Babies are totally dependent upon their parents.
The ultimate source of growth and nurture and teaching and love is not a church or any human being, but
rather the Lord God Himself.

4. Babies are uneasy or afraid around strangers.
An immature believer will resist something simply because it is different than what he has become accustomed to.
Ephesians 4 – We are to “grow up, in all aspects, unto Him who is the Head, Christ Jesus our Lord.”