When God Refuses to Remove Your Weakness
We need to realize that our usefulness in the cause of Christ is not measured by good health, but rather by our dependence on God to work in and through us for his own glory.
2 Corinthians
The Power & Weakness of Your Experiences
We ought to share our experiences selectively, defaulting to those that glorify God, rejecting private experiences as spiritual credentials, and letting our sacrificial service be the true measure of our impact.
Considering the Sacrifice of Service
True devotion to Christ and his cause is always marked by sacrifice and suffering — costs we must willingly embrace because we love him and his people.
Leaders You Must Never Tolerate
We must never submit to those who claim spiritual authority while leading with exploitation, domination, and contempt.
Identifying False Teachers
We must remain constantly vigilant against the unrelenting efforts of God’s spiritual enemies to strategically displace the authority of Scripture with the authority of their own voices.
Recognizing True Spiritual Leaders
We must learn to biblically assess spiritual leaders and wholeheartedly commit to those who demonstrate the qualifications God’s Word requires.
Guarding Your Allegiance
Because God is jealous for our allegiance to Christ, we must guard our devotion from deceptive and twisted views of Christianity.
Looking for Christ’s Commendation
We must never perform for our critics or let them shape our character, but we must always stay faithful where God has placed us and aim to please Christ.
Keeping Your Cool in a Comparison Culture
We will often be judged by surface-level impressions and assumptions, but we must stay focused on our spiritual integrity and refuse to play the comparison game.
Adopting a Strategy from Another World
Knowing that we will encounter criticism, we must work to always respond more like Christ, enlisting, powerful, and wise resources that God provides us.
When Giving Unites God’s People
Christians who give generously make a far greater impact than they realize—God uses their giving to strengthen their churches and advance the reputation of gospel near and far.
The Father’s Joy in Cheerful Givers
We ought to be motivated to give cheerfully because of the bold promises God makes to generous Christians, especially his revelation that he takes special joy in joyful generosity.
Giving’s Role in Christian Maturity
We should pursue a Christian maturity marked by a Christlike, dependable, and increasing generosity.
Practicing Personal Stewardship & Wise Giving
The giving God calls us to is generous but discerning, and it requires us to handle what has been entrusted to us with great care and integrity. In this sermon on 2 Corinthians 8:16–24, Pastor Mike Fabarez argues that biblical generosity must be governed by careful, accountable stewardship rather than impulsive or naïve giving. Drawing …
Understanding Giving’s Big Picture
We should give willingly and proportionately, trusting God to accomplish good through our gifts and to provide for us in the process.
Seeking to Excel in the Grace of Giving
We must choose to practice biblical generosity, motivated by Christ’s gracious example rather than mere agreement with its principles.
When Giving Seems Impossible
Godly generosity is grounded in what God has done for us and begins when our hearts are gripped by it.
Rejoicing in Our Sanctification
We ought to be attentive to the work of sanctification taking place around us, and intentionally affirm, celebrate, and be encouraged by the growth in holiness we see.
Inspecting Our Repentance
We must practice a repentance that takes sin seriously, accepts whatever pain it requires, and works diligently to restore sincere obedience.
Solidifying Our Relationships
Because God intends our relationships in the church to be marked by a quality that the world cannot match, we must be serious about building friendships that are uniquely loving, loyal, and encouraging.
Perfecting Our Holiness
Actively and carefully pursue holiness in your mind and body for the sake of our great God who said we will draw near to us when we do.
Clarifying Our Identity
God wants us to pursue moral purity as his distinctive people, which he has promised will increase our daily experience of fellowship, joy, and assurance with him.
Guarding Our Partnerships
We must guard the personal partnerships in our lives, so our devotion to Christ is not imperiled and our usefulness to the Lord remains uncompromised.
Strengthening Our Unity
We should continually pursue an affectionate and joyful unity within the church—willing to stretch for it even when others aren’t—appealing for it through loving, sincere words and actions.
Increasing Our Endurance
Be an effective and determined Ambassador of Christ, willing to endure the hardships, while maintaining your integrity and sincere love for others.
Heightening Our Urgency
We must no longer be casual or timid about relaying the gospel to our generation, but we must be bold and urgent about it, as Christ would have us be while there’s still time in our crazy and chaotic culture.
Deepening Our Concern
Take up the responsibility of being Christ’s ambassador with the time you have left by working to see the people around you as in desperate need of being reconciled to God.
Broadening Our Acceptance
Stop prejudging fellow church members by outward measures or their worldly pasts, and accept them as redeemed new creations in Christ.
Narrowing Our Audience
Because Christ paid the ultimate price to redeem us, our love for him should compel us to put aside our old desires and live wholly for him.
Purifying Our Motives
In light of all people one day standing before God, we must be motivated to live and speak with a deep concern for others, always with a clear conscience, resolved to be faithful regardless of how we are perceived.