Dealing with Mean & Demanding People
We need to consider the relative unimportance of our pain and loss associated with standing for Christ, and focus instead on the conversion of our opponents.
Luke
When You’re Ridiculed for Christ
We must allow the benefits of standing with Christ and his people to overshadow the painful relational consequences that will inevitably come from doing so.
When Life Really Hurts
Though the next life will be characterized by happiness and joy, for now, because of sin in our world and in our lives Christians will have plenty of grief and a lot for which to mourn.
When You’re Not Satisfied
We must discern that there is no true or lasting satisfaction in any temptation to sin, knowing that every feeling of deprivation in doing what is right is always an investment that God rewards.
When the Checkbook is Empty
God has called us to love, trust, and pursue him not earthly wealth; in doing so we will find what real life is intended to be whether we have a little or a lot.
Learning from the Lord of Life
The Creator and Sustainer of life has inscribed his will in the Bible which should be diligently pursued as the source of truth, direction, and counsel for our lives.
Apostasy & Stumbling Saints
Christ can use us greatly as we learn to trust him, making sure our faith genuine, and exercising it ambitiously whenever fears regarding our past, present, or future tempt us to retreat.
Traditions & Authentic Rules
Christ’s dispute with the Pharisees regarding what constituted proper OT ceremonial obedience is a model for us as we consider our obedience to the moral rules of the NT.
Obsolete & Eternal Covenants
Christ’s first coming made the OT ceremonial laws obsolete and inaugurated a new arrangement of paired-downed godly practices that should be participated in with love and sincerity.
Sorrow & Profound Celebrations
We will experience a variety of sorrows on earth while we await Christ’s return, but our pain is mitigated by our anticipation, and the many foretastes of the kingdom which God supplies.
Reputations & Vital Responsibilities
When we encounter slander and opposition for standing up for Christ, we should redouble our resolve to please God by being faithful to our call to evangelize without compromise.
Urgency & True Importance
We need to see all of our seemingly urgent concerns in light of the incomparable gift of God?s gracious forgiveness secured for us by the life and death of Christ.
Wants & Genuine Needs
We must see the surpassing importance of the obedience God asks of us compared to the relative unimportance of most of the personal things we ask of him.
Curiosity & Real Conversions
We cannot afford to miss the eternally significant distinction between being simply being interested in Christ versus being truly converted to follow Christ.
Staying on Task
We should purposefully engage in God’s assignment to make disciples, careful not to get bogged down in the priorities of life that inhibit our engagement in evangelism.
Jesus as Deliverer
Christ’s compassionate acts of supernatural healing proved that he was God’s credentialed Deliverer sent to free us from our ultimate problem with sin.
Jesus as Judge
To present Christ accurately to our generation we must relay a clear sense of Christ’s authority and power both to direct and to judge our lives by his standards.
Dealing with Objections
We need to be prepared to wisely respond to the variety of objections we are sure to face when we step out to represent Christ in our daily lives.
The Use of Scripture
In evangelism we must persistently utilize God’s written word, focusing on the gospel’s eternal promises and highlighting its perfect prophetic track record.
The Role of the Holy Spirit
Effectively presenting Christ to the non-Christians in our lives depends upon the involvement and work of the Holy Spirit.
Guarding Your Assumptions
We must be careful not to abuse the promises of God’s word by using them as a rationalization for violating or avoiding another aspect of God’s word.
Managing Your Ambitions
We need to guard against Satan’s incessant temptation to have us seek greatness at the wrong time, in the wrong way, and for the glory of the wrong person.
Curbing Your Appetites
We must be vigilant to the ways our legitimate desires are exploited to entice us to disregard God’s promised provision so we’ll pursue unbiblical means of satisfaction.
Our Enticements & Christ's Sinlessness
The incarnate Christ faced temptations to sin, winning for us a transferable life of holy human choices, as well as providing for us a pattern for fighting our own temptations.
Jesus, Son of Adam: Indebted to a Forgiving God
We should gratefully celebrate the incarnation, knowing something of the cost to Christ in taking on the humanity of Adam to save sinful humans.
Jesus, Son of Abraham: Grateful for an Inclusive God
Though Christianity is called narrow-minded, exclusive, and intolerant, Christ as the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant shows God’s plan as big, broad, and diverse.
Jesus, Son of David: Confident in a Faithful God
God has shown his faithfulness to his good promises, as well as his faithfulness to his just judgments by the way he provided Jesus from the lineage of David.
Loving Enough to Tell the Truth about Hell
Faithful messengers of the Good News of Christ must be willing to endure unfavorable responses when we speak plainly of sin and God’s impending judgment.
The Gospel's Assault on the Egocentric
God’s plan of salvation leaves no room for pride, self-promotion, or independence – the person and work of Christ should lead to profound humility and reliance on him.
Being Sure to Move from Creeds to Deeds
We should not presume we are reconciled to God if our belief in a ‘good creed’ has not also produced ‘good deeds’ which will flow daily from biblical repentance.