Worldly Religion & Godly Priorities
We can do a lot of self-serving and self-promoting in a cloak of religion, but true religion seeks to sincerely please God and will always drive us to give ourselves for the good of other people.
love
Patience & Forgiveness
Because for now our Christian friendships will be periodically marked by insensitive actions and sinful transgressions, we must for Christ’s sake resolve ahead of time to reflect God’s patience and forgiveness.
Kindness & Encouragement
Out of sincere love for our Christian friends we ought to regularly engage in strategic acts of kindness that benefit their lives, and communicate thoughtful words of encouragement that build them up.
Acceptance & Hospitality
Because we are made in God’s image we all were designed to be openly sharing our lives with a select group of friends who are pursuing the same spiritual goals.
Looking to the Future
Healthy and productive churches must be resolute about living out God’s truth without compromise despite the threats or opposition from a hostile culture.
I Can’t Lord, I Have to Put Family First
While our biological families can be a great blessing to our Christian life, we must be prepared because they can easily pose a challenge to us keeping Christ as the unrivaled Lord of our lives.
When the Task Seems Impossible
We should learn from Christ’s compassion and selflessness, confident that he will provide what is needed when we sacrificially step up to face the challenges he providentially sets before us.
The Hallmark of the Spiritually Prepared
To be prepared for the arrival of Christ’s kingdom we must be sure that we have grappled with the gravity of our sin and are trusting exclusively in Christ for our forgiveness.
Exceptional Love with Exceptional Motives
Jesus calls us to decide to sacrificially love others (as God himself does) without thought of what we might get or not get in return.
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.
Working Harder At Love & Unity
We must lovingly anticipate the potential negative impact our “gray area” decisions might have on others, and always be willing to sacrifice our freedom for their spiritual good.
Aiming at Love
We can simplify our Christian duty to keep God’s moral laws by consciously seeking to love and serve others as Christ did.
Sincerely Loving God’s People
“Sold-Out Servants” must care for their fellow congregants with a selfless, Christlike love which is full of respect and genuine concern for the others’ good.
Its Eternal Provision
The incomparable love of God affords us permanent peace and enduring security through the past, present and future work of Jesus Christ on our behalf.
Real Love Good Friday
The Real Love of God is a kind of incomprehensible love that was willing to sacrifice an only beloved Son for the salvation and blessing of sinners.
Its Biblical Dimensions
God has made us to love and be loved with a kind of love modeled by Christ – it is our responsibility to love God and each other with his kind of agape love.
Adapting Your Style for a Grand Performance
As one participant in our marital covenant we will need to adapt lives for the good of the marriage, reflecting the sacrifice and sympathy of real biblical love.
Sacrifice Instead of Selfishness
God has called us to buck our culture’s propensity for self-interest and self-promotion and intentionally care for fellow Christians with a sacrificial and empathetic love.
Taking Stock of What’s at Stake
A central lesson of the Old Testament is that we cannot disregard God’s truth and walk away unscathed – there are always consequences for transgressing God’s rules.
The Balance of Biblical Love
Biblical love is not sentimentality. Real love is sold out to the good of others for God’s sake and it doesn’t avoid what’s hard it if it is truly what’s best.
Get Ready
Maintaining and sustaining your progress in the Christian life will require vigilance, tenacity and love – without them you are vulnerable to costly setbacks!
A Lifelong Quest
I ought to assess myself by the progress I show in humbly loving others, because most everything else I do will one day become irrelevant.
In Search of a Divine Motive
We must resolve to rely on God to replicate God’s merciful and gracious love toward imperfect people.
Weeding Out the Bad Stuff
To be motivated by God’s love will require a serious resolve to fight our natural tendencies to put ourselves first and be intolerant of others.
Don’t Have Breakfast Without It
God wants his kids to be motivated by his kind of committed and selfless love as we go about serving one another in the body of Christ.
A Primer on Counting Your Blessing
God expects our lives to be characterized by joyful thanksgiving, because he deserves it and we need it.
When Your Passions Meet Your Prerogatives
Don’t let the exercise of your freedoms put you in harms way; steer clear of situations which might tempt you to sin.