Pain and Temptation
The triune God demonstrated love for us in the most costly transaction imaginable; in response we ought to eternally thank him and sacrificially obey all that he commands.
obedience
Living as His Expatriates
We must seek to honor God by honoring and submitting to the earthly authorities he has placed over our lives, while being careful to never resist or defy Christ’s ultimate authority.
Fearing the Cost of Insurrection
It is entirely reasonable for us to trust and obey the words of the Triune God, not only in light of his character and authority, but also in view of the judgments meted out on those who rebel.
Submitting to His Sovereign Authority
We must be very careful that we do not evade our responsibility to submit to Christ’s lordship by seeking excessive information or unneeded confirmation when the application of God’s word is sufficiently clear.
Adopting His Regal Priorities
We ought to supremely value God’s truth the way Christ did – promoting it, obeying it, and prioritizing fellowship with those who do the same.
Embracing His Unexpected Majesty
Jesus fulfilled prophecy when he presented himself as the Kingly Messiah in Jerusalem – an event that should motivate us to respect God’s prophetic word and wholeheartedly worship and serve our King.
An Unsung Christmas Hero
Joseph provides us with a relevant and compelling example to imitate, demonstrating a courageous and obedient faith amid confusion, fear, and disappointment.
The Impact of Repentance
Dig into the key verse for Book of Luke. We should rejoice in our salvation and pursue our sanctification knowing that when God works repentance in our lives his forgiving grace entirely covers our sins and permanently redirects our lives.
The Law of God
To get right with God we must humbly admit we fall sinfully short of his absolutely perfect standards, knowing that our only hope is to fully trust his power to save and his right to lead our daily lives.
Loving God's Coming Kingdom
It is normal and expected that we intensely long for Christ’s coming kingdom as we seek to undistractedly obey the teachings of Christ in a deteriorating and rebellious culture.
Loving God’s Undeserved Mercy
We must identify and thank God for his many acts of mercy toward us, remembering that these are small foretastes of the ultimate mercy of the eradication of our debt of sin by his cross.
Marriage as a Monetary Test Case
We must realize that the gravity associated with lust, adultery, and divorce in the Bible is an apt parallel to God’s concern regarding greed, covetousness, and materialism in our hearts and lives.
The Meaning of the Virgin Birth of Christ
We must understand and affirm that the second person of the Godhead stepped into space and time to share our humanity so that he might perfectly fulfill human righteousness and provide a divine-sized payment for our sins.
Worldly Busyness & Godly Obligations
We must be careful not to presume upon the grace of God by expecting his salvation without possessing a kind of faith that values him and his will above the other loves and loyalties of this world.
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.
When Your Focus is In Need of Adjustment
We must continually police our hearts to ensure that we are accurately worshiping the real Christ with a reverent urgency regarding our task to obey him and serve him in this world.
When Our Preparation Isn't Enough
Christ will call us to positions and tasks for which we will feel inadequate, our job is to be faithful, trusting that he will supply all that is needed, bearing fruit through us in victories and setbacks.
Your Fraternity of Hearers
As Christ modeled in his own life, we must highly value and consistently invest in friendships with those who continue to demonstrate their commitment to obeying God’s word.
Why We Amplify the Truth
Our careful learning and obedient response to truth has a lasting & profound impact, and should remind us of our stewardship to become thoughtful evangelists & caring teachers of truth.
The Hard Work of Fruitful Hearing
The right and saving response to Christ is dependent on the transformative work of God in our hearts, and results in an enduring resolve for doctrinal and behavioral fidelity to the truth.
Christ on Hearing God
Understanding and applying God’s truth are gifts from God to underserving people, yet even those graced with the gift of perception must work hard to carefully understand and apply the truth.
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.
Excuses that Interfere with Our Preparation
We often make excuses attempting to rebuff the conviction that comes with God’s truth, but we must learn to concede his good purpose for us and respond with humble obedience.
Learning to Listen to the King's Prophets
We may at times respond with negativity to the accurate preaching of the truth, but God has called all Christians as his messengers to be faithful to God’s message regardless of the response.
Understanding Obedience as Christ Does
Obedience to the word of God is a fundamental duty of the Christian life – one that is forsaken at great personal cost, and one that is ultimately rewarded with lasting benefits.
When to Disobey
Are there times when Christians should disobey? If so, what are they and how do we know when we are confronted with them?
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.
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.
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.