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.
obedience
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.
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.
Why "As You Are" Can't Stay that Way
Christ is coming to set up his rule on earth and calling us now to prepare by turning from sin, receiving his forgiveness, and living our lives for his glory.
Learning from the Perfect Twelve-Year-Old
We must get used to the tension that results from keeping God & his agenda supreme in our lives while attending to this life’s legitimate obligations & responsibilities.
Mary: God's Humble Teenager
While we will regularly feel inadequate for the things God calls us to do, we must boldly trust God to accomplish his will in us and through us as we humbly obey him.
Zechariah: God's Doubting Senior
God typically chooses to enlist faithful and obedient Christians to powerfully advance the cause of Christ, usually in ways they could have never imagined.
The Profound Encouragement of God
God grants his profound encouragement and strength as we turn our attention to the truth regarding his greatness and our life-changing redemption detailed in his word.
Living In Light of Our Coming Judgment
All of our decisions about “gray areas” need to be carefully and soberly considered in light of our future accountability at the bema seat of Christ.
Exemplifying Christ
We should pursue progress in our sanctification by imitating Christ’s forceful and strategic response to sin and temptation.
Envisioning The End
A thoughtful focus on the imminent return of Christ will serve as a major motivation for Christians in their fight against sin and their pursuit of holiness.
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.
Human Laws & Christian Conduct
As long as obedience to Christ is not made impossible, we must respectfully obey the laws of our government (& they would do well to remember their divine stewardship).
A Radically Different Identity
We must willingly incur any and all costs of being identified with Christ and zealously living for him in a culture that is hostile to our values, standards and commitments.
Looking to the Benefits of Obedience
Remember that the high toll that sin exacts in our lives should motivate us to pursue obedience with its short-term and long-term rewards.
But What About Grace?
The grace that makes us right with God by Christ’s work and not ours, does not liberate us to do whatever we want, but constrains us to obey our Lord Jesus Christ.
Things That Stand in the Way
Before we trust Christ to get eternal life we should count the cost of following Jesus and be ready with the Holy Spirit’s help to let God be God for the rest of our lives.
Seeing Obedience as an Act of Worship
Obedient living is an act of genuine worship when it is motivated by a high view of God and a sober realization of his just response to sin.
Reconsidering How Hard We’re Willing to Fight
Most Christians could and should do a lot more to fight temptation’s draw and stand up for what is right in our daily lives.
Keeping Our Focus on Christ
We should fixate on Christ, the ultimate example of doing what is right even when it hurts; he will guide us and empower us when we face our own temptations.
Embracing the Unconventional & the Unexpected
Often it takes ambitious faith to obey God’s counter-intuitive commands or accept the way he lavishes his grace on the unworthy.
Boldly Following God's Path for My Life
Christ has called us to follow him wherever that might lead; we should do so fearlessly, fueled by a focus on our eternal home.
First Quarter Review
Jesus Christ is the greatest, his work to redeem us from our sins it incredibly great, he certainly deserves a great response from us each day
Learning from the Humble Obedience of a Teenager
We ought to follow the godly example of a teenage Mary, who struggled to please God even when it was tough!
Pursuing Loyalty to Christ as a Team Effort
We have an urgent responsibility to police one another in our pursuit of loyalty to Christ because there are far reaching corporate consequences for individual unfaithfulness.
Responding Rightly to God’s Communique
God has revealed himself clearly, and it is our responsibility to respond thoughtfully and carefully to his revealed information!
The Key Ingredients for Being Loyal to Christ
Being loyal to Christ requires that we are mindful of God in the decisions we make. We cannot afford to be unreceptive, insensitive or unresponsive to God’s leadership in our lives!
Recalling Our Primary Earthly Task
God is calling us to thoughtfully and eagerly engage our world with the good news of repentance and faith in Christ.
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.
Being Extra Careful to Always to Take Hold of the Truth
It is urgent and important that we thoughtfully appropriate God’s truth when we encounter it, because truth demands a response, and neglecting truth always has its consequences.