THE ADVENT OF LOVE

Luke 1:39-56; Hebrews 10:1-10

The preparation of all that God is accomplishing in his redemptive purposes is driven by his deep and abiding love.

THE ADVENT OF JOY

Isaiah 12:1-6

Even when life looks and feels like a parched river bed, the promise is that we can joyfully draw from God’s spring of salvation.

THE ADVENT OF PEACE

Luke 1:67-79; Philippians 1:3-11; 4:6-9

The advent of peace was anticipated by Zacharias, fulfilled by Jesus, and is being perfected in you.

THE ADVENT OF HOPE

Jeremiah 33:14-16

Even five minutes is an eternity for those who live with the thought that there is no hope.

THE QUESTION ON TRIAL

John 18:28-19:16

As Jesus stands on trial before Pilate it is in a very real sense a trial of my life and yours.

THE QUESTION OF INQUIRY

John 18:1-12

What we are looking for tells us more about ourselves than any other question that could be asked.

THE QUESTION OF PREMATURE SATISFACTION

John 16:16-33

The greatest detriment to the continuing pursuit of faith development isn’t that we want too much but that we settle for so little.

THE QUESTION OF GREATER CURIOSITY

John 16: 4-15

Perhaps the most overlooked reality of the Christian experience is the presence of Holy Spirit in you.

THE QUESTION OF KNOWING GOD

John 14: 1-14

The question of knowing God seems so overwhelming, presumptuous, and daunting.  Yet, John, in his own unique style tells us how this question is being answered.

THE QUESTION OF SACRIFICE

 John 13:31-38

Too often we think of sacrifice in terms of what we do for God when, in fact, it has everything to do with what God has done for us.

THE QUESTION OF SERVICE

John 13:1-20

Few aspire to being a great servant, but it is this path that Christ has modeled and set before us.

THE QUESTION OF TROUBLE

 John 12: 25-36

For a generation that has come to consider any hardship as an affront to their faith and even life itself, we do well to consider the appropriate response and even the eternal benefit of life's troubles.

THE QUESTION OF LIFE AFTER DEATH

John 11

The question of life after death changes everything.

THE QUESTION OF JESUS’ PERSON

John 10:22-42

The adage is, “Seeing is believing.”  Seemingly such is not the case in matters of faith.

THE QUESTION OF BELIEF

John 9

Unbelief only drifts further and further away into unbelief.  Belief is the only means of rescue.

THE QUESTION OF RESPONSIBLE LISTENING

John 8:37-47

Listening is a dying art form that must be recovered.  By listening we discover words of life.

THE QUESTION OF CONDEMNATION

John 8:1-11

When understood and fully grasped, God’s grace transforms like no other Biblical truth.

THE QUESTION OF GOD’S WILL

John 7:14-24

In the two matters that we seem to most cloud—salvation and God’s will—Jesus brings great clarity.

THE QUESTION OF FINISHING

John 6:16-65

Failure is nothing more than the path of least persistence.  In faith and life victory comes only to those who finish.

THE QUESTION OF SEEING

John 6:1-15

Seeing the crowd is more than just observing the ocean of faces that cross our path each day.

THE QUESTION OF WELLNESS

John 5:1-16

The gospel challenges us to stand up and move forward to wellness.

THE QUESTION OF ENGAGEMENT

John 4:4-25
Engaging your faith in the context of life is transformational.

THE QUESTION OF SALVATION

John 2:23- 3:21

While John has documented few spoken words by Jesus to this point in his gospel, he finally reveals Jesus expounding upon the matter closest to His heart—salvation.

THE QUESTION OF CONCERN

John 2:1-11

Water into wine and the cleansing of the Temple inaugurates a new order in religion

THE QUESTION OF SEEKING

John 1:35-51

How often it is that God brings just the right people into our lives at just the right time to help us discover what we are seeking.

THE QUESTION OF UNBELIEF

Luke 24:36-53

If one enters a court of law innocent until proven guilty, why not approach the Christian faith as believable until proven unbelievable?

THE QUESTION OF CLARIFICATION

Luke 24:13-35

Ours is a world interested in spiritual things, but not the Christian faith.  This can be understood only in the framework of the Gospel, the light of Scripture, and in the context of community life.

THE QUESTION OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN

Luke 23: 26-32

While the question posed by Jesus foretells the destruction of Jerusalem, the greater curiosity is what happens to those personalities within this story.

THE QUESTION OF MESSIAHSHIP

Luke 20:1-8

What appears to be a question of authority is in reality of question of his being the Messiah.  Answer that and the question of authority is resolved.

THE QUESTION OF KINGDOMS

Luke 19: 11-27

Jesus offers a necessary correction for those supposing that the Kingdom of God is an earthly kingdom.

THE QUESTION OF JUSTICE

 Luke 18:1-8

For us, justice is a delayed experience.  Our heavenly Father assures that it will come quickly.

THE QUESTION OF GRATITUDE

Luke 17: 11-19

A heart of gratitude is the springboard for every other Christian virtue.

THE QUESTION OF DUTY

Luke 17: 1-10

For the believer duty is a carrying out of the courses of action demanded by the stirring of the Holy Spirit in us.

THE QUESTION OF STEWARDSHIP

Luke 16:1-14
Stewardship has to do with more than money.  It is a faithful approach to a well-ordered life.

RESURRECTING YOUR MEMORY

Luke 24:1-12; Matthew 27:63. The memory of the resurrection should be so transforming that it compels us not to attend church on an annual basis, but to live victoriously for Him daily.

THE QUESTION OF GRACE

Luke 15. What separates Christianity from all other world religions is the theme of grace.

THE QUESTION OF COMMITMENT

Luke 14:25-35 The great struggle of the church isn’t attendance or finances but commitment.

THE QUESTION OF REPENTANCE

Repentance is at the very heart of Christian conversion. It changes your mind about everything. Luke 13:1-9

THE QUESTION OF PREPAREDNESS

With a look to a certain future with unexpected turns, Jesus urges his disciples to embrace a state of readiness. Luke 12: 35-59

THE QUESTION OF DEFINITION

With each passing day our lives are being defined by something. Your life is an argument for who you really are. Luke 12: 13-34

THE QUESTION OF CIRCUMSTANCES

The growing secularism of the culture in which the church finds itself presents circumstances necessitating a word from the Lord. Luke 12: 1-12

THE QUESTION OF PRAYERFUL CONFIDENCE

The culture of prayer is too often filled with a preoccupation of form and content; lacking in biblical merit. Luke 11: 1-13

THE QUESTION OF NEIGHBOR

The Samaritan teaches us that the reign of God is present when we are concerned and act for the suffering of others, not when we are preoccupied with our own advantage. Luke 10: 25-37

THE QUESTION OF MISSION

As a people called of God, ours is an appointed task that goes beyond missing hell and reaching heaven. Luke 10:1-24

THE QUESTION OF OBEDIENCE

By our daily choices and decisions, we are building a house that frames the life we live. Luke 6:46-49

THE QUESTION OF SUFFERING

Reconciling the glory of the resurrected Lord with a suffering Savior is one of the great mysteries of our faith. Mark 9: 2-13

THE QUESTION OF BLINDNESS

A new year always brings new opportunities. What do you see for the coming year? Don’t be blind to the possibilities. Mark 8:22-26