God’s Vineyard and the Wicked Tenants
The parable of God’s vineyard and the wicked tenants displays the patience and mercy of God, the wickedness of the leaders of Israel, and God’s vindication of Jesus.
Mark 12:1-2
Jesus Is the Victor
All of creation is under a curse and subject to constant evil which leads to suffering and death. But Jesus has won a monumental victory over Satan, sin, suffering and eternal death, and followers of Christ can live boldly and rejoice in knowing that they have eternal life and freedom from the antagonists of God.
Revelation 20:15-22:7; Genesis 3:1-19
Lessons for Disciples – The Real Enemy
A disciple is called to live at peace with other believers, focusing on rooting sin out of their own life rather than criticizing their brothers and sisters.
Mark 9:38-50
Truly Clean
Jesus teaches us that impurity, which is the violation of God’s moral law, arises from inside our hearts rather than from outside sources, and therefore true cleansing is not a matter of external religious rites but rather an internal change of heart.
Mark 7:14-23
The Son of Man and Sinners
Jesus did not come to shun those who were separate from God, but rather to seek them out so that they might return to God.
Mark 2:13-17
The Son of Man and Sin
Jesus has the authority not only to heal physical illness but also to forgive and heal sin, restoring people to God’s favor.
Mark 2:1-12
Have Mercy On Me O God
True confession of sin recognizes the depth of the problem that exist outside of us, and the greatness of the redemption extended to us.
Psalm 51:1-19
Moral Decay In the Last Days
We live in the last days, which are terrible times marked by moral decay and deception, but the Gospel and Spirit provide power to deliver us from the dominance of sin and error.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
Christ Through My Eyes – Christmas Eve 2021
The central question for every human is how they see and respond to Christ – whether with faith and worship like the Magi or with fear and rejection like Herod.
Matthew 2:1-18
A Seed of Hope
The good world that God created for mankind’s enjoyment was sabotaged by mans rebellion to the command of God but finds its fix in the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus. Genesis 3 Listen to the teaching Look at the outline Discussion Guide Slides Spotify
Freedom, Limits, and the Nature of Sin
Sin promises freedom and fulfillment if I will reject God’s limiting commands and design, but this always produces deadly results rather than life, freedom, and flourishing.
Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 3
Our Long War Against God’s Image
In our rebellion against God, humanity has consistently demeaned, degraded, and attempted to destroy other humans because they are created in God’s image.
Genesis 4:8-10
The Covenant of Preservation (Noah)
In the fall, humans broke God’s covenant and fell under the curse, but God In His grace, God gave His covenant promise to preserve creation and humanity, renewing the covenant of creation and establishing human government to restrain evil and promote the common good through this age until the final judgment.
Genesis 6:17-18; 9:1-11
Can I Keep God’s Law?
Question 11: Can you live up to all of this perfectly?
Answer: No. I have a natural tendency in thought, word, and deed to not love God and my neighbor as He has commanded.
Romans 3:10-24
Absalom the Rebel
Combining the ingredients of others’ sin, our own pride, lust for power, and the desire for a legacy makes for a powerful concoction of the deadly poison of rebellion.
2 Samuel 15 – 18 (2 Samuel 15:1-15)
The Indecisive King
Unlike Jesus and His Gospel, David’s indecisive actions provided neither full justice or restoration, and thus provided the seeds for future troubles in his kingdom.
2 Samuel 13-14 (2 Samuel 13:21-22; 13:38-39; 14:1)
#TamarToo
Sexual abuse is devastating and must never be minimized or covered up, but responded to with the redemptive grace of God to help those who have been abused to receive healing from Jesus.
2 Samuel 13:1-22
The Joy of Confession and Forgiveness
Psalm 32 proclaims the joy of total forgiveness by God that awaits those who confess their sins and turn to Christ in faith.
Psalm 32
Biblical Confession and Repentance
Psalm 51 offers a comprehensive description of the traits and fruits of biblical confession and repentance for sin.
Psalm 51
A Word of Judgment, A Word of Forgiveness
God sends David a word of judgment and forgiveness, detailing the consequences for his sin, but also assuring Him of God’s love and covenant mercy that will prevail in the end.
2 Samuel 12:1-25
David’s Great Sin
Deceived by the privileges of power David fell into an ever-deepening and increasingly destructive spiral of sin.
2 Samuel 11
Lust
Lust is a disordered love that excessively craves my own sexual pleasure, desiring it more than true intimacy with God or others.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8
Gluttony
Gluttony is a disordered love that excessively craves food and drink, attempting to fill spiritual hunger with material fare.
John 6:26-29
Greed
Greed is a disordered love that excessively craves created goods and possessions, desiring them more than the Creator Himself.
Hebrews 13:5-6
Sloth
Sloth is a disordered love that that does not desire God, His works, or the vocations He has given me, but finds them boring, refusing the effort to love and serve God and others.
Proverbs 26:13-15