Leading Question: How does one grow the fruit of the Spirit? 1. First things first: Matt. 6:31-34. Jesus is clear: If we seek the kingdom of God first, all the other good gifts will be...
Elijah’s and Elisha’s Mantle
April 30, 2011
Leading Question: How certain can we be that we have the truth? 1. Jesus is the way to truth; he is truth: John 14:6. How does the truth in Jesus relate to all the rest...
Leading Question: Is obedience to the law ever a means of gaining favor with God? 1. Gratitude is the key word: Deut. 4:5-8. If defined in terms of its purpose, God’s law was intended as...
Leading Question: To what extent does self-control simply flow from a changed heart, or does it involve blood, sweat and tears as we grapple with temptations, passions and people who irritate us? 1. Two stories:...
Leading Question: When Paul asked the Corinthian believers if he should come to them with a stick or with love in a spirit of gentleness (1 Cor. 4:21), how did he expect to find the...
Leading Question: What is it that inspires us and enables us to be faithful to people, to God? “Saving” faith is a gift of God. But the result of God’s gifts in our life is...
Leading Question: How can God expect good things from people who are bad? When we talk about “goodness” under the heading of “fruit of the Spirit,” several tantalizing paradoxes emerge. We can address these under...
Leading Question: If we are kind to those who are doing what is wrong, isn’t there a danger that some will conclude that we agree with and even support that which we actually oppose? Some...
Leading Question: How can we become more patient? 1. Becoming more patient. Is patience genetically determined? Or is it possible for even the most high-strung person to become more patient? Would memorizing key “patience” passages...
Theme: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Peace Leading Question: Why have the followers of Jesus so often led out in bloody conflict when their Master both taught and modeled the way of peace? 1....
Theme: The Fruit of the Spirit Is Joy Leading Question: What is the difference between joy and happiness? Can a believer be unhappy and still be joyful? Not only is joy the second trait listed...
Leading Question: When Scripture commands us to love God and love others, including the unlovely, is that something we can choose to do, or is such love simply a gift of God? In his little...
Leading Question: Is it possible to identify true followers of Jesus by their fruit? The basic biblical passage that focuses on the fruit of the Spirit is Galatians 5:13-26. In particular, the nine traits listed...
The Last Five Kings of Judah
October 10, 2015
Jesus Mingled with People
July 30, 2016
The Priority of the Promise
July 29, 2017
The Curse Causeless
October 29, 2016
Jesus in the Writings of Peter
May 13, 2017
The Character of Job
December 17, 2016
The Church Militant
March 12, 2016
The Cosmic Controversy
March 31, 2018
Josiah’s Reforms
November 14, 2015
Symbolic Acts
October 31, 2015
Major Themes in 1 and 2 Peter
June 17, 2017
Lessons from Jeremiah
December 19, 2015
From Jerusalem to Babylon
January 4, 2020
From Reading to Understanding
December 28, 2019
Leaders in Israel
December 21, 2019
Dealing with Bad Decisions
December 14, 2019
Backslidden People
December 7, 2019
Worshiping the Lord
November 30, 2019
Trials, Tribulations, and Lists
November 23, 2019
God the the Covenant
November 16, 2019
Our Forgiving God
November 9, 2019
The Reading of the Word
November 2, 2019
Violating the Spirit of the Law
October 26, 2019
Facing Opposition
October 19, 2019
God’s Call
October 12, 2019
Among the Lampstands
January 5, 2019
Little Times of Trouble
June 1, 2019
The Choices We Make
April 6, 2019
Appendix B: The Worst Story in the Old Testament: Judges 19-21
September 25, 2010
Foundations
September 30, 2006
Revelation of Hope
May 19, 2007
Christ in the Crucible
December 22, 2007
The Compassionate Savior
August 2, 2008
The Blessings of the Prophetic Gift
March 14, 2009
From Complaints to Apostasy
October 24, 2009
Happiness and Healing
June 5, 2010
Stress
January 8, 2011
Worship: From Exile to Restoration
August 27, 2011