Study Blog
Seeking God – Part One
GOD AWARENESS is something more than merely believing in the existence of God. It is the awareness of God’s very presence in our lives. God does not stand remote from us, nor is God a disinterested or impersonal force. God deeply loves us and wants to lead us forward. This awareness of God comes from the Holy Spirit, and is the starting point for an amazing spiritual journey and a series of new awarenesses: “There is a God who has…
Our Growth in Holiness
Our Growth in Holiness Jesus Christ has come to reveal God’s will to us. One of the passages of Scripture where the will of God is revealed is 1 Thessalonians 4:3 where St. Paul writes, “this is God’s will for you, your sanctification.” Sanctification is a word that is not often used in common speech, but it essentially means holiness or a process by which we are made holy. It carries with it a number of different ideas. A People…
God’s Will in the Midst of Suffering
God’s Will in the Midst of Suffering Knowing God’s Will Suffering takes place whenever God’ will and the will of the world collide. Jesus says, “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.” It is only by seeking God’s will in the midst of suffering that true rest will come. God will take the worst suffering possible and use it to accomplish his will. Christ should be our model for obedience to God in the…
God’s Will – The Renewal of our Minds
The Renewal of our Minds God intends to renew our entire being. Part of the process of this renewal has to do with a change God wants to make in the way we think. The mind is a gateway to the soul. Generally speaking, we do not pay much attention to where our thoughts come from and why we think the way we do. In order for us to experience transformation, we need to pay careful attention to our thought-life.…
God’s Will – The Salvation of All Humanity
The Salvation of all Humanity God desires the salvation of all humanity. God does not desire merely the salvation of a few, but wishes to extend his grace to the entire human race. The following verses express this will of God clearly: “Say to them, As I live, says the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from their ways and live.” (Ezekiel 33:11) “This is good and pleases God…
Knowing God’s Will – Our New Alternative
Our Desire to Know God’s Will Most Christians have a desire to know God’s will. The purpose of this series is to examine the passages of Scripture where God clearly reveals his will. Once we understand God’s overarching will for all humanity, we are then able to bring our own lives into alignment. Our New Alternative Knowing God’s will is our new alternative. The problem many Christians face in relation to God for is that our perspective is often backwards.…
We are reconciling toward wholeness.
Reconciliation is just a fancy way of saying restoration of relationships. We say that we’re reconciling toward wholeness, because God created us to be relational. When our relationships are broken, we lack wholeness. My professor says he does not ask his kids if they learned something today, but if they asked a good question. With that, does God care about our relationships? Of course! But that is not really a good question. A much better question is how much does…
God is reconciling all things toward wholeness.
Reconciliation is just a fancy way of saying that relationships are restored. We say that we’re reconciling toward wholeness, because God created us to be relational. When our relationships are out of whack, we lack wholeness. With that in mind, let’s turn to today’s passage, which is actually a hymn. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones…
Apollos and the Emergence of New Leadership
Expansion of the Kingdom The expansion of the kingdom of God is one of the main themes of Jesus’ teaching. The kingdom is expanding throughout all the nations and will continue to do so until Christ returns. Because of this expansion, God is continually raising up new leadership for all areas of service. The purpose of becoming a follower of Jesus Christ is to be trained as his disciple for service in his kingdom. Biblical Leadership – Overseers and Deacons…
Paul in Athens
Jesus Welcomes Seekers Throughout Jesus ministry he welcomed those who were seeking God. The first stage in every person’s spiritual development is the seeking of truth. Because God’s Word is truth, those who hear the message of the Gospel find what they are looking for. But everyone must begin the journey of faith by seeking, which is why Jesus said to his disciples, “Seek and you will find.” Paul in Athens: Acts 17:16 Athens was an unintended stopover in one…