Every week, we open the Word of God one verse at a time—not to chase opinions or trends, but to discover what God has actually said. Join us for an expository, verse-by-verse study that will deepen your understanding of Scripture, strengthen your walk with Christ, and point you to the glory of God. My prayer is that each episode honors Him and reaches everyone He has purposed to hear it.
Tony Holt looks at the church in Thessalonica to ask us about our church's report card. After just a few weeks of teaching these new believers, Paul is run out of the city, leaving this infantile church on its own. If your church leaders left you, how would you sustain yourselves? Would you get a good report card?
Chad examines Romans 6: 1-14 and how we cannot minimize sin. He gives us this important perspective: Before sin is horizontal, it is vertical... and... Sin is treason before it is disfunction. Thankfully, we have a God who changes our master from sin to Savior!
This is the last study in the Book of Jude. After examining those who will creep into the church to cause harm, there must be a response. This study reveals that there are instructions for believers, how to address those falling prey and also 3 attributes of the Lord, as He preserves the church.
By directly quoting from the Book of Enoch, Jude shows how judgment will take place for those who have crept into the church and denied Jesus Christ. We worship a just God. Those who have come to hurt the church do so because they hate God. Their punishment is inevitable. Jude 14-16
In this 2 verses, we build upon Jude's message about false teachers. They have some characteristics that help us to understand who they are. But through all of the harm they may cause, we know that we worship a good, good God!
Jude uses 3 more examples from the Old Testament to show the church some of the characteristics of these false teachers who have crept into the church. In this case, we learn that they are seeking their own gain, bringing judgment on themselves. This is a great lesson for the church today.
Jude relates the judgment of those who creep into the church to 3 specific judgment accounts in the Old Testament. God takes justice very seriously. For those who try to hurt His church, or deny His name, destruction is what is to come. In light of this, contending for the faith becomes a topic we should all pay attention to.
Judes poetic letter to the church comes with exhortation. He really just wants to bring the Gospel message, but there is trouble brewing inside of the church that needs addressing. This is a relevant message for the church today, where believers should be taught to Contend for the Faith! Jude 1: 1-4
John writes a description of a self-centered leader within the church. This is a juxtaposition to the love and service shown by Gaius in our previous study. After examining both figures, John encourages the church to imitate that which is good, not that which is evil. Who do you imitate? 3 John 1: 9-15
John finds no greater joy than to find that those who are in the church of Gaius are walking in the truth. What an encouraging letter from John to his friend. They are truly living out the Gospel and John, who has definitely seen some amazing miracles of faith in his life, finds no greater joy than this. Would your church get a letter like this? 3 John 1-7