Strengthening Your Grip on Encouragement
In this lesson, we will learn that encouragement is not the responsibility of a gifted few but the responsibility of the entire family of God. That means you.
In this lesson, we will learn that encouragement is not the responsibility of a gifted few but the responsibility of the entire family of God. That means you.
Are you without hope or have you forgotten why Jesus’ resurrection matters in your everyday life? Then this lesson is for you! It’s time to discover that Christ’s death and resurrection can transform your whole way of thinking and give you hope, not only in this life but in the life to come.
Itʼs a bit dismaying to realize that you’re going to be spending eternity with people in the family of God you don’t even speak with on earth! Quite frankly, when someone has wounded us with his or her sharp quills, it’s natural to want to keep our distance. But we do need each other, needles and all!
Priorities govern the words of spiritual nourishment that come from the pulpit. It’s easy to see a church’s priorities when the ministry is just starting out, when the ink of the congregation’s ideals is still wet on the paper. But later on, when storms roll in, the priority list can get blown away in a gust of confusion.
Jude also exhorted his readers to stay on target themselves, to get their act together, and to stand firm in the faith against all opposition. His message remains the same for us today as we stand for unchanging truth in a world of fiction.
Unlike many today who tolerate heresy to keep the peace, Jude demonstrated clearly that the battle for truth demands our effort.
This single-chapter letter may provide the most dramatic depiction and denunciation of heresy in the entire Bible. It calls Christians to prepare for battle—to equip our hearts and minds with a deep knowledge of and commitment to the truth.
The best snapshot of the situation in the first-century church is in John’s third letter. We will also see a reflection of modern-day churches as we examine these 14 verses.
Just as a river without the boundaries of the shorelines can become a devastating force, love without discernment can sweep away the reality of sin and the power of grace. John’s letter to a lady and her children provides for us guidance as we seek to balance truth and love.
Paul’s letter to Philemon has great practical value for us today. It teaches us about giving others second chances, the equality that believers have in Christ, and the power of the Gospel to transcend cultural and socioeconomic boundaries. In short, Paul’s postcard to Philemon reminds us about grace.