The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. “But if in spite of this you will not listen to me, but walk contrary…

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Our identity in/with Jesus Christ “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. “Whoever receives you…

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed…

1. Suffering is Inevitable There are two ways of handling suffering… 1. Waste it - complain, criticize, whine, wallowing, being negative 2. Invest it – endure, celebrate, and teach others by example 2. There’s Joy in Speaking About Christ Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from…

1. Jesus Makes Selfish People Servants So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition…

1. The Lord’s Supper (Communion) Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of…

1. The Marks of the Church 1. The right preaching of the Word of God, the Bible and 2. The right administration of the ordinances (the ordinances include Baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and, indirectly, church discipline). A. Right Preaching of the Word of God For it is no empty word for you, but your very…

1. The Church - Invisible and V isible But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?…

*Listening Guides Prayer Intro & Summary For several weeks now, we’ve taken a broad look at the Person and the Work of the Holy Spirit. We started with the Person of the Holy Spirit and His relationship to the Father and the Son, and his attributes and personal activities. Then we moved on to the Work…

Prayer Introduction & Summary We spent our time together last week establishing that the Holy Spirit is a person. He’s not it or a what; he’s not an essence, a power, or a mystical force; he’s a person – the third person of the Trinity. Today it seems that there’s an erroneous belief that the Spirit’s…