370:  When Our Saved Life Looks Like Our Lost Life

370: When Our Saved Life Looks Like Our Lost Life

When we look at the chilling words of Jesus that tell us “unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:20) we are perplexed.  And rightly so.  When we then see the requirement of becoming a “new creation” in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) in order to possess the “righteousness that exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees,” we are faced with even more questions.

Are you a new creation in Christ?
Has God changed you from the inside out?
Do you possess a righteousness that exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees?
If so, how do you know?
Can your friends and family tell?

And then one more:

Does this describe you?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law (Gal. 5:22-23).

Have you ever asked yourself these questions?  How did you answer?  What does it mean if your answers to these questions are, no?  To find out more, keep listening.

The following is a study on Matthew 5:20.

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364:  Why Did God Choose to Save You?

364: Why Did God Choose to Save You?

Great question.  Why did God choose to save each of us?  Was it because He wanted to make our life better?  And, if so, what does “better” mean?  And “better” from whose perspective?  His?  Or ours?  Maybe He chose to save us to give our life purpose and meaning.  And what would that purpose be?  And whose purpose are we talking about?  God’s?  Or ours?

See the problem?  When we view the purpose of our salvation from how it affects us, we tend to become self-centered and inner-focused.  But it’s not about us, it’s all about Him.  Totally for Him and Him alone.

Want to discover the true reason God chose to save you?  Then keep listening.

The following is a study on total surrender.

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359:  The “You Are” Versus “You Do” Passages

359: The “You Are” Versus “You Do” Passages

Many Scriptures speak of things we must “do” as followers of Christ. Some of them are:

You are to “take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5).
You are to “walk according to the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16).
You must “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1).

But when we find some passages that speak about who we are (in contrast to what we do), they should stop us cold in our tracks. These are Scriptures that define and describe us from the Lord’s perspective.

In Matthew 5 we find two of these: “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt. 5:11), and “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:12-14). And the implications of these are profound. Want to discover more? Then keep listening.

The following is a study on Matthew 5:11.

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356:  Is Your God Too Small?

356: Is Your God Too Small?

When we are overwhelmed with fear, it’s usually because our God is too small and our problems are too big.

Have you ever experienced a fear of Death?
Fear of the Future?
Fear of Failure?
Fear of Never Being Loved?
Fear of Pain or Sickness?
Fear of Financial Ruin?
Fear of Divorce?
Fear of Something Happening to My Children?
Fear of Being Victimized?
Fear of Getting Older?
Fear of Things Always Changing?
Fear of Trusting?
Fear of Confrontation?
Fear of the Death of a Loved One?
Fear of Satan?

If so, the reason for your fear is that your God is simply too small.  Way too small.  Tiny.  Do you want to know how to change that?  Then keep listening.

The following is a study on 1 John 3:1-3.

To download the slides for this message, click – HERE

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355:  Can Jesus’ Words be Taken at Face Value?

355: Can Jesus’ Words be Taken at Face Value?

When we look at the teachings of Jesus, there are a few questions we must, at some point, ask ourselves.  Consider the following:

Can Jesus’ words be taken at face value?
Does He really mean what He says?
And do the words of Jesus apply to me today?
All of them?  Or just part of them?
And how can I tell which do and which don’t?
Or, were His statements and promises meant only for those who lived in New Testament times?
And again, how can I tell?

The answer to these questions will have a profound impact on how you understand the Sixth Beatitude.  There Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, (why) for they shall see God” (Matt. 5:8).

Want to know more?  Then keep listening.

The following is a study on Matthew 5:8.

To download the slides for this message, click – HERE

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