Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30 Key Takeaways: + Live the life you are going to one day wish you had lived + We have God-given resources corresponding to our God-given capacities and are responsible to God for how we steward them Psalm 24:1 + Urgency + Energy + Intentionality + Everyone will give an account to God for how they lived their lives and man…

By Donald Whitney

Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13 Key Takeaways: + There is life and longing in the delay Ephesians 5:25 John 14:3 2 Peter 3:9 + When he returns, it will be too late to get ready + You cannot transfer faith + Be ready for the return of the bridegroom + How do you live ready? Matthew 7:21-23 Matthew 25:11-12 “Tomorrow is the devil's day, but today is God's…

By JR Vassar

Scripture: Matthew 21:28-33 Key Takeaways: + Only those who demonstrate repentance and faith through wholehearted obedience to the will of the Father will enter the kingdom of heaven. + Repentance Is Necessary and Good + Repentance Should Be the Lifestyle of the Christian + Repentance Leads to Obedience John 15:5 + You Become Like What You Behold P…

Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16 Key Takeaways: + God is radically generous and free with His grace Psalm 145:8-9 Micah 7:18 + Everyone is equal in the Kingdom of God Ephesians 1:3 1 Peter 5:1-2 + It is never too late to come into the Kingdom of God Psalm 92:12-15By JR Vassar

Scripture: Matthew 18:21-35 Key Takeaways: + Forgiveness is a lifetime pursuit + Forgiveness is the cancellation of a debt - Forgiveness doesn’t mean removing healthy boundaries - Forgiveness does not exempt us from justice + Forgiveness must be experienced - Luke 7:36-50 + Experienced forgiveness allows us to extend forgiveness “Forgiveness is gra…

Scripture: Matthew 13:44-46 Key Takeaways: — Finding — Assessing — Selling — Rejoicing — Buying + Jesus is the one thing worth losing all things just to have + This is how we become a Christian — Jesus is not your Savior unless He is your Treasure “How sweet all at once it was for me to be rid of those fruitless joys which I had once feared to lose…

Scripture: Matthew 13:31-33 Key Takeaways: + The Kingdom of God is humble in its start and unstoppable in its spread. Acts 6:7 Acts 12:24 Acts 19:20 + A Global Dimension Ezekiel 17:22-24 Matthew 24:14 + A Societal Dimension “I call myself a cultural Christian. I’m not a believer, but there is a distinction between believing in something and being s…

Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 Key Takeaways: + Two Destinies + One Day + Listen and Live + Patience and Persuasion 1 Peter 3:14-16By JR Vassar

Scripture: Matthew 13:1-23 Key Takeaways: + The Seed explained “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas Edison + The Soil explained The Path Rocky Ground Thorns + For me to live is ______ and to die is ______ The Good SoilBy Matt Lear

Scripture: Genesis 11:1–9 Key Takeaways: Genesis 9:1 + Pride seeks to construct a life apart from God - Do I consistently spend time seeking God in his word and in prayer? - Do I often spontaneously voice to God my admiration of Him, gratitude to Him, and need for Him? - Do I often lose arguments with God? - Do I pray and seek wisdom in God’s word …

Scripture: Genesis 8:20–9:17 Key Takeaways: + God will not let evil prevail + God saves by grace - 1 Peter 3:20–21 + God honors faith - Hebrews 11:7 + God has another Day of Judgment coming - Matthew 24:36–44By JR Vassar

Scripture: Genesis 7:11-8:19 Key Takeaways: Genesis 1:31 Genesis 3:15 + God’s judgement is severe Genesis 7:11-23 - a. It’s devastating Genesis 7:21-22 - b. All encompassing + God’s character is consistent - a. In His standard Genesis 7:16 - b. In His grace Genesis 8:1 + God’s salvation is sufficient Genesis 7:17 - a. It overcomes death - b. It sus…

Scripture: Genesis 6-7:5 Key Takeaways: Isaiah 46:8-11 Malachi 3:6 Psalm 18:30 + God grieves/regrets = A providential, heartfelt response resulting in a planned course of action + 2 Truths of God’s Grief The Seriousness of Sin · The Justice of God + Big Question – Why is Noah spared?By Scott Berry

Scripture: Genesis 4:1-16 Key Takeaways: + The Nature of Worship True Religion vs Transactional Ritual Hebrews 11:4 1 John 3:11-13 + The Nature of Sin + The Nature of God Hebrews 12:24

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 Key Takeaways: + Lifted up to a Place of Honor John 17:4–5 Philippians 2:5–11 “Human history is the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy.” – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity + Lifted up to a Place of Intercession Hebrews 7:22–26 1 John 2:1–2 Luke 22:31–34 + Lifted up to a P…

Scripture: John 12:20-33 Key Takeaways: + By his death, Jesus opens up heaven to the world. + By his death, Jesus shows us how to truly live. Galatians 6:14 + The world no longer tells me how to live and the world no longer tells me if I’m truly living.

Scripture: Genesis 3:7-24 Key Takeaways: + The Ruin “The effects of sin touch all of creation; no created thing is in principle untouched by the corrosive effects of the fall. Whether we look at societal structures such as the state of the family, or cultural pursuits such as art or technology, or bodily functions such as sexuality or eating, or an…

Scripture: Genesis 3:1-7 Key Takeaways: + The Serpent - Revelation 12:7–9 - Ephesians 6:12 + The Scheme - Ephesians 6:11 - 2 Corinthians 2:10–11 Questions God’s Word Questions God’s Truthfulness Questions God’s Goodness Appeals to our Desires - 2 Corinthians 11:13–15 + The Sin - 2 Corinthians 11:2–3 - John 8:44…

Scripture: Genesis 2:18-25 Key Takeaways: + Marriage is a good gift from God. + Marriage is designed for companionship and partnership “…not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.” – Matthew Henr…

Scripture: Genesis 2:4-17 Key Takeaways: + Work is a good gift from God. “Let the Church remember this: that every maker and worker is called to serve God in his profession or trade—not outside it. The Apostles complained rightly when they said it was not meet they should leave the word of God and serve tables; their vocation was to preach the word…

Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3 Key Takeaways: Proverbs 26:15 + SHABBAT = Sabbath Isaiah 40:28 + God created this world and put us in for: - His good pleasure - His glory Exodus 20:8-10 + Sabbath Keeping: Principle vs Rule - As Christ followers are we required to keep the Sabbath as a rule? Mark 2:23-28 Romans 14:1; 5-6 + Summary of work and rest: - Work …

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31 Key Takeaways: + God made us male and female to bear his image - Matthew 19:3-6 + Our bodies are a good gift from God and tell us who we are “This is hugely important. If the body is merely a vehicle or a costume for the real you, then it is the equivalent of property. But we know this can’t really be the case. However mu…

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31 Key Takeaways: “The historian Tom Holland, a longtime secular progressive, recently wrote that despite his faith in God fading during his teen years, he now realizes his most fundamental instincts about life only makes sense as an inheritance from the Christian story. Holland’s book, Dominion, is a journey through Western…

Scripture: Genesis 1:26-31 Key Takeaways: + Every human being possesses dignity as an image bearer of God “But human rights are just like Heaven, and, like God, it’s just a fictional story that we’ve invented and spread around. It may be a very nice story. It may be a very attractive story. We want to believe it, but it’s just a story. It’s not a r…

Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2:3 Key Takeaways: “Today as I read Genesis 1–2 my thoughts go to high school biology and physics. How does the biblical depiction of creation relate to the big bang theory and evolution? No doubt, Genesis 1–2 has bearing on our evaluation of these modern scientific accounts of cosmic and human origins. But a moment’s thought…

Scripture: Genesis 1:1 Key Takeaways: Psalm 33:6 Nehemiah 9:6 Revelation 4:11 + God Exists as the Eternal and Transcendent God Aseity Hebrews 11:6 + God Exists as the Good and Personal God “There is a philosophical fissure between fundamental impersonalism or fundamental personalism. First of all, there is the difficulty of deriving ethical values …

Scripture: Psalm 23 Key Takeaways: + A Shepherd leads by provision, presence and protection Matthew 16:31-22 + We worship the Lord because He is a divine provider + We worship the Lord because of His divine presence “Dear Jesus, how foolish of me to have called for human help when You are right here.” – Corrie Ten Boom, Hiding Place + We worship th…

Scripture: Psalm 133 Key Takeaways: + God is pleased when His people dwell in unity John 17:20-23 + Renewal happens when God’s people dwell in unity Romans 12:16 Romans 13:8 Romans 14:3 Romans 15:7 Romans 15:14 Romans 16:16 1 Corinthians 16:20 2 Corinthians 13:12 1 Peter 5:14 + Jesus is seen when God’s people dwell in unity…

Scripture: Psalm 80 Key Takeaways: + The Need for Renewal – Loss of God’s presence – Loss of Joy Psalm 32:3-4 Psalm 31:9-10 – Loss of Spiritual Power + The Prayer for Renewal Acts 3:19-20 Isaiah 30:18By JR Vassar

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10 Key Takeaways: + Zacchaeus was Hungry ‌Luke 19:2 Luke 19:7‌ “But while nearly everyone would agree that Hitler has earned a spot in hell, the Bible says that Billy Graham has earned a spot in hell, too.” – Brady Tarr ‌Ephesians 2:1–5 Luke 19:3‌ Jeremiah 29:13 + Zacchaeus was Humble Luke 19:4 + Jesus sees us Luke 19:5 ‌+ Jesu…

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14 Key Takeaways: + A Purchased People Mark 10:45 + A Prized People Image of Micky Mantle card $13m 1 Peter 1:18–19 + A Purified People “Man is the only animal that blushes. Or needs to.” – Mark Twain 1 John 1:7 Hebrews 10:22 + A Passionate People

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14 Key Takeaways: + Isaiah 9:6-7 + Matthew 1:1 + Matthew 1: 17 + Tangible Hope + Visible Glory + Unimaginable Awe “We don’t hope that we will see Katy again. We have the hope that we KNOW we WILL see Katy again.” – Holly Rost + Hebrews 9:27 + Matthew 24:36-42 “Joy to the world the Lord is come. Let earth receive her king. Let …

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14 Key Takeaways: + Christmas is the inbreaking of the age to come into this present age. + Mark 10:29–30 · Satanic age · Sinful age · Secular age · Sensual age · Selfish age + 2 Timothy 3:1–4 · Secular age + 2 Timothy 4:10 + Through Jesus, God brings us into the age to come and brings the age to come into us. + Galatians 1:3–…

Scripture: Titus 2:11-14 Key Takeaways: + Christmas is the Incarnation of the Son of God + John 1:1-2 + John 1:14 "...the supreme mystery with which the gospel confronts us...lies not in the Good Friday message of atonement, nor in the Easter Sunday message of resurrection, but in the Christmas message of Incarnation. The really staggering Christia…

Scripture: John 6:26-40 Key Takeaways: “Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, l…

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 9:23-27 Key Takeaways: “It was in 1980, that the legendary boxing trainer Cus D’amato discovered the young juvenile delinquent, Mike Tyson. 6 years later as a 20 year old kid, Tyson would destroy Trevor Berbick in 6 minutes to take the crown to initiate the start of his heavyweight reign. For those 6 years, Mike Tyson's dai…

Scripture: John 14:25-31 Key Takeaways: John 16:33 [Got Milk Slides] + Not the Peace the World Gives Control Circumstances + His peace + The only way you can have the peace of God is to be at peace with God Romans 5:1 John 16:33 Refuse to fear Refuse counterfeit saviors Seek the Felt Experience of the Holy Spirit…

Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-6 Key Takeaways: + God cares more about The Church than this nation, so order your loves. Acts 17:26 (CSB) + Order our loves according to spiritual principles and spatial proximity. + Our Theology is our relational Glue, so don’t seek unity around anything else. Graphic of Three Circles Graphic of Three Circles expanded. + …

Scripture: Galatians 5:13-26 Key Takeaways: + Holy Intention 1 Peter 1:15–16 (ESV) Ephesians 1:4 (ESV) 1 Thessalonians 4:3 (ESV) 1 Thessalonians 4:7 (ESV) 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV) “Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of God.” – J.I. Packer, Keeping in Step wi…

Scripture: Jeremiah 2:1-13 Key Takeaways: + The Essence of Idolatry Romans 1:22-25 + The Shock of Idolatry Sin against Love Sin against Logic + The Cost of Idolatry Psalm 16:11 + The Cure for IdolatryBy JR Vassar

Scripture: Romans 16:25-27 Key Takeaways: “This epistle is really the chief part of the New Testament and is truly the purest gospel. It is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but also that he should occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. We can never read it or ponder over it too …

Scripture: Romans 16:17-23 Key Takeaways: + Unity in the church is worth defending Romans 16:17 + Obedience strengthens our Unity Romans 16:19 + Love for the Church and its mission strengthens our unity Romans 16:3-15 Acts 17:5-9 Acts 20:4 + Gospel unity results in victory Romans 16:20 Genesis 3:15 Ephesians 6:12-15…

Scripture: Romans 16:1-16 Key Takeaways: + The Church was an intimate family in Jesus. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 (ESV) + The Church included and dignified women. “Amidst contemporary denunciations of Christianity as patriarchal and sexist, it is easily forgotten that the early church was especially attractive to women… Christianity was unusually appealing be…

Key Takeaways: + Prayer is the Direct Communication with God. + Prayer Shapes Outcomes. Psalm 34:6 (ESV) “In essence, prayer is rebellion – rebellion against the status quo, the state of the world in its sin and fallenness. It is the absolute and undying refusal to accept as normal what is completely abnormal. It is the rejection of every agenda, e…

Scripture: Romans 15:14–29 Key Takeaways: 1 Timothy 1:12–17 (CSB) + Ministry to the Church + Ministry to the Needy 1 Corinthians 16:1–2 (CSB) 2 Corinthians 8:9 (CSB) + Ministry to the Unreached + The Unreached will be reached Revelation 7:9–12 (CSB) + It will take missionaries with ambition who are willing to go 1 Thessalonians 2:19–20 (CSB) + It w…

Scripture: Romans 15:8-13 Key Takeaways: + God is a Trustworthy God. 2 Corinthians 1:20 (CSB) Titus 1:2 (ESV) + God is a Merciful God. Isaiah 30:18 (NIV) + God is a Missionary God. Genesis 12:3 (ESV) Illus: ee-taow. Image of Missionary being carried. Psalm 67:4 (ESV) Matthew 24:14 (ESV) + God is a Hope-Giving God. 1 Thessalonians 1:3 (CSB) Titus 2:…

Scripture: Romans 14:19 -15:1–7 Key Takeaways: + Every person has a God-given Conscience. Hebrews 10:22 (ESV) + Our conscience needs to be obeyed. + Christians disagree on matters of conscience. + Nobody has an inerrant conscience. + We must prioritize Christian Unity over our personal freedoms. + “When do you have the freedom to do something?” 1. …

Scripture: Romans 14:13-23 Key Takeaways: + Not everything in the Christian Life is Black and White + The Temptation to make gray what is black and white 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 (ESV) Galatians 6:1 (ESV) + The Temptation to make black and white what is gray + Love Requires that we Limit our Freedom 1 Timothy 4:1-5 (ESV) + Experiencing the Holy Spirit …