Guest speaker: Kevin Dodge

“How do we live in Freedom as Christians?” – Haggai 1:1-14

16 years after Cyrus issued an edict allowing the Jews to return to Judea, in the second year of Darius, some Jews return to rebuild the temple. The returnees were met by a remnant still living in the land. Zerubbabel was the governor of Judea.

Jeremiah 31:3-9; 33:10-13
Hope for Israel after captivity yet this passage has not yet been fulfilled.

1 Corinthians 6:19
Our bodies are the temple of God.

In our freedom, we should not neglect doing the work of God.

Series in Mark

“In Forgiving Sin, Jesus shows us that we are Sinners” – Mark 2:13-20

Mark 2:1-12
Jesus introduces Himself as the One who can forgive sins and the healer of the sick. So, who are we?

Mark 2:13-17

The “righteousness of God” to Martin Luther’s generation meant God’s wrath; but, when he read in Romans 1:17 that the righteousness of God was revealed in the Gospel, he knew that the consensus of his day was not correct. Luther remained puzzled by the phrase until a man by the name of Johann von Staupitz, Doctor of Divinity and Vicar-General of the Augustinian convents in Germany, sat down with him and told him that “the righteousness of God” is not the righteousness God does but the righteousness that God gives to those who have no righteousness of their own.

So Jesus shows us that we are sinners.

Mark 2:18-20
Some ask Jesus why His disciples don’t fast.
While Jesus was present with His disciples, it was a time of celebration, not of mourning, as signified by fasting.

Begin the Series on the Central Beliefs of Christianity

“The Trinity – God in Three Persons” – Matthew 28:19-20

The Jesus Only Movement, or Oneness Pentecostals,
believes that Jesus is all three persons of God.

Matthew 3:13-17
However, at Jesus’ baptism, there are two other persons of God present and acting separately.

Matthew 28:19-20
“Name” in these verses should be understood to mean the name of God, who is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Praxeas was the author of a heresy known as Modalism, which states that God is one who manifests Himself at different times as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Romans 1:1-4
In this passage, Paul shows the interaction of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as separate persons.

Series in Mark

“Healing and Forgiveness mark the Coming of God” – Mark 2:1-12

Psalm 103:1-3; 25:18, 25:1-2; Isaiah 33:24, 22;
Jeremiah 33:6-8; 1 John 1:8-10

Series in Mark

“Jesus is the One you’ve been waiting for” – Mark 1:7-45

Zechariah 13:1-3

Begin Series in Mark

“Prepare the way of the Lord” – Mark 1:1-8

Daniel 7:9-14; 2 Kings 1:8 – Elijah

Guest Speaker: Dr. Jim Sibley

“God will Keep His Promises to Israel” – Romans 3:3-4

Introduction: Winston Churchill’s plan to end World War I – Take Istanbul and out-flank the Axis Powers to the northwest.

Istanbul, Bosphorus, & Dardanelles

Why didn’t the Lord tell us when He would return?
– So that we would be diligent in remaining faithful.

Too often scripture is misapplied as being about our own lives when, in fact, it applies only to the nation of Israel.

Jeremiah 29:11; Acts 1:8; Jeremiah 29:10.

Isaiah 49:15-16; Ezekiel 37:11, 36:24-26.

Zechariah 12:1-11; 13:1, 9.

Romans 3:3-4; 11:29

God, by keeping His promises to Israel, assures us that He will keep His promises to us.

Romans 15:8-13.

Colossians 4:14; Philemon 24 – Demas is called Paul’s fellow worker.
2 Timothy 4:6-10 – “Demas … has deserted me.”

Series in Colossians (Conclusion)

“Paul closes His Letter to the Colossians” – Colossians 4:18

Introduction: Abbazia della Tre Fontane in Rome, where Paul spent his last hours or days on earth.

Monastery Complesso dell’Abbazia Tre Fontane
Mamertine Prison (Carcere Marmertino)

The church was built on an old Roman dungeon,
where tradition says that Paul was beheaded.

Colossians 4:18 – “Remember my chains.”
Colossians 1:12-20 – “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness … He is the image of the invisible God …”
Even though we have the above verses, we also have the verse that precedes them – “Remember my chains.”

Colossians 4:10-11 – Only three Jewish converts are with him.

Series in Colossians / Series on Prayer (Colossians 4:2)

“You want me to Pray for Who?” – 1 Timothy 2:1-8

Paul – “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

This is so that, in peace, witness for the Lord may flourish and souls would be saved.

Throughout this passage we see the phrase, “all men.”

Since Christ gave His life for a person, the least we can do is pray for them.

Luke 6:27-28; Matthew 5:44-45 – “Love your enemies”
Romans 10:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:1

Series in Colosians / Series on Prayer (Colossians 4:2)

“The Lord’s Prayer – Lead us not into Temptation” – Matthew 6:13

Matthew 6:13

David acknowledges that he is sinful by nature, not just in deed.
Psalm 51:3, 5, 10
Romans 3:10-18 – Reflects on David’s confession in Psalm 51.

Matthew 4:1-11 Temptation Part I; James 1:13;
Jesus is the unity of the eternal Son of God and Man.

Matthew 26:36-42 Temptation Part II
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Until the day of resurrection we do not have the same strength as Jesus to resist sin.