Why God Disciplines Us

 
Feb 24, 2013
Dave Marttunen

Audio / Questions / Leaders

Discipline has two streams: chosen and applied. In the first place, it looks like self-discipline and comes packaged in such things as routines, goals, delayed gratification, and self-denial. Applied discipline occurs from the outside in such things as parenting, coaching, and policing. This is the principle: external discipline is required at the point self-discipline fails (or is undeveloped  or underdeveloped). Today, we see discipline to an extreme. God acts decisively in the Church. It has an unanticipated effect that promotes the gospel. We fear the cost of discipline but we value its result. The solution is to choose discipline in place of waiting for its inevitable application.

---

Defined by Love

 
Feb 17, 2013
David Dawson

Audio / Questions / Leaders


To say that God is loving is not saying enough.  To say that love is God is to get it backwards.  The truth of the scripture is that God is love.  Only the triune God offers a foundation for love that is firm enough to define us.

---

Money Follows Missions

 
Feb 10, 2013
Dave Marttunen

Audio / Questions / Leaders

Despite conflict, the early church allowed the grace of God to inspire unity and generosity.  We too must allow the gospel to shape what we do with our resources.

---

Going Viral

 
Feb 3, 2013
Dave Marttunen

Audio / Questions / Leaders

Pastor James rebuked the persecuted Church in his day so that it could mature. He said boldly to them "you do not have because you do not ask God" (James 4:2). The great weakness of many Christians and many Churches is that they do not pray. The paralyzing weakness is that the prayers of many Christians have nothing to do with God's agenda because their own wants have replaced God's purposes. Today, we see the first church formed the right practice that shouts out to us—PRAY! As we continue to study the theme of “Missions Without Money” (or means) in this section of the book of Acts, we learn that we cannot join God on mission apart from talking to him about his purposes. Acts 4 is a call to us all to Holy Spirit developed prayer.

---