Posts with the category “dna-of-a-dangerous-church”

Highlight Paul concludes his letter with specific ways the church can be praying for him and for the message of Christ to extend. Through his request, he adds the last charge for the church of Colossae to live in grace with those outside their faith.  Read More

Highlight Chapter 3 is the practical way a follower of Christ should live. “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone.  Read More

Highlight Paul reminds the audience that Christ is the ultimate authority (vv 9-10) - head over the body of believers. Therefore, the “rules” and false teaching created by men have no standing against Christ. He has fulfilled the law.  Read More

Highlight Christology is defined as the branch of Christian theology relating to the person, nature and role of Christ. Paul writes some of the highest Christology in the entire New Testament here in his letter to the church of Colossae.  Read More

Highlight Paul is writing this letter while in Rome under house arrest and waiting for his trial before Caesar. Talk about a potentially devastating state to be in. Yet, he tells the church to “Rejoice in the Lord always…Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (vv 4, 6)  Read More

Before We Start A unique aspect of the Christian faith is Jesus' teaching that those who followed Him would become a completely new community, a new family, a new Kingdom of people unlike any other on earth.  Read More

Highlight One writing technique that Paul uses in his letters is exemplification, where he will alternate between the positive and negative traits his audience should uphold or avoid. Here in chapter three he warns against boasting in the flesh, or boasting in your own capabilities.  Read More

Highlight If you read verse 12 too quickly, you might misread what Paul is saying when he says “continue to work out your salvation…” He is not saying that salvation is attained through work. Rather he is using “works” in a positive sense, because of your faith and love for Christ - do “His works.”   Read More

Paul’s letter to the church in Philippi was a personal letter of gratitude and joy. It does not seem to have been intended to be circulated like some of his other letters. He wrote to the Philippians to share his gratitude in the support they sent, to share with them the significance of his imprisonment, and to address the murmurs of disunity.   Read More

Highlight Paul closes the letter to Ephesus by bringing the audience back to the heavenly realm that he mentions earlier in the letter. He teaches them how they can prepare themselves for the spiritual battle that is going on around them.   Read More

Highlight Paul gives practical application on how to live a life in Christ Jesus. He explains that as a Christ follower you should now live “as dearly loved children and walk in the ways of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up… (vv. 1-2),” because that is exactly who you are.  Read More

Before We Start A unique aspect of the Christian faith is Jesus' teaching that those who followed Him would become a completely new community, a new family, a new Kingdom of people unlike any other on earth. A people whose identity would be rooted in their love for God and others. People of every nation, regardless of race, nationality, language and socioeconomic background. None worthy, all loved, all united by Jesus.   Read More

Highlight Ephesians 4 is Paul’s great battle cry to the Church. He calls every believer to live a life worthy of their calling, emphasizing unity and maturity in the body of Christ. He speaks of the different gifts given to believers to build up the church and urges that the purpose of these gifts is: "to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith."  Read More

Highlight In Acts 22 Paul shares his testimony of becoming a follower of Jesus and he begins by saying who he was before Christ: “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.  Read More

Highlight It would be difficult to overstate the difference Jesus makes in the lives of those that choose to follow him. Paul goes so far as to say not just that we were on a road toward death in our sins before Jesus, but that we were actually dead in our transgressions. Life without Jesus is no life at all. We can all identify with the hopelessness, loneliness or aimlessness of life before Christ.  Read More

Highlight Paul's letter to the Ephesians is a profound theological treatise on the nature of the church and the believer's place in God's eternal plan. In Ephesians 1, Paul prays for the believers, asking that they may know the hope to which they are called and the power available to them through Christ.  Read More

Highlight As we saw last week, Paul's letter to the Galatians addresses the early church's struggles with legalism and the true essence of Christian freedom. As Paul concludes his letter he emphasizes the importance of bearing one another's burdens and doing good to all, especially to those in the family of believers.  Read More

Welcome to Week Two of the DNA of a Dangerous Church Reading Plan! This reading plan is designed to partner with Compassion Christian Church’s sermon series of the same name, which you can find information about right here. Before We Start A unique aspect of the Christian faith is Jesus' teaching that those who followed Him would become a completely new community, a new family, a new Kingdom of people unlike any other on earth.  Read More

Highlight Paul makes a powerful statement in Galatians 5:6, “The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love”. He urges the Galatians to use their freedom not for self-indulgence but to serve one another humbly in love.   Read More

Highlight Paul uses the analogy of an heir and a slave to illustrate our new status in Christ. We are no longer slaves but children of God, and if children, then heirs. This new identity should transform how we live in community.   Read More

Highlight This chapter focuses on reliance on faith versus the law. Paul argues that the law was a guardian of the Jews’ covenant with God until Christ came, but now that faith has come, we are no longer captive to the law. The law is what defined the Jewish people; it is what set Israel apart for the work of God. But now that Jesus has fulfilled the law through his death and resurrection, it is no longer Israel alone that is set apart for God’s redemptive plan for the world.  Read More

Highlight Here Paul recounts his visit to Jerusalem and his confrontation with Peter (also called Cephas - a transliteration into Greek of his Aramaic name). The issue at hand was the inclusion of Gentiles in the Christian community without the need to follow Jewish customs. Paul emphasizes that justification comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone, not by works of the law  Read More

Highlight The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Galatians at an important time in the life and growth of the early church. The Gospel has now taken root not only among Jews who believe that Jesus is the Messiah, but has spread to Gentiles who also believe Jesus is the Messiah.  Read More