For all of 2019 we went on a journey through the whole Bible, learning how it is one story and all of it points to Jesus. Part 1 walked through the first five books of the Bible, providing a foundational understanding of who God is and how we can know Him. Part 2 took us through the historical books from the time of the Judges through the return from exile. Part 3 concluded the Old Testament with highlights from the prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and Malachi. Part 4 presented key teachings about Jesus, the Trinity and the gospel. Finally, in Part 5, we studied other key doctrines and themes as we wrapped up the New Testament.
40. Power – Acts 2:1-13 – October 20, 2019 – Jason Harms
Jesus promised his disciples they would do “greater things” than even He was able to do (John 14:12). The beginning of the fulfillment of this promise took place in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit was poured out. The Spirit both prepares us to share the gospel and empowers us for this work!
Download discussion questions here: Power Acts 2 Questions
For more resources on Power, click here. “God’s Spirit rests on all who love and follow Jesus, and each one has a part to play in advancing God’s purpose in the world.” Colin Smith
41. Gentiles – Isaiah 49:1-6; Acts 13:49 – October 27, 2019
Read the message here: Gentiles Isaiah
For more resources on reaching the Nations and Conversion, click here. “When Jesus shows you that you are a sinner and that your only hope is to cast yourself on His mercy, His purpose is not to leave you groveling in the dust. He will lift you up and send you out to fulfill His purpose in the world.” Colin Smith
42. Wrath – Romans 1:16-32 – November 3, 2019
The gospel reveals the righteousness of God (Rom. 1:17). God will be glorified in everyone. Your life and eternity will either glorify God’s mercy in your justification or glorify God’s justice in your condemnation. Romans 1 shows the condition of every person on earth: 1) they know there is a Creator God; 2) they choose to worship other things; 3) they become confused, controlled and consumed by their sin and 4) they know God is condemning them to eternal punishment. Therefore the 1.8 billion people on earth who have never heard the gospel are NOT OK. Believers must bring them the good news that there is hope in Christ alone!
Read the message here: Wrath Romans 1
For more resources on wrath, click here. “The opposite of love is not hatred, but indifference. True love hates all that destroys the one who is loved. This is why God cannot and will not leave the world as it is. To do so would be a denial of His love.” Colin Smith
43. Flesh – Romans 3:9-25 – November 10, 2019
Romans 1-3 paints a bleak picture of human nature. “There is no one righteous. No, not one.” The truth is that apart from hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ no one will repent and on one will be saved because all people are ruled by and consumed by their sin. Thanks be to God there is a Savior for sinners like us! There is One who can free us from this “body of death.” Jesus alone can transform people from being confused, controlled and consumed by their sin into those who are renewed, redeemed and righteous in Him.
Read the message here: Flesh Romans 3
For more resources on Romans 3, click here. “For Jesus, union with us meant going to the cross. For us, union with Jesus means being set free from condemnation and enjoying a new relationship of peace with God.” Colin Smith
44. Justification – Romans 3:19-28 – November 17, 2019
Confidence about salvation comes from clarity about the gospel. If you think getting to heaven depends even a little bit on your efforts you will never have assurance of your salvation – you will never have peace. But once you realize and truly believe that salvation is entirely God’s work based on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, you will have peace. We can SEE the perfection of God in Jesus and we can RECEIVE the perfection of God from Jesus by faith ALONE.
Read the message here: Justification Romans 3
For more resources on Justification and Assurance, click here. “None of us is yet what we will be, and that is why we can never find confidence before God through anything in ourselves. There is only one solid ground of assurance: it is the blood of Jesus.” Colin Smith
45. Union – Romans 6:1-14 – November 24, 2019
The believer has “every spiritual blessing in Christ” (Eph. 1:3) because he or she has been “united with him” (Rom. 6:5). Our union with Christ is what connects us to His life (His perfection, power and purpose) and His love (His protection, provision and people). All of our debts become His and all of His resources become ours!
Read the message here: Union Romans 6
Download discussion questions here: Union Romans 6 Questions
For more resources on our Union with Christ, click here. “Forgiveness is found in Jesus, eternal life is found in Jesus, holiness is found in Jesus, and victory over sin is found in Jesus. These gifts are all joined together inseparably in Him, and if you are in Christ, all of these blessings are yours.” Colin Smith
46. Nature – Romans 8:1-13 – December 1, 2019 – Jason Harms
The believer in Jesus is totally transformed. Instead of being dead in sin and under its power, at the moment you trust in Jesus you are born again as a new creation in Christ. You are set free from both the penalty and power of sin. The believer in Jesus has a new position in Christ, a new provision from Christ (the Holy Spirit) and a new set of practices to grow with Christ.
Download Discussion Questions here: Nature – Romans 8:1-13 Discussion Questions
For more resources on our old and new nature, click here. “Never say you are helpless when the Spirit of God lives in you.” Colin Smith
47. Church – Ephesians 3:8-10; 4:1-13 – December 8, 2019
The Church has one compelling purpose – to glorify God. And believers have a clear pathway to follow to accomplish this purpose. We use a baseball diamond to remind us to keep moving forward and bring others with us! First base is to love God passionately. Second base is to grow to maturity. Third base is to serve sacrificially. And home plate is to reach out boldly. Are you in the game? Are you moving forward? Are you bringing others with you?
Read the message here: Church Ephesians 4
For more resources on the Church, click here. “The church is central to God’s great purpose – to display His glory by reconciling people to Himself and each other. When we believe in Christ, we become part of His church that comprises all believers in every time and place, and God’s purpose is fulfilled when we worship and serve Him in a local congregation.” Colin Smith
48. Battle – Ephesians 6:10-20 – December 15, 2019
We are in the middle of a spiritual battle. This passage shows us how to win: “Stand firm in the Lord and in his mighty power.” Here are four prayers for victorious Christian living: 1) pray for perception of the truth; 2) pray for progress; 3) pray for preparation to share the gospel and; 4) pray for protection. For each of these, give thanks for the blessing you have in Christ, ask for the blessing you need from Christ and practice putting on the armor He has provided.
Read the message here: Battle Ephesians 6
For more resources on the spiritual battle, click here. “Satan wants you isolated in the battle. He would love to have you fighting alone against attacks in your mind and in your home that nobody else knows about. But God never intended you to fight alone. Share your struggle with someone you trust who will stand with you. Take the shield of faith and bind yourself together with other believers under its protective cover.” Colin Smith
49. Intercession – Hebrews 7:21-28 – December 22, 2019
Jesus is our great High Priest. He is both supremely compassionate and capable of helping us. He is both willing and able to serve as our advocate since He entered our world and even became one of us!
Read the message here: Intercession Hebrews 7
For more resources on Jesus’ intercession for us, click here. “Christ receives your weak prayers and purifies them so that, in His name, they carry weight in heaven and have effect on earth.” Colin Smith
50. City – Revelation 21-22 – December 29, 2019
The story that started in a garden will end in a city. It started with one couple and will end with a multitude. We’ve seen this year that the Bible is one unified story and it is about Jesus from beginning to end. Revelation 21-22, the final chapters of the Bible, give us a glimpse of the perfection, completion and satisfaction believers will experience with the Lord forever. The world will be remade in perfect peace and we will be glorified – filled with the righteousness and glory of Jesus!
Read the message here: City Revelation 21
For more resources on the City – our eternal home – click here. “The old city of Jerusalem had a holy place where the presence of God came down. The new city is a holy place where God’s presence will remain. In the old Jerusalem just one room was filled with the glory of God. In the new Jerusalem, the whole city will be filled with His glory, and a vast crowd of men and women will live in the joy of God’s presence forever.” Colin Smith.