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A Letter of Restoration

Jeff Gordon
Revelation 2:1-7

John writes the first of the seven letters to the churches in Asia. Beginning with Ephesus, he encourages them on their hard work, endurance, examination of claims, and their willingness to suffer without quitting. After the encouragement, John reminds them, though, that they have forgotten their first love: Christ! Churches like the one in Ephesus may be performing well, but missing the reason they are serving in the first place.

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Features of a Transformed Community (Part 1)

Jim Leffel
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

An important part of a spiritual community is the leadership appointed by God. Spiritual leadership means leading as a servant, being directive, and remaining centered on truth. All believers should desire the maturity and the blessings that come with spiritual leadership. The whole church is called to follow leaders by responding to them, recognizing the importance of their office, and seeking peace over needless rebellion.

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All Quiet in the Western Church

Craig McElvain
Matthew 9:14-17

The Western Church has been seeing an alarming decline in involvement for the last couple of decades. In order to turn this around, we must be aware of the reasons people are leaving and be willing to address them. Society today often sees churches as being outdated, impersonal, selfish, and hypocritical. It's imperative that we be willing to evaluate the wineskins we use and find more effective ways to reach the lost when old wineskins are no longer working.

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Two Lessons from Gaius

Gary DeLashmutt
3 John 1:1-15

3 John is a letter written by John of Zebedee, one of Jesus' disciples and author of the Gospel of John, 1 and 2 John and the book of Revelation. He is writing this letter to Gaius, a local church leader. Within the short letter, John communicates two important principles to Gaius: 1) distinguishing godly versus ungodly church leaders; and 2) the profile of a prospering soul, or what a healthy relationship with God looks like. This can happen as we adopt a lifestyle of serving others, immersing ourselves in God's Word and imitating others that already live this way.

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The Priority of Truth & Love

Gary DeLashmutt
2 John 1:1-13

This short letter was written most likely by John of Zebedee, one of Jesus' disciples who also wrote the Gospel of John, along with 1-3 John and Revelation. He is writing to "the lady", which is either a reference to some local church but more likely a woman who is leading a local church. In this letter, John explains how truth and love are inseparable, and that as Christians, our love should be motivated and guided by truth. Similarly, the truth we share with others should be tempered by love and promote love towards others. As we learn to balance these coexisting virtues, Christians are in a place to stand out against false teaching.

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Three Essentials for a Healthy Church

Gary DeLashmutt
Jude 1:1-25

The book of Jude was written by Jude, likely the half-brother of Jesus and brother of James. He is writing to an unnamed church or group of churches and highlights three essential elements of a healthy church: 1) resisting false teachers; 2) focusing on and growing in God's love; and 3) reaching out to people for Jesus.

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Lessons from Prison

Jim Leffel
Acts 21-28

During his second missionary journey, Paul made his way to Jerusalem to help give relief with a famine that had occurred. He did this to establish unity amidst chaos and ended up spending two years in prison. Despite these circumstances, Paul learns more about God's sovereignty and how that was fully realized in the cross. A primary lesson Paul learned during his time in prison was considering the God he was following and how He would be glorified through this situation, not lamenting on why these circumstances happened to him. The questions of "who" and "how" are important for Christians to consider when encountering suffering, not to lament and become bitter and angry about "why" God would allow such things to happen.

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Lessons from Ephesus

Jim Leffel
Acts 18:21-20:38

During his second missionary journey, Paul visits the city of Ephesus. He stayed at Ephesus for three years, as the city had become a strategic center for spirituality. While there, an amazing spiritual transformation took place as many came to believe in Jesus and remove themselves from occult practices and magic publicly. There was also strong opposition from Demetrius the silversmith, leading to a riot within the city. Before Paul leaves, he gives a farewell address to the leaders of the church at Ephesus, which demonstrates different principles of servant leadership: 1) personal engagement with those who God's put in your lives; 2) telling the truth; 3) answering God's call and being a good steward; 4) looking after and protecting God's people as shepherds of the flock.

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Corinth: Paul Tested

Jim Leffel
Acts 18:1-17

During his second missionary journey, Paul visits the city of Corinth. Corinth was a "hub" for spirituality and immorality located near the sea. As Paul interacted with the Corinthians and established a church there, we learn many principles that tested Paul, including: 1) working hard for God by sharing his life with the Corinthians; 2) by becoming at tent maker and being inclusive to the people around him; and 3) encountering fear to speak about God amidst the Corinthians. One of the most important ways to deal with fears is to remember God's promises and how He is actively at work and near us, which motivates us to be faithful with what He has for us to do.

Keywords

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