Last year, we studied the biblical prophecies on the end times and considered the promises of Jesus’ return and establishment of His kingdom. But until that awesome event occurs, how ought we to invest our time and resources? Did you know that our future position in the kingdom of heaven is largely determined by our faithfulness on earth? This section shows us four different responses to kingdom responsibility—four ways people live their lives in the light of Jesus’ coming kingdom.

Doing Kingdom Business…or NOT!

The Live Service AUDIO Podcast is a twice weekly bible study with Pastor Skip Heitzig from Calvary Church. Subscribe and you can receive FREE MP3 files of the message for your iPod or other MP3 Player. Skip teaches expositionally through the entire Bible, verse by verse. Calvary is a Christian fellowship where we gather for the purpose of knowing and glorifying Jesus Christ. We desire to see all people become committed to live as followers of Jesus Christ.

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Ephesians 1:1-14

The Word of God is “full of living power,” wrote the author of Hebrews (4:12, TLB). It has the power to change a life completely and for eternity. James has been telling us that God gives good gifts and the first is the gift of salvation! But that is just the beginning. After birth comes growth, and the theme of this book is spiritual maturity. The primary agent for spiritual maturity is God’s Word. But unless we listen to it and allow it to work in us, it will never have its intended impact.

The Power of the Word

Think like Jesus

It’s one thing to be tested on the outside (trials); it’s another thing to be tested on the inside (temptation). God may allow temptations in order to strengthen our faith. But Satan desires to tempt us to weaken our faith. In C. S. Lewis’s classic book The Screwtape Letters, a senior demon wrote to a trainee, saying, “All the habits of the [Christian], both mental and bodily, are still in our favor.” Today, we consider how temptation works and find workable solutions to overcome it. 
 I. The Source of Temptation (vv. 13-14) II. The Course of Temptation (vv. 14-15) III. Our Resource in Temptation (vv. 16-18) 
 Talk with God: Ask the Holy Spirit which areas of your faith need to be shored up and strengthened. Talk with others: With your Connect Group, discuss some practical things you can implement in your daily life to avoid common temptations. Talk with kids: Who is the Holy Spirit?

Doing Kingdom Business…or NOT!

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