At the end of last week’s call to contend for the faith, Jude mentioned in verse 4 that the false teachers who pervert God’s grace and deny the Lordship of Jesus were “long ago designated for this condemnation.” Now, in verses 5-16, he calls the church to consider past events in the history of God’s people so that the character of these false teachers can be illuminated for all to see. Hear how God’s Word in Jude equips us to spot such false teachers and trains us to not follow them, or worse, become just like them.

There's a great line in the old Christian hymn, "Onward Christian Soldiers," that goes like this:Like a mighty army moves the church of God;Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod;We are not divided; all one body we,One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.While not many of us consider ourselves to be soldiers in the conventional sense, the reality is that we are soldiers for the Kingdom of Christ - soldiers unified in hope, doctrine, and love. And because we live in a world that is growing more and more hostile to the truths of Christianity, we have need to be reminded of what it means to have a wartime mentality. Here we study the opening of Jude's brief letter together, and consider his call to Christian soldiers to be ready, willing, and able to contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

Easter is about the resurrection. Specifically it is about the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. But even more it is about our own resurrection and life through faith in him. Jesus' resurrection secures victory over death and guarantees eternal life for all who believe in him. We look at Jesus' claim that he is the resurrection and the life and his demonstration of resurrection power for all who believe in him.

Readings on Jesus' trial, death and burial from all four Gospels, and a sermon from John 14 this Good Friday.

Pastor Layman preaches on Jesus as the Vine from John 15 this Maundy Thursday.

Typically we are more careful with and concerned about things that are ours as opposed to things that belong to others. Homeowners typically take better care of a house than renters. Business owners usually give more time and attention to details at work than employees. Parents are likely more protective of their own children than a neighbors child. Now we see the extent to which Jesus, the good Shepherd, goes in caring and providing for his own sheep.

We're used to having multiple ways in and out of various places. If the front door is locked, we can try the side door. If that doesn't work for us, we might go around back and try the back door. Most people relate to God the same way. They think there are many ways to God, and no matter which religion you follow, they lead to the same place. Jesus' third "I Am" statement in John's gospel "closes the door" on that idea and points to himself as the only entryway to salvation and true abundant life.

We all know the discomforting pangs of an empty stomach, and we all know the satisfaction that comes in having that hunger met with a good meal. Much of our engery and effort is spent seeking satisfaction for the various "hunger pangs" of life whether they be physical, emotional or spiritual. But ultimately, no matter how full our lives may be, there is only one thing that will truly satisfy our deepest need. We continue to look at Jesus' self-identifying "I am" statements and his bold claim to be "the bread of life."

When the lights go out or we find ourselves in dark conditions, our eyes will often adjust to those conditions so that we can see ever so slightly the things around us. Spend a good deal of time in such dark conditions, and we might even convince ourselves that we see pretty well. It's only when the lights come back on that we realize how dark it was and how deceived our eyes were. God tells us apart from him, we all are living in spiritual darkness and because it's the only state we've known, we may not even recognize it. Until God shines his light in the world in the person of Jesus. Here we look at Jesus' claim that he is the light of the world.

Listen as Rev. Jim, missionary to West Africa, brings our Living With A Missions Mindset series to a close by encouraging us to embrace God’s power and plan for missions.