Bufe talks about how to check messengers today who say they have a new message from God. He points out how we need to stick with the scriptures. Jesus is the bringer of abundant life, he is the restorer of our relationship with God, and he is the only Savior that can save us from our sins. Bufe talks about a recent scare he had when he had kidney stones. Half way through the audio, the children's group present an advent program with music. The children's choir leader sings the solo, 'And the Gift Goes On.' I apologize that the audio stops abruptly at the end.

1 John 4

Bufe sees us locked in a war. A common problem is the spiritual immaturity of Christians today. Bufe talks about King Jehoshaphat in 2 Chronicles with a vast army coming his way. Listen to see how the king reacted and what he did about it. Are you a mature Christian? Do you praise the Lord just around believers or also around unbelievers? Or does your pride get in the way? Or does your unbelief stop you from praising the Lord? Do you have the wrong perspective and then can't praise God? Bufe gives us 5 praise builders in the prayer of Jehoshaphat.

John 14:1-14, 2 Chronicles 20

Bufe tells a true story about WWII and quotes some Shakespeare at the beginning about the Tides of Life. Are you bound in the shallows or are you lifted up when the power of the tide is moving? Bufe talks about Jesus and his disciples in Gethsemane after the Last Supper. Jesus asked Peter, James and John to stay up with him and pray. Instead they fell asleep The tide of opportunity was there and they missed it. They missed the opportunity to grow in character, to grow as children of God and to grow in friendship with Jesus. They missed the opportunity to serve Him. How easy for us to be so busy in what we are doing that our priorities aren't straight. Or we put off a decision for Christ.

Matthew 26

Bufe talks about Romans 6 and our freedom from the power of sin which is now dead as a result of belief in Jesus Christ.  The benefits include holiness and everlasting life.  Bufe encourages us by the fact that apostle Paul wrote Romans and Paul wrestled with life and sin.  Bufe talks about justification - God sees me just as if I never sinned.  He also talks about sanctification which is an on-going process that will never end while you are on this planet.  It is a process of being willing to allow God to be in charge of our lives and allowing the new nature to function in a way that pleases the Lord.  We are to be no longer slaves to sin, but slaves to righteousness.  If God is for us, who can be against us?  

Romans 6-7, Romans 8:31-39

This was the Sunday after Easter.  Bufe talks about the power of the Gospel.  The good news brings people into a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ.  There is only one way to God and that is through Jesus Christ.  The gospel exposes the inadequacy of human wisdom.  Everything we need is found in Jesus Christ.  The Truth is a person and that person is Jesus Christ.  

Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Ephesians 2

Bufe talks about Jesus after the resurrection.  The disciples were gathered in a room with the doors locked 8 days after the resurrection.  Thomas was the only disciple who had not seen Jesus yet and refused to believe until he, himself, saw Jesus and touched him.  Bufe talks about Thomas' encounter with Jesus after the resurrection and what Jesus said to him.   Thomas believed because he saw Jesus.  Millions of us believe even though we didn't see Jesus.  Bufe says it would be good to reflect on why we believe that Jesus rose from the dead.  Bufe mentions the book by Frank Morrison, "Who Moved the Stone?"  We all have free will and many of us can choose not to believe even though there are compelling reasons to believe in the resurrection.  And even those who say they believe, don't live like they do believe.  Bufe talks about some of the reasons we do believe in the resurrection.  There are 2 ways to look at the world around you - you can look at all the pain and problems in the world - or you can look at the world with Easter as the starting place.  

Luke 23, Matthew 27, 1 John 3, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 John 4

At that time there were between 17 and 20 million unmarried women in the US.  I'm sure there are more.  And millions of unmarried men.  And this type of population was showing annual growth.  The most common view around the church at that time is that marriage is best and to be married is normal.  Singles are incomplete and unfinished.  Bufe helps us look at it in another way using biblical references.  Jesus talks about blood families and spiritual families.  Very interesting moment where Bufe talks about my brother, Phil, who was raising his daughter by himself after a divorce.  Bufe points out Jesus, Lazarus, Mary and Martha are all single.  Bufe talks about the different Greek words for love and their meanings.  Bufe gives 5 guidelinbes for singles:  1. Seek God's total plan for your life.  2. Live with quality now.  3. Cultivate deep, caring relationships.  4. Be cautious about marrying.  5. Stay morally and sexually pure.  Guidelines for the Church: 1. Value the singles.  2. Develop sensitivity toward singles.  3. As a church, we need to integrate singles into the full fellowship.  4. Involve singles in your social circles.  Bufe talks about loneliness at the end of this message.  We are all lonely, because we've all been kicked out of Eden.  

Mark 3, Philippians 4:11-13

Bufe quotes 3 secular sources, a Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk in 1953, Psychology Today Magazine in April 1989, "Wealth, Can You Ever Have Enough?" and Eric Severeid's article in 1967 in Look Magazine where he quotes Edmund Burke.  Bufe talks about first taking care of your relationship with God and the only way to do that is through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Having had that change of life, we need to look at the authenic goodness of a man when he walks with God.  Jesus was the answer to the world's problems in 1989 and he's the answer to the world's problems today!   

Galatians 5:16-26

This was Palm Sunday in 1991.  Bufe looks at Jesus' final week in life.  He talks about the Sanhedrin Court made up of Pharisees and Saducees.  He shares the 'prophecy' of Caiphus, "Let this one man die for the people.  Why should the whole nation perish?".  Bufe talks about there being a right time, The Passover, for Jesus to die on the cross.  He explains what Passover was and why the people celebrated it every year.  Bufe talks about the dinner a few days before Jesus' death with risen Lazarus at the dinner.  He talks about the love of Mary for Jesus when she washed Jesus' feet with her hair and annointed them with expensive perfume.  Bufe talks about Palm Sunday and the triumphal entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem.  He points out, according to a census, the number of lambs killed at Passover were 256,500 and the minimum number of people covered by one lamb's blood were 10, so at least 2,564,000 people were there.

John 11, John 3, Psalm 118, Zeccharia 9:9, John 8:12

Christians are living letters from Christ.  God gives us the power to tell others about God's grace and love.  Our only power and success comes from God.  Bufe talks about Moses and how he led the people out of Egypt.  He talks about how Moses' face would shine with the glory of God after speaking with God.  If Moses' face shined during the time of the Law, shouldn't our faces shine even more in the age of Grace with the Holy Spirit living within us?  Do you brightly reflect the wonderful glory of God?

2 Corinthians 3-4, Exodus 34