Love is powerful, and what we love ends up shaping our entire life. But what is love- Here, the apostle Paul prays for the church to be rooted and grounded in love. But not love as mere emotion or sentimentality, but love that flows from knowledge, self-giving, and communion, all of which are offered to believers in the gospel.

Exhorting the church to 'do not lose heart over what I am suffering', the Apostle Paul highlights the grace, growth, and glory of God's purposes that all center on the church.

Three times in just seven verses the Apostle Paul uses the word 'mystery'. What is this mystery- How does it help us understand the gospel, what was promised in the Old Testament and revealed in the New- How does it relate to the newness of the New Covenant-

What are the corporate implications for being raised with Christ- Here we see the church, the people of God, defined as a kingdom, a household, and a temple --a place ultimately for God's dwelling, which serves to both ground our identity and direct our calling in Christ.

What has Christ Jesus done to secure our peace with God, and how does that affect our peace and unity with one another- Here we see how Christ is our peace because He's broken down hostility, He's created one new body, He brings proclamations of peace through His preached word, and He's opened up access to the Father for all who are united to Him in faith.

The natural human tendency is to turn inward when we experience suffering, but the Gospel calls us to an entirely outward perspective- both in the comfort we receive from God, and one large part of our suffering, which is to comfort others with the comfort we've received from Him.

Why does God bring suffering, difficulty, and trial- How are we called to respond- Here James calls us to embrace a heavenly perspective on our trials, knowing that such affliction is for our good and God's glory.

Sin has brought disharmony and division to every level of the universe. But God in Christ is in the process of 'summing up' all things in Him. How then does this effect interpersonal relationships- How does the work of Christ bring unity- The answer we find here is that true unity is only found in the gospel, flowing out of the power and grace of God in Christ.

What does the so-called 'creation mandate' or 'cultural mandate' have to do with being made in the image of God and on on-going commission in this world- Today we consider a few different perspectives, such and neo-calvinism and transformationalism, in light of the testimony of scripture regarding creation, the covenant of works, the image of God, the fall, and Jesus Christ.