Wade Whiteley talks about the importance of building on a strong financial foundation.

Scripture Text

Ecclesiastes 2:18-26

Main Points or Ideas

1. Foundation of Selfishness (v. 18-19)

• Have you surrendered it all back to God?

2. Foundation of Control (v. 20-23)

• Your life is not your own.
3. Foundation of Pleasing God (v. 24-26)
• God gives to whomever He chooses.

Conclusion

What financial foundation are you building on?

Students from the Argentina, Micronesia, Dominican Republic, and Chile teams shared how they were able to serve on their trips last summer.

Brian Trainer talks about how morally filthy we all are and how Scripture exposes our filth.

Scripture Text

James 1:21-25

Main Points or Ideas

1. We Face Four Problems When We Look at The Word:

• We are morally repugnant (1:21)
• We are naturally forgetful (1:24-25)
• We are willfully proud (1:23)
• We are blindly self-deceived (1:22)

2. We Have Four Choices When We Look at The Word:

• We must personally own the ugliness (1:21)
• We must humbly receive it (1:21)
• We must immediately take action (1:22, 25)
• We must embrace the purity and the power of the word (1:21, 25)

Conclusion

Don’t waste the Word.

God has entrusted each of us with a unique purpose and role.

Scripture Text

John 21:15-28

Main Points or Ideas

The Setting of John 21

1. The Prediction of Jesus (21:18-19)
• John wrote of this 10 years after Peter’s death
• Peter was crucified upside down. It glorified God
• Given after Jesus’ restoration of Peter just two weeks after His own crucifixion
2. The Comparison by Peter (21:20-22)
• Comparison does not equal wisdom
• Jesus told Peter to stop worrying about John and to just follow Him
3. The Explanation from John (21:23)

Take Home Truths

1. Have you thanked God for designing you uniquely?
2. Will you be willing to go out of the way?
3. Are you willing to say yes?

Conclusion

Are you going to say yes, no matter what God has for you to do?

As we see in Romans 12:2, God calls us to live counter-culturally.

Scripture Text

Titus 2:6-8

Main Points or Ideas

1. Live Sober-minded (v. 6b)

• Self-controlled in all things
• 2 Timothy 2:22; 1 Corinthians 9:26-27

2. A Pattern of Good Works (v. 7a)

• Not a key to become a Christian, but to live as a Christian!
• Charlie Kirk, Jim Elliot, Nate Saint
• Titus 2:14; Galatians 6:9-10

3. Be Pure in Doctrine (v. 7b)

• Good doctrine matters
• A relationship with God with a knowledge of Him

4. Be Dignified (v. 7c)

• Reverence, honorable
• Integrity and Honesty

5. Sound in Speech (v. 8a)

• Beyond reproach
• Uncondemnable, clean, nothing bad to be said about him

Conclusion

God doesn’t expect you to change the world, but he wants you to change someone’s world.

God wants glory now and forever

Scripture Text

2 Peter 1:1-4

Main Points or Ideas

Plug into the Power of God (v. 3)

• His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life in Godliness (v. 3)

• His power of salvation (1 Corinthians 15)

• The Spirit’s power (John 14:16; Acts 1:8)

• The power of the Word of God (Ephesians 6)

Plug into the Precious Promises of God (v. 4)

• What are the promises you cling to?

• Our promises fall short of God’s promises

“... so that you may become partakers of the divine nature.” (v. 4)

Conclusion

What are you plugging yourself into?

God has a way to measure how godly we are. Dr. Will Senn challenges his listeners to strive to meet God's standard.

Scripture Text

Revelation 11:1-14

Main Points or Ideas

John was Instructed to Measure Three Things with a Measuring Rod

1. The temple of God - tribulation temple

2. The altar

3. Those who worship there

How to Measure the Worshippers (& ourselves)

1. Always measure yourself and “those who worship” by the divine standard of the person of Jesus Christ

• Ephesians 4:13d
• 2 Corinthians 10:12

2. And by the Word of God

• They served with POWER (11:3a)
• They served with PERSEVERANCE (11:3b)
• They served with PASSION (11:3c)
• They serve DESPITE PERSECUTION (11:5, 7, 10)

Conclusion

There is hope in the resurrection - the power of God in the tribulation. How do you measure up?

Dr. Wilkening talks about Samson and lessons that can be learned from his life. Samson's parents had pure intentions to raise him up in the Lord.

Scripture Texts

Numbers 6:1-6; Judges 13-14, 16

Main Points or Ideas

1. Courting (Judges 14:3)

• Marriage depends on our relationship with God

2. Character (Judges 14:8-9)

• We have to make our own decision to follow God
• The small, day-to-day matters have impact

3. Consequences (Judges 16:21)

• Sin has consequences and we do not get to choose them.

Conclusion

What do you need to commit to God?

Are you saved? What are you living for?

Scripture Text

1 Corinthians 15

Main Points or Ideas

1. How We Can Hope in the Resurrection: Fulfilled Prophecy (vv. 3-4)

2. How We Can Hope in the Resurrection: Eye Witnesses (vv. 5-10)

It is not enough to know who God is - you need to place your faith in him by repenting of your sins!

Conclusion

Love is by choice. You cannot force someone to love.

You must choose to love God and not just know him.

Alumnus Willi Slischewski talks about how Jesus loves the local church.

Scripture Text

Philippians 2:1-5

Main Points or Ideas

1. Unity - What does it look like? (vv. 1-2)

• Have the same mind - the mind of Christ
• Have the same love - unconditional devotion
• Be of one accord

2. Unity - What can I do? (vv. 3-5)

• Selfish and vain ambitions are deadly - be humble
• Respect others more
• Be like Jesus

Conclusion

Strive, so that Christ may be glorified.