In 2017, the elders of the Dean Road church of Christ want to focus the congregation on “Being a Servant.” Serving others is easier out of love rather than self-will. Harder is serving those of whom one is resentful, feels inferior, or fears. Jesus’s disciples disputed among themselves of who was the greatest. Jesus taught the disciples to lead by serving and not to lead by authority over others (Luke 22:24–27). Jesus’s incarnation is the perfect example of service as Jesus came in the likeness of mankind to serve as a bondservant. For one to serve, the believer must put off the old self and put on the new self by renewing the spirit of the mind (Eph 4:20–24). This lesson focuses upon choosing to change one’s mind to love and thus serve others.

The Christmas season is a great time to share the Gospel of Christ. Jesus came in the flesh to save the lost. The Gospel of Jesus Christ changes hearts, minds, desires, and behaviors. The Christian knows love because Jesus laid down His life and Christians ought to lay down their lives for the brothers. The focus of a person’s heart upon God’s love may vary, but the Christian must focus primarily upon God’s love. No other person’s love should fill the attention of a Christian and come close to equal with God’s love in one’s heart. Love exists because God exists. Love comes from God because God is love. Those who have been born of God know God and know His love. By love, God indwells within Christians. Can you recognize God’s love? This lesson turns the Christian to see God’s unconditional love. God loves all while yet sinners. There is no way that someone can separate oneself from God’s love.

Scripture Reading: I John 4:7-12 (read by Don Kovar)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded December 25, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

The apostle Paul recognized that the true God is the God of hope (Rom 15:13). Even from the beginning, God gave hope of salvation when humanity fell in sin. The world causes problems and finds itself hopeless to address those problems. Biblical hope is a confident expectation. Self-pity, resentment, and anxiety hold even believers back from the hope of change. A person cannot change without hope. Jesus Christ is the believer’s hope (1 Tim 1:1). Jesus rose from the dead so that Christian put their confident expectation in God (1 Pet 1:20–21). Furthermore, God gave the Scriptures to give hope. This lesson challenges the believer to hope in a way that produces real change. There are many reasons to expect a life now that is full of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithful, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22–23).

Scripture Reading: Romans 15:4-5 (read by Marcq Rhodes)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded December 18, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

In Ephesians 4, the apostle Paul confronted guilt, resentment, and anger. Paul taught these believers to replace anger with the forgiveness for which Christ forgave us. Christians must accept God’s unconditional love and give that love back to God and others. While Christians value the opinions of others greater than their own, the opinions of others is not God’s Word. These do not deserve the Christian’s attention more than the Word of God. Paul spoke about how faith and knowledge of the Son of God produces a mature Christian. The mature Christian finds importance and value in Jesus Christ apart from seeking significance in personal accomplishments or in pleasing everyone else. Christ must become the fullness of the Christian’s life. God is enough for the mature Christian. The apostle Paul urged Christians to renew the Spirit of the mind to put off the old person and put on the new.

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 4:17-31 (read by Christopher Howell)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded December 11, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

God’s first mission for the prophet Elijah was to send him to King Ahab of Israel to declare that rain will cease. For Elijah to pray to the LORD for the rain to cease was a direct blow against Ahab and Jezebel’s worship of Baal, the god of thunder, rain, and wind. Ahab pursued Elijah for three and half years because there was no rain. God sent Elijah to Ahab promising that the LORD would send rain on the earth. However, Elijah instructed Ahab to assemble the prophets of Baal and the people of Israel at Mount Carmel, which was a very significant place to glorify God again and pray to God for rain. This message recognizes God’s work through Elijah, Elijah’s character to overcome the worship of Baal, and how Christians can follow the same pattern for overcoming falsehood today.

Scripture Reading: I Kings 18:30-37 (read by Marcq Rhodes)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded December 4, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

Within the heart of every person, there are spiritual needs. With those needs is the reason to thank God. Why do so many people who claim to believe in God and do not thank Him? People allow what God has given them to keep them too long from thanking God. After God fulfills the needs of some; life, friends, and family distracts them from thanking God. Some think that they deserve God’s blessings so they have no thanks. Many believe that obeying God is enough and easily forget thanksgiving. The New Testament Scriptures contain some strong exhortations for thanking God. In truth, thanking God does more for the person than ever for God. Prayer with thanksgiving comes with God’s promise of peace that passes understanding. Thanking God is essential to maintaining a strong and active faith. The Bible warns of those who do not thank and glorify God. This lesson will challenge the listener to behave in a responsible and holy way, and thus give gratitude to the heavenly Father.

Scripture Reading: Psalm 118:19-29 (read by Justin Hirt)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded November 27, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

All spiritual blessings are in Christ. God's blessings are “in Christ.” Throughout the New Testament, the apostolic writers remind everyone of the identity of Jesus Christ. He is God come in the flesh. From the foundation of the world, God chose those who are in Christ. Forgiveness of sins and redemption are in Christ. The Christian’s eternal inheritance is in Christ. This lesson presents a number of passages teaching these truths. However, only three passages speak of how to get into Christ. All three scriptures declare the same thing. For most believers, the answer may not be what they think.

Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (read by Gene Bryant)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded November 20, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

What is so important about learning to read? What is the most important that someone can read? Our elders have encouraged us to read the New Testament in 40 days. This lesson is an exhortation to spend time in God’s Word. His Word is a gift to humanity. James’s epistle reveals that every good and perfect gift is from God. God brings forth believers into new life by the Word of Truth. However, that Word must implant within one’s heart and soul for the Word to save the believer. The reader must approach the Bible with meekness and honestly consider its teachings. God intended for His Word to dwell within Christians. He commanded this. Becoming doers of God’s Word demonstrates that God’s Word in implanted. There is only one book that living and active. Therefore, you are responsible to read the Bible.

Scripture Reading: James 1:16-21 (read by Gerrit Dekker)

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded November 13, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

Are Christians praying for laborers for the harvest? Jesus depicted the growth of the kingdom like sowing where the seed sprouts and grows, and the sower does not know how. This is the power of the Word of God. The earth is the heart of every person. God made the heart for God’s word just as God made the soil for the seed. The Gospel belongs in the heart to produce fruit. That must give Christians confidence that God’s Word is for the heart. Jesus saw the harvest as plentiful because the crowds were in need of a shepherd. Should Christians see the same? For this reason, Jesus exhorted His disciples to pray for laborers. Christians must see what Jesus sees, proclaim what Jesus proclaimed, and pray for laborers. This lesson will challenge the believer to make great changes in evangelizing to the lost especially when young children have no shame in telling their friends about the message of Jesus Christ.

Lesson by Scott Shifferd

Recorded October 30, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL

Our lesson begins with an illustration of a mountain climber, Aron Ralston, who had to cut his arm off to save his life. Aron was hiking alone in a Utah canyon when his right arm became pinned beneath an 800 pound boulder. Aron's story is the perfect allegory for the words of Jesus found in the Gospel of Mark 9:43-48. Jesus was talking to His disciples about some difficult decisions we may have to make in our lifetime in order to serve Jesus and reach heaven. Jesus used some extreme illustrations to convey what these decisions might require. The examples of cutting off a hand, foot, or eye are most important to us and we don’t want to give them up. We may prize and treasure certain things in life that God’s Word says are not good for us. We discuss four examples that we need to care about. The boulders of: Friendship, Ambition, Entertainment, and Family. We can either hold on to it all and die or give it all up for Christ and live (Luke 9:24-25).

Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:7-11 (read by: Christopher Howell)

Lesson by Maynard Booher

Recording September 18, 2016 at the Dean Road church of Christ in Jacksonville, FL