New Beginnings Church, Lynnwood

A lesson on the gifts of God in Christ, for the equipping of the saints in His Church. We glean from today's passage that the gifts are not so much abilities in and of themselves, as they are the people God provides to serve a calling and purpose. By the grace which we are supplied, we are to fulfill a particular ministry within the Body of Christ. However, not everyone is gifted in the same way, nor is anyone saved without any purpose at all- first and foremost, we are saved to glorify God. Second, we are saved in order to love and serve one-another.

A lesson on baptism, one of the means by which God confers sanctifying grace to believers in Christ. It is important to begin by understanding that baptism is not a mere show or performance. Nor does it confer justifying grace -ie. baptism in itself does not cause anyone to be made right with God.- While Baptism certainly is an act of identifying with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection - more specifically, it is the external sign of the Covenant of Grace, whereby believers are conferred real and true spiritual benefits- that being the sanctifying grace it confers.

A lesson on the Lord's Supper as one of the ordinary means of grace God has instituted for our sanctification, and for His glory. The Lord's Supper is a time of both celebration, as well as solemn reflection. It is an opportunity for the body of Christ to come, hold, and consume a picture of the gospel. To place into our bodies the reality of what has been accomplished and plied to us spiritually. The body of Christ was broken so that we may obtain His perfect obedient life and resurrection. His innocent blood was shed so that the wrath against sin we incurred would be paid in full, thereby receiving His life everlasting.

A lesson on God's judgement against the wicked, who will surely be uprooted, and His steadfast love towards those who trust in Him- they will be planted forever. Today we come to a psalm which highlights the end result of the person who would not trust in God, but instead boasts in cheap, opportunistic, selfish gain by a destructive and deceitful tongue. The end result of such a person's life is that they will be uprooted - separated from the grace of God forever. Even what they think they have would be permanently taken away from them. But those that trust in the Lord, in His lovingkindness found chiefly in His Son Jesus Christ, will be firmly planted and nourished forever under His own care.

A lesson on the purpose of the incarnation and the fulfillment of that purpose.

A lesson on the purpose of the incarnation and the fulfillment of that purpose.

A lesson on Christ's suffering thirst, and how it helps us to understand and respond to questions about the problem of suffering and evil in the world.

A lesson on Christ's suffering thirst, and how it helps us to understand and respond to questions about the problem of suffering and evil in the world.

A lesson on the family of God, founded upon the atoning death of Christ. As we continue in our study of the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus, now hanging on the cross, exchanges words with His mother Mary, and John - the disciple whom He loved. Jesus commends into John's hands the task of caring for His mother. In doing this, we learn of the sweet tenderness Christ still holds toward His disciples, even though they had abandoned Him. But it also signifies and reflects to us a greater spiritual reality- that through the death of Christ, we have been reconciled not only to God, but also to one another.

A lesson on the family of God, founded upon the atoning death of Christ. As we continue in our study of the Gospel of John, we see that Jesus, now hanging on the cross, exchanges words with His mother Mary, and John - the disciple whom He loved. Jesus commends into John's hands the task of caring for His mother. In doing this, we learn of the sweet tenderness Christ still holds toward His disciples, even though they had abandoned Him. But it also signifies and reflects to us a greater spiritual reality: that through the death of Christ, we have been reconciled not only to God, but also to one another.