The Christmas story is filled with encounters. People came face-to-face with the truth of his coming and responded to it. Some responses were positive while others were negative. Likewise, we have a choice in how we respond to Christ. We must respond with joyful worship.

Deep in the heart of every person is the temptation to be ashamed of the cross. The cross of Jesus has redefined the believer's life and thus become the source of his or her boast.

Why do so many Christians fail to do good? It really comes down to one of two problems: either they aren't Spirit-filled, or they don't really understand the gospel. Spirit-filled believers will do good.

In this passage, Paul gives us two rules that enable us to live consistently with the gospel. These rules are simple, clear, and effective, yet many believers act like they don't exist.

When sin trips up a fellow believer, you must perform a spiritual rescue by following God's rescue manual. This is God's chosen way of restoring relationships, yet many times Christians ignore or choose not to follow this plan.

The reason many Christians are not happy in life is because they are not fruitful. The fruit of the Spirit adorn a Christ-centered life and characterize a community of grace.

Too often we think about spiritual growth in individualistic terms and forget this basic reality: we display these fruits through our interactions with others. The fruit of the Spirit adorn a Christ-centered life and characterize a community of grace.

How little we understand the nature of sin and the magnitude of its rebellion against the glory of God. The flesh produces sinful works that the believer must kill.

How little do we understand the nature of sin and the magnitude of sin's rebellion against God's glory? The flesh produces sinful works that the believer must kill. Because the flesh powerfully fights against the Spirit, you must daily be killing sin or it will kill you.