Living Worthy of the Gospel (Philippians 1:27-28)
A sermon by Mr. Evers Ding
MP3 Audio
July 27, 2008
July 20, 2008
July 13, 2008
July 6, 2008
June 29, 2008
June 22, 2008
June 15, 2008
June 8, 2008
June 1, 2008
May 25, 2008
April 27, 2008
April 20, 2008
April 6, 2008
March 30, 2008
March 23, 2008
March 21, 2008
March 16, 2008
March 9, 2008
March 2, 2008
February 24, 2008
February 17, 2008
February 10, 2008
February 3, 2008
January 27, 2008
January 20, 2008
January 13, 2008
January 6, 2008
December 30, 2007
Pray in the Spirit! (Ephesians 6:18)
In Ephesians 6:18 Paul gives the final ingredient for waging successful spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons—fervent, biblical, specific, ongoing prayer. Our fight is a spiritual one, not a human one. One of the most powerful spiritual gifts God has granted to the Christian is prayer. In this message we examine various ways the Christian is to pray to achieve victory in the spiritual struggle against Satan and sin.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
December 23, 2007
December 16, 2007
The Real War on Terror, part 3: The Sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17b)
With this verse, God commands all Christians to masterfully wield and apply the Word of God in specific, tactical, skillful and practical ways to ward off satanic temptations and demonic attacks. The Word of God is efficacious because of its supernatural nature.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
December 9, 2007
The Real War on Terror, part 2: A Call to Arms (Eph. 6:14-17a)
In Ephesians 6:10-17, four times Paul exhorts Christians to “stand firm” against the devil. In this passage he tells us the key to success is being a complete and well balanced Christian by wearing all the armor that God has made available to every Christian. In the spiritual war on terror, every piece of armor counts. Neglecting a piece leaves us vulnerable. Today we examine God’s ordained spiritual armor with which we defend ourselves against spiritual attacks from Satan.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
December 2, 2007
November 25, 2007
November 18, 2007
November 11, 2007
November 4, 2007
Parents, Don’t Frustrate! (Ephesians 6:4)
Harmony in the home is achieved when all parties involved are living in accord with biblical principles. Children are to obey their parents. Parents have their obligations as well. First and foremost, they are not to frustrate their children—they are to forsake all godless means and methods of parenting. Today we examine many common pitfalls in parenting that need to be abandoned and avoided.
Speaker: Dr. Cliff McManis
Scripture: Ephesians 6:4
October 28, 2007
October 21, 2007
October 14, 2007
Husband, Sanctify Your Wife! (Ephesians 5:26-27)
In Ephesians 5:25-33 Paul commands husbands to love their wives as Christ loved the church. In 5:26-27 Paul reminds the husband that one key responsibility of true love expressed toward his wife is by insuring, safeguarding and furthering her sanctification. Husbands are to be proactive, consistent, systematic and deliberate in helping their wives grow spiritually in holiness—in other words, the man is to be the spiritual leader of the home!
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
October 7, 2007
Husband, Love Your Wife! (Ephesians 5:25)
In Ephesians 5:25-33 Paul commands husbands to fulfill their most basic obligation towards their wives. The command is multi-faceted. The first component is the imperative to love. Christ is the model of true love. Today we survey Christ’s love in action on behalf of His Church which becomes the model for husbands to follow.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
September 30, 2007
The Submissive Wife (Ephesians 5:22-24)
In Ephesians 5:22-24 Paul lays out the main obligation a Christian wife has toward her husband if she wants to have a healthy, fulfilled, God-blessed marriage—submission!
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
September 23, 2007
Enemies of the Family (Selected Scriptures)
In Ephesians 5:22, Paul begins an extended discussion on family relationships. The tenor is corrective and commanding. Paul knows that healthy family living does not come “naturally” or from “common sense,” but results only from God’s supernatural directives given in Scripture, coupled with the power to live out supernatural truth by His grace. Before we look at Paul’s Biblical Correctives for godly living in the family, we first need to examine how the family got messed up in the first place.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
September 16, 2007
Biblical Deacons
In 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Paul outlines the qualifications for the two basic offices in the local church: elders and deacons. These two offices comprise the foundation for stable church leadership. In this message, we survey what the Bible says about biblical deacons.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
September 9, 2007
Jesus Builds the Church (Matt. 16:18)
This message was preached at GBF's One Year Anniversary Celebration service by Dr. Cliff McManis.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
August 26, 2007
When Trials Come
James tells us that we should “Consider it a pure joy when we face trials of many kinds”; however, trials are anything but joyous occasions. Rejoicing is possible only when we understand the purpose of trials.
A sermon from Bob Douglas
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
August 19, 2007
Looking For the Blessed Hope (1 Thess. 4:13-5:11)
The Church Age is an absolutely great time to be alive! That’s now, the period between Jesus Christ’s first coming and the future Rapture. Believers in this time period, who are called Christians, have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, will never be forsaken by God, and will be the first to get their glorified bodies, just to name a few benefits! Another superb blessing is having the full Bible, which teaches us vital truths about the end times of humanity. We study a little bit of that this morning.
A sermon from Tim Wong.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
August 12, 2007
Spirit-Filled Living, Part 3 (Ephesians 5:21)
In Ephesians 5:21 Paul gives the fourth result of being filled with the Holy Spirit… living with a submissive attitude. This is a basic Christian virtue that is absent among unredeemed humanity, but it is a fundamental requirement for anyone desiring to be godly and like Christ.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
August 5, 2007
Spirit-Filled Living, Part 2 (Ephesians 5:19-20)
Last week we saw that the Spirit-filled Christian will be characterized by “speaking” to other Christians in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. This week we look at the next 2 results of being filled with the Spirit:
1. Encouraging Others with Uplifting Edification.
2. Praising the Lord with Personal Exaltation.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
July 29, 2007
Spirit-Filled Living (Ephesians 5:19-20)
In Ephesians 5:18 Paul commands Christians to be Spirit-filled. In 5:19-20 he gives examples of what being Spirit-filled looks like in daily living. Being Spirit-filled is manifest primarily through godly attitudes that are selfless and “other-oriented."
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
July 15, 2007
The Spirit-Filled Life (Ephesians 5:18b)
In Ephesians 5:18 Paul gives us the key truth as to how Christians can successfully fulfill all of God’s commands — it can happen only when believers are living Spirit-filled
lives.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
July 8, 2007
The Bible on Beer (Ephesians 5:18a)
A study on what the Bible has to say about alcoholic beverages.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
July 1, 2007
Walk Wisely (Ephesians 5:15-17)
In Ephesians 5:15-17 Paul exhorts Christians to walk is wisdom. One’s "walk" is one’s lifestyle or habit of daily living. He already reminded us to walk in unity (4:1), to walk in holiness (4:17), to walk in love (5:2), and to walk in light (5:8). To successfully walk in wisdom, we are to consider three priorities.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
June 24, 2007
Oppose and Expose (Ephesians 5:11-14)
In Ephesians 5:11-14 Christians are called to oppose and expose the unfruitful deeds of darkness. This is the negative aspect of living as light in the world. To that end, Paul gives five priorities to help guide our holy belligerence.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
June 17, 2007
June 10, 2007
June 3, 2007
May 27, 2007
Separation: A Prerequisite for Holiness (Ephesians 5:7)
In Ephesians 5:7 Paul exhorts Christians to not partner with unbelievers by adopting their ungodly lifestyle, worldview, and habits. The reason? Unbelievers are under God’s wrath (5:6). We are different in our status and position before God, so we need to be different in how live and who we choose to associate with. Christians need to live lives of “separation.”
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
May 20, 2007
Just Say No: The Mandate to Abstain from Evil (Eph. 5:3-6)
In Ephesians 5:3-6 Paul continues to exhort Christians to live obediently in light of their salvation. Christians need to “work out their salvation” practically by making holy choices in daily living. In this passage Paul reminds Christians that this process entails saying “No” to indulging in anything illicit, crude, immodest or sensual.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
May 13, 2007
The Virtuous Woman (Proverbs 31)
Today we examine the biblical portrait of a godly woman as given by God in Proverbs 31. Written 3,000 years ago, this inspired Scriptural poem is as practical, instructive and worth emulating as it has ever been. May God continue to raise up virtuous women in our families and in the Church.
MP3 Audio
Study Notes
May 6, 2007
April 29, 2007
Follow the Leader! (Ephesians 4:32-5:2)
In Ephesians 4:32-5:2, Paul exhorts Christians to follow God’s model in showing love toward fellow believers based of Christ’s great love shown toward us.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
April 22, 2007
The Reality of Evil
Remembering the Virginia Tech Atrocity:
1. The Reality Of Evil Is Clearly Addressed In The Bible
2. There is an Appropriate Christian Response To This Atrocity: Prayer & Compassion
3. Why Did The Killer Do This?
4. Whose Fault Is It? Who Is To Blame?
5. Who Were The Real Victims?
6. Why Did God Let The Killer Get Away With This?
7. Where Was God In All This?
8. What Should Christians Learn From This Atrocity?
MP3 Download
Study Notes
April 15, 2007
Watch Your Mouth! (Ephesians 4:29-31)
In Ephesians 4:29-31 Paul exhorts Christians to monitor their speech according to holiness. Since Jesus has saved us from sin, given us a new mind, and put His Spirit in us, every area of our life should be lived in submission to God’s expectations—that includes our speech. If you are a Christian, then talk like one.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
April 8, 2007
April 6, 2007
April 1, 2007
Holy Labor (Ephesians 4:28)
In the first four and a half chapters of Ephesians Paul taught and reminded Christians of their position in Christ—who they are spiritually in light of what Christ has done for them. Starting in 4:25, and for the rest of the book, Paul exhorts Christians to live accordingly—to act like they have been redeemed. He accomplishes this by giving over forty imperatives (commands) covering every area of daily living. Today we learn that God commands Christians to have a holy work ethic.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
March 25, 2007
Truth, Lies and Anger (Ephesians 4:25-27)
In Ephesians 4:25-32 Paul gives five exhortations to Christians in practical daily living as they interact with one another in the Christian community. Christians are capable and obligated to obey in light of the fact that Christ has made them new creatures at conversion (4:22, 24) and is renewing them and empowering them on the inside daily through the indwelling Holy Spirit (4:23). Today we look at the first two exhortations: being truthful and controlling anger.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
March 18, 2007
Remember Who You Are (Ephesians 4:20-24)
In Ephesians 4:25-32, Paul is about to give a flurry of commands for Christians to live by. Before he does, he first reminds believers who they are not (17-19, unsaved and ungodly) and who they are (20-24, new creatures in Christ). Once again Paul reiterates that biblical imperatives (our practice) must flow from biblical indicatives (our position). What we know dictates how we live.
Study Notes
March 4, 2007
Don't Do That! (Ephesians 4:17-19)
In Ephesians 4-6 Paul makes it emphatically clear that Christians are to live differently than unbelievers. They live differently because Christians are spiritually alive in Christ and unbelievers are spiritually dead. Paul accentuates this contrast in Ephesians 4:17-19 by first noting what lifestyle typifies unbelievers. He commands Christians to not be like them.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
February 25, 2007
Measuring Maturity - Part 2 (Ephesians 4:15-16)
In Ephesians 4:1-16 Paul delineates how the Church grows. True church growth results when every Christian uses his or her spiritual gift, given to them by Christ, in service to others, with dependence on God, in the spirit of unity, with an attitude of love.
Study Notes
February 18, 2007
Measuring Maturity - Part 1 (Ephesians 4:13-14)
In Ephesians 4:1-16, Paul tells us how God is building the Church. He is building the Church through Christ, Who has imparted gifts to believers to do the work of ministry. That process builds the Church. As the Church grows, fruit becomes evident. In 4:13-16 Paul tells us what that true growth and fruit look like as the Church grows. Today we look at four manifestations of true, healthy spiritual growth in the Church.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
February 11, 2007
Body Building, Part 3: Spiritual Gifts (selected Scriptures)
Spiritual Gifts—Definition: Divine enablements/abilities given by God to every Christian for serving the Body of Christ (the local church), the results of which are due to the power of divine operation by the Holy Spirit.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
February 4, 2007
Body Building, Part 2 (Ephesians 4:12)
Ephesians 4:1-16 is a unit that tells of God’s plan to build the Church—the Body of Christ—to maturity. God is building His Church through His people. And He has equipped His people for the task by bestowing spiritual gifts on them through Christ. In Ephesians 4:12, Paul highlights God’s threefold plan of how our ministry can contribute to the fulfillment of His master-plan.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
January 28, 2007
Church Discipline (Matthew 18:15)
Only twice in the Gospels did Jesus mention the "Church" explicitly. Once is in Matthew 16 where He promised He would build it. The other is in Matthew 18 when He commanded believers to maintain spiritual health in the Church by practicing biblical “Church Discipline.” The procedure for implementing “Church Discipline” that Jesus outlined is straightforward, obligatory, systematic, and the only recourse for dealing with sin in the Church. When it is neglected or when it is supplanted with alternatives, then the Church suffers. Careful and courageous obedience to it brings God's solutions and blessings.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
January 21, 2007
Body Building, Part 1 (Ephesians 4:11)
"And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers."
MP3 Download
Study Notes
January 14, 2007
Every Gift is From Above (Ephesians 4:7-10)
In Ephesians 4:7-10, Paul tells us that Christ dispenses spiritual gifts to the Church, and to every Christian, for the purpose of building up the Body of Christ. God is growing the Church toward maturity, in unity, with diversity among individual believers.
Study Notes
January 7, 2007
Desires of the Heart and the Will of God (Psalm 37)
It has become commonplace to make New Year’s Resolutions as the new year begins. A new year is upon us. God is the Author of life, and the Bible promises that we can entrust our future into His care. Psalm 37:4 and other Scriptures are key for Christians when thinking about dedicating our future into God’s care.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
December 31, 2006
Humility - Then Unity - Part 2 (Ephesians 4:3-6)
After spending three chapters to explain our identity and sufficiency in Christ by virtue of His atoning death and resurrection on our behalf, Paul commands Christians in the last three chapters to live out the Christian life in light of our resources we have in Christ. Whereas there was only one imperative (or command) in the first three chapters, Paul gives Christians forty imperatives in the last three chapters. The emphasis in chapter four is on the preservation and progress of true spiritual unity for the church and individual Christians. Unity in the Body is one of the marks of true spiritual growth and maturity.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
December 24, 2006
December 17, 2006
Humility - Then Unity - Part 1 (Ephesians 4:1-6)
After spending three chapters to explain our identity and sufficiency in Christ by virtue of His atoning death and resurrection on our behalf, Paul commands Christians in the chapters 4-6 to live out the Christian life in light of the resources we have in Christ. Whereas there was only one imperative (or command) in the first three chapters, Paul gives Christians forty imperatives in the last three chapters. The emphasis in chapter four is on the preservation and progress of true spiritual unity for the church and individual Christians. Unity in the Body is one of the marks of true spiritual growth and maturity.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
December 10, 2006
Powerful Prayer (Ephesians 3:14-21)
After discussing at length the mystery of the Church—that Jews and Gentiles now compose one new man in Christ—Paul concludes his discussion by praying for Christians to live in light of that truth in a practical manner…by loving one another with the fullness of Christ’s love. In his prayer, Paul models an exemplary pattern of how all believers should approach God as they come before the throne of grace.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
December 3, 2006
Heavenly Privileges for the Earthly Church (Ephesians 3:7-13)
Paul explains in chapter 3 that God is working now on earth through His Church (3:10). By “Church” we mean the group of individual people who have been redeemed through a personal relationship with Christ, including local assemblies of believers from the time of Christ right up to the one here at GBF. So the Church is a living spiritual organism, animated by the Holy Spirit, with Christ as the Head—it is not an organization or buildings. Some of the privileges that every Christian has by virtue of being a member of Christ’s Church are mentioned in this passage.
Study Notes
November 26, 2006
Paul - Secret Agent (Ephesians 3:1-6)
God entrusted to Paul more mysteries than to any other apostle–mysteries that he was to reveal and explain to the church. Here in Ephesians 3, Paul delineates the greatest of the mysteries he revealed to the saints.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
November 19, 2006
Under Construction - Part 1 (Ephesians 2:19-22)
In Matthew 16:18, Jesus promised that He would build His Church, the Body of Christ. The Church is a living organism, composed of immortal souls. Here in Ephesians, Paul tells how Jesus is fulfilling His promise to build the Church in a dynamic way.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
November 12, 2006
Real Racial Unity (Ephesians 2:11-18)
Generally speaking, throughout history, before Christ came, Jews and Gentiles hated each other. But Christ came as the “Prince of Peace” and through His sacrificial death and resurrection He made peace possible between these two groups and actually formed one new humanity or heavenly race called the “Church.” In this passage Paul tells how all believing Jews and Gentiles have now been reconciled to each other spiritually and relationally.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
November 5, 2006
Divine Accomplishment (Ephesians 2:8-10)
The Bible asserts that every person is religious, knows God exists, and worships something (Romans 1:18-23). The Bible also clearly teaches that apart from a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, people worship the wrong God, because they are trying to reach Him and appease Him in the wrong way…through their own self-effort. Humanity naturally tries to find God through “human achievement”—this is the earmark of false religion in all its various forms. The biblical alternative to finding God is through “Divine Accomplishment.” In Ephesians 2:8-10 Paul explains that attaining salvation is strictly through what God has done for us, not based on what we can do for Him.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
October 29, 2006
October 22, 2006
Secrets of Salvation (Ephesians 2:4-7)
When Jesus conquered death, three invisible heavenly transactions took place by virtue of our union with Christ.
Study Notes
October 15, 2006
October 8, 2006
The Way We Were (Ephesians 2:1-3)
Before God saved us, all of us were spiritually dead because of sin. Our depravity was comprehensive and chronic, extending to every facet of our lives—we were “totally depraved.”
October 1, 2006
Knowledge is Power - Part 2 (Ephesians 1:15-23)
In Ephesians 1:15-23 Pastor Paul prays that God would help Christians grow in their understanding of their spiritual resources in Christ. We need to grow in this way too.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
September 24, 2006
The Ordinances (selected Scriptures)
Jesus gave two ordinances (sacraments) to the Church to be celebrated in a perpetual manner until He returns: baptism and communion.
MP3 Download
Study Notes
September 17, 2006
Knowledge Is Power - Part 1 (Ephesians 1:15-23)
In Ephesians 1:15-23 Pastor Paul prays that God would help Christians grow in their understanding of their spiritual resources in Christ. We need to grow in this way too.
September 10, 2006
Secure in Christ (Ephesians 1:3-14)
Today we address the doctrine of “election.” This is probably the most complex and misunderstood teaching in the Bible. Christians have debated it for 1,900 years…the debate continues.
September 3, 2006
Our Riches in Christ (Ephesians 1:1-3)
Every Christian is rich! But not in terms of material possessions. Rather, Christians are rich in a greater way—rich in spiritual privileges. The book of Ephesians delineates a treasure-house of God’s blessings endowed to every believer based on each individual’s personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Today we begin to examine the inexhaustible spiritual riches that have been entrusted to us for our good and God’s glory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)