The Grace of God Has Appeared

Titus 2:11

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds” (Titus 2:11-14).

In the passage above, Paul reminded Titus of the grace of God – what it does for us and also what it requires of us. Many like to think of grace in terms of what we receive, but not what we must do. Yet we must accept all that the Bible teaches about it. Let us examine this passage and see what it teaches about the grace of God.
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How Could the Whole World Have Been Taught?

Globes

In his letter to the church in Colossae, Paul said, “The gospel…was proclaimed in all creation under heaven” (Colossians 1:23). When Jesus gave His apostles the Great Commission, He told them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Paul indicated that by the time he wrote to the Colossians, this had been done. How is that possible? Let us consider the record in the book of Acts.
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The Vanity of Our Efforts Without God

Home Construction

Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep” (Psalm 127:1-2).

The psalm was written by Solomon – king of Israel and builder of the temple. He understood the need to rely upon God in building God’s house, in protecting the city, and in his labor.
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Looking for a New Church

Church Building

The Pew Research Center has recently come out with some new information about how Americans search for a new congregation with which they can worship. The findings were interesting and I believe this information can be helpful as we seek to reach those in the community around us.
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Three Thousand Souls

Crowd

The Lord’s church was established on the day of Pentecost following the death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ (Acts 2). The Scriptures indicate that three thousand individuals responded to the preaching of the apostles on that day by obeying the gospel (Acts 2:41). As a result, God added them to the church (Acts 2:47).

There were many others in Jerusalem on this day than just the three thousand who obeyed the gospel – including many who would have heard but did not respond to the preaching done by Peter and the other apostles. What can we know about these “three thousand souls” (Acts 2:41) that contributed to their reception of the gospel? Let us consider six things we know about these individuals from the text:
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The Importance of Faith (Part 3): Sons of God

The Importance of Faith (Part 3): Sons of God

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).
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The Preaching Demanded by the Gospel (Season 1, Episode 1)

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The Preaching Demanded by the Gospel (Season 1, Episode 1)

This episode discusses the characteristics that our preaching must have if we are to proclaim the gospel as God expects. There are five characteristics that must be true of our preaching.

  1. Gospel preaching must be Bible-based.
  2. Gospel preaching must be distinct.
  3. Gospel preaching must be simple.
  4. Gospel preaching must be direct.
  5. Gospel preaching must call hearers to respond.

Article: The Preaching Demanded by the Gospel

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