"Jesus willingly gave up His own life, suffering and dying on the cross, for the church, that we might be saved. Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve . If we belong to Him, then we are called to do likewise."

Jesus gave gifts to the church. Here, the gifts are people who teach and preach God’s Word.

"Jesus descended, taking on flesh, paying an incalculable price on our behalf – His suffering, substitutionary death, resurrection, and ascension. Therefore, God highly exalted Him over all things, whereby He has the authority to give gifts to men."

“Jesus is gracious. He is giving. He gives grace-enabled gifts.”

"If these core doctrines unite us and unity is the message of the Gospel, then unity is not an option we can take or leave. We must eagerly promote and pursue unity by walking worthy."

We recently discussed in Bible study the fruit of the Spirit, and how fruit is singular, meaning that the characteristics listed are all inextricably connected. You don’t have the fruit of love while I have the fruit of self-control. Instead, love is joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle, and self-controlled. If I am loving someone, my love should also exhibit all the other characteristics.[1] At the end of study, I asked for prayer for a specific circumst

"We cannot be gentle, patient, bear with one another in love, or maintain the unity of the Spirit if we don’t first abandon all self-reliance and cast ourselves in utter dependence on God."

"It is a believer’s duty and privilege to walk in a manner worthy of their calling. We are to be (live) who we already are in Christ."

Most of our petitions are far too small because our view of God is far too small.

"Can we say with David: “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness” (Psalm 17:15)? Do we desire to be emptied of ourselves and filled to the full with all of God?"

"The love of Christ is so wide that there is no sin or sin upon sin that could ever put us beyond the reach of the love of Christ."

We need to first be strengthened in our inner being, so that Jesus can dwell in our hearts and be the center of our affections, choices, and actions.

Our Abba Father is the Almighty, Sovereign Creator of all things. He sustains all things. Apart from Him there is no life or breath. He is omniscient, omnipresent, infinite, eternal, faithful, Lord of heaven and earth, Lord of Hosts, and more. This is the Father to Whom we can boldly, confidently pray to as Father.

We have boldness and confidence through faith in Christ to fellowship with the Almighty God, sovereign Creator of all there is, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, perfect in love, mercy, grace, faithfulness, compassion, justice, wrath, patience, kindness, who alone is holy, holy, holy.

"God chooses to make His manifold wisdom known through the church, through us, for the purpose of His glory."

"Faith in Jesus, – His atoning death in our place, His resurrection, and ascension (the Gospel message) – is what flings wide the doors to the unsearchable riches of Christ. It is only in Christ that we can know His unsearchable riches."

"All believers are Jesus’ ambassadors, called to represent His character and His message, the Gospel (2 Corinthians 5:20). We share His message of grace by the gift of His grace and His power at work in us."

"We are one body, all with value, all needed by the other parts of the body, using our gifts to serve each other. Together being a Gospel light in the darkness."

"We have been entrusted with the message of the Gospel. We are ambassadors for Christ. Will you be a faithful steward of the Gospel you have received, believed, and been entrusted with to share?"

We are prone to view trials and suffering as circumstances that have gone wrong. We grumble and complain. We get angry. We question God’s wi