The Living Truth Fellowship

Standing Strong with First John (Part 2)

First John is a book of the Bible that speaks of the assurance of God’s love and the importance of living a life of obedience and faithfulness to Him. It is a powerful and inspiring reminder to stand strong in the faith and be faithful in our love for God and for one another. It calls us to keep our eyes on Jesus, to guard our hearts and minds, to live in fellowship with one another, and to remain obedient to God’s commands.

In part 1 of this series, we will explore the importance of standing strong with First John and how it can be applied to our lives today. In part 2, we will look at how we can stand strong in our faith in a culture that is increasingly hostile towards Christianity.

Standing Strong with First John (Part 1)

First John is a book of the Bible that speaks of the assurance of God’s love and the importance of living a life of obedience and faithfulness to Him. It is a powerful and inspiring reminder to stand strong in the faith and be faithful in our love for God and for one another. It calls us to keep our eyes on Jesus, to guard our hearts and minds, to live in fellowship with one another, and to remain obedient to God’s commands.

In part 1 of this series, we will explore the importance of standing strong with First John and how it can be applied to our lives today. In part 2, we will look at how we can stand strong in our faith in a culture that is increasingly hostile towards Christianity.

Living Out Your Redemption

As we face the mounting opposition and oppression in our lives, it is important to remember the spiritual reality of our redemption. Our redemption is an eternal spiritual victory in the face of any adversity.

When we face the challenges of life, it is easy to forget this spiritual reality and instead focus on the immediate physical conditions we face. We may feel overwhelmed and discouraged. But, no matter what our current situation may be, we can take heart in the fact that our redemption is real and powerful.

Join us as we look at how to respond to the redemption the Father has provided and the ransom Jesus has paid for us in such challenging times.

The Dichotomy of Fear

Since the late 1980s we have all seen tee-shirts and placards displaying the phrase “No Fear”. While this popular mantra may give some degree of encouragement, it can also be misleading. While it may seem sensible to eliminate fear from our lives, not all fear is bad. It is a good thing to fear a sow Grizzly bear with cubs. It is also wise to fear a nearby raging wildfire while camping in the woods. Why does there seem to be this dichotomy of perspective about fear?

The problem arises when we view all fear as “harmful”. Some fears are not harmful, but rather they are wise. The Bible has a great deal to say about fear. In fact, there are nearly two hundred Bible verses that speak of the fear of the Lord. The real question should be this, “What do we fear most?”. If we fear failure, poverty or even death, then our fears are misplaced. But if we embrace the fear of the Lord, all other fears become meaningless.

The Proverbs teach that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and wisdom is the principal thing we should pursue in life. So, if we want to live wisely, then it is imperative that we understand and apprehend the fear of the Lord.

From Fellowship to Fear

A common thought about Christian fellowship is that it should produce comfort and encouragement. But how many of us look at fellowship as a source of godly fear? Yet, that is precisely what the first Christians experienced immediately following the Day of Pentecost. Acts 2 informs us that they followed a specific pattern of behavior, but the outcome wasn’t what we normally expect. The outcome was that “fear came upon every soul.”

Godly fear is a good thing. It is something we should all desire more of. Furthermore, it came, it wasn’t imagined or sought out. It was the fruit or result of the four specific behaviors listed in the previous verse.

If we seek to see wonders and signs like those of the First Century church, perhaps we should welcome godly fear and not shun it?

The War is Here… What Now?

Our world is spinning out of control. The most fundamental realities of life are under assault, and it seems most of earth’s human inhabitants are either ignorant, numbed or jaded about the inevitable outcome if we remain on the sidelines. What should Christ’s followers do? Do we march in the streets? Should we write letters of protest to our elected officials? Or perhaps we can raise public awareness by producing a slick, informative online documentary? Granted many have been and are doing these sorts of things. But our question should be what would our Lord, Jesus Christ have us do?

Gary Lee Corns explores the nature and state of the spiritual war in which we are encompassed and seek out the answer to these very questions… “What has Jesus empowered us to do?” and “What would Jesus have us to do?”

Your Heart: Friend or Foe?

As Christian’s, should we be following our hearts? There are many calls to “follow your heart” in movies, novels, slogans, blogs, and memes. Related pieces of advice are “trust yourself” and “follow your instincts.” A corollary dictum is “your heart will never lead you astray.” The problem is that none of these quips are biblically supportable.

Rather than trust our hearts, we are to commit our hearts to the Lord. The Bible gives us an explicit command not to trust ourselves, while giving the promise of guidance to those who choose to follow after Christ (Proverbs 3:5–6).

We are, in fact, blinded to our own heart’s deceitful nature. As the prophet asks, “Who can understand it?” When we rely on ourselves for wisdom, we end up unable to tell right from wrong. The hit song of 1977, “You Light Up My Life,” contains these unfortunate words: “It can’t be wrong, when it feels so right.” Determining right from wrong based on “feelings” is a dangerous and unbiblical way to live. 

Enjoy this sharing by Marc Dickie as he looks at what the Word of God defines as the heart, what we can expect from it, and how to transform it into the image of Christ.

The Biblical Perspective of Fellowship

Fellowship in our current Western culture has become a broadly used word to describe everything from government programs to civic organizations. Is fellowship just another way of describing a collective group or community or does it imply more? The Bible offers a much more nuanced picture of fellowship; one which will thrill the heart to perceive and practice.

In this sermon, Gary Lee Corns presents, “The Biblical Perspective of Fellowship” along with the importance it carries in every Christian’s life.

The Living Word Revealed

The purpose of the written Word is to reveal the Living Word (Jesus) who directs us to its source, God. Without pursuing a personal relationship with Jesus, the study of God’s Word falls into pointless and powerless academic pursuit. Scriptures continually point us to a living Savior who makes known our Heavenly Father that desires to have a deep relationship with us.

Join us for this heartfelt sharing on the importance of building a vital relationship with Jesus and our Heavenly Father.

The Book of Lamentations

To lament is to express deep regret, grief, or sorrow. We can lament through words or actions. Lamenting is a common theme in the Bible. Which is why there is an Old Testament book named Lamentations. In it we see that God has given us an entire book of the Bible that teaches us how to navigate the valley of sorrow and loss.

The book of Lamentations is a house for sorrow and a school for compassion. Studying this book will help you better understand what it means to grieve and hope at the same time. It will help you be better equipped to live and serve in a suffering world, and it will encourage you to meet Christ on the path of sorrow.

The Two Natures Of The Believer

When the Christian is saved, he or she is filled with holy spirit. At that time, the person becomes a unique creation of God in Christ. No longer is he reliant on the external law but now has the inner witness of Christ within. But, while being God’s new child, the person at the same time retains the old fallen nature of Adam. This is the believer’s struggle; two natures - the old nature, the flesh, and the new nature, the spirit – both within the very same person. Join us as we explore in scripture this scriptural reality.

Freedom to Serve

Galatians 5 and 6 succinctly defines the walk of the spirit in love. The early church at Galatia was beset by the religionists of the day, the Judaizers. Perfecting the flesh – the strictures of a works-based religion – was their false doctrine. At it’s center was their creed – “You must DO to be approved.” Paul confronts this and says, “No, it’s faith which works by love.” It’s in the walk of faith, selflessly sowing to the spirit, seeking in faith-filled service to bless and to uplift, to bear burdens and being good to all, especially to the household of faith, that the believer finds the key. It’s only in the context of loving service that the Christian comes into his own. This is where the spiritual life flourishes. Walking as Christ walked.

Wholehearted Love

God doesn’t want much – He just wants all of you. It’s true. God wants your heart. Your whole heart. This isn’t selfishness on God’s part, since He is love. God wants our devotion, our commitment, our faithful loyalty, because God knows that when we enthrone him in our hearts, we are raised out of our mere human existence into the intimate relationship with him of love and light. Love God, and love him with all your heart, your soul, your mind and your strength. 

Listen... Do You Hear It?

Our wonderful Heavenly Father places a great opportunity before us continually; that of listening. We were created to hear His voice above all others and with the precious gift of holy spirit we are truly endowed with the ability to listen and hear his voice. Adam was the first to be given this opportunity to listen to the Creator, but sadly he chose not to. History is littered with those who have failed to listen to God’s merciful and gracious directions. But, the champions of faith are those who developed the skill of listening and following God’s leading voice.

The Poison Of Unforgiveness

One of the greatest types of giving is forgiving. When we think of the character of God, forgiveness is an extension of His mercy. He “forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases.” We simply cannot walk in intimate fellowship with Him without forgiveness. The fact is, unforgiveness arrests our spiritual development. It keeps us from being strong in grace and anchors us to our past. In this teaching we discuss both forgiveness and unforgiveness.

Strong in the Grace

God desires us to be strong in His Grace, which is something we need from Him every day. It’s not just a word to be used in our Christian circles. Grace is the lifeblood of the believer. Ephesians 1:8 tells us that God lavished the riches of this Grace upon us through his son, Jesus Christ. By God’s Grace, He began a good work in us, and He promises to perform it until Jesus’s return. That spirit he placed within teaches and admonishes us so that we may live out the holy calling He’s called us to.

The Real Christmas Story

The Christmas story is important because the birth of Christ is important. The traditional story of His birth contains many errors, and presents a cold, hard, and lonely picture about the circumstances of his birth. This expository teaching explores and reveals a deeper, more accurate understanding of the customs, time and place, and other details that truly make the birth of Christ an inspiring account of love, obedience, giving, and sacrifice.

This teaching deals with historic misunderstandings and mistranslations and shows how the birth of Christ was a considerably different event than what is normally taught.

Taming The Tongue

As Christians, we understand that we are involved in spiritual warfare. What we say takes on a significant role in how well we compete in this contest, for “life and death are in the power of the tongue.” In today’s teaching, we examine what scripture considers wholesome and honest communication, and what it considers destructive and misleading. We learn that, as much as we would like, no one is able just to tame the tongue. The matter lies deeper. What we habitually think about, that becomes our heart, and, as Matthew 12:34 says, it’s “out of the abundance of the heart that the mouth speaks.”

Sanctification (Part 3)

This is part 3 of a series by Mike Tomberlin on Sanctification: Principles Of Walking In The Spirit – the hows of making a constant, conscious, and personal relationship with Jesus Christ a reality in your life.

We should be profoundly thankful we have holy spirit from God and can understand spiritual matters. God gave us new life through Jesus His son in the new birth (John 3:6), and we must continue to live, day by day, in that newness of life that dwells within us. Each Christian has God’s gift of holy spirit. Therefore, each Christian has spiritual “power” and should be exercising that power.

Enthroned at God’s Right Hand

God’s Word tells us of Jesus, who as a servant humbled himself to God’s will, was crucified, buried, resurrected and seated with God at his right hand, far above all principalities, power, mights and dominions. He was given a name which is above all names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, both in heaven and on earth and under the earth. In this study we look at Jesus, seated at the right hand of God and explore his heavenly ministry.