Category Archives: discernment

the easy way and heaven’s king

Posted on June 28, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 7:13-29.  Jesus concludes his instructions to his disciples in his sermon on the mount with four figures of speech – all having to do with the dangers of counterfeit Christianity.   He talks about two ways of trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in commitment, conditional immortality, destruction in hell, discernment, genuineness, kingdom of God, leadership | Tagged | Leave a comment

preparing for heaven’s king

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 3.  The life of John the Baptist was consumed with one task: preparing Israel for heaven’s king. His call for repentance was directed not toward the pagan masses, but toward a nation whose heart had forgotten that their God … Continue reading →

Posted in commitment, destruction in hell, discernment, ethnic Israel, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, preparation, second coming | Tagged | 2 Comments

mission: avoid the opposition

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

2 Timothy 3:1-9.  Paul’s picture of the last days is frighteningly accurate.  He describes difficult times that will come because of ungodly people.  These people are:   lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, … Continue reading →

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mission: pursue godliness, not riches

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

1 Timothy 6:3-21.  Paul’s final words to Timothy in this letter identify a false teaching in Ephesus that Timothy must publically reject, because it will do much harm.  It is the teaching that the faith will lead to wealth. Those … Continue reading →

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mission: demonstrate true godliness

Posted on May 28, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

  1 Timothy 4.  Paul predicts a time in the future (from his standpoint) when the church would experience a departure from true godliness and follow deceitful spirits and teachings of demons (1).  He charged Timothy to “put these things … Continue reading →

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when Christ comes, the delusion will end

Posted on May 22, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12.  Paul warns the Thessalonian believers that they were in danger of being deceived about the second coming of Christ. Someone was teaching that the second coming had already happened.  Paul warned that a strong delusion  was about … Continue reading →

Posted in church, discernment, genuineness, Jesus Christ, second coming, worldview | Tagged | 2 Comments

Christ, our substance

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Colossians 2:6-23.  Christ is our substance, we do not need to grasp at the shadows that others seek. Christ is the reality that has set us free from dependence upon the philosophies of earth and false allegiances of the heavenly … Continue reading →

Posted in dependence upon God, discernment, genuineness, grace, Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, sanctification, the cross | Tagged | 1 Comment

in step with the gospel

Posted on April 21, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Galatians 2:11-14.  When he encountered Peter’s hypocrisy, Paul could have done the same thing Peter did, claiming Peter’s authority. That would have been the easy thing to do. But there was a lot at stake here. It was not just … Continue reading →

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false hope

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Isaiah 19-20.  It would have been embarrassing to see the great prophet walking around naked and barefoot for three years. The people probably thought that he had finally lost it – that he had gone utterly mad.  All this time … Continue reading →

Posted in confidence, dependence upon God, discernment, hope, trust, Uncategorized, will of God | Tagged , | Leave a comment

the blood and body of one

Posted on April 2, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

1 Corinthians 10-11:1.  In the wilderness, freedom is a dangerous thing. One wrong choice and your body is left to rot, and the people will go on.  Paul wanted to discourage the Corinthians from abusing their freedom by getting too … Continue reading →

Posted in commitment, confidence, dependence upon God, discernment, faithfulness, idolatry, Jesus Christ, the cross, worship | Tagged , | Leave a comment