A funny exercise that helps us see the folly of attacking sinful behavior in the spiritually dead.
By Linda McCullough-Moore
Purpose: We all find it difficult to hate the sin, but still love the sinner. It's confusing to know how we should behave! This exercise illustrates that we can't change the bad habits of nonbelievers apart from Christ.
Activity: Start by recruiting a volunteer—for the sake of convenience we'll call him Joe—and then instruct him to play dead. I usually give my volunteer a slouchy hat, ...
See how God is our very present strength in our times of need.
Overcome enormous odds with the characters in these films. See how God is our very present strength in our times of need.
Session 1
Seabiscuit Seabiscuit is the true story of an undersized racehorse with a history of failure that went on to become a legend. Explore the more spiritual themes: What is the importance of community? What does it mean to comfort someone? What does endurance look like?
Restore him gently. This is the only and best option. When the Bible specifically tells us what to do, that is our only alternative and obligation. And the Bible does speak to this situation. Paul wrote, "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently" (Galatians 6:1).
The small-group leader you are responsible for is not dealing with the effects of a poor ...
Study these classic (and sometimes epic) films about Christian faith and see how God's love can work in our lives.
Study these classic (and sometimes epic) films about Christian faith and see how God's love can work in our lives.
Session 1
The Gospel of John This movie represents an eyewitness account of the life, ministry, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as told by his beloved disciple John.
Session 2
Ben-HurA thrilling spectacle about a man ravaged by betrayal, gripped by vengeance, and restored ...
A man came to see me. It was the beginning of Lent, the original "40 Days of Purposeful Repentance."
"Pastor," he said, "I want to confess my sins." And in tears, he spoke honestly and openly about the sin in his life—nothing illegal, most known only to him, yet serious, and he wanted to turn away from it. We talked and prayed together, and he left.
This six-session course looks at how a passion for social change can change the world in which we live in, as God’s power works through our availability.
William Wilberforce took on the entire British Empire to fight the slave trade. Although it took most of his life, cost him great wealth, and nearly destroyed his health, he persisted until he saw success. This six-session course looks at how a passion for social change can change the world in which we live in, as God's power works through our availability. Through looking at Wilberforce's example, ...
God wants to free us from money's bondage and help us put it in its proper place.
Money can put us in bondage. God wants to free us from this bondage and help us put money in its proper place by considering it his rather than ours. This six-session course will challenge the way you see money.
Session One
Money Belongs to GodOnly by recognizing where money comes from can we be free of its power. Psalm 24:1; Mark 4:14–21; 10:17–31; 1 Corinthians 4:7 God wants to help us ...
The gospel is all about the opportunity for every individual to experience restoration from sins and become reunited with Christ. One of the best ways churches can live out the gospel is by offering recovery ministries, such as support groups and counseling. These handouts will help your leaders to remember ...
This four-session course will allow the words confess, repent, obey to become seared into our lives to bring about change.
"Many times what needs to change is something we have not been able to change. We're not talking about something like biting your fingernails or not being on time. In this series we're talking about big problems, the things that hold us back and drag us down: addictions, compulsions, persistent personal problems. These problems are often about overdoing something: overdrinking, overeating, overgambling, ...