By Grace Alone. Grace is unilateral; God does all the work and He receives all the glory. Grace is given in conjunction with the gift of faith to accept it. Grace-based salvation is also definitive: it’s already complete, there is nothing more we can do except to stop resisting God and allow Him to work in our lives. Grace-based salvation is given with a purpose for our lives. Finally, grace is given to everyone on a personal level.

Sola Scriptura, or "by scripture alone" is the principle that scripture is the final authority in the Christian believer's life. The Bible is the written Word of God.

(Verses Cited: Romans 12:2; 2 Peter 1:21; John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:1-2; 1 Peter 2:13-15; Romans 13:1-3; Hebrews 13:17a; Matthew 17:20; Romans 14:7-8; Galatians 2:19-20; Hebrews 13:17b; 1 Corinthians 3:7; Revelation 2:10; Joshua 1:8; 1 Peter 2:2; Luke 4:32; Matthew 7:28-29; 1 Peter 1; 2 Peter 1:3)

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer, but it is the responsibility of every believer to respond to the Spirit’s urging in our lives. This response begins by trusting in the Lord and being willing to accept the Holy Spirit’s teachings. We must also be thankful to God for His work in our lives and, as a result, the Lord is able to make our path straight. 

(Verses Cited: John 14:15-17; John 16:8-11; 1 Corinthians 12; Proverbs 3:5-7; Romans 1:17; Pro 28:1; James 1:7-8; 1 Corinthians 2; Luke 9:23; Genesis 50:20; Romans 8:28; Romans 8:14; 2 Peter 3:18)

The Bible mentions a variety of different spiritual gifts. Each gift is given according to the sovereign will of God. God will also provide an opportunity of service along with a spiritual gift. God gives these variety of gifts to members of the body of Christ with the intent of promoting unity within the Church.

In the passage from this week, Jesus teaches us how the Holy Spirit works in the world and in the lives of believers. First, the Holy Spirit works in the world to convict the world of the sin of unbelief. The second way the Holy Spirit works is in the life of a believer, moving us toward a life of righteousness. Finally, the Holy Spirit works in the final judgement of each person.

The Holy Spirit is often the forgotten person of the Trinity. There are several things we can learn about Him from the Bible. The Holy Spirit is a person and we can have daily fellowship with Him. The Holy Spirit is promise of God. The Holy Spirit is personal. And finally, the Holy Spirit is permanent.

(Verses cited: Jn. 4:20-21, 23-24; 2 Tim. 2:15; Rom. 8:27; 1 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 4:30; Matt. 12:31; Acts 5:3; Jn. 15:26, 16:8; Matt. 18:20, 28:20; Rom. 8:11; Heb. 11:1; Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 1:9; Acts 2:4; 2 Cor. 5:17; Jn. 5:6; Acts 16:6-7; Phil. 4:7; Jn. 17:12)

The United States was built upon principles of freedom. However, many have taken this to mean we are free from moral responsibility and consequences of our actions. As believers we are free from the bondage of sin and death. We have a responsibility to exercise self-control in the decisions we make and remain focused on God in our freedom.

(Verses Cited: Jn. 8:32, 36; Ps. 118:5; 1 Pt. 2:16; Rom. 8:2; Phil. 3:12, 3:8; 1 Cor. 11:1; Phil. 2:12; Acts 9:15; 1 Cor. 2:2; Gal. 5:1; Lk. 20:46-47, 21:1-4, 21:6; 1 Sam. 8:11-17, 19; Lk. 14:28; 2 Pt, 3:18)

Verses Cited: Heb. 12:1, 3; 2 Tim. 4:7; Acts 7:58; 2 Cor. 11:24-27; Rev. 14:12; Matt. 7:14; Heb. 12:4; Gen. 3:1; John 16:33; Ex. 2:25; John 5:6; Ps. 23:4; Heb. 12:6; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:55; Matt. 5:16

Faithfulness is often hard to come by today. As believers we are called to live faithfully in every area of our lives. As we study the life of Daniel we can see how he lived for God faithfully in every area of his life. We must do the same and live for God personally, glorifying God in our private life. We must also live for God publicly and not be afraid to let the world see us live out our faith. Finally, we must live for God persistently even in the face of trial and persecution.

With all the busyness of life, it’s easy to miss the subtle messages of God. So, sometimes God gets more direct; more bold; more obvious in order to get our attention. That’s what happened to King Belshazzar. He missed the subtle message of God, so God wrote it on the wall, which, as you might imagine, got his full and undivided attention.

Humility starts with a realization of how much we need God. Humility comes with an exhortation to change. God will bring people into our lives who will call out our mistakes and call us to repentance. Failure to repent will be followed by humiliation. God often provides a “thorn” in our life that keeps us humble. God intends to bring us through humiliation to restoration. We must respond by recognizing our need of Him in our lives.

Sometimes life will bring us into situations that seem impossible to get through. Be patient because God could be working a miracle. God often uses these trials to free us from hidden bondage in our lives. God will provide divine protection as we persevere through these trials. We must remain focused on Him. How we deal with these trials can affect others who are watching us and point them to the Lord.

In the world we live you will come across trouble and difficult times. This can happen even when we do everything right. Often during these troubles, the world will try and silence you and enemies will try and scare you. We have an opportunity to live out our faith and dare to be different.

(Verses Cited: Psalm 34:19, Romans 12:3, 18; Luke 23:41; Mathew 5:10; 1 Peter 3:14, 4:12-13; Philippians 1:29; Acts 5:41)

We live in a very skeptical world, one that is constantly looking for truth. We must dare to speak the truth of the Word of God that never changes. We must speak the truth confidently, speak the truth prophetically, and speak the truth in humility.

(Verses Cited: Philippians 4:19; Acts 4:31; 2 Peter 2:5; Acts 7:54; 2 Timothy 4:3; Exodus 5:1; 1 Samuel 10:18; Judges 6:8; Matthew 15:9; 1 Peter 1:25; Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25; James 1:17)

Colossians central theme is the preeminence of Christ; keeping a Christ centered ministry. In order to do this, we must recognize that following Christ may lead to suffering, but it is through our suffering that the message is spread. Following Christ also requires service and stewardship. We are called to present the gospel to our friends and family and to be good stewards of our time and resources. Lastly, all of our work in ministry is done through the power of God in us!