Uncommonly Rare, Undeniably Real
Uncommon courtesy; uncommon concern; uncommon control; these are all aspects of the most uncommon thing in the whole world: true love. Unlike other valuable possessions, true love is never hidden away in a safe or a lock-box or a vault. Instead it is constantly spending itself on others. Join Stephen in this message as he shows us why.
Refusing to be Pig-Headed
Paul has already described what true love is and now it is time for him to describe what true love isn't. In a word, true love is not 'pig-headed' . . . only people are.
Surprised by the Appearance of Love
Paul has been roaming around the city with a divine camera, secretly taking snapshots of 'true love' in action. Are there any pictures of you in his scrapbook?
Seven Minus One Equals Zero
What do you get when you subtract 1 from 7? 6 right? Well, not always. This simple equation may work in arithmetic but not in Christianity. God says that if you take good attributes such as faith, hope, prophecy, spiritual discernment, worship, mercy, and service, and subtract love from them, you end up with nothing. This is the divine equation and it always comes out the same: anything minus love equals zero.
Will True Love Please Stand Up?
Lyrics from a popular '60s song read, "What the world needs now is love, sweet love; it's the only thing that there's just too little of." To those who listen to the melody, this might be just a pretty love song. But to those who listen to the words, this is a cry of desperation. Join Stephen in this message as he shows us why there is so little love in the world today.
The Other Side of the Gospel
The judgment of God isn't an easy topic to discuss. Our sense of self-autonomy ignores it. Our sense of self-righteousness evades it. Our sense of self-worth condemns it. But the apostle Paul reminds his Athenian audience, and us, that the supremacy of God's grace is only understood through the severity of His justice.
Adam and Eve … For Real
Today, Christians are considered fools if they believe that the human race came from a man named Adam and a woman named Eve. Monkeys are more fashionable. Billions of years are more intellectual. So you have to make the choice: either stand with culture and transform scripture, or stand with scripture and transform culture.
In the Beginning
When introducing pre-Christian people to Jesus Christ, Paul doesn't start at a manger or a cross or an empty tomb; he starts at the very beginning of time. Every question of theology, philosophy, and science begins in Genesis 1.
Setting Aside Superstition
Respect. Humility. Consideration of other's feelings and convictions. These characteristics defined Paul's evangelism to Athenian philosophers and they should define our evangelism as well.
Divine Appointments
Paul didn't walk into Athens with a picket sign. He didn't walk from statue to statue proclaiming the idolatries of the Greek pantheon. He didn't hide behind a corner and drop tracts into the purses of onrushing tourists. He simply started discussions and reasoned with anyone who would listen. Truly, Acts 17 provides a timeless model of evangelism that we, today, need to follow.