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The battle is at hand. We must carefully avoid compromising our faith and drifting away from our relationship with Christ. Walk intimately with Jesus every day by holding firm to the tenants of our faith. The best way to avoid apostasy is to live a well-intentioned, vibrant, living, growing and maturing Christian life.

Jesus warns Sardis, the dead church, that pretension is deadly. They are commanded to strengthen their faith, repent and obey God’s Word. When we do the same, our eternal destiny is settled once and for all.

What causes Peter’s transformation? He is transformed by his journey through suffering, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and the words of Jesus. To be changed by Christ, we must welcome suffering with joy, keep on being filled with the Holy Spirit and saturate our lives with the words of Christ.

Faith means a long-term commitment to God’s will in spite of circumstances or criticism. A true experience with God will evoke life change. Faith’s actions have long-lasting and eternal results.

At some point in our journey, most of us trade adventure for routine. While some routines can be good, we have to be careful. Sacred routines become empty rituals that keep us caged!

Jesus had much to say about divorce and remarriage. The sermon deals with what Jesus said about marriage and divorce, whether or not Jesus was a liberal or conservative when it came to the issue of divorce, and the Biblical guidelines for marriage and divorce. The permanence of marriage is also emphasized.

Who is our neighbor? Our neighbor is anyone of any race, creed, or social background who is in need. Deep fulfillment and joy are ours when we pause and give to help others. If our beliefs and behaviors don’t result in a deeper expression of our love for God and others, then our beliefs need to be re-processed and altered.

ONE MINUTE OF SILENCE FROM 5:14 to 6:14. Resting from work is a part of a healthy lifestyle. God thought it was so important, it was the longest of the ten commandments. Jesus taught that Sabbath was not a religious observance, but a time to commune with God and others. We are to remember, rest and delight in God. NOTE: Audio lost between minutes 5 and 6 Move cursor forward.

Living courageously means sharing Christ fearlessly. We bond together as co-workers as we reach the world for Christ. Church-goers are not to be consumers, but committed followers of Christ.

Many of us analyze the Bible to resolve doctrinal and behavioral questions instead of immersing ourselves in a story that is intended to saturate our heart, soul and mind. To delve into the feelings and emotions that underlie our actions and behaviors, we must ask the relational questions grounded in Matthew 22: How does this passage relate to loving Jesus? How does this passage relate to loving others? How does this passage relate to loving myself?

Closing the gap in our spiritual lives means moving from where we are to where God longs for us to be — experiencing the abundant life. It is possible to know the scriptures and miss the life — an intimate relationship with Christ and a genuine relationship with His bride, the church. We can’t close the gap alone and isolated from others. Even Jesus needed intimate friends.

Church is never a perfect place. The closest to perfection the church will ever become here on earth is described in Acts 2 on the Day of Pentecost. A great church is bound by Bible-based teaching, fellowship, prayer, healing and evangelizing. It is a place where we can find nurture, care and spiritual life with others who share a common purpose.