1 Timothy 1

"Dear Father, Keep us from believing any teaching different from that which your genuine apostles taught about our Lord Jesus Christ. Let what they..."

"Dear Father, Thank you for the strength that you give us to minister to others. We bless you for judging us faithful and for committing talents to us..."

Jesus has the power to change everything about us if we will let him! Max Lucado reminds us of the importance of Jesus' power to change us and make us new and give us a new name -- he points to the apostle Paul, who was once Saul, the persecutor.

More than just celebrating the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, we should also celebrate the power of the Lord to forgive and restore us beyond our sinful stumbles. Phil Ware reminds us of a powerful truth that lies behind Pentecost Sunday and the failure of the apostles that Jesus didn't consider ultimate failure.

"Dear Father, king of the ages, Thank you for the cleansing of our sins through Christ. Thank you that you take people who are in outright opposition...."

"What I say is true, and you should fully accept it: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the worst. But I was given mercy so..."

Jesus isn't just our Savior; he is also our Lord. As Lord, Jesus challenges us to take up our cross and follow him. Demetrius Collins & Phil Ware lead through worship in song, the Lord's Supper, a powerful message from God's word, and a closing blessing for worship from home with family and friends in a meaningful way - we need to place our challenges in Jesus' hands!

God perched His grace on a tree of torture in the middle of humanity's worst abuses so that grace would be available to everyone... even you! James Nored and Phil Ware explore the wonderfully unsettling nature of God's grace and His desire to make it accessible to everyone.

What's the greatest miracle you have seen? The greatest miracle of all is the one that occurs every day in the lives of people who are found by grace and changed.

Is death always an intrusion and a tragedy? Mike Barres reminds us that death, like the falling of leaves in autumn, is a natural part of our world and we need to make sure we honor God when that time comes.

It took several years for him to dig out of the hole he made for himself with his lack of appreciation for grace and his own need of it. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that not only is God's grace available in his love and mercy but also that mercy and grace is available to all, even the worst of sinners, like you and me!

"I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service."

"Glory and honor to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen."

Inspirational illustration of 1 Timothy 1:12 -- I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service.

Those of us who have followed Jesus for any significant length of time know that keeping our sinful flesh in check is a challenge. Phil Ware and Demetrius Collins invite us to worship God and keep our sinful nature, our flesh, in the past and nailed to the cross and lead us in worship through this practical home worship guide.

Jesus provided us the few simple words we need to return us to that place of righteousness in the eyes of our Father: “Forgive us our debts.” Phil Ware, with Chad Higgins, reminds us of the power of the simple words 'Forgive us our debts' and give us a daily practice to emphasize the power of these words.

"Dear Beloved, On Paul's last visit with the Ephesian elders, he warned them:Here are my instructions: diligently guard yourselves, and diligently..."

In the middle of our grief, loss, and brokenness, we must remember that we are not alone in our brokenness. Phil Ware reminds us that God shares our pain in our worst moments of grief and loss, God is heartbroken with us.

Would we really want it if we could have it? Rubel Shelly challenges us to think through our thinking on the upcoming election

Are we losing focus? Phil Ware shares a reminder that not only must we do good and live morally, but we must not forget the main thing, letting others know about Jesus!

What kind of questions have you been asking lately? Russ Lawson reminds us that the questions we ask need to be the important ones, not the kind that spark endless arguments and speculation.

Come on, now, let's just admit to the truth! Rubel Shelly confronts our tendency to make excuses for our sins, mistakes, and errors and then try to use softer words to make them not seem so bad.

What is your major accomplishment? Alan Smith tells us of the developer of the laser and how he doesn't claim any sense of achievement because he wasn't the one who designed the ultimate final use.

Do you really want to fill your sponge with grey water? Teresa Bell Kindred compares seeing Fifty Shades of Grey to a dirty mop bucket and a sponge.

Can you believe it's true? Hypocrisy does exist in the church and we should weed it out, but it doesn't exempt us from church.

How well do you show genuine mercy toward those who let you down? We have to show mercy to others when they let us down because we need mercy for our mistakes and mess ups!