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Love God, Love Neighbor
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe outgoing concern toward other beings begins with God the Father to Christ to us. How much we love our brethren may be a good gauge of how much we love God.
First Love (Part One)
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsA Christian's foremost responsibility is to love God wholeheartedly. A decline similar to the Ephesians' loss of their first love affected the first-century church.
Loving Christ and Revelation 2:1-7
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThere is a direct relationship between loving Christ and doing the right works. God's love for us places us under a compelling obligation to reciprocate.
Love's Emotional Dimension
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLove doesn't become 'love' until we act. If we don't do what is right, the right feeling will never be formed; emotions are largely developed by our experiences.
Love Thy Neighbor (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)He who loves God must love his brother, including every fellow human being. Our closeness with God transcends the other human relationships.
The Fruit of the Spirit: Love
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughLove is the first fruit of the Spirit, the one trait of God that exemplifies His character. The Bible defines love as both what it is and what it does.
Our Part in the Sanctification Process (Part Two): Cultivating Love
Sermon by David F. MaasThe opposite of selfishness is not self-hatred, but mature self-love, loving ourselves as a responsible, caring parent would (or should) love a growing child.
Keeping Love Alive (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIf we love another person, we like to think about him/her, to hear about him/her, please him/her, and we are jealous about his/her reputation and honor.
God is the Strength of My Heart
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsOnly by combining the head, heart, and will can we attain full growth and maturity, godly character, and a mirror image of Jesus Christ.
God Works in Mysterious Ways (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOur carnal nature's desire to satisfy an addictive self-centeredness can eventually overrule the Christian's loyalty to God and His commandments.
Keeping Love Alive (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWorks demonstrate our faith, our response to God's calling and His freely given grace. Reciprocity is always a part of our relationship with God.
Love Thy Neighbor (Part 1)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Jesus set the bar very high when it comes to love. We no longer live for ourselves, but to Christ, who commands us to love everyone, including our enemies.
How to Know We Love Christ
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe cannot become weary of well-doing, allowing our first love to deteriorate, looking to the world for satisfaction. Here are 8 tests of our love for Christ.
By This We Know Love!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsAs God's people keep God's law in its spiritual intent, they begin to think like the Father and His Son, both of whom habitually do good.
Israel's Missing Characteristics of God
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Faithfulness is living continually by faith, acting even though doing so may cost us. Love is not primarily a feeling, but faithfulness in applying God's Word.
Love and Fellowship
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughFellowship with God is the only antidote to overwhelming feelings of despair, doubt, and self-condemnation.
Do You Really Know God?
Sermon by Clyde FinkleaWe can know for sure that we know Him intimately by keeping His commandments and practicing loving kindnesses.
Strategies for Escaping Babylon (Part Six)
Sermon by David F. MaasAll the New Testament writers warned about false prophets trying to sever the symbiotic relationship between law and grace, law and faith, law and works.
Hebrews, Love, and the Ephesian Church
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughLike the Ephesians, the weary veterans in Hebrews were becoming apathetic through outside pressures, losing their former zeal and devotion to Christ.
Thou Shall Love Thy Neighbor
Sermon by John O. ReidWe are obligated to show compassion and mercy to all, refraining from gossip, exercising righteous judgment, forgiving others and applying the Golden Rule.
Free Will or God's Sovereignty?
Sermon by David C. GrabbeIn the troubling paradox that God has sovereignty over all events and that He grants humans the ability to make meaningful choices, antinomian Protestants have assembled prooftexts, allegedly proving that God's called-out ones are not expected to put forth any effort or make any commitment in the conversionary process because …
Prayer and Seeking God
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughRather than having an apathetic relationship toward God, we must ardently, earnestly, and fervently seek God in order to imitate His behavior in our lives.
The Sovereignty of God: Part Seven
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughOne aspect of sovereignty that causes some confusion is predestination. God's sovereignty does not remove a person's free moral agency — we must still choose.
A Hidden Mystery in God!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsBefore anyone can have fellowship before God, the obstacle of sin must be eliminated, which is a permanent barrier between us and God.
Grace, Mercy, and Favor (Part Four): Favor to Live as God Lives
Sermon by Mark SchindlerWe earn God's favor by obedience; there is a direct tie between submission to His will and His favor. The more one submits, the more favor and grace accrues.
God Expects a Return on His Investment (Part One)
Sermon by David F. MaasWe have the obligation to bear spiritual fruit, heeding the lessons of the cursing of the fig tree, and the parables of the barren fig tree and the talents.
Handpicked By God
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Kim MyersGod handpicked us for a specific purpose, just as He did Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Noah. God also handpicked second-generation Church members.
Knowing God: Formality and Customs (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn the matter of godly standards for dress, we must adopt the humble, childlike, sincere, unassuming, and teachable attitude, loving God intimately.
Will You Be Accounted Worthy for the Kingdom?
Sermon by John O. ReidLike businessmen reviewing plans, making forecasts, and anticipating accountability, God expects us to define and follow through on spiritual objectives.
The Promises of God
Sermon by John O. ReidIn this time of confusion and rapid change, we have a desperate need for something solid to hold onto. Some of the most secure things are the promises of God.
The Purpose of Relationships
Sermonette by Ryan McClureThe marriage covenant was designed to bring incomplete components of the God image together in one flesh, from which other relationships developed.
Is It Salvational? (Part Two)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeSimply watching out for the so-called "big sins" suggests that we are not genuinely interested in conforming to God—just in not crossing a major red line.
The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Eight): Conclusion (Part One)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughThe offerings have a great deal to do with our relationship with God. How closely do we identify with Christ? Are we being transformed into His image?
The Three Witnesses of Christ (Part Three)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeThe Trinitarian controversy surrounding I John 5:7-8 overshadows the record of what Jesus Christ did. It also hides key characteristics of God's children.
The Relationship Deficit (Part One)
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeIn the unsettling letter to the Laodiceans, Jesus paints a picture of Himself in relation to the church that reveals His people care about other things.
An Unpayable Debt and Obligation
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughWhen God calls us and redeems us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we suddenly come under obligation—a debt we cannot pay but overshadows all we do.
Deuteronomy and Holiness
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God has provided the God-plane marriage relationship to teach us how to submit to one another, sacrificing our self-centeredness for the benefit of our spouse.
No Failsafe Needed
Sermon by Mark SchindlerThe free-will God has allowed mankind has led to some tragic consequences or disruptions, but none of these are outside of His control.
The Ten Commandments
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsGod's Ten Commandments are the divine law and standard that regulate human conduct. As our world testifies, they are still very much needed today!
Abraham's Sacrifice (Part Three): Hope Demonstrated
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughAbraham's resolute intent to sacrifice Isaac displayed his unreserved devotion to God's purpose for him. We must display the same kind of tenacity.
Worship
Sermonette by James BeaubelleWorship is required for all events in our lives, including the trials that build character within us. Anything that displaces God must be rooted out.
Leadership and Covenants (Part Twenty-Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Much of Protestantism misconstrues the significance of the New Covenant as a 'free pass into Heaven' without paying attention to the Law within the Covenant.
A Priceless Gift
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's people are the precious jewels (or the private, personal possessions) of God, obligated to conform exclusively to His will and purpose.
Deuteronomy: Fear
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughWhen people allow fear to rule them, they lose their mind. Fear of God, however, is not mind killing, but inspires a reverential awe of the Creator.
The Fruit of Repentance
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe may feel sorry or even guilty when we sin, but have we actually repented? The Scriptures show that true repentance produces these seven, distinct fruits.
Is the United States a Christian Nation? (Part Seven)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)When the U.S. Congress wanted to put 'In God we Trust' on currency, the Seventh Day Adventists objected, arguing that the U.S. has never been a Christian nation.
Parable of the Two Debtors
Bible Study by Martin G. CollinsJust as we have been forgiven a huge, unpayable debt, so must we extend forgiveness to those who owe us, showing that we appreciate what has been done for us.
The Elements of Motivation (Part One): Fear
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughEven though a Christian's potential is so wonderful, it is still necessary for God to motivate His children to reach it. This begins with the fear of God.
Deuteronomy (Part 3) (1994)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe will not be prepared to rule in the Millennium unless we are experientially persuaded of God's faithfulness to His Covenant and His intolerance of evil.