Cary Cox, from Romans 16:25-27. Paul ends the book of Romans with a doxology of praise and glory to God for the gospel! In it, we see six aspects of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Author: carycox
Posts on this blog will mostly be:
Glory of God focused
Christ-exalting
Gospel-centered
War in the Church – James Study 17
Cary Cox, from James 4:1-3. False converts wreak havoc in the church, pursuing passions and selfish desires instead of treasuring Christ, fighting and arguing, and making a mockery of worship. A call to examine ourselves, and to seek pure membership in local churches.
Gospel Warnings – Romans Study 99
Cary Cox, from Romans 16:17-20. Paul warns the church of the dangers of false teachers. We must be vigilant and discerning, studying the word of God to recognize what is false and destructive.
Gospel Greetings – Romans Study 98
Cary Cox, from Romans 16:1-16, 21-23. Paul’s list of personal greetings show us how the gospel transforms our relationships in the church! We are family in Christ! We have affection in the church! We partner together in ministry and fellowship, for the glory of God!
The Fruit of Spiritual Wisdom – James Study 16
Cary Cox, from James 3:13-18. There is a false wisdom that puts self above others, lived out by imposters in the church. This results in the rotten fruit of all kinds of damage in local churches. But James calls believers to walk in humble, gentle wisdom from God, that produces the good fruit of peace in local churches.
Praying Your Will Be Done – Romans Study 97
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:30-33. Gospel Prayer Part 2: Your Will Be Done. Paul asks the Romans to pray for him about his upcoming ministry and travel plans. In the Book of Acts, we see how God answered those prayers! God doesn’t always answer prayers the way we expect. Christians must learn to submit our plans to God, and to pray Your Will Be Done.
The Gospel Changes How We Speak Part 2 – James Study 15
Cary Cox, from James 3:7-12. James emphasizes the extreme wickedness and inappropriateness of using our speech against people, who are made in the image of God. Our language reveals the condition of our heart and the genuineness of our faith.
Gospel Prayer Part 1 – Romans Study 96
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:30. Paul asks the Roman Christians to pray for him. In Paul’s prayer request we see six aspects of Christian, gospel prayer.
The Gospel Changes How We Speak Part 1 – James Study 14
Cary Cox, from James 3:1-6. Our speech reflects our heart. Our words are evidence of our faith. James warns us of the sins of the tongue, beginning with church leadership. May we repent of speech-sins, and bring our tongues under control, for the glory of God!
Gospel Giving – Romans Study 95
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:24-29. Paul was not ashamed to ask for money for the mission of the gospel and his ministry to the churches. The gospel changes how we view money and how we use money.
Rahab’s Faith and Works – James Study 13
Cary Cox, from James 2:25-26. James holds up Rahab the prostitute as an example of the right kind of faith – a faith in God that shows itself in outward works of obedience.
Gospel Ambition – Romans Study 94
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:15-24. We see the apostle Paul’s heart shining through as he describes his gospel ambition. Paul’s passion for the glory of God is the heartbeat of God himself! God is passionate about his glory in all the nations, through the gospel of Jesus! This should be the driving heartbeat of the church. Do you have gospel ambition?
Ministry and Mission – Romans Study 93
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:14-21. Paul’s heart is on full display! As he describes his work in the gospel of Christ, we see that he has an inward vision for ministry to the local church, and an outward vision for the mission to the nations! As Christians, our hearts should beat for the same things!
Faith is Shown by Works – James Study 12
Cary Cox, from James 2:18-24. James drives home his argument that true, saving faith is always shown by our works. Inward, invisible faith is seen in our outward, visible acts of obedience. We also compare James’ teaching with Paul’s teaching on faith and works.
The Hope of the Church – Romans Study 92
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:13. Paul closes the main body of his letter with a prayer for the church, for HOPE. The local church is an oasis of hope in a broken world! Our hope comes from the God of hope, through faith in Jesus, by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Nature of Saving Faith (Works) – James Study 11
Cary Cox, from James 2:14-17. James is teaching us what true, saving faith looks like. Real faith always shows itself genuine by overflowing into works of obedience. A self-professed, so-called faith, without works, is dead.
God’s Glory in the Unified Church – Romans Study 91
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:7-12. God is building his unified, multi-ethnic church through the humble sacrifice of Jesus Christ, for the purpose of the praise and glory of God! This is why we work through problems, disagreements, and issues in our messy, imperfect, and beautiful local churches.
The Nature of Saving Faith (Merciful) – James Study 10
Cary Cox, from James 2:8-13. The Lord really does expect Christians to love people, and to show mercy to the weak, the poor, the unlovable, the unpopular; to be kind and gracious. We show mercy toward others in this life because we have received mercy from God in Christ, and our merciful actions serve as evidence that we can expect to receive mercy on the Last Day.
Rallying Points of the Church – Romans Study 90
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:7. As Paul calls the Roman believers to not quit on each other in their time of disagreement, he continues to weave into his message three big matters of importance for the church to rally around in agreement. There are some matters that Christians in every age must rally around together in unity.
Make Us One – Christians Don’t Quit on Each Other Part 2 – Romans Study 89
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:1-7. Paul prays for unity in the local church, using vivid musical language to paint a picture of the church as a big choir, not a bunch of solo acts, all singing together in harmony with lives that amount to one unified voice of praise to God!
Christians Don’t Quit on Each Other – Romans Study 88
Cary Cox, from Romans 15:1-7. Paul calls Christians to look away from self in order to serve others in the church – even those with whom we disagree. This is just what Christ did for us!
Pure Religion in the Church – James Study 9
Cary Cox, from James 2:1-9. As we hold the faith together as the church, we must not show partiality against people. God has chosen those the world rejects for his own glory in the church!
Christians Work Through Disagreements – Romans Study 87
Cary Cox, from Romans 14. Paul addresses a disagreement in the Roman church. Christians lay down their opinions on secondary issues in order to prioritize the pursuit of peace, love, and unity in the church around the matters of first importance. We walk in love, willingly give up our personal freedoms in Christ, and seek to build up others in the church – even those with whom we disagree.
Pure Religion – James Study 8
Cary Cox, from James 1:26-27. Worthless Religion Vs. Pure Religion. James gives helpful and practical examples of what hearing and doing the word looks like in everyday life.
Christians Walk in the Light – Romans Study 86
Cary Cox, from Romans 13:11-14. Christians not only live in love, but Scripture also calls us to walk in the light, to pursue holiness. We are not darkness, but light in Christ, and must live accordingly. A call to throw off works of darkness – things not compatible with Christianity – and put on the Lord Jesus Christ!
Doers of the Word – James Study 7
Cary Cox, from James 1:22-25. Although hearing God’s word is of utmost importance, it matters how we hear! It is possible to hear without obeying, which is false religion and completely worthless. James calls us to hear and do God’s word. Biblical, saving faith always goes on to obedience/works. But what does this look like in the regular life of the church?
Christians Live in Love (Part 2) – Romans Study 85
Cary Cox, from Romans 13:1-10. Living in the tension of citizenship in two worlds, two kingdoms. Balancing allegiances of this world and the kingdom of Christ. Christians are new covenant citizens of heaven, and we focus on faith and love.
The Woman at the Well – People Who Met Jesus 6
Cary Cox, from John 4. Jesus cuts through the cultural taboos and ethnic tensions to show kindness to the Samaritan woman at the well. He brings up her sin as he offers to her the living water of eternal life in him.
Hearing the Word – James Study 6
Cary Cox, from James 1:19-21. Nothing is more important than hearing the word of God. Faith comes by hearing, and God’s word saves our souls. James calls us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. We look at the Christian’s commitment to hearing God word, and to loving others by listening to them.
The Unchanging God – Mickey McCall
Mickey McCall, from Malachi 3:6. In our changing world, God is the Rock who does not change. All of his attributes are also immutable. But our response to the unchanging God is that we must change! We must be changed by the unchanging God.
Nathanael Meets Jesus – People Who Met Jesus 5
Cary Cox, from John 1:43-51. Nathanael is changed forever with just one meeting with Jesus. Jesus claims to be the ladder to haven, the gate of heaven! He is the way, the truth, and the life!
The Unchanging Goodness of God – James Study 5
Cary Cox, from James 1:16-18. God is good, and he consistently gives his people every good and perfect gift. By nature, God never changes, and therefore, neither does his generous goodness to us! The greatest example of his good and perfect gifts is his free choice to save us through the gospel of Jesus Christ!
A Father and a Sick Woman Meet Jesus – People Who Met Jesus 4
Cary Cox, from Mark 5:21-43. A rich, religious, powerful man of means and a poor, ritually unclean woman both meet Jesus in their desperation, and are transformed through faith in Christ. Jesus washes the unclean and gives life!
Trials, Tests, and Temptations – James Study 4
Cary Cox, from James 1:12-15. James encourages us to endure through trials. God tests us for our good, to reveal what is inside us. But temptations come from our own corrupt desires. Sin leads to death. Let us run from sin and put our faith in the Lord, even as we suffer through trials. There is joy on the other side!
Nicodemus Meets Jesus – People Who Met Jesus #3
Cary Cox, from John 3:1-18. It’s not just “great sinners” who need Jesus. Nicodemus learned that even religious, “good” people need to be born again and put their faith in Jesus Christ.
True Status – James Study #3
Cary Cox, from James 1:9-11. A look at the “Great Reversal” theme in the New Testament: God sees things differently and looks at things differently than the world. Up is down and down is up in the kingdom of God. James instructs rich and poor Christians not to look at their status the way the world does. Rich or poor, our true status is in Christ!
Zacchaeus Meets Jesus – People Who Met Jesus #2
Cary Cox, from Luke 19:1-10. This series highlights people in the gospels who met Jesus and experienced transformation. Zacchaeus is changed from greedy to generous; from a sinner to a saint. His idol was crushed in the presence and grace of Jesus Christ!
Single Minded Devotion – James Study #2
Cary Cox, from James 1:5-8. Living out the faith requires pursuit of the wisdom of God, trust in the character of God, and single-minded devotion to God, rather than double-minded doubt.
The Sinful Woman Meets Jesus – People Who Met Jesus #1
Cary Cox, from Luke 7:36-50. A woman with a sinful reputation meets Jesus and finds forgiveness and grace. A beautiful passage of Scripture that highlights the truth: we are all sinners, and we all need Jesus!
We Are Not Home Yet – James Study 1
Cary Cox, from James 1:1-4. An introduction to the letter of James. We learn from James himself, look at the church as the people of God scattered over the earth, and learn to face suffering in faith.
The Faithfulness of God
Cary Cox, from Exodus 34:4-8. A look at the essential nature of God – he is faithful! He cannot be unreliable or untrue. He binds himself voluntarily to his covenant people, and shows loyal love to us in Christ. His faithfulness fuels our faithfulness to him, and is our only hope.
Faithful Men and Faithful Women
Cary Cox, from Acts 11. Jesus requires faithfulness from his servants. A call for faithful men and faithful women!
Jesus Requires Faithfulness
Cary Cox, from Matthew 24 & 25. Jesus requires his followers to be faithful to him. We are entrusted with different giftings, assignments, abilities, and opportunities, to be used for the work of the kingdom of God. Jesus will return and settle accounts with his servants. We will answer for how we have lived. May he find us faithful when he returns!
The Book of Job
Cary Cox, from Job. An overview of the book of Job helps us think rightly about God, Satan, suffering, and our response to difficult days. Receive encouragement and hope from the sovereign God, who is worth treasuring, no matter our circumstances!
Psalm 139 – Known by God
Cary Cox, from Psalm 139 (recorded during our midweek livestream, April 22, 2020). God-centered, meaty encouragement! The intimate omniscience of God!
A Call to Repent
Cary Cox, from Luke 13:1-9. Jesus used the news reports of a national tragedy and a natural disaster to call us to think deeply, theologically, and spiritually about our own sin, calling us to repent. As we face the pandemic of the Coronavirus, Jesus’ words speak to us clearly. God is giving us time to repent! Don’t waste your pandemic!
Christians Live in Love, Part 1
Romans Study 84. Cary Cox, from Romans 13:8-10. Paul calls Christians to live in love. Loving people is a debt we owe to everyone, and sums up everything God requires of us beyond loving him.
Christians and the Government
Romans Study 83. Cary Cox, from Romans 13:1-7. Christians live in light of the gospel of Jesus by submitting to our government leaders. We are not rebels and troublemakers. We are good citizens who obey, pray for, and respect our leaders, who have been placed in authority over us by God.
How Christians Overcome
Romans Study 82. Cary Cox, from Romans 12:21. Christians overcome evil with good, because Christ overcame for us in his life, death, and resurrection!
How Christians Treat People, Part 2
Romans Study 81. Cary Cox, from Romans 12:15-18. Christians are called to treat each other with a sympathetic love that slows down and enters into the joys and sufferings of their brothers and sisters in Christ. We are called to pursue peace instead of division. And we are instructed to be humble, associating with the lowly. This is how God has treated us in Christ!
The Church at Meadowlake 