by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 18, 2013
Enduring Hardship Bringing light into a dark world invites three predictable responses. First, some will run from the light because their deeds are evil. Jesus said, “Everyone who does evil hates the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed” (Jn. 3:20). Those...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 17, 2013
Led By the Spirit God’s children are often referred to as sheep in Scripture. It is a comforting notion, but it also illustrates our helpless nature. Sheep are not carnivorous like wolves. They sacrificially give their wool while they are living, and their meat when...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 16, 2013
Walking With God How much can we accomplish in the kingdom of God when we function by ourselves? Nothing! How much will be accomplished in this present Church age if we do nothing and expect God to do everything? Nothing! God has committed himself to work through the...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 13, 2013
The Christian’s Relationship To the Law The Pharisees were strict in keeping the law, but they added many other rules and regulations that were intended to keep believers from breaking the law. It is like building a fence around the law, but in practice the fence soon...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 12, 2013
Living Under Grace The Apostle Paul’s argument that we are alive in Christ and dead to sin in Romans chapter six is based on our spiritual union with Christ. If Christ has triumphed over sin and death, then so have we, because we are alive “in Christ.” Notice the verb...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 11, 2013
Releasing the Holy Spirit Yielding ourselves to God is a question of trust. We are questioning God’s integrity when we ask, “If I asked, and He filled me with His Holy Spirit, what would He do with my life and how would He manifest His presence in me?” We can trust...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 10, 2013
Filled With the Spirit Paul wrote, “For we were all baptized by the Spirit into one body – whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Cor. 12:13). The Spirit’s indwelling (Jn. 14:17; Rom. 8:9), sealing (2 Cor....
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 9, 2013
Overcoming Licentiousness Living by the Spirit is not a license to do whatever we want. The licentious person has no regard for rules and regulations. The apostle Paul asks, “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin, how can we...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 6, 2013
Overcoming Legalism Paul said, “Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith’” (Gal. 3:11). Since believers are no longer under the law, why does the church still struggle with legalism and why do some choose to live as...
by Cindy Bergenback | Dec 5, 2013
Living by the Spirit Under the Old Covenant the children of Israel had to learn to abide by the law in their own strength. But they could not do it, and neither can we. “The law was put in charge to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. Now that faith...
