Craig

God demands that we treat our wives with respect and honor. Not to do so is disobeying God and is sinful. John writes: "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does His will." JN 9:31. If I treat my wife without respect and cause hurt, pain and bitterness which could lead her into a sinful response, I may be wrongfully hindering my wife's prayers. Sin and hypocrity block God from hearing ours prayers.

The most valuable meaning of the Lord's Supper for me is keeping focused on what Jesus did for me on the cross and the fellowship of the saints with Christ on the Last Day.

Given, Broken for, poured out and forgiveness are all words Jesus used during the institution of the Lord's Supper that teach us that we are to be thinking of Jesus' sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.

Having an extreme symbolic view of the elements can cause a lack of respect or sacredness regarding the elements and the Lord's Supper itself. The balance is that the Lord's Supper is sacred and everything about it is sacred.

I have a figurative understanding of the Lord's Supper. When partaking of the Lord's Supper it reminds me of what Jesus did on the cross for me. His flesh was broken for me and His blood was spilt for me on the cross in atonement and forgiveness of my sin. I take it personal and in the process of the Lord's Supper I redicate my life to Jesus.

External sacrifices are unable to cleanse the conscience of the worshipper. Hebrews 9:10 says that "they are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings - external regulations applying until the time of the new order." A guilty conscience causes a break in fellowship with God. I know I have sinned and I feel guilty about it and don't feel good about talking with God because of my guilt. I feel unworthly before God. We need to repent and come boldly to the Throne of God. As a Christian I must take the long view of my Christian walk. I cannot allow the guilt of sin to block my relationship to God. I must repent and ask forgiveness of my sin and keep moving forward. Keep allowing God to work in my life.

The Old Covenant did not provide for intentional sin or rebellion against God. Jesus died for both intentional and unintentional sins. The New covenant provides for the forgiveness of sin when repented of.

The Old Covenant failed because people could not keep it. The primary promises of the New Convenant as prophesied in Jeremiah are: - God's law will become internalized within the hearts of men and women by the Holy Spirit. - They will be together as God and His people. - They will know the Lord personally. - They will be forgiven from their sins.

Jesus is the mediator of a New Convenant in that He shed His blood for the atonement of sin and sits at right hand of God in Heaven as our mediator.

Our culture has turned a deaf to the Gospel. Americans are focused on pursuing the American dream and living the "good life" -- the material life to the exclusion of spiritual truths presented in the Bible. In the process, most think they are good people with no need for repentence to a God they are unclear about. Or repentance will meant a life change that they cannot handle. They will get around to God when their life plan fits it in. There can be no salvation without repentance. I have had moments early in my life when I was focused on my naval career vice being focused on my God. Repentence was difficult because I was not open to it and my relationship with the Lord was shallow. Repentance at that time in my life would have meant me making changes in my life that I did not want to make because of my selfishness and spiritual shallowness. I was not permitting the Holy Spirit to work in my life.

Jesus' second coming has been delayed so that everyone has an opportunity to accept the Gospel. God has great love and mercy for humanity. God has great patience with human-beings.

A husband should relate to his wife with knowledge and wisdom because God commands it. It demonstrates love in the way that I Cor. 13 defines it. If I love my wife with knowledge and wisdom she will return the love. Men try to dominate their wives so they can have their own way. The harm in this is it is a one-sided relationship with no check and balance a proper relationship entails. It is a selfish relationship that oppresses the talents, gifts, opinions, ideas, and ultimately the love of the wife. God doesn't dominate us, so we shouldn't dominate others.

A person cultivates inner beauty through establishing a vigorous relationship with God through daily Bible Study and application, prayer and service. By taking on the characteristics of Jesus Christ. Character is gained by applying the Word of God to our lives. True character is important and precious to God because it reveals a real transformation of the person toward Christ-likeness. Character helps a Christian woman win and hang onto her husband through love, Godiness and integrity.

It is important to understand what it means to perish so that we understand and appreciate what it means to be saved. Judgment and punishment are down-played today because it is politically incorrect to talk of such things. People in our culture want to live the way they want to, in a democratic society, without accountibility. They don't want people making them feel bad about the way they live. God's Word, in its total package, must be preached and taught in Christian Churches. When the total picture is preached and taught you have a natural balance built-in. To preach and teach anything less than the entire gospel would be preaching a lie. Both God is love and God is a judge must be preached whether people like it or not. The truth can be painful, but the truth saves!!!!!!!

People seem to have short memories and tend to be easily distracted by the world. We all need constant reminders of what is important in our Christian walk. I remind myself of God's promises through a daily discipline of Bible study, prayer and service in the community. As a Pastor, I remind others of God's promises through the way I live my life, preaching, teaching, witnessing and service in the communty.

Women should strive to look their best to honor their God, husbands and self. Part of moral excellence is keeping ourselves groomed properly. A Christian should strive for excellence in all areas of their life. When personal grooming becomes an obsession, like anything else, to the neglect of spiritual values and disciplines, a spiritual problem develops. The balance is keeping Christ in the center and balancing everything else in proper proportions around Christian values.

Submission is difficult because human beings want to exercise their own will. Submission doesn't exclude one's opinion on how to improve a relationship. Submission doesn't mean that Christians have to participate in sinful acts. Submission is important in that it lends to stable relationships and strong witness for Jesus Christ.

We have stopped talking about open sin in church because we don't want to judge someone else or be judged. This is a cop out. Many are openly sinning and don't want to have any light shined on their sin. So let's not talk about open sin period.

Flagrant, defiant sin can enslave a person through habit. The way out of such sin is Jesus Christ and permitting God to be your God in overcoming habitual sin. Our mission is the great commission. The love of Jesus Christ compels us to seek to lead the lost to salvation and freedom in Jesus Christ. There should be no judgement, just concern over the spiritual welfare and distiny of people. Whether I have great moral standards or not, if I don't know Jesus Christ I am bound for hell.

Sexual sin goes against the teachings and moral standards set forth by the law, prophets, and Jesus Christ . Sexual sin has become such a part of our culture that we have become desensitized to it. It has gotten to the point that many don't see anything wrong with it. It has become an accepted part of our culture.

We must contend for the faith in order not to let false teachers pervert the Gospel potentially leading both christian and non-christian astray. False teachers must not go unchallenged in order that the Gospel be defended -- in order that the truth be weighted against falsehood. The inherent danger of challenging false teachers is making yourself look narrow-minded or dogmatic. However, we must challege in love and patience without anger in order not to appear mean spirited. We challenge in Christ likeness.

Sin still has some power in my life because I'm still in this body and in this world. I'm still growing spiritually. I still have selfishness issues in my life and old habits that rear their head now and again. Paul said to work out your salvation with fear and trembling. The desire to sin has diminished greatly in my life. However, there are times when the old sin nature battles with me. When I sin I ask forgiveness and keep moving forward. To "die to sin" for me is turning my back from sin and staying focused on the things of God.

I want to have a relationship with God and serve Him. Jesus Christ has made it possible for me, as well as others, to live a complete, whole life -- free of guilt from sin. He has provided a way to have a relationship with the Father. Without Jesus Christ I would not be where I'm at as a Christian and my heart would not be as open to others as it is now. I have a long way to go, but Jesus is my Rabbi, teacher -- most importantly my Lord and Savior. What He did on the cross for me has set me free to serve Him.

Jesus' sinlessness is important to my salvation because He was an unblemished human being -- the unblemished Lamb of God sacrificed for human sin. Any sacrifice to God must be unblemished. I don't think that I can really wrap my mind around Jesus' suffering when sin was poured into His soul. I have grown up on a sinful, depraved planet. Its part of human existence. Jesus until He came to this planet and died on the cross had not experienced it. In my mind, I liken Jesus' suffering to a trout, who used to swimming in pure, clean streams to being suddenly dropped into polluted, toxic water. The pain and suffering is immense. Jesus withstood this kind of corruption and suffering because He was determined to carry out the will of His Father and His love for humanity goes beyond my understanding.

Jesus' whole life was an example for all to follow including His suffering for us. We are to endure suffering as He did.