Freedom in Christ (Wednesday)
Christian Responsibility in the Land of the Free
God's Heart for the Outsiders
September 2, 2020
God has always heart a heart for the outsiders. From the time of Israel to the ministry of Jesus, God has always given special honor to the men, women and children in society who tend to be overlooked. In this Bible study, we explore what it means to treat everyone with dignity, decency, and respect--no matter their background.
Christ the Redeemer
August 26, 2020
Jesus promises that when he sets us free, we are free indeed. But is he freeing us from? And what does it mean that Jesus is our Redeemer? We invite you to join us for this week's Bible study that will look into these questions using the Old and New Testaments. We hope you'll fall more in love with Jesus as you hear about the price he paid to purchase our freedom from sin.
What Christians Get Right (And Wrong) About Freedom
August 19, 2020
In our culture, freedom is often associated with the absence of a master or authority telling us what to do. We feel we can't be free if we have to answer to anyone but ourselves. The Bible gives us a fundamentally different understanding of what freedom really means. In tonight's Bible study, we'll be exploring two key passages from Scripture that teach us an important truth about freedom: everyone has a master, but not ever master has our best interest in mind. True freedom is found when we are freed from our slavery to sin and choose to follow Jesus as our new master.
I Plead the 5th
August 12, 2020
We invite you to the the next part of our Freedom in Christ series. Our Lead Minister Bryan Fojtasek will be exploring what the Bible says about one of the most important freedoms in our legal system--the right to not incriminate yourself. How do we reconcile this aspect of American society with the Biblical command to admit our faults, confess our sins, and be open with God and each other? We'll also spend some time sharing what the Bible says about double jeopardy, due process, and private property--some of the others rights guaranteed to us in the Fifth Amendment. We hope you can join us this Wednesday night at 6:30pm for this Bible study!
Privacy (4th Amendment)
August 5, 2020
What does God say about our right to privacy? No one likes having their secrets revealed for the world to see. In our country, we place a high value on individual privacy. Taking this value into our faith, however, creates the impression that God has access to part of our lives, but not everything. We sometimes view our lives as separate spheres: Faith, Family, and Fortune. In this Bible study, we explore what the Bible says about our right to privacy, and how God wants us to view life as an integrated whole with faith at the center. Our family, our finances, our relationships, our career, and our values are not separate spheres apart from God, but part of our whole spiritual life that need to be defined by Christ and his Kingdom. After all, God is all-knowing, and there's nothing that can be hidden from him! Part 1 of this class explored what the Bible teaches us about our right to self-defense.
Self-Defense (Second Amendment)
August 5, 2020
What does God say about our right to self-defense (loosely based on the 2nd Amendment)? God calls us to live at peace with everyone, to turn the other cheek, and to love our enemies. In an ideal world, we'd be able to diffuse every violent situation with the love of Christ. But in the real world, violence is sometimes thrust upon us. In this Bible study, we explore what the Bible says about our right to defend ourselves and our families, and the important limitations that surround that idea. Part 2 of this class explores what the Bible teaches us about the right to privacy.
Rights and Responsibilities
July 29, 2020
Not everything we have the right to do is the right thing to do. While it's true that we enjoy considerable freedom in Christ, our freedom is constrained by God's commands in our lives. In this study, we look at the concepts of rights and authority from a Biblical point of view, and share how our freedom must be understood against the backdrop of our love for God, our love for others, and our pursuit of the Great Commission.
The First Amendment
July 22, 2020
What does the Bible say about our First Amendment rights to religion, speech, etc? Join us for this Wednesday at 6:30pm for this week's Bible study which covers this big question! We'll be opening God's Word and challenging disciples of Jesus to use their freedom to honor Christ and expand his Kingdom. God bless!
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
July 22, 2020
What does the Bible say about our right to Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? Join us for this Wednesday at 6:30pm for this week's Bible study which covers this big question! We'll be opening God's Word and challenging disciples of Jesus to use their freedom to honor Christ and expand his Kingdom. God bless!
What Are You Free For?
July 15, 2020
Our country is called "The Land of the Free," but what do we do when our freedoms as Americans come in conflict with the responsibilites we have as Christians? How can we navigate life as dual citizens of God's Kingdom and the nations of this world? These are some of the big questions that Bryan will be exploring in this new series titled "Freedom in Christ." At the heart of this class is the paradoxical truth that the only way to be free is by living in submission to the Kingdom of Christ. Our first class will explore some of the big ideas that we'll be diving into over the next several weeks and lay the foundation of what the Bible teaches about freedom. We hope this will be a thought-provoking study that leads you to a greater appreciation for the freedoms and responsibilities we have as disciples of Jesus. Join us every Wednedsay at 6:30pm on Facebook Live, in our mobile app, on our Roku / Apple TV channels, or http://westsidelife.org/media, or on our YouTube channel!