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Brayden Schlabach <- Back Resurrection Changes Everything Brayden Schlabach March 15, 2026 Resurrection Changes Everything Brayden Schlabach 00:00 / 37:44 Download Outline File Download Presention File resurrection, resurrect, transformed, transform, our true identity, christ's return, return of christ, second coming of christ, christ's second coming Request a File Looking for an outline or powerpoint file for a specific lesson? Let us know! Request Now Have any questions? Ask Us!

Benjamin Lee <- Back The Right Perspective Benjamin Lee March 8, 2026 The Right Perspective Benjamin Lee 00:00 / 34:29 Download Outline File Download Presention File perspective, right perspective, evangelism, personal evangelism, reaching the lost, saving souls, soul winning, making disciples, Great Commission, Matthew 28, Luke 19, John 4, Matthew 9, Luke 15, compassion for souls, Jesus and Zacchaeus, woman at the well, Samaritan woman, harvest is plentiful, fields white for harvest, God’s love for the lost, seek and save the lost, God’s perspective, seeing souls, opportunities for evangelism, evangelism mindset, sharing the gospel, gospel conversations, Bible study, inviting others to church, door knocking, visitor cards, encouraging Bible studies, family friends neighbors, mission field, shining as lights, 2 Corinthians 4, Acts 8, Acts 18, Priscilla and Aquila, Paul in Corinth, God’s grace, urgency of eternity, repentance, baptism Request a File Looking for an outline or powerpoint file for a specific lesson? Let us know! Request Now Have any questions? Ask Us!

It’s one of the great conversion stories in Acts. It’s about a man named Cornelius. He was a God-fearing man in need of salvation. Him and his family would be saved. It’s a story that involves miracles. Some have had questions about Cornelius and exactly when he was saved from his sins. Was he saved when he prayed and the angel spoke to him , Acts 10:3-7 ? The answer is no. There are things we can’t deny. Cornelius had prayed to God and his prayers were heard. From that, some can assume Cornelius said the sinner’s pray and when God heard him, he was saved at that moment. But that’s not true. There’s more to the story. The angel told Cornelius to do something – send for Peter. Why? So, Peter could tell him what he must do to be saved, Acts 10:5-6; 11:14 . God’s response to his prayers did not mean that he was already saved. God responded to him so he could be told how to be saved, Acts 10:33 . This is what happened when Peter arrived. Peter preached to him Jesus, Acts 10:34-40 . Cornelius was taught about Jesus so he could have faith in Him and be baptized, Acts 10:33, 43, 47-48 . Cornelius was saved in accordance with what Jesus said in Mark 16:16 : “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Was he saved when the Holy Spirit fell upon him?  The answer is no. We need to ask, why did the miracle occur? Recall the previous events in the chapter. ·       An angel of God spoke to Cornelius, Acts 10:3-6 . ·       Peter had a vision, and the Spirit told him to go to Cornelius, Acts 10:9-20 . ·       The Spirit was poured out on Cornelius and his household, Acts 10:44 . To understand why these things happened, we need a historical perspective. Cornelius was the first Gentile convert. This was a big deal. Why? Because Jews were separate from Gentiles and, up to this time, Jews made up the church. For centuries, Jews and Gentiles had no dealings with each other. This was about to change. God’s plan all along was to gather both Jews and Gentiles into one body – the church, Ephesians 3:6 . Salvation was made available to everyone. There would be no more distinction between Jew and Gentile, Ephesians 2:14 . This would prove difficult for the Jews as seen with the hesitation of even going to the house of Cornelius, Acts 10:28 . Even the Jewish brethren were angered upon hearing Peter ate with uncircumcised men, Acts 11:1-3 . The Holy Spirit fell upon Cornelius for the sake of the Jews, to show them Gentiles could be saved, Acts 10:45 . This is what Peter reported to the church at Jerusalem, Acts 11:15-18 . Cornelius was not saved immediately when the Holy Spirit fell upon him. He was saved because he obeyed the words of Jesus and was baptized for the forgiveness of sins, Acts 10: 43, 47-48 . This is what Jesus instructed in Mark 16:16. Was Cornelius saved when he spoke in tongues? The answer is no. Some may believe that when he spoke in tongues it was to prove that he had already been saved. This is false, because it’s not what the Bible teaches. Tongues were a sign for unbelievers, 1 Corinthians 14:22 . It might be asked, “If that’s true, then who was God trying to convince at Cornelius’ house?” It was to convince Peter and the Jews that Gentiles could be saved, Acts 10:47 . Though Cornelius spoke in tongues, he was not saved at that exact moment. Peter ordered him to be baptized in the name of Jesus, Acts 10:48 . This is what Jesus taught in Mark 16:16 : “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” In the conversion stories in Acts, everyone believed and did the same thing to be saved, Acts 10:34-35 . God shows no partiality. We must do what Cornelius (and all the converts in Acts) did to be saved. Cornelius was a good man but was a man still in need of salvation. He heard the good news of Jesus; he believed what he heard; and he obeyed it by being baptized in the name of the Lord, Acts 10:48 . That’s how he was saved. It’s how we can be saved today!

In Acts 2 , Peter stands before a crowd and speaks with striking boldness: “Men of Israel, hear these words… Jesus of Nazareth… you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.”  These are not gentle words. Peter is addressing people who may have had a direct role in the death of Jesus, and he does not soften the accusation. You crucified Him. It’s hard to imagine what it must have been like to stand in that crowd. To hear those words and realize that the man Peter is describing—the one attested by God through miracles and signs—is the same man they watched suffer and die. It raises an uncomfortable question: What would I have done if I had been there? We like to think we would have stood with Jesus. We tell ourselves we would never have shouted “Crucify Him,” never mocked Him, never turned our backs. Yet Scripture reminds us how fragile that confidence is. Even Peter—who boldly insisted he would never deny Jesus—rejected Him three times only hours later. The question isn’t what we hope  we would have done. The question is whether we truly know our own hearts. There’s a line in a familiar song that captures this reality well: “I’m the one… every time I sin on earth, I know that I’m the one.”  We weren’t standing in Jerusalem two thousand years ago, but every time we turn our backs on Jesus and choose sin, we share in the guilt. Every act of rebellion, every moment of willful disobedience, aligns us with the crowd that rejected Him. That truth is difficult to face, but it’s also what makes the grace of the cross so overwhelming. Even knowing who we are and what we would do, Jesus still went to the cross. He still allowed Himself to be delivered according to God’s determined purpose. He still suffered and died so that forgiveness could be offered—even to those who nailed Him there. The cross forces us to confront both our guilt and God’s love at the same time. We are responsible, yet we are invited to be forgiven. That tension is at the heart of the gospel. When we think about the crucifixion, it isn’t meant to leave us in despair. It’s meant to humble us, change us, and draw us closer to the One who loved us enough to die in our place—even when we didn’t deserve it.

Lot’s Choice in Genesis 13 Genesis 13:5–13 records a familiar moment in Scripture: Lot is given the opportunity to choose where he will live. Faced with a decision about land, security, and prosperity, Lot looks out and selects what appears to be the best option. On the surface, it looks wise. In reality, it becomes one of the most consequential mistakes of his life. Choosing Foolishly vs. Foolishly Choosing There are two important ideas worth separating here. One is choosing foolishly —making a decision where the thing chosen turns out to be harmful. The other is foolishly choosing —using a flawed method to make decisions in the first place. Lot’s story reflects both. Lot chose land that looked rich, fertile, and prosperous, but the people of that land were wicked, violent, and immoral. The very next chapters describe war, captivity, and destruction. Lot is caught in conflict, loses possessions, and eventually watches the city he chose be destroyed by God. Abraham even attempts to intercede for the city, but righteousness is scarce. By every measure, the place Lot chose was not a good place to dwell. But beyond the outcome, the way Lot made his decision is just as telling. Genesis 13:10 suggests a quick evaluation—he looked, assessed what appeared best, and chose. There’s no indication of prayer, counsel, or spiritual consideration. It appears to be a decision based largely on appearance and immediate benefit, and that method of choosing is dangerous. Where We Place Ourselves This principle extends beyond geography. One clear application is where we live and the environments we choose . Scripture doesn’t give a command about specific locations, but it does warn us about influence. “Bad company corrupts good morals.” The environment we place ourselves in—especially for ourselves and our families—matters. Lot placed himself in a land marked by war and immorality. While we can’t say that environment alone caused every outcome in his family, it certainly didn’t help. At the same time, environment isn’t everything. Good morals can influence bad environments when faith is strong. Still, there is no denying that environment and faith influence each other, making this a decision worth careful thought. Where We Spend Our Time The same idea applies to how we spend our time. It’s not only about where we live, but where we choose to be and who we choose to be with. Some argue that as long as they aren’t personally engaging in sinful behavior, it’s fine to remain in places where immorality is common. Scripture pushes us to ask a deeper question: why are we there? According to Ephesians 5, the Christian’s interaction with darkness has a purpose—to expose it. If our presence isn’t shining light or pointing others toward God, remaining in those environments becomes difficult to justify. There is a difference between being a light and slowly allowing that light to dim or be hidden. The Influence of People Closely connected is the question of who we spend our time with . Lot lived among wicked people, and their influence shaped his environment. Scripture warns that bad company corrupts good morals, often gradually and quietly. With fellow Christians, letting our light shine is usually easier. With non-Christians, the challenge is whether our faith remains visible or is set aside to avoid conflict. Agreements that silence spiritual conversations do not align with Jesus’ call to let our light shine. Friendships, dating relationships, and marriages all deserve serious consideration because anything that consistently suppresses faith becomes a spiritual danger. Where We Sow Our Seed Another area where foolish choosing appears is in evangelism —deciding who we will teach and where we will invest spiritual effort. While no one is unworthy of hearing the gospel, we often make selective decisions based on comfort, perceived receptiveness, or fear of rejection. Scripture does not give us that freedom. We are called to share the gospel broadly and trust God with the results. Being selective about who deserves our effort or time can itself become a foolish way of choosing. The Only Place That Truly Matters All of these decisions—places, people, time, and priorities—point to a deeper truth. Every earthly location is temporary. Lot and Abraham were choosing places to dwell, not permanent homes. Hebrews reminds us that Abraham understood this well: he was looking for a city whose builder and maker is God. Choosing a place on earth matters, and we can go about that choice in very foolish ways. But there is no truly “best place on earth.” The best place is not found on a map. It is found in a life oriented toward God, with eyes fixed beyond what is temporary and toward what lasts forever.