“Jesus will set you free!” While true, this statement has little impact on a world in which people believe they are already free. It is only the truth of God’s Word that reveals humanity’s true condition of slavery—a condition remedied only through faith in the perfect person and work of Jesus.

Outline:

• Profession or Possession

• Freedom in Christ

From the first century Pharisees to the modern person, the truth that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus alone can be hard to accept. Pride fuels a self-righteous attitude that often produces unbelief, but the Cross is undeniable evidence that Jesus is the Christ and Son of God. “Unless you believe,” Jesus said, “you will die in your sins.”

Outline:

• Bad Questions

• Hard Truth

• Testimony of the Cross

As shown by the Pharisees in their response to Jesus, unbelief is a heart issue. No amount of evidence will suffice for the person determined to seek his own way to reconciliation to God. But God! God sent his Son into the world as a light in the darkness, and the remedy for unbelief is the gospel of grace, consistently and boldly proclaimed.

Outline:

• The Root of Unbelief

• Answering the Charge

• The Exclusivity of Salvation

In one verse, the saving gospel of Jesus Christ is proclaimed. Jesus is the light of the world that illuminates the darkness. He is the Christ sent to defeat sin and to bring sight to the spiritually blind. The promise is salvation for all who will follow him.

Outline:

• The Setting

• The Claim

• The Condition

• The Promise

Too often God’s patience and forbearance with sin are misinterpreted to be signs of his acceptance. God’s compassion for us is not shown in accepting sin but in mercifully accepting all sinners who will come to Jesus in repentance and faith for salvation. The infinite wisdom of Jesus is demonstrated as he addresses the hypocrisy of the religious elite and shows compassion to a guilty sinner.

Outline:

• The Wickedness of Hypocrisy

• The Compassionate Christ

Outline:

• Grace: A Conditional Offer

• Outward Focus of the Spirit-Filled Life

• True Grace Divides

How people answer the question determines their eternal destination. The only way to truly know God is to know Jesus. Jesus warns that time is short in this life. There is urgency to the gospel call to repent and believe in Jesus for salvation and eternal life.

Outline:

• Knowing God IS Believing in Christ Jesus

• Comfort in the Sovereignty of God

• The Eternal Consequences of Unbelief

Jesus commands his followers to judge not by appearances but to judge righteously. The standard is always fidelity to God’s Word. In a world obsessed with celebrity status, Jesus provides a simple guide and starting point for all Christians to consider as we navigate an age where there are no shortage of voices to listen to.

Outline:

• The Bold Authority of Jesus

• The Will to Know

• Applying the Truth: Righteous Judgment