Glorifying God by Helping One Another

By Laura K. Springer, Th.M., Ph.D. 

 

Key Passages: Romans 1:12; 12:10, 16; 14:13, 19; 15:14; 1 Corinthians 11:33; 12:25; Galatians 5:13, 15, 26; 6:2; Ephesians 4:2, 25; 4:32; 5:21; Philippians 2:3; Colossians 3:9, 13; 1 Thessalonians 4:18; 5:11, 15; Hebrews 10:24; James 4:11; 5:9, 16; 1 Peter 4:9; 5:5

Supplemental Passages: Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16-17 

 

Jesus loves us. So, if we are to glorify God, loving one another is not optional. What might it look like to love one another in the context of our regular church practices? 

 

Church-wide Rituals. Rituals like baptism, communion, and musical worship, have been and continue to be practiced by the church across time and culture. They teach God’s truth in pictures and offer instruction to those who may not yet get it. They help us participate in the life of faith alongside fellow believers who may not be like us. 

• Baptism proclaims trust in Jesus and testifies to his death and resurrection in the company of our fellow believers.
• The Lord’s Supper proclaims Jesus’ death until he comes again, forming us as one by focusing our hearts on Jesus’ broken body and shed blood.
• In musical worship, the gathered church declares God’s worth to God under the direction of the Spirit, acting with one mind and one love through an infinitely cross-cultural practice. 

 

Congregation-wide Events. In worship gatherings, business meetings, service to the community, and other types of events, we work together in this place, focusing on Jesus and honoring our life together as a work in progress. As one Body made up of different ages, cultures, and perspectives, we practice putting the preferences of others first, valuing participation, and working alongside those who are different.

• Worship gatherings focus on God alone under the leadership of the Holy Spirit and declare who God is and who we are in him through clear language and loving action.
• In business meetings, believers decide how to carry out God’s mission through our shared work.
• As we serve the community, we become Jesus’s hands by putting care first. 

 

Life Group Activities. Conversation, Bible study, prayer, and shared meals help us form relationships of accountability and grace. Here we make ourselves available outside of the designated times on the church calendar and often away from the church campus. We learn to put others first, speak the truth, and patiently accompany one another as we become more like Jesus.

• Conversation brings us soul-to-soul as we hear and care for one another.
• By studying the Bible together, we help one another grow toward right belief, right practice, and right valuing.
• Praying together aligns our hearts as we hold one another up before God in love.
• Eating together, we learn what is left unspoken and build relationships in which we are free to call one another out and hold each other up. 

 

In gatherings large and small, Christians practice rituals that have lasted centuries. We come together to worship and work and share life. We talk and cry and laugh and pray and dine. In all this, we glorify God. Beloved, let us love one another.

Glorifying God by Welcoming and Giving Ourselves to One Another

By Laura K. Springer, Th.M., Ph.D. with Jeff Barnhart 

 

Key Passages: John 13:34-35; Romans 13:8; 15:7; 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20; 2 Corinthians 13:12–13; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Peter 1:22; 5:14; 1 John 3:11, 23; 4:7; 4:11, 12; 2 John 5 

 

It is all too easy for differences to come between us. Language, culture, preferences, and generational priorities can make it difficult to see one another through the eyes of grace. In the context of this difficulty, Jesus commands us to love one another. Loving one another has an extraordinary outcome, for as we welcome and give ourselves to one another, those who see us will know that we are followers of Jesus. 

 

Welcoming. The welcoming expected of us in Scripture is both an attitude of the heart and action of the body. When we think of fellow Christians who are different, do we think of them first as those who do not like the music we like or talk the way we talk? Or do we think of them as fellow believers, children of the same Father, and followers of the same Jesus? When we meet them on a Sunday morning or in the local coffee shop, do we greet them with a warm smile or do we pass by without any acknowledgment? These small actions and the feelings behind them make a difference. 

 

Giving ourselves. Jesus gave himself for us, so giving ourselves for one another is not optional. But it can be hard. Giving of ourselves means figuring out how to connect with those who are not like us. It means using skills that we may not have developed. It means going deeper than we are comfortable with. But there is good news: Jesus taught us how to give of ourselves by giving his life for us and sending the Spirit to help us. He has made it safe to take a chance on one another, honoring our differences while worshiping our one Lord. 

 

If we are to glorify God in this world by being his church, we must work at loving one another. We must acknowledge our differences and see them as enhancements of our life together. We have Jesus in common, and he is sufficient. He is more important than any of our differences. Let us focus on him as he shows us how to welcome one another and give ourselves to one another as he welcomes and gives himself to us. He is the Head and Center of our life together, and he puts our differences to work to build his church for his glory. 

 

Since Jesus has loved us, loving one another is not optional. Let's do this!

Glorifying God by Being Jesus’ Body in the World

By Laura K. Springer, Th.M., Ph.D. 

 

Key Passages: John 17:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:11-12; Ephesians 3:20-21

Additional Passages: Psalm 19; Romans 1:20; Matthew 28:16-20 

 

Humanity was created to portray God’s glory generally, and Israel was chosen to shine his light before the nations. Similarly, the church has been formed to glorify Christ before a lost world. 

 

Many members and one body. The church is one body with many members. We come from every nation and language, from multitudes of generations, cultures, and peoples. Differences abound. Yet the church is one. Together, we glorify Jesus before the world. We do this by valuing him above all differences, allowing diversity to show the world the glorious results of his amazing grace. We are one people of God in Christ, composed of persons from all walks of life, all socioeconomic levels, and all cultures. Unity amidst such diversity is an amazing thing. 

 

In the world. Wherever we are in the world, the church declares Jesus as the only means and end of salvation. Together, we gather in groups across the globe, sing praise to our God, and preach his truth in the cultures and neighborhoods surrounding each congregation. Then we spread out into the God-given mission field of daily life, living and speaking Jesus’ glorious name. 

 

To glorify God. We have the unique privilege of being the principal means of God’s glorification in the world. Now, all of creation declares his glory by proclaiming his divinity and power. But the church has the honor of telling the story of Jesus. We glorify God by showing the world what it looks like to be the children of the Father, who sent the Son, loves the Son, and loves the followers of the Son. We glorify God by making followers of Jesus wherever we go, immersing them in his name and truth. 

 

Through life together. We do not merely glorify God as disconnected individuals, for we are the gathering of those who trust Christ. We are the gathering of those who are being transformed into his image by the Spirit. By loving and building up one another in our meetings and worship services, we work alongside the Spirit as he transforms us into the likeness of Christ. By working together to love and serve our neighbors, we work alongside the Spirit as he reveals the glory and grace of Christ.

Glorifying God by Being a Light to the Nations

By Laura K. Springer, Th.M., Ph.D. 

 

Key Passage: Isaiah 43:1-7; 44:21-23; 49:5-6

Additional Passages: Genesis 12:3; 18:18; 26:1-5; 28:13-14; Acts 3:25-26; Romans 9:4-5, 21-24; Hebrews 1:1-4. 

 

While humanity was created to portray God's glory generally before all of creation, Israel was chosen, formed, and delivered to bring God glory specifically by shining his light before the nations. 

 

Chosen to bless. From its barest beginning, Israel was chosen to be a blessing. When God called Abraham, he promised that Abraham and the nation that came from him (Israel) would be a blessing to the nations. God reminded Isaac and Jacob of this promise to bless the nations through Israel. In Acts 3: 25-26, Peter interprets the promise of blessing to all nations as fulfilled by the Messiah, Jesus. 

 

Formed to glorify. God formed Israel so they might bring him glory, and he covenanted with them, promising by his own steadfast love, to be their God and make this his people. Israel broke its end of the covenant multiple times, but God never broke his end. His love for them continued, whether expressed in blessings or acts of discipline. 

 

Delivered to serve. God remained committed to Israel's good. When they broke the covenant, he scattered them, and when they repented, he gathered them to himself. When they sinned, he cleansed and redeemed them--an act worthy of praise by all of creation. Over and over, Israel was delivered by God for God’s own glory. He always remembers that Israel is his servant and calls Israel to glorify him by remembering their servant identity and returning to him. 

 

Light to the nations. This Israel, whom God chose, formed, and delivered, is the means through which God sent his Messiah to redeem all who trust him for salvation. God sent the Messiah as the deliverer of Israel, for Jesus came first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, but this was only the beginning. Israel glorified God by being a light to the nations through Messiah Jesus, who is himself the Light of the World and the ultimate Reflection of God's glory. 

 

Struggle and opposition are certain. Just like Israel sometimes struggled to follow God, so will we. But the same God who kept his covenant with Israel is right here in the midst of this messy world, bringing all things together for his glory. No matter the situation, God cares for his people, forming them to glorify him in the world by portraying his glory and proclaiming his good news in Jesus.

Glorifying God by Bearing his Image

By Laura K. Springer, Th.M., Ph.D. 

 

Key Passage: Genesis 1:26-31

Additional Passages: Genesis 5:1; 9:6; Psalm 8:5; Romans 1:20 

 

 

The Mona Lisa. The Golden Gate Bridge. The Mars rovers. Virus vaccinations. Helping someone across the street. 

 

All these have something in common: they are examples of good work. They also reflect God’s glory. 

 

Human identity. God chose humanity to bear his image. Now, Scripture does not spell out what this means, so we must look to parallel ideas. Speaking of Jesus, the author of Hebrews places God’s image and the glory of God in parallel. From this parallel, we can see that just as Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact imprint of the Father’s essence, so does humanity reflect God’s glory as we bear God’s image. We have been given the duty to reflect God’s glory as a conscious choice. Of course, humanity’s decision to rebel against God in the garden of Eden damaged our capacity to fulfill this duty. But the duty remains. As humans, we are responsible for doing good work that glorifies the Creator and Lord of the universe. 

 

Human duty. Managing God’s creation with care, filling the earth, and shaping its resources in new ways are human activities that display God’s glory and portray his image. As humanity does good in the world, we display God’s goodness for all to see. This display of goodness declares God’s glory even when distorted by sin, for God’s glory is that powerful. God designed humanity to explain something of what glory is and why it matters through our descriptions of the material and immaterial world. These descriptive creations unpack creation’s reflection of God’s divinity and power and clarify the contrast between God’s glory and the way things are under the sun. 

 

What now? Despite the stain of sin, humanity still has the duty to display God’s character and describe his glory before creation. Christians are no exception. As the new humanity in Christ, Christians bear a double responsibility, having been created to bear God’s image and commanded to be conformed to the image of Christ. We of all humankind ought to be the ones who make God’s glory evident and clear. So, let us do good work and thereby glorify our Father in heaven.

Becoming a Community that Glorifies

By Laura K. Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

What might it take to be the sort of church that glorifies God no matter the circumstance?

Becoming this sort of church begins with answers to three questions.

What does the Scripture teach about the sort of community God intends? Answering this question will take us to three groups: humanity, Israel, and the church. God created humankind as his image-bearers, a God-glorifying representation of him in creation (Genesis 1:26-31). He formed and delivered Israel so that Israel might glorify him (Isaiah 43:1-7; 44:21-23). God has called peoples from all nations and languages to himself through Messiah to be the church, the new humanity that glorifies him forever (John 17:22-23; Ephesians 2:13-16; 3:20-21). 

What might it look like to glorify God by loving God and loving people? Those who trust Christ are one with God and with each other in relationships of love. We live out this love through the structures and practices of our faith communities. Structures like leadership and ministry programs ought to portray the oneness and love we see in Father, Son, and Spirit. Practices like worship service, small groups, and service teams support our life together as the people of God. Those in the faith community need to understand how these structures and practices portray God’s glory and support our love for God and people.

What might it look like to glorify God by teaching others to love God and love people? Teaching others to love God and love people, whether we are gathered as a body or dispersed into the God-given mission field of daily life, forms us as a community of believers that glorifies God in all we do. We glorify the Father by proclaiming salvation in Messiah through our character, actions, and words. We glorify the Son by loving people and proclaiming the Kingdom, just like he did in his earthly ministry. We glorify the Spirit by helping people follow him.

In 2021, we will explore these questions together.

• What does the Scripture teach about the sort of community God intends? 
• What might it look like to glorify God by loving God and loving people? 
• What might it look like to glorify God by teaching others to love God and love people?

We Are The Community That Glorifies

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

 

Gathered, we proclaim.
Dispersed, we proclaim.

"This is what God is like."
"This is what God has done."

Gathered, we become us,
Proclaiming, "Come and see."

Dispersed, we remain us,
Proclaiming through life and word,
"He came and saved!"

Though distorted by sin,
The whole Earth is filled
With God's singular, astounding glory.
Refracted through creation's variety,
Glory sings God's divinity and power.
Reflected by his people,
Through brokenness made whole,
Glory declares God's amazing grace.

Gathered or dispersed,
We are his people.
We are the ones who trust and obey.

We trust Jesus, God himself, who came
Robed in flesh.

We obey the Spirit, God himself, who has come,
Indwelling our hearts and our community.

We are the community that glorifies.

Trust the Spirit

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Key Passages: Ephesians 1:13–14; 1:15-23; 2:11–22; 3:1-6; 3:14-19; 4:1-6; 4:17-24; 4:30–32; 5:15-21; 6:10-20

 

“If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” Galatians 5:25 ESV

 

God has given us a tall order: Love God, love people, and teach others to do the same. We cannot do this alone.

We need the Spirit. We need one another.

Let us pay attention to the Spirit. First, let’s recognize that the Spirit is God among us. He is the one who binds us to Christ and one another. Second, let’s seek him out and learn to recognize his voice and differentiate it from the pizza we had last night. As a community of siblings, let us engage Scripture with an ear to the Spirit and remain open to giving one another the gifts of instruction and correction.

Let us obey the Spirit’s illumination of Scripture. This side of heaven, we always understand through a glass darkly. We need to partner with the Spirit, who helps us see what matters. After working alongside the Spirit to understand the ideas and priorities in a passage, talk with other believers to get their take.  In doing this, we train ourselves to recognize his voice and distinguish it from all other voices--including our own. And because Scripture is the voice of God in written text, understanding must be followed by trustful obedience.

Let us trust the Spirit to tune our focus on Jesus. Paying attention to the Spirit and recognizing his illumination of Scripture are the means to a glorious end: seeking Jesus. He is the author and finisher of our faith. We trust the Spirit to train us as individuals and as a community to distinguish Jesus from the false gods held up before us by the world, our desires, and the forces of evil. The Spirit works to maintain our focus on Jesus, conforming us into his image and beautifying us as his Bride.

Only by trusting the Spirit can we fulfill our mission as TFB, for the Spirit takes our individual capacities and creates a community of love and faith that goes out into God’s world and declares his glory. Trusting the Spirit, we are equipped to communicate the good news of Jesus in ways that are clear to family, friends, and neighbors.

 

Following the Spirit in Mission

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Key Passage: Ephesians 6:10-20

Supplementary Passages: Matthew 28

 

The world is messy; parts of it are downright evil. Amid the mess, God is at work, God is good, and God is in control.

Let us make disciples amid the mess. In the context of this mess, our God-given mission remains to make disciples, and God’s enemy opposes this mission. But the battle belongs to God, and he has supplied us with the necessary defensive and offensive equipment. Our part is to take up this equipment and be in constant, trusting contact with the Spirit.

On our own, we are too weak. Our human weapons do not work. Our only option is putting on the new humanity and taking up the armor of God. We must also gain skill in the Word of God and maintain constant prayer. Then we can minister alongside the Spirit in the context of this battlefield.

Let us follow the Spirit. As those who follow the Spirit, we remain watchful to the point of sleeplessness. We study and think together to increase our understanding of God and his ways. We learn to consider others as more important than ourselves. We increasingly rely on the Spirit, who makes us able.

As those who follow the Spirit, we pray as worship, proclaiming God’s wonder and works back to him. We fill the gaps in knowledge that our prayers have exposed. We trust the Spirit to help us sharpen and teach one another. We realize that no one of us is sufficient to display before the world God’s amazing glory and grace.

As those who follow the Spirit, we pray out of need. We know our perspectives need correction. We come to see that we all have needs and that Jesus is willing and able to help in time of need. We stand alongside any brother or sister whose life has made worship difficult. We rely on God and one another as we together live out the great variety of gifts the Spirit has given.

As those who follow the Spirit, we stand for truth. We see that all truth is God’s truth, for he is the creator and ruler of all. We submit to the Spirit, for only in him can we know and do the truth.

As those who follow the Spirit, we wield Scripture as God’s chosen weapon. We come to trust the Spirit’s illumination of Scripture, and we know that we cannot stand against the darkness unless we partner with him.

Let us be on mission with the Spirit. The mission is not optional, nor is it cozy.  But Jesus commanded his followers to join his mission. Father and Son sent the Spirit to fill, enable, teach, guide, and partner with us on this mission. As we obey the Spirit, we partner with him and carry out God’s mission in this messy world.

 

Choose to Follow the Spirit

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D

Key Passage: Ephesians 5:15-21

Supplementary Passages:  John 14:15-17; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; 12:7–11, 12–27; Romans 12:4–8; 1 Peter 2:4–5 ; 4:10–11; Ephesians 4:15–16

 

Decision-making can be hard, leading us to take shortcuts. We look to ourselves and make choices based on preferences or guesses or culture rather than God and his wisdom. We give control to lesser things. Continually looking to ourselves leaves us with an increasingly dulled ability to see God’s point of view. Choosing just gets harder.

 

Handing over control. Giving control to lesser things, to that which dulls our capacities, is foolish self-indulgence. Our God-given mission to make disciples is too important for us to waste time trusting ourselves when we could be trusting the Spirit. Wisdom is found in obeying Jesus, who commands us to live wisely by submitting to the Spirit, the one who gives, empowers, and guides our abilities as we do God’s work in the world.

 

Outcomes of trust. Continually giving the Spirit control aligns our praise and gratitude with Christ and his mission. It helps us encourage and submit to our fellow believers. When we give control over to the Spirit, he changes our thinking, feeling, and doing. He makes gratitude a way of life. He teaches us to worship God from the core of our being, whether alone or gathered with our fellow believers. He teaches us to address one another in words that bring God glory and to submit to our brothers and sisters, even when it’s hard.

 

So, whether faced with simple choices or impossible decisions, let us hit pause on seeking our own wisdom, and seek God’s face together. Let us submit together to the Spirit, who opens up our capacity in Christ, enabling us to make wise decisions toward missional actions. Let us partner with the Spirit, putting his grace gifts to good use in our life together as the body of Christ at TFB. Let each of us and all of us together take up the responsibility to follow the Spirit’s commands, while teaching one another to do so.

 

God the Spirit Makes us Able

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

 

Key Passage: Ephesians 3:14-19

 

“…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being…”

 

The world seems out of control. Wherever you fall on the spectrum of whatever issue, there are those whose beliefs and actions seem to mess everything up. It's hard to find stable ground. But all is not as it seems, for God is always in control: he is always right here with us, in us, and among us.         

         

On-mission. Whatever is happening, the Spirit helps us remain steadfast and on-mission. As we rely on him, we can follow Jesus in the messiness of the dailies. As the Spirit strengthens us, we can carry out God's mission, for he gives our small actions influence and effectiveness beyond what we could ever imagine.         

         

Shining goodness. The Spirit develops each believer's heart, helping each to live faithfully and well. As we trust him, he helps us to shine goodness amid the darkness. He strengthens us and helps us to live out our identity in Christ. Every faithful, Jesus glorifying action that we take or word that we say flows from our Spirit-indwelt hearts.      

         

So, when everything seems out of control, the Spirit reminds us that God is always in control and that he always gives us the ability to trust and obey.    

         

So, let us follow the Spirit as he works within our life together in Christ, helping us to embody Jesus in the context of our messy world. Let us follow him as he helps us to comprehend the immensity of Jesus' mission and the realities of our context. Let us follow him as he helps us to understand and feel God's love for us so we might, in turn, love others. Let us follow him as he makes it possible for us to joyfully obey the Father in all that we do and say.         

         

The world may be out of control, but God is always in control, and we are always in him.

 

The Spirit Renews our Minds

by Laura Springer, Th.M., Ph.D.

Key Passage: Ephesians 4:17-24

 

 Humanity is amazing. Just think about it: pyramids, going to the moon, farming, Shakespeare. The list is endless. Yet these accomplishments can feel insufficient. We can enjoy all the fantastic ideas and inventions of humanity, spend lifetimes with friends and family, enjoy nature, and make a lasting contribution yet still feel like there should be more.

 

The Need. Truth is, without new life in Christ, the human mind is futile. It is burdened by a lifeless soul. It is stretched in too many directions to count. It is pounded by conflicting messages from every side. On top of all that, the human mind is futile because it cannot know anything beyond what it can perceive or conceive. Indeed, apart from Christ, the human mind is both incapable of knowing eternal truth and stubbornly resistant to it.

 

The Solution. Only life in Christ by the Spirit can fill this need. Christ is life, and all begins with him. The Spirit renews the mind, and his renewing work develops the Christian’s capacity for godly understanding, reasoning, and valuing. He gives us the ability to understand the truth that is in Jesus. He enables us to practice eternal thinking and reasoning. He aligns our values with the values of God, reorienting our minds toward God and the good of the other.

 

Our Part. Brothers and sisters, futility of mind is not the way we learned Christ. Therefore, let us submit to the Spirit and put on the new self. Let us partner with the Spirit as he carries out his continuing work within us. Let us cooperate with him by engaging Scripture, reasoning through God’s truth and its implications, and orienting our values and responses accordingly. Let us cast off the dead weight of the old self by putting on the new self. Let us counter the constant barrage of conflicting messages by considering the truth he reveals.

 

As we go forward in the Spirit, let us reject complacency and strive toward what is true and right and good, thinking clearly about God and partnering with the Spirit in the company of our Christian siblings.