FBCC - Second Serving

The Depth of Marriage: A Reflection of Christ and His Church Mark 10:1-12 Introduction Have you ever stood beside a calm pool, looking at the bottom, only to be fooled by the reflection? It might seem shallow, but in reality, it could be much deeper than it appears. If someone assumes it is only a few feet deep and jumps in without knowing how to swim, the result could be disastrous. This passage presents a similar problem. The Pharisees approached Jesus with a question about divorce, but they failed to grasp the depth of what they were discussing. They were relying on the law, not realizing that its full weight would only bring condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:6). Jesus, however, revealed the true purpose of marriage—one that points far beyond human relationships to the eternal commitment between Christ and His bride, the Church (Ephesians 5:31–32). Background & Context As Jesus traveled beyond the Jordan, large crowds gathered, and as was His custom, He began teaching them...

1 John 2:26-29 So That When He Appears We May Have Confidence Introduction What produces confidence before a holy and righteous God within a sinner? This is not a question that can be ignored or pushed aside, because every believer will one day stand before the Lord who created them and redeemed them. You need to understand what gives you the kind of confidence that does not collapse under guilt, confusion, or fear when you think about the return of Christ. The Christian life is not meant to drift along in uncertainty or guesswork. John writes these verses so that you may have a settled and steady hope, a confidence that is rooted in the promise that Jesus will appear again. The hope of His return is meant to strengthen you, calm you, and keep you from being shaken by the voices around you that try to pull you away from Him. John is not giving a theoretical idea. He is telling you that confidence before God is something real and something necessary. It is something God in...

Mark 9:38–50 For The One Who Is Not Against Us Is For Us Introduction Within professional sports, there is a system where team staff compile videos of other teams’ rule violations and missed calls by officials in hopes of preventing similar mistakes in future games. Yet rarely—if ever—do those same teams submit footage of their own errors. They don’t ask to be penalized for fouls they committed. This kind of hypocrisy is natural to us. We are far quicker to highlight the faults of others than to examine ourselves. In this passage, Jesus addresses this very instinct. He calls His disciples away from prideful exclusion and toward personal holiness—away from policing others and toward radical self-examination. Background & Context John came to Jesus with a concern: “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” (Mark 9:38) This is a startling moment. Just prior, the disciples had failed to cast out a de...

1 John 2:18-25 It Is The Last Hour Introduction Confusing topics can often lead us to lose interest or become hesitant, which stops us from exploring issues on our own. With the overwhelming amount of information, commentary, opinions, and conflict available, it can be easy to dismiss the exploration of a subject as a lost cause, believing it cannot be understood. Before confidently diving into the deep end of the pool, it is important to learn the fundamentals, because this knowledge will give you the confidence to swim effectively. When speaking of the antichrist, that same logic applies. Rather than letting confusion or fear control the conversation, we need to understand what God has actually said in His Word and see how He has already prepared us to recognize what is true and what is false (1 John 2:18-25). Rejection of Christ During the Last Hour John begins by calling his readers children and telling them that it is the last hour (1 John 2:18). This d...

1 John 2:15–17 Do Not Love the World Introduction The world we live in today offers many opportunities for us to focus our affections on the wrong things. The idols we form, whether mental or physical, often direct our attention away from Christ and pull our hearts toward what is temporary rather than what is eternal. These idols, and the desires that form them, are powerful because they feel normal in a world that has drifted far from the original goodness of God’s creation. They appeal to our senses, shape our ambitions, and convince us that fulfillment can be found in what we see and what we possess. John reminds his readers that anything we love in this fallen world will eventually come to an end. It may look solid, feel urgent, or carry weight now, but it cannot endure. By contrast, the eternal realities promised by God remain unseen for the moment, yet they are more certain than anything we can touch. John’s purpose in this passage is to help believers see the difference b...

1 John 2:12–14 Your Sins Are Forgiven For His Name's Sake Introduction John writes to believers who were beginning to feel the pressure of doubt and confusion. False teachers had begun distorting the message of Christ, causing some to question whether they truly belonged to God. So John pauses his strong words about obedience and truth to reassure the church of what is already certain. He reminds them that their standing with the holy and righteous God does not depend on what they do or who they are, but on whom they trust. The purpose of this passage is to strengthen weary believers, to lift their eyes from self to Christ, and to remind them that what is true of Him is now true of them. Because of Christ, our sins are forgiven, we know God, and we have overcome the evil one. 1. Our Sins Are Forgiven For His Glory John begins, “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for His name’s sake.” Every believer, regardless of maturity, stands forgiven b...

1 John 2:3–11 And by This We Know That We Have Come to Know Him Introduction Every field has its measures of proficiency. A musician is evaluated by how well they play the piece, an athlete by how faithfully they execute their fundamentals, and a craftsman by how their work reflects the design. The same is true in the Christian life. The Apostle John tells us that those who claim to know Christ are measured not by eloquence, experience, or emotional sincerity, but by how their lives resemble His. Yet John does not frame this as an exam to pass. His goal is not to make believers insecure, but to remind them that real love produces visible light. Knowing Christ will inevitably transform how we live and how we love. The evidence of that relationship is not perfection, but direction, a growing alignment of our hearts with His grace and truth. John’s letter builds on what his Gospel already revealed: that Jesus is the Word made flesh, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). To know Hi...