• The Bible is filled with ordinary people called to do extraordinary work.

• Ordinary people can be pleasing to God.

  • Luke 1:33-38 – Whey Mary was called by God, she was an ordinary person living an insignificant life.

  • You don’t know what impact will come from your work.

• Ordinary people can be faithful to God.

  • Hebrews 11:35-40 – There are no names listed here, but even if there were, it would not make any difference.

  • Acts 4:13-20 – When we are with Jesus, we can be bold!

  • I Corinthians 12:23

• Ordinary people can be useful to God.

  • Ruth 4:22 – Ruth ended up playing a small but pivotal role in the coming of Christ.

  • Haggai 2:20-23

• When we are with God, the best is yet to come!

• Our love, continued:

  • Romans 12:9-10

  • I Corinthians 13:1-3 – Love should be the motivation behind our actions. If love is missing, something else will fill the void.

  • I Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love does what is best for others.

  • I Corinthians 13:8 – Love is always needed to do anything in a way that pleases God.

  • I Corinthians 13:13 – Love continues even after time is over and faith and hope are no longer necessary.

  • Mark 12:20-31 – To love God with all your heart, you must prevent all other things from stealing any small part of your heart. To love your neighbor as yourself, you have to look out for their best interests, not just your own.

  • I John 4:7-21

• Grace is one of the most abused topics by religious people today.

• Romans 11:5-6

• Ephesians 2:8-9

• Acts 10:34-35

• James 2:24

• Saved:

  • Not by works

    • Excluded:

      • Sinlessness (I John 1:8-10)

      • Devising one’s own plan

      • Any man’s plan

  • By works
    • Included:
      • Faith that responds in works of obedience. Galatians 5:6

God’s offer

Boastful work

Man’s faith

Man’s obedience

Joshua 6

❌

❌

✔

II Kings 5

❌

❌

✔

John 9

❌

❌

✔

Mark 16:16

❌

❌

✔

I John 1:7

❌

❌

✔

• Was the blessing each received by the grace of God? Certainly so!
• Did they receive the blessing while rejecting God’s plan? Certainly not!
• Did they receive the blessing at the point of faith? Certainly not!
• Did they receive the blessing when they, through faith, worked the works that God commanded? Certainly so!
• Did this working obedience to God’s commands invalidate God’s grace or allow them to boast that they had merited the blessing? Certainly not.
• After working all that God told them to do, was the blessing still received by God’s grace? Certainly so!

• The answer to any kind of erroneous teaching is always learning God’s truth.

  • Ephesians 4:14, 11-13

  • Colossians 2:4, 8; 1:9-10

  • II Timothy 4:3-4, 1-2, 5

• Deuteronomy 4:9 – They were to teach their children.

  • Ephesians 6:4 – The same instruction applies to us today.

  • Acts 18:24-28 – Aquila and Priscilla surely had some Bible discussions at home to be able to teach others like this.

• God’s grace

  • Romans 3:23-24; Galatians 2:21; Ephesians 2:4-10; Titus 2:11-14; James 4:6-7

• Jesus’ sacrifice

  • Isaiah 53; Luke 23:33-49; I Corinthians 11:23-34; 15:1-4; Hebrews 12:1-3

• Holy Spirit’s work

  • II Samuel 23:1-2; John 16:5-15; I Corinthians 2:10-13; Hebrews 2:1-4; II Peter 2:20-21

• Some facts about the Bible

  • John 20:30-31; Acts 8:28-35; 17:1-3; Galatians 1:6-9; II Timothy 3:14-15

• God’s design of the local church

  • Acts 4:32-35; I Corinthians 5:1-2; Philippians 4:15-16; Titus 1:5-11; Hebrews 10:25

• The truth about marriage

  • Genesis 2:18-25; Luke 16:18; I Corinthians 7:1-5; Ephesians 5:22-33; I Peter 3:1-7

• Judgment and eternity

  • Matthew 13:47-50; 25:31-46; Romans 8:18; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

• Speech, continued:

  • Using speech for good.
    • Proverbs 10:11, 21; 12:18; 15:1-2, 4, 7; 16:21-24; 20:15; 25:15; 25:5, 9; 28:23

• Righteousness

  • Righteousness brings blessings, wickedness brings trouble.

    • Proverbs 10:7, 16; 11:6-10; 12:21; 13:6, 21; 14:34; 15:6; 16:18; 20:7; 28:1; 29:6

    • Some of these proverbs were especially true in Old Covenant Israel, to whom God made some unique promises of provision and blessings. Otherwise, these are general truths, and there will be exceptions Psalms 73:1-28. These proverbs remind us that God’s way is the best way. Living righteously leads to a life on solid ground.

  • Righteousness in leadership

    • Proverbs 28:12, 28; 29:2; 31:8-9 – People rejoice when there is righteous leadership.

    • Romans 13:3-4 – Leaders are supposed to punish evil.