Higher Aim with Dr. Curt Dodd

If we want to be people God blesses, we must embrace and embody the characteristics described by Pail in First Thessalonians. Paul was writing to a church he had only spent about a month with, yet during that short time, he discipled them in a tremendous way. My prayer is that what we are studying will be more than information for you. It must become life-changing wisdom. Scripture tells us plainly how this church lived, what they believed, and what they were preparing for. So let's look at this passage together so we can learn from the church God loves.

Are you ready for Jesus to come back? Are you living your life in expectation of Christ's return? As we continue walking verse by verse through 1 Thessalonians, these are questions I want us to consider. We are going to focus on one verse, verse 10, and one defining characteristic of the church God loves, specifically as itrelates to the second coming of Jesus.

Thessaloniki was a city in Greece where Paul had a short ministry, but it was a powerful ministry. Even though Paul was only there for about a month, the Gospel stuck, and the church continued to thrive. Throughout this series, we have been studying the kind of church God loves. God loved this church because of how they lived and who they were. They brought God pleasure. They impacted their lives, their community, and the surrounding area, and Paul describes that church for us in 1 Thessalonians 1:6–10 so we can learn to emulate it.

As we have been studying “The Church God Loves,” we have already seen what kind of church captures God's heart. As we resume our study, there is something more to uncover. I want to remind you of Ron Popeil, the father of infomercials, who famously said, “But wait, there is more!” That phrase fits perfectly here. As we move forward in 1 Thessalonians, we uncover more phrases and beliefs we need to embody. As we look at them, we must ask ourselves, “Lord, am I that kind of person? Am I helping my church family become that kind of church?”

In today's key passage, Paul writes to a young church that had only existed for a few weeks before persecution began. Yet, even in the middle of opposition, this church remained strong and continued to grow. One of the themes that floats through these opening verses is “the church God loves.” I want to be part of a church that God loves. From Paul's writing, we see several key characteristics of a church that God loves.

Last year, as I sat on the ground against a stump during a hunting trip, reading from the Greek New Testament and taking notes on my phone, I suddenly looked up and realized a buck was standing just a few steps away from me, staring at me. It caught me completely off guard. I realized there are times when things will catch us off guard, and I pray that the book we are getting ready to study would catch you off guard in a good way and give you great joy.The Book of 1 Thessalonians is a powerful book, written around 51 A.D., and we are going to walk through it verse by verse and word by word. I believe God has a word for you today, and He wants to encourage you and speak to you at your deepest need.

Scripture tells us this tension should not surprise us. God is pouring out His Spirit in the last days, yet Scripture also says terrible and evil times will come. These realities are not contradictions; they are complementary. As believers, we must live in this tension, trust God to be God, and anchor our lives not in political systems or cultural movements, but in King Jesus. This brings us to Acts chapter 2, where we see a clear picture of whatthe church looks like when the Spirit of God is actively moving through the lives of believers.

Today I want to remind us why the church exists and how God designed it to function. God wants the church to grow, and He wants us to grow. He wants to use us to help other churches grow. His plan has always been to use the local church to reach the world for Christ. Our ministry together is not limited to one location; God has placed us here to impact the entire world. As we study the Book of Acts, we see that the early church was united, undivided, and completely centered on Jesus. They were hungry for the Word of God, devoted to fellowship, committed to prayer, and fully engaged in God's mission. Let's continue to study Acts 2 together so we can learn how to be like the early church.

There is nothing like praise and worship. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people. Worship is not a passive thing; it is an active function that is to be focused on the Lord Jesus and on Him alone. Worship is not about a praise team or a band. It is about the throne of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we continue our study of Acts chapter 2, we see powerful nuggets of truth that can be applied to our lives today. The last portion of Acts chapter 2 tells us what it means to be an Acts 2 believer and an Acts 2 church. One of the clearest lessons is this: God wants us to be the Church. The church is not a building; it is the “ekklesia,” the called-out ones. People are not looking for a relationship with a location; they are longing for God to give them what they need through people who are connected to Him and to each other.

When I was in seminary, I took a trip to New Mexico and decided to go snow skiing for the first time. I had all the right gear, looked like I knew what I was doing, and skipped the lessons, but as soon as a young student asked if I was the ski instructor, I fell flat on my face. I looked like I could ski, but I had no stability whatsoever. Today, I want to talk about developing stability in your life, balancing your life, using Acts 14 as our guide.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, He had a handful of faithful followers. Their interaction with the resurrected Lord changed them and totally rearranged them. Their lives would never be thesame again. Jesus does not want to be number one in your life; He wants to be your life. If you are wondering what New Testament Christianity looks like, go back to Acts chapter 2 and use this as an example. The Holy Spirit came for the first time to indwell believers, and the sound of a rushing wind drew the crowd. People from all over the world heard the Gospel proclaimed in their own language, thousands came to Christ, and it turned Jerusalem upside down.

We have been examining Simon Peter's sermon step by step, and Acts chapter 2 is quite a chapter. When the sound of the rushing wind got their attention, Simon Peter provided an answer. The followers of Jesus were publicly declaring Jesus in different languages. Acts says that Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and addressed the crowd, explaining what was happening and why. What a sermon, what a message, what a response, and what a beginning of the first church. The first church was a mega church of 3,000 people, and because they did not count women and children, some Bible scholars believe that the number who gave their lives to Christ was about 10,000. It was the beginning of a church that has continued to this day. Jesus said that the gates of hell will not stop the church. His kingdom will continue, and regardless of how people respond, God has a plan for humanity that centers on the Messiah. We need to be men and women who align our lives with Christ to become Acts chapter 2 believers.

We have been spending some time in Acts, unpacking Simon Peter's message at Pentecost. The Scripture tells us that he exhorted the people, and his words grabbed the hearts of the people and brought great conviction. Thousands came to Christ in this one event. Today, we are looking at verses 14–40, where the Bible is very clear about the essentials of what Simon Peter taught. If we are going to become Acts Chapter 2 believers, we need to learn how to share our faith, and we need to be Scripture saturated just as Simon Peter was.

We are spending some time in Acts Chapter 2. It is important for us to take all the time necessary to unpack what the Scripture says concerning what it means to be an Acts Chapter 2 believer and an Acts Chapter 2 church. This is the model we need to personally emulate, not only in our sharing of Christ but also in how we live. It affects how we look at our church and what we want our church to be in the future. Even in the middle of uncertainty, we can depend upon our Lord to remain stable. We cannot control anything: the weather, natural disasters, political climate, or our economy. However, we can be assured of one thing: Jesus is in charge, and He has a plan. That is why we must look at Acts 2 seriously, because it provides great guidelines.

Acts 2 is one of those foundational chapters in Scripture. It tells the story of Pentecost (the coming of the Holy Spirit) and reveals what it truly means to be an Acts 2 believer. We have already covered four characteristics, and today we add two more.

We are continuing our series called “Becoming an Acts Chapter 2 Believer.” As we pick up where we left off, we take one more step into studying what God's Word has for us and apply it in our lives. Acts 2 tells the powerful story of the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, when believers were gathered together in one place, waiting on the promise of God. This chapter reveals several key characteristics of what it really means to be an Acts 2 Believer. These principles help us align our lives with the Spirit of God, experience revival, and live in unity as the early church did.

You might have a great-looking car with leather seats and every feature imaginable, but if you don't have a battery, you're not going anywhere. Without power, you're stuck in the driveway. Many believers today live the same way, disconnected from the true power source. In Acts 2, we see the “Battery Chapter” of the New Testament. The Holy Spirit came and revolutionizedeverything. Pentecost was the moment when the church was born, and when God's power filled ordinary people to do extraordinary things. If we want to become Acts 2 believers, we must connect to that same power source. And that begins with one key principle.

We have been looking at the Seven Mile Walk to Emmaus, one of Jesus Christ's post-resurrection appearances. This Scripture passage provides great principles from the Word of God that teach us what we need to know for our spiritual lives. Luke 24:33–53 shows how the risen Christ revealed Himself to His followers, opened their understanding of Scripture, and commissioned them to share His message. This passage teaches us several powerful principles that shape how we live as believers today.

Today, we will take another step in the seven-mile walk of this post-resurrection appearance of Jesus in Luke 24. Jesus showed up and came alongside two of His followers who did not recognize Him initially. We will draw some principles from these 40 verses on what we need to know about navigating our lives.

In Luke Chapter 24, we see “The Walk to Emmaus,” a lengthy narrative that dovetails with many of the post-resurrection appearances. Jesus not only appeared to the women at the garden tomb, but He later appeared to His disciples. Multiple accounts show Him in bodily form over forty days. Without the resurrection, the cross has no validation. Because Jesus rose again, it validates what He did on the cross. As these two followers walked the seven miles from Jerusalem to Emmaus, they learned critical truths we also need to understand about Jesus.

If there was ever a story that could teach us how to navigate uncertainty, it is the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. The disciples experienced a week of unbelievable confusion and instability. Though Jesus warned them of His arrest, death, and resurrection, they did not understand. Easter caught them by surprise when it should have been expected. Many of us, like them, face uncertain times. But today's passage reminds us: we serve a risen Savior who guides us through life's unknowns.

Easter is the one day throughout all Christendom when millions will come to worship the Lord. Next to it is Palm Sunday, an often underrated Christian holiday. This is the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey. Many events happened during the week leading up to Easter. We could talk about the upper room, the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter's denial, or Pilate turning Jesus over to be flogged. But as I prayed through different passages for this message, I was drawn to Matthew 21. There is no better case study about making a commitment to Jesus than Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem. When we come to the Word of God, we are invited to make a commitment. Either we will be committed to Christ, or we will not be committed to Christ. There is no in-between.

Today we are talking about real life—the disconnect between what we want God to do in our lives and what is actually happening. Many of us wrestle with big issues: sexuality, addictions, wayward children, frustration in our relationships, and the reality that what we sing about on Sunday doesn't always match how we live at home. Too many believers become disappointed, step back, and give up. But the problem is not with God—it is with us. If you are a believer, you have turned from sin and placed your faith in Jesus, then the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. Yet many have not tapped into His power. You are trying to live the Christian life on yourown strength, and it isn't working. The Holy Spirit is not an “it.” He is a person, the third member of the Trinity, and He dwells within you to give you power. Today, we will look at what the Holy Spirit does both for unbelievers and for believers.

In this week's message, we are continuing our conversation around forgiveness, discussing the steps we can take to forgive those who have hurt us and seeing what we can learn from the life and teaching of Jesus about Christlike forgiveness.

The story in today's key passage of Scripture is a tough one. Forgiveness is always a tough subject in this broken world of ours. But as Jesus addresses this issue, He was being tougher on the person who withheld forgiveness than the person who committed the offense. Why would Jesus do that? That's what we're going to look at in today's message. As we do, we need to ask and answer three specific questions. We'll answer the first one today and then we'll dive into the other two next week.

As we continue our discussion on the names of God, we're going to look at two more names that reveal more of God's goodness and character to us. Let's dive in together.

In today's message, we are going to continue our study of the names of God. Specifically, we're going to talk about how God is our shepherd and how He takes care of us no matter what we're walking through. Let's dive in.

In this series called, “What's In a Name?” we are looking at the different names of God. We have already looked at 6 of the 12 names. Today, we will take another step and look at some morenames that will help us gain a better understanding of God. If there was ever a time when we need to understand who God is, it is now. Our world is so unstable with all kinds of thoughts, ideas, and philosophies around who God is. So as His followers, we need to be rooted in the character of God and what God reveals about Himself through His names.

In today's message, we are going to continue our discussion on the names of God and learn more about the character of the God we serve the names He is given in Scripture. Let's dive in.

In the midst of whatever you are going through today, you need to remember who God is. I know many people are going through difficult seasons in their lives. Although you might want God to immediately remedy that situation, you need to look to Him first. The reason you need to look to Him is that He is in charge. When we are oppressed, disappointed, and brokenhearted, healing begins when we understand who God is. When things come unraveled in our lives, and when fear seems to be the entree we are supposed to eat, we can find great peace in God. So with this in mind, let's continue in our series as we discuss the names of God and learn more about who He says He is.

As we begin this new series, we're going to study the different names of God. God wants us to see who He is and has allowed His character to be revealed specifically in 12 different names. Names are very, very important. God reveals Himself through His names. He reveals Himself through what He calls Himself. So we're going to get to learn a lot about God throughout this study as we break down each of His different names.

Matthew Chapter 26 reveals the unique story of the Alabaster Box. It is very important because God wants us to understand everything about Alabaster Giving. It is a different kind of giving style altogether. This event is mentioned in all four Gospels, and as Jesus said, wherever the gospel is preached, what she has done will be told in memory of her. Jesus gave and gave and gave—but this is one of the few times when someone gave to Him. So this is a story we can learn a lot from.

In Matthew 24, the disciples asked Jesus, “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (v. 3). Jesus responded by describing war, persecution, deception, and natural disasters. It sounds like front-page news! Every generation has believed they would see the return of Jesus, but no generation has seen the complete fulfillment of prophecy like ours. One of the most pressing issues of our time is terrorism. As believers, we cannot separate our faith from current realities. We must allow Scripture to speak into what we are experiencing and respond with a biblical worldview.

In recent events, our country has partnered with Israel to take a stand against the nuclear sites in Iran. President Trump ordered our B-2 bombers to drop bunker buster bombs into three nuclear sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. Some of our submarines followed up with Tomahawk missiles to destroy the nuclear enrichment sites. As believers, how will we interpret what is happening in our world? The Bible tells us what will happen in the days to come and gives us a set of glasses to interpret correctly what is happening presently. It is my responsibility to equip you to interpret today's events in light of God's overwhelming plan for the future. With that in mind, I want to explain to you why we are presently witnessing something I would call “Poking the Bear.”

I love today's key verse from Colossians, which says, “But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation.“ Do you know what that verse means? It means that all who have turned from their sin and placed their faith in Christ are given a spiritual position of being holy. God declares we are holy, and yet we don't always feel holy. Between now and when we see Jesus face to face, we will deal with this issue. God wants us to actually experience the power of holiness in our lives. In this message, we're going to look at exactly how we can do that.

Today, I want to talk to you about “The Power of Holiness.” For some people, that is not an exciting topic. You don't hear many messages on holiness. The word “holy” means “set apart for God.” As believers and as His children, we have been set apart for Him and Him alone. Deuteronomy says, “Do what is right and good in the Lord's sight, so that it may go well with you…” (Deut. 6:18). Everything we do, say, and post should be right and good. If it doesn't honor God, don't do it. That is the message. The problem is, our culture is at war with the Word of God. We've decided we can describe morality without religion. But Scripture calls us to be holy, even when it's hard.

We are in the second week of our series called “A Worshipping Church.” The first part of this series included some wonderful Scripture passages on worshiping. Today, we are going to focus on the practicality, application, and details of worshiping. Remember, worshipping is about experiencing the presence of God. We know if we have been in the presence of God because we have felt it and sensed His presence. It has nothing to do with volume or performance. It depends on whether Jesus is honored and glorified.

In this message, I want to talk to you about being a worshiping church. I want you to understand why this is so important for your life and the lives of people who God invites into His presence. Nothing is more important than engaging with the Lord. God brings people into our midst with various needs—relational, financial, spiritual, physical—and although I can't always preach a sermon that will address every need, I can invite us into the presence of God. We were created to know Him, to sense Him, and to walk with Him. God has called us to do this. The gateway to this spiritual encounter with the Lord Himself is to align ourselves in worship because that is where God lives. That is where He dwells and moves.

We do not come to worship just to go through the motions. We worship because we desperately need to have a fresh encounter with God. The world can go by, but we were made for communion with God. Unless we have that encounter, we will leave unfulfilled, empty, and hopeless. So, what keeps us from experiencing God? I believe it is shame. Shame is a silent killer of your spiritual progress. In this message, we're going to discuss the issue of breaking free from shame so we can worship freely and encounter God.

As we look at a famous passage in Romans, we will read, "In all things, God works for the good.” Is divorce good? No. Is being laid off a good thing? No. Is disease or illness a problem? Absolutely. Not all things are good, but even with the bad, God has a plan. We need to understand that there will be times when your body will fail you. No one gets out of this life alive. It is important that we have a good theology around this subject of healing. You're probably carrying burdens right now—maybe for yourself, maybe for someone you love. In the midst of those burdens, you need to understand what God has for you and what He plans to do, even in the middle of illness or disease.

Carrying burdens is part of the Christian life, and today I want to talk to you about being called to carry a burden. Sometimes, God places something heavy on our hearts, not to overwhelm us, but to invite us into partnership with Him through prayer. Let's look at how we can carry out the burdens we're called to carry in a way that glorifies God and grows our faith.

It is very important that we understand that the two women mentioned in today's key passage, Eunice (Timothy's mother) and Lois (Timothy's grandmother), made an unbelievable impact on his life. The same could be said for the Christian faith. We are never more than one generation away from losing the impact of Christianity upon our culture. That is why we must learn and celebrate passing our faith along. God wants us to make an impact on the lives of our children. Mothers, whether it is a grandmother or a mother, influence their children for the Kingdom of God.

We recently had the opportunity to do something incredible as a church—together, we gave over $250,000 to help build a brand- new orphanage in Mongolia. It wasn't about one person putting their name on the building. It was the body of Christ working together. That's how I believe God wants giving to take place—in secret, without applause or recognition, but in a way that brings Him glory. Jesus talks about this in Matthew 6:1-4. He says when you give, don't do it to be seen. Don't blow trumpets. Give in secret—and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. Let's talk about what it means to give like that by looking at four things we can apply from this passage.

I have some important questions for you to consider today: How do people meet the Lord? How do they get connected to Christ? The answer to these questions is the same: through you. God has chosen to use people like you and me to be His ambassadors. He wants us to be heaven connections. In John's gospel, we discover four types of connections that can lead people to Christ. Let's look at those together now.

When we look at Scripture, we see that Jesus' death and resurrection drastically impacted the disciples' lives. But the life change didn't stop with the disciples. The gospel of Jesus has been changing lives ever since the day Jesus rose from the dead. And as followers of Jesus, we can experience the same kind of life change that the disciples experienced all those years ago. Today, we're going to look at six specific ways that the disciples' lives changed because of the resurrection, and as a result, we can be encouraged and challenged by the fact that our lives can be changed in the exact same ways.

Nothing is more important for our lives than to be in the center of God's will. The Lord wants His will to be accomplished in your life. But for this to happen, your will must be surrendered to Him. This is what it looks like to be in the zone spiritually. So if you want to make sure you're living in the zone with God, there are a few truths you need to embrace.

As we look at Scripture, we'll see that it gives us guidance on complete security. Specifically, in 1 John, we find seven questions that we need to ask ourselves as believers. This book of the Bible was written by John centuries ago, but even then it still speaks to us. Let's look at these seven questions together.

If you look at the entire book of 1 John, you'll see very clearly the characteristics of someone who is a child of God. When you have given your life to Christ and surrendered your life to Him, I believe there are seven characteristics that will be true of you. In today's message, we're going to discuss these seven characteristics in depth.

As we continue our conversation around what we believe as followers of Jesus, we are going to reiterate some very important truths today. We're going to look at why we believe what we believe surrounding communion and baptism and how these are symbols in our faith walk, but not the things that actually save us. Let's dive in together.

We are in week three of our series entitled, “What We Believe.” In this series, we're discussing just that: what we believe. We're diving into Scripture and making sure we have a clear understanding of our beliefs and our faith so that we are prepared to give a reason regarding the hope that is in us, as Peter says in his first epistle. Today, we're going to continue this conversation by discussing what we believe about salvation and church membership. Let's dive in together.

Living a life fully committed to Christ requires that you know what you believe. Last week, we began a series talking about what we believe as Christians and why we believe it. Today, we're going to continue that discussion, so let's dive in.