The Master‘s Class, LifeChange Church Wichita

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD (Acts 1:9-11) Today's message does not have the great theological Bible truths of the last several weeks, but it does have some good Bible history.  Our message today is somewhat workman like in that it talks about what the disciples did while they waited on the comforter that Jesus had promised them.  Today, we talk about the characteristics of the disciples, and then we discover that Peter is still just as impulsive as he has always been as he tries to lead the group in choosing a replacement for Judas.  And then lastly, we will set the stage for our discussion next week on the events of Pentecost.   The Bible tells us that the Old Testament Feast of Pentecost represents something—that is, it is the fulfillment of something.  The Feast of the Pentecost has been fulfilled in the birth of the church.  Pentecost was to depict the beginning and origin of the church. It spoke of the coming of the Holy Spirit in the very particular ministry of calling a people out of this world to form the body of Christ, which is the church. Five minutes before the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost there was no church. Five minutes after the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost there was a church. In other words, what Bethlehem was to the birth of Christ, Jerusalem, on the Day of Pentecost, was to the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Click on the play button to hear a message on how it was at Pentecost that The Holy Spirit became incarnate. He began to baptize believers, which means that the Holy Spirit identified them with Christ as His body here on this earth. As believers, we are a part of that fulfillment today.  Our purpose on this earth today is to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us to gather all of the members of that great body of the church.  Jesus is coming again to gather that church up as His bride.  Our mission is to spread the gospel of Christ to the uttermost parts of the world.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE ASCENSION OF OUR LORD (Acts 1:9-11) Our message today is about the ascension of our Lord into Heaven.  Without a doubt, it is significant to our faith that Jesus is alive and working for us today.  Jesus did not just go off into heaven and leave us never to be heard from again.  He has provided us with a perfect, complete, salvation.  He is our great High Priest in the Holy Tabernacle in Heaven, He is our paraclete, our advocate, before the Father.  And He has promised to return for us.   Jesus is alive.  Jesus is working for us, and Jesus is coming back.  These are some of the things that distinguish our faith from all other religions.  These are the things that we base our hope on. You do not place your confidence in a mere man when you place your confidence in Jesus; you place your confidence in the God-man.  Because He is a man, He can sympathize with you and is able to meet your needs.  He is a royal priest.  He is a righteous priest.  He is a peace-promoting priest.  He is also a personal priest—He is for you personally.  He didn't inherit the office; that is, He didn't come in the line of Aaron.  He is an eternal priest.  If the work of Jesus Christ had ended with His death, burial and resurrection, then our salvation would be incomplete.  It is because Jesus is alive today and has ascended into heaven that He is our eternal and perfect High Priest.  It is because Jesus is living today and has ascended to heaven that our salvation was completed.  It is because Jesus is living today and has ascended to heaven that our salvation is being completed today.  It is because Jesus is living today and has ascended to heaven that our salvation will be completed in the future when the Lord gives us our glorified bodies.   We don't often hear messages preached on the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Rightfully so, the evangelistic message of the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord is talked about more frequently.  But the ascension of our Lord represents the hope and promise of the believer.  As a believer my Lord is alive, He is my advocate, and He is coming again for me.   This is the message we need to proclaim.  It is because we have the hope, the confident expectation, the promise, of the return of our Lord that we should feel the urgent need to proclaim the gospel message to a lost world.   Click on the play button to hear a message on what the Ascension of Jesus Christ means to you as a follower of Christ. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THAT OLD-TIME RELIGION (Acts 1:1-9) The book of Acts is a wonderful, wonderful, book, and we are going to be looking at this book for quite a while. As a matter of fact, I got to thinking about a title for this particular study and I came up with “That Old-Time Religion.” Now, the reason that I want to call it “That Old-Time Religion” is that we need to take a look back, so that we might really face the future. And it is very important that we do this today, because it is the Old-Time Religion that needs to be the New-Time Religion. The book of Acts tells a very impressive story of what happened in the first century when the church was created.  The book of Acts is the story of success. It is the story of a church triumphant. Really, it is the story of a small group of unlettered, uncultured people with meager resources, very little money, no prestige, no colleges, no seminaries, no radio or television, no internet, Google didn't exist, there were no printing presses, and no magnificent buildings in which to draw people in.  All they had was a small group of people who went out to tell the story of a publicly executed Jew.  They went out against great obstacles.  They faced the imperial might of Rome, the intellectual sophistication of Greece, the religious bigotry of that day, and they turned that world inside out, and upside down, for Jesus Christ. They did so much with so little.  Today, we do so little with so much.  Therefore, I believe we need to go back and see what they did, and how they did it. And for that reason, we are going to be studying the Book of Acts, which is the story of a church on fire with evangelism and growth, and I believe it can become our pattern for today. And I want God to burn the message into your heart. Click on the play button to hear a message on what Jesus can accomplish through you, if you let Him.  Do you want this year to be a great year? Then recognize His presence in you, receive His promise to you, and respond to His program through you. Our prayer, today, should be “Father, I pray, in the name of Jesus, that You would make me a greater soul winner. And Lord, help me to recognize that, in the truest sense, You are the one who draws those people to Yourself as You inhabit my humanity and display Your deity. In Jesus' name. Amen.” This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF ACTS (Acts 1:1-8) Today, we begin our study of the book of Acts.  The KJV lists the title of this book as “THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.”  Of course, the titles of the books in our Bibles are not inspired, they were inserted by the translators, so there will be differences based on the translation, although this, and the “THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT,” are the two that you will generally see.  But to me, a title that would more accurately describe the book is “The Lord Jesus Christ at Work by the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.”  The reason I like that title is this book is, first and foremost, about the work of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, to establish the New Testament church, in order to call out a body of believers, whose mission would be to spread the Gospel message to the uttermost parts of the earth.   The Book of Acts, which is sometimes called the fifth Gospel, is a continuation of the Gospel of Luke.  Luke is the writer, and it was written in about the year 60 A.D.  The Book of Acts is remarkable in many ways, for it is a bridge between the Gospels and the Epistles. The New Testament without the Book of Acts leaves a great hole that needs to be filled.   The Book of Acts furnishes a ladder on which to place the Epistles.  It is something that allows us to climb from the gospels into the Epistles.  For the book of Acts gives the history of the founding of the churches to which the Epistles are directed. The book of Genesis records the origin of the spiritual body, and the book of Acts records the origin of the church.   Click on the play button to hear a message on the special features of this wonderful book.  It speaks of the prominence of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is prominent. He is at work from the vantage place of heaven itself.  And it also speaks on the Prominence of the Holy Spirit. Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit. You and I are living in the age of the Holy Spirit. The great fact of this age is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in believers. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

CHRISTIAN SOLDIER (EPHESIANS 6:10-24) In almost every century since the creation of man, people have been concerned about war.  In fact, if you were to go to Google, that bastion of “so-called” truth, and ask the question, has there ever been a time of total peace on the earth?  You get different answers, but the bottom line is, since man was thrown out of the Garden of Eden, there has been little or no times of complete peace on earth.  The Bible, the inerrant Word of God, tells us that in the end days, that we are living in today, there will be wars, and rumors of wars.  It also says that we will have to wait for the Millennial Kingdom of Christ for there to total peace on earth.   So, with good reason, everybody today is worried about war. They're asking, what is happening between Israel and Hamas? What does the Russian invasion of Ukraine mean to us? What about Iran getting a nuclear bomb?  What about the president's efforts to stop these wars?  Does it mean that America will be forced to go to war?   What many Americans do not realize is that we are already at war. It is an invisible war, an unseen war.  It is a continuing war between light and darkness, between good and evil, between heaven and hell, between Christ and Antichrist, between God and Satan, and between the church and the world. There is a war, an invisible war, and Satan is our adversary. And he, like a cornered animal that has been wounded and frightened, is letting loose with everything that he has in these last days. And you cannot afford to be ignorant of this war, for to be ignorant is to be unprepared. You cannot afford to try to be neutral, for those who do that, will suffer the most.  Click on the play button to hear a message that is a call to arms. The church is not a showboat; it is a battleship. And we need to learn this morning some truths about being a Christian Soldier in the war against Satan's darkness and evil.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

LORD OF ALL OUR WORK (EPHESIANS 6:5-8) Let me ask you an important question about your relationship with Jesus Christ.  Is Jesus Christ the Lord of all of your life?  Is He the Lord of all of your wealth?  Is He the Lord of all of your worship, is He the Lord of all your family, and is He the Lord of all your work?  This is an important question for us today, because if Jesus is not Lord of all of your life, then He is not Lord at all.  Jesus will not be Lord over a divided kingdom that is your life.  He will not share His throne with Satan. Today, Paul writes to us about making Jesus Christ the Lord of All of Our Work. Now, most of the people who are listening to me, who are adults, have a job. You are employed.  Either in a secular job, or a spiritual job.  You see, even for those who have retired from their secular job, they still have a role, or a job, assigned to them by God.  There is no retirement in the service of the Lord.  If you are still breathing, then God has a job for you. Let me ask you, is your job, that you spend a third of your life at, really meaningful to you, or is it just something that is necessary, and perhaps very boring?  How would you like to have that boredom changed to blessing? How would you like to have that drudgery turned to delight? How would you like to have that monotony turned into something that is momentous, and exhilarating, and thrilling, and meaningful?  You might say, in order for me to do that, then I would surely have to change jobs.  Maybe not. I want to show you today how you can take your job, no matter what it is, if it is not immoral, and translate it from the secular to the savory; and how your job can become a ministry, how your job can become the temple of your devotion and the lampstand for your witness. I believe that is exactly what the Apostle Paul is talking about here when He is talking about slaves serving their masters for the glory of God. It is an important Biblical truth that God chooses ordinary people, gives them supernatural power, and does extraordinary things through ordinary people.  But listen. Here is the secret. God does extraordinary things with ordinary people in ordinary places.  Click on the play button to hear a message on how you should see your job, whatever your job is.  As a partnership with God.  As a service to yourself, and service to others, and as the lampstand of your devotion. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

TEACHING CHILDREN TO LOVE GOD (EPHESIANS 6:1-4) Today's message is going to be about how to raise children in way that they learn to love God. Now, there are many who would say that the principles of child raising that we find in the Bible, will seem old fashioned, and are not to be used in our so-called “enlightened day.”  But, in my humble opinion, what is wrong with our society today is that we have left the principles of raising children found in the Bible, and listened to the Dr. Spocks of the world.  The truths of the words found in the Bible are as relative, and as needed, in our day as never before.   A nation is no stronger than its home; and when children refuse to obey their parents, they are fulfilling the prophecy that says the last days will be perilous times. And any nation is in grave peril whose children are disobedient to their parents; and, therefore, it is no wonder that America is certainly in bad shape. Today, the Scriptures that we will cover will be speaking directly to the fathers.  But, let me tell you that most of these concepts that we will talk about today apply to the mother as well.  Both parents need to be in agreement in how they raise their children.  So dads, may I tell you that your most important task is being a husband and a father.  It is not being a church leader, not being a businessman, but your most important task is being a husband and a father.  The Bible says that every father owes to his children three things: He owes to his children devotion. He owes to his children discipline. And he owes to his children direction.  May God help us so that we will take our children and give to them these things that we need to give them: number one, devotion—don't provoke them to wrath; number two, discipline—bring them up in the nurture of the Lord; number three: admonition—teach them the Word of God. Click on the play button to hear a message on what the Bible says about how to teach children to love God. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

HOW TO MAXIMIZE YOUR MARRIAGE (EPHESIANS 5:21-33) In today's message, we will be looking at what the Bible tells us about marriage.  About the kind of marriage that God wants us to have.  The kind of marriage that He has planned for His Church, and the kind of marriage where both the husband and wife maximize their love for God, and then through God, their love for each other.  I know that when I teach on the home, I am really getting down to where the action is, because if you live for Jesus at home, and in your home, then you can live for Jesus anywhere, amen? And, if it won't work at home, then it just won't work anywhere. Above all earthly relationships, before business, before your father and mother, and even before children, a man should love his wife, and a wife should love her husband.. The relationship between husband and wife is compared to the relationship of Christ and the Church. That is, the highest of all spiritual relationships and the highest of all human relationships is not mother and child, but husband and wife. Mark 10:7-8 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. KJV You see, as Christ loved the Church, a man is to love his wife. He is to love her supremely. And, if we had those kinds of homes, things would be different in this country—wives who are faithful followers, husbands who are loving leaders. Our Lord loves us so much that He wants all of us to have three happy homes. The first happy home that God wants you to have is your family home. The second happy home that God wants you to have is a church home. The third happy home that God wants you to have is a heavenly home. And all three are centered in the Lord Jesus Christ. You won't have a happy family home without Jesus; you are not going to have a happy church home without Jesus; and you are not going to have a heavenly home without Jesus. And if you don't have Jesus, then you've missed it.  Click on the play button to hear a message on how to maximize your love for God, and through God, maximize your love for each other.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE IRONCLAD GUARANTEE OF THE GOSPEL (1 Corinthians 15:1-8) Today, on this Easter Sunday morning, I want to talk to you about The Ironclad Guarantee of The Gospel.  Easter is not about bunnies, and baskets, and baked hams.  Easter is about the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am not saying that we cannot celebrate Easter with candy and easter egg hunts.  To this day, as old as we are, my wife loves to hide eggs for our grown kids and grandchildren.  I feel the same way about celebrating Christmas with Santa Clause and presents.  However, I am saying that when we do celebrate these very special religious holidays, we need to remember, and make it a priority, to celebrate the real reason for the season, the birth, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. One of the great and wonderful things about a study of the gospels is that every sermon that Jesus gave, every parable that Jesus used, every miracle that Jesus performed, and every teaching moment that Jesus had with His disciples, was pointing toward the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This is the reason that Jesus stepped out of the throne room of God and became God incarnate in man.  The Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit had planned this event from the foundation of the world.  And this is the culmination of that plan. The death, burial, and resurrection, of our Lord form the foundation of our faith.  It is imperative that each of us understand the importance these events have on our salvation.  For without the death and burial of Jesus Christ, our sins would not be forgiven; And without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, death and sin would not be conquered, we would not have eternal life with God, and we would not have Jesus Christ as our High Priest sitting on the right hand of God.   The amazing love and power of the one true God is on display in these events as nowhere else in the Bible.  Forget, the splitting of the Red Sea, the daily miracles displayed by Jesus as he walked on this earth, or Jonah being swallowed by the whale.  When God sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins, and then displayed His awesome power in the resurrection of His Son, just so that we might be able to live with Him forever, that was an act of true love and power.  Nobody has ever, or will ever, love you like God loves you. Click on the play button below to hear a message on the ironclad guarantee of the gospel message of Jesus Christ. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

HOW TO BE THANKFUL IN TOUGH TIMES (EPHESIANS 5:20) In my opinion, today's lesson is about the hardest commandment in all of the Bible to keep and to obey.  Yet, we are going to read about a commandment that if we do obey it, it will bring perhaps the biggest blessing of all. And here it is: Eph 5:20 20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; KJV It would be relatively simple if that scripture said, “Giving thanks always,” because there is always something that we can be thankful for.  For example, breathing, or our heart beating, or the sun rising.  But it says, “Giving thanks always for all things.”  Notice the words, “all things.”  The hard part of this commandment is, what do you do when you don't feel thankful?  How can you be thankful when you are faced with the tragedies and trials of life? Basically, there are four levels of life when it comes to being thankful. First of all, there are some people who are not thankful for anything.  They are constantly complaining, constantly bickering, constantly griping, and we have all been around that kind of person. A little bit higher than that are people who just simply are filled with ingratitude. They just don't give thanks. They may not grumble all the time, but they are basically ungrateful people. They are like a hog under a tree eating acorns off the ground, never looking up to see where they came from. And many of us just consume the blessings of God without looking up to thank Him. Next, there's a third level. It's a little higher than that, and these are the ones who are thankful for obvious blessings when they come. If it's an obvious blessing for health, for prosperity, for friends, for family, for church, we thank God. And that is good; we ought to do that. But the highest level of thanksgiving, and the one I want to talk about today, is giving thanks always, for all things, no matter what—continual, perpetual, thanksgiving unto God. Now, that is a wonderful principle, and I am saying that it will transform your life from monotonous to momentous. Click on the play button to hear a message on how you can be thankful to God even in the tough times, even when the trials you are facing are terrible.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

HOW TO HAVE A SPIRIT FILLED LIFE (EPHESIANS 5:18) I want you to imagine a man who buys a car.  Now, this man has never owned a car before, and he doesn't understand anything about a car. But finally, he gets enough money to buy a brand-new car. And so, he is very happy with this car. He shows it off to his friends. He shows them the beautiful paint job. He shows them the soft upholstery. He has them sit in the car and listen to the stereo music.  He shows them all of the amenities of this car.  But there is one thing he doesn't understand about it: he doesn't understand that it has an engine in it.  And so, everywhere he goes, he has to push it. Now, every so often, he is going downhill so he can get in and coast, but that doesn't thrill him too much because he knows he is going to have to push it up the next hill. And this car that is supposed to be a blessing to him has become a burden to him. And rather than it carrying him, he is pushing it. He is very proud of it, very grateful to have it—most of the time. But sometimes he wishes he didn't have it at all. And then, somebody says to him, “You know, there is something you don't understand about this car,” and they show him a thing called the ignition button on the dash, and they say, “Push that button right there.” And he pushes it and hears this surge of power. He says, “What is that?” “Well, that is the engine. That is the motor. Now put it in drive, and push that pedal down there.” And when he does, it roars away in a surge of power. And he says, “Wow, this is wonderful! This is glorious! Why didn't somebody tell me this sooner?” You say, “Now, bro. Keith, really, that is kind of dumb. I mean, that is a stupid story. Nobody could be that dumb.” And you're right, unless it is the Christian who does not understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  Now, when God saved you, God gave you a faith with an engine in it. And there are many people who are pushing their faith, rather than letting their faith carry them. And the faith—the salvation—that was meant to be a blessing, has almost become a burden to them. And they're grateful they're saved, but secretly, they think, “This being a Christian is such a difficult thing to do.” Well, today, I want us to discover the ignition button to this thing called Christianity. Click on the play button to hear a message on how the Bible teaches clearly that being filled with the Holy Spirit is a requirement for living a victorious Christian life.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE OPPORTUNITY OF TIME (EPHESIANS 5:13-18) The word “opportunity” implies there are things to lose or gain, and that is what our lesson is about today, “The Opportunity of Time.” Paul writes, “Redeeming the time,” which speaks of the days, the hours, and the minutes.  But, more than that, it really speaks of the opportunities that we have.  Because, you need to see time, not just as something that is passing, but you need to see time as an incredible opportunity. And when you are redeeming time, what you are really redeeming is opportunity. God has provided for you an opportunity. It is God who is the creator of time. God's great gift to you, number one is Jesus, and number two is time. God has given you time to work, time to serve, time to love, time to laugh, time to labor. But, like any gift, how you use it, is really up to you. And we need to see every day, this day and every day, as a gift from God.  Time is something that God gave you today, and God will give you tomorrow. It is not something that you own. God is the creator, the possessor, of time.  Therefore, I am a steward of the time that God has given me. And one day I will have to answer to God for what I did with this day, and every day, that God has given me. Twenty-four hours in the day, 1,440 minutes in the day, 86,000 seconds in the day—and every one of them is a precious gift from God.  I want to show you from God's Word how to take time, and use time, and maximize your time for God's glory, as we face the road ahead.  Click on the play button to hear a message on how to live in the eternal now. Cut yourself loose from yesterday. Last year, with its heartaches and its failures, is gone. Forget those things which are behind. Confess them to the Lord, and bury them in the grave of God's forgetfulness. Tomorrow is a time nowhere but on the fool's calendar. Stop saying, “If I had the time …” You do have the time; use it. And if you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, the Bible says, “Behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:2) Now is the time to be saved. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

TAKE A WALK WITH GOD (EPHESIANS 5:1-17) Is that something that you want in your life, to walk with God, step-by-step every day?  That is what Paul is writing about in these verses. Paul says that we are to “walk worthy.”  Worthy of the work that the Lord has given us the spiritual gifts to accomplish.  Paul tells us not to walk as an unbeliever does, “in the vanity of their mind.”  The word “vanity” as it used here means the emptiness and futility, of human life without God. Paul says that we are to “walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us,” we are to “walk as children of light,” and we are to “walk circumspectly.”  We are to walk worthy, in love, in light, and circumspectly.  Simple, but hard words to accomplish in our lives apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. Man has learned to fly through the air in his airplanes like a bird. He has learned to swim through the sea in his submarines like a fish. But he has yet learned how to walk on earth like a man, like God wanted him to walk. The Christian life, being saved, is described in the Bible, and characterized, and illustrated, as a walk. The Bible says that the Lord Jesus Christ died for us, and He gave us an example that we should “walk … as he walked.” (1 John 2:6) And the Bible also says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him.” (Colossians 2:6) Why does the Bible describe the Christian life as a walk? Because it is lived one step at a time. We receive Jesus Christ by faith, and so we walk one step at a time by faith. Step-by-step-by-step we serve the Lord, walking in sunlight. We are to walk one step at a time with our Lord Jesus Christ. The thing that is going to impress the lost people of this city is not the preaching in our churches.  It is going to be the way you walk this Monday morning.  It is your walk that will make the difference. You see, talk is cheap. We are not talking about talk; we are talking about walk. We are to walk as Jesus walks. And when there is a church full of people—who are holy in character, holy in conversation, and holy in conduct, the city is going to look around and say, “Jesus Christ is real.”  May I submit to you that the greatest argument for Christianity, and the greatest argument against Christianity, is the life of a Christian. The thing that will put the lie to what I am saying quicker than anything else is for me not to walk as Jesus Christ walked. The thing that will put the yea and amen, and the truth and the seal of God, upon what I am saying more than anything else is for you to walk in holiness.  Click on the play button to hear a message on how to take a walk with God. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

FINDING FREEDOM IN FORGIVENESS (EPHESIANS 4:31-32) The overall theme of Paul's message to the believers at Ephesus is about the power that is found when the church is unified in purpose and love.  In the local church there is to be unity, but most of all in the body of Christ, the body of true believers, there is great power and comfort in unity.  Both for the overall body, and the individual believer.   There are two problems that do great psychological, emotional, and spiritual damage to anyone, and perhaps to you.  One is guilt, and the other is bitterness. Guilt imprisons us; bitterness poisons us. Forgiveness is the answer both to bitterness and to guilt. Guilt is the result of something we have done wrong. Bitterness is our reaction to someone else's wrong, or our perception that someone else has wronged us. They both have us in a prison, and it is forgiveness—hallelujah—that sets the prisoner free from guilt, or from bitterness. God's forgiveness of us sets us free from the prison of guilt, and our forgiveness of others sets us free from the prison of bitterness.  In the message today, Paul is telling us that when you forgive someone, truly forgive them from your heart, you set two people free.  One, the person that you have forgiven, and the other is yourself.  Now, “to forgive” actually means “to pay a debt.”  You see, there are no bargain pardons. That is the reason our Lord taught us to pray in the Model Prayer: “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” (Matthew 6:12) Sin is a debt that we owe. We have sinned against heaven, against the kingdom. We have been sued for damages, and it is a debt that we cannot pay. But God, in mercy and in love, has forgiven us and paid that debt. You see, there are no free pardons. When somebody is forgiven, somebody else has paid. For example, if someone owes me a thousand dollars, and that person says, “Keith, I can't pay,” and I say, “All right, I forgive you,” the moment I say that, it cost me what? A thousand dollars. You see, to forgive is to actually pay the debt. The word “forgive” comes from a root word that literally means “to bear the burden.” Now, if that is true, and it is, then let me ask, when our Lord forgives us, does He pay a price? Paul says that the answer to that question is, yes, the Lord does pay a price when He forgives us.  Out of the riches of His grace, He paid the debt Himself and, therefore, cancelled that debt. That is the reason we call salvation “grace”—G-R-A-C-E: “God's Riches At Christ's Expense.” Click on the play button to hear a message on the freedom that we can find in forgiveness. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

HOW TO BREAK SATAN'S STRONGHOLDS IN YOUR LIFE (EPHESIANS 4:22-31) In last week's message, we talked about what a difference God makes in the life of a true follower of Christ.  We contrasted a life without God, to a life full of God's grace and power.  Yet, there are many believers who might say that they don't feel all that different, that God is not working fully in their lives.  The Bible tells us that the reason for this is that we allow Satan to have strongholds in our lives.  If we want to experience the full measure of God's grace and power in our lives, then we must remove the strongholds in our lives that Satan has dug in, and fortified, and is using to defeat us.   It is a tragic fact that there are many believers who get strongholds in their lives.  And I believe that there are many people, who are listening to me today, who have in their heart, and in their mind, and in their life, a satanic stronghold.  The tragedy of this is that not only is it harming them and wrecking their spiritual life, but they also, themselves, are contaminating the life of their family and the life of their church, because the devil has found an unclean place in that person, and the devil has made a campground, a foul nest, a beachhead, a citadel, a stronghold, there. And he uses that stronghold to war against God and against the work of God. You are never going to cease grieving the Holy Spirit, you are never going to expunge Satan and get him out of your life, until you take these three steps: repentance, resistance, and renewal. Click on the play button to hear a message on what these three steps are, and how to apply them to your life.  How you shouldn't try to repent until you are honest and face your sin. Don't try to resist until you've repented. And don't try to be filled until you resist—until you choose against Satan and yield to God's blessed Holy Spirit. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE GOD MAKES (EPHESIANS 4:17-27) The Bible teaches us that the behavior of a true Christ follower is to be radically different from that of the person who does not know Christ as their Lord and Savior.  That difference is God.  That difference is the light, the strength, the presence, the comfort, and the wisdom, among many other things, that God provides to His children, to those who call Jesus Christ, Lord of their lives.   In our message today, Paul reminds us of the blindness of lost people.  He reminds us that no follower of Christ should let such earthly minded, secular, and lost, people influence what they believe, or how they behave.  People who are outside of Christ simply cannot think straight on moral and spiritual issues. They may articulate the issues, but they leave out the spiritual dimensions because they are blind to them. Therefore, they cannot come to any true conclusions Man was created to be inhabited by God. God intended for the human spirit to be inhabited by the Holy Spirit. The indwelling Holy Spirit was to enlighten the intellect, elevate the emotions, and energize the will.  As a result, the life of man would express, in human terms, the life of God. The fall ruined all that. Sin entered and the Holy Spirit left. Without the life of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the natural man is spiritually dead, “alienated from the life of God.” The genius of the gospel is that when we accept Christ as Savior, we are cleansed by His blood and regenerated by His Spirit. The Holy Spirit takes up residence in the human spirit, making it possible for the saved person to have fellowship with God.  They can now cooperate with the Holy Spirit, and begin to live the kind of life that God intended man to live—a life governed by the Spirit of God.  The understanding of unsaved people is darkened because they are cut off from the life of God.  Their spirit is empty, and darkened, because the Holy Spirit does not live within their spirit.  As a result, they are ignorant of the things of God.  This is the cause of their deep-seated, inner blindness. It is a vicious circle. The darkness is self-perpetuating. The lost move from darkness to darkness in darkness. Click on the play button to hear a message on the dramatic, radical, difference God can make in your life. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

TO BE FAITHFUL IN MINISTRY (EPHESIANS 4:7-16) In today's lesson we are going to talk about how you can be faithful in your work for God, in whatever ministry God has chosen for you to do.  God has a purpose for you in this world, and the Bible promises that God will give you the power, the spiritual gifts, that you need to accomplish that purpose.   Charles Spurgeon, one of the greatest, and most influential, Baptist preachers that has ever lived, told a story one time. He told of a woman who had been a member of his congregation.  This woman was very poor, and she lived in what they called “the poor house” in those days. And Spurgeon went to visit her to give her some comfort and some help. And when he was there in her room, he looked up on the wall, and there he saw framed a certificate, a piece of paper, and it was a legal document. And so, he went over and read it. And it was a document transferring great wealth to this woman. She didn't know what it was. She had framed it and put it on her wall. What had happened is this: that she had served as a nurse and had taken care of an elderly man, and when he died, he left her his estate.  But, she couldn't read so she didn't know what it was. She was untaught, unlearned. When, finally, the bank learned about it, they said, “We wondered who the old gentlemen left his estate to.” When the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, He left you an incredible giftedness.  And it may be that you have not yet discovered what you have in the Lord Jesus.  So, I want to talk to you today about your spiritual gift. Could it be that you have it framed as a motto on the wall, rather than having carried it to the bank to cash it and use it? Or could it be that you have left your gift under the tree, wrapped and unopened and, therefore, unappreciated? When God saved you, God saved you by His grace, but God did not save you to sit, soak, and sour; God saved you to serve. And you are saved by grace, and you serve by grace.  You are a gifted child of God. Click on the play button to hear a message on how you can learn what your spiritual gift is, and how you can develop and display your gift.  If you are a born-again believer, then you are a person who has been gifted by grace, This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

TO KNOW ABOUT GOD BY HIS NAME (EPHESIANS 4:6) Today, I want to spend the entire message talking about God.  I just happen to believe that God is the biggest subject that we can talk about, at any time, as we study the Word of God.  And the amazing thing to consider is that there is so much in the Bible about God, that to talk about God for 45 minutes today would be like trying to bail out an ocean with a teacup.  We will only scratch the surface.   But there are some things that we can know about God, and we can know God without knowing everything about God.  You also don't have to know all that the Heavenly Father does when He administrates the universe in order to know God. And so, we can find out some things about God by objective observation, but we can really only know the heart of God, the goodness of God, by revelation. And how do we know the goodness of God? And what kind of a revelation has God given of Himself? Certainly, the Bible is the most complete way that God has revealed Himself to us.  But, did you know that one of the greatest revelations that God has given of Himself are the names of God. The Bible says, in (Psalm 9:10) “And they that know thy name shall put their trust in thee …”  This tells us that to know the names of God is a great thing.  So, today, I'm going to give you the names of God. Now, not all of the names of God, but I have selected some of them.   Click on the play button to hear a message on how God reveals Himself to us by His names. He is the God of strength, “Elohim.” He is the God of sovereignty, “Jehovah.” He is the God of superiority, “Adonai.” He is the God of sufficiency, “El Shaddai.” He is the God of supremacy, “El Elyon.” He is the God of stability, “El Olam.” He is the God of sympathy, “El Roi.” All of these names are wrapped up in one sweet name, Jesus. There is one God and Father who is above all—that is the greatness of God. And through all—that is the goodness of God. And in us all—that is the grace of God. And it is all summed up in one person—and that's Jesus. Now, you'll never know the Father, until you receive the Son.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

FAITH WITH LEGS ON IT (EPHESIANS 4:1-6) The Bible says that we are called to a vocation, and that vocation is “a worthy walk.' We are called to walk worthy. That is, our faith is to have legs on it. It is not enough just to simply be seated with the Lord Jesus Christ in the heavenlies. That is our faith, but we are called to have a faith with legs on it, or what the Holy Spirit calls “a worthy walk.” The Christian life begins with resting. The very first thing that you need to do in order to be saved is to quit trying and start trusting.  To quit your struggling.  To quit trying to be good by doing.  Christianity is not spelled “d-o.”; it is spelled “d-o-n-e.”  The work of salvation is already finished.  When God created the world, God worked for six days, and God rested on the seventh day.  Not because He was tired, but because His work was completed.  But man was created on the sixth day, and man's first day was a day of rest. God worked and then rested, God completed His work, that man might rest and then work.  Man starts by resting, and then he works. God works and then rests, that man might rest and then work.  When Jesus Christ died upon the cross, He bowed His head and He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). And you and I, by faith, enter into the finished work of Calvary. I don't try to be saved by living a good life, keeping the Ten Commandments, getting baptized, going to church, and all of those things. They are all good, and they all have their place.  But, those things are works, and works cannot save. The only thing that saves us is when we by faith appropriate the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, first of all, the Christian life begins with sitting, resting in the completed work of Salvation of our Lord Jesus.  But then, after we have come to the faith rest, then, there is the practical outworking, where we start to walk. We are not told to leap. We are not told to run. We are not told to drift. But we are called to walk. Click on the play button to hear a message on how a Christian is to live a life of faith, facing our day-to-day problems and trials, by walking one step at a time.  Walking with our eyes on Christ one step at a time. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

HOW TO PRAY FOR OUR LOVED ONES (EPHESIANS 3:8-21) Today's message is going to help us learn about intercession.  If you have loved ones, then certainly you want to learn the art of intercession, or prayer.  Let me tell you that I will use those two words, prayer and intercede, interchangeably.  Because that is what we are doing when we pray for somebody, we are interceding for them with God.  We are praying to God for them.    There is nothing we can do for our friends, our children, our parents, our fellow members of the church, and even people we do not know personally, that is any nobler, any higher, any more wonderful, or any more effective, than to learn how to pray for them, how to intercede for them.  As I was studying this week, there was a thought that hit me. It was so staggering that it almost consumed me. I mean, it almost drove me to my knees. It almost just overwhelmed me. I hesitate to tell you what the thought was because you'll say, “Well, I knew that. You mean you've been teaching all these years and you just discovered that?” But, I want to tell you what the thought was. Now, don't laugh when I tell you. Here's what it was, and remember it was perhaps the most staggering thought I've ever had in my life: God answers prayer. Well, you say, “What's the big deal?” Yeah, I knew it, too, but then I got to thinking, “Is that true?” I mean, is that more than just talk? Does God really answer prayer? Now, if there is a God and He answers prayer—you think about it—that is staggering that I can touch the One who made the universe and bring Him into action through prayer. It just overwhelmed me, and I thought, “Oh God, knowing this is true, why don't I pray more? Why don't I learn to pray if God answers prayer?” What unmitigated fools we are if we don't learn how to pray. And yet, there is a constant battle in my heart to pray more and a constant confession, “O God, have mercy on me. I've failed again in my prayer life.”  Is that true about you sometimes?  If yes, then you will find something wonderful in this message.  Now, I pray, and I thank God for answered prayer.  I know that God hears my prayer and answers my prayer, but I am constantly condemned and constantly amazed that I don't pray more and better than I do pray. I believe that when we get to heaven, one of the things that's going to amaze us, and chagrin us, is that we prayed so poorly and prayed so little.  Click on the play button to hear a message on how to pray for your loved ones.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

GOD'S TRUTH REVEALED (EPHESIANS 3:1-12) In the book of Ephesians, Paul revealed a secret that God had kept to Himself. God had kept it hidden when He visited fallen man in Eden, when He talked with His friend Abraham, and when He gave the law to Moses. He told David, a man after His own heart, many things, but He did not tell him this secret. He spoke to Isaiah and Jeremiah, to Ezekiel and Daniel, but still He kept His secret. He did not tell the twelve minor prophets, and then He kept this burning secret for four more silent centuries. Finally, God sent His Son, who was involved in the secret. Jesus dropped hints of it here and there, but He did not give it away. The day of Pentecost came, and the church was born. Peter preached, souls were saved, and the secret was out, but still men did not grasp it. So, God saved Saul, shared the secret with him, and said, “You tell the world.” What was this secret?  God was going to create a church. He would baptize Jews and Gentiles into it, making no difference between them. That church would be the mystical body of Christ. He would raise it higher than angels. He would seat it with Himself in the heavenlies. It would share fully and forever all that Christ has. That church would be His crowning masterpiece. Creation itself, the showpiece of God's eternal power and godhead, would pale before the everlasting splendors of the church. Click on the play button to hear a message on the great truth of God, His Church, revealed.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE GREAT DISPENSATIONAL CHANGE (EPHESIANS 2:11-22) Now, that is a great big word, dispensational.  So, what does it mean?  For purposes of studying the Bible, a dispensation is a period of time, and it defines how God deals with man during this time period, and how man interacts with God.  It has nothing to do with salvation, for salvation, throughout the Bible, has always been by God's grace alone.   When you think about it, those of us who were born and grew up in this age of Grace, take for granted the direct relationship we have with God, and the blessings of the Holy Spirit empowered life that we lead.  In today's lesson, Paul is going to take us back in history and describe the relationship the Gentiles had with God prior to this great dispensational change.  And then he will describe the changes brought about by Calvary and Pentecost.  Click on the play button to hear a message on how the church is the body of Christ, and in this body, all believers are equal members. There are no divisions based on denominations, racial origins, religious backgrounds, class distinctions, national boundaries, or color prejudices in the true church. All believers are equal members of this marvelous, mystical body. A new bond has been established. The gospel reduces all people to the same level. All people are brought into the great equation of salvation through the same common denominator: repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

HOW TO SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY (EPHESIANS 2:1-10) Today's message includes one of the most recited pair of verses in the Bible, for it is the foundation God's promise of salvation by grace and not of works.   Eph 2:8-9 8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. KJV And when you add the rest of verses 1-10, it is also a guidebook for the believer “How to Share Your Testimony.”  We should never ever underestimate the power of a Christian testimony. We are called to be witnesses and not lawyers. A witness is somebody who tells what he's seen and heard. A lawyer is somebody who argues a case. We are witnesses of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Without a doubt, a Christian with a glowing testimony is worth a library full of arguments. Now, you don't have to be a theologian to be able to give your testimony. Remember the man who was born blind, and Jesus healed him, and then the Pharisees jumped on his case? Oh, they were angry because this man had been healed, and they got him and backed him into a corner, and they started to ask him all kinds of theological questions. The man just said, “Well, I'm sorry. I can't answer all of those questions, but, one thing I know: once I was blind and now I see” (John 9:25). There is nothing theological about that fact, yet it is a great testimony to the power of the Lord Jesus.  “Once I was blind and now I see.” And a Christian with a testimony is never at the mercy of an infidel with an argument. Remember that. Now, it's important that we learn to share our testimony. Our testimony is the convincing thing when we witness and share the Lord Jesus Christ.  And so today, I want to give you an outline for sharing your testimony; and you can fill in the personal part, but I'm just going to give you the outline.  And listen, if you are saved, right here is your spiritual biography and your future history. Click on the play button to hear a message on our past guilt, our present grace, and our future glory.  I want you to learn some wonderful things about what has happened to you, what is happening to you, and what will happen to you.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE WISDOM OF CHRISTMAS (Matthew 2:1-2) Today, we will be talking about Christmas wisdom that we find in the Christmas story.  Certainly, we need a lot of wisdom around this time of year. I need wisdom.  I need wisdom to figure out what am I going to get my wife for Christmas. Now, that's difficult for me.  It really is.  It is also difficult for her to buy gifts for me.  We go through this every year, even after 46 years of marriage, we still go through this. But today, I want to talk to you about some wisdom that goes far beyond these mundane things and this worldly type of wisdom. I want to share with you some supernatural wisdom, how you can have some wisdom in your Christmas.  Our text today is going to be in the book of Matthew, and it is going to focus on the story of the wise men coming from the East to bring gifts to the new King that has been born in Bethlehem.  Now, everybody has heard this story since they were children, or they have seen it in plays put on at Christmas time.  It is a very familiar story, and it is a story with supernatural wisdom.  The first thing we should know about these men is that they were exceedingly wise men. Why? Because they sought out the Lord Jesus Christ to worship Him.  The wisest thing that you could ever do at Christmastime, or any other time, is to worship Jesus. I hope that doesn't fall flat. I hope you don't miss that. Because that is the bottom of all bottom lines. That is the wisest thing that anybody could ever do, to simply worship the Lord Jesus Christ. There are a lot of people who want the joys of Christmas without the worship of Jesus.  But, that is impossible! It is impossible!  You may have a happy time, but you are never going to know the joys of Christmas until you learn to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. Click on the play button to hear a message on the Biblical story of the wise men who came from the East to worship the young child, born in Bethlehem, born to be a King, born to be a Savior, and born as sinless God, God incarnated in man. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR BELIEVERS (EPHESIANS 1:15-23) In today's lesson, we will be talking about Paul's prayer for believers.  Paul rarely prayed for the things that make up most of our prayers.  Things like better health, more money, job conditions, family problems, and world crises.  I am not saying these are not important, but Paul prayed that people might know God better, that they might become better acquainted with Jesus.  It is when we are closer to Christ, and know Him more, that many of these problems we face on earth are less important.  For our trust is in Christ to deal with our needs, as He has promised to do. God has revealed Himself in two ways, in the inspired Word and the incarnate Word. He has said what He is like in the one, and He has shown what He is like in the other. Our responsibility is to get to know Him by getting to know the Scriptures and the Savior. There is no greater, or more important, occupation that we can have here on earth. Paul prayed that his fellow believers might have a spirit of wisdom and revelation and that they might be occupied in gaining knowledge of God. “Get to know Him” is Paul's basic answer to all of life's problems and questions. Knowing God would solve most of the present-day problems that cause people to run to the psychologist or the family counselor. Knowing God would affect how people cope with all areas of life, for the Almighty God of all Creation has an abundant supply of wisdom, power, and answers for all of our needs, trials, and tribulations.  Best of all, is that He wants to share them with us. Click on the play button to hear a message where Paul describes what he most desires for the believer to know and understand about God.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE WORK OF REDEMPTION (EPHESIANS 1:7-14) In today's message, we will be talking about the work that God, in all three parts, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, did to obtain our salvation, to redeem us, completely forgiven for our sins.  It is a wonderful story of God's love, and God's grace, that He would sacrifice so much so that we might have redemption from the sins that stain our soul.  It is a story of the completed work of redemption, and eternal life, that is ours if we make Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. It was God's eternal counsel that the Lord Jesus should first give His life for us at Calvary, and then give His life to us.  Eph 1:7 7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; KJV God the Father, planned our salvation by grace and not works.  It was His idea that God the Son, Jesus Christ, would go to the cross to die and then be risen to walk in life and victory over death.  It is because Jesus came to this earth as a God incarnate in man that The Father now sees us in the Beloved. He looks at us and sees Christ. No angel among the heavenly hosts has more acceptance than we. Paul states, “The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.”  Notice that word “grace.”  Paul uses it again and again in his letters.  For, our redemption is by grace, God's unlimited grace. Grace is unmerited favor. It is getting something we don't deserve. Paul strikes this note over and over. Paul tells us that there is more of God's grace to follow, an unending supply, when he talks of the “The forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” We can thank God that He is rich in grace.  God has revealed Himself to be a God of infinite power, a God of infallible wisdom, a God of inflexible holiness, and a God of unlimited grace!  Amen, hallelujah, and praise the Lord. Click on the play button to hear a message on the wonderful work of redemption, that God did to provide a completed salvation, if you will only accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

KINGDOM AUTHORITY (EPHESIANS 1:15-23) In our lesson today, we will be talking about a tremendous Biblical truth about a believer's “Kingdom Authority.”  God wants you to discover Kingdom Authority, to enjoy Kingdom Authority, and to exercise Kingdom Authority. And my heart is so full, because I'm afraid that you're going to miss the blessing, miss the truth, if you do not listen to what the Holy Spirit has to say to us today.  But my prayer is that God will impregnate your heart with this great, dynamic, life-changing, truth of Kingdom Authority. Paul tells us in the first chapter of Ephesians about the Kingdom Authority that belongs to the children of God. And if you're a child of God, meaning that you are a true, twice born, follower of Christ, then I want to tell you something, you have incredible authority and power. Whether you have discovered it or not, it's there, inherently.  You already have it. Have you ever seen a real live king? Well, would you like to see one?  Did you know the Bible says that God has made every believer a king and a priest?  Rev 5:10 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. KJV Look to the person to your right, the person to your left. There's a king, and there's a priest, if they're saved. Go home, and look in the mirror, and, if you're saved, if you're a child of God, looking back at you will be a king and a priest. God has made us a kingdom of priests.  Now, that is absolutely wonderful! However, you don't have to be a preacher, teacher, or even a member of a church, to be a king and a priest, or a queen and a priestess.  Paul, says very plainly, you just have to know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, because God has given to all His children Kingdom Authority. And that's what we're going to be looking at, and that's what we're going to be studying, today.  Click on the play button to hear a message that describes what Kingdom Authority is, how God graciously gave Adam dominion over all the earth, how Adam legally lost that dominion to the devil, and how Jesus righteously regained that dominion when He came to this earth as a man. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

SIGNED, SEALED, AND DELIVERED (EPHESIANS 1:13-14) When Paul talks about a seal, he is talking about a legal seal, and a seal means finality.  It means the transaction is done.  A seal also means security; it means the transaction is safe. And then a seal also means identity; it shows to whom the transaction has been delivered. I want you to think about the fact that Christians have the sealing of the Holy Spirit of God. Paul says that when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, when we're born again, one of the ways that we know that we are saved, one of the proofs, one of the authenticating pieces of evidence, that we are genuine, bone fide, legally belonging to Jesus Christ, is that God places His seal upon us. Now, the seal that God places upon us is the Holy Spirit of God, because every believer, when he is saved, receives the Holy Spirit of God.  The Bible is very clear when it says that if you have not received the Holy Spirit, then you have not received Jesus. The only way that you can receive Christ is to receive God's Holy Spirit. He lives in you; He abides in you. And when He comes into you, it is the same thing to you that a seal is to a legal document. “Ye were sealed”—the Bible says—“with that holy Spirit of promise.” And a seal means finality; it means the transaction is done.   Now, Paul is telling us that Jesus has purchased you, and there is finality. And when you receive the Holy Spirit of God, that means that the price has been paid in full. There's nothing else you can do, and nothing else that you need to do.  For, without Jesus, nothing can be done, and with Jesus nothing else needs to be done.  Click on the play button below to hear a message on the six reasons why I believe the Bible teaches us that we are eternally secure in our salvation.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

WHAT WE HAVE IN JESUS (EPHESIANS 1:4-14) The verses that we are going to review today are about you. This is your life. Here, the Lord is just giving your biography: from grace to glory; from eternity past to eternity future. Now, if you're not interested in what you have in the Lord Jesus, and you're not interested in your own personal spiritual welfare, then what on earth would you be interested in? What on earth could you be interested in?   Did you know that God chose you, that God purposed your salvation, before He laid the foundations of the earth?  Now, you want to talk about some old-time religion, well you can't get any older than this.  I mean, this was before there were any trees and mountains and birds and bees and fleas. Now, that's before there was anything. God, way back in eternity past, chose you, and God chose me.  You know, when we were kids playing football, or basketball, we would choose teams from among the group of kids.  And there is always somebody who wonders if he is going to be chosen at all. Now, isn't it wonderful to know that God chose us so far back? You see, God is love, and what good is it to be a God of love if there's no one to love? Love, by its very nature, cannot dwell by itself.  And so, since God's nature is love, God created people like us, and chose us, that He might love us. Listen, God does not love us because we are valuable, we are valuable because God loves us.  You are somebody because God chose you by His grace. And by His sovereign will, God chose to bestow His love upon you. I like what Charles Haddon Spurgeon had to say about it. He said this: “God certainly must have chosen me before I came into this world, or He never would have chosen me afterward.”  Now, isn't it wonderful to know that even before we got here God looked down and said, “I see who he's going to be, and I choose him”? Most importantly, that means I can't take any credit for my salvation. Because, it wasn't, primarily, that I chose God.  He chose me first.  I love Him because He first loved me.  Click on the play button below to hear a message on what we have in Jesus.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE RICHES OF A CHRISTIAN (EPHESIANS 1:3) There was a woman by the name of Miss Bertha Smith, who served as a missionary in China between the years of 1917 and 1958.  She was a warrior for Jesus, if you ever saw one.  One time, she gave a talk about how we are. You know, the Bible says “our lives are hid with God in Christ,” (Colossians 3:3). And so, she had a box—a shoebox about that big—and on the outside she had the word “God” written on it.  And so, she opened that shoebox up, and on the inside of that was another little box, smaller. She had written on that “Jesus,” for the Bible says, “Christ is in God, and we're in Christ.” (John 17:23)  And so now, there's God, and then there's Jesus in God. And then, she opened that box, and inside of Jesus was one that said “Me.” There I am in Jesus. And I thought, “Boy, that's glorious! How is the devil ever going to get to me if he's got to tear up that first box and then that second box to get to me?” But she wasn't finished yet. She opened that one that said, “Me,” and inside that was a still smaller box, and that had “Jesus” on it again.  What that means is, I am in Christ, and Christ is in me. You can't get better than that, can you? I am in Christ, and Christ is in me. Now, how's the devil ever going to get to me? I mean, he's going to have to tear up that big box, and that next box, and once he gets through Christ and starts on me, he's going to find Christ on the inside of me.  That is the security of the believer. Security is not in a place; it's in a person. If you're in Jesus, then you're as secure as you'll ever be. And if you're not in Jesus, then you are not secure. He is the security of our riches, which includes all the needs of your spiritual soul, and your body, of the past, the present, and the future; your needs for salvation, sanctification, service, and glorification. All that you'll ever need is in the Lord Jesus Christ.  He “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in … Christ [Jesus]”—“in Christ [Jesus].” Click on the play button to hear a message about the riches that are ours in Christ Jesus.  How to go from the rags of our self-righteousness, to the riches of God's glory and His righteousness This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

INTRODUCTION TO EPHESIANS (EPHESIANS 1:1-2) The epistle of Ephesians presents the church which is Christ's body. This is the invisible church of which Christ is the Head.  Ephesians reveals the church as God's masterpiece, a mystery not revealed in the Old Testament.  The church is more wonderful than any temple made with hands.  It is constructed of living stones and indwelt by the Holy Spirit. It is the body of Christ in the world to walk as He would walk, and to wrestle against the wiles of the devil. Someday, the church will leave the world and be presented to Christ as a bride. Paul's ministry to the church at Ephesus was probably the high-water mark in the missionary labors of Paul. He considered Ephesus his great opportunity and stayed there longer than in any other place. The people of Ephesus heard more Bible teaching from Paul than did any other people, which is probably the reason he could write to them the deep truths contained in this epistle. Paul loved this church in Ephesus. His last meeting with the Ephesian elders was a tender farewell.  A great company of believers turned to Christ. I think the gospel was more effective in this area than in any place, and at any time, in the history of the world. I believe the Ephesian church was the highest church spiritually. It is an amazing thing to me that there were people living in that pagan city who understood this epistle.  This must be true, for Paul wouldn't have written it to them if they couldn't have understood it.  Furthermore, in the Book of Revelation we find that Ephesus is the first one of the seven churches of Asia mentioned in a series of churches that gives the entire history of the church. Ephesus was the church at its best, the church at the highest spiritual level. Click on the play button to hear a message that introduces us to the book of Ephesians, and sets the historical context that this epistle was written in. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

A BOX OF BONES (Genesis 50:22-26) Today, we close out our study of the book of Genesis.  It has certainly been a good study about the power of God, and the faith of each of the people we have encountered.  We have studied about the wonderful creation of all things by the mighty power of God, and the destruction of The Flood as God's judgment of evil man.  Then, we have studied about the faith of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph.  Each man giving us an example of how to live a life of faith in spite of the trials and tribulations that faced them.  In fact, our closing lesson is going to be another example of the faith of Joseph.  The title of our lesson today is, “A Box of Bones.”  The very last words of the book of Genesis are “a coffin in Egypt.”  Now, that's a strange way for a book to end.  It begins with creation, and it ends in a coffin. The devil said to Eve at the beginning of creation, “Ye shall not surely die; that you can sin with impunity.” But, the fact is the devil lied, because we have had one funeral after another. And so, the book that begins with a blaze of glory ends with a grave. The book that begins with the vastness of eternity, ends with the shortness of time. The book that begins in a garden, ends in a coffin. And the book that begins with a blaze of brightness, ends with a box of bones, the bones of Joseph. Did you know that the bones of Joseph are mentioned not only in the book of Genesis, but in the book of Hebrews, as well? And not only in the book of Hebrews, but in the book of Exodus? And not only in the book of Exodus, but in the book of Joshua? God tells us about those bones, and then He tells us about them three more times.  Now, what have we said about what we need to do when God repeats something multiple times in the Bible?  We need to pay real close attention because God repeats the things that He feels are very important for us to understand.   Click on the play button to hear a message on how the faith of Joseph can be found in a box of bones. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

REVELATION OF PROPHECY (Genesis 49:8 to 50:21) This message is dramatic because it tells what will happen to the twelve sons of Jacob when they become tribes.  This is also our final opportunity to see another evidence of faith in the life of Jacob. He was speaking to his sons who were to become the twelve tribes in the nation of Israel and would be dwelling in the land of Canaan.  Jacob says, “that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” The phrase “the last days” is an important Biblical expression.  It occurs fourteen times in the Old Testament, and it was always taken by the Rabbis to mean Messianic.   What is important for us to understand as members of The Church, the body of believers, is that the last days of the nation Israel will be different from the last days of The Church. There is a very sharp dispensational distinction which needs to be made between the two.   Here, Jacob is talking about the last days of the nation Israel and what is going to happen to the twelve tribes, which will develop from his sons, and will form the nation, Israel.  These prophecies, and those given by Moses in Deuteronomy 33, are directed to the tribes of Israel. Many people talk about the fact that certain prophecies concerning the nation Israel have been fulfilled, and that is true. But we can narrow it down further by dividing Israel into twelve parts and recognizing that God has had something to say concerning each of the twelve. Not only have His prophecies concerning the nation been partially fulfilled, but His prophecies concerning each tribe have been partially fulfilled, and that makes it remarkable indeed.  Click on the play button to hear the second part of a message about Jacob becoming the man of faith spoken of in the book of Hebrews as he shares God's promises, blessing, and rewards to his sons.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

PROMISES, BLESSINGS, AND REWARDS (Genesis 47:27 to 49:7) The messages over the next two weeks will talk about the blessings that Jacob gave to his sons just before he died.  This section of verses includes the promises of Joseph to Jacob, and the promises of God to each of the sons of Jacob, in the same manner that we saw Abraham and Isaac give blessings to their sons.   As we watch Jacob give out his blessings, the scene becomes a picture of a judgment seat, where actions are judged and rewards are given, or not given out.  In fact, it looks very much like the Judgment Seat of Christ.  All of these sons are a part of the chosen family, so their place in that family is secure.  They did not earn this place, but they were given this position by the grace of God. However, what is judged are the actions and the character of each son to determine the rewards and place in the Kingdom that they, and their descendants, will receive.   Click on the play button to hear a message about Jacob becoming the man of faith spoken of in the book of Hebrews as he shares God's promises, blessing, and rewards to his sons.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

DYING GRACE (Genesis 47:28-29) God gives us “living grace,” and “saving grace,” and God gives us “special grace.”  So, the God who saves us, and the God who keeps us, and the God who gives us rewards in heaven, is the God who will give to us “dying grace.” The Bible is clear that there is coming a day that I am going to die, and there is a day that each one of you will die.  It is a fact that we all must die, with the one exception: should the Lord Jesus Christ come first, then we will not die, and we'll not go to heaven by route of the graveyard, but we'll go another way. But before we talk about dying grace, I need to ask you this question, Have you been born again? Listen, if you haven't been saved, then you're not ready to die. You are also not ready to live, unless you've been saved. Now, you cannot have dying grace unless you've experienced saving grace.  That is the first thing that you need to get done. Now, Jacob had twelve sons, and they were mean as snakes—rascals, and rebellious. They were hard to deal with. But he kept on. He prayed for those boys. He lived before those boys. He witnessed to those boys. He admonished those boys. And he brought those boys to a faith in his God. And he left behind him a spiritual blessing for his children. And I want to tell you, that's a good way to die, isn't it? To leave a family behind you that, because you were their daddy, because you were their mother, they know God in a better way. I know that with my own children, I prayed to God and said, “God, I want to be a good father. I want to live so that my children will know the Lord. I want them to believe in their father's God.”  You know, I'd rather die than betray my God before my children. And my children know that their father hasn't been perfect, but my children know that their father loves God. They know that. And they know that their mother loves God. And I'm so glad that one of these days when I lie down to die, not only will I have a forgiving Lord with me, and I trust a fruitful life behind me, but I will have a family legacy after me. I want to leave something besides things to my children. I want to leave some spiritual vitality to my children.   Click on the play button to hear a message on what it means to have dying grace. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE KINGDOM REVEALED (Genesis 46:26 to 47:26) Our lessons over the last several weeks have used the story of Joseph and his brothers to present the picture of Christ and His relationship with the people of Israel.   We have seen that with the rejection of Joseph by his brothers, It has described the Jews rejection of Jesus as their Messiah.   Then, with the suffering and persecution of Joseph and his ultimate placement at the right hand of the throne of Pharaoh, It has described the suffering of Jesus, His resurrection, and His placement at the right hand of God,   We have also seen that the very same Joseph that the brothers had sold into the slow death of slavery now stood before them in all glory and power. This illustrates the very same Jesus, that the Jews had the Gentiles crucify, will stand before them in all glory and power.   With the brothers' confession of their sin against Joseph, This has described the Jewish people's confession of their sin when Christ returns to set up His Kingdom.  Through the grace of forgiveness that Joseph bestowed on His brothers when they recognized him as their brother, It has described the grace of forgiveness that will be bestowed on the Jews when they see Christ and instantly recognize Him as Lord and Master.  And in today's lesson, as we describe the kingdom that Joseph establishes, and the role that the Hebrews will play in that kingdom, it will describe the Kingdom and rule of Jesus that will be established when Christ returns and the role of the Jews in that Kingdom.   This whole dramatic and beautiful story of Joseph is a story about the grace of God.  It is a story about Jesus.  It is also a synopsis of the rest of the Bible as it also tells of the relationship that we as believers have with our Lord and Master as joint heirs in the promises of the Jewish people.   Click on the play button to hear a message on God's grace, and God's purposes being fulfilled.  It is a story of illustration of the things to come as Christ comes again to rule for ever and ever. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE REVELATION OF GOD'S WILL (Genesis 45:9 to 46:7) Does God have a purpose in the events of this world? Does God have a purpose for your life?  If the answer to those two questions is “Yes”, and it is, then the better question is do you know the purpose of God for your life?  If not, how do you go about discerning the purpose, or the will, of God in your life?  This is what our lesson is about today.  I want to speak to you about The Revelation of God's Will. Your great desire ought to be to know His will.  Your great delight will be to do His will.  Your great danger is to refuse His will.  Nothing is right for you, if it is not God's will. It may sound simplistic, but the will of God for you is Jesus, just Jesus.  Jesus is the head of the church, and the church is the body.  What is the will of my body? My head.  What is the will of the church of the body of believers? Jesus, the head of the church.  The will of God for your life is Jesus.  He is your Lord.  Know Him, know the will of God. Here are three principles about the will of God. First, The will of God is for your welfare.  It is not something you have to do; it is something you get to do.   Second, The will of God will never take you where the power of God and the grace of God cannot enable and keep you. Third, You are free to choose.  God will never force His will upon you.  You are free to choose His will.  You are not free not to choose.  When you say, “Well, I just won't choose.” You just made a choice.  You are free to choose, you are not free not to choose—and pay attention, you are not free to choose the consequences of your choice.  You make a choice to follow God's will or not, and that choice chooses the consequences for you.   So, what should we do to know the will of God? Ask the same questions that Jacob did. Lord, who are you?  Do you know that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you know Him as your personal Lord and Saviour? Do you have an intimate relationship with Him?  Is your mind conformed to the mind of Christ? Lord, what do you want me to do? Are you willing to do whatever God will enable you to do?  Are you surrendered to God? Click on the play button to hear a message on how to know the will of God for your life. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE FRAMEWORK OF SALVATION (Genesis 45:1-28) There is something that I want you to know beyond the shadow of any doubt, and that is God wants you to be saved.  There is an old hymn entitled “BLESSED BE THE NAME” with the words,  “I never shall forget the day, Blessed be the name of the Lord! When Jesus washed my sins away, Blessed be the name of the Lord!” —CHARLES WESLEY And I wonder how many people might be singing that song, but they are like iron fountains in the park. You see a lion statue as a fountain, and there is water spewing out of his mouth, but he never tastes a drop of it. And I am wondering if there are those of you who have that song coming out of your mouth without tasting a drop of it. Was there a time, was there a day, when you said, “Praise God, bless God, hallelujah, I know, that I know, that I know, that I have met Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord.  I have a day to be remembered.”  If not, do you know what my prayer is? My prayer is that this day will be the day that you will be able to sing those words and taste every drop of every word.  The Lord wants you to be saved, and only Jesus can save you. The problem is sin.  Rom 3:23 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; KJV And there's only one thing that can be done with sin, and that is to bring that sin to the Lord Jesus Christ. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can cleanse us and make us pure and make us clean.  So, you need to pay attention to the message that God has for us in this story. Click on the play button so that you can listen to what God has to say about how you can know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

REVELATION OF GRACE (Genesis 44:1 to 45:8) One of the key promises of God that is found in the Bible is that for a multitude of sins, there are a multitude of mercies.   Psalms 51:1 1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. KJV God states, “according to thy lovingkindness.”  This means that God will never stop loving us because of the sin in our lives.  Our sin hurts God, because it is against God that we sin, but that does not cause God to stop loving us.  Did you know that God does not love us because we are valuable; we are valuable because God loves us.  Know also that God does not love us because we are good. Romans 5:8 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. KJV This is important for us to know because we need to have this confidence that no matter what we have done, God loves us.  This tells us that there is nothing you can do to make God love you any more, and there is nothing you can do to make God love you any less.  He simply loves you. A man put the following ad in the Lost and Found section of the paper: “Lost Dog.  Crippled in front paw, blind in left eye, mange on back and neck, tail missing.  Recently neutered.  Answers to the name Lucky.”  And he was a lucky dog.  I'll tell you why, in spite of all the stuff that was wrong with him, somebody loved him enough to want him.  You know we are better than a lucky dog, we are blessed dogs.   Click on the play button to hear a message on how God loves us out of sheer grace.  I want you to have this confidence:  God loves you with an everlasting love.  No matter what you have done, no matter what is wrong with you, God loves you.  That is the sheer grace of God.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

CONVICTION (Genesis 42:29 to 43:34) The story of Joseph and his brothers is a picture of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ.  For the lost soul does not fully know God, or His Son, and most of all they do not know what Jesus did for them.  Lying between them are the terrible sins that they have committed.  How can anyone ever bridge that gap?  They do not know that Jesus has already provided them with a finished salvation, that it is there if they will accept it.  God knows that the lost soul is not ready for the full revelation of grace that He wants to make to them.  God allows the Holy Spirit to perform the work of conviction to bring them to a point of decision, just as He is with these brothers.   Sometimes you may feel that when you sin that God is just going to toss you away.  Absolutely not, God won't toss you off, but He will just squeeze all the tighter.  And this pressure affects how you look at life, it affects your emotions, it affects your psyche, and it affects your health.  One of the consequences of sin is that it depresses your heart, and there is no joy, no gladness.  Sin is often fun while you are doing it, but it is what comes afterward that depresses us. Don't mistake happiness for joy.  There is a difference between happiness and joy.  Happiness depends on what happens; that's why we call it happiness.  When something good happens, you're happy; when something bad happens, you're unhappy.  You are not supposed to be happy all of the time.  To be happy all of the time would be like having ice cream for every meal. Jesus was a man of sorrows; Jesus wept.  He was not happy all of the time, but He was full of joy.  When Jesus was facing Calvary, He was full of Joy.  The joy of the Lord is constant, and the joy of the Lord is your strength.  Happiness is like a thermometer; it registers conditions.  Joy is like a thermostat; it controls conditions. When happiness and joy are together it is a really wonderful time.  When happiness is gone, joy becomes all the more important.  And sometimes God gives you joy, not to take away the pain, but to help you bear it.  And in the midst of excruciating pain, there can be supernatural joy.   Click on the play button to hear a message about how God convicts us of our sin so that we can have God's joy in our lives.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

WHAT WAS ONCE HIDDEN, BECOMES KNOWN (Genesis 41:53 to 42:28) Have you ever had a sin that you buried in your past and never dealt with God about it?  No matter how hard you tried to forget it, did it just keep coming up from your subconscious mind to your conscious mind?  During the day when I have lots of other things to keep my mind focused on, I do okay, I can forget about them for a while.  But, whenever I get someplace away from all of the hustle and bustle of the day, like when I am in bed trying to go to sleep, that is when all those things that I have kept buried all day long come out as things I need to worry about.   Now, as a believer, the devil will try to accuse you of sins that have already been forgiven.  He does it just to make you feel guilty.  Yet, the Bible tells us it is wrong to feel guilty about something you have already been forgiven for, and have had that sin cleansed by the blood of Jesus.  But there is a difference between the accusations of the devil and the convictions of the Holy Spirit of God.   Conviction is the Holy Spirit saying, “This and this and this you have done,” and like a good doctor, He'll put his finger right on the sore spot, and He will push.  He will call it by name and want you to confess it and be cleansed.  And once it is cleansed, it is so wonderful.  You will know the conviction of the Holy Spirit because He will be specific in His convictions of your heart.   Did you know that if you are child of God and you sin, spiritually you're going to feel dirty?  And if you don't feel dirty when you sin, then you need to ask yourself if you've ever been saved.  If you have ever truly asked Jesus to forgive you of your sins, and made Him you Lord and Savior.  No pig has ever said, “Woe is me, I'm dirty.”  For a pig has no concept of being dirty because that is his element.  The child of God realizes that he is dirty when he sins, because he knows what it is to be clean.  If you are a child of God, and you've sinned, then you have felt that.  I want to say this again, just so there is no mistake, if you can sin and don't feel dirty and grimy, spiritually, you need to ask yourself: “Have I ever been saved? Do I really know the Lord” Click on the play button below to hear a message on the consequences of sin in the life of a believer. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

GOD'S PLAN UNFOLDS (Genesis 41:1-53) I just love it when a good plan unfolds and it goes just like it was supposed to happen from the very beginning.  Now, that doesn't happen very often for me, but it always happens when God plans something. Last week, we left Joseph in prison, forgotten by his family, forgotten by Potiphar, and forgotten by the butler who had promised to tell Pharaoh about his plight.  Almost every person that Joseph had come to depend on had forgotten him.  But Joseph's faith was not in man, it was in God.  While everyone else may have forgotten Joseph, God had not.  God had a plan and a purpose for Joseph's life, and He was making it come true.   This is the reason that God gives us the story of Joseph.  As believers, we know that God has promised to be with us every step of our lives.  Through hardships and trials, as well as the good times of our lives, God is with us.  Our strength does not come from men, or the world.  Our strength lives within us.  God has placed His Holy Spirit in our hearts to be our strength, and it is through the power of the Holy Spirit that God gives us the power to endure any trial that is placed before us.   Click on the play button to hear a tremendous message about the power of God's working in the lives of those who love Him.  Joseph faced tremendous trials in his life, yet God was there with him each step of the way.  Yet this only happened because Joseph fully and completely surrendered his life to the will of God.  God would have handled it anyway without Joseph, but just look at the blessings that Joseph would have missed in his life if he had not been obedient to the call of God in his life.   Just imagine the blessings that you have missed in your life, simply because you have not been obedient to the call of God in your life.  God used an obedient Joseph to perform great works in His name.  What works can God use you for, if you will be obedient? This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

WHEN EVERYTHING GOES WRONG (Genesis 39:20-23) Have you ever had one of those days when everything goes wrong? Have you ever had one of those years when everything goes wrong? There are some years like that, when everything seems to go wrong. What do you do? I've always been amazed at the advice that people give to other people. It sometimes seems like good advice. For example, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Tell that to a person who's really hurting. Or here's another one that will really bless your heart: “When you get to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.” Now, doesn't that just bless your soul? Can you see a guy dangling over a cliff, trying to tie a knot. It takes two hands to do that.  If you try that, then you will fall.  Or here's one that's really sweet: “Grin and bear it.”  Now, really, that's what the world tells us to help us in our times of loss, to help us to understand why these bad times are happening. Or you'll be really hurting. I mean, you'll be in darkness and consternation. One of your friends will come along and put his arm around your shoulder and say, “Cheer up! It could get worse.” Well now, that's a lot of comfort: “Could be worse.”  One person said in response, “Yeah, I cheered up, and it got worse.” He was right.  Now that, really, is what the world does when the world cannot understand.  Listen, there are times when you, as a child of God, will find yourself in difficulty, and darkness, and consternation. Click on the play button to hear a message on one of the greatest testimonies that we can share with the world is how we face tragedy and loss.  How we deal with events when it seems like everything is going wrong in our lives is the difference between a life of hope, and a life without hope.  It is that hope, based on the absolutely certain promises of God, in our lives that gives us the strength to face whatever it is that God allows in our lives.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

THE FAITH OF JOSEPH (Genesis 39:1 to 40:23)  In today's message we will discover that Joseph is a very different person than his brothers were.  The single biggest difference in Joseph's life is that he is a man of faith.  Joseph distinguishes himself as something in the world, but different from the world.  When people see him, they notice something different about him, and they are drawn to him.  People are not drawn to failure, or to those who are walking around with despair hanging like a cloud above them.  To be an effective witness for God you have to have something that people want; they see your ability to handle trials in your life, your calmness in a storm, and your faith in the promises of God.  They see something that they do not have, they see something different in you. Joseph had every reason to just give up in despair; to simply hide in a corner and weep.  Joseph was sold into slavery because of the hatred and animosity of his brothers.  And to be a slave in a foreign country is a life that is described as a slow death.  It was certainly a bleak prospect for a seventeen–year–old boy.  Joseph would have had to look hard to find anything to bring encouragement to his heart.   There is no person in the Old Testament in whose life the purpose of God is more clearly seen than Joseph. The providence of God is manifest in every detail of his life.  The hand of God is upon him and the leading of the Lord is evident. The question of why God allows trials in our lives, is one of the hardest lessons we face as believers, but it is also the thing that strengthens our faith in the power, and protection, of an almighty God that loves us and is gracious to us.   Click on the play button below to hear a message on how each step of Joseph's life prepared him for the role that God had for him.  If we are the children of God, in the will of God, then we can have the assurance of God, that nothing comes to us without His permission.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE (Genesis 37:1 to 39:3) Let me start this blog by making a statement and you tell me if you believe it or not.  Are you ready? God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.  Now, do you believe that?  Well, I want to tell you, that without a doubt, God has a wonderful plan for your life. God has a divine destiny for you. And, what a shame it would be if you missed it. Today, I want you to think with me on this subject, “God's plan for your life.” Now, I'm not just saying that God has a plan for Abraham's life, or Joseph's.  Certainly, God had a plan for their lives, but God also has a plan for your life. Yes, even you.  God has a wonderful destiny for you, and I don't want you to miss it.  Even in your old age, God has a plan for your life.  Otherwise, you would not still be here on this earth, for there would be no purpose in it, and God has a purpose in all that He does.  And, I believe as we study the life of Joseph today, we are going to find some things about his life that we can certainly apply to ours as we learn how to know God's Plan for Your Life. Click on the play button below to hear a message on how you can discover God's plan for you. How you can let God give you a plan and a purpose for your life. I'm not talking about something you cooked up, but be in contact with God so however God wants to speak to you, He can. And, I believe the way that God wants to speak to New Testament Christians is presentation plus transformation equals revelation, that we might know the things that God has prepared for us. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

JOSEPH AS A PICTURE OF CHRIST (Genesis 37:1 to 45:28) There are several of the patriarchs of the Old Testament who were a picture of Christ in specific acts.  But, God has selected Joseph as the one individual, out of all the men of history, to picture Christ in such a thorough way.  As we study the life of Joseph, we will find a direct parallel between the life of Joseph and the life of the Lord Jesus.  In the Old Testament, Jesus is enfolded. In the New Testament, Jesus is unfolded. In the Old Testament, Jesus is concealed. In the New Testament, Jesus is revealed. But, Jesus is there in all of the Bible.  As you study the Bible enough, standing somewhere in the shadows you will find Jesus. He is there. It's all about Him. Don't get the idea that the Old Testament is about the Jews, and the New Testament is about Jesus. All of the Bible is about Jesus. Jesus is the hero of the Bible. Jesus said, “Search the scriptures; for … [these] are they which [do] testify of me” (John 5:39). Notice that when Jesus made this statement, the scriptures were the Old Testament scriptures.  The New Testament had not even been written yet.  And, the Bible also tells us that on a particular day, He took two men and “he [showed] them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). That means in all of the Scriptures, you are going to find things concerning Jesus. Jesus is there if you look long enough. If you study reverently enough, if you think and meditate, you're going to find the Lord Jesus Christ there in the Bible. Click on the play button in link below to hear a message on how the life of Joseph pictures the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

JOSEPH, THE BELOVED SON (Genesis 35:16 to 37:17) One quarter of the book of Genesis is devoted to Joseph.  God describes the creation of the universe in just five words when He said “He made the stars also;” but He uses chapter after chapter to tell the story of a man that is not even in the direct lineage of Christ.  Actually, more chapters are devoted to Joseph than to Abraham, or to Isaac, or to anyone else. More chapters are devoted to Joseph than to the whole first 2,000 year period of man's existence from Genesis chapters 1–11. This should cause the thoughtful student to pause and ask why Joseph should be given such prominence in Scripture. There are probably several reasons. One is that the life of Joseph is a good and honorable life.  God wants us to have whatever is good, virtuous, and great, before us, and Joseph's life is just that.  The second reason is that Joseph was a true man of faith.  Joseph was a prince among a world of men.  The faith of Joseph was an undying faith.  Joseph's faith was a faith that believed despite adverse circumstances.  The interesting thing about Joseph is that he had faith in the dream which was given to him, faith while in the pit into which he was placed, faith all the while he was in Egypt, and faith was what buoyed him up through all the problems in his life. Joseph believed that God was going to give the Promised Land to his family.  Joseph believed in the impossible: that God would move his people back to the land promised to Abraham.  Therefore, he commanded that his bones be taken back when the nation of his family returned to the land.  And when the children of Israel left Egypt, they took up his bones and buried them at Shechem in the Samaritan country. There is a third reason that God would spend this much time on Joseph, and it is a great one. There is no one in Scripture who is more like Christ in his person and experiences than Joseph. Yet, nowhere in the New Testament is Joseph given to us as a type of Christ. However, the parallel cannot be accidental. Click on the play button attached to this message to hear a message on one of the most famous men in the Bible, Joseph, and listen to how Christ is revealed to us in this man's life. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

BACK TO BETHEL (Genesis 35:1-15) Today, I am going to challenge you.  If you have never listened to one of the messages that are attached to these blogs, if all you have ever done is just read this blog, then I am going to challenge you to listen to the recording that is found in this link, because it may be that God is using this message to speak to your heart.   The message today is about Jacob, and Jacob needed to come back to God. And perhaps today you need to come back to God.  You may indeed be backslidden, just like Jacob was.  Let's take the test today and find out if you are. Answer these two questions:   The first one, “Was there ever a time in your life when you loved Jesus Christ more than you do at this moment?”  If the answer is yes, then you are backslidden.  Alright, let's say you answered “no” to the first question, then here is the second one.  “Was there ever a time when God was more real to you, and prayer was more precious to you, and the Bible was more valuable to you, than it is at this time, this day, this moment?”  If the answer is yes, then, you are a backslider.   Today, we will see how we can come back to Bethel.  Back to that condition of your love for Christ like it was when you were first saved.   Click on the play button below to hear a message on how God is the God of a new beginning. Our God is the God of a second chance. We find that is true all through the Bible. And the God that said to Jacob, “Jacob, come back to Bethel,” is the God that's saying to you today, if you are away from Him, “Come on back! Come on back! I'm the God of a second chance.” This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

HOW TRUE REVIVAL OCCURS (Genesis 34:1 to 35:11) Jacob's story is a story that represents the story of many of us. It is a story of pride, of self-confidence, and of deceit.  Yet it is also one of God's grace, God's patience, God's power to transform a life from one of a carnal nature to one of a godly spiritual nature, and ultimately one of God's love for this man.  It is a story of God's ability to see through all of the rough edges to find the diamond of the man of faith that Jacob was able to become.   That is what God does with each of us, He sees past all of our faults to find the man and woman of faith that each of us can become if we will surrender our will to His. And that is what had to take place in the life of Jacob, he had to come to the place where God had broken his self-confidence in his own abilities, and, therefore, was ready to surrender to God.  This did not happen all at once, it happened over a lifetime.  For Jacob did not fully become that man of faith described in the Book of Hebrews until the very end of his life.   Click on the play button below to hear a message on how God has challenged us to grow spiritually, and He has shown us that our pace should be lead by God, empowered by God, tested by God, and rewarded by God.  God challenges us to disdain the veneer of religiousness, for the surrender of righteousness.   God challenges us to make a choice, for we cannot live with one foot in the world and one foot in God's will.   God challenges us to seek the revival of the Spirit of God in our lives.   This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

JACOB'S NEW NATURE (Genesis 32:28 to 33:20) Jacob is now going to have to face his brother Esau.  As we look at this scene, we see a difference between a believer and a non-believer.  Here we have Esau, the all-American male, he was an outdoorsman, noble, probably the best athlete in the land at whatever he tried, he was generous, and likeable, yet he was a non-believer.  Then, we have Jacob, who was devious, a schemer, hated by almost everyone he dealt with, yet he had a desire for the things of the Lord, and he had met with the Lord, and now he had a new nature.   Robert Laidlaw asked this question in his book “The Reason Why.”  He said “I know a polished, cultivated, gentlemen, who is not a Christian, and I know a rather crude, uncultured, man who is a Christian.  Do you mean to tell me that God prefers the uncultured man simply because he has accepted and acknowledged Christ as his Savior?”  That was his question, and it certainly fits the way that most non-believers would look at things.  People are drawn to successful people, to jovial people, and to polished people.  But God is not.   Robert Laidlaw answered his question in this way “A Christian is not different in degree from a non-Christian, he is different in kind.  Just as the difference between a diamond and a cabbage is not one of degree but of kind.  The one is polished, the other is crude, but the one is dead while the other is alive, therefore the one has what the other has not in any degree whatsoever—life!  And such is the difference God sees between a Christian and a non-Christian.”  That was the essential difference between Esau and Jacob.  As a man, Esau was a far more open, honest, out-going, person than Jacob.  He was a terrific person, but he was spiritually dead.  Jacob was a natural-born schemer, but he had spiritual life.   It was a difference of kind, not degree.   Click on the link below to hear a message on how Jacob found out that not only was there no good in his old nature, but there was also something you may not realize; there was no strength or power in his new nature.  Our new nature, given to us by God, cannot, by itself, enable us to live the Christian life.  Simply being saved does not make you stop sinning.  Jacob found out that it is through Jesus Christ that your help is going to come.  Our strength and power come through Him.  This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.

LEARNING TO LEAN ON JESUS (Genesis 32:1-28) The title of the message today is “Learning to lean on Jesus.” Now, in order to learn how to lean on Jesus, there is a battle that each of us will face, and it is a battle that I hope you are going to lose.  It is that battle that we will be talking about today.  We have been studying about the man Jacob and how God loved him.  Why did God love Jacob? It is for the same reason that He loves you. God did not love Jacob for what he was, but for what He knew He could make out of him. For, in spite of all of his faults, Jacob had a heart for God.  The question that you need to ask yourself today is, do you have a heart for God? Secondly, I want you to notice that God did not change Jacob so that He could love him; He loved Jacob in order to change him. And I'm so glad that God loves us today. With all of our weaknesses and with all of our faults, God sees something in us that He wants to make out of us. And so, He just loves us, and He keeps working with us. Thank God for His infinite, marvelous patience. God wants us to come to a place of total, absolute, dependence upon Him.  Most of us have never come to that place. Most of us still have enough Jacob in us to say, “Well, we hope He'll bless us, but if He doesn't, we'll figure out a way. We'll figure out a way somehow.”  God had to bring Jacob to a point where he was leaning on Jesus instead of his on self-confidence.  It is the place that God wants to bring every one of us to. Paul said we are those who “have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3)  Do you know what most people want to learn? Self-confidence. You go into any bookstore, and there will be a wall of books on self-confidence.  Having self-confidence sounds so good that to speak against self-confidence sounds terrible.  But, the Bible tells us that the one thing we don't need, is self-confidence.  Ok, when you hear me say that, right away your mind threw up a wall and you said, “Oh, yes, we do”—“yes, we do.” Everybody wants that self-confidence. We've been taught everywhere that we have got to have self-confidence. Yet, Paul tells us that, “[We] have no confidence in the flesh.” (Philippians 3:3)  We have no confidence in self.  Now, understand that I am not saying you should not have confidence, but, if you are going to have confidence, then you just have it in Jesus, have confidence in the Lord.  That doesn't mean that you are going to go around like a doormat. You go around like a real person.  If your confidence is in Jesus, then you will really have confidence.  Jesus is someone you can have real confidence in.  Jesus is someone that you can truly lean on. Click on the play button to hear a message on how God is battling with you to learn how to lean on Jesus.  I hope you lose this most important battle with the Lord. This is a battle you cannot afford to win. And when God the Holy Spirit is striving with you today, why don't you just throw in the towel and say, “Lord, I'll not let you go except you bless me,” and no longer be dependent upon the flesh. This is a live recording of The Master's Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS. Amen.