D-Groups Blog

We naturally avoid heartache and pain. Our instinctive response is to turn and run when it comes to suffering. Yet suffering and the gospel are inseparable. We walk in a long line of suffering saints who have trod in the footsteps of the Savior.

Believers are to live a life that is worthy of the gospel. It is to be their aim to live in such a way that their life is "in balance" with its life-changing message and power. A worthy testimony is evidence supporting the transformative power of the good news to a lost world.

In a culture that celebrates the rugged individualist and emphasizes looking out for number one, putting Christ first and serving others sacrificially is a glorious departure from the norm and the great calling for every believer.

God is worthy of unrivaled love and devotion. Yet how can the stone cold hearts of sinful humanity show affection? The only way for our heart to be changed and love to be formed in us is if God first demonstrates His love toward us. He acts for our good and His glory so we might exclaim, "I love the Lord!"

Paul claims that for him , "to live is Christ and to die is gain." A Christian's life is to be spent knowing Christ and making Him known, while death is to be sweet release that finds rest in the presence of Jesus. Yet navigating the tension between these two realities is what we, like Paul, must learn to balance and appreciate.

God has provided every believer talents and gifts for the good of the church and the advancement of the Gospel. Therefore, every believer is necessary and indispensable.

Suffering, others' ill intentions, and the certainty of death - Paul considers all three to be powerless and no match for the gospel. As a matter of fact, they are simply means a sovereign God uses to advance the good news.

Prayer connects us to God and to fellow believers. It shows a deep bond shared through a common Savior, common partnership, and common care. Most importantly, it is a product of love that pleads for growth in one another.

God always finishes what He starts. He is doing a good work and is faithful to complete our full transformation, because He is the Justifier, Sanctifier, and Glorifier of His children.

Partnering together for the advancement of the Gospel unifies a community of believers. It connects them in shared joy and gratitude.