Sermons on Church Family

What is Baptism?

One of the last things Jesus told his disciples before He ascended into Heaven was to teach people to follow Him, and baptize them. This was important to Jesus. So why is it important? And what does baptism actually mean?

The Spiritual Gift of Showing Mercy

The spiritual gift of showing mercy is the special ability given by the Holy Spirit to recognize when people are going through emotional or spiritual difficulty, and then encourage them by providing comfort and support through either physical or spiritual help. How is it seen in Scripture, and how do we see it in our…

The Spiritual Gift of Serving

The spiritual gift of helps (or serving) may seem less “spiritual” because of its primary focus on the physical aspect of life. The reality is that it has profound spiritual impact on the church family, and has a critical role in the growth of the body of Christ.

The Spiritual Gift of Exhortation

“Paraklesis.” It’s an interesting Greek word that isn’t easy to define, in English or in Japanese. But the Bible gives us an amazing picture of what this spiritual gift is, through several surpising ways. It shows us how we can, through this gift of exhortation, walk alongside others to encourage and challenge them to follow…

The Spiritual Gift of Teaching

Much of what we know about the deep and wonderful truths of God have to do with the spirititual gift of teaching. How does the gift of teaching work? And what does the Bible tell us about how to use it? Do we ALL teach? How do we know if we have the gift of…