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As God's community, the church should display God's character in the lives of His children to the eyes of a watching world. Let us pause in our races of life and listen to some teaching on character and how we are to relate to one another in the body of Christ. Make no mistake, those on the outside can tell how we treat each other on the inside.

Are we on this planet just to take up space, eat, and die? No, we're here to make a difference in the lives of others. Some people want to live their spiritual lives within the four walls of their church. But others sense God's call to display His love outside the four walls -- to show the love which Jesus said would cause people to be convicted of their sin. Do you sense this call?

Our bodies have many parts and so does the body of Christ -- the church with its members -- each one different, each with a spiritual gift. The race of life is most productive when everyone fulfills their God-given role. And Romans 12 lists the spiritual gifts God gives to make fulfilling that role a joy, not a burden.

None of us handles loneliness well. We're designed to be with others. And the church is where God wants us to find community. Getting along with others requires us not to think too highly of ourselves. The Apostle Paul will help us see ourselves realistically so that we can fit in with others as God intends.

Everyone has the desire for community: to be able to share the joys and sorrows of life with others. The race of life is a lot easier with others running with you. Today, we begin a series that explains why the local church is the place where those needs can best be met.

Temptations to sin do not stop the moment a person becomes a Christian. In fact, they may become even greater. The enemy of our souls will do anything to keep us mired in the sins we used to commit. Jesus sets us free from the compulsion to sin, but we must be diligent to avoid situations that might cause us to fall back into old patterns of behavior. Today, a final look at overcoming daily sins.

A woman's live-in boyfriend will not leave her apartment. She feels trapped with him there. But there's a way out, a police restraining order allows her to kick the man out, leaving him no legal recourse. It's like a Christian and habitual sin. Believers have no obligation to sin, and every opportunity to kick sin out the door. Today we will discuss what is needed to reckon oneself dead to sin.

Before people believe in Jesus, they have no choice, they will sin repeatedly. But after conversion, they do have a choice. At conversion, a new believer is set free from his old slave master, the devil. He is no longer obligated to commit the sins he committed before. Breaking free from old patterns involves a process called "reckoning oneself dead unto sin but alive unto God."

As wonderful as God's grace is, and the forgiveness He grants to those who believe in Jesus, it is easily misunderstood. Some may think that once they have believed, they can live as they like -- enjoy the pleasures of sin now plus have the assurance of heaven later. This may be the ultimate form of delusional self-obsession. Today, we will discuss why these people may not be Christians at all.

It is natural to be selfish. It is natural to put yourself first, and to make yourself look good. All of this is natural, just as it is also natural to sin, to disobey God in ways both big and small. Until we are redeemed by faith in Jesus, we will never be free of our obligation to sin. But once that transaction takes place, we are set free from our old master to serve Christ.

At first glance, the deal seems almost too good to be true. God forgives us, and then we can live as we like. At least that's one take on the abundant grace of God, but it's not the take a true believer would have. Romans 6 tells us why a person given the gift of righteousness by God would never sin just to see more grace abound in his life.

Built into every one of us is a tendency to focus on self. We see life through the lens of "how does this affect me?" After the first murder, Cain had no remorse for killing Abel. Rather, he bemoaned his fate of being forced to become a restless wanderer. Today we will take a look at how self-focus is shared by all of us, and how we can only get our eyes off of ourselves through the redemption Jesus provides.

Romans 5 contains the most thrilling news any sinner could ever hear: God's grace is enough. Once we understand our helplessness and guilt, once we see we have no way to cleanse ourselves, only then can we comprehend the grace of God in bestowing forgiveness on those who believe in Jesus.

The greatest contrast in the New Testament is between Adam and Jesus. Both men died, but only One gives life. Sin entered the world through Adam, but righteousness came through Jesus Christ. Thanks to Jesus, there is a way to recover from the damage Adam did. Today, more on how a death sentence was carried out on the Son of God, saving us from that awful penalty.

In the garden of Eden, an infection entered the human race. That infection has since spread to every last one of us. The infection is sin, which means "missing the mark" of God's standards. Whether we commit small sins or big sins, the outcome is the same: an eternity of separation from God. Today we will look at a short history of sin, and what God did to save us from its penalty.