Sermon text: Ephesians 4:17-24

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This week we arrive at a sin in Galatians 5 that is translated in several different ways. The original Greek word is “aselgeia.” The King James Version uses the word, “lasciviousness.” Then that gets defined as “filthy or wantonness.” We get other uses too. Our NIV translation uses “debauchery.” The same Greek word is then translated “sensuality” in the passage in Ephesians we are going to examine this morning. Then Eugene Peterson's Message takes the meaning of the word further by calling it a “stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage.” That is definitely a stretch from the literal meaning of the word, but it does get at the heart of it. I perhaps most prefer translating the term “outrageousness.”

Now just to be clear, there is clearly a sexual nature to this sin carried out in the outrageous nature of sexuality gone wrong. We talked about this last week when we discussed sexual immorality, but this outrageousness does not just take sexual forms in our hearts and minds. As Peterson's translation makes evident, it also includes a whole host of other mental and emotional garbage.

This morning then I want us to look at a passage from Ephesians 4 that I think illustrates the effect and pervasiveness of this sin. I want to call our problem foolish thinking and shallow emotions. Let's begin though by looking at God's word on this.

Sermon text: 1 Corinthians 6:12-20

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It has been an interesting week after people have heard the sermon topic for this week. There have been some questions and someone last week asked if there were going to be any pictures.

One of our goals at Riverside is to be real and authentic with each other and that also means that we want to be real and authentic with the Bible. This morning we begin a summer sermon series on a passage in Galatians 5 that lists 12 “acts of the sinful nature.”

Sermon text: Revelation 21:1-8

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This is our final Sunday in the E100 and next week we will be beginning a new sermon series from the book of Galatians. You are probably familiar with the “fruit of the spirit” in Galatians 5. There is a whole list of wonderful characteristics that the Holy Spirit enables Jesus followers to have. But that is not what our sermon series is going to be on. Immediately before all those good things there is a list of 12 things that Paul calls, “the acts of the sinful nature.” This is what our next sermon series is going to be on. Those particular sins that are difficult for us to overcome.

And I want to give you a heads up because the first sin on this list is “sexual immorality.” Next week we are going to be talking about sexual immorality and some parts of the sermon might not be appropriate for your kids depending on their age. I am going to call the sermon PG-13. We are going to talk about sex frankly, so if you think that might not be appropriate for your kids and they are usually in the service with you . . . then please plan to have them downstairs for Children's Church. If you are unsure or have other questions, please feel free to talk to me.

Sermon text: I John 4:1-6

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I believe one of the most difficult aspects of our Christian journeys is determining the difference between things of God and things of the world.  When I have a decision to make in my life, how do I determine what God wants me to do?  Better said perhaps, how do I know which voice in my head to listen to.  (you all hear voices too, right?)  How do I know which person amongst my friends to trust and believe have the best advice in a given situation?  And as you will see in our passage this morning, John describes this as discerning between the spirits.  And John urges us to “test the spirits to see whether they are from God.”

Let’s go ahead and read this passage.  Read 1 John 4:1-6.