The Cheerful Churchman

Aim: To grow as cheerful, faith-filled believers.

Doctrine: Attitudes of grace distiguish the regenerate from the unregenerate. These (attitudes) flow from humble and grateful hearts, and result in dynamic impressions on the world.

Exegesis: The inner spring that fuels the cheerful churchman: familial fear—shaping us into gentle, compliant spirits (v. 14); wrathful fear—inspiring us to preserve the world (v. 15); loving fear—as we cling to and share the word and the light (v. 16).

Further application: How to grow as a cheerful churchman: not through superficial religion, but through a persistent faith in the Christ of the true religion.

Key verse: v. 14 ''Do all things without complaining and disputing...''