What Does a Normal, Healthy Believer Look Like? In Romans 15, Paul who had never been to Rome was writing to the church there and commending them on their living out the truth of Christ. He describes many elements of their lives that were what he noted as good, healthy and part of the normal life of one supernaturally saved. Mature, normal, healthy believers display compassion for believers who differ with their convictions (Romans 15:1-3). Mature, normal, healthy believers display comfort from God through the Scriptures (Romans 15:4). Mature, normal, healthy believers display a united direction in Christ with other believers (Romans 15:5). Mature, normal, healthy believers display a passion for Christ not self (Romans 15:6). Mature, normal, healthy believers display a connection to God as their source of hope through the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:13). Sixth, Healthy believers are filled with the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit of goodness that fills their lives (Romans 15:14a). Seventh, Healthy believers are experiencing personally the truths of God, which is experiential knowledge (Romans 15:14b). Eighth, Healthy believers understand the power of God's Word and know & use God's Word to see His power through admonishing each other (Romans 15:14c). HEALTHY BELIEVERS FEED ON THE DOCTRINES OF GOD'S WORD AND DISPLAY SPIRITUAL STRENGTH & GROWTH. Romans 15:1-4 (NKJV) We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. 3 For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.” 4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope. First, Mature, normal, healthy believers display compassion for believers who differ with their convictions (v.1-3). They are vitally concerned about others more than themselves. Jesus & Others & You, what a wonderful way to spell JOY. (ESH-26) Join the LAND OF THE BOOK channel to get access to weekly video releases over the next year totaling 50+ EXCLUSIVE VIDEOS that feature weekly in-depth Bible Study lessons with John & Bonnie. Clips are taken at just one of the places where we are taking our virtual journey through all the Lands of the Bible & Great Museums of the Bible on the Paul's Life & Letters Course. Plus all the assigned HOLY LAND, Paul's Life & Letters Course STUDY RESOURCES, and John's two most loved books--David's Spiritual Secret & Living Hope for the End of Days at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVK6dN-9kLDnQhYBFuES09A/join Follow Discover the Book Ministries to stay up to date: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/discoverthebook/ DTBM Academy Courses: https://dtbmonline.org/all-video-courses/ Purchase John's Books, Mp3 & DVD resources: E-Books: https://tinyurl.com/y3wbhlxy Here are links to our Amazon Pages-- https://www.amazon.com/shop/dtbm Donate to the ministry: https://dtbm.org/donations/partnership/ For more of Dr. John Barnett's Bible teaching messages go to: https://dtbm.org/ https://youtu.be/nKwXBNSZJUc ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKwXBNSZJUc

Most of our lives are dominated by the physical world: our health, the weather, our family, our car, our job, etc. The Holy Scriptures each of us hold were designed to transport our minds away from our physically dominated world that is easiest for us to see and feel, and to transport our minds onto the spiritually-dominated world of God’s Throne. Paul explained this process that God uses to the Colossians when he taught them to: “Set your affections on things above” (Col. 3:1). Paul was telling them that they still had to live out their lives in the Roman Empire (most of them were stuck for life as slaves). But, they could live life on earth in a transformed way when they learned to focus their mind and heart on “things above”. We are actually spending our time together learning about the “things above” in Heaven: The Throne Room of the Universe. God’s Throne is central to all things above. The more we understand about what is going on this very moment at The Throne of God, the more we stay in step with God’s plans for us while we live in this world. God's Word explains for us in great detail: The Sounds and Sights around the Throne of our Awesome God. Today, that Throne Room of God is the place: Where our Worship Arrives While we are gathered here with the songs of worship to our God in Heaven still reverberating in our hearts from the first part of our gathering: something is happening up there, in the place we have directed our worship. What we are doing. What we sang and all of our thoughts. Each word of our prayers, and the gifts we just gave in the offering: Each of those actions, that originated in our redeemed hearts and minds, rises above us, rises out of this place on South Drake Road: and arrives before The Throne of God’s presence. Do you realize how much of what you do today, on the Lord’s Day, matters to the Lord God Almighty, seated on The Throne? To help us understand more about the impact of our lives, look with me at: What Happens in Heaven As we just sang, as we gave, and while we worshipped: what was happening at that very moment in Heaven? Often we think of Heaven in the past (when Christ left for the earth and the angels came to announce His birth). Or we think of Heaven in the future (when Jesus comes breaking through the clouds at the front of all the saints and armies of Heaven as King of Kings). But do we often enough stop and focus upon Heaven Now: what is happening at this very moment? While we are gathered here, above us at the epicenter of the Universe, at the Throne Room of God: it is literally pulsating with activity. So what is going on right now up there? God's Word can take us by angel wings to see the very center of the Universe, to the Throne of God in Heaven. A f ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNFNJpsNpT0