For years, far too many believers have argued, and even fought over whether the spiritual gifts were only for the first century, or whether they are still available to us today. However, in doing this they have been missing the main message of this passage: there is A MORE EXCELLENT WAY available to believers whether they lived in the first century, or in any other century from that time until the end of time! Having a right relationship with God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, you have the potential to live your life according to the good and perfect will of God. Lest I should be misunderstood from the beginning, let me say that I approve of the Scriptural usage of every spiritual gift that God has given to the church. However, I must hasten to say that I also believe that the Apostle Paul introduces us to A MORE EXCELLENT WAY in I Corinthians 12:31. We'll be talking about that concept throughout our study.

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christto the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:911). This passage sums up the heart of Called to Purity: A Chosen Generation. With everything that tries to pull todays youth away from Christ and into the things of this world, it is more important than ever to instruct them in the true meaning of purity so that they may begin down the road that leads to true righteousness. Called to Purity: A Chosen Generation presents teens with ideals concerning purity in many different areas of life and encourages them to discover their own convictions in each area, leading teens into a more excellent way of life so that they can bypass the pitfalls of this life and move straight towards a life of righteousness! Be holy, for I am holy. Is holiness really achievable in todays society? Can teens really make it to adulthood without succumbing to peer pressure? Are temptations and pitfalls really avoidable? Can our youth be preserved blameless? The answer is yes! With God all things are possibleand that includes holiness and purity!

The word discipline stirs up many feelings—anxiety or anticipation, dread or excitement. Yet spiritual disciplines (or practices) can give structure to our Christian life and help us grow spiritually. The practice of setting aside a regular time to spend with God—reading scripture, praying, meditating on God's message for us—is one of the most helpful disciplines Christians can undertake. Let The Upper Room Disciplines help strengthen your daily walk with Christ. This award-winning daily devotional guide features 53 writers from various Christian traditions and locales. Writers for 2016 include Elaine Stanovsky, D. J. del Rosario, Mary Donovan Turner, Thomas R. Hawkins, Linda Douty, Juan Huertas, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, and Heather Murray Elkins. The Upper Room Disciplines offers us the annual gift of deciding to be disciplined—to schedule and practice daily attention to God. We can choose whether to accept this invitation. When we do, Disciplines grants us the opportunity to meet the living presence of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—the one who creates, redeems, and sustains us through all the seasons of our lives.

The most important theological work of the 20th century in a new edition - now available in individual volumes.