Straight From The Heart Radio

Second to the Corinthians- Many believers in the church at Corinth heeded the exhortations and corrections in Paul's first letter. Paul's second letter to the Corinthians is full of encouragement, in addition to some defense of his own reputation and ministry.

Last words and greetings- Paul shares his final words of exhortation and encouragement in this first letter to the Corinthian church.

Time and money- Do you view your time and money as a gift from God? If you do, you will be a good steward over how you are using them. Paul began his final thoughts in his first letter to Corinth with an exhortation to the church on the use of time and money for God's kingdom.

Resurrection- Everyone will experience resurrection one day. For some, resurrection will mark the beginning of a glorious new life, for others, it will mean separation from God, and the loss of all hope. God has given man the capacity to choose which fate he will experience.

The last enemy- Jesus was not just raised from the dead, He was resurrected. Because Jesus was resurrected, He will never die again, and His followers have the same glorious future. What does Paul's strange comment about those "who are baptized for the dead" mean?

Defending the resurrection- One of the last issues Paul had to address with the Corinthians was an apparent skepticism by some of the resurrection. Are you prepared to give a defense for the resurrection of Jesus?

Prophecy and tongues (Part 2)- There should be order in the way the gifts of tongues and prophecy are exercised in the church. This will be a witness to unbelievers. Paul defended this position when he said, "God is not the author of confusion but of peace."

Prophecy and tongues- There is a lot of weirdness out there in the church when it comes to the gifts of tongues and prophecy. How can we determine what's legitimate? If spiritual gifts are meant to be exercised in love, then tongues and prophecy should be edifying to the church.

Have the gifts ceased?- Is Paul insinuating in I Corinthians 13 that the gifts of the Spirit ceased when the canon was completed? Some people interpret his words that way. If not, what is Paul talking about, and how does it connect to agape love?

The greatest gift is love- Agape love is the greatest gift. Paul takes a detour from his breakdown on spiritual gifts to highlight what love is, and what it isn't. Without love, our use of spiritual gifts will only be like "a clanging cymbal."

One body many members- Continuing the topic of the gifts of the Spirit, Paul exhorts believers who might be discouraged about their personal giftings. Paul also warns against pride and jealousy regarding spiritual gifts.

By one Spirit- Is the baptism of the Holy Spirit exclusively synonymous with being born again? Should believers expect subsequent "refills" of the Holy Spirit after salvation? What does the bible have to say on this much debated topic?

Concerning spiritual gifts (Part 2)- Spiritual gifts have nothing to do with an individual's talents or abilities. The use of these diverse gifts should promote unity in the body of Christ. Paul gives a list of specific gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit.

Concerning spiritual gifts- Spiritual gifts have nothing to do with an individual's talents or abilities. The use of these diverse gifts should promote unity in the body of Christ. Paul gives a list of specific gifts imparted by the Holy Spirit.

The bread and the cup- There are various views on what taking communion means among different denominations. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to examine their hearts before taking communion because they were defiling the table of the Lord.

Roles in God's order (Part 2)- What application can be made from Paul's words about the roles of men and women in the church? Are women supposed to wear head coverings? One of the results of disorder in the Corinthian church was improper conduct when taking the Lord's supper.

Roles in God's order- Paul's words about men and women may seem controversial at first glance. When it comes to marriage, family, and the church God calls men and women to play certain roles. These are not general rules to be applied to men and women in society.

Flee from idolatry- Paul redirected the focus of the Corinthians who were concerned about eating food offered to idols to consider whether that would stumble a brother or sister in Christ. Would it glorify God? The food itself is neutral, but the ritualistic practices were idolatry.

Privilege and responsibility (Part 2)- Because of the difficulty of the journey, the children of Israel began to despise the provision of God. They forgot about God's goodness and deliverance in the past. If we aren't careful we can follow the same path.

Privilege and responsibility- The people of ancient Israel had protection, redemption, and provision from God. We have all the same privileges from God now through Christ. Paul warned the Corinthians not to continue in sin like the people of ancient Israel.

Run in such a way- We are all running a race in this life, and the reward is "an imperishable crown." But the opponent is not who you think. We are competing against our own flesh. Paul exhorted the Corinthians to continue the race, and run well, by the grace of God.

Surrendering your rights- What are you willing to surrender for the sake of the gospel? Paul challenged the Corinthians to be willing to forsake some of their liberties for their brethren. As an apostle, Paul had the right to exercise certain freedoms, but chose not to.

Love builds up- Another concern in the church at Corinth was the matter of what to do with food offered to idols? Mature Christians may have felt the liberty to eat certain foods without condemnation, but Paul warned against becoming a stumbling block to those younger in the faith.

To the unmarried- When Paul observed what was going on in the culture, he exhorted those who were single to consider the sacrifices that would come with marriage. Is Paul saying that the state of being single is better than marriage?

To the married- Is it more honorable to remain single rather than marry? How does someone know if they have the gift of celibacy? What does a Christian man or woman do if they are married to an unbeliever? Paul addresses questions about singleness and marriage.

Biblical sexuality- The Corinthian church had all kinds of perverted ideas about sex. They were heavily influenced by the immoral culture they lived in. Sound familiar? Paul instructed the Corinthians on how they should properly view sex and its purpose in marriage.

Don't you know?- We were once ruled by our sin. But now, Paul says, we are washed, sanctified, and justified by the blood of Christ. Our bodies are "members of Christ." We are "the temple of the Holy Spirit." So how can we now live in immorality with our bodies?

Settling disputes- What is the proper approach for settling disputes in the church? Is it ever right to take another believer to court and let the civil government become involved? People in the church at Corinth were suing each other without any restraint.

Church discipline- Paul spoke to a specific matter in the church at Corinth of sexual immorality that lead into a larger conversation about dealing with sin in the church. How are we supposed to reach out to brothers and sisters in Christ that are living in sin?

Paul's paternal warning- A big problem in the Corinthian church was giving in to the temptation to look at each other as the standard for righteousness. This was leading to pride and all sorts of issues. As a loving parent, Paul exhorted them to remember the true standard.

Servants and stewards- What does it mean to become a fool for Christ? It means denying the world's wisdom and relying on the Spirit that dwells inside of you. God is calling us to faithfulness as His stewards.

No other foundation- Many people get caught up in finding the perfect formula for a successful church. How big is the sanctuary? What is the worship band like? Paul reminds us that none of that matters without the firm foundation of the gospel and Jesus Christ.

Spiritual, natural, carnal- There should not be a profession without practice, or belief without behavior. The believers in Corinth understood the truth of the gospel, but they were immature and carnal in their faith.

Hidden wisdom- Christian, you will likely be mocked by unbelievers for believing the "foolishness" of the gospel. Spiritual mysteries can only be understood by human intellect through revelation from the Holy Spirit.

The power of God- Our responsibility is to bring Christ to men. Only God can bring men to Christ. Paul was determined to deliver the message of Christ crucified to the world by the leading of the Spirit. The power is in the message, not the persuasiveness of the messenger.

The foolishness of God- Paul reminded the Corinthian church that the cross of Jesus Christ was not just a superior philosophy. It may seem like foolishness to the world, but the message of the cross is the answer to the greatest need of all humanity. It is the power of God.

First things first- There was a litany of issues in the Corinthian church that Paul needed to address. What was the first thing he exhorted them about? Divisions in the church. Paul knew that one of the things God hates is "one who sows discord among brethren."

First to the Corinthians- The church at Corinth was a church infected by the pagan culture that surrounded it. The Holy Spirit has much to say through this letter to the modern-day church, which has also been heavily influenced by the immorality of the current culture.

The wages of sin- When "every man does what's right in his own eyes" God can't just sit back because He is holy and righteous. God graciously brought the civil war between Benjamin and the rest of the tribes of Israel to an end, but only after much death and bloodshed. God must judge sin.

Taking the wrong side- Early in the days of the judges, a civil war was ready to break out between the tribe of Benjamin and the rest of Israel because Benjamin decided to defend wicked men. Why would Benjamin stubbornly stand up for such sinful behavior?

What else do I have?- The enemy would love for you to become content with a life seeking to satisfy fleshly desires. When all of Micah's idols were stripped away he felt that he had lost everything. Anything in life that you esteem higher than Christ can become an idol.

Don't settle for less- You can do all kinds of things in the name of religion, but if God's Word is not the standard it can turn into idolatry or compromise. That was the case with a man named Micah, who convinced a young Levite to compromise and serve him for a modest price.

Backslider vs. apostate- God is gracious and long-suffering, but eventually He must let us experience the mess that our sin makes. Samson learned the harsh reality of that lesson at the end of his life. Don't mistake God's grace and patience for His approval.

Samson and Delilah- There is a cost that a follower of Christ will have to bear if we are going to be separate from the world. Samson was not willing to make the sacrifice that comes with holy living, and his stubbornness and rebellion finally caught up with him when he met Delilah.

A lesson in humility- God gave Samson a great victory when he slew a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey. In his great exhaustion after battle, Samson cried out to God for water to revive him. God wants us to be just as dependent on Him in the battle than afterwards in our victory.

"AA" and "CC"- Samson was chosen by God to deliver Israel from the Philistines. He was raised in a Christian home. He was set up for success, but he had a couple big problems. Samson had authority without accountability, and consecration without communion.

God listened to Manoah- When Manoah heard that the Angel of the Lord appeared to his wife and informed her that she would have a child, he prayed and asked God to give them some parental instruction. God graciously answered his prayer. Do you turn to God when you feel lost or in need of guidance?

From one judge to another- Jephthah was a judge in Israel for a relatively short amount of time, but much is written about his life. In contrast, what we know of other judges like Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon is much more obscure. God was preparing Samson to be the next deliverer of Israel during this time.

Jephthah made a vow- Ever try to cut a deal or bargain with God? Wanting to see Israel victorious in battle, Jephthah made a strange vow to God that involved his daughter. God's love and generosity toward us is a gift that we could never earn or deserve.

Who will fight?- Israel was in search of a leader to fight against their enemies the Ammonites. God raised up Jephthah, the son of a harlot, to be a deliverer for Israel. Jephthah shows us that the sins of the past won't limit the good work God can do in a life that's surrendered to Him.

Real repentance- Abimelech reigned over Israel for three years and refused to turn from his evil ways. God allows us to live in our sin so that we might be led to repentance. Are you sowing to the Spirit or the flesh?