The Back Porch

1 Corinthians 9 is a chapter where the Apostle Paul defends his rights as an apostle and discusses the principles of self-sacrifice and serving others for the sake of the gospel. In the same message Cam and I discuss whether or not one can lose their salvation. We know these are big topics so please follow along and feel free to reference each verse we mention. Bible Verses: Deuteronomy 25:4 1 Timothy 5:18 Acts 16:3 John 6:37-39 John 10:28-30 Romans 8:38-39

Paul addresses an issue that is just the tip of the iceberg. He initially brings up eating food sacrificed to idols, but this is just one scenario as there are many things that Christians can eat, drink, say, or do, to turn others away from God. If you read Matthew 15, where Jesus talks about what makes a person unclean you'll see it's not what is consumed that defiles a person, but what comes from the heart. Jesus and Paul are addressing things that stem from the heart, not things consumed. Take a listen and tell me what you think!

The church of Corinth has questions and Paul answers them. It's okay for Christians to have questions about the Bible, and it's not shameful for the wise men and women in the church to answer. That's what Paul does except these questions pertain to marriage and circumcision - should members in the church marry and should they get circumcised? Both are very different questions with two very different answers, but Paul answers with wisdom and according to God's word.

Cam and I discuss the purpose of prophecies for the first half of the podcast. We eventually found our way to 1 Corinthians 7, where Paul addresses the solution to the church's problem, that being marriage. In chapter 7 he reminds the church of God's commandment but then gives his personal recommendation on marriage vs. not marrying.

The church of Corinth is facing some serious allegations, but it's not what you think. Paul finds out that the church of Corinth is playing with fire by living in sinful behavior all the while proclaiming to be Christians. No one is perfect, but the church is blatantly living in sin for all to see, but also living in division. Paul writes a series of letters addressing the unity and integrity of their faith reminding them to live and love as Christ does. It's not easy to live the Christians life, just as it's not easy holding others accountable as Paul does. I believe this chapter is two fold: the first is for the believer living in sin, and the second for other believers boldly holding other accountable.

This chapter is tough. Paul addressed a certain man in the church who is not only living in sin, but also boasting about it. It's so bad that even church members have joined him in boasting in the matter. Today's episode is about how to biblically address serious problems in the church and properly hold each other accountable.

In this next chapter Paul continues to address the division in the church, except this time he clarifies that he states he's their spiritual father. This establishes a role leaders in the church have to students, new believers, and even long time members in the church. Those who have been selected to lead in the church whether head pastor, youth pastor, small group leader, worship leader, etc., they have an obligation to be spiritual parents when someone strays from God's will. As spiritual parents you have the option to either discipline with love or discipline with a rod. Of course it's not easy to disciple anyone much less members in the church, but it must come from love and not hatred.

Before Jesus went to the Father, he preached that we (the believer) are unified through him. Just as there is one death, one burial, one resurrection, and one God, we should be one church. Division has always been around since the first church, but Paul addresses the issue that just because some follow Apollos and some follow Paul doesn't mean there should be division but only UNITY. Set aside the differences and ask yourself the real question, "who is Christ and what does he mean to you?"

In Chapter 2, Paul explains to the church that proclaiming the gospel is not about lofty words or an amazing speech but is about Jesus. We live in a generation where most people cling to a church based on how the speaker makes them feel or if the worship is good. It's not bad to attend a church where the speaker is good and worship is amazing, but we lose focus when those things become our main priority for attending any church service. The purpose of church, the purpose of small groups, the purpose of worship is to come to the feet of Jesus because he's all that we need and nothing else!

Paul always starts off his message with a greeting and it doesn't surprise me that he even encourages the church of Corinth. At the same time he doesn't waste time before he begins addressing conflict amongst the other believers. Some follow after Paul, others after Apollos, and others might even follow the other disciples, but in the end we're all unified through Christ. Jesus didn't die individual deaths for each church or each member, but he died once for all so that we might be unified THROUGH him!

The group spends some time discussing two things: What does it mean when scripture says "God regretted". To most of us when we hear the words regret it sounds as if God made a mistake, but the way scripture is actually means that the Lord was deeply saddened by what was going on. We also discussed different Bible translations, as most people read out of the same Bible and same translation for most of their life. Sometimes we may pickup a different translation based on easy reading or we become more aware of verses being left out words being translated differently, which again can come down to easy reading. In the end it's important to read the Word but also research certain words and breakdown certain verses.

Details are important to any great story. Luke does an amazing job recording even the smaller details of Paul's journey across the sea, it verifies the events that took place but it also helps to have other sources to prove Paul's journey was in deed accurate.

In this chapter Paul is still under Roman authority. This is probably one of the more famous chapters as it's where Agrippa said to Paul, "In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?" I personally believe Agrippa is on the fringe of believing in the Way, or at least he seems really curious. Paul responds, "Whether shot or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am - except for these chains." Even while incarcerated Paul doesn't shy away from an opportunity to advance the gospel. Even in the most unlikely and unpleasant places God can still use you to further his Kingdom.

In this episode Matthew and I discuss miracles that God performs all around us. There is no situation that is too great or small for the LORD, but in all things he is glorified. God can perform miracles in and around your life, all you need is faith that He is able and watch Him show up!

Cam and I discussed the importance of discipling new believers. It's not that most Christians don't want to disciple the new believer maybe we're too hyper focused on bringing people to Christ that we neglect to check in on those who already received Christ. Jesus says to go out and make disciples of all nations, to do this it requires walking with them in life.

No one is perfect and everyone struggles with something, but the world will demand believers to take a stance in their faith on certain things such as, good deeds, homosexuality, casting judgement, fellowship in the church, predestination, accountability, etc. These are all questions Christians struggle with, but is there a clear answer?

In chapter 23, Paul is on the chopping block before the Roman centurion finds out that Paul is also a Roman citizen. Paul was then taken to Rome and set before Felix, a high government official, but one of the commanding officers finds out that 50 Jewish men planned to ambush and kill their prisoner while on their way to Rome - so the Roman official did what anyone would do, he ordered 475 soldiers to protect Paul from the wolves (very excessive if you ask me). Chapter 23 is interesting in the fact that it pays to be Roman, because other wise Paul would be dead already, and the Roman guards were not letting the Jews over play them. This chapter almost comes off as a political war. Listen and tell me what you think?

In chapter 22, Paul is questioned by the tribune. Just before they beat him Paul pulls out a uno reverse card and announces that he's a Roman citizen, which means it's not lawful for a Roman to be judged or tried without first being convicted, it's why Paul says, "its it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?" I don't think Paul intended to use his rights as a Roman citizen to save his life, but to prolong the final mission, to see it through to the end. I firmly believe Paul was ready to sacrifice his life for Jesus, he just needed a little more time.

Paul goes back to Jerusalem, and it's not pretty. Even though many believers told him time after time to not go back to that city because he would be bound and beaten, but Paul, not afraid, was ready for whatever came his way.

Before he heads to Jerusalem, Paul is wrapping up his ministry in Greece. But before he does, he gives them his final instruction, which is to stay united and be aware of the wolves that claim to be Christ, along with those who join the church and corrupt God's word. A wolf in sheep's clothing is more than a person - I believe a wolf can be a sport, it can be materialistic things, it can our jobs, but Christ says to deny ourselves and the things of the world so we can faithfully and fully devote our lives to him.

Acts 19 is evidence that all nonbelievers, non-Christians, those who have never received the Holy Spirit, do not and cannot have the power and authority that Christ gives to Christians. Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will will enter the kingdom of heave, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in here. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' Matthew 7:21-23

Chapter 18 is a tough chapter for Paul, because he's in a Greek country surrounded by non believers, who for the most part hate him because of the gospel. But the Lord instructs him to keep preaching and that he's protected. One thing I love most about this chapter is that God told Paul that there were other believers in the city and he calls them, "my people." It reminds me of why I love mission trips, because no matter where God sends us there's always a remnant of "His people," in that city, or town, or foreign country!

Over Spring Break Matthew traveled to Ethiopia, while Cam and I traveled to Dallas, TX for a mission trip. Our main purpose for this episode was to share how God moved over the past week. Even though we were in different countries God used us in different ways, whether praying with the homeless or sharing stories in the Bible with little kids. God can use you anywhere you are under any circumstance!

Paul begins to visit Greek cities and the first thing he notices are the idols everywhere in the city. The scripture says it provokes his spirit so he began to reason with the Jews and other devout persons. It was through this moment that lead Paul to speak before the Areopagus, where he unashamedly shared the gospel!! What seems like an ordinary day can lead you unimaginable opportunities to share Jesus. Keep boldly sharing the WORD. God sees you, God hears you, and God is with you!!

Acts 16 we see Lydia and the Philippine Jailer give their life over the Christ. How it came about was more impressing, because it seems as if it was a coincidence that Paul and Silas stumbled upon the moment, but the scriptures shows they were being led by the Spirit even if they had not known it. Today we each are led by the Spirit, and everyday someone has an opportunity to receive Christ for the very first time. The question is will you be obedient when the Spirit speaks? I encourage each of you to listen for the Father and act when He speaks.

In Acts 15 there was much debate about certain customs within Jewish traditions, such as circumcision. The Bible says these men had a long debate over this topic, certain people believed in order to enter into heave they must first be circumcised. There are times we need to be prepared to give an account for what we believe and why believe it (we call this apologetics), and the Apostles set a great example of this because they never once backed away from this conversation. I encourage each believer to know why you believe what you believe, and it's super important to know that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus." Nothing less and nothing more!

Acts 14 reveals how Paul continues to preach the gospel, except he begins to experience for the first time, "how much he must suffer for the sake of my name," as God prophesied in Acts 9. Paul is a great example to the believer that not everyone will respectfully and peacefully listen to the gospel, but he also reveals that we shouldn't be scared or ashamed to entertain those conversations with people who heatedly disagree with our faith. Paul is a great example to all believers to boldly share the gospel!

In this next chapter, we see Paul beginning his ministry as Jesus called him to. Not only does he boldly proclaim the gospel, but he speaks and acts as the spirit commands. This is not an easy task to do, as sometimes anger and jealousy fills our human flesh causing us to lash out irrationally. Paul was on a bigger mission and he wasn't willing to let anyone compromise God's plans. The same can be said for each of us, part of being a shepherd is protecting the flock.

Acts 12, we see government persecute the church - James is killed and Peter is imprisoned. All the while the church was praying that God would somehow free Peter, and when He does Rhoda, a servant girl, is shocked at seeing his appearance and the apostles didn't believe that he was set free. God is our way maker, He's always answering prayers, it's okay to be excited when He answers your prayer, but it's another thing to be surprised when he does because that's who He is - we serve a God who sees you and always hears you, even when He doesn't answer your prayers. God is always deserving of our praise!

Peter is faced with explaining to the church why he spent time with non-believing gentiles. This was the first time the gospel was shared with non-Jews, what excitement, yet it Pete knew he would still need to explain himself to the church, as it was against jewish tradition to speak with gentiles. There are times when God may reveal something to you and you might not understand the message, just remember it took Peter three times before he realized what Jesus was saying - this was a two fold test: 1) to share the gospel with the gentiles, 2) to explain himself to the church. In the end the church praised the Lord because they realized salvation was for the Jew and Gentile! In a sense, this prepared the way for Paul to share the gospel with all gentiles.

Many times Christians think they have arrived, but in Acts 10 we see a great preacher like Peter, who for the first time, God reveals that Jesus death and resurrection was even for the gentiles. Peter was perplexed at his vision in chapter 10, but when God told him to go scripture says he immediately went. The same is told for every believer - when God gives you a vision, a plan, a word to share, a place to visit, or people to see, God commands that we go. James 4:17 says, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." As Christians we must be obedient in the things God commands us not to do, but this also includes the things we are commanded to do.

Chapter 9 is very interesting, as this is the famous chapter when Saul meets Jesus face to face. There's another similar encounter in Numbers 22, when Balaam is confronted by "The Angel of the Lord," which people speculate to be Jesus, and is basically tested while on his way to meet the king Balak. Acts chapter 9 speaks to many Christians, because it reveals that God can choose anyone, even the least of these, to play a huge role in the church. Jesus reminds us to never give up hope!

Cam and I briefly cover chapter 7 before jumping into chapter 8, simply because Acts 7:44-53 talks about worshiping God and to the Temple. Jesus said it himself, "the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit and those who worship him must worship in spite and truth." This ties in with chapter 8, where we see a man named Simon who has a very worldly heart, thinking he can purchase the power of the Holy Spirit, which is not possible and evil to think you can. With that being said, chapter 7 and 8 shows the importance of worshiping God and not the things on earth. Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not lap up for yourselves treasures on earth where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." References: Exodus 25:8, 2 Samuel 7, Isaiah 66:1-6, Matthew 6:19-21

God has made many promises, and many of them have been fulfilled. Steven reminds the Pharisees of God's promise to Abraham, His promise to Moses, and now Steven is trying to catch them up on the promise of the coming Messiah. At this point the Messiah has already come and when he came Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit - we see God fulfill that promise in Acts 2. Ultimately, Acts chapter 7 is a reminder that God keeps his promises and we can always trust him. References: God promises to send another prophet like Moses: Deuteronomy 18:15-18, John 1:21, John 6:14, Acts 3:22 Prophesies about Jesus birth: Isaiah 7:10, it was fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-23, Prophesies about the Messiah being crucified: Psalms 22:16-18, it was fulfilled in Matthew 27:35 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit: John 14:26, John 16 We see glimpses of the Holy Spirit come: Luke 3:21, Luke 1:41-42, then in Acts 2 we see the Holy Spirit rest on the church.

Acts 6 is an amazing introduction to Stephen. This was an ordinary man, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, that God used to share the name of Jesus. Stephens purpose was to relieve the apostles of servitude, because they were becoming busier every day. Yet in Stephens service he still found time to evangelize, and in doing so this angered certain religious leaders. The key takeaway from todays message is that you can be used by God anywhere you are at any moment, even if it seems in the most unlikely of places. The saying is true, that we're all part of the same body of Christ and that faith and works must go hand and hand. References: Acts 6, James 2:14-26, Matthew 20:28, 2 Thessalonians 3:10

God sets the standard in Acts 5. Ananias and Sapphire are used as an example for the Christian standard, as they tried to lift themselves up seeking praise from the church yet lying to God about the land they sold - a double No No!! But Peter said it best, "we must obey God," and if there is no punishment for disobedience then Christianity would be filled with hypocrites. God expects perfection, but because of his grace and mercy He knows we aren't perfect so instead asks that we strive for perfection by "walking in the light." Our role as Christians doesn't stop there, as we must also spread the gospel - in everything we do, in every encounter, and in every time God performs miracles in our lives. Join us as we dive into God's standard for our lives. References: Matthew 6:1-18, 1 John 1:1-5, Luke 5:21-22, John 9:2

In the book of Acts chapter 4, Peter and John face persecution from the exact same religious leaders who murdered their Messiah. And with no hesitation and being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter speaks boldly about the events that occurred the day of Christ crucifixion. The purpose of the believer is to speak boldly about Christ, regardless if you face persecution, and the second is too love others that share the same passion for the Messiah. In the second half of the chapter we see the church give to meet each others needs - this is why I love house church, because it's filled with people who love one another and go out of their way to meet others needs. It's in church or a small group that people come together to share the love for humility and their love for Jesus! Join us as Matthew, Cam, and Cruz, break down Acts 4 in this next episode of The Back Porch.

In Acts chapter 3, we see Peter and John, fulfilling their mission by taking the torch that Jesus passed to them to perform healings and preach repentance and salvation. This wasn't the first time healing and teaching was done in the same day, as we see many times in previous books where Jesus heals the sick and lame just to teach the people of Israel a new lesson. Join us as Matthew and I break down chapter 3 to discuss the physical and spiritual blessings found in Jesus.

Acts 2 is considered one of the greatest sermons of all time, and if you really think about it Peter does a great job sharing the gospel of Jesus. He not only talks about the resurrection, but he even references Joel and David, which are prophesies about Jesus. In this chapter we see the fulfillment of the Holy Spirit come, and we see many people added to the church. If you ever have questions about the purpose of church read the book of Acts because they are a perfect representation of God's church!

The book of Acts is probably one of the biggest turning points for the church. This is where Jesus not only gives the apostles a plan and purpose, but power to fulfill that purpose! We don't see the Holy Spirit come till chapter 2, but what great anticipation and planning there is just in chapter one. This is where we see the church first gather together and receives the power of God! If I could leave you with something from chapter one, it's that there's power in the waiting. Chapter one, Jesus tells his disciples to wait before they receive their purpose and power. So I encourage you today to wait on the Lord.

In the last chapter of 1 Timothy, Paul really closes in on two things: False knowledge and finding contentment. We live in a generation where we have access to almost anything, if you want to do a quick Google search it takes 10 seconds, if you want to fly to another state or country you can board a plane and be there within a day or two. Because we have such easy access to everything it can be easy to get lost in what Paul calls false knowledge, and much more not finding true contentment. This is why as Christians we much guard our heart and in most cases stand firm in our faith through the unknowns in our life, when things aren't easy, and when we feel burdened. "For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:30) God says stand firm in Him because in Him we have strength, power, and he promises to never let you be tempted beyond your ability to over come that temptation. (1 Corinthians 10:13). Lean on Jesus today!

As the body of Christ it can seem like most things tend to be the church's responsibility such as, providing child care, visiting widows, feeding and clothing local families in need. The list goes on, but in most cases resources are always limited whether it's, people, clothing, food, etc. Paul addresses instructions for the church and gives logical yet spiritual reasoning of how to go about providing for these families. Like most pastors, Paul doesn't want to see a family go hungry or stay in need but he also knows there are certain things that each family can do to provide for each other. This letter is intended for encouragement and direction and it ultimately eases the burden of the church.

We live in a time where we have access to so much knowledge and wisdom, but sometimes the things we learn are not beneficial to our faith. Paul addresses these same concerns in the church and even cautions Timothy to keep a close eye on himself and his teachings, as it can have an impact on his salvation and the salvation of others. The same still applies today, we need to be careful on what we believe because it can hinder our faith and confuse others around us. The best way to discern false teachings is to compare it to what God says in the Bible.

Timothy, is a young pastor who was appointed by Paul, to take his place while he was in prison. Even though he was young, Timothy still possessed traits to be a great leader in the church it's why there was so much trust placed in him to lead the church of Ephesus, but Paul knew Timothy was not quite ready to do everything alone, it's why there are letters addressed to Timothy, to assist him in ministry. Paul knew that Timothy would need help, but how would Timothy know who to appoint? Chapter 3 is about traits a leader must possess in order to be appointed overseers and deacons in the church. Even though these letters were written thousands of years ago, I believe these same qualifications apply today, not to steer others away from serving in the church but to help the church be most effective, but these same qualifications also help young men know what God expects from your life. This letter is addressed to deacons and overseers in the church, but is also addressed to all the men who are in the church regardless of their title.

Most Christians know the importance of prayer, but Paul gets very specific about his prayer life. He states that we should pray for the leaders in our country and in our towns, even if those leaders are not worthy of prayer. I think we can all agree that we don't love hostility but rather peace, that we can live a "quiet life, godly and dignified in every way." This is what Paul envisions for the future, a life without persecution, a life where we can worship Jesus freely. God wants us to understand that prayer is not just for us, but is for all people, His desire is that everyone would come to know and worship Jesus.

We all struggle at times with reading our bible on a consistent basis, and sometimes when we're in the groove of reading our bible Satan finds a way to distract us pulling us away from our alone time with God. In 1 Timothy Chapter 1, Paul is writing to Timothy, encouraging him to remain in Ephesus so that he can keep certain people from teaching false doctrine and their strange devotions to myths and endless genealogies. Paul encourages Timothy, to teach the church the purpose of the law and the purpose of salvation, which translates to the importance of knowing God's word. The gift of reading is a blessing and understanding God's word is spiritual revelation, but if we never read or hear His word for ourselves how will we know if our pastor or other leaders in the church are speaking from Truth? This is why Paul encourages Timothy to remain in Ephesus to keep the others accountable, so today I encourage each of you to do the same.

Most people in our world avoid confrontation at all cost, even if we know someone we love is making a big mistake. Because we would rather keep our mouths shut than to speak up. In the letter to Philemon, Paul does the complete opposite because he knows the importance of holding each other accountable, and that it takes courage, love, and the right words, when addressing the issue. This letter is not just about Paul, because it also takes spiritual maturity from Philemon to hear these words and follow through with the advice he was given. We can learn a lot from both Philemon and Paul in these last few verses. Philemon 1: 21-25

Most people in our world live by a moral code and usually these people stand by their word. Paul was a man who stood by his word stating that he would indeed repay another mans debt. We live in a selfish time where most people are would never think to pay off another person's debt, but the truth is because of the sin in our lives we owe God much more than we could ever repay, which is why He sent Jesus Christ to die for our sin so that our debt would be repaid. Once you receive Christ as your Lord and Savior it is then your obligation to share his love and testimony, but it's also our obligation to begin forgiving those who might owe you something or those who wronged you. Philemon 1: 17-22

All throughout the Bible God has appointed many people to accomplish his will. Most of the time these were unlikely people who would not stand out among a crowd, but God raises these men and women up to do might things to reveal how powerful He actually is. In Jeremiah 38:1-13, there is a man names Embed-melech, who God appointed to save Jeremiah, the prophet, from a cistern he was thrown into. Jeremiah was left for dead, but because of Embed's bravery he was able to gather 30 mighty men to pull Jeremiah out of the muddy death trap, saving the prophet and more importantly obeying God's divine will. No one is perfect, but God can use anyone to accomplish His will, that includes the least of these here on earth.

One of the greatest joys I receive in ministry are the people that I meet. I love how God brings together amazing people from all over the world, and lucky for me I've had the privilege to serve along side some of the most amazing people, whom by God's divine will brought us all together. Our lives are designed to fellowship with one another, serve with one another, and help each other in times of need. This message is about when Paul's first met Onesimus, a former slave to Philemon, but is now a changed man. Paul suggests that maybe it was God's design that Onesimus should run away from Philemon just to return back to him forever.

Most adults know what it's like to be forgiven, even more so if you're a believer in Christ as he paid the ultimate price to forgive us for all our sin, but what most adults struggle with is how to forgive others. Paul writes a letter to Philemon addressing his leadership but before he addresses the issue Paul begins his letter with love and encouragement. In this episode Matthew and I discuss the importance of forgiveness and we begin with a short story from Genesis where Jacob and Joseph experience forgiveness for themselves.