Podcasts about Corinth

   One of the things all of us do, from time to time, is reflect on our past life experiences and wonder what the results of those experiences will be over the longer term, am I right? For someone like the apostle Paul I imagine not a day went by that he didn’t spend at least some time doing exactly that, for he had so many traumatic, significant experiences in his life in so many different places.  Join me again in the great city of Corinth, in late 50ad, as Paul is writing a letter to the people in the city of Thessalonica who had trusted in Jesus during Paul’s few weeks there. Today let’s look at chapter two of 1 Thessalonians. Paul’s opening statement reflects his hope that his brief time in their town really had made a big difference. Paul writes: “You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was NOT without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you His gospel in the face of strong opposition.” (1 Thess. 2:1,2) (Click here to see full text, images and links)    Pastor Doug Anderson    “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)Have a comment or question about today's chapter? I'm ready to hear from you, contact me here. Interested in helping "Walking with Jesus" financially? Click here

Send us a message!We move from Corinth's obsession with leaders to Paul's hard reset on holiness, showing why unaddressed sin quietly reshapes an entire church. We wrestle with 1 Corinthians 5–6, where accountability, conflict, and sexual integrity all point back to who we are in Christ and what love actually requires. • why church discipline feels controversial and how it gets abused • the “little yeast” warning and why tolerated sin spreads • judging those inside the church rather than policing outsiders • why lawsuits between believers signal spiritual defeat • the call to flee sexual immorality because our bodies belong to the Lord • Jesus' Matthew 18 process for confronting sin with wisdom and love  At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

In this Bible study we continue through Acts chapter 18. Paul arrives in Corinth, meets Aquila and Priscilla, and works with them as tentmakers. He reasons in the synagogue every Sabbath, testifies that Jesus is the Christ, and faces opposition before turning to the Gentiles. Crispus the chief ruler of the synagogue believes along with many others. The Lord encourages Paul in a vision, and later Aquila and Priscilla instruct Apollos more perfectly in the way of God.

This Sunday, we return to our sermon series, Following Jesus in Real Life: Lessons From Corinth, as Pastor Kee brings a message from 1 Corinthians 6:12–20 titled “One Flesh.”In this passage, Paul speaks directly to the relationship between our bodies, our desires, and our identity in Christ. Join us as we consider what it means to belong wholly to Jesus and how the gospel shapes even the most personal areas of our lives.Worship with us Sundays at 10:00 AM.

This Sunday, we are continuing our "Practices" series by exploring the heart and history behind Communion (the Lord's Supper). We'll dive into the biblical context of how the disciples first experienced this meal, look at what the Apostle Paul taught the church in Corinth about Communion, and clear up some common questions about this historical sacrament.At the end of our gathering, we will slow down and actually partake of Communion together. Whether you've taken the bread and the cup a thousand times or this will be your very first time, the Lord's table is open. There is a seat saved for you!  

Kyle Kauffman | Jul 19 2026 We do not live in 1st century Corinth like the people Paul was writing to in this letter. We live in 21st century America where there are both surprising similarities and significant differences to the church and culture in 1st century Corinth. We have seen both of those as we've walked through this letter. Perhaps one of the greatest and most wonderful similarities is that the church continues today, 2,000 years later, to be an enduring testimony to the grace of God. Whether it is Keystone Church or millions of other biblical churches across the globe, the continued existence and witness of the church is a testimony to the grace of God in the gospel. The gospel gives birth to the church and church exists to display and proclaim the gospel. This is what we find in Paul's concluding chapter of his letter to the Corinthians and it's what we continue to be called to live out today as a church.

Speaker: Pastor Chris ChesleyScripture(s): 1 Corinthians 5; Galatians 6:1; 1 Peter 1:14-16

Title: “The Christian's Labor and Giving” Part 1 Text: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10 FCF: We often struggle having a Godly perspective on labor and giving. Prop: Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must follow their example and work to care for ourselves and others. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians 3. In a moment we'll read verses 6 through 15 from the Legacy Standard Bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As Paul approaches the end of his letter, he has a few things he wishes for the Thessalonians to do. First, to pray for them that the gospel would continue to make progress in Corinth and that the enemies of the gospel might be held at bay. But today, Paul comes to, what is most assuredly, the main command he wishes to give to the Thessalonian church. It isn't new. In fact, he mentioned it less plainly in the previous letter. But it is quite important that they address the issue immediately. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Holy God, you demonstrated to us what it means to labor. You labored for six days to create your world and rested on the seventh day. And you declared that all you made was very good. Though we are finite and fallen, we have been given Your Spirit within us and Your Son has taught us to work hard to earn what we need. And to earn enough even to be generous and to give to others who are in need. We thank you for the example of Christ and His apostles in this. And we ask that You would reveal from Your word what it means for Christians to labor and to give and protect us from examples we should not follow. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Too many Christians worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.” Anonymous “One of the greatest blessings of humanity is that divine law which requires men to work for their livelihood.” David Thomas [Slide 3] “No labor is servile when the Lord's approval is the paramount consideration.” Geoffrey B. Wilson “God gives every bird its food, but He does not throw it into the nest.” Josiah G. Holland Let these words prepare us for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, but we must keep away from disorderly brothers. (6) a. [Slide 4] 6 - Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, i. What is obvious here is that this is the primary application that Paul has in mind for the Thessalonians. ii. After spending a good deal of time comforting them about the persecution they were enduring and correcting them on the teaching of the Day of the Lord, Paul turned his attention to application. iii. However, the first application was, somewhat of a softball. iv. Not in the sense that it is unimportant, but in the sense that it is not corrective. Most likely the Thessalonians were already praying for Paul and his companions and most likely they were already trying to imitate God's love and Christ's steadfastness. v. What we notice here though is that Paul's next application begins with a command. He is not asking… he is telling. vi. The tone of the letter has shifted. vii. I wouldn't say Paul is angry or irritated. But Paul is certainly becoming more forceful on the issue to which he will speak about next. viii. But notice that he doesn't command by his own authority. ix. Instead, he calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. x. Once again Paul enters into solidarity with them as brothers and sisters in the Lord. Paul considers Jesus Christ to be OUR Lord. Not just the evangelists' but the Thessalonian church's too. xi. But this command coming in the name of that Lord, is by His authority. xii. This only serves to further amplify the necessity of the Thessalonians following the command which he is about to give. xiii. So, what is the command? b. [Slide 5] that you keep away from every brother who walks in an unruly manner i. There are four REALLY big words in this text that we need to understand if we are going to grasp the importance of what Paul is saying. ii. The first is the verb “keep away”. 1. The word means to avoid, steer clear from, to shun, to have nothing to do with, or to stand aloof. 2. This form of the verbs is in the infinitive which completes the command of Paul. This is what Paul is commanding. To keep away. 3. This is also in the middle voice. In English we don't have middle voice. But Greek does. 4. Middle voice is an action you do that inherently has consequences, results, or benefits to yourself. It is reflexive. 5. The keeping away then, is not just an action being done for the person who is unruly, but it is also an action being done to protect yourself. 6. Keep yourself away from them… 7. Avoid like the plague lest you contract the disease- would be a rather loose paraphrase but it gets the idea across. 8. The Puritan commentator Johnathan Trapp said this, “That ye shun them as studiously as the [sailor] doth a rock or shelf.” 9. In an honor/shame culture such as this, shunning was quite effective to render results. Added to this, the church was already being gravely mistreated by those outside the church. To shun them now, after suffering together for the sake of Christ, would leave them quite alone. iii. The second word we should discuss is the noun “brother”. 1. Even though Paul is not going to discuss the person they should avoid in glowing terms, Paul remains convinced that such a person is still a brother. 2. This will feed into something we will discuss later in this passage concerning church discipline and what it means to treat someone like a tax collector and gentile while at the same time admonishing them like a brother. But we'll get to that next week in Part 2 of this sermon. 3. But it is important for us to recognize that Paul is advising avoiding these folks, but still thnks of them as believers. iv. The third word we should discuss is the participle “walks”. 1. Etymologically the word begins with a prefix which means “around” or “concerning” and ends with the verb form of the Greek word which means to walk. 2. So “to walk around” something. 3. But this isn't giving us the idea of a person who is aimlessly wandering. 4. Instead, this is a person who is circling or hovering over something. 5. In this we get the idea that this is something they live in or have made a practice of. 6. This being a participle, it is describing the character of a brother whom the Thessalonians are to avoid. 7. But what is that character and lifestyle? v. That brings us to the fourth word here which is the adverb “unruly”. 1. No doubt because of this passage and the associations of the people to whom Paul is referring, this word is translated in some versions as idle or lazy. 2. However, as we saw in 1 Thessalonians, we should not conflate these two ideas together. 3. They are certainly unruly because they are idle, but idleness is not the sum total of unruliness. 4. To be unruly is to be out of order. It is to be irregular, different, not conforming to a standard, sticking out, or independent. 5. The church is not a group of individuals it is instead a body or organization that when broken apart is less than what it was together. 6. When we are together – we are stronger, better, more alive. When we are broken apart, we are less, weaker, and more prone to temptation and despair. 7. No one in the church should try to stick out, to not conform, to rebel, or to make their own way. 8. The church should function as ONE in as many areas as possible. And you can't function as one when you are not doing what everyone else in the church is doing. You can't function as one when you are not like the rest. 9. Paul's point is that a person whose lifestyle it is to stick out and not conform, that is a person the Thessalonians should avoid. 10. You can't be a rogue operative; you can't be a maverick. You can't do you own thing. vi. But that brings us to a question… how the same must we be? Is there no room for individuality in the church? vii. Paul answers this by further defining what divides orderly from disorderly. c. [Slide 6] and not according to the tradition which they received from us. i. Although this begins with an “and” we should probably see this not as a second characteristic of the brothers that should be avoided but rather an explanation of the disorderly lifestyles of brothers that should be avoided. ii. Specifically, a person becomes disorderly or unruly when they live in such a way that is out of step with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ, to His apostles in the Scriptures, and now to the church. iii. Failure to conform to what the Scriptures teach whether by explicit statement or good and necessary inference, is what Paul is saying. iv. This divides into two categories. Doctrine and practice. 1. Let me give you an example of Doctrine both explicitly stated and inferred by good and necessary conclusion when considering the whole of scripture. a. The bible explicitly tells us that God created the universe by speaking it into existence. In order to not be disorderly, every Christian MUST confess this as truth. b. The bible teaches several things that if we added them together, we must by good and necessary inference, arrive at the conclusion that God is three persons in one eternal being and essence. In order to not be disordered, you must confess the doctrine of the trinity. 2. How we live also comes down to Christian tradition. It too is stated in explicit and inferred ways. a. The bible explicitly tells us that we must honor our earthly fathers and mothers in the Lord. It even tells us why. For this is right. So much so that a child who is disobedient to their parents is excluded from the Kingdom of God. Any brother who makes a lifestyle of not honoring or obeying their parents is someone we should avoid. b. The bible teaches in several passages that it is right for Christians to submit to governing authorities because their authority has been granted from God to punish the guilty and protect the innocent. Therefore, by good and necessary inference we can conclude that Christians must endeavor to obey the traffic laws of our government. Anyone who makes a lifestyle of disobeying traffic laws should be avoided. v. But rather than just avoiding them or shunning them, shouldn't we say something to them? Shouldn't we warn them of their disorderly conduct? vi. Paul already has actually. 1. In 1 Thessalonians Paul told the Elders to admonish the unruly. He also told the church as a whole to make it their ambition to lead a quiet life and work with their hands to supply for themselves. 2. At the end of the letter Paul implored them by the Lord that they would read the letter to the whole church. 3. And so, Paul has already told the Elders to admonish these brothers. vii. So, what is different here? 1. Paul is approaching the final step of church discipline but hasn't quite gotten there yet. 2. He commands that the church keep away from these people and then he will move on to rebuke them publicly. We'll get to that public rebuke and what should happen if they continue to be unruly next week. viii. But it is instructive that Paul first addresses the danger posed on the other believers in the church concerning these disorderly people. They must be avoided to prevent the disorder from spreading. ix. Paul's priority is on the church as a whole and not on the ones being disorderly. They will be addressed and their actions rebuked – but the first priority is getting those who are still in order to avoid those who are not. x. Some have said that THE goal of church discipline is the restoration of the sinning believer. That is A goal… but it is not THE goal of church discipline. xi. Paul gives us THE goal of church discipline… and it is the purity of the church. A church purely adhering to the Christian tradition which Christ gave to His apostles. d. [Slide 7] Summary of the Point: Paul predicates the command he makes on the authority of Christ. As a godly leader he must teach God's will for His people. And in this, he issues a command directly from the throne of God and the Lord Jesus who sits at His right hand. That command is simply to not be in intimate fellowship with those who are living a lifestyle that is out of step and out of order with the Christian traditions that have been passed down from Christ to His church. The doctrines that Christ taught and the commands Christ demonstrated, should be conformed to by every single member of the church. Therefore, they should not associate themselves with those who are out of order. We too must distance ourselves from brothers and sisters who continue to live a lifestyle that is not conforming to the doctrines and commands Christ and His apostles taught and demonstrated. We must do this primarily so that we are kept safe from their disorder, but also so they may feel the isolation and return and conform. [Slide 8 (blank)] Transition: Of course we have to ask, what kind of disorderly behavior is Paul talking about? Certainly, people aren't conforming to the teaching and commands of Christ – but what specifically is happening there in Thessalonica that needs to be addressed and how should they protect themselves from becoming disorderly in the same way? II.) Godly leaders teach and demonstrate God's will for His people, so we must work hard to provide for ourselves and brothers in need. (7-10) a. [Slide 9] 7 - For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we did not act in an unruly manner among you, i. When we understand that to “keep away” from the disorderly brothers is an action we do with a benefit for ourselves, the “for” connects overtly to the command to keep away. ii. Why must we keep away for ourselves? iii. Because we might start to imitate the unruly ones. We might start to follow their example. Sin tends to spread. Like cancer in the body or worms in a bushel of apples. iv. Therefore, the Thessalonians need to keep away from and avoid these disorderly brothers because they know that they are supposed to be imitating the evangelists instead. v. And Paul, Silas, and Timothy did not give them an unruly example. vi. They not only told them what the Christian traditions were, but they believed and obeyed them also. They taught and demonstrated those traditions to the Thessalonians. vii. But how specifically were the evangelists NOT unruly? b. [Slide 10] 8 - nor did we eat anyone's bread without paying for it, i. Here we start to get to the specifics of the way in which these brothers are being unruly. ii. Up to this point Paul has spoken mostly in generalities. Disorder and lack of conformity to belief and practice. iii. But now Paul outlines how he and his companions acted among them and… how they didn't act. iv. His first example is that they did not eat anyone else's bread without paying for it. v. At this time, there was an expectation to financially support traveling preachers and prophets. vi. This tradition stretched beyond Judaism and across all faiths, even paganism. vii. Of course, this led to traveling preachers and prophets peddling nonsense or strange ideas primarily to fleece people. viii. Because of this, Paul, throughout his ministry, continued to refuse to be supported by the generosity of the city in which he was preaching. ix. His effort was to divorce the idea of paying him money for the gospel message. The gospel was already difficult enough to believe, even without a cover charge. x. And so, Paul is not talking about being rude here… he is merely pointing out that he did not take from people when he could have paid for it himself. xi. Not only that… but Paul and his companions had a great work ethic too… c. [Slide 11] but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; i. Paul points out that he and his companions labored not only in the giving of the gospel and the teaching of the Christian tradition, but even in earning a living for themselves while they were in Thessalonica. ii. They did this because they did not want to put financial strain on those to whom they were sharing the gospel. iii. Paul and his companions were not only hard workers but were also loving and compassionate to their brothers and sisters to whom they were ministering. iv. They did not want to strain them or burden them with financial pressure while they taught them the scriptures. v. Well, that is probably because it is ethically wrong to be financially provided for by those to whom they minister, right? d. [Slide 12] 9 - not because we do not have the authority, i. It is not ethically or morally wrong for someone who ministers to a group of people to seek to have their needs met by those to whom they minister. ii. Indeed, as Paul points out in 1 Timothy, it is good and right that an Elder who labors long in preaching and leadership should be provided for. iii. As evangelists and Paul as an apostle, he is well within his rights to ask for compensation for his labor to bring the word to the Thessalonians. iv. So, why didn't Paul do that? e. [Slide 13] but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would imitate us. i. Paul and his companions endeavored to be hard working and compassionate teachers toward this fledgling church so that they could provide an example to follow. ii. The Thessalonians also should be both hard working and seeking to give to other believers and not take from other believers. iii. This is the example the evangelists gave and it is still one they know they should follow instead of the example of the disorderly ones. f. [Slide 14] 10 - For even when we were with you, we used to command this to you: i. Paul now reminds the Thessalonians that it was not by mere demonstration that they had received this instruction. ii. It wasn't merely the evangelist's example, although that should have been enough. iii. Instead, it was a command that they had given to them. iv. What was the command? g. [Slide 15] if anyone is not willing to work, neither let him eat. i. The word “willing” is a very important word in this command. ii. The word means to wish or be inclined or disposed to do something. iii. It does not speak of ability. iv. Paul is not saying that regardless of whether you are able to work or not, you must work or you should not eat. v. Instead, Paul is aiming at those who are not disposed to work. They aren't inclined to work. They are idle. Lazy. They are averse to hard work and earning a living. vi. Therefore, I think we could say that anyone who is able to work but doesn't would fall into this category of “unwilling”. vii. Such a person should not be allowed to eat. They should not be supported financially by anyone. The government, the church, the family. Paul commands that a person who is able to work but simply unwilling, should starve. That is proper motivation for that person to work hard for their own living. viii. What about those who are able but cannot find work? 1. If you are able to work but truly cannot get hired by someone to take care of your needs, then this command would not apply to you. 2. However, sometimes when people are not being hired it is because they are not wiling to accept a job that pays less than they would like or has them working harder than they'd like. In that case, I believe that this command would apply. At some point if you are able to work, you should take whatever job or jobs you can to provide for your needs. ix. Does this mean that retirement is unbiblical? 1. Retirement that includes the plan to live off of other people's wealth instead of living off your wealth, I would say, would fall into this category. 2. But retirement that is based on living off the wealth that you have accumulated… that fits right in to what Paul is saying here. x. The main disorderly and unruly conduct that Paul is driving at, is the ability to work coupled with the unwillingness to work and the willingness to take provisions from others when you do not truly need it. xi. We see this in 2 Timothy when Paul addresses the support of widows. What did he say there? 1. If a widow is young, she should get married and have her husband support her. 2. If a widow has family, she should get them to support her. 3. Only when a widow is truly destitute, that is when the church puts her on the list for support. xii. In the same vein, a person who is able to work… must work hard to have enough for himself and also enough to help those who are truly in need. h. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: Again, Paul has taught and Paul has demonstrated all that he is expecting of the Thessalonian church. He has commanded them that they should work hard to provide for themselves and those who are truly in need. He demonstrated it by working hard so he could provide the Christian tradition to the Thessalonians. So not only must the Thessalonians keep away from the influence of the disorderly but they should also follow the example of Paul and his companions and work hard to provide for their needs as well as for others who are unable to care for themselves. We too must work hard and provide for ourselves and others. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 17] Godly leaders can say, as Paul says here, imitate me. Why can they say that? Because they are imitating Christ. Certainly, following men can turn into hero worship and lead to many catastrophes. We must be careful of that. But insofar as a man calls you to imitate him in the ways he is imitating Christ, you can go ahead and assume it is safe to imitate him. Paul demonstrated what orderly churchmanship was. He demonstrated what it meant to work hard and provide for yourself while also caring for others. And he commands the Thessalonians to do as he did. We too must obey two commands from this text. We must keep away from those who are living out of step and not setting Christlike examples, and we must instead imitate a Christlike lifestyle regarding labor by working hard and providing for ourselves so that we have enough to give to others who are truly in need. But what does this mean for us today? How can we apply this in the 21st century? 1.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that discipleship is creating others who imitate us as we imitate Christ. a. This isn't the first time we spoken of this in the study of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. b. Paul makes it very clear that his view of discipleship is essentially creating others who are like him. c. He can do this because he is imitating Christ. d. Certainly, the goal is Christlikeness. But we often get a little befuddled when we try to implement that. e. What does it mean to be like Christ? Sometimes that is difficult to answer. f. Not only that, but godless people in our day and others who have no intention of obeying what Jesus said, have often spoken about being like Jesus. Usually, they speak this way to try to pass some kind of legislation or political agenda that relies on a distorted sense of love and compassion over what is legal, wise, or best for the country. g. “Jesus would love them no matter what they choose.” “He gets us.” And other empty and trite ideas of who Jesus was without any intention to obey the other things Jesus said. h. But imitation of your mentor… imitation of a godly leader… imitation of someone whom you know loves Jesus and lives in accordance with His ways… that is much more accessible to us. i. And I think Paul knew this. j. It is highly unlikely that any Thessalonian church member had ever met Jesus. k. Paul was Jesus to them. Not in a heretical way or an idolatrous way – but the way the Thessalonians knew who Jesus was, was by observing Paul and his companions. l. Parents… the first real example of Jesus that your children will observe… is you. i. Now answer truthfully… ii. Do you want them to follow your example? Is your example one that leads them to be like Christ? Are your priorities, your passions, your pursuits… are they what Christ would prioritize, pursue, or be passionate about? m. Elders, we must be blameless and above reproach. We must be in Paul's position as being Christlike. A church lead by men who are phoning it in or living to build their own kingdoms or beating their own hobby horses – is a church that is sure to crumble. We must teach all of what Christ taught and demonstrate what it means to be like Jesus. n. Elderly in our congregation – God has preserved you to now. You have not yet been called home. What does that mean? You still have a responsibility to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness to your families, and to those in the church who are younger than you. o. All of us are called to make disciples. Which means all of us are called to imitate Christ and tell others to imitate us. p. If your example isn't worth following… then you are unruly and you need to be avoided. Don't stay there! It is time to conform to the Christian tradition. It is time to be pressed into Christ's mold. 2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that although Christ's church is diverse, conformity to Christian tradition is not an option. a. Although Jesus calls and unites all kinds of people in His church, ultimately, He is conforming them to one image. His own. b. While we may have different skin tones, ethnicities, socio-economic positions, views on certain non-moral political issues, interests, hobbies, personalities, and priorities – ultimately, we have the same standard for faith and practice. c. That standard is the standard of the apostles… which is the standard of Christ. d. Our diversity is important. It is what gives God the most glory for this entity known as the church being united though we are so diverse. e. But there is no room for diversity in core doctrine and clear biblical commands. Doctrine and lifestyles must be brought into conformity to the Scriptures which are ultimately an explanation of the teachings and commands of Christ. f. The church won't thrive with diverse opinions on primary doctrinal issues. The church probably won't thrive with diverse opinions on a large number of secondary issues. g. We must be conformed to the Christian tradition. There is no room for novelty in doctrine or revolution in practice. h. We must keep going BACK to what the church has always taught. That will lead us to what the apostles taught. Which will lead us to what Christ taught. And the Scriptures are the road to get us there, with historical church creeds and confessions being that road's guardrails. 3.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must keep away from those who do not conform to Christian tradition. a. So what do we do when we find someone who is unruly? b. What do we do when people believe teachings that are new and different than something we've been taught? c. What do we do when we see people living contrary to what we've been taught to live? We must keep away from them. d. They are still a brother or sister. We aren't declaring them to be unbelievers. We aren't even treating them like unbelievers. Not yet anyway. e. But we are treating them like they are diseased. Sick. Infected. f. When someone in the family contracts a highly contagious disease, we don't disown them or kick them out of the house. But we do distance ourselves from them or take precautions when treating their illness. g. This is what Paul is commanding. We must be very cautious around professing believers who are believing or living in ways that are out of step with what the Scriptures teach. h. We should avoid them to protect ourselves, but also as an isolation exercise. When they see the rest of the church disengage from their teaching and/or lifestyle, and they find themselves on an island all alone – to a true believer, that is a HUGE red flag. i. We know novelty in doctrine is always bad. And we know that most of the time, when our lifestyle is unlike anyone else – that isn't good either. j. Separation from a disordered Christian is a warning to them… its time to get back in line and conform to what everyone else is doing. 4.) [Slide 21] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must work hard to provide for ourselves and those who are truly in need. a. This is the heart of the message Paul wants to get across not only to the church as a whole but more specifically those believers who are disordered. b. He has already discussed it in his first letter. But here he gets much more to the point. c. He and his companions' example was to work hard, earn what you eat, and keep burdens off of other believers. d. The goal behind this is to ensure that you are at least a neutral draw on church resources, if not a positive giver to it. e. The church in Acts is said to never have had anyone in need because they shared what they had with one another. Not by compulsion as socialism and communism teaches. It isn't forced wealth distribution. It is just as anyone had a need, the church came together to meet it. f. What does this require? g. It requires everyone working hard to earn enough to care for themselves and a little extra to help care for one another. h. If God blesses you with more, He is most likely prompting you to help even more than others. God is faithful to equip His people for what He is calling them to do. i. But when you could work and don't, or when you earn more than enough but never give to the work of the church or to the needs of other believers – you are out of order. You are failing to keep the Christian traditions. j. Some Christians believe that the tithe is a mandate in scripture. i. Since we are not Israelites, and since the New Testament never teaches it, we recognize that the strict 10% temple tax is not something that we need to observe as New Testament believers. ii. But the New Testament does teach us to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the church and the needs of believers. iii. What does that mean? iv. Although the 10% temple tax is not mandated, I'm not sure we can say that the New Testament teaches us to give less. In fact, I think I could make the argument that it implies that, at least at times, we give much more than 10% of our gross income. v. This is a concept that I have found many young believers don't quite grasp. Many young believers think that by giving a few hundred dollars to the church every year, they are giving sacrificially. vi. And they would be doing just that if they only earned $5,000 that year. vii. But in reality, a few hundred dollars a year when God has given you 50 to 100 thousand dollars that year in income – it is hard to say that that giving is sacrificial. k. Let me just say I am very uncomfortable talking about this. I also want to make clear that our family is well-provided for, and I am in no way angling for a raise. l. With those two caveats, we all must understand what the Christian tradition is on labor and giving. m. Christians have been taught by Christ and His apostles, since the beginning of the church, to work hard to provide for yourself, and to give cheerfully and sacrificially to the work of the ministry and to the alleviation of believers in need. n. So how are you doing on that front? o. If you struggle to give sacrificially, or have just realized that you haven't been giving sacrificially at all… p. Perhaps, for you, 10% is a good place to start. Not as a rule or law… but as an easy entry into this concept. q. And the nice thing about 10% is that is scales to what the Lord gives you. Those with less, give less. Those with more, give more. 5.) [Slide 22] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” Jesus has given gifts of godly leaders to teach and demonstrate Christlikeness. a. We live in an era of mistrust. And I don't think we are called to trust leaders unconditionally. b. But I've seen the pendulum swing both ways. c. I've seen godly pastors bullied, abused, ganged up on, belittled, ridiculed, and treated more like a church's slave than its servant leader. d. I've also seen ungodly pastors revered, followed, and obsessively supported to the point that no matter what they do wrong – everyone sees them through rose colored glasses. e. But Christian, Jesus didn't design either of these to be His church. f. He gave gifts to the church. Apostles first to get the church off on a good foundation. He gave prophets to keep the church physically safe and on the correct path in doctrine. He gave the church Shepherds in the office of the Elder to teach and spiritually care for the flock. And He gave the church evangelists to leave their gathered assembly to take the gospel message to people who have never heard. g. The purpose of these gifts was to equip the church for ministry. The church does the ministry and the leaders teach and demonstrate it. h. That should be a great comfort to us but it is also a rebuke to us who may be tempted to see the church or the Elders as something different than I have just described. 6.) [Slide 23] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” The goal of salvation is for you to conform to the Christian tradition, not getting out of hell. a. Certainly, talking about the lake of fire and the eternal punishment for sin, is a message we need right now. b. Especially because our culture largely views God as a big soft teddy bear that doesn't judge you, and just loves you for who you are. c. God does love His creation – but that won't stop Him from justly judging all who are not made perfect in Christ. d. And that is just it… God never says anywhere that the goal of salvation is to save men from His own judgment. In fact, the Scriptures teach that the goal of salvation is first, to bring Him glory, and He does that by carving out a people who love, honor, worship, and obey Him progressively in this life and perfectly in His Kingdom. e. Christ perfectly loved, honored, worshipped, and obeyed God while He was on earth. f. He died for the sins of His people. g. He was raised to defeat death and He now has the keys to that realm. h. And He sends His Spirit to be with and help those who are His to become more and more like Him until He finally saves them in the end and perfects them for His kingdom. i. My friends, salvation isn't about getting out of hell. It is about making a people who are no longer fit to be there. A people who are holy. A people who reject the lies of sin and Satan and submit to their Lord and King, Jesus. j. Perhaps you've come to Christ to get you out of hell – but not to rule your life. k. Perhaps you've never come to Christ at all. l. Those who turn from their sin and trust in Him alone… will be saved. Which means that they will be conformed to Him. m. What will you do with this Jesus? n. Let me or another Christian know if you would like to start being conformed to Jesus today. [Slide 24 (end)] Let me close with a word of prayer from the reformer John Calvin. Almighty God, you see how your Church today is miserably torn by many conflicts. You see how there are so many traitorous ministers who continue to plague it. Help us to experience what you have promised in Scripture by your prophet: That you will be the perpetual guardian of your chosen people—people you have received and embraced so they can move ahead with courage through any conflict and emerge as conquerors. Would you also now stretch out your hand against the sin you have denounced? Reduce to nothing not only those who oppose you and your servants and your children, but also those serpents who harass and torment your church through intrigue, fraud, and other indecent means. Do this until at last we see a full triumph in your kingdom, together with Christ Jesus, our Lord and head. For it is in His name we pray this… Amen. Benediction: Now may He who is the mystery of godliness, He who appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, and taken up in glory; May He humble you under His mighty hand that He may lift you up in due time. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

Philippians4:11: "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned inwhatever state I am, to be content.” Immediately Paul wants the Philippiansto understand something. He is not thanking them because he was desperate formoney. He says, "Not that I speak in respect of want." Paulcertainly appreciated their generous gift, but his joy did not depend uponwhether he had plenty or little. His happiness was not tied to his bankaccount, his circumstances, or his physical comfort. Thenhe makes one of the most remarkable statements in Scripture: "For Ihave learned...".  Noticecarefully what Paul does not say. He does not say, "I was borncontent." He does not say, "I have always been content." He doesnot say, "Contentment came naturally to me." No. He says, "Ihave learned." That one word is full of encouragement. Contentment is nota personality trait. It is not something only optimistic people possess. It isnot the result of favorable circumstances. It is something that every believermust learn in the school of God. Justas a child learns to read one lesson at a time, so God patiently teaches Hischildren contentment one experience at a time. Each circumstancebecame another classroom where God taught Paul to trust Christ.  Godoften teaches us His greatest lessons in the classrooms we would never choosefor ourselves. None of us naturally enjoys trials. None of us asks forsuffering. Yet many of the deepest truths we know about God's faithfulnesscould never have been learned any other way. James tells us in James 1:2-3: “Mybrethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that thetesting of your faith produces patience.” Peter reminds us that the trialof our faith is more precious than gold in 1 Peter 1:6-7: “In this yougreatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have beengrieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much moreprecious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found topraise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” Godis never wasting our hardships. He is teaching us something that prosperityalone could never teach. Notice the next phrase. "...in whatsoeverstate I am..." Paul is not talking about geography. He is not speakingabout whether he is in Philippi, Ephesus, Corinth, or Rome, North Caolina orVirginia. He is talking about every circumstance of life. Whether life is easyor difficult. Whether his needs are met abundantly or barely. Whether he isfree or imprisoned. Whether he is applauded or criticized. In every situation,God had been teaching him. Thencomes the great lesson. "...therewith to be content." The word"content" carries the idea of being inwardly sufficient, satisfied,and at rest. For the Christian, however, our sufficiency is not found inourselves. Our sufficiency is found in Christ. As Paul wrote elsewhere in 2Corinthians 3:5, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves... but oursufficiency is of God." The world says, "You will be content whenyou get more." God says, "You will be content when you discover thatChrist is enough." The world constantly tells us that happiness is justone purchase away. One promotion away. One new possession away. One bettercircumstance away. But once we obtain those things, we soon discover that theycannot satisfy the deepest needs of the heart. Only Christ can do that. Augustinewrote many centuries ago, "Our hearts are restless until they find theirrest in Thee." How true that is!Perhapstoday God has enrolled you in the school of contentment. Maybe your lessoninvolves waiting. Perhaps it involves illness. Financial pressure.Disappointment. Or unanswered questions. Do not despise the classroom. YourHeavenly Father is an excellent Teacher. Every lesson has a purpose. Everyassignment has eternal value. Every trial is designed to make you more like HisSon.

Trouble in CorinthSupport the show: https://www.tan.org.au/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260716dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 The Solid Foundation Every building needs a foundation. You can touch up paint. You can change the carpet. You can move furniture. But if the foundation crumbles, the whole building is in trouble. The apostle Paul knew that the church in Corinth had plenty of problems. They argued. They compared leaders. They acted immaturely. They misused the sacraments. They were tempted to build their faith on personalities, wisdom, talent, and human success. Paul pointed them back to the only foundation strong enough to hold them: Jesus Christ. That is still the only safe foundation. Your life cannot fully rest on your intelligence. It will eventually fail you. Your reputation can change in a moment. Your health can weaken. Your money can disappear. Your family, as precious as they are, cannot carry the weight of your soul. Your own faithfulness is not a strong enough foundation either. You know how often you stumble. But Jesus does not crumble. There is no storm in life stronger than him. There is no earth-shaking event that can make him waver. He is strong and secure through it all. That means when guilt accuses you, you have a foundation: Jesus died for you and your sin. When your faith feels weak, you have a foundation: Jesus holds onto you. When you are scared, you have a foundation: Jesus is with you. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Find your rest in it. Be at peace in it. That foundation is the one you need in this life. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me from building my hope on anything that cannot last. You are my foundation in life, in death, and forever. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

If you’ve watched Star Trek, you’ve probably had your share of “I know that person” moments, when it comes to guest stars. So let us consider Ricardo Montalbån, long before he was Khan in Star Trek’s “Space Seed” episode, or the same character in the best of all Trek movies, “Star Trek II, The Wrath of Khan”. Ricardo had a career in MGM musicals, though not primarily as a singer. Here is one, about the meta of making a movie that’s not too dissimilar from the movie we’re watching. Shelly Brisbin with Philip Michaels, Micheline Maynard, Nathan Alderman and David J. Loehr.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260716dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 The Solid Foundation Every building needs a foundation. You can touch up paint. You can change the carpet. You can move furniture. But if the foundation crumbles, the whole building is in trouble. The apostle Paul knew that the church in Corinth had plenty of problems. They argued. They compared leaders. They acted immaturely. They misused the sacraments. They were tempted to build their faith on personalities, wisdom, talent, and human success. Paul pointed them back to the only foundation strong enough to hold them: Jesus Christ. That is still the only safe foundation. Your life cannot fully rest on your intelligence. It will eventually fail you. Your reputation can change in a moment. Your health can weaken. Your money can disappear. Your family, as precious as they are, cannot carry the weight of your soul. Your own faithfulness is not a strong enough foundation either. You know how often you stumble. But Jesus does not crumble. There is no storm in life stronger than him. There is no earth-shaking event that can make him waver. He is strong and secure through it all. That means when guilt accuses you, you have a foundation: Jesus died for you and your sin. When your faith feels weak, you have a foundation: Jesus holds onto you. When you are scared, you have a foundation: Jesus is with you. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Find your rest in it. Be at peace in it. That foundation is the one you need in this life. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me from building my hope on anything that cannot last. You are my foundation in life, in death, and forever. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

This teaching is taken from Colossians 2:9-10 and teaches you about Jesus' Power in us to do great things for the Kingdom of Heaven. If you have any questions, or you would like to share how our teachings have affected your life, please email us or visit us at rejoicingheart.net Our email is listed under the about tab on this page. God bless you! Rob and Donna Rejoice In You From the Integrity Music Release One, featuring Planetshakers Ministries Int'l ©2009 Planetshakers Publishing (APRA) (admin. By Music Services, www.musicservices.org) All Rights Reserved. Used by permission. Colossians 2:9-10 (KJV) 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: Colossians 2:10 (AMP) 10 And you are in Him, made full and having come to fullness of life [in Christ you too are filled with the Godhead—Father, Son and Holy Spirit—and reach full spiritual stature]. And He is the Head of all rule and authority [of every angelic principality and power]. Ephesians 2:6 (KJV) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 1 John 4:17 (KJV) 17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV) 17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. Romans 8:17 (KJV) 17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. John 1:12 (KJV) 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV) 19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. 1 Corinthians 1:2 (KJV) 2 Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Philippians 3:20 (AMP) 20 But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior, Romans 8:37 (KJV) 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (KJV) 18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Ephesians 1:3 (KJV) 3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: Ephesians 1:19-21 (KJV) 19 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, 20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, 21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: 1 John 4:4 (KJV) 4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Paul is going to bring order to the chaos at the church in Corinth. Since we started studying this letter, we have seen all kinds of chaos in this church and it is going to get worse before it gets better. Paul begins to instruct them how to conduct themselves as they come together as one body and he immediately establishes the order of authority which tells me there were some women who were out of order and dishonoring the authority God has set in place. Any time this takes place, chaos ensues. Paul goes back to Creation when God created the human race, the order He created male and female and how He created male and female. God created the male human being then placed him in the Garden of Eden. Then He took a rib from the male human being, and created a female human being. This is why Paul says God is the ultimate authority, man is next in authority, then the female. In today's society, we try to re-establish authority and it does not line up with God's will, whether we like that or not.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260716dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 The Solid Foundation Every building needs a foundation. You can touch up paint. You can change the carpet. You can move furniture. But if the foundation crumbles, the whole building is in trouble. The apostle Paul knew that the church in Corinth had plenty of problems. They argued. They compared leaders. They acted immaturely. They misused the sacraments. They were tempted to build their faith on personalities, wisdom, talent, and human success. Paul pointed them back to the only foundation strong enough to hold them: Jesus Christ. That is still the only safe foundation. Your life cannot fully rest on your intelligence. It will eventually fail you. Your reputation can change in a moment. Your health can weaken. Your money can disappear. Your family, as precious as they are, cannot carry the weight of your soul. Your own faithfulness is not a strong enough foundation either. You know how often you stumble. But Jesus does not crumble. There is no storm in life stronger than him. There is no earth-shaking event that can make him waver. He is strong and secure through it all. That means when guilt accuses you, you have a foundation: Jesus died for you and your sin. When your faith feels weak, you have a foundation: Jesus holds onto you. When you are scared, you have a foundation: Jesus is with you. Build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Find your rest in it. Be at peace in it. That foundation is the one you need in this life. Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep me from building my hope on anything that cannot last. You are my foundation in life, in death, and forever. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260715dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Only Servants Paul worked as a missionary bringing the good news about Jesus to the people of Corinth for the first time. He spent a lot of time there teaching the basics of the Christian faith. He faithfully and diligently shared how Jesus forgives sins by his death and resurrection from the grave. After Paul left, another gospel worker came to Corinth: a man named Apollos who was a gifted and passionate preacher. He watered the seed that Paul planted. Both Paul and Apollos were talented in their own ways, but the people in Corinth had picked their favorites. One said, “I like Paul.” Another, “I like Apollos better.” Still another, “I like this other teacher best.” The Corinthians were doing what people still do today. They made too much of the messenger and too little of the God who sent the message. Paul brings them back to reality. He and Apollos are only servants. They did not make the seed grow; only God could do that. It is natural to have preferences for preachers. Some are fiery, some are thoughtful. Some make you laugh; some make you think. Some are great storytellers, and some preach verse by verse. But the best preacher is the one who faithfully shares God's Word with you. A preacher’s style cannot save you. A preacher’s personality cannot forgive your sins. A clever illustration cannot raise the dead. Only God can make faith grow, and God does that through the Word of Christ. When the Word is preached faithfully, Jesus gives you what you need most. He gives you the law that exposes your sin. He gives you the gospel that forgives your sin. He gives you himself. One servant plants, another waters, but God makes it grow. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for faithful servants who bring me your Word. Help me listen past human style and hear the saving voice of Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Send us a message!We trace Paul's path from Acts into Corinth and face the uncomfortable truth that church conflict is nothing new. We read the opening of 1 Corinthians and let Paul re-center our faith on Christ crucified rather than charisma, factions, or human wisdom. • Paul's missionary context from Acts and why Corinth matters • Paul's choice to work as a tentmaker to avoid suspicion • How division and “horizontal energy” distract the church from God • Why 1 Corinthians reads like a practical workbook for church life • Paul's appeal for unity and his critique of leader-based factions • The wisdom of the cross versus the wisdom of the world • Paul's weakness and humility so faith rests on the Spirit's power Download your Echo Bible study for the book of First Corinthians, called Messy Church. At outloudbible.com, you can find free resources to help you study the Bible. And while you're there, send us a message to say hi, or start a conversation about having us at your church or event. If Outloud Bible has been a valuable part of your understanding of the Bible, please consider supporting the ministry by visiting outloudbible.com.Support the showCheck out outloudbible.com for helpful study resources, and to discover how to bring the public reading of God's word to your church, conference, retreat, or other event.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260715dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Only Servants Paul worked as a missionary bringing the good news about Jesus to the people of Corinth for the first time. He spent a lot of time there teaching the basics of the Christian faith. He faithfully and diligently shared how Jesus forgives sins by his death and resurrection from the grave. After Paul left, another gospel worker came to Corinth: a man named Apollos who was a gifted and passionate preacher. He watered the seed that Paul planted. Both Paul and Apollos were talented in their own ways, but the people in Corinth had picked their favorites. One said, “I like Paul.” Another, “I like Apollos better.” Still another, “I like this other teacher best.” The Corinthians were doing what people still do today. They made too much of the messenger and too little of the God who sent the message. Paul brings them back to reality. He and Apollos are only servants. They did not make the seed grow; only God could do that. It is natural to have preferences for preachers. Some are fiery, some are thoughtful. Some make you laugh; some make you think. Some are great storytellers, and some preach verse by verse. But the best preacher is the one who faithfully shares God's Word with you. A preacher’s style cannot save you. A preacher’s personality cannot forgive your sins. A clever illustration cannot raise the dead. Only God can make faith grow, and God does that through the Word of Christ. When the Word is preached faithfully, Jesus gives you what you need most. He gives you the law that exposes your sin. He gives you the gospel that forgives your sin. He gives you himself. One servant plants, another waters, but God makes it grow. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for faithful servants who bring me your Word. Help me listen past human style and hear the saving voice of Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260715dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 1 Corinthians 3:5-7 Only Servants Paul worked as a missionary bringing the good news about Jesus to the people of Corinth for the first time. He spent a lot of time there teaching the basics of the Christian faith. He faithfully and diligently shared how Jesus forgives sins by his death and resurrection from the grave. After Paul left, another gospel worker came to Corinth: a man named Apollos who was a gifted and passionate preacher. He watered the seed that Paul planted. Both Paul and Apollos were talented in their own ways, but the people in Corinth had picked their favorites. One said, “I like Paul.” Another, “I like Apollos better.” Still another, “I like this other teacher best.” The Corinthians were doing what people still do today. They made too much of the messenger and too little of the God who sent the message. Paul brings them back to reality. He and Apollos are only servants. They did not make the seed grow; only God could do that. It is natural to have preferences for preachers. Some are fiery, some are thoughtful. Some make you laugh; some make you think. Some are great storytellers, and some preach verse by verse. But the best preacher is the one who faithfully shares God's Word with you. A preacher’s style cannot save you. A preacher’s personality cannot forgive your sins. A clever illustration cannot raise the dead. Only God can make faith grow, and God does that through the Word of Christ. When the Word is preached faithfully, Jesus gives you what you need most. He gives you the law that exposes your sin. He gives you the gospel that forgives your sin. He gives you himself. One servant plants, another waters, but God makes it grow. Prayer: Lord God, thank you for faithful servants who bring me your Word. Help me listen past human style and hear the saving voice of Jesus. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

He, along with his wife Priscilla, is mentioned in the book of Acts and in St Paul's Epistle to the Romans. He and his wife were Jews who moved to Corinth when the Emperor Claudius expelled all Jews from Italy. They were working as tentmakers in Corinth when they met and worked with St Paul, also a tentmaker by trade, who brought them to faith in Christ. From that time onward they worked diligently to spread the Gospel of Christ. The Prologue says that they died at the hands of pagans, the Great Horologion that the circumstances of their repose are unknown.

2 Corinthians 8:1-7: Paul encourages believers in Corinth to give all of themselves to the work of the ministry. In doing this, he shows the believer what it looks like to be a generous giver.

Paul says to the church at Corinth, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” The word in the Greek is where we get our word “mimic.” Paul is saying that he has such a close relationship with Jesus that he mimics him in everything he does and therefore, he can say to the believers, “Y'all mimic me because I am mimicking, I am acting just like Jesus.” Can we say that? Are we acting just like Jesus? What if someone was to follow your lead? Where would you lead them? To Jesus? Away from Jesus? Is your walk with Christ like a rollercoaster, up and down, turning all around, then back to the station? Or is it solid, trustworthy, stable, steady so that you can lead others to the immovable stone, the solid rock, Jesus?

Acts 18:1-17To Live On Mission for Jesus:1. We need God's PEOPLE2. We need God's PRESENCE3. We need God's PROTECTION

Grow with us as we venture together through the correctional words that Paul delivers to the church in Corinth! Speaker: Pastor Syndi ShoffSeries: WE ARE THE CHURCH Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1www.risechurchid.org

How do we navigate the "mixed bag" of prophecy today? In this message from the Is This Thing On? series, Pastor Travis Aicklen addresses one of the most misunderstood and sometimes misused gifts of the Spirit: prophecy. Travis candidly acknowledges the awkwardness and skepticism many feel toward the prophetic, often born from seeing the gift abused or used to manipulate others. However, he challenges us not to let past negative experiences or "fuzzy details" cause us to reject a genuine and powerful gift from God. By comparing two biblical examples of prophecy, Travis provides a framework for understanding how God speaks, how to test what we hear, and how to embrace the prophetic to build up the church.Key Points & Scripture ReferencesThe Reality of the "Mixed Bag": The church in Corinth was a messy place, and their use of spiritual gifts reflected that. Prophecy, like any gift given to flawed humans, can be misunderstood or misapplied. Just because a gift is sometimes abused doesn't mean it isn't real or valuable. We are called to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy" (1 Corinthians 14:1).Two Kinds of Prophets: Travis contrasts the prophet Agabus, who accurately foretold a famine and Paul's future imprisonment, with false prophets who use their "gift" for personal gain or manipulation. Agabus demonstrates that true prophecy is a humble, specific revelation from God, meant to prepare and strengthen the church.The Components of Prophecy: A prophetic word consists of three parts: Revelation (what God shows you), Interpretation (what you think it means), and Application (what you should do about it). The revelation is from God, but the interpretation and application are human processes, which is why prophecy must always be tested against Scripture and the wisdom of the community.The Purpose is Edification: According to 1 Corinthians 14:3, the primary purpose of prophecy is not to tell the future or reveal secrets, but to bring "upbuilding and encouragement and consolation" to the church. The one who prophesies "builds up the church". If a "word from God" tears down or manipulates, it is not true prophecy.Embracing the Mystery: We don't have to understand everything about the prophetic to participate in it. Travis encourages us to be open to how God might speak through dreams, pictures, or "props" (like Agabus taking Paul's belt), and to humbly share those impressions with one another.Call to ActionHave you completely closed yourself off to the idea that God might speak to you, or through you, to encourage someone else? This week, ask God to give you an "Agabus moment"—a specific, encouraging word for a friend, a coworker, or a family member. It doesn't have to be dramatic; it could be as simple as, "I feel like God wants you to know..." As we step out in faith, even with "fuzzy details," God can use our tentative words to build up His church. Let's not let the misuse of a gift prevent us from experiencing its true power.Join us Sundays at 8:30am or 10:30am. Find out more at RadiantVisalia.com. Support the show*Summaries and transcripts are generated using AI. Please notify us if you find any errors.

The church in Corinth was a mess! Divided over leadership, fellowship, and worship, they were losing their influence in the city with the gospel. Paul writes the book of 1 Corinthians as a corrective measure to call them back into unity. When they were distracted by what to do, Paul reminds them of who they are. You are the body of Christ! In this message, Pastor Andy walks through 1 Corinthians 12 to show four unifying truths about the body of Christ. Welcome to Antioch Georgetown! We are a church in Georgetown, TX, and our mission is simple--We lead people to follow Christ in a life-changing way.Get Connected:

We talk through 1 Corinthians 8 and the “food sacrificed to idols” question to uncover a bigger issue: how we use Christian freedom without harming someone else's faith. We wrestle with the tension between knowledge and love, and we land on a simple challenge to choose connection, humility, and other-centered decisions. • background on Corinth's temples, sacrifices, and marketplace meat • why newer believers may feel spiritually uneasy about certain environments • “knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” as a filter for motives • modern “idol meat” examples like media, alcohol, social influence, and habits • honoring different convictions without trying to win every argument • connection over correction as the path to real discipleship • refusing to become a stumbling block that leads someone back to bondage • moving from rule-keeping to desire-driven love for God and people • helping people belong and bear fruit before demanding they look finishedThanks for listening!  Follow us on Facebook or YouTube.

The church in a rich and diverse capital city like Corinth struggled with living out the implications of the gospel. This was even evident in the way they celebrated worship and ate meals together. The rich enjoyed their wealth, feasting in front of the poor in their community who lacked food.

You can be right and still be wrong in the way you treat people. We open 1 Corinthians 8 with a topic that sounds outdated “food sacrificed to idols” and find a challenge that hits modern Christian life at full force: what we do with what we know matters. Paul doesn't start with a rule. He starts with the heart. Knowledge puffs up, love builds up, and when we separate the two, pride quietly takes over.We talk through why this was such a big deal in Corinth, where idol worship shaped everyday meals, marketplaces, and celebrations. Paul affirms a strong, clear truth: there is one God the Father and one Lord Jesus Christ, and idols are nothing. That means some believers truly have freedom of conscience. But Paul adds a weighty warning: if our “right” becomes a stumbling block, we can wound a weaker conscience, damage someone's faith, and sin against Christ by harming the people he died for.Then we bring it home to the gray areas the Bible doesn't spell out in detail: alcohol, entertainment choices, parenting decisions, schools, tattoos, holidays, and the arguments that can fracture unity and create what many people now call church hurt. The question shifts from “What am I allowed to do?” to “What honors Christ and helps others follow him?” We end with the example of Jesus, who lays down his rights in love, and we invite you to ask the Holy Spirit how to live that out in your relationships. Subscribe, share this with a friend, and leave a review, then tell us: where do you most need knowledge and love to work together?Thanks for listening!  Follow us on Facebook or YouTube.

Speaker: Pastor Chris ChesleyScripture(s): John 4:35-37; 17:20-23; 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

You yourselves are God's temple and . . . God's Spirit dwells in your midst. . . . — 1 Corinthians 3:16 A few years ago, a strong wind toppled one of the beehives behind our barn. The hive had been thriving, and it was five boxes tall. The hive had stuck together well. Amazingly, it didn't break open till it hit the ground. “Bee glue”—propolis— gets the credit for that. But, sadly, the hive was destroyed, and its bees quickly scattered.In his letters to the Christ-followers in Corinth, Paul gets personal and pours out his heart to these new believers. They were going through some stormy and threatening times together, and that was surely predictable. Starting off as a new community in Christ can be hard, and as their pastor and mentor, Paul did all that he could to hold this body of Christ together. They especially needed to be reminded of their identity together— whose they were and who held them together.Propolis is an amazing glue produced by worker bees. This sticky glue is used to fill small gaps to seal and protect the hive from bacteria and viruses. As propolis ages, it strengthens and holds the hive structure together.As Christ-followers, our “glue” is the Holy Spirit, who “dwells in [our] midst,” and together we are God's temple!In what ways are you standing tall together in the Spirit with other Christ-followers in your community as you worship God and serve him? Thank you, God, for your grace that enriches the followers of Jesus in every way. Hold us together by your Spirit as a unified temple in service to you, to each other, and to everyone around us. Amen.

Of all the questions on the minds of Christians, which do you think would be the most often-asked? Quite likely, it's: “How do you determine the will of God, especially in questionable situations?” Join Dr. James Boice next time on The Bible Study Hour as he confronts that question through the lens of a certain practice in the ancient city of Corinth. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/581/29?v=20251111

The believers at Corinth believe that since they have decided to follow Jesus and he has given them freedom from the bondage of sin, they can do whatever they want. In their culture, just like ours, temptation is all around them, everywhere they go. Temples with prostitutes are seen from any direction, meat sacrificed to idols is being sold in restaurants and marketplaces, and with their freedom they have in Jesus, they tend to give into temptations and sin. Paul says, “Yes, you have freedom in Christ, but not all freedoms are beneficial. The King James Version says they are not all expedient and edifying. Yes, we have been set free from sin by Jesus, but there are other people to think about, and this is what Paul is saying. Don't let your freedom cause others to sin!

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. — 1 Corinthians 12:12 People who count honeybees estimate that there are 20,000 to 60,000 bees in any given hive. Yet there is one hive. The hive has three basic kinds of bees: the queen, workers, and drones. Yet there is one hive. All of the bees work together by instinct to function as an interdependent community, like a living organism.The Christ-followers at Corinth, estimated to be about 40 to 150 people, were not acting as “one.” This multiethnic group of recent converts included a mixture of educated and working-class people, rich and poor, and they struggled to care for and show God's love to one another. The letter Paul wrote to them describes a divided, individualistic, selfish, and proud gaggle of believers. At best, they revealed that they were many parts struggling to become one body.Similarly, our world today does little to encourage us to believe and act like we are an organic, interdependent community— one body. Individualism, privilege, possessions, and self-gratification are often the altars at which people worship. These behaviors make being one body most difficult.Christ-followers can be one body only “in Christ.” This is not instinctual. It takes heart change and the hard and humble work of love. Will you pray and work humbly to love and serve with others who make up the body of Christ? Lord Jesus, inspire us all to work toward the unity of your one body. Change our hearts and energize us to love and build up others as we serve with you. Amen.

In this episode I talk with Dr. Paul Duff, professor emeritus in the department of world religions at George Washington University and the author of the brand-new book Paul and the Corinthians: Reconstructing the Relationship and the Letters, out now on Eerdmans. In this book Dr. Duff explores 1 and 2 Corinthians , the divisions which plagued the church, and Paul's complicated relationship with his Corinthian congregation. We talk about the theory that 2 Corinthians is a collection of several small letters Paul sent to Corinth, Paul's identity and travels, and the city of Corinth. Duff explains the rocky relationship Paul had with his Corinthian congregation and the various issues he addresses in 1-2 Corinthians. We talk about the divisions which plagued the church (1 Cor. 1-4), issues of sex, celibacy, and marriage (1 Cor. 5-7), eating meat sacrificed to idols (1 Cor. 8-10), the collection for Jerusalem (1 Cor. 16:1-4, 2 Cor. 8-9), and Paul's defense of his ministry (2 Cor 2-7, 10-13). We conclude by discussing the relevance of Paul's relationship with the Corinthians for the church today.  Media Referenced:Paul and the Corinthians: https://a.co/d/0cmDcKKBJesus Followers in the Roman Empire: https://a.co/d/0aQ8zIZS The Protestant Libertarian Podcast is a project of the Libertarian Christian Institute and a part of the Christians For Liberty Network. The Libertarian Christian Institute can be found at www.libertarianchristians.com.Questions, comments, suggestions? Please reach out to me at theprotestantlibertarian@gmail.com.  You can also follow the podcast on Twitter: @prolibertypod, and YouTube, @ProLibertyPod, where you will get shorts and other exclusive video content. For more about the show, you can go to theprotestantlibertarianpodcast.com. If you like the show and want to support it, you can! Go to libertarianchristians.com, where you can donate to LCI and buy The Protestant Libertarian Podcast Merch! Also, please consider giving me a star rating and leaving me a review, it really helps expand the show's profile! Thanks!

Paul tells the believers in Corinth, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.” Why does he say this? Because some of these believers think they have a ticket to do anything they want since they started following Jesus but what Paul is emphasizing to them is this is not the case! They must stop sinning which is what he will plainly tell them later on. He tells them here that God makes a way of escaping temptation. You can so no and flee! Get out of there, out of the situation that has led you to be tempted! Being tempted is not a sin for Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by Satan but he never sinned, and this same Jesus who overcame the enemy and his temptations, has defeated him, and he lives in us through the Holy Spirit! Go and sin no more!

Why are sex and abortion the loudest issues in today's church, when the New Testament barely mentions them at all? This episode of Seek Go Create takes a deeper look at what the New Testament actually says—if anything—about these hot-button topics, challenging the modern church's political focus and cultural battles. Journey through first-century history and scripture to discover if we've missed the real message. If you're ready to question assumptions and explore faith beyond politics, this episode will challenge and surprise you."The things the American church fights the loudest about are the things the New Testament writers addressed the least." - Tim WindersAccess all show and episode resources HEREEpisode Resources:NT90 Hub – This is the central website for the 90-day New Testament reading plan, with downloadable, printable plans, background information, and links to all episodes and resources.Episode Highlights:00:00 Church Culture Wars 00:58 Series Setup and Reading Plan 02:16 Why These Topics Now 04:17 Disclaimers and Approach 08:01 Old Covenant Hangover 10:29 Rome and Infanticide 12:03 Sex as Power in Rome 17:23 Prostitution and Corinth 21:27 Is the World Worse 25:56 NT on Abortion Silence 28:24 Early Church Response 29:34 NT Passages on Same Sex 31:24 Greek Terms Explained 32:45 Translation History Shift 33:59 Jude and Strange Flesh 35:07 Jesus and Paul on Sex 37:38 Kingdom Versus Rome 39:35 Why Laws Fail 42:43 When Power Breeds Hypocrisy 46:29 Culture War Pillars 48:56 Jesus Method Not Pharisees 53:06 Ministry Over Legislation 56:33 Leaven Strategy Today 59:07 Final Challenge and Resources

Paul starts his letter to Corinth. All In Gospel Podcast is a chapter by chapter, verse by verse, in depth bible study where we seek to understand God's Word.All In Gospel is recorded live at Calvary Chapel with Pastor Seann Dikkers. You can support this study at anchor.fm/allingospel ⁠or ⁠https://all-in-gospel.com/

God Is Holding Your Hand Acts 18:9-10 “One night, the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid. Continue with your preaching, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack you or try to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.” I always get a bit jealous when I hear verses that say the Lord appeared to so-and-so in a dream or that they were visited by an angel.  Then I remember that, although I am not being visited by an angel that I am aware of, if you listened to the episode on angels, you know we aren't always aware when we are visited by an angel.  Although I am not aware of any visits from angels or the Lord in my sleep, the Lord does show up and talk to us each and every Thursday during prayer group.  He also talks to me during my prayer time, so I really have no reason to be jealous.  I don't know if you ever felt like I did.  Have you ever been jealous that some people seem to hear the word of the Lord and you can't?  If this is the case, I want to assure you that He wants to talk to you.  God is always talking to His people; we just struggle to listen sometimes.   If you are struggling to hear the Lord.  If you wish, you could ask Him a question and really hear an answer. I want you to know you can.  It is possible.  If you cannot hear Him, it is not because He is mad at you or because He is punishing you.  There could be a number of reasons why you can't hear Him.  Maybe you are harboring unforgiveness toward others, which can block all kinds of graces.  Maybe you don't believe you can hear Him, so you are afraid to sit in the silence and give Him time to talk?  Maybe you don't have any quiet time in your day?  Think about how hard it is to hear someone you are intentionally trying to hear in a crowded restaurant or on a subway train.  Look through your day.  If someone were following you around trying to talk to you all day, would there be any times when you would hear them?   The world we live in is busy and noisy.  It is not often that we sit and listen to the Word of God.  This can change.  If you want to start hearing from God, all you have to do is listen.  He is already talking to you.  I know that this may sound weird to some of you, and yet I think it is important to tell you.  I often talk with the Lord.  I write Him a letter, and then I write one back to myself and let the Holy Spirit lead what I write in the one back to myself.  I feel the Lord is constantly telling me, “Thank you for listening; not many do.”  God is not mad, He is not punishing you, He is patiently waiting for you to come to Him and ask Him what He thinks.  He is waiting to tell you how much He loves you until you take a minute to listen.  Can you give God 5 minutes of your time today to just listen?  If you are quiet, if you are asking the Lord to talk and you can't hear anything, then you can command the spirit of deaf ears to leave immediately.  You can command your spiritual ears to open.  You can ask God again and expect that He will answer as He always does! I am not sure that it had a lot, or anything, to do with the verse, and yet when I feel led by the Holy Spirit, I just agree and go along for the ride.  Back to the verse.  It says, “One night, the Lord appeared to Paul in a vision and said, “Do not be afraid. Continue with your preaching, and do not be silent, for I am with you. No one will attack you or try to harm you, for there are many in this city who are my people.”  I think this verse is a testament to God's love for Paul.  He knew He was afraid, and He came to talk to him and to reassure him.  It sounds like Paul wanted to leave the place where he was.  Paul was in Corinth, and that was not a nice town.  Its nickname is “Sin City.”  I have heard Father Mike liken it to parts of Las Vegas.  Paul was preaching at the synagogue to the Jews & the Greeks, but they didn't really want to hear what he had to say. When they started to oppose him and hurl insults at him, he decided to leave the synagogue and search out the Gentiles.  In case anyone listening is like me, and you are not sure who the Gentiles were or what that word means, let me explain.  You were considered a gentile if you were not Jewish.  It is not a particular race or tribe; it was all people who were not Jewish.  God came to Paul in his dreams and told him not to be afraid, that He was with him and that he would not be attacked or harmed. God is saying this to us, too!  He is with each one of us, and He is protecting us from all evil.  I was typing up the minutes for my prayer group, and we had several prophecies that seemed to confirm this.  There were two that I thought were especially good to go with this verse. The first one says, “I watch over you, my children. All of you are my children. I break the sword of the enemy who would come against you. You have nothing to fear, for I am there for each and every one of you in each and every trial. I will never forsake my children or leave my children. I will defend you in battle. I have sent you the power of the Spirit, and He will give you all that you need to do what you have been called to do.”  Isn't that amazing?  God is telling us that He is here for us.  He will defend us in battle and any other situation.  You may be thinking you are not in a battle, but you are not in the military.  Each one of us is in a battle, whether we know it or not.  Each one of us is in a spiritual battle, and sometimes the enemy can take it out on our family members.  We need to stand firm and hold onto this word from God and all the other words He has given us.  God will not let the enemy win.  He will protect us.  All we need to do is turn to Him.   The second word I thought went along with this verse says, “My children, take my hand. Realize that I am with you. Go into the world without fear. I am holding onto your hand. There is no need to fear, I am your God. I will protect you; I will defend you. Smile, for you are mine. Smile, my children. I am with you till the end of time. Come closer, my children, come closer, that I can reveal my mysteries to you, so you, in turn, can share them with the world. I am your Lord, I am your God, and I am all-powerful. I hold onto your hand. Move forward, move forward with joy, for you are mine.” I love how gentle God can be.  He is talking about protecting us, and He is doing it in this last verse as any Father would.  Think back to when you were little.  When you were walking with your dad, you were probably holding his hand.  If you weren't holding it all the time, you at least know it is there if you need it.  God is giving us this visual of walking with Him through life and asking us to take His hand and walk side by side with Him. What an amazing visual that is for me. Yes, please, Lord, I would love to walk side by side with you! I would love to hold your hand so you can protect me and defend me against this crazy world.  I also like how he ended the word with “Move forward with joy, for you are mine.” We are His children; isn't that amazing!! God is so good! Dear Heavenly Father, I ask you to protect and bless all those listening to this episode today.  Lord, we are so grateful you are protecting us!  We are so grateful you are a loving Father who wants to hold our hands and walk through this life with us.  Lord, we ask that you help us to be able to hear you when you are talking to us.  We are asking that you open your spiritual ears and allow us to have conversations with you.  I ask that everyone listening to this episode be able to hear your words just as they do in the prayer group meeting.  Lord, we thank you for the words above, and we ask that you help them take root in our hearts.  If anyone listening to this episode had a difficult relationship with their father, I ask that you let these two messages go deep down in your heart and take root.  You are a good and loving Father to all your children! We love you, Lord, and we ask all of this in accordance with your will and in Jesus' holy name. Amen! Thank you so much for joining me on this journey to walk boldly with Jesus!  I look forward to meeting you here again tomorrow.  Remember, Jesus loves you, and so do I! Have a blessed day! www.findingtruenorthcoaching.comCLICK HERE TO DONATECLICK HERE to sign up for Mentoring CLICK HERE to sign up for Daily "Word from the Lord" emailsCLICK HERE to sign up for my newsletter & receive a free audio training about inviting Jesus into your daily lifeCLICK HERE to buy my book Total Trust in God's Safe Embrace

Join us this Sunday as we continue our series, Lessons From Corinth: Following Jesus in Real Life, with a message from 1 Corinthians 11:17–34 titled “What the Table Proclaims.”In this passage, Paul confronts the Corinthian church for the way their practice of the Lord's Supper contradicted the gospel they claimed to celebrate. Together, we will reflect on how Communion re-centers us on the body and blood of Christ, examines the way we discern the body, and calls us to come to the Table with repentance, gratitude, humility, and love for one another.Sundays at 10am.

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 Of all the questions on the minds of Christians, which do you think would be the most often-asked? Quite likely, it's: “How do you determine the will of God, especially in questionable situations?” Join Dr. James Boice on The Bible Study Hour as he confronts that question through the lens of a certain practice in the ancient city of Corinth.

Since you excel in everything . . . see that you also excel in this grace of giving. — 2 Corinthians 8:7 When we installed two new “nucs” of bees in our hive boxes last spring, both seemed ready to become strong colonies. After a few weeks, one hive seemed to be doing better than the other, but we were not worried. Both were still growing and improving.During summer—when bees build up and increase their honey stores—we kept adding boxes to the stronger hive. By comparison, the weaker hive seemed to languish. A more careful inspection toward the end of summer revealed that the queen of the weaker hive was gone! A hive cannot survive without its queen, since she is the only bee that lays eggs to produce offspring. So our neglect in watching over that hive led to its death.The missionary pastor Paul noticed strengths and weaknesses in the churches he served. Were the Christ-followers in Corinth somewhat stung by the comparison Paul made in today's passage? They excelled in many things, but Paul had to point out that they could be more gracious in giving. Failing to give generously for the needs of brothers and sisters in Christ was a serious flaw that could lead to their decline.Christians today do well to be concerned about the decline and disbanding of churches. Apathy and stinginess can be destructive. The good news is that when God's people are stirred to “excel in the grace of giving,” the community of believers can thrive. Lord Jesus, you became poor for our sake so that we might become rich in your grace. Live in and through us so that we may give graciously, as you have taught us. Amen.

As we continue through the book of 1 Corinthians in our series, “Cutting Through the Noise,” Pastor J.D. explores a topic that is as contentious to us today as it was to the people in Corinth—sex. Our society has a lot of competing ideas about what sex is for and what makes sex good. God has ideas, too. And since sex was his idea, it's well worth listening to the wisdom he has to share.

In 1 Corinthians 1:18-25, we see the Apostle Paul reminding the church in Corinth of the central message which is Christ and Him crucified. This message is despised and looked down upon by the world, but it is in reality the message of divine power and wisdom. We as the church boast only in the cross of Christ!

After Lam Wai Chan moved from his native Singapore to pastor a church in Japan, he panicked. The church had barely twenty members. In a nation known as a “missionary graveyard,” where about one percent of the nation’s people are Christian and many churches sit empty, Lam felt “like I was taking over a sinking ship.” Crying out to God, he sensed the answer: Offer the church back to Me. Rather than “update” worship or music, Wai Chan asked members to pray—for their needs, family members, friends who didn’t know Jesus. Slowly, the church doubled in size. Their faithful praying is a living, biblical model of how to build a community in Jesus. First, pray. “In every situation by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God,” Paul wrote, “and do all of this without worry about anything” (Philippians 4:6). In this way, we offer our ministries, churches, and programs back to God. We may plant seeds and water them, but as Paul said, “Neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow” (1 Corinthians 3:7). He was imploring believers at Corinth to stop quarrelling about which church leader they followed (v. 4). As Paul said, “No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ” (v. 11). Let’s prayerfully give our churches back to Him. Then, watch them grow.

Timoleon and the Exile of Dionysius in Corinth. Guest Author: Professor James Romm. Dionysius the Youngereventually reclaimed his fortress, but Syracuse turned to Corinth for aid. Corinth sent Timoleon, a retired man leading a meager mercenary force. Surprisingly, Dionysius chose to abdicate rather than fight, negotiating a peaceful retirement in Corinth. The former tyrant lived his final years as a music teacher and priest. He famously claimed his ability to endure poverty proved he had learned from Plato. This fall from power gave rise to the proverb "Dionysius is in Corinth," signifying the inherent uncertainty of fortune and absolute power. 6

How did a church come to exist in the carnal, immoral, idolatrous city of Corinth, and why did Paul love it enough to write it a letter?

In this message, Pastor J.D. kicks off our series in the book of 1 Corinthians, showing how the gospel cuts through the noise and chaos of our lives. First up—the issue of divisions in the church. We may assume that church factions are a new phenomenon. But one glance at the church in Corinth reveals that dysfunction, division, and doctrinal chaos are as old as the church itself. And yet, in the midst of all this conflict, all this division, all this noise, the gospel provides a voice of clarity and a place of calm.