Podcasts about Corinthian

In his first letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul was disciplinary. In his second, he was defensive. What changed? The Apostle Paul wasn't always an apostle. He was once Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the followers of Christ and did so in the name of God. After his conversion and subsequent rise to a position of authority in the church, some in Corinth still doubted his credentials.  Paul wrote Second Corinthians to defend his ministry, and Ron takes us there next, as he continues his teaching series, “The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible: The Pauline Epistles.”   

In his first letter to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul was disciplinary. In his second, he was defensive. What changed? The Apostle Paul wasn't always an apostle. He was once Saul of Tarsus, who persecuted the followers of Christ and did so in the name of God. After his conversion and subsequent rise to a position of authority in the church, some in Corinth still doubted his credentials.  Paul wrote Second Corinthians to defend his ministry, and Ron takes us there next, as he continues his teaching series, “The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible: The Pauline Epistles.”  

Introduction: Know Your Salvation (1 Corinthians 1:1-9) GRACE. (v4) Ephesians 2:8 – For by grace you have been saved through faith. GIFTED. (v5-7a) Ephesians 6:19 – also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel... GUILTLESS. (v7b-9) 2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 1:1-9What was your big take-away from this passage / message?If the Bible is so clear that we are saved by grace (Ephesians 2:8), why do so many people insist on earning your salvation or hold the idea that good people go to heaven?Explain 1 Cor 1:5 in your own words. How does this apply to your personal walk with Christ?What does 1 Cor 1:8 say about the doctrine of eternal security (once saved, always saved)?Why do you think Paul starts this letter by calling them sanctified (1 Cor 1:2) and reminding them of their salvation (1 Cor 1:4-6)? BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Today is our ministry year kickoff and that also means that today is our anniversary.So today we are celebrating 14 years of Harvest Bible Chapel and we're like alot of 14 year olds. We've come a long way but we have a long way to go.Right? What kind of church is this? We sit on four pillars we have from thebeginning. We've proclaimed the authority of God's Word without apology. That'swhat kind of church this is. We lift high the name of Jesus in worship. That'swhat kind of church this is. We believe firmly in the power of prayer. That's whatkind of church this is. And we share the good news of Jesus with boldness. Thoseare the four pillars this church was resting on when it was planted by God'sgrace. Those are the four pillars today. It may it always be. So I want you to openup your Bibles to 1 Corinthians and we're just going to pause. I want you to justplease pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's Word and I will prayfor you to have a heart open to receive what it is the Lord wants to teach ustoday. Alright? Let's just take a moment.Father in heaven as we get into your Word now I pray that your Spiritwould work with your Word in the hearts of every person here. In the hearts ofevery person that is streaming or going to be listening to this podcast later.Father thanks to the technologies we have in our day. This goes out to somany people all over the planet and we thank you that you've given usopportunity and we want to use that opportunity to exalt your Word, to exaltyour Son. Father has to start right here.Father incline our hearts towards nothing but your glory. We pray in Jesus' name.All of God's people said amen. Amen. A couple of decades ago Aaron and I weredoing foster care and for about a year and a half we had a brother and sister.They were five and seven and it was at the time it was the worst case of childabuse in Butler County. I don't know if that's still the case but it was at thetime. But the five-year-old boy was pretty broken when he came to us. Hecouldn't even talk really and we tried our hardest to give them somesemblance of a normal childhood. You know? Well one of the things that we did tothat end was we signed our five-year-old, his name is Walter. We signed him up forsoccer and I played soccer in high school and in college so I was asked tohelp coach the team. Now anybody ever coach five-year-olds in soccer? It's areal hoot because coaches have to be on the field with the kids. Okay, not on theside shouting instructions. "Will, you're standing on the field with the kids andyou have to run." And did you ever see five-year-olds play soccer? Okay, it's notlike World Cup where they're all like spread out and passing. It's just thiswave of kids chasing the ball. Well we were really trying to get really tryingto get Walter to embrace this, right? It was a big part of my childhood. Justwasn't clicking. The kids would run by with the ball. We're like, "Walter, get theball! Get the ball!" And Walter would run a couple of steps and he'd go, "They're toofast." Like, "Walter, no, come on, come on, get the ball! They're too fast." And then hewould get increasingly frustrated. Walter's big insult for people was tocall them naked. So the kids would run by, I'm like, "Walter, get the ball!" He goes,"They're naked! They're naked! They're naked!" And I'm like, "Actually, they'reclothed, but we need you to hustle, right?" And I don't know if this is greatparenting or not. Probably not. But at one point, Aaron and I offered Walter 25cents for every time he even touched the ball. We paid up zero. Well the othercoach, she was the mom of the goalie. Before the first game, she pulled measide. She goes, "I just want to warn you. I can't remember her son's name. We'll callhim Joey." She goes, "I just want to warn you." She goes, "Joey doesn't like gettingscored on." I'm like, "Well, that makes sense." She goes, "No, he really, reallyoverreacts." Like, well, good to know. Well, sure enough, we got scored on. To saythat the kid lost his mind as an understatement, he started ripping hisclothes like trying to rip his jersey off. And it was this scene. It was likehe was turning into the Hulk. And I'm watching this. I'm like, "Oh, man, what isgoing on here?" And then all of a sudden, I realized, "Wait a minute. Where didWalter go?" All of a sudden, I lost the foster kid. You don't want to tell theagency that. I'm like, "Where did he go? Where is he? Where?" Then I looked down.Walter is celebrating with the other team. Hugs and high fives and...This unity on the soccer team, it was funny. But you know, when there's thisunity in the church, it's not so funny. Let's be honest, we're a lot like thosekids in the soccer team sometimes, aren't we? Irrationally losing our minds overstupid things, calling people names, not wanting to participate. That's the themeof this first stretch in 1 Corinthians. You're gonna be hearing this a lot,because it's important to the heart of God, so it's important to the heart ofthe leaders in this church. Get unified. Church, we need to get unified.1 Corinthians was written to the church in Corinth, and you have tounderstand a little bit about their background. The city of Corinth wascorrupt. Like, how corrupt were they? They were so corrupt that the city's veryname became synonymous with immorality.They were known for their temple to the false goddess Aphrodite, the goddess oflove, and they had about a thousand priestesses who served as prostitutes.So you can imagine what passed for worship in Corinth.Well, it's in that backdrop that the Apostle Paul planted a church. You can readabout this, little homework assignment for you. Acts chapter 18. Go home and read it.Not right now, but go home and read it, and you'll see how the church was planted.So you have this church planted in this horrible city, and the church, the churchitself, was absolutely perfect. They just had two problems. Bad doctrine and badbehavior. Other than that, they were perfect. What the Corinthian church neededwas unity and purity. Look at chapter 1 verse 1. Paul called by the will of Godto be an apostle of Christ Jesus and our brother Sostenes to the church of Godthat is in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saintstogether with all those who in every place call upon the name of our LordJesus Christ, both their Lord and ours. Grace to you in peace from God, ourFather, and the Lord Jesus Christ. This church had a lot of problems, and we'regoing to be getting into that. And if you're familiar with God's word at all,you know. And it's so interesting to me that Paul starts this letter saying, hey,you Christians, those of you in Christ Jesus, you are sanctified. That word meansholy, I mean set apart. And then he goes, he calls them saints. Again, the wordmeans holy. Saint is a name for all true Christians, by the way. And when you lookat this little introduction, you're like, wow, Paul, that's quite a thing to saywhen you consider the rest of the book. And we're going to see as we go throughthis, but these Christians were worldly, and they were divisive, and there wassexual sin, and the list goes on and on and on. They were just, they were somessed up in so many ways. And why in the world would Paul kick this letter up bysaying you sanctified saints you? Like, why would he start that way?What, was it to butter them up? Like, I'm about to lay the hammer down, so I'm justgoing to make you feel good on the front. That wasn't it. Was Paul justignoring all their problems? Like, maybe if I don't mention it, they'll go away.No, that's certainly not it. So why did he start by calling them sanctifiedsaints? Why? Because it was true. Wait, wait, wait. How can they be holy and stillstruggle with being holy? Well, biblically, when we talk about holiness,holiness is two things. There's positional holiness, and there is practicalholiness. Positional holiness is when you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord andSavior, when you believe in Him, when you are born again, God pronounces you holy.In God's eyes, He's looking at you through the lens of Jesus Christ, and from God'sperspective, He says you are perfectly holy. We're going to talk more about thatin just a couple of minutes. So while we are positionally holy, practicalholiness, that is the growing, living like Christ, growing in Christ'slikeness, doing the things that honor the Lord, growing in maturity as a Christian.Put it this way, the Christian life is growing to be what God already pronouncedyou to be. That's what the Christian life is. It's growing to be what Godalready pronounced you to be. It's like joining the army. When you enlist in thearmy, as soon as you enlist, you are a soldier. So why go to boot camp? Why doyou go to boot camp? So they make you a soldier. You're like, "Wait, I thought Ialready was." You are. That's what the army does. They're making you what they'vecalled you to be. That's what God does in holiness. He's pronounced you holy andJesus, and your sanctification, your growth, your maturity. He is making you whatHe's already pronounced you to be. So now do you understand why Paul started theletter this way? Paul says, "Granthians, this is who you are. This is your identity.You are holy people." So we're going to get to this down the road. Paul's saying,"If you're holy, why are you acting unholy? Sin is inconsistent with who youare." So if we, Corinthian church, if we harvest Bible chapel, if we are going tobe unified and purified, it has to start here. You have to know your salvation.That's where Paul starts. So on your outline, I want you to draw three wordsdown. Know your salvation. Now this passage we're looking at today says somuch in just a few short verses. It says so much about salvation. The Bibleitself says so much about salvation, but you're going to see here in this passageknowing salvation is really knowing three G's. Your cell phone might needfive G's, God only needs three. Know your salvation. Three G's, it's allstraight from the text. Here's what you have to know about your salvation.If you're going to grow in unity and purity, here's what you have to knowabout your salvation. Number one, write this word down. Grace.Look at verse 4. "I give thanks to my God always for you, because of the grace ofGod that was given you in Christ Jesus." And I get to tell you as a pastor, I lovethat. He says, "I give thanks for you." Again, the church had so many issues thatPaul needed to deal with, but notice he didn't see them for where they are. Hesaw them for who they are. It's like, "I give thanks for you." Why? They were given.Actually, that word in the Greek refers to being given something at a moment oftime in the past. You know, I'm thankful for you because at one point in your past,you were given one of the most beautiful words in the whole Bible. The word isgrace. You were given grace. You know, that's a word that we throw around a lotin church. Sometimes we don't wrestle down what exactly it means.You look up a theology textbook, grace is unmerited favor. It is undeservedkindness. But you know, the best definition of grace I've ever heard isthis, grace is God giving to you what He requires from you. That's grace. Godgiving to you what He requires from you. What does God require from you?Holiness, righteousness, perfection. God requires that. We don't have it. Grace isGod giving that to us in Jesus Christ. Sometimes we mix up grace with otherconcepts in the Bible like long suffering and mercy and things like that. Myfavorite illustration, some of you have heard this before. You're going to hear itagain. It helps me to really understand what grace is, is this. Imagine that youhave a teenage son. Some of you do and some of you did. Some of you will andsome of you can use your imaginations. But imagine you have a teenage son andyour teenage son goes to a party. And at this party there's another boy, same ageas your son, who hates your son. Something stupid probably, a girl andmurders your son. Cold-blooded murder, unprovoked murder. This other kidmurders your son. Now, if you track that kid down that murders your son, if youtrack him down and you kill him, that is called vengeance. But if you track himdown and you help the law, you help the police get him arrested, that's calledjustice. But if you track him down, help the police get him arrested and you showup at his court date and somehow, somehow, you're able to convince the judge tojust let him go. Like just let him go. That's called mercy. But you help thepolice track him down, arrest him and you show up at his court date and somehow,somehow, you convince the judge to allow you to adopt that kid as your own andraise him as your own son. That's called grace. And understand that's what God hasdone for us in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have sinned against him and wekilled his son. And what's God's response to that? God's response is, "I want toadopt you." That is grace. The Bible tells us, Ephesians chapter 2, "For by grace youhave been saved through faith." By grace we have been saved, we've been adopted, we'vebeen regenerated, we've been sanctified. It's all grace. Grace isn't withheldbecause of our sin. God is able to be gracious to us because Jesus Christ tookaway our sin. Our part is faith. That's our part. Faith is believing in Jesus.It's believing Jesus is who he said he is. He is God in the flesh. It's believingthat Jesus accomplished what he said he would accomplish. That his death on thecross was to pay the penalty for my sin and for your sin. He rose from the dead togive us eternal life. It's believing that. It's receiving that. Our part is faith.God has done all the work in Christ. That's His grace.Now, this is so fundamental.But at the same time, it's so hard to believe. It's so hard to believe becauseevery single area of our lives are performance-based. Every single one. Right?My boss is happy with me when I perform. My teacher at school is happy with me whenI perform. My family is happy with me when I perform. Every area of life it's justI gotta do stuff to make somebody happy and we bring that thinking into thechurch. Like what do I have to do to make God happy? This is salvation is notbased on your performance. It's based on Jesus Christ's performance.So as we start this stretch, as Paul starts this stretch in 1 Corinthianstelling the Corinthian church, telling Harvest Bible Chapel today, get unified.You have to know your salvation and you have to understand grace because it'sonly when you understand this that you take the first step to unity. What doesthis have to do with unity? Grace puts us all on the same level.We don't have time to do this but I'd sure like to. I'd like to get everyChristian to line up here like we do for communion. We will be doing that. I'dlike to get every Christian line up here. Just have testimony time. How were yousaved? By grace? Not because you were special or you worked for it? Oh that'sawesome, me too. Next. How were you saved? Oh by grace? Not because you were specialor did anything to earn it? Oh me too. Next. Do you see what that does?None of us deserve to be saved. None of us. None of us are any better thananother.We're not going to get unified until we come to grips with that. We're all onthe same level. We all, in Christ, are recipients of grace.It's the first thing you need to know about salvation. The second one, number two,write this word down. Gifted. Gifted.Look at verse 5 through the first part of verse 7.Paul says that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and allknowledge, even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you, so thatyou are not lacking in any spiritual gift.You are not lacking in any spiritual gift. You see grace speaks to the past.That's what was received. Gifted speaks to the present. You are saved to serve.Notice Paul says you are enriched. You are not lacking any gift. Jesus,Paul is telling us here, Jesus has gifted you everything that you need to serve him.You're like, well, can you be more specific? He was more specific actually.Do you notice that? What is that? Verse 5, all speech and all knowledge.These are two of the gifts that he highlights here. First of all, you weregifted with all speech. You were gifted with the ability to speak the truth.All knowledge. You were gifted with all knowledge. That doesn't mean you knoweverything. That means you know everything that you need to know pertaining to the gospel.So here's what Paul is saying. Listen, church, you have been gifted to speak and you have beengifted with knowing what to say. So the question is, how are you using that?You have the gift if you're a Christian. How are you using that?Here at this church, it can be used in teaching and preaching.All speech, all knowledge. It can be used in Harvest Academy,teaching the kids back there while we're teaching in here. It can be used in small group.It can be used in youth group, in conferences, in prayer services, in workshops, in precepts,in our witnessing.You've been given a gift. How are you using it?Because the reality is the biggest problem with most Christians is not that we don't know what to say.Our problem is just opening our mouths and saying.I hear that all the time when it comes to witnessing. Well, I don't really witness becauseI don't know what to say. If you don't know enough to share, then you probably don't know enough to be saved.Look what Paul says in Ephesians 619.He's talking about prayer. He says, "Praying also for me that words may be given to me in openingmy mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel." You see that? Paul didn't say,"Pray that I can't speak or pray that I would know what to say." He says, "I need boldness."Our fourth pillar, sharing the good news of Jesus with boldness. That's what we need to be praying for.Boldness isn't jerkiness. It's not obnoxiousness. It's just confidence in God's calling and God'sgifting. It's just confidence to say, "Look, God gave me a message and he gave me the knowledgeof what I'm supposed to say, so I'm just going to open my mouth and I'm going to say it."And again, if you know enough to be saved, then you know enough to share.Share what you know. Look at verse 6 again. I love as he says, "Even as the testimonyabout Christ was confirmed among you." What's he saying? He's saying the people of Jesus usingthe gifts of Jesus is confirmation that Jesus is at work in the church.When I was little, my dad, for Christmas one year, he wanted magnifying goggles.Because he was going to undertake this hobby of putting boats and bottles. Have you ever seenthese things where you have like a bottle and there's like a boat inside? You know what I'mtalking about? Okay, my dad was going, "I'm going to make those and I need magnifying goggles."Like I said, I was just a little kid. I'm like, "I'm going to get those for dad."Now listen, I can tell already you're not impressed. So I'm going to remind you of something.This was pre-Internet. I know right now you can get on your phone and get on Amazon's orEtsy or whatever. I don't know. But you can eBay, you can get on there and you can probably rightnow find me 500 pairs of magnifying goggles. This was pre-Internet. This was pre-smartphone.This was pre-cell phone.All right? So I'm like, "I'm going to find those for him." And you know, it took me forevermaking phone calls and going to different stores and talking to people and tracking.And do you know, I found a pair of them. I went to a jewelry repair storeand I found them and I saved my money. Those weren't cheap. I saved my money,especially for a little kid. I saved my money and I bought those magnifying goggles.I bought them for dad for Christmas. I got to tell you, I can't think of a gift that I was moreexcited to give in my life. See, one of them, I couldn't get them, but I tracked them down.And I was so, I was so proud to give dad those magnifying goggles for Christmas.Well, my father died in 2003. And you know, when somebody passes away and you start tokind of go through their stuff and figure out what to do with all that,found those magnifying goggles, still in the box, never used.And I wonder, church,when Jesus returns, how many boxes of magnifying goggles is he going to find?I wonder when Jesus returns, how many of his gifts that he gave to his people,is he going to return and find? Oh, we had them. We didn't use them.We didn't use them. You have been gifted so much. And we're going to talk about this later,the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We're going to talk about this later in 1 Corinthians.But have you been using the gifts that God gave you?Listen, if your mindset is this, you know what, Pastor Jeff, I just attend church.My spiritual gift is attendance. My spiritual gift is warming a seat. And you know, I just leavethe ministry to the professionals. I don't really have a gift. That's bad news. Because not havinga gift means you're not saved, because he tells us right here that Jesus' people are enriched in him.Paul is saying, church, you have everything you need. Everything has been gifted to you,to minister to each other, and to reach the world.So look, there's no bench warmers on this team.On this team, listen, if you're saved, you're starting.All right? Don't call the other players naked. All right? If you're saved, you're starting.Get unified. Get unified. You know, the biggest unity killer in the church is selfishness.My wants, my desires, my preferences, especially in this culture where we are right now,right here geographically where we are, this is a horrible place. Because the mindset of mostchurchgoers in this area is church is the place that I go to get. And I'm going to this churchbecause they have better coffee, and I'm going to this church because, you know, they have a zipline for their youth group, and I'm going to this church because they have fog machines and laserlights. And we have this idea that church is the place that I go to get. And that is completelyforeign to the Bible. Church is not the place you go to get. Church is the place you go to get.And anything you receive here is bonus. The mindset has to be church is the place I go to get.You're expected to. It's why you're saved, and it's why you have been gifted.Know your salvation. Three Gs, grace, gifted, one more.Guiltless.Guiltless. Pick up second part of verse seven,where he says, "As you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ."That Greek word for wait means to wait eagerly. Right? I don't have to tell you on that.There's a big difference between the way a kid is waiting to open his birthday presentsversus the way that kid's dad is waiting at the DMV. Right? This is wait eagerly. It's this idea ofanticipation like, "Oh, he's coming. He's coming. I can't wait. I cannot wait. Jesus is coming, and Icannot wait." Do you see that? What are we waiting for? He tells us the revealing of our Lord JesusChrist. I don't know if you noticed, but Jesus Christ is mocked now. He's about to show up.And he's going to make everything right. And he's going to make everything new.Are you excited for that? I sure am.In the verse eight, he says, "Who will sustain you to the end? Who will sustain you to the end?If you believe that you can lose your salvation, I want you to explain that verse to me.Will sustain you to the end?" Did you ever wonder if you're going to make it?Did you ever wonder,am I going to make it to the end? Loving Jesus, following Jesus, serving Jesus, am I going to make it?Listen, if you are legitimately born again in Christ, you will make it.On the authority of the Word of God, you are going to make it.Because you didn't work to earn your salvation, and you can't work to keep your salvation.And here very plainly, God's Word tells us that Jesus will sustain you to the end.How? That's His responsibility. He's going to get you there.You're like, okay, well maybe He's going to get me there, Pastor Jeff, but I got a lot to answer for.When I stand before God, He's going to tell me how disappointed He is in me.God's going to tell me how upset He is with me. And I've had people tell me, Pastor Jeff,you know what, when we're like in line to get to heaven, don't be standing behind me.Because God is, He's got a lot of stuff that He's going to, He's really going to let me have it.You don't want to stand behind me in line to get to heaven.Well, let's keep reading, shall we? Who will sustain you to the end? Look at this.Guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.Guiltless.In that day, when you stand before Christ, it is not going to be for Himto tell you how badly you messed up. In Christ, what does your Bible say? You have no guilt.2 Corinthians 5.21 says, "For our sake, God He made Him Jesus."God made Jesus to be sin, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousnessof God. There's a trade that's going on here. Jesus took our sin on Himself, on the cross,to the point that somehow He is personified sin here.He took our sin. What did He give us in exchange? So that in Him we might become the righteousnessof God. Do you see that this grace, it didn't just take away your sin. God's gracemade you as righteous as God Himself is. And look, you can talk to me about the trinityand creation and predestination, and I've never lost a moment's sleep over any of those things.To me, this is the most baffling doctrine in the entire Bible, the fact that God would takea piece of dirt, sinner like me, and because of Jesus Christ, He would pronounce me as righteousas He is. I don't even have the ability to explain how awesome that is.Guiltless. He's going to sustain you until the day that you stand before Him when Hepronounces you guiltless. You're like, "You sure about that?"Well, look at verse 9, "God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowshipof His Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord." Yeah, I am sure about that, because it's not basedon my ability, and it's not based on my integrity. It's based on God's ability,and it's based on God's integrity. He called you to this, the fellowship of His Son.You've got to know your salvation.And you see, it's past, present, and future, right? It's justification, sanctification,glorification. It's just in this particular passage, it's grace, gifts, and guiltless.And for them then, and for us now, this isn't new information.But these are foundational truths that we seem to forget about over time.Because church harvest Bible chapel like the Corinthians over time, we tend to forget aboutour identity in Jesus Christ. We forget that we were lost, hellbound sinners saved by His grace.We forget that we are here to serve, not to be served. We forget that Jesus Christ is comingsoon, and we forget that this is Jesus' church, not our church.And when we forget these things, unity goes out the window, because we start to thinkthat church is about us. Know your salvation. It's Jesus. It's Jesus. It's His grace. It's His gifts.It's His fellowship. So our worship team makes their way forward in our communion servers.You know, Jesus gave us a way to remind us of all these truths that unite us in Him.That's what I love about the Lord's table. Jesus said, "Do this in remembrance of Me."This keeps bringing us back when we are tempted to think this is about us, when we are tempted tothink that we are contributing to our salvation. When we are tempted to thinkthat God doesn't love us and we need to figure stuff out, this brings us back to the foundationaltruths of the way God purchased your salvation and what it means for us today.

Let's talk about love, on this Tuesday edition of Something Good with Dr. Ron Jones. The Corinthian church had plenty of problems and plenty of questions. Questions about the gift of speaking in tongues, about eating meat offered to idols, about divorce and remarriage. In First Corinthians, the Apostle Paul offers a practical response to these and other issues.  But the foundational principle upon which all his answers rested was love. Stay with us now as Ron continues his teaching series, “The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible.”  

Here in America, if you want to take a trip to Sin City, you'll go to Las Vegas. But in first century Greece, you'd have gone to Corinth. Corinth was Vegas before Vegas. Prostitution and debauchery ran rampant. And when a little of the pagan Corinthian culture began to infiltrate the church the Apostle Paul had planted there, Paul took pen to parchment and wrote them a letter.  What did he tell them, and how much of what he said applies to our culture today? Find out next, in Ron's continuing series, “The Ultimate Road Trip Through The Bible.”  

Recently I had to learn APA citation. Oof. It was a heavy lift, after a few decades with MLA. It gave me a refreshed sense of how overwhelming students likely find MLA. I found myself thinking, why can't I just link my sources in parentheses? Why can't I just reference the authors who informed my thinking inside my sentences? Why on earth does it matter if I use a comma or a semicolon, put the page first or put the page second? Why does APA even exist? Yeah, all the things our students probably think when we roll out our 26 page MLA redux, which doesn't even cover it all. And that's only the beginning of student frustration when it comes time for a research paper. Now, I struggle a little bit in recommending these alternatives to the research paper today, partly because my husband regularly references the research paper he wrote in high school as a landmark in his academic life. He loved it. He was so proud of his work. It set him on a path that eventually led all the way to a PHD program at UPenn. The other night, though, when we were debating the relative merits of 5 paragraph essays and research papers, he did mention that the rest of the class did not exactly excel on that research paper assignment, if the comments his teacher made as she passed back the papers were any sign. John Warner, in his book, Why They Can't Write, posits a possible reason for that lack of excelling. “The writing-related tasks we frequently visit upon students would prove difficult for even highly experienced writers. Writing on subjects with which we're newly familiar, in forms that are foreign, and addressed to audiences that are either undefined or unknown (other than 'for the teacher') bears little resemblance to the way we write for the world” (27). In other words, we often ask students to try and make themselves an expert on something they're not that interested in for a research paper, use a citation format that is next thing to a foreign language for them, tie themselves in knots trying to figure out how to convey what they've learned in an orderly way that generally leaves little room for their own voice or opinions, and do it all just to show their teacher, for a grade. Of course, that is how it has seemingly always been done. And after all, we survived. I remember learning MLA format in 7th grade, and creating my first research notecards. I dutifully scrawled quotation after quotation on those notecards, putting all the source information on the back. I can't remember what I wrote about though, for that 7th grade research paper. Literally nothing comes to mind. The first research assignment that I do remember came in 11th grade, when I participated in Minnesota's National History Day, making it to the State Finals with my project "The Column: Supporting Architecture through the Ages." I remember my architectural timeline, supported on a bridge of heavy white dominos across the front of my display board. I remember learning about Ionic, Corinthian, and Doric columns, and I've seen them all over the world in my travels since. I remember my virtual explorations of Athens, as I searched through various texts trying to figure out how the column worked, why it was so special, and what it looked like in buildings all over ancient Greece. I remember presenting my project in Duluth, sensing that I barely made it through with so many other great projects on hand, learning from the quality around me, and improving it before heading for Minneapolis. I remember going to Valley Fair, the amusement park I had had my eye on for years, after the state competition, with my Dad. It. Was. Awesome. My National History Day Project let me choose any topic of interest to me that fit whatever the general theme was that year. It let me use my love of design, color, lettering, and layout in addition to my research skills. It gave me an authentic audience to consider. I think I still had to use MLA citation format, but I was so busy with everything else that I wasn't about to let cracking that code stop me. I had a competition to win. (Not that I did, but I sure had fun trying). When I look back on my academic and professional life so far, research in service of real purpose, in an arena that truly interested me, with the ability to include modes that I enjoy working in, for an audience I truly hoped to impact, made all the difference in igniting my best work. So what if we warm our students up to research with activities, projects, and shorter writing pieces that focus more on elements like these, and less on notecards? What if, instead of jumping into huge MLA research papers with only one person - us - as the intended audience, we cast a wider net around the area of research and explore ways to give students more agency over topic, mode, and audience? This introduction is getting out of hand. Thirteen paragraphs in and we haven't played the music yet. It's lucky I'm not writing a five paragraph essay. So without further ado, let's talk about five alternatives to the research paper that help students practice key skills they can draw on later, if and when they choose a path that requires them to write lengthy academic research papers with full citations in APA or MLA. Sign up for the Full (Free) AI PBL Research Unit: https://sparkcreativity.kartra.com/page/aipbl  For a deep dive on the research carousel, check out episode 163, a case study with educator Jane Wisdom: https://nowsparkcreativity.com/2022/10/case-study-a-meaningful-21st-century-research-project.html  Sources Cited Warner, John. Why They Can't Write: Killing the 5 Paragraph Essay and other Necessities. John Hopkins University Press: 2020. Go Further:  Explore alllll the Episodes of The Spark Creativity Teacher Podcast. Get my popular free hexagonal thinking digital toolkit Join our community, Creative High School English, on Facebook. Come hang out on Instagram. Enjoying the podcast? Please consider sharing it with a friend, snagging a screenshot to share on the ‘gram, or tapping those ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to help others discover the show. Thank you! 

Is a carnal Christian really a Christian? When a saved person acts like an unsaved person, all of the alarm bells should go off! We're not talking about new believers - we'll be patient with them and provide good examples while the Spirit helps them grow. But are we growing? Do we even understand that spiritual maturity is the goal? We've got problems with this in the American church, just like they did in the Corinthian church. Here's Jim to conclude his message on, Stunted Growth. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS10012025_0.mp3Scripture References: 1 Corinthians 3

In Episode Five, Steve and Becky complete their behind-the-scenes story of the ‘Life of Brian' - the last Corinthian, Brian Labone - with unique insights through Brian's own words, and the words of his wife, Pat.Hear about his international career; his marriage to beauty queen, Pat Lynam; a decision he took that would shock the footballing world in 1966; his life after football, plus so much more.And, listen in this episode to extracts from Becky's original taped recording with Pat. It's true Everton history in the making. Ask Steve and Becky questions or send us your feedback to DeepDive@UnofficialEvertonTimeline.comFind our new podcast page on X @EvertonDeepDive where Everton history comes to life. If you like what you hear in this episode and want more, grab a copy of Becky's book, Real Footballer's Wives - The First Ladies of Everton by clicking here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Real-Footballers-Wives-Ladies-Everton/dp/1549741985And also her book, Talking Blue, featuring fans' questions to Brian Labone and a host of other Everton legends. Grab a copy by clicking here:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Talking-Blue-Collection-Interviews-Everton/dp/1859832091 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Paul is telling the Corinthian church that in Christ, all of God's promises are YES and AMEN!

In 1Corinthians 16 Paul encourages us that to be heavenly minded is to also be earthly good. He encourages the Corinthian church to walk in faithfulness and love. The post 1Corinthians 16 Heavenly Minded and Earthly Good appeared first on Calvary Chapel Crossover.

In 2nd Corinthians, Chapter 7, the Apostle Paul continues to disclose his own heart to the Corinthians in hopes that those who still have doubts about him will give up the lies they have believed about him and his gospel and return to the place of acceptance and fellowship that they enjoyed previously. Paul begins to reveal what is in his heart, which is: his great regard, or great love for the Corinthian baby believers, his great relief over their change of heart, his great momentary regret for sending them the severe letter, and his great rejoicing at the news of their change of heart towards him.

What if you aced spiritual gifts but missed love—the one thing that matters most? Dive into 1 Corinthians 13 with Pastor Chris Gregg in this #UnfilteredChurch sermon from FCC Sermons. Discover why eloquence, faith, and sacrifice mean nothing without Christ's enduring love. Perfect for anyone seeking deeper church community and biblical maturity.In "Love Unfiltered," Chris unpacks Paul's rebuke to the vibrant yet divided Corinthian church (1 Cor 12-14). Explore the priority of love (vv.1-3), its patient and kind portrait (vv.4-7), and why it outlasts prophecies, tongues, and knowledge forever (vv.8-13). Learn how love isn't a gift—it's the soil for all gifts—to avoid being a "noisy gong" in ministry.Key insights:Without love: You're nothing, gain nothing—like an empty gift box.Christlike traits: Patient, not irritable, rejoices in truth.Eternal legacy: Faith and hope fade, but love abides as the greatest.Reflection: Do you serve to be noticed or from love? Pick one trait from vv.4-7 this week—kindness, forgiveness—and watch it transform conflicts and community. As Mother Teresa showed, one act of love changes lives.Timestamps:0:00 - Opening Hook: What If You Did Everything Right... But Missed This?3:45 - Corinth's Vibrant Yet Broken Church (1 Cor 12-14 Context)8:20 - The Priority of Love: Tongues, Prophecy, Faith Without It (1 Cor 13:1-3)13:10 - Without Love: Just Noise and Empty Gain17:50 - The Portrait of Love: Patient, Kind, Unfailing Traits (1 Cor 13:4-7)23:30 - Christlike Love in Action – Not Hallmark, But Real27:15 - The Permanence of Love: Why It Outlasts All Gifts (1 Cor 13:8-13)31:40 - Reflections: Serve from Love, Build an Enduring Legacy35:20 - Challenge: Pick One Trait to Practice This Week + Mother Teresa's MarkSubscribe to FCC Sermons for more #UnfilteredChurch series on 1 Corinthians—raw talks on pride, division, and zeal. Like & comment: What's one way you'll practice love this week? Visit fcc.church for notes/resources. #1Corinthians13 #BibleStudy #ChristianSermon #LoveInTheBible #SpiritualGrowth

Paul builds upon the unifying Gospel truths he wrote in the beginning of chapter 15 to now help some in the Corinthian church who had beliefs and lifestyles inconsistent with the Gospel truth of Christ's bodily resurrection. In this text Paul both encourages us with the beautiful ramifications of Christ's bodily resurrection as well as offers us the gift of examining where we believe and live in ways contradictory to the Gospel - so that we might more fully live!

Paul's letter to the Corinthian church is a response to real questions by real people whom Paul knows and loves. 1 Corinthians is certainly a practical and theological answer to questions, but at its core, it is an example of shepherding a flock of sinners saved by grace. Answers are given, thoughts are expounded, and falsehoods are confronted with a heart that these people would experience grace and peace walking in the privilege that it is to be those called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ by the God of the universe. DNA Questions - 1 Corinthians 12:12-31DiscoverWhat is the primary purpose of the Spirit when considering this section?In what ways is the metaphor of the body helpful in understanding the concept of the "body of Christ"?How do you see God's wisdom in all of this? NurtureDo you ever feel like you aren't a part of the body? Why or why not?How would you encourage someone who felt like their gifting wasn't important or useful?How does the truth of the gospel inform how we view and use our gifts in the body of Christ? DoDo you know what your gifts are? Do you have people in your life who could help you discern this?What would it look like for you to begin using your gifts in your Gospel Community?

Paul's letter to the Corinthian church is a response to real questions by real people whom Paul knows and loves. 1 Corinthians is certainly a practical and theological answer to questions, but at its core, it is an example of shepherding a flock of sinners saved by grace. Answers are given, thoughts are expounded, and falsehoods are confronted with a heart that these people would experience grace and peace walking in the privilege that it is to be those called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ by the God of the universe. DNA Questions - 1 Corinthians 12:12-31DiscoverWhat is the primary purpose of the Spirit when considering this section?In what ways is the metaphor of the body helpful in understanding the concept of the "body of Christ"?How do you see God's wisdom in all of this? NurtureDo you ever feel like you aren't a part of the body? Why or why not?How would you encourage someone who felt like their gifting wasn't important or useful?How does the truth of the gospel inform how we view and use our gifts in the body of Christ? DoDo you know what your gifts are? Do you have people in your life who could help you discern this?What would it look like for you to begin using your gifts in your Gospel Community?

Your Body Is a Temple of the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians Introduction: We have been looking at key themes or primary messages that the apostle Paul used in the Corinthian letters in order to bring the Corinthian Christians to understand what it looks like to be a disciple of Christ. Paul began the letter with, […] The post 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Your Body is a Temple of the Holy Spirit appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT     The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth.   And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13)   Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul.   The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual.  (1Corinthians 15:45)   God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body.    Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life.   Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18)   The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.   Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts.   That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23)   John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence.  But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law.   So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus.  The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. *     Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today.  We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned.  Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them  I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal?     God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of  the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed.    Paul OSullivan  -  pauloss@me.com           PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT     The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth.   And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13)   Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul.   The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual.  (1Corinthians 15:45)   God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body.    Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life.   Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18)   The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.   Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts.   That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23)   John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence.  But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law.   So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus.  The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. *     Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today.  We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned.  Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them  I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal?     God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of  the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed.    Paul OSullivan  -  pauloss@me.com                           PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT     The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth.   And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13)   Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul.   The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual.  (1Corinthians 15:45)   God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body.    Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life.   Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18)   The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.   Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts.   That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23)   John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence.  But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law.   So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus.  The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. *     Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today.  We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned.  Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them  I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal?     God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of  the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed.    Paul OSullivan  -  pauloss@me.com                     PRESENCE PRAYER SOUL AND SPIRIT     The journey of our lives as human beings with a spirit and a soul involves the reordering of the psychikos or soulish self of separation back into alignment with our true spiritual self in Christ through the Spirit of God. We can become transformed from psychikos or soulish to pneumatikos or spiritual. Paul wrote about this to the church in Corinth.   And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit because they are `spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:13)   Adam and Eve started that journey by creating a limited human soul.   The first man Adam became (ginomai) a living soul (psychikos) the last Adam (Jesus) became a life-giving spirit (pneumatikos). But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural psychikos), and then the spiritual.  (1Corinthians 15:45)   God had created Adam's body from the dust of the earth and then breathed his spirit into that body. Adam now had a created body and a created spirit but then the Bible says a really interesting thing - that ‘man became a living soul'. That word ‘became ‘in the Greek is ginomai, and it means to cause to come into being, to make or create. God did not form a ready-made soul in us, but he created the capacity for us to shape a soul as a personal entity that was to become the expression of who we are in our inner being. That's becomes the face of us. Our soul expresses the mind and heart of our unique God created spirit through the journey of our life, embodied by a physical body.    Adam and Eve walked in the garden of Eden with God, and they created blameless or innocent souls. Innocence means to not be harmed or hurt – not feeling forsaken. But harm and hurt and forsakenness came into Adam and Eve's lives through the lie of the serpent. Satan in the form of the serpent deceived them into believing that God had deprived them of the Divine wisdom that they could have if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Adam and Eve then created souls that separated their true blameless selves from God's presence. Harm and hurt came into their lives and they became harmful and hurtful people and turned their harmless souls into harmful souls by creating protective helper parts in their souls to avoid feeling forsaken again. These soulish parts created a mindset and a heart-set of separation between them and God. This process became the universal human journey of the soul throughout its life.   Our souls are the expression of our spiritual self but our souls have created an inferior version of OUR spiritual self because of the psychikos soul's self-serving needs. It has created parts to it that helped us to get over the problems, to deal with rejection, to advance itself, to be able to establish a reputation, to feel a victim or to be successful. It has become the me-self version of what the God with us self was created to be – God with us – Emmanuel. When we were very young we made immature decisions in our souls to protect us from having to suffer from these early traumas again. Don't condemn yourself for doing that as you had no option. You were there as a me-self person not knowing that God was there with you. and you didn't say ‘Lord come and help me here'. We tried to work out a way to work through these things - and we created strategies that ended up not having the wisdom to actually work. We created ‘helper parts' in our souls. We may have gotten our own way but look what those helper parts have done to our relationships, self worth - our lives. This has resulted in our spirits becoming ‘orphaned'. Jesus said he would not leave us as orphans but that he would send us ‘Another Helper' the Holy Spirit. (John 14:16-18)   The individual uniqueness of every person mirrors the fact that we have each been created with a unique spiritual DNA. That spiritual DNA is contained in the spiritual seed of life of the Word (the Logos) that has spoken our spiritual life into being in eternity. That seed word was destined to be expressed from our spirit into and through our soul and embodied by us as a whole person, spirit soul and body. The journey is about our soul being reordered, not deleted. James 1:21… receive with meekness the implanted word (logos seed), which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural (genesis) face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.   Genesis in the Greek means original. So our Genesis self is the original unique spiritual self, designed and created by God's word (LOGOS) before the foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4). We discover in the mirror of the Word our true unique spiritual self then we walk away and forget that and get drawn back into expressing our psychikos soulish self again with all its unresolved helper parts.   That unique spirit is waiting to be expressed in a saved and healed soul, saved from what we have plunged our souls into because of a mindset of separation from God. That is why we are looking at presence prayer as a pathway of hope and faith and love back into what our souls could truly express as we draw near to God and ask for the Holy Spirit, our New Helpe,r to reveal to us what Jesus is saying to us and what our Father is doing for us. Jesus is that LOGOS, the seed of life that encompasses the true DNA of everything created, every instinctive response of every living thing designed and upheld by LOGOS (Hebrews 1:3) and his logos seed has been sown into our unique spirit to make us one in Spirit with the Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit. (1Peter 1:23)   John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word (logos), and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made The Greek logos was seen as the universal rational principle of creativity and design by philosophers like Heraclitus and the Stoics. and they revered this concept. The Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius saw logos as the intelligent omnipotent and omnipresent Divine force that structured and guided all of existence.  But for the Jews the WORD only meant Torah and their relationship to the Word was the fulfillment of the Law.   So John in his Gospel would have deeply offended and insulted the Greeks and the Romans by declaring that Jesus, a bearded Galilean, was the one and only LOGOS. And for the Jews calling him the Word (their Torah) claim meant that he was the fulfillment of the law. so they all despised Jesus. And today the world despises Jesus.  The Bible says that we have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word (Logos) of God which lives and abides forever (1Peter 1:23). This is not only Jesus as the logos seed of eternal life but also as the Word of God as Scripture. *     Today the world believes that the Word, both as Jesus and as Scripture doesn't mean anything. There exists a cultural spirituality where the word Universe is used as if it was the source of creative design and blessing – The Universe be with you. Spiritual does not just mean mystical as opposed to material. Cultural spirituality can include reverencing created things and concepts and reading as many books or doing as many rituals possible to heal our souls. In the same way it also includes the religious and legalistic Christianity practiced today- and this mindset is soulish rather than spiritual. But for many people this kind of soulish spirituality has been a pathway to ultimately being drawn into true spirituality. True spirituality is the things of the Spirit of God in Christ (1Corinthians 2). This is the reality of the Creator God as the Father sending his Son Jesus into the world as human. In doing this God joined Divinity to humanity in one person, Jesus, whose death and resurrection and ascension led to the formation of a New Creation born of both human and Divine seed (logos). *Paul even put the church in Corinth in the category of cultural spirituality and his admonishment still applies to the church today.  We began today with the words of Paul to the Corinthians in (1 Corinthians 2:13).The natural (psychikos – soulish) person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually (pneumatikos) discerned.  Paul was addressing the people of the Corinthian church, not just worldly religious spirituality. Paul was dismayed at the lack of true spirituality amongst them. He said they were psychikos- soulish, not pneumatikos – spiritual. He admitted that they had all knowledge and were upfront in spiritual gifts(1 Corinthians 1:7) but he finally said to them  I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal (sarkikos –that is worse than psychikos!), as to babes in Christ. I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal?     God has sent us the Holy Spirit through Jesus, the second Adam, for the healing and salvation of the soul in God's presence. We can choose to become spiritual (pneumatikos ) people or remain soulish (psychikos) people. The simplest way to experience being transformed from soulish to spiritual is to give ourselves to the work of  the Holy Spirit in times of presence prayer to reveal to us Jesus as the Logos Word who speaks his Word to us in a multitude of ways, both in Scripture and in other ways that only the Holy Spirit can teach us and not other people's opinions (1John 2:27). We set aside time in presence prayer to contemplate the love and mercy and power of God in this way, and Jesus and the Holy Spirit reveal to us the will of the Father. The more we consciously do this practice the more our true genesis spiritual self becomes renewed in our minds and in our hearts. The veil of separation that blinds our minds and hearts is taken away and our souls become transformed.    Paul OSullivan  -  pauloss@me.com                                                  

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

Tongue-tangled. The Corinthian church had become disordered. Not just their church "services," as we would call them, but the church itself was in danger of losing its unity. And all because they had become enamored of certain gifts. Paul sets them straight about the proper hierarchy of spiritual gifts, but then he writes, "Now I'll show you a more excellent way." We've been looking at that "way" that outshines all the gifts, and even rises above faith, and hope! Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS09252025_0.mp3Scripture References: I Corinthians 13 & 14

Have you ever wrestled with whether to speak a hard truth to someone you care about? In 2 Corinthians 7:2–16, Paul reflects on the pain and power of writing a sorrowful letter to the Corinthian church, noting how godly grief leads to genuine repentance.

When we attend a church service, is our primary role to receive a blessing, or to be a blessing? We often focus on what we get out of worship, but what is our obligation to others in the room? Examining the disorder in the Corinthian church, Pastor Dorrell analyzes 1 Corinthians 14 to argue that the purpose of the gathered assembly is the mutual edification of believers and a clear witness to outsiders. He contends that intelligibility and love must govern our worship, moving the focus from individual experience to corporate well-being. The worship service is therefore a shared responsibility, not a performance for spectators. This message challenges each believer to consider their active role, consciously contributing to an environment where others are built up and can plainly see that God is truly present.Eastland is a Place to BelongEastland Baptist Church is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are a welcoming and close-knit family community that loves to care for each other through the Church. We strongly believe in loving and supporting each other and our neighbors. Our members don't just attend our Church; they feel a strong sense of belonging.Join Us Find service times and our location at https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/join. Connect with UsWebsite: https://www.eastlandbaptist.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastlandbaptisttulsaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastlandbaptistTo support the ministry of Eastland Baptist Church, tap here: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/give.

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

Geese fly further than eagles because they fly together. It turns out the Corinthian church could have learned a few lessons from our gander friends.

Geese fly further than eagles because they fly together. It turns out the Corinthian church could have learned a few lessons from our gander friends.

We live in a culture full of visible battles: politics, division, anger, and fear. But Scripture reminds us that our real fight is not against flesh and blood. In this message, Pastor Blake unpacks Ephesians 6 and 2 Corinthians 10 to show how the enemy hides behind lies, strongholds, and systems of thought. Through the story of David and Goliath, and the example of the Corinthian church, we'll see why worldly weapons never win spiritual wars. Instead, God calls us to put on His armor so we can walk in the freedom Jesus already secured.

As part of his larger warning against the danger of apostasty, Paul emphasized the continuity between the Corinthian church and OT Israel, including that all Israel was baptized into Moses.

Dear Church WATCH this podcast here.Gandalf said, "Swords are no more use here!" on the Bridge of Khazad-dûm in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring to emphasize that the creature they were facing, Durin's Bane, was a foe beyond their collective skill and physical weapons. He meant that their swords were useless against this powerful being, a demon of shadow and flame, and that they needed to flee, not fight.Following on from the significant events in London over the last weekend, you can read Nick's blog article (and see related videos) here. As we sat down this evening to read and pray, Nick was prompted to record this impromptu episode of the podcast to appeal to 'all who will hear' about the dangers of a great British confluence — that of the apostate British churches blending with the vast unsaved/unchurched population of the nation. It is surely a Corinthian river of spiritual lukewarmness.What of this juncture in world and church history really? Have we not profoundly underestimated the pivotal importance of clarifying true doctrine from false? What of this place of reformatory opportunity that we are standing at?Do we not need a new confession?If you would like to help us to begin a new house church, please see here.Yours in Christ, Nick & Mairi FranksPSOur main giving page is here.You can read a full chapter and learn what this means in this here. 

The Apostle Paul turns his attention away from trying to prove the authenticity of his apostleship to the Corinthian baby believers. He tries to convey the truth of his authentic love for them, and his great desire that they would be reconciled to himself, the other apostles and the true gospel of grace, so that they could live in and through their authentic identity in Christ and stop behaving like unbelievers.

Paul's letter to the Corinthian church is a response to real questions by real people whom Paul knows and loves. 1 Corinthians is certainly a practical and theological answer to questions, but at its core, it is an example of shepherding a flock of sinners saved by grace. Answers are given, thoughts are expounded, and falsehoods are confronted with a heart that these people would experience grace and peace walking in the privilege that it is to be those called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ by the God of the universe. DNA Questions: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11DiscoverWhat is Paul's agenda for this text?What is the standard for someone who is "Spiritual"?How does it impact our theology and practical life experience to believe that the Spirit apportions as He wills? NurtureWhat in your life convinces you that Jesus is Lord?Do you have a passion for the common good of the Church?Is the Church profitable because of the gifts you have been given? ActWhat would it look like to use your gifts to build up the church?

Paul's letter to the Corinthian church is a response to real questions by real people whom Paul knows and loves. 1 Corinthians is certainly a practical and theological answer to questions, but at its core, it is an example of shepherding a flock of sinners saved by grace. Answers are given, thoughts are expounded, and falsehoods are confronted with a heart that these people would experience grace and peace walking in the privilege that it is to be those called into the fellowship of Jesus Christ by the God of the universe. DNA Questions: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11DiscoverWhat is Paul's agenda for this text?What is the standard for someone who is "Spiritual"?How does it impact our theology and practical life experience to believe that the Spirit apportions as He wills? NurtureWhat in your life convinces you that Jesus is Lord?Do you have a passion for the common good of the Church?Is the Church profitable because of the gifts you have been given? ActWhat would it look like to use your gifts to build up the church?

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

In this message, Pastor Dorrell examines 1 Corinthians 12 to address the proper understanding and use of spiritual gifts within the church. Using the Apostle Paul's instruction to the divided Corinthian church, he explains that while believers possess a wide variety of gifts, they all originate from the same Spirit for a unified purpose. Pastor Dorrell uses the powerful analogy of the body to illustrate that every single member, regardless of how prominent or hidden their function may seem, is essential for the health and effectiveness of the whole. This sermon challenges the tendency to undervalue one's own contribution, reminding us that God has uniquely and supernaturally equipped every person to play an indispensable role in building up the local church.Eastland is a Place to BelongEastland Baptist Church is located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. We are a welcoming and close-knit family community that loves to care for each other through the Church. We strongly believe in loving and supporting each other and our neighbors. Our members don't just attend our Church; they feel a strong sense of belonging.Join Us Find service times and our location at https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/join. Connect with UsWebsite: https://www.eastlandbaptist.orgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/eastlandbaptisttulsaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastlandbaptistTo support the ministry of Eastland Baptist Church, tap here: https://www.eastlandbaptist.org/give.

Paul is under attack by some in the Corinthian church who question his intentions and his ability–he will later identify them as “super” or “false” apostles who are agents of Satan.  These men claim to exercise charismatic gifts but which call attention to themselves in a manner unlike Paul had taught the Corinthians.  They claim that although Paul is tough when he picks up his quill, he is weak in person, and a poor public speaker to boot.  He tells the Corinthians he's going to come to them, but he doesn't.  They say Paul is wishy-washy and unreliable.  Instead of coming himself, he sends his lackeys, Timothy and Titus.  Things in Corinth were so bad that one of Paul's critics caused such great harm to Paul's reputation and challenged his authority to the point the entire congregation was severely impacted.But as we have come to expect of him, Paul takes the high road.  As the founder and spiritual father of this congregation, he will not let the situation get out of hand.  He will defend himself and explain his current circumstance.  He begins by calling God as his witness so that everyone understands that Paul is a truth-teller and not an excuse maker.  As he explains, he did not come to Corinth because he did not want a repeat of his previous “painful visit,” which he feared would only bring additional stress to the congregation and greater distance from himself.  It grieves Paul to have to say as much, but since the matter has caused so much pain, it was best not to come then.  Since the Corinthians have disciplined the offending party, and since he had apparently repented and was restored to fellowship, this opens the door for Paul to make his promised trip to Corinth after visiting Macedonia.  Meanwhile, there have been many tears shed and if the Corinthians have forgiven the offender, Paul has too.Paul explains that his plans for his visit evolved due to the ever-changing circumstances in Asia Minor, including his missed connection with Titus–a matter of great frustration to Paul, who pressed on to Macedonia.  Using the image of the triumphal procession led by ancient rulers–including the Roman Caesars–Paul speaks of himself as a servant in the royal train of Jesus Christ.  As a great leader ensures his presence is manifest in a fragrant scent covering the stench of his defeated foes, who march in chains and filth at the end of the processional, so too Paul speaks of the gospel as the most pleasing aroma, covering the stench of human sin.  Paul flips the royal image so as to remind the Corinthians, that he is captive to the king of kings and Caesar's lord, Jesus Christ, and no amount of flower petals and incense can match the wonderful aroma of the gospel.For show notes and other recommended materials located at the Riddleblog as mentioned during the Blessed Hope Podcast, click here: https://www.kimriddlebarger.com/

God is a God of peace and order, and our worship ought to reflect who He is.In this passage, Paul instructs the Corinthian church in orderly worship

Pastor Micah Stephens delivers a passionate sermon from 1 Corinthians 13 at Godspeak Calvary Chapel, emphasizing the preeminence of love as the foundation of all spiritual gifts and Christian living. Drawing from the church's anchored reading program, he addresses the Corinthian church's struggles with pride and division over spiritual gifts, particularly tongues, and uses Paul's body analogy to highlight the equal importance of every role in the body of Christ. Stephens stresses that love, as defined by God, must precede all gifts—tongues, prophecy, knowledge, faith, and even martyrdom—warning that without love, these are meaningless. He challenges the congregation to embody God's love, which is patient, kind, and enduring, and to avoid envy, pride, and rudeness. Through personal anecdotes about his marriage and fostering a seventh child, Stephens illustrates the transformative power of Christ-like love. The sermon concludes with a call to reflect Christ's love in communion, proclaiming His death and resurrection as the ultimate act of love.Reference Verses:1 Corinthians 8 verses 1–3, 1 Corinthians 12 verses 1–31, 1 Corinthians 13 verses 1–13, 1 Corinthians 11 verse 26, Colossians 3 verse 17, Colossians 4 verse 6, Proverbs 15 verse 1, Philippians 2 verse 3, Romans 2 verse 4, Romans 15 verse 13, John 15 verse 13, Mark 2 verses 1–12, Mark 12 verses 41–44, Matthew 15 verse 18, 1 John 4 verse 8, Colossians 1 verses 17–18, Hebrews 1 verses 10–12, Ephesians 5 verse 2Make sure you subscribe to this channel and follow us on all our platforms to always stay up to date with our latest content!And you can always head over to our website for any general information! https://godspeak.comPrayer/NeedsIf you have any needs, or have a willingness to be used to meet various need in the body, please email info@godspeak.com. Also, let us know if you need prayer for anything.Giving is part of our worship time, and in this season, the easiest way to do that is online. If you go to our website, godspeak.com, you will see the "Give" tab in the top right corner. Or you can simply click this link https://pushpay.com/g/godspeakAny questions?Please feel free to email us, comment here, or DM us on Instagram any questions that you may have.Please Subscribe to this channel and turn on your notifications to be notified when our Livestreams start so you don't miss out! We hope you are blessed by the service!-The Godspeak Team

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

The early church is often painted as an ideal of perfect community. The reality, however, was far from picturesque. The church in Corinth was, to put it lightly, a mess. In one of his letters to the Corinthian church, the Apostle Paul tried to paint a clear picture for the people and untangle the many theological and moral knots the church had created for itself. His letter to them still rings true to the church today. How can we be unified in a world of chaos? How can we be wise in a world of foolishness?

2 Kings 14 records Amaziah's reign, which began with the punishment of those servants who had struck down and killed his father. Amaziah campaigns successfully against Edom. As a result of this he becomes lifted up in pride and seeks a quarrel with Israel. Amaziah is humbled in that battle, and many hostages are taken out of Judah to Samaria. Judah is placed under tribute. As we read the story carefully you will see that all the events provide the backdrop for our Lord Jesus Christ's parable about the Good Samaritan in Luke 10 verses 25-37. The chapter finishes by telling us of Israel's great decline under Jeroboam 2, until Yahweh helps Israel by raising up the prophet Jonah. Ezekiel 4 provides a portrayal of the extremities to which Judah is brought by the siege of Jerusalem. Ezekiel is caused to lay on his right side for 390 days for the house of Israel and 40 days for the house of Judah verses 430 days, from Jeroboam's defection until the captivity. This demonstrates also the day for a year principle. The prophet is symbolically the one who would bear the iniquities of the two nations - Israel and Judah. In this he typified the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man. During this parable, which occupies about 14 months for its completion, he ate lentil bread by weight indicating the shortage of food. He also drank measured amounts of water daily. Ezekiel was indicating to his nation the scarcity of provisions that would occur in the Babylonian siege. In 2 Corinthians 12 we are told about visions that the Apostle Paul had 14 years before the writing of his letter. The "visions" were so real that Paul was unsure as to whether he was actually there, or it was just a dream-like revelation. The experience empowered him to deal with his severe trials, for which he earnestly beseeched God three times in prayer to remove. Each time he receives from the Father the same answer - "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness". If only we could all learn that lesson. He speaks of his intent to see them; and this had twice been thwarted. What the Apostle's thorn in the flesh was we do not know. What we know is his eyesight was badly affected to the extent that Paul used a scribe to write his letters. His autograph at the end of each letter was in large handwritten characters verses Galatians 6 verses 11. Additionally Paul had sent Titus as his representative as that brother closely knew the Apostle's mind on the matters the epistle discusses. Titus also had a great love for the Corinthians. Chapter 13 concludes with final warnings and advice. The Apostle had attempted visiting the Corinthian ecclesia twice, but his plans had been thwarted. Verses 5-10 is a call for all of the believers in this city to reconsider their motives and actions. And to change these, if required, so that they might find a place in the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming. Verses 11-14 give Paul's final greetings and his appeal for the members of the ecclesia to live in love and harmony.Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow at

Messianic Apologetics editor John McKee reviews the highly contested issue of 1 Corinthians 11 and head covering garments. Many scholars agree that the the original Corinthian issue, was actually one of male and female hairstyles. If this was the case, then Messianic men wearing the kippah/yarmulke, or women wearing various scarves, would be one entirely of tradition and optional by choice—not prohibited or mandated. This is then followed by a review of important stories and issues from the past day or so, largely witnessed on social media.

Paul exhorts the Corinthian church to earnestly desire the gifts -- so what has this looked like for each of us?This week, we discuss tongues and prophecy in the corporate gathering and welcome a special guest who shares both wisdom and pieces of her own story.

In this challenging message from our house church on Kauai, Alex examines Paul's direct approach to confronting serious sin within the Corinthian church. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, this sermon addresses the dangerous pride that can lead believers to overlook accountability and compromise moral standards.Key topics covered:* The difference between Christian freedom and sinful license* Why church discipline is an act of love and restoration* Understanding the power of the Holy Spirit in overcoming sin* The role of the church community in spiritual protection* Biblical evangelism that includes repentance, not just acceptanceThis message challenges both individual believers and church communities to take sin seriously while trusting in God's power for transformation and restoration. Perfect for anyone wrestling with questions about accountability, church discipline, or the balance between grace and holiness.Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 Speaker: Alex WilsonLocation: House Church, Kauai For more messages, visit our website or subscribe to stay connected with our house church community.amenpodcast.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amenpodcast.substack.com

In Paul's absence, the Corinthian church had begun to follow new teachers who had positioned themselves as superior in numerous ways, all of which were worldly and pompous. They wanted Paul to be like them, bold, arrogant, provocative, and brash. Paul defends the authority he has over the Corinthian church as a true apostle and sarcastically boasts to compare himself to the ones he calls “Super-apostles.” These men were well-spoken, came with letters, and requested payment for their teaching, whereas Paul was humble, loyal, and worked without burdening the church financially. As he concludes, Paul assures them that when he comes, he will not be lenient, but rather he will come with boldness in order to build up the body.2 Corinthians 10 - 1:13 . 2 Corinthians 11 - 4:29 . 2 Corinthians 12 - 11:06 . 2 Corinthians 13 - 15:49 . Isaiah 14 - 18:41 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

In this challenging message from our house church on Kauai, Alex examines Paul's direct approach to confronting serious sin within the Corinthian church. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, this sermon addresses the dangerous pride that can lead believers to overlook accountability and compromise moral standards.Key topics covered:* The difference between Christian freedom and sinful license* Why church discipline is an act of love and restoration* Understanding the power of the Holy Spirit in overcoming sin* The role of the church community in spiritual protection* Biblical evangelism that includes repentance, not just acceptanceThis message challenges both individual believers and church communities to take sin seriously while trusting in God's power for transformation and restoration. Perfect for anyone wrestling with questions about accountability, church discipline, or the balance between grace and holiness.Scripture Reference: 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 Speaker: Alex WilsonLocation: House Church, Kauai For more messages, visit our website or subscribe to stay connected with our house church community.amenpodcast.com This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amenpodcast.substack.com

Paul continues to urge the Corinthian to live lives that are fully devoted to the Lord God, asking them to open their hearts once again to him and to the ministry of the gospel. He explains that his commendation comes from a life that is full of dichotomies, and urges them to consider the sacrifices they are making as proof that they are zealous for the advance of the gospel. Finally, Paul makes an appeal to the church to be diligent and intentional with the task of setting aside money to give to the work of ministry and missions. One church is called upon to support another out of the abundant riches of grace and provision given by the Lord.2 Corinthians 6 - 1:08 . 2 Corinthians 7 - 4:17 . 2 Corinthians 8 - 8:38 . 2 Corinthians 9 – 12:43 . Isaiah 13 - 15:45 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Paul loves the church in Corinth, but at the writing of this letter, the feeling wasn't entirely mutual. The Corinthian church had received a severe letter from Paul that contained instructions about disciplining a church member. This could be the man mentioned in 1 Corinthians 5 or it could be some other person within the church. Whatever the case may be, it pained the church. Paul writes this opening section to bring comfort to the church, to reaffirm his love for them, and to encourage the Corinthians to continue to love him, too. His confidence comes, not from letters of recommendation written by men, but from the Spirit who gives life and opens the eyes of men to see the light of the gospel.2 Corinthians 1 - 1:08 . 2 Corinthians 2 - 5:53 . 2 Corinthians 3 - 9:45 . 2 Corinthians 4 - 12:56 . 2 Corinthians 5 - 16:21 . Isaiah 12 – 20:25 .  :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by Bobby Brown, Katelyn Pridgen, Eric Williamson & the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org