Podcasts about first corinthians

The Basement Academy - August 5, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#31)Pastor Don Meeks

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn that we should not take lightly what God considers vital.

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn that we don't have to mimic ancient cultural practices, but we can't ignore the biblical principle, and that God's way is always better.

The Basement Academy - August 4, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#30)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - August 1, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#29)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 31, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#28)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 30, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#27)Pastor Don Meeks

Recently we've been talking about the manifestations of the spirit found in chapter twelve of First Corinthians. You might think of them as power tools, or helps that come alongside our spiritual giftings. Today pastor Ed will be pointing to the word of knowledge. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/302/29

The Basement Academy - July 29, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#26)Pastor Don Meeks

This week, we continue our series on First Corinthians. Join us as we learn that we need to learn from the past, guard our hearts, ask the right questions, and remember the "why."

This week, we continue our series on First Corinthians. Join us as we learn that we are capable of rebelling even in God's presence, but that we find protection in choosing to glorify God.

The Basement Academy - July 28, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#25)Pastor Don Meeks

God is a God who speaks to us. It's something He's been doing for centuries. Millennia in fact. And sometimes, sometimes he speaks to us in ways that we just don't expect. Right out of the blue. Question is – are we listening?   The Power of the Prophetic It's just fantastic to be with you again this week and yes, we are continuing this week with our look with how it is that God speaks to us today – here and now, in the twenty first century. This series is called, “How Can I hear God Speak to Me?” And today's message is about expecting the unexpected. It's interesting, way back in the Old Testament, God spoke to His people through the prophets – people like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and all those Old Testament prophets – men whom God had called to speak His message to His people. Then in the New Testament, He speaks to us, first and foremost, through His One and Only Son, Jesus Christ and the Apostles and the other writers of the New Testament Books. And He is still using those, through His Word the Bible, to speak to us today. By His Spirit, He speaks today. But interesting – the New Testament in particular, tells us how His Spirit speaks today. Sometimes it's easy to ignore that – it's easy to get all dull and boring about the way that God communicates with us but God is a stunningly creative communicator. There's absolutely nothing dull and boring about how He communicates. And one of the ways He does that is through the power of the prophetic. So today, what we are going to do is take a look at that. Now, in embarking on this today, I acknowledge that there are those amongst God's people who simply believe that there are no more prophets today – that this is something that belongs to the past and not the present. What's a prophet? Well, simply someone who speaks on behalf of God. Someone who speaks God's will into the lives of God's people. And yet, other traditions and denominations really emphasise the prophetic dimension of God's communication. And sadly, some do so to the point of abusing the prophetic. What do I mean by that? Well, I don't carry any particular baggage of denomination or tradition around when it comes to these things. My heart is simply to open God's Word, the Bible and to figure out what God says and to go with that. So that's precisely what we are going to do today. Let's take a look – this is the Apostle Paul writing to the church in Corinth – so after Jesus has died, risen again and is sent into heaven. This is the fledgling New Testament church that he is writing to. First Corinthians chapter 12, beginning at verse 4: Now there are a variety of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. Now, here Paul is talking about supernatural gifts that are given to the family of God. And not just the special super-spiritual Christian leader type people. Have a listen again to verse 7: To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. In other words, to each person; to each believer, is given one or more of these supernatural gifts. Now, I have heard people say, "Oh, well. That was for back then. It's not for now.” Umm! This passage – First Corinthians 12 – rolls straight on to First Corinthians 13; the next chapter that famous passage about love, which kind of says, "You know, you can have all the spiritual gifts under the sun but unless you use them in love, they are useless." And it goes on to explain what love is. These same people love to quote First Corinthians 13 but somehow, maybe it's because in our Western mindset; maybe we are uncomfortable with the idea of these supernatural gifts - we can't explain them rationally. Some people want to deny that this bit of the New Testament – 1 Corinthians chapter 12 – actually exists and yet they go on and rely on the next chapter. I'm not quite sure why that is. But I find nothing – let me say this – NOTHING in the New Testament that tells me that this thing on spiritual gifts – supernatural gifts – was meant for them back then and not for us here and now. Nothing! And the gifts; words of wisdom and of knowledge, extraordinary faith, healing, miracles, prophesy, discernment of the Spirit, speaking in different tongues, interpreting different tongues. One of the arguments against words of wisdom and knowledge and prophesy, is that these so-called "modern day" prophets can set themselves up above the Word of God. They can say things that don't agree with the Scriptures; God's Word. So what are we going to do with that? Well, I have to tell you: like anything else good that God gives us, you can take it and you can abuse it. Absolutely! I have seen it happen in this area, where people go for emotionalism and manipulation, where they claim to be speaking for God, but in fact, they are not at all. But just because something good from God can be abused doesn't mean that it's not a good thing from God. There are several times in my life when someone has given me a specific prophesy, just for me, and all of those, barring one exception – which simple didn't ring true as being from God to me or other people who were there at the time – but the rest of those had a huge impact on my life. I look back on them now – and most of them were key turning points in my walk with God. And you know, these weren't proud people coming out with “Thus sayeth the Lord” type of proclamations. One of the most powerful was from a man called Dennis Adams. He worked at the time for a Christian Radio Network called HCJB – it was at a conference. I had just become involved, full time, here at Christianityworks. My predecessor had taken all of our radio programmes off the air. There was almost no financial support – the ministry was almost dead and I simply didn't know what to do. I met Dennis for the first time at a Christian Media Conference. He looked at my name tag – we didn't know each other – but he had heard some of the short radio messages I had preciously put together. And almost immediately, tears welled up in his eyes and with such passion and such conviction, he said to me, "You have to start doing those radio programmes again. You just have to." That day, Dennis's words pierced my heart and because of that we spent the last few thousand dollars the ministry had on producing the first series of these radio programmes but at the time we had no idea how we were going to get onto a radio station anywhere. Well, that was almost six years ago now and today, these programmes are heard by millions of people each week, around the world. See, I know that those words that Dennis spoke to me that day were God's words; they were a prophesy and without them I wouldn't be here today. Should we discern prophesies? Absolutely! Should we think them through and pray them through? Absolutely! Should we reject any that don't ring true? Absolutely! But, friend, God's Word says that He has appointed prophets amongst His people. God's Word says that He is still speaking to us through prophets and their prophesies today. Why, oh why would we want to deny that?   Out of the Blue Have you ever heard kind of a voice out of the blue and wondered, now, where did that come from? We are chatting this week again on the programme about hearing from God. How does God speak these days and how can we hear Him. That's what we are exploring because God is still speaking and He means for us to hear Him. Now one of the ways I notice He talks to people throughout the Bible is well, it's like a voice out of the blue. I had coffee with a dear friend of mine, James, just yesterday. He was telling me about how the day before he had been racing out for a meeting and he had this distinctive impression on the way out the door; a strong impression that he should go back into his study and grab his diary. Of course, he ignored it and on the way something happened and he needed to contact the person he was supposed to be having this meeting with to adjust the arrangements. The problem was he didn't have the man's phone number on him. You guessed it – the phone number was back in the diary, sitting on the desk in his study. Now sometimes God has big things to say to us and sometimes He has just little things to say. And in my experience, if we love Him, if we are in the business of drawing close to Him, sometimes in the thick of things, while we are on the run, He speaks to us out of the blue. Some people are uncomfortable with that. There is a school of thought that God only ever communicates to us through His Word, the Bible. Well, I agree – the Bible is the primary way that He communicates with us and if anyone claims any other form of communication – prophesy, a word of knowledge, something from God out of the blue – if anyone claims to have any communication from God like that, but it's inconsistent with what the Bible says, well then, my friend, it is not from God. God never contradicts Himself, so I agree on that front. But the number of times He speaks to people in the Bible and they answer Him, "Here I am, Lord" – let's have a look at one of those today: Moses – this burnt out old wreck of a man – he is eighty years old. He had murdered an Egyptian as a young man and so, even though he grew up in Pharaoh's house, he fled out to the back of the desert and he had been tending sheep for forty or fifty years. But all of a sudden, when God is ready to speak with Moses, well, God speaks – out of the blue or at least out of a bush. Let's have a look at Exodus chapter 3, beginning at verse 1: Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian; he led his flock beyond the wilderness, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of a bush; he looked, and the bush was blazing, yet it was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I must turn aside and look at this great sight, and see why the bush is not burned up. When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” He said further, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. The cry of Israel has now come to me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” Was it an audible voice or was it a voice that Moses heard in his heart? Well, we don't know, but God didn't have a Bible to speak through back then – it wasn't written yet. So He spoke to Moses out of the blue, as it were. Now if you have access to an electronic version of the Bible, I suggest that you do a search on the words ‘here I am'. It happens over and over again – God speaks to people out of the blue and they answer Him, ‘Here I am, Lord.' Has it ever happened to me? Well, I have never quite been called to lead Israel out of Egypt, to be quite honest with you, but at the same time God has spoken to me out of the blue, about things that are big and about things that are small. I remember not long after I became a Christian. I was alone in my house – it was a Saturday afternoon and I was ironing down stairs. As I finished each shirt, I would take it upstairs and hang it in the wardrobe. As I was heading back downstairs I was just overwhelmed by the presence of God so I sat down on the stairs and what I experienced over the next fifteen/twenty minutes was God calling me to preach the Good News of Jesus. I thought, "Hang on, I have been a Christian like five minutes and You are calling me to do this?" And then He showed me how, over the prior twenty years, as I had been invited all over the world to speak at conferences and events in the I.T. Industry, which is what I did back then – I was an I.T. consultant – He showed me how He had been getting me ready for this, even before I had given my life over to Him. These weren't my thoughts or my ideas. This wasn't a vivid imagination at work. It was a definite ‘someone' outside of me, speaking to me and showing me this stuff – kind of an experience. Did I hear an audible voice? No, I didn't – never have. But I knew it was God. Jesus said in John chapter 10, verse 16: I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they will follow me. And that's exactly how it was for me that day. I just knew that it was God speaking. I just knew that He had called me to do this. I didn't know how it would happen – I had absolutely no idea, at that point that it would involve radio – none what so ever. That didn't come until another eight years later. Sometimes I thought I heard His voice and I don't think I got it quite right, so I always test things – I think, I pray, I see if it makes sense. And little by little, what I have discovered is that I am getting better and better at recognising His voice and listening to Him. In my day to day life, God sometimes nudges me this way, sometimes that. In the middle of the pressure and conflict sometimes, the Holy Spirit speaks strongly and directly, often with a Scripture, to me, that leads me to behave in a godly way, rather than following my natural human inclinations. And that's exactly what Jesus promised. When the Advocate comes,” He said in John chapter 15, “whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, will testify on my behalf. He will glorify me, because he will take what is mine and declare it to you. Friend, God is in the business of communicating with us. When He does, when we hear Him out of the blue, let us test everything against His Word, the Bible, if it's not consistent with His Word, then it is absolutely certain this thing was not from God. But He does communicate with us in all sorts of different ways and sometimes He speaks to us completely out of the blue. It's fantastic! Let's just be ready to listen.   Feet on the Ground You know, I love the fact that God speaks to us in all these different ways. We have looked at quite a few over these last couple of weeks – ways that He speaks to us today. And we will be doing that again next week too. But as I said, I really feel the need to end today on a note of caution. The point is that not everything that someone says, supposedly in the name of God, is going to be true. And not everything that we feel sometimes, or think we hear sometimes, is going to come from God. Why? Well, we're human, we're fallible. Sometimes we get things wrong. Sometimes other people have ulterior motives. Now, this is nothing new – false prophets have been around for a long time. And sometimes the things that false prophets have to say, is stuff that we really, really want to hear – its stuff that sounds much better than the stuff that's coming from the true prophets. Listen to this – Jeremiah chapter 5, verse 31: The prophets prophesy falsely and the priests rule as the prophets direct; my people love to have it so, but what will you do when the end comes?” In fact Jesus said - Matthew chapter 7, verse 15. He said: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. So, there is a risk; there is a danger. Now that doesn't mean that God doesn't speak through prophets or through dreams or visions – quite to the contrary. The biblical record is clear – He has been doing that for millennia, even though all that time, there have indeed been false prophets around. In fact, often in Israel's history there were many more false prophets than there were true prophets. And so, in the face of that, there are two equal and opposite errors that we can make. The first one is to deny the unexpected; to retreat to the safety of things that we can understand and live our lives believing that God only ever speaks to us from one source these days – the Bible – and that's it. Now if you know me you will know that I believe that the Bible is God's Word and it is the authority; the absolute truth, when it comes to what God has to say. And for that reason, it's because of what I read in the Bible that I simply can't come to the conclusion that God doesn't speak through prophets anymore or dreams or visions or words of knowledge. God's Word doesn't let me draw those conclusions. And the other error that we can make, on the other end of the scale, is to chase after the false prophets who tickle our ears with things that we love to hear. Jesus said – Matthew chapter 24, verse 11: And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. So, the answer, quite simply, is this: it too comes from God's very own word and I love this because God's wisdom is so balanced. First Thessalonians chapter 5, verses 19 to 22: Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil. In other words: don't fall into either of these two errors. Don't deny what God is doing anymore. Don't quench the Spirit – don't throw the baby out with the bath water. God is still speaking today – God is still speaking through prophets. “Don't despise the words of prophets.” But at the same time, don't take everything everybody says as though it is true – especially if it tickles your ears and if that's what you want to hear. Instead, test everything, sift it and weigh it, sort through it – go to God, go to your Bible and under God's hand, decide whether it's good or bad. If it's good, hold onto it, if it's bad, abstain from it. I mean, imagine you are walking down the street – some guy in a flashy, shiny suit walks up to you and he says, "I have the best investment plans for your savings that you will ever find. Give me all your savings and I will invest them for a hundred percent return every year." Let me ask you something: you don't know this man from a bar of soap – would you give him all your savings? Would you at that point, walk to a bank, take out all your life savings and give it to this man to invest? Of course not! We would discern what he has to say; we would figure out – is this person trustworthy? Is this something that's good or should I just ignore him and walk away? And it's the same with prophesies and words of knowledge. People, God's Word calls us “not to quench the Spirit, not to despise the words of prophets but to test everything” – to sift it, “to hold fast to what is good; to abstain from what is evil.” Pretty good advice! I frankly can't figure out why people want to fall into either of these two errors – throw the baby out with the bath water, quench the Spirit, or, accept everything without being discerning. Why would you want to do that? Now, I know I am going to get some mail over this message, from both camps – that's okay. For me, it's about going to God's Word – without baggage we carry from the past and openly, honestly, faithfully finding out what it is God is saying and how He speaks to us today. That's where it's at! That's what God honours!

This is Elder John Aloisio's Sunday message, taken from the Book of First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 1 - 7.

The church in Corinth wasn't perfect—and neither are we. In this series, we'll explore the real-life challenges faced by one of the earliest Christian communities and discover how Paul's letters to them still speak to our struggles today.From division and pride to spiritual gifts and love, First Corinthians is a mirror reflecting both the beauty and the mess of church life. Together, we'll see how God works powerfully through imperfect people to build a community grounded in grace, truth, and unity. This week, Pastor Kyle continues our seriesReflection Questions:What are the idols of division I allow into my life?What Part of the Labour and receiving cycle am I in and should I be there?Am I pursuing pleasure in the church over the construction of a temple?Do you have a question you've been wanting answered? Head on over to our website www.invertedorthodoxy.com to submit a question. You can find us on Wednesdays on Youtube, or wherever you subscribe to podcasts. To learn more about our church, you can visit www.livingspringsairdrie.com

The Basement Academy - July 25, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#24)Pastor Don Meeks

I'm sure you gave and received quite a few gifts over the years. But I think you'd agree its kind of a bummer when we later find out the gift we gave was never used as we had hoped it would be. Today on Light on the Hill pastor James Kaddis will open First Corinthians thirteen and encourage us to use God's gifts as He wants us to. And as you'll see it involves love! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

The Basement Academy - July 24, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#23)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 23, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#22)Pastor Don Meeks

How are you doing with your new year's resolutions?Every year many people resolve to exercise more and eat healthier.The Bible tells Christ-followers to take care of their bodies. “Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and you are that temple.” First Corinthians 3:16-17Along with our physical fitness, you also need to train our spiritual muscles. It takes work, but it's the most important exercise you can do.“Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.” First Timothy 4:8For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

The Basement Academy - July 22, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#21)Pastor Don Meeks

Pastor James Kaddis will continue our series, “In Spirit and In Truth.” Here in part six, we open our Bibles to First Corinthians chapter twelve. You might recognize this chapter right away, as one of the places in scripture that describes the Spiritual Gifts. But we're going to take a different approach to the subject, and talk about the mindset behind the gifts of the Spirit. Perhaps you're under the impression that your calling from God is less significant that your pastor's calling, or the person leading worship at church. But the truth is, we all have equal importance. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1459/29

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn that you will never accidentally live a good life; you must choose to live for what matters most.

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn that short of sin, we should be all things to all people to win them to Christ.

The Basement Academy - July 21, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#20)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 18, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#19)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 17, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#18)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 16, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#17)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 15, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#16)Pastor Don Meeks

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn that we can live free in Christ, but we need to love first.

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn about the responsibilities of our liberty through God.

The Basement Academy - July 14, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#15)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 11, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#14)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy- July 10, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#13)Pastor Don Meeks

Send us a textTruth is sometimes painful, especially when it involves reassessing a preacher you once admired. My journey with Philip Anthony Mitchell began with genuine enthusiasm for his fiery preaching style that seemed to ignite spiritual passion. His practical applications of Scripture resonated with me deeply, and I found myself cheering for his ministry's success.The first warning sign appeared when Mitchell gave $50,000 to a follower who had relocated his entire family just to attend Mitchell's church. While concerning, this gesture alone wasn't definitive. However, when I encountered Mitchell's teachings on speaking in tongues, I faced the difficult realization that his doctrine fundamentally undermines the sufficiency of Scripture.Speaking in tongues as practiced in many charismatic circles today suggests that God's revelation remains open—that the Bible alone is insufficient. Yet Scripture provides clear filters for evaluating such claims. First Corinthians 14:15 establishes that prayer should be both spiritual and comprehensible: "I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with understanding also." First Thessalonians 5:17 commands believers to "pray without ceasing." Together, these verses reveal that authentic Christian prayer is spiritual, understandable, and continuous.The biblical record shows genuine tongues appearing only three times in Scripture, exclusively among the apostles, serving a specific purpose during that foundational era. What many call "tongues" today bears little resemblance to this apostolic gift, which involved speaking actual human languages the speaker had never learned.This painful discovery reminds us that acknowledging false teaching doesn't necessarily mean someone isn't a believer. Many sincere Christians teach incorrect doctrine through insufficient study or understanding. However, as Paul warned, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump"—seemingly minor theological errors can corrupt an entire belief system.Have you experienced the disappointment of discovering concerning doctrine from a teacher you once trusted? Share your story and join our conversation about maintaining biblical discernment in an age of charismatic personalities and compelling presentation styles.Support the show

Good morning! God bless you. This is the last part of First Corinthians 9, verses 17 to 27. DAY 320 ☕️ LAST BOOK — "Part 3-How Does A Preacher Get Paid?" This chapter is very important to all of us, not only the church elders. Okay?—JC. ★ Support this podcast ★

The Basement Academy - July 9, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#12)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 8, 2025 (REPLAY)"Themes from First Corinthians" (#11)Pastor Don Meeks

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn that your current season is significant, and that right living is undivided devotion to the Lord. 

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn that marriage is a great reminder that our bodies do not belong to us, and that singular devotion to the Lord is beautiful and honorable.

The Basement Academy - July 7, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#10)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 4, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#9)Pastor Don Meeks

Longtime Journey community member Ty Hasty joins Kevin Dixon and Robert Gonzalez to talk about his charity organization, IC13.Named after the famous First Corinthians passage on love, IC13 organizes housing and medical missions to Honduras and Uganda. Journey has long partnered with Ty and IC13 on mission trips and financial support.To find out more, visit IC13 online at: https://ic13.org. - - - - -Have a question or comment for the NOW team? Join the conversation by texting us at +1 615 861 9503.

The Basement Academy - July 3, 2025 (REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#8)Pastor Don Meeks

The Basement Academy - July 2, 2025(REPLAY) "Themes from First Corinthians" (#7)Pastor Don Meeks

In this podcast episode, Pastor Joel dives into the importance of prophecy from First Corinthians chapters 12-14. If you are in a fight, or a dry season, you need a prophetic word from God!

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn what scripture says about dealing with conflict between other believers and confronting sin in our lives. 

This week, we continue our series on 1 Corinthians. Join us as we learn about dealing with conflict within the church. 

“Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace. Enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.” (2 Timothy 2:22 NLT) Several years ago, there was a story in the news about a man who had a tree fall on his leg. With no one around to come to his rescue, he took out a pocketknife and proceeded to amputate his leg. Then he made his way up the road until someone picked him up and raced him to help. Amazingly, this man who had a severed leg still had enough presence of mind to tell the driver of the vehicle not to go too fast. He said, “I didn’t come this far to die on the road. Take it easy.” I remember reading that story and thinking, “He did what? How could this guy cut off his leg? I would have laid under the tree and just waited for help.” But the doctors who treated him later said that if he hadn’t taken such a drastic measure, he would have died. He did it to save his life. Sometimes we must take radical, drastic steps to remove ourselves from whatever it is that is hurting us spiritually. That may mean immediate change. It may mean physically getting up and saying, “I’m out of here.” One of God’s greatest gifts to us is the Holy Spirit, who dwells inside every believer. Jesus said the Holy Spirit “will convict the world of its sin” (John 16:8 NLT). The Holy Spirit warns us when we’re in situations that threaten our spiritual well-being. What we do with His warnings is up to us. Ignoring His prompts is like ignoring a fire alarm or a beeping carbon monoxide detector or the check engine light in your car. You might be at that party. Watching that movie. In that relationship. In that group of people. In that setting. Wherever it is, you realize you shouldn’t be there. The Holy Spirit is convicting you. He is saying, “What are you doing here?” Don’t be foolish. Just get up and go. You can make your explanations later, if necessary. The important thing is to remove yourself from the situation immediately. The apostle Paul wrote, “Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11 NLT). The best place to stand firm is a distance away from the devil’s traps and temptations. In other words, maintain the high ground and stay out of the trenches. First Corinthians 10:13 says, “The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure” (NLT). No matter what you’re facing, God has an escape plan, a way out. Do the wise thing and take it. Reflection question: What are some scenarios, situations, and places that you need to run from? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mass readings for Corpus Christi – 6/22/25 Reading 1, Genesis 14:18-20 Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 110:1, 2, 3, 4 Reading 2, First Corinthians 11:23-26 Gospel, Luke 9:11-17