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1 Thessalonians
The Worshipping Church
October 31, 2021
If we are going to orient our lives around the Day of the Lord, then we must have a corporate attentiveness to God. And that attentiveness helps form us into the kind of people who are ready for the Day.
1 Thessalonians
Be at Peace Among Yourselves
October 24, 2021
True peace in the church involves our attitudes and activities. We acknowledge the work of our leaders, and we join them in the work as we pursue what is good for one another.
1 Thessalonians
The Ministry of Encouragement
October 17, 2021
The encouragement we all want is not something we can take from others; it is something we give to one other. And we can only give what we have received from God.
1 Thessalonians
Living in Light of the Day
October 10, 2021
The coming of Christ will be a day of redemption. But it will also be a day of reckoning. If that is true, then how do we prepare for it? How are we to live in light of that day?
1 Thessalonians
Hope in the Face of Death
October 3, 2021
Death is a universal problem, the greatest enemy of the human race. It causes grief, it separates people, and it raises difficult questions. Is there any hope in the face of death? Paul is writing here to assure the Thessalonians (and us) that there is indeed hope!
1 Thessalonians
The Problem of Idleness
September 26, 2021
Everyone is busy, but are we busy with the right things? Paul gives us a way of life that keeps us focused on our calling to love each other and be salt and light in the world.
1 Thessalonians
Sexual Holiness
September 19, 2021
What is God’s will for my life? Nothing less than Christlikeness, even in the most deeply personal parts of my life.
1 Thessalonians
Genuine Christian Love
September 12, 2021
Loving each other is how we grow in faith and gain confidence for the Day of Judgment. So what does Christian love look like? Paul shows us in this passage.
1 Thessalonians
Genuine Christian Ministry
September 5, 2021
People are often suspicious of Christian ministry, especially in light of stories of spiritual leaders abusing their power and pretending to be something they’re not. So, what does genuine Christian ministry look like? Paul tells us in this passage.
1 Thessalonians
Genuine Christianity
August 29, 2021
In the opening of his first letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul paints a picture for us of what true Christianity (a true Christian church) looks like.
1 Corinthians
Orderly Worship
March 20, 2023
Paul concludes this section of the letter about the worship life of the church (ch. 11-14) by focusing on the need for order in the worship gathering. Even though our worship gatherings today differ from the Corinthian gatherings, there is much for us to learn here about how to glorify God and edify one another in worship.
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1 Corinthians
Build up the Church
March 12, 2023
The Corinthian’s zeal to experience God took the form of elevating certain spiritual gifts and seeking heightened spiritual experiences. Paul does not dismiss these things, but in the context of gathered worship, he calls us to focus our desire on that which builds up the church.
1 Corinthians
Love Never Ends
March 5, 2023
The truest mark of God’s work in a community is not spiritual gifts. The truest mark of God’s work in a community is love. Because, unlike the gifts, love never ends.
1 Corinthians
Pursue Love
February 26, 2023
A church can be gifted and growing, but without love, it has nothing. Love is the mark of spiritual vitality, and love is how people will know we follow Jesus. It is important to cut through the vague ideals of love in our day and get some clarity on what this kind of love looks like in everyday life.
1 Corinthians
The Beauty of Membership in the Body
February 19, 2023
One of the main problems in the Corinthian church was division. They were even dividing over spiritual gifts. So, Paul introduces this metaphor of the human body to illustrate what the church should be like and to show the beauty of membership in the body.
1 Corinthians
True Spirituality
February 12, 2023
Some in the Corinthian church were claiming to have extraordinary spiritual gifts. They were positioning themselves as the “spiritual ones,” and everyone else was a second-class Christian. Paul corrects this thinking with the Corinthians and shows them (and us) the nature of true spirituality.
1 Corinthians
When You Come Together
February 5, 2023
The Lord’s Supper is meant to be a sign and seal of the church’s unity in Christ. But for the Corinthians, it had become an occasion for division. They were coming together for worship, but they were coming together apart.
1 Corinthians
Created Order and Worship
January 29, 2023
We do not live unto ourselves. We live in divinely ordered relationships, and that should be reflected and honored in our worship.
1 Corinthians
The Glory of God and the Good of Others
January 22, 2023
As Paul comes to the end of his long answer to the question of food offered to idols, he addresses some less-clear scenarios the Corinthians might have found themselves in. How should they navigate the gray areas of the Christian life? And how should we?
1 Corinthians
The Power of Idolatry
January 15, 2023
We are often unaware of the spiritual forces at work in our world and how we might be entangled in them. This text warns us about the reality and the power of idolatry, and how we can escape it.
1 Corinthians
All for the Sake of the Gospel
January 8, 2023
Paul (of all people) is free in Christ. But he doesn’t use his freedom to serve himself. He uses it to advance the gospel. He wants the gospel to win more and more people, so he adapts his life accordingly. In this passage, he gives a method and a mindset to help us live out this high calling.
James
The Sin of Presumption
January 1, 2023
God is often in the background of our lives and plans. We believe in him, but we live as though we don’t really need him. This feels normal to us, but it is laced with pride. James calls out the subtle pride and foolishness of presumption, and invites us to a life of humility and grace.
John
The Glory of God in the Grace of Jesus
December 18, 2022
His glory is full of grace. Get up close to his grace, and you will see his glory: “The Lord, The Lord, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.”
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1 Corinthians
Wisdom From the Spirit
September 11, 2022
Popular thought is that wisdom is self-gained. If you work hard enough, if you get enough knowledge and experience, if you develop enough skill, you will become a wise person. But in 1 Corinthians 2, the apostle Paul flips this notion on its head. He challenges our definition of wisdom and points us to this truth: true wisdom is something you have to receive.
Acts
True Generosity
May 20, 2018
The resurrection radically changed the identity, purpose, and even the daily practices of Jesus’ early followers. What about us? The kingdom of God is still at hand, Jesus is still alive, the mission still before us, and the Holy Spirit still in us.
Matthew
The Spiritual Power of It
May 4, 2014
Money is a frequent topic in the Bible, and a key indicator in our discipleship to Jesus. It reveals our core desires, and where our hope for fulfillment lies. When Jesus talks about money, he focuses on the heart.
Ecclesiastes
Finding God in a Fallen World: Gain
July 11, 2021
We think if we can get enough knowledge or power or success, we can make our lives matter, but what if we are just chasing the wind?
1 Corinthians
The Foolish Wisdom of the Gospel
September 4, 2022
One of the main problems in the Corinthian church is that they were living according to worldly wisdom. They were seeing the world just like the world sees the world. So, Paul reminds them of the wisdom of God found in the gospel. The foolish wisdom of the gospel turns our view of the world upside down.
2 Thessalonians
Don’t Grow Weary in Doing Good
November 21, 2021
Paul has been talking about spectacular, heavenly things in 1 & 2 Thessalonians. But his final words are very much about life on earth. His application to all the heavenly things he’s been saying is very much focused on our life in this world.
Psalms
God-Centered Happiness
January 3, 2021
There is a way to be happy in this world – truly happy – and Psalm 1 tells us how to become that kind of person.
Galatians
New Creation
November 22, 2020
The gospel is not only the gateway to our life with God. It is also the pathway for our life with him. We are prone to add other things that give us a sense of assurance or belonging, but Jesus plus anything else is a false gospel.
Psalms
Let the Nations Be Glad
July 31, 2022
Psalm 67 is a prayer for God’s blessing and an assurance that God wants to bless us. But even though he blesses us for our good, he has an even greater purpose in mind: His glory among the nations.
1 Corinthians
Jesus Is Lord
August 21, 2022
The Corinthian church was a mess, and Paul was writing to address their host of problems. But he doesn’t begin his letter with a rebuke. He begins with a reminder. He doesn’t start by reacting to all their issues. He starts by refocusing them on their Lord and who they are in him.
Philippians
Partnership in the Gospel: Contentment and Generosity
January 16, 2011
Our aim as a church is to reorient our lives around the content, community, and cause of the gospel. This letter captures that vision and shows us how the to work it out practically in our lives.
