1 Corinthians 14:1-15:58 What are we trying to communicate to people when we get into a spiritual conversation with them? It can sometimes feel overwhelming to know where to start and what to share. Paul helps us by boiling things down into that which is of "first importance" in 1 Corinthians 15. We are to make our main message that Jesus died for our sins and was raised on the third day according...

1 Corinthians 11:2-13:13 Understanding our identity is critical to living well. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul claims that every believer is part of the "body of Christ." When we place our faith in Jesus we are instantly connected to his body. Paul deals with two potentially wrong ways of responding to this truth. The first is to think we are not necessary. We may feel like we have nothing to offer and...

1 Corinthians 8:1-11:1 “Why aren’t you playing pool?” I asked my father this question at a Sunday school class party where he was the teacher of the group. I could not understand why my father, who was a good pool player, did not take on the other men. He quietly shushed me and later explained that Carl, a rough-hewn man in the class, had come through life frequenting squalid pool houses and did n...

1 Corinthians 4:1-7:40 When we look into a mirror, we see an image of ourselves, but do we see ourselves rightly? Some people look into a mirror and, due to body dysmorphic disorder or negative self-esteem, are unable to see themselves accurately. Similarly, Paul is concerned the church in Corinth is filled with people who cannot see who they are. He is afraid they are filled with stunning pride t...

Acts 18:24-19:20; 1 Corinthians 1:1-3:23We often interact with people who have had bad experiences in churches and, even if they have not, they have read about church scandals, issues of abuse, and foolishness that happened in churches. A few years ago, there was an article about a pastor who had berated his congregation for not helping him purchase a luxury watch he felt he deserved. Many people ...

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28; 2 Thessalonians 1:1-3:18; Acts 18:4-23We may feel like the only people saying Jesus is coming back are strange people on TV holding up placards, but the truth of Christ’s return is in the message of 2 Thessalonians. The reality of Christ’s return must be believed, shared, and acknowledged. There were some in Thessalonica who thought they had missed Jesus' return, but Paul ...

Acts 17:16-18:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-5:11 Thank you. This is a simple phrase with profound effects. Saying thanks not only shapes our hearts but also impacts the receiver of those words. If we are honest with ourselves, our speech is often marked far more by complaints, anger, and frustration than thanks, which in turn shapes our hearts and emotions.As Paul writes his first letter to the church in...

Acts 15:22-17:15 Paul’s ministry was focused on evangelism and discipleship. Many of his missionary journeys consisted of traveling to new cities where the gospel had never been. He would spend time in popular gathering places like synagogues and marketplaces and share Jesus with people who had never heard his name. As he traveled, he also spent time going back to cities where he had previously be...

Galatians 3:24-6:18; Acts 15:1-21 Who are you? If you are asked this question at a party, there are several different ways you could answer. You could answer with your name, your job, your hobbies, or, if you want to be weird, you could answer you are a child of God. When we place our faith in Christ, we are adopted by God and unconditionally brought with love into his family. This new family mean...

Acts 14:21-28; Galatians 1:1-3:23 Gospel. Gospel. Gospel. This is the repeated refrain of Paul throughout the book of Galatians. He knows if the church loses the gospel, then they have lost everything ─and they are on the verge of losing it. In Galatia, a lot of things had been added to the pure gospel message. They had placed Jewish tradition, law keeping, morality, and a host of other things alo...

Acts 12:6-14:20 Jesus commanded his disciples to go into all the world and make disciples of all nations. The book of Acts is the beginning of that story which continues today. The beginning of Acts was largely focused on the work of Peter making disciples among Jewish people, and our reading today transitions the spotlight to Paul. Paul's focus is largely going to be on making disciples of Gentil...

Acts 10:1-12:5 New things are constantly starting. There are new restaurants in town, a new NBA season started a month ago, new friendships are being formed─all sorts of new things. In the same way, Jesus' death and resurrection brought a new thing. The old covenant was replaced by a new covenant; thus, a new way of relating to God the Father has been made available to us. Peter was introduced to ...

Acts 8:1-9:43 As we look at the world around us, we see it is changing faster than ever before. There are changes in politics, economics, and technology. What does not change is our relationship with God. In the UK during the late 1700s, society had slipped into immorality and decadence. Church participation had drastically declined, similarly, as it has globally in recent years. Then John Wesley ...

Acts 6:1-8:1We are called to be disciples who make disciples. This means we are called to both communicate the gospel and live it. This dual task of proclamation and lifestyle is seen in Acts 6 where some people focused on distributing food, while others focused on teaching. The calling to meet both physical and spiritual needs has always been part of the work of the church. Then in Stephen's life...

Acts 3:1-5:42 Over the next few days, we will find ourselves working through the book of Acts. It received this name because it recounts the acts of the apostles. After Jesus’ resurrection, we see these early followers of Jesus living out the new life they have received. The church was marked by the miracles of the apostles, the proclamation of Jesus, joy in the face of suffering and persecution, ...

Mark 16:19-20; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-2:47 Everyone loves receiving gifts. The anticipation of staring at a wrapped box, wondering what is inside, and then the slow (or quick) unwrapping of it. Jesus had promised a gift of a Helper in John 16, and we read about his unveiling today. Jesus had to go away for the gift to come. He left his disciples at the Ascension where he went to the right hand of...

Luke 24:13-43; Mark 16:12-13; John 20:19-23; Mark 16:14; John 20:24-21:25; Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:44-49 One of the greatest pieces of evidence for the resurrection is the number of appearances Jesus made. He did not just appear to one person at one time but an assortment of people with very different faith positions, over a lengthy period. Yesterday we saw his appearance to Mary ...

Mark 15:42-47; Matthew 27:57-61; Luke 23:50-56; John 19:38-42; Matthew 27:62-66; Mark 16:1-8; Matthew 28:1-7; Luke 24:1-12; Mark 16:9-11; John 20:1-18; Matthew 28:8-15"Up from the grave he arose!" This classic line from a hymn embodies the end of the Gospels. Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead on the third day. This extremely familiar fact is the most significant event in human history. Je...

Mark 15:21-24; Matthew 27:32-34; Luke 23:26-31; John 19:17; Mark 15:25-32; Matthew 27:35-44; Luke 23:32-43; John 19:18-27; Mark 15:33-41; Matthew 27:45-56; Luke 23:44-49; John 19:28-37 Have you ever been yelled at? Have you had to stare at the anger on someone’s face while harsh words flew out of their mouths? If you have been there, know you are not alone in that experience. As Jesus hung on the ...

Mark 15:2-5; Matthew 27:11-14; Luke 23:1-12; John 18:28-40; Mark 15:6-15; Matthew 27:15-26; Luke 23:13-25; John 19:1-16; Mark 15:16-20; Matthew 27:27-31 Jesus' last twenty-four hours on Earth were a long, tedious, winding road. He moves from a final Passover meal with his disciples, to a wrestling match of prayer in a garden, to his arrest and abandonment by most of his disciples, to a trial by th...