1 Corinthians 16:1-24 People who have experienced the generosity of God should be generous people. When we recognize all the good gifts which God has bestowed upon us, how can we not extend those gifts to others? Paul ends his letter by pointing the church and us to the reality of generous living.One aspect of generosity is our finances. Paul had previously called the church in Galatia and now the...

1 Corinthians 15:29-58 Does Jesus’ resurrection ever seem like a fantasy? Does it seem too good to be true? Even more so does the idea that you will one day be resurrected and glorified seem too fantastic to embrace? As Paul continues speaking of the resurrection of Jesus, he wants us to understand that it is both true and beautiful. It is the bedrock of our faith, and if it did not happen, then i...

1 Corinthians 15:1-28 Since our mission is to be disciples who make disciples, it is critical that we know how to engage in spiritual conversations. As we move discussions from unimportant things to issues of the heart and then ultimately turn the conversations to things of eternal significance, we need to know what we are trying to tell people. Paul helps us understand in 1 Corinthians 15 what is...

1 Corinthians 14:18-40 In 1 Corinthians 14 Paul wants us to think rightly about what is happening when the church meets together for corporate worship. When the church gathers, it is not meant to be a spectator sport, but one where every person is an active participant. When we watch the band play on Sunday mornings, we should not think of it as a concert where we watch them perform some of our fa...

1 Corinthians 14:1-17 God’s calling on our lives is not only to become more like Christ but to help others mature as well. We are to “excel in gifts that build up the church.” Is this your mentality? Are you seeking to help others grow or largely focused on yourself?The focus of Paul’s discussion on helping others centers around two gifts which seem impressive, speaking in tongues and prophecy. Th...

1 Corinthians 12:27-13:13 Gong! Clang! Is that our sound of love? According to I Corinthians 13:1 if we do not love others, we put out an obnoxious sound. Generally, we consider ourselves as loving people. After all, we probably have not heard gongs or clanging cymbals recently. But looking at Paul’s list of what love really is, do we really love?Paul wants to show us the “most excellent way” to n...

1 Corinthians 12:1-26 No one wants to be called ignorant. We all want to be experts, intelligent, and thoughtful people, but are we when it comes to spiritual gifts? Do we know how God has gifted us and how we can use those things to help others mature? That is Paul’s concern in 1 Corinthians 12.Paul first wants us to understand how God has blessed us. It may be with the gift of faith, wisdom, kno...

1 Corinthians 11:17-34 Throughout the centuries when churches gathered, they have partaken of the Lord’s Supper. These were meant to be moments to remember what Christ had done, the sacrifice he had made, as well as the foundation for unity it provided to the church.Yet sadly, a time came in the church of Corinth when the meal became more about them than the Lord. Paul rebuked them for failing to ...

1 Corinthians 11:1-16 When you read this passage how do you initially respond? Do you feel like this is a repressive passage? Do you feel confused? Let us consider how to think through passages like this. Paul pointed out two specific things, one applicable to us today and one that no longer is to ground the way the church was to live. First, he points to the role of men in leading the church and ...

1 Corinthians 10:14-33 Flee from idolatry. When we read these words in 1 Corinthians 10:14, it may feel like we are reading about a world disconnected from ours. Paul was surrounded by altars devoted to idols while we live in a world without altars and obvious idols. Yet the exhortation to flee idolatry is just as urgent for us as it was for Israel and the early church.The first two commandments g...

1 Corinthians 9:19-10:13 Our perceived purpose in life will determine the way we live. So how would you answer the question, what is your life purpose? If you define your purpose related to your job, you will work long hours. If your purpose is related to your family, you will make sure to travel, give gifts, and prioritize family events. If your purpose is related to God, you will find yourself l...

1 Corinthians 9:1-18 Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9 that he has certain rights as a minister of the gospel of Christ. This chapter may not initially seem like it has a whole lot of application to your life, but it ultimately provides us with a critical application. Paul said that he had a right to make a living off his ministry. He quoted Deuteronomy, he pointed out other apostles, and used other jo...

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 The Bible continually wants us to understand wisdom is more important than IQ, and obedience to God is more important than accomplishments. Paul takes us to the streets of Corinth where idols and altars were everywhere. He points out that these idols are nothing. Yet beyond teaching this truth, Paul shared essential wisdom and practical principles for the church's guidance in ...

1 Corinthians 7:25-40 What tasks are on your agenda for today? If you could only get one thing done, what would it be? What is your singular focus for today, and what is it for your life? In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul is encouraging us to reflect on our life’s purpose and our aspirations. If our purpose is related to our family, he encourages us to consider something far more important. For many, the na...

1 Corinthians 7:1-24 God speaks to every area of our lives. There are no nooks and crannies we can wall off from him. In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul shows specifically how God speaks to sex and marriage. The most intimate of relationships are to be completely directed by God and lived for his glory. For those who are married, we are commanded to give of ourselves physically to our spouse and to do so reg...

1 Corinthians 6:1-20 How easy it is to live for the moment. We so often find ourselves consumed by the pursuit of wealth and material possessions, failing to recognize that there is far more to life. If we live this way, behaving like our eighty or so years on earth is all we have, then we are living for far too little. Instead, God calls us to live for eternity. 1 Corinthians 6 gives us a glimpse...

1 Corinthians 5:1-13 How serious do you take sin? The extreme example of 1 Corinthians 5 shows us the seriousness nature of sin, all sin. The church in Corinth had grown so accustomed to sexual immorality in the church that it even began to celebrate it. Paul rebuked them and told them sin should never be encouraged; instead, sin should be called out for what it is. Sin, every type of sin, is oppo...

1 Corinthians 4:1-21 What propels you forward in your faithfulness to Christ? What motivates you to obey God and stay focused on him? Generally, we are either going to be motivated by a desire to please God or to please people. We will either want to live as a response to God’s grace or because we want to impress people.Paul was a model of living before an audience and judge of one, and someone wh...

1 Corinthians 3:5-23 We live in a celebrity obsessed culture. People who are simply famous for being famous capture millions of views and have influence without expertise. 1 Corinthians 3 shows us this is not a new phenomenon. In the early church people were focused on people like Paul, Apollos, and Cephas and bragged about their connection to them. Instead, attention, affection, and loyalty are t...

1 Corinthians 2:6-3:4 Paul continues to dive deep into the concept of wisdom. How would you define wisdom? How would you get it? Paul wants us to understand that true wisdom cannot be found through our own efforts but can only be revealed by God. Paul speaks of “God’s secret wisdom” in 2:7. This revealing what was formerly hidden is an apocalypse. We often use this word to speak of end times event...