Self-Examination
In our passage this week Paul gives a command to the Corinthian church- “Examine yourselves”. What does this really mean, though? And is it something we do once or is a new habit to be learned? Why should I practice self-examination and where do I find a proper standard to use in my evaluation? What kinds of questions should I ask myself? There questions and more are answered in our discussion this morning form 2 Corinthians 13.
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- Sep 11, 2016Self-Examination
Self-ExaminationIn our passage this week Paul gives a command to the Corinthian church- “Examine yourselves”. What does this really mean, though? And is it something we do once or is a new habit to be learned? Why should I practice self-examination and where do I find a proper standard to use in my evaluation? What kinds of questions should I ask myself? There questions and more are answered in our discussion this morning form 2 Corinthians 13.
- Sep 4, 2016Pain
Pain
Pain... it's something we all experience in life and many of us work very hard to avoid. While most of us tend to recoil at the idea of pain and we reject the proposition that pain might bring something positive into our lives, the truth is, pain plays an important role in the life of a disciple of Jesus. There are some lessons in faith that can only be learned in the classroom of suffering. Today we will look and see how Paul dealt with the tremendous amount of pain he suffered in his life and seek to learn from him. - Aug 28, 2016The Devil Wears Prada
The Devil Wears Prada
Many of us carry vivid and painful memories of times in the past when we have been rejected by our peers based on some external thing that didn't fit in. For me it was a pair shoes that the others 7th graders didn't think were cool... for you it might be something else. Image expectations can be cruel... and this is what Paul was facing from the false teachers that invaded in Corinth. These men attacked Paul and rejected his apostleship based on purely external things. They had an image in mind that Paul didn't fit. Image is a tool of the enemy- he seeks to sell us an Image that needs to be upheld and if we but into this lie that are at least 3 major problems we will discover... - Aug 14, 2016Why Be A Grace Giver?
Why Be A Grace Giver?
Last week in 2 Corinthians chapter 8 Paul described to the Corinthians and to us what Grace Giving is: Grace giving gives no matter the circumstances, it give enthusiastically, it gives like Jesus Grace, it gives willingly, and finally, Grace Giving gives by faith. This week in chapter 9 Paul calls us to BE Grace Givers and he offers 5 encouragements of Grace Giving as motivation. Listen here to learn more... - Aug 7, 2016Grace Giving
Grace Giving
Someone has said that there are 3 types of givers- the Flint, the Sponge, and the Honeycomb. The flint must be hammered to get a response and even then it's just a few sparks. A sponge must be squeezed and the more pressure you apply the more you can expect it to release. A Honeycomb, however, is very different; it need not be hammered or squeezed for it already drips and overflows with sweetness. Our passage today describes the honeycomb of a grace giver- one who gives not because he is pressured of wrestled but gives as a response to the grace of God poured into his heart. Listen here to see if you are a grace giver. - Jul 24, 2016Shaken but Not Stirred
Shaken but Not Stirred
After Paul established the church at Corinth he moved on to Macedonia. Almost immediately he began hearing reports of trouble in the congregation so he wrote them a letter addressing the issues- but the spiritual decline continued. Later Paul made a painful visit to try to straighten out some of the issues but his actions had little effect. Finally, in a last ditch effort to bring this church back to health Paul wrote what he called a severe letter bringing deep conviction for sin. He wrote it with great anxiety and pain and sent the letter by the hand of Titus... then he waited to here how the church would respond... would the words of Paul shaken the church and stir them to repentance? Listen here to see what we learn about repentance from Paul's experience with the Corinthian church. - Jul 10, 2016Motivated Ministry
Motivated Ministry
Watching my kids scurry around the yard last week cleaning up debris from a storm not only blessed my heart but it left me with a question: what would it take to motivate me to work as hard as they were working? An even bigger question: what would it take to motive me to work that hard at telling others about salvation in Jesus? Paul gives his answer to what motivate him to that work in our passage today. He talks about why we should share our faith, what incentives we have, and what passions drove him. Perhaps seeing Paul's motivation might motive us as well to be the Ambassadors we were called to be. - Mar 13, 2016Courage to Serve Part 2
Courage to Serve Part 2
It takes courage to stand up for truth today. It takes courage to stand out and stand apart for Jesus. It takes courage to serve others and love like Jesus loved. Where to we find the kind of courage we need to serve Jesus today? What can motivate us to live courageously as Paul did? Well, we must be armed with the same knowledge Paul had. Listen here for what motivated Paul’s courage in 2 Corinthians 4 & 5. Part 2 of 2 - Mar 6, 2016Courage to Serve Part 1
Courage to Serve Part 1
It takes courage to stand up for truth today. I takes courage to stand out and stand apart for Jesus. It takes courage to serve others and love like Jesus loved. Where to we find the kind of courage we need to serve Jesus today? What can motivate us to live courageously as Paul did? Well, we must be armed with the same knowledge Paul had. Listen here for what motivated Paul's courage in 2 Corinthians 4 & 5. Part 1 of 2 - Feb 28, 2016Conquering in Crisis
Conquering in Crisis
As this second letter to the church at Corinth opens we find that Paul is a man in the midst of crisis- he was having great trouble in Asia, there was opposition to his authority in the Corinthian church as well as many we now deemed Paul untrustworthy because he failed to made good on a promise to visit them. But in the midst of all this crisis Paul conquered- and managed to write an encouraging epistle at the same time. What spiritual resources did Paul have that helped him become such a great example of crisis management?
