Each To Serve Faithfully.

There are two things common to all of us of faith: Jesus Christ and daily struggle. If you are in Christ, you struggle in the most unique and difficult ways. This is the reality of following Jesus. In 1 Peter 4:10-11, we see that a common Christ and a common struggle causes us to embrace a common encouragement in all of its varied and wonderful forms.

The Church in Crisis.

How does a church stay encouraged as they endure difficulty? We explore another spiritual practice today from 1 Peter 4:7-11.

Believers Living Under Pressure.

The god of this world seeks to eliminate Christ's influence, which causes even more feelings of crisis and pressure for Christians. Believers are citizens of a greater country, and they walk according to its mission. This can cause conflict with the world.

The Doctrine of the Church.

There are many sources of pressure in our lives. Job, school, deadlines, finances, expectations, marriage, family, singleness, success, athletics – all these can exert pressure on us in ordinary life. Cultural circumstances and social situations can add more pressure on top of that. What do God's people focus on prioritizing when living under intense pressure?

Protecting the Church in Humility.

C.H. Spurgeon wrote in Lectures to My Students, "Cautious hesitancy is, in 9 cases out of 10, cowardly betrayal. The best policy is never to be diplomatic but to proclaim every atom of the truth of God's Word so far as God has taught it to you."

Paul continues to protect the Corinthian church with humility and transparency, pouring himself out so they will avoid spiritual relapse. He does not want them to entertain those seeking to pull them away from the sufficiency of Christ.

Humble Ownership of Gospel Ministry.

God uses broken people and makes us strong in Christ (2 Corinthians 4:7-12). Though they were still spiritually rehabilitating, the Corinthians were enlisted by Paul to join in protecting their Gospel future.

The Purpose of Your Existence.

Paul continues to call the Corinthian believers alongside himself to participate in protecting the church. Every believer has a role to build up and protect the church, not destroy.

The Lord's Table

Protecting Genuine Faith.

Spirit-filled people who are walking with God love and protect the church. Paul calls the Corinthians alongside to help protect their own congregation.