By Topic

  • 1 Peter 4:7-11

    Public and Personal Display of Spiritual Gifts

    Peter says it is exciting to look up, for the end of all things is near (1 Peter 4:7)! Christians in crisis spend more time in prayer. When we are in a difficult time, 1 Peter 4:7-11 says we must find our way by God’s grace to do these things:

  • 1 Peter 4:10-11

    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.

  • 1 Peter 4:9

    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.

  • 1 Peter 4:8

    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.

  • 1 Peter 4:7

    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?

  • 2 Corinthians 11:7-12

    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.

  • 2 Corinthians 11:1-6

    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.

  • 2 Corinthians 10:12-18

    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.

  • 2 Corinthians 10:7-11

    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.

  • 2 Corinthians 10:4-6

    The Virtues of Spiritual Soldiering.

    Last week, we looked at the first two of four virtues found in 2 Corinthians 10:1-6. Passion is seen in calling others to work alongside oneself for Gospel progress. Being principled requires courage to be godly rather than worldly.

  • 2 Corinthians 10:1-3

    Passion and Principle.

    2 Corinthians 10:1-6 cover several spiritual virtues that protect both churches and the Gospel upon which the church is founded. These virtues should be owned and lived by every believer.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:8-15

    The Joy of Reciprocal Sharing.

    Grace bookends this passage in 2 Corinthians. Those who are overwhelmed with grace are compelled to share their resources. God is the centerpiece of today's passage, 2 Corinthians 9:8-15. He gives to us first; we realize many benefits from His giving.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:6-8

    God's Care for Those Who Share.

    Remember that this whole section of 2 Corinthians 8-9 is bookended by grace. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, God is mentioned repeatedly, and His work is cause for rejoicing. When God is at the controls of our lives, He will care for those who share resources because they care for His cause. If we want to know the full capability of God's grace, we will meditate on Christ's riches generously shared with us. His divine reciprocity was given for a cause.

  • 2 Corinthians 9:1-5

    God never intends excess resources to be hoarded, but distributed for the Gospel's sake in a trustworthy manner.

    This passage in Corinthians discusses what Christians do with the normal excess that the Lord provides.

  • Luke 20:45-21:4

  • Psalm 84

    Longing for Home.

    Psalm 84 describes a person longing for God's dwelling place and points us toward the home we were created for.

  • 2 Corinthians 8:16-24

    The Integrity and Character of Sharing Resources for Gospel Purposes.

    The primary application of this chapter is not an individual giving to their local church, but local churches helping one another meet needs for Gospel purposes.

  • 2 Corinthians 8:13-15

    What Sharing with Equality Is and Is Not.

    We have been studying the character of the saved heart that desires to share resources to meet the needs of the church Body in order to share the Gospel more effectively. The context of 2 Corinthians 8-9 is that of one church giving to another. The giver's heart is based in the principle that everything we own is God's, not ours.

  • 2 Corinthians 8:10-12

    Models of Integrity in Giving.

    The Corinthian church had been distracted by an unbelieving group among them from an important part of worship. They had responded well to Paul's correction in his first letter. In 2 Corinthians, he has continued to explain what growing Christians do.

  • Psalm 50