Four Questions About Sex

Jim Leffel
1 Corinthians 6:9-20

What does God say about sex? The Bible addresses issues about sex that impact our identity, spirituality, morality, and relationships. In responding to a specific situation in the Corinthian church, Paul brings up some answers to common questions about sex. Questions include: How does your sexuality relate to who you are? What is the relationship to body and soul? Is sex in the realm of taste or ethics? Is sex a purely private matter?\r\n

The Functional Centrality of the Gospel

Mike Bullmore
Romans 5:1

The Gospel is not just the beginning of our faith, but it is the source and core of the rest of our Christian lives. There exists a biblical paradigm that illustrates the functional centrality of the Gospel. First, there is the Gospel itself, that Jesus died for our sins, which is theologically central. If we allow it, the truths of the gospel transform our thinking. Thus by believing these gospel truths, the Gospel will bear fruit in our minds. Beyond this, as our minds are transformed, our actions and behaviors flow out of these truths, and our actions become a witness to the Gospel. From this paradigm, there are both implications and opportunities that follow.

Becoming Spiritual Adults (Part 3)

Jim Leffel
1 Corinthians 4:1-16

What does it look like to be a spiritually mature believer in Christ? In this third and final part of the series on spiritual maturity, principles of maturity are discussed. Topics include: trustworthiness, integrity, gratitude, sacrifice, and humility.\r\n

Becoming Spiritual Adults (Part 2)

Jim Leffel
1 Corinthians 4:1

This is part two in a three-part series on how God transforms people into spiritually mature believers. Part two explains how to build an adequate foundation for following God. Just as a strong foundation for a house must be built on solid ground, so our spiritual foundation must be built on solid ground as well. That solid ground is Christ and the foundation is our relationship with him and the grace he has given us. He wants to transform each of us into servants who can put the needs of others before our own.\r\n

What motivated Paul?

Jeff Gordon
1 Corinthians 15

Paul was motivated by three things: the truth of God's grace, his experience of God's grace, and the certainty of eternal life. Paul taught that while following God is intense labor and trouble, that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

Mystery and the Mind of Christ

Jim Leffel
1 Corinthians 2:6-16

Some people think the Bible is a book of super secret knowledge, a mystery such as in the book The DaVinci Code. Well, the Bible itself does say it is a mystery! But instead of some secret society type of mystery, the Bible says that God's wisdom can be a mystery. God's wisdom and His plan for humanity have been hard for people to see since the very beginning, even though it is actually in plain sight! This passage lays out how you can see the truth of God, and all it takes is a bit of willingness.\r\n

Real Unity and Why it Matters

Jim Leffel
1 Corinthians 3:1-9

As Paul writes to the Corinthian church, one problem he addresses in this church is the lack of harmony between them. Instead of focusing on areas that bring disharmony, the Biblical basis for unity between God's people is rooted in the Spirit, diligence, and by grace. When God's people are unified with one another it brings joy to those who are united together by God's Spirit and draws others in who do not have a relationship with God.

Introducing the Corinthian Church

Jim Leffel
1 Corinthians 1:1-9

At the beginning of this letter, we are introduced to the Corinthian church. This network of wealthy churches has steered away from the things of God and compromised many of their values. Paul addresses this church to challenge their morals and their ideas of truth based on God's grace. What makes someone acceptable to God is by the sufficiency of Christ's death on the cross and the forgiveness he provides in a relationship with him. Through God's undeniable grace, it can lead to real transformation.

Joy's Greatest Enemy

Scott Risley
Philippians 3:1-9

Paul has strong words for false teachers who promote self-righteous legalism. After describing his own resume of good works, he argues that God-based righteousness is the only basis for true joy.