Principles of Body Life

Conrad Hilario

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

The Apostle Paul presents the biblical model of the church as the Body of Christ--a diverse organism in which every part has a unique and essential role and all are welcome.

Being IN the world and not OF the world (part 2)

Ryan Lowery

1 Corinthians 5:9-11

The final part of the Upper Room discourse is discussed focusing on Jesus' prayer. His prayer is centered on three things: 1.) Jesus and the Father; 2.) the Disciples; and 3.) all future generations of believers. Here we see the call for believers to be both culturally relevant and distinct from the world system.

Joy & Unity

Jim Leffel

John 17:20-23

Unity in our lives matters because we are witnesses of God's grace and good news. There are many ways in which we can all pursue unity with one another. We learn, not only how we can pursue unity, but that when we pursue unity with the same humility Jesus demonstrated by dying on the cross, we will have real joy in our lives.

Unity

Ben Foust

2 Corinthians 5:16-17

The church faces another obstacle: factious disunity. Why is division such a big threat to the church, and what can we do to diligently preserve our unity?\r\n

Spiritual Authenticity

Ben Foust

Matthew 23:27-33

In the story of Ananias and Sapphira, we see God protect the church from another serious threat: hypocrisy.\r\nHow do we answer the difficult questions raised by this passage? And how does Christ free us from the pull of hypocrisy?\r\n

Combating Egotism in God?s Community

Conrad Hilario

1 Corinthians 3:4-23

As the early church faces budding factions as members rally around different charismatic leaders, Paul warns them against such division and urges them to remember that it is not the people doing the primary work, but God. Likewise, the church today should be on alert for a similar division and should strive to combat egotism, and instead recognize our proper place as instruments in God's plan, looking forward to God's greater reward.

Marriage: The Key Aspect of Family

John Rue

1 Corinthians 3:4-23

John and Connie Rue discuss how investing in your marriage is the best way to invest in your children. Our children need to see us parents growing in our love for the Lord and for each other. We don't need to be perfect, of course, but they need to see us progressing in our personal growth, not giving up but persevering in spite of inevitable failure.

The Tower of Babel

James Rochford

Genesis 11:1-9

After the flood, humans repopulated the earth. Building the Tower of Babel revealed their rebellion against God and their desire to exalt and rule themselves. God responded by creating different languages and scattering them over the earth. This event teaches us about pride and humility before God and how we can develop biblical humility.

Uniformity & Diversity in Ministry

Gary DeLashmutt

Acts 13:2

In the church, there are ministry roles that all members should play, which can be referred to as ministry uniformity. This includes evangelism, discipleship, loving one another, financial stewardship and corporate prayer. But there is also ministry diversity, ministry strengths and roles that vary between Christians. This includes both spiritual gifts and specific ministry field passion. We should seek a healthy balance between these in our church, and here we discuss what that looks like and how a body of Christ can move toward that balance.