We will now wrap up 1st Corinthians 14, and in doing so we will finish the section on spiritual gifts that began with chapter 12. Sure, they were a gifted church, but with all of the giftedness came some real problems, wrong attitudes, and misunderstandings that Paul has had to correct. Many of the same things that were problems for them, we find to be problems that still exist in places in the church today! They overemphasized speaking in tongues and their church gatherings were very self-cente...
Mar 25, 2019•38 min
1st Corinthians chapter 14 moves us to the other side of the discussion on spiritual gifts and ministry in the church. The creamy “oreo” center was chapter 13 — the Love Chapter — and Paul lets them, and us, know that love must be the grand pursuit of our lives! Now we know that LOVE is superior to GIFTS, but…of all the gifts of the Spirit, which is most important and why? Miracles? Healings? The Corinthians put an over-emphasis on one very outward and obvious experience: speaking in an unknown ...
Mar 11, 2019•43 min
We’re spending this Sunday looking at the second half of 1st Corinthians chapter 13: the Love Chapter. We are looking at, what I would call, the “purest love”. The love of God never has mixed motives and is never corrupted by sin or selfishness. We get glimpses of it, but in our fallen and selfish human state it is very hard to comprehend and live! Have you ever heard, or said, the words “I don’t love you anymore.” Those are painful words of rejection. But in this next section, we learn about a ...
Mar 04, 2019•42 min
This week’s passage, 1st Corinthians chapter 13, is arguably the most important passage in the New Testament! Affectionately known as “the Love Chapter”, we get a challenging picture of the kind of love that comes from God, and is expressed by God. Could there be anything more important in our lives than love? Everyone agrees we need more of it, but maybe we have different definitions of what it really is. And why is it so hard to do?? Love is the nature of God, the primary characteristic of a S...
Feb 24, 2019•47 min
We spent the first message in our 1st Corinthians 12 study discussing spiritual gifts. Now Paul will give us a framework to understand how spiritual gifts work in a practical way and in real life. The ultimate truth he is conveying to the church is that the gifts are not given to make the recipient superior, but rather to make them useful. The gifts are not for their enjoyment or boasting, but for their contribution to caring for others, using the very gifts God has given them! The picture? A hu...
Feb 17, 2019•35 min
Are you “charismatic”? I am not speaking in terms of a personality that is smooth and personable and influential—what we would call “charisma”. I am speaking in the spiritual sense! You might answer by saying, “No, I am a Baptist…or Methodist…or Catholic.” Some might even have a negative response to the idea of a “charismatic church”. The picture in your mind of a charismatic church might be one of weirdness and discomfort. It involves things like “speaking in tongues” and raising your hands—thi...
Feb 11, 2019•45 min
This Sunday we continue in 1st Corinthians chapter 11, picking up in verse 17 and going through the end of the chapter. Communion? Eucharist? Lord’s Supper? Some of you might be so new to Christianity that you have no idea what these words mean. Others are very familiar with the practice in some form or another. If you come to CCF from a Catholic or more formal church background, the way you participated in the Lord’s Supper might be much different than if you come from a Baptist background. At ...
Feb 04, 2019•44 min
With the snow gone and as we gather back again on a Sunday, we return to our study of 1st Corinthians, picking up in chapter 11. This is the famous — or infamous — passage that addresses the way men and women dress during for the church gatherings. Does God have a dress code? Is there a “right way” for men and women to come before the Lord? The passage also speaks to male and female differences and even role differences. Is the Bible is patriarchal book that belittles women and favors men? Are w...
Jan 20, 2019•46 min
Who has church on a Saturday!? Well, when an impending snow storm is definitely going to make meeting on Sunday impossible, sometimes it makes sense to gather on Saturday! On January 12th, Pastor Steve and the leaders had a special service that turned out to be a great time of worshipping together and digging into God's Word! Listen in as Pastor Steve steps out of 1st Corinthians for this special service and gives an important teaching from Ephesians chapter three.
Jan 12, 2019•32 min
Continuing in 1st Corinthians chapter 10, Paul is now wrapping up a discussion about our favorite topic — food! This discussion began in chapter 8 and now, three whole chapters have been taken up with answering a question about food. The question seemed simple enough but a well-crafted answer was required, better than a simple “yes” or “no” answer. Paul has heaped reason upon reason for his advice, including warnings of danger and encouragement toward love and care for each other. But now Paul a...
Jan 06, 2019•40 min
As we set our hearts and minds on a new year starting in just a few days, and possibly resolve to work off the extra poundage we have gained over the last week, 1st Corinthians 10 is a perfect passage for the occasion. How so, you might ask? Maybe you know that the month of January derives its name from the mythological god Janus. This was the “two-faced” god, with one face looking back at the past and one face looking ahead to the future. Well, that is what Paul does in chapter 10 — he looks ba...
Dec 31, 2018•46 min
In 1 Corinthians chapter 9, Paul is on the defensive with the unreasonable, stubborn, and proud Corinthians! Paul has just challenged them that love is more important than knowledge, and that more knowledge leads to a greater and more Godly love. It seems that they have challenged Paul and his authority to even tell them what to do! Now Paul takes a whole chapter to show them that he is not asking them to do something he is not willing to do himself. But first, he establishes certain rights he h...
Dec 02, 2018•44 min
As we enter 1st Corinthians chapter 8, Paul is trying his best to get the Corinthians on the same page about a variety of issues from resurrection to spiritual gifts! In the past few weeks we have hammered out chapter 7 (via a mini-study we titled "Questions about Marriage"). Now we come to a new section and another conflicting issue for those Corinthians believers. The next few chapters begin with a discussion of “meat sacrificed to idols”. While this was a big issue for the Corinthians, I am c...
Nov 25, 2018•41 min
As the final installment in our "miniseries" on marriage, we complete 1st Corinthians chapter seven, with Paul's answers to the Corinthian's questions about marriage. Next week chapter eight picks up with a new question and a new topic. The last section of this chapter has some difficulties. The difficulties exist because Paul is addressing some very specific questions they had and we don’t know the questions! It’s like Corinthian Jeopardy — we have the answers but have to guess at the questions...
Nov 18, 2018•43 min
Continuing in First Corinthians chapter seven, we continue into the section from verse 10 through 24. In this section Paul will discuss marriage, separation, and divorce. His statements are simple and clear and so important to us today! What if I told you that there is one area of focus and attention that, if improved, would positively affect national and state levels of crime, economic prosperity, and poverty related issues? What if I told you that addressing this area would even take a burden ...
Nov 12, 2018•47 min
A large part of 1st Corinthians includes the Apostle Paul’s responses to questions--or disagreements--they had about certain topics including spiritual gifts and offerings to idols. They were trying to sort out what it looked like to live the Christian life in Corinth in the first century and surrounded by Corinthian culture! If we had access to Paul today, what we would ask for clarity about? As we start chapter seven, we see Paul begin to respond to some hot issues that were on the minds of th...
Nov 04, 2018•38 min
How do you view the body? Well, that's a weird question, isn't it? In the second half of 1st Corinthians chapter six, Paul has to deal with some challenging topics, and he wants the Corinthians to know it isn't just about the surface layer of actions (sexual immorality), but really has to do with the core issue of how we view our bodies. Are they for us or are they for the Lord? As you might expect, Corinthian culture and norms are not that different from the world we are facing today in America...
Oct 29, 2018•35 min
This week we open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 and--oh my--what a practical and challenging passage written to an immature and problematic people! Chapter five challenged the church's pride and unwillingness to respond to public and flagrant sexual sin. Now, there’s another black eye on the face of this church. What was it? They couldn’t resolve conflicts--so they took each other to Corinthian court to let them decide in the case involving God’s children! Paul is beside himself about this....
Oct 21, 2018•40 min
This week as we enter the fifth chapter of 1st Corinthians, Paul has a difficult topic to handle with the immature Corinthian church: discipline in the body. The issue is blatant and unrepentant sexual sin, and the response of the church has been to boast at their openness and grace to this troubling issue, that isn't even acceptable "among the Gentiles," Paul tells them. Paul speaks with authority and conviction at the need to deal with this cancer--this leaven--within the body before it spread...
Oct 15, 2018•39 min
This week we will take a break from 1 Corinthians and step into Matthew’s gospel with a special look at the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in chapter 18. Unless you live under a rock, you are at least exposed to the news in some small form or another. You, as well as I, can see that we are living in a culture of divisiveness, polarization, guilt and punishment and judgement. The prevailing attitude of the day can be summed up in phrases we hear, like: "I have been hurt/offended/violated. Som...
Oct 07, 2018•38 min
This week we continue our 1st Corinthians study in chapter four and finish the chapter together. Paul has been dealing with the immaturity and pride that have caused division in the church there in Corinth. They, like so many, have developed an over-inflated view of themselves that is totally inconsistent with the Spirit of God. They are “all that and a bag of chips”, and before transitioning to other matters in chapter five, Paul will provide a closing summary to the points he has been making f...
Sep 30, 2018•41 min
We live in a culture, not unlike the Corinthian culture, where the opinions of others mean a great deal to us—maybe too much in fact! Between Facebook “likes” and followers on Twitter, people go crazy looking for approval. Is there a deep insecurity in each of us? Even our ambitions for more — to have more, to be more, to climb the ladder, get the promotion, be successful — have led some to call this generation, Generation Stress. Helicopter parents drive kids to have greater and greater achieve...
Sep 23, 2018•36 min
As we approach the end of 1 Corinthians chapter 3, Paul brings a stern warning to church leadership: be careful about mixing in worldly wisdom with the Word of God to build or grow the church. The mixing in and value placed on wisdom from the worldly experts is really affecting the life and health off the church in Corinth. They believed in Jesus, but when it came to understanding marriage, divorce, sexuality, conflict resolution, and life after death, they turned to the opinions of people! Supp...
Sep 17, 2018•38 min
Continuing our study in Paul's first letter to the Corinthian church, we turn our attention to 1 Corinthians 3. You know, some chapters in the Bible are more complicated or more technically challenging than others. But some others are just plain and simple! Well, 1 Corinthians 3 is one of the latter: right there, easy to grasp, and challenging to boot! So what is chapter three about? What would you say if you met a 30-year old who drinks from a baby bottle and sleeps in a crib and wears diapers?...
Sep 10, 2018•39 min
This Sunday we return to 1 Corinthians, covering chapter 2; yes, you read that right, the whole chapter! Remembering back to chapter one, Paul has the mission to try and unite the people in the Corinthian church. Have you ever uttered the words or thought the thought, “What were they thinking”? Sure you have! I bet you have watched the news and thought that! If you have teenagers you have said that. Maybe you have seen someone doing something you thought was absolutely ridiculous and stupid (by ...
Sep 03, 2018•40 min
After opening up our new study in 1st Corinthians last week, we move onto the second half of the first chapter. Verses 18-31 tackle the issues of wisdom and foolishness. Paul seems worried that in all of the attraction to fancy and sophisticated logic and philosophical arguing, the cross was being squeezed into the background and was barely visible! Come and see how incredibly relevant this passage is today. In a day when people will do and try and believe almost anything--except Jesus crucified...
Aug 19, 2018•38 min
1 Corinthians is a letter written by the apostle Paul to the church in Corinth, a major city in ancient southern Greece. As Pastor Steve opens this new study through the book of 1 Corinthians, he shares a little about the unique characteristics of this city — including the prominence of the temple of Aphrodite. Why did Paul write this letter in the first place? What problems did the church face then and how do they compare to problems we have now? If you ever had the starry-eyed concept that “th...
Aug 12, 2018•43 min
We are excited to finally put the final touches on the Romans masterpiece! What a great book and amazing study it has been! Like so many good preachers, Paul is struggling to close his sermon/letter. Just when it seems he has concluded, he opens up a new topic entirely! Maybe it came to his mind, and without the “cut and paste” word processing options we have today, he has to tack it onto the end of his letter. But he wants to make sure it is included and it is really important. Having greeted 2...
Aug 05, 2018•31 min
In Ephesians chapter four we are urged to "walk worthy of the calling" that clearly involved humility, unity, and love in the body of Christ. This sounds like a tall order, and compared to what Christ has done for us, we all feel very unworthy and unable to fulfill this calling! In this message, one of our associate pastors, Dave Vollmer, walks us through key New Testament stories and passages that show the reality that is possible in living out a life of humility and love, serving and obeying G...
Jul 29, 2018•39 min
We are now entering the final chapter of our "Amazing Grace" study through the book of Romans! And don’t think Romans 16 is a “throw away” chapter! Yes its the end of the letter, but don’t give up now. In some ways this is one of my favorite chapters! In chapter 16, the “greeting chapter,” we are reminded that the letter Paul wrote was not to nameless and faceless people. We are reminded that ministry builds relationships and relationships build ministry! He mentions 27 people (including Phoebe ...
Jul 22, 2018•34 min
