Behind all the division and factions in the Corinthian church was one sinister enemy: pride. Pride in church members is the enemy of unity in the church body. So Paul seeks to wake them and shake them from their pride by pointing to the grace of God and by employing a serious does of sanctified sarcasm.

Paul again addresses the factions in the church by addressing the apostles and their ministry. Rather than holding them up and against one another, he speaks to how they should regard them.

Paul returns to some earlier themes of his letter, calling them away from self-deception and boasting in human leaders. He drops a powerful truth that should help them in this: All things are yours.

In this third chapter of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, he is addressing their spiritual maturity. He’s calling them to grow up! Then he speaks to how God builds his church. What he says is important for both church leaders and those who are part of the church, God’s people.

As Paul continues to exhort the believers in Corinth towards unity and health, he addresses their spiritual maturity. The goal of the Christian life is not to just receive new birth, but to grow into full maturity. If they (and we) would grow in spiritual maturity, they (and we) would grow in unity.

Paul’s desire was that the Corinthians faith would rest not in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. However, he did impart to them a different kind of wisdom. This was a much different kind of wisdom that came from a much different source.

As we move into chapter two, Paul recounts how he came and what he proclaimed to the Corinthians. Paul had been an example from the beginning of what he is exhorting them to now: to center their lives around the person and work of Jesus Christ.

Paul continues to focus on unity in the gospel. He now points to the existence of the Corinth church and how God’s calling and choosing of its people further reveals “the foolishness of God.” He doesn’t chase down superstars; he most often chooses and uses the weak and lowly. In all of this, God receives the most glory.

Paul continues to address division in the church by focusing on two different types of response to the cross of Christ. Some see it as foolish and weak, while others find in it the power & wisdom of God. How ones responds to this message makes all the difference in the world.

There are many things Christians will not agree on, but there are some major things a church must agree on to be unified, pure, and active in God’s work. After his rich greeting, Paul begins to address the division and discord in the Corinthian church.

The first words of a letter often come in the form of a greeting. This is no different in the many letters, or epistles, of the New Testament writers. The letter of 1 Corinthians was written by the Apostle Paul to the church in Corinth. Though we tend to overlook opening words of greeting, these first words are significant to the hearers, which includes us.

Before we can live up to our theme, Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord (1 Cor. 15:58), we need the Lord to first do a heart work in us. Therefore, we begin this new year by hearing the call of Jesus to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3.

In this final week and chapter of The Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian finishes his journey and arrives at the Celestial City.

After leaving the Delectable Mountains, Christian & Hopeful are not far from the gates of the Celestial City. There are a few more characters to meet and a few more important lessons to be learned before they reach their destination.

After losing his traveling companion Faithful, Christian is joined by a new friend named Hopeful. Though the Delectable Mountains are not far off, they stray from the path and end up in Doubting Castle.

After enduring the valleys, Christian is joined by new companion, Faithful. They encounter two others before heading to the Godless City, Vanity Fair.

Christian continues on his journey to the Celestial City. He loses his burden, but also loses the Roll he’s been given. He is refreshed at the Palace Beautiful, but soon after must endure two dark and difficult valleys. This is the way of the narrow path, the King’s Highway, and we learn much about our own journey to the City of God.

Chapter 2 is a transitional scene before Christian begins his journey. He enters the Interpreter’s House, learning of the perils & rewards that await him along the way.

As we start The Pilgrim’s Progress, we learn about the author, John Bunyan, and the main character, Christian the Pilgrim.

To take up the mission of God and make disciples, we will seek to follow the example of the early church. They gathered corporately for worship on the first day of the week, but they also met by the dozens in House Churches. Why House Church? What are the reasons we are following this model, and what will it look like?

What is the mission of God? How did Jesus and the early church live on mission? How can we live on mission?

Peter ends his first letter with a word to elders, an exhortation to humility, and a call to stand firm to the end.

On Sunday, October 13th, our IMB missionaries to Madrid, Spain joined us.

Suffering is a recurring theme in Peter’s first letter. It’s also a recurring theme in our lives, as long as we live in a fallen world. But Peter dives deeper into what it means for us to suffer as a Christian.