The Hill Church

As Paul nears the end of his letter, he reminds the Corinthians of the importance of the Gospel. He has addressed many issues within the church, and the power to change those issues come from a Gospel message that transforms. Paul doesn't just tell them it is important, but shows them why it is important.

The church in Corinth would be a poster child for disorder. Today, we are left with a letter that helps us see how important it is to bring order and peace where confusion thrives. Sometimes we choose to remove people in an effort to can clean up. However, God planted a church in the middle of a messy community, with messy people, and called them to live for Him. Simply put, God moved in…. Amen! 

God made man with purpose and strength. However, we see so many men distracted and entangled without direction. 

Paul turns his attention from the gifts that were evident in this early church, to reminding them love is vital for Christians to be verified as followers of Jesus. 

After addressing several challenges in this local gathering, Paul now turns his attention to help them understand gifts within the body. What are the Spiritual gifts? What are they for? How are they helpful for ministry today? Join us as we look into this important section of scripture. 

A good meal and good community is something we can all get behind. However, the Corinthian church has let their pride ruin the most important meal of them all. Paul is now instructing the Corinthians on how to take the Lord's Supper. Because it is not an isolated event, but rather a communal one that feeds our souls.

Our culture often fuels power dynamics between cultures, genders and other status markers, but in Christ we have been called to portray Christ in how we serve, submit and honor one another.

Paul tells the Corinthian church they should learn from the failures of the wilderness experience. A generation delivered from slavery in Egypt, seemingly discovered new ways to turn away from their deliverer at every stop. We have much to learn from those that have gone before us. 

Rights should be tools, not restraints.

In this sermon, we are reminded of the value of loving our brothers and sisters in the body well, and valuing others as greater than ourselves.

Paul takes time in this chapter to address the specific questions sent to him by the Corinthian church. Questions concerning topics of marriage, sex, divorce, singleness and additional challenges. 

Why should Christians glorify God? Paul's answer is we are a part of Christ's body and we have been bought at a price. This calling to glorify God means the way we live matters. As Christians who are united to Christ, we must glorify Him with our bodies by rejecting disputes, avoiding deceptions, and fleeing depravity.

The Corinthian church was established in a very challenging context, sexual immorality was normal for their culture. What was normal for the world, had made its way into the church in a terrible way. Paul now calls the church to be the church of Jesus and he reminds us church discipline is about restoration. 

How should we think of pastors, leaders, ourselves, and others? The Corinthian church has been prideful. They've had divisions driven by thinking of themselves or regarding others too highly. Paul now explains how they can course correct by thinking of himself and others properly. When we do not regard ourselves rightly, we think of ourselves pridefully. 

God has invited us to be co-laborers in building the body of Christ. What role do you play in building or tearing down the body?

Technology has afforded us the ability to learn so many skills previously hidden to most. Secret tricks and insights, instruct us on both the how and the why. In this passage Paul displays a person who is the mystery and wisdom of God. 

We live in a very divided world these days. You can almost pick any topic and people will have strong differing opinions. The one place you would expect to be leading the way, building bridges, and unifying with other believers, should be in the faith. Paul hears of the disunity in the Corinthian church and addresses it head on. 

True, transformational gratitude is not just a reaction to our circumstances, but a foundational spiritual posture that sustains us through life's crushing trials and protects us from arrogance during our seasons of abundance.

In this closing chapter, the author has now turned his attention to walking out the teachings they have built over the previous 12. Living out what we say we believe is imperative to a world that is watching. If its real, and it works, we should be a foretaste demonstration of His transformative power.

In hostile times, the preacher of Hebrews encourages his people to holdfast to Christ, the true mediator, and reflect his holy character with gratitude.

In chapter 11, the audience was reminded of a great cloud of witnesses that were imperfect but they endured in faith. The author is now calling for endurance in their own race. Jesus our Savior endured, the great cloud of witnesses endured, and we are now called to endure to the end as well. 

Faith is the present reality of future hope. To have faith in Jesus is to live obedient now in light of his life and return. In chapter 11 of Hebrews, we find a catalogue of believers whose faith in God started in their minds and compelled their hearts to action. Their faith was not “blind” but rooted in the character and work of God while trusting in the promises of God.

Gathering with the people of God is often recognized as essential for Christians. But why is it essential? Rather than letting church just be a box we check to start our week, we should be looking to see who we can uplift and encourage. When we understand why we do this it will help us see the essential nature of our local gathering.

When dealing with the challenges of life, Paul gives Christian’s the ingredients to live lives shaped by the Gospel.

We understand prayer is like oxygen for God’s people. We are dedicated to growing in our prayer life as individuals and as a church family.