The warnings to Paul that he would face trouble in Jerusalem have now materialized. A Jewish mob wanted to injure him when they “heard” that he had brought a Gentile into the Temple. After the Romans got involved because of the disturbance, the commander allowed him to speak to the Jews assembled. Paul spoke to […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 8: Being Holy in Christ
February 7, 2015 by
In 1 Corinthians chapter 5, Paul confronted a sin taking place: a son was sleeping with his “father’s wife.” Now Paul deals with Christians bringing a lawsuit to another Christian in a secular court. Paul opens his worldview of what it means to be in Christ. Settle Your Differences within the Church Read 1 […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 7: Community, Holiness, and Covenant
February 1, 2015 by
In the first four chapters, when dealing with sin, Paul dealt with division in the Corinthian congregation expressed by favoring one pastor over another. In chapter 5, Paul switches subjects: he is still dealing with sin but the sin is related to the gift of sexuality. How are Christians living in Christ to live out […]
Acts, Lesson 25: Paul’s Troubles Begin
February 1, 2015 by
Paul finally arrived in Jerusalem, having completed his third missionary travels. He knew from repeated warnings that trouble awaited him, but “constrained by the Spirit,” he made his way to Jerusalem anyway (Acts 20:22). But it’s more than those warnings that prepare us for what awaits Paul. In Jerusalem, Luke shows the change in how […]
The Church Choir
January 25, 2015 by
This is our pastor’s article for the February 2015 edition of The Shepherd’s Voice, our congregational newsletter. At Shepherd of the Hills, our choir has been adding to our worship services long before I came here to serve as your pastor. But, I suppose, we can ask, “Why did churches have choirs in the […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 6: Just as a Father Corrects a Son
January 25, 2015 by
Paul just finished with words saying that “we” (that is, pastors such as Paul, Apollos, Cephas, and Sosthenes) are stewards of the mysteries of God. For that reason, the congregation at Corinth were not to judge them, at least that which “is now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.” With […]
Acts, Lesson 24: Paul Makes His Way to Jerusalem, Despite the Troubles that Await
January 25, 2015 by
Paul is still on his third missionary journey, having met with pastors from Ephesus in Miletus. He and his traveling contingent now press on toward Jerusalem. A short stay in Tyre Read Acts 21:1-6 In this section, we find Luke doing what he had earlier done in the book of Acts: he speeds up […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 5: The Role of Pastors and the Congregation
January 25, 2015 by
Being God’s Temple Read 1 Corinthians 3:16 Scriptures teaches us that the body of an individual Christian is God’s Temple (1 Corinthians 6:19), the congregation when it gathers for worship is God’s Temple (1 Corinthians 3:17), as well as the entire Church (Ephesians 2:19-22). In these verses, the “you” is plural, referring not to the […]
Acts, Lesson 23: Paul Gives Godly Counsel to Fellow Pastors
January 15, 2015 by
Paul is still on his third missionary journey. Having left Ephesus, his longest stay during his missionary travels, he makes a final sweep through Greece before going to Jerusalem. During this time, he was collecting donations to help “the poor among the saints in Jerusalem” (Romans 15:25-27, 2 Corinthians 8-9). Paul may also have traveled […]
1 Corinthians, Lesson 4: What God Gives, How He Gives It, and What Will Remain
January 4, 2015 by
After 1 Corinthians mentioned what God had called Paul and Sosthenes to do, to preach and teach the wisdom of God, Paul then again got personal. He said the Corinthian Christians had not grown in the Faith as they should have. They were still “fleshly infants”: they haven’t grown in stature and lost their “baby […]
