Money is power, and who would willingly relinquish power!? The beauty of the Christian message is that it motivates us to be generous, not through guilt or fear, but by God’s grace overflowing from Jesus Christ.

When the church has become compromised or contaminated by the world, what will it take for our hearts to actually desire to repent? In these chapters Paul makes a passionate appeal for the Corinthians to repent whilst at the same time convincing them that he is absolutely for them.

Being a public follower of Jesus is undoubtedly hazardous, so we need to know: is it worth the risk? In this passage Paul persuades that it is worth sticking with his gospel, because in Christ we are given a new start and a new job.

This week we see God's power in human weakness. In Samson we see the danger of sinful habits, but more so the grace of God. Come and see how Samson, the weak saviour, points us to the true and better saviour, Jesus.

What kind of saviour do we need? In today’s passage we see that Samson is the hero we deserve, he is just like us, but not the one we need. We need a saviour who is pure and fights for his people out of love rather than revenge.

Who will deliver us from the cycle of idolatry and oppression in our lives? In Judges 13 we see that Israel, and us, are trapped in a cycle of misery that is of our own making. But God moves in grace to send us a deliverer. We need a God-sent deliverer who can deliver us once and for all.

If Christians are a living advert for Jesus’ kingdom, do our various weaknesses and failings help or hinder? In this beautiful passage Paul maps his ministry onto the pattern established by Jesus - he does not work despite our weaknesses, he works through them.

Many of us find the prospect of sharing Jesus with others difficult, especially when we experience mixed results. What will keep us from either losing heart or changing our message so that it is more palatable? In this passage we learn from Paul what keeps him from losing heart and giving up altogether.

Is our good news really that glorious if it keeps getting mixed reviews from those we share it with? In this passage Paul responds to accusations that his gospel lacks glory by showing how it differs from the merit-based ‘gospel’ being pedalled by the super-apostles in Corinth.

Sharing the good news of Jesus with others can be a daunting prospect, so what qualifies us for this ministry? In this passage we are encouraged to see that the same gospel which saves us is the same one which equips us to herald Christ to the world around us.