Dear Church

With all of the churches he planted while on his missionary journeys, the Apostle Paul was as itinerant a pastor as you can get. No doubt he knew a thing or two about saying goodbye. And yet although goodbyes can be hard and even sad, Paul understood better than anyone just how powerful and appropriate that word can be when it comes to a pastor and a congregation. This Sunday, we’ll look at some of the Apostle Paul’s heartfelt final words to the Philippian church.

1st Corinthians 13 is undoubtedly one of the most well-known verses in the Bible. You can find it featured on everything from throw pillows to wall décor and it’s read at virtually every Christian wedding. And yet, what the average person may not realize is that 1 Corinthians 13 wasn’t written as a sentimental instruction guide for dating or marriage. It was written as a reminder for a church that was constantly fighting and was riddled with problems. Today, we’ll look at why the Apostle Paul believed that the answer to the 1st Century church’s problems—and the 21st Century church’s problems—is love.

Have you ever noticed how often we treat life with a “someday” mentality? “I’ll be happy someday—once I graduate or get out of debt or find a new job or buy a new car or get married.” Sometimes in life, the greatest temptation is to want to skip the challenges and difficulties so we can get to the good part. But what Paul wants the church in Rome to understand is that as people of faith, the hardest parts of life often prove to be the best parts. Today, we’ll look at how Paul’s words can give us a whole new perspective on life and how we find hope.

One of the first things you notice when you read the Letter of James is that it’s chock full of pastoral wisdom. That’s because what James wanted his congregation to understand is how to live out their Christian faith in real and practical ways. So, what about when we find ourselves in the midst of an argument or debate? As Christians, how do we love our neighbor even when we disagree with them? Today, we’ll look at some of the most powerful advice James has to offer: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger.

The letter to the Philippian church is one of the most unique epistles in the entire New Testament if but for one reason: The Apostle Paul wrote it from prison. In fact, three time in his missive to the Philippian congregation, he lets them know that he writing to them while “in chains.” So what does Paul want to remind the church to do while he’s away and incarcerated? Today, we’ll look at one of Paul’s most urgent reminders to the early Church and to the Church today: Be humble and kind.

If there was ever a church that had its fair share of problems, it was the Corinthian church. They just couldn’t seem to do anything right including eating the Lord’s Supper together. Among the biggest offenders, some in the congregation were eating before everyone got there and didn’t leave enough for others. Others were drinking all of the communion wine and getting tipsy. Still others were being irreverent and not treating it like a sacrament. So, if you’re the Apostle Paul, how do you address this problem? This Sunday, we’ll look at how Paul teaches the Corinthian church—and the 21st Century Church—the importance of “table manners.”

No doubt, one of the most intriguing, unique, and misunderstood books of the Bible is the Book of Revelation. Throughout church history, some have suggested that the strange language and imagery contain a hidden message that, if decoded, contains predictions about the future. But biblical scholars tell us that the Book of Revelation isn’t a book of predictions—it’s a letter to seven churches in modern-day Turkey written by a pastor named John. As we kick-off our new sermon series, we’ll start by looking at the message that God had for the first church in 1st Century—and in the 21st Century. The question is: Are we willing to hear it?