The Corinthians had the gift of tongues and were using it to suggest a hierarchy within the church. Those who had the greater gifts vs. those who have not. But were they using this gift in a Biblical way?

We divert from 1 Corinthians for a week to lay a foundation of what tongue speaking is all about by going to the first time tongues were spoken on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Here we look at not only what speaking in tongues means but the origin of its concept and how it relates to salvation history.

This might be the most commonly read Scripture at weddings but when it is unfolded it becomes a great challenge to all Christians. Even the greatest spiritual gifts are nothing if we have not love.

It’s easy to make foolish decisions when we rely on our own judgment rather than prayerfully reflecting on God word. This is the issue in Joshua 9, with the story of the Gibeonite deception. This sermon looks at the disaster of living by sight, the difficulty of living by faith, and the triumph of God’s grace—even over our mistakes.

Is the apostle changing subjects to “spiritual gifts”? Yes and no. No in the sense that he continues on with the same problem of division in body. Last time it was the Lord’s supper, the have’s and have nots, now it's spiritual gifts' those who have and have not the ability to speak in tongues. But what he is really challenging us all with is that we all have gifts of the Holy Spirit and need to ask ourselves where we are using them.

Who is worthy to take the Lord’s supper? The apostle chastises the Corinthians to the point that he says if we take the Lord’s supper in the wrong way it is not even the Lord’s supper! We might go through the ritual but people thinking they are taking it are not taking it at all. Unless it is done in a way that is worthy. The apostle describes what is worthy in this text.

Are women supposed to wear hats in church? Isn’t that what this passage clearly teaches? And women are to have men as their head; so where does that leave equality?

After all the action at Jericho and Ai, in Joshua 8:30-35 the people pause to worship the Lord and renew their commitment to Him. Here we learn the central role God's word plays in worship.

The Israelites were a great example, but of what? They indulged in idolatry and immorality and only a couple made it into the promised land. Depressing. But their example was written down for us to know that if we do not heed the warning from their history, we will repeat it too.

The first battle at Ai was a disaster because of Achan's sin. In Joshua 8 God proves his faithfulness, goodness and justice to his people, through the reassurance of his victory-giving presence.