From 1st century Corinth to 21st century Silicon Valley, some Christians put themselves on a pedestal because of the “spiritual gifts” that God has given them. This sense of spiritual superiority is a serious misunderstanding of the nature of the spiritual life and the purpose of “spiritual gifts.” God does not give us gifts to inflate our ego but to empower us to serve the common good.

Jesus gave us to celebrate is meant to be one that unites us. What happens when it doesn't? How do we get back to the celebration of unity?

Many years ago, women would regularly wear hats to the worship services at Peninsula Bible Church. Today, not many women deem it necessary to do so. What happened?

What is it okay for Christians to do? Are there limits to freedom in Christ? These questions frequently arise as we figure out how to follow Jesus within our culture. The first century Corinthians asked the apostle Paul a similar question. In his response, he reorients their focus. Instead of giving them an answer, he points them to better questions.

Sometimes we find ourselves walking the line between following God and chasing after the idols of our culture. God, however, is not looking for halfhearted disciples. Rather, he calls us to flee from idolatry and run to Christ.

We often hear that Christians should be selfless, giving up their rights for the sake of others. But what if that's only half the story? In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul passionately defends his rights, revealing a powerful truth about sacrifice and the radical life of faith. His example can lead us to rethink our understanding of freedom, responsibility, and the joy found in wholeheartedly following Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 8, the apostle Paul warns us about knowledge but also informs us that knowledge has its place, especially knowledge about God. In fact, he imparts to us critical knowledge about God that we need to live for him and for others.

Jesus calls it the greatest commandment, but we frequently have difficulty grasping it, much less living by it. What is God looking for? What are we afraid of? We shall see.

In the face of uncertainty and disappointment, some are tempted toward despair, while others find comfort in naive optimism. The Christmas story offers us a better way: the way of hope. Because our King took on flesh and dwelt among us, we can embrace hope this Christmas and always.

In the end, it's all a love story. It's the story of Christmas. It's the story of God in the world. It's the story of Psalm 118. In our last messianic psalm for the season of Advent, we see the love of God breaking into the world in a great reversal. The unlikely has become essential. God has acted to save. By the time we work through the psalm we realize that God doesn't just love the world. God loves us.