Paul’s first appeal to his brothers in Corinth is to find unity under the leadership of Jesus. The divisions about leaders reveal our tendency to reach for physical resources (people, organizations, programs, etc.) instead of Jesus. We wrongly assume we will find fulfillment in those resources. But, only Jesus offers what we are looking for. Only Jesus offers forgiveness, resurrection, and a new identity.

Paul’s first words are thanksgivings to God for his gracious work in Jesus and among the Corinthian church. His words to them are full of confidence in God’s provision and hopefulness in God’s work among them. He’s describing what the church really is, at its core: a people called by God to fellowship with his Son, richly provided for all life and ministry, and guaranteed to be sustained guiltless to the day of Jesus’ return.

A vision for gospel saturation and how it gets worked out into everyday-life disciple-making.

This week we are building on our Vision of Gospel Saturation (Has 2.14), talking about how the church engages in the mission of God. We'll talk about what ministry is (gospel truth in the context of relationship) and clarify the reality that every church member is a minister or missionary.

Paul prays that we’d know our Resources in Christ, our Relationship with Christ and each other, and our Glorious Reality - that God is filling the world with his glory through the church - through us!

Habakkuk speaks from the world we all are familiar with - injustice, suffering, pain, and evil - and shows us the world to come, where knowledge of God’s good heart and his glorious presence seeps into all the nooks and crannies of our world, bringing restoration to all things. It is a vision worth living for!

God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To recognize we were created for someone and for a purpose in a moving story of redemption is life changing, to the point of contentment.

As created beings we will navigate with something. Something will take up residence in our lives and cause us to make decisions, feel emotions, respond in relationships, and sense satisfaction or not. We are created as worshipers, we will worship someone or something, always! There is a battle going on in and around us. The battle is for our hearts. What or who will we worship?

Rejoicing in the LORD in the midst of suffering is a byproduct of treasuring Christ and His Resurrection above all else.

The Gospel Story presented at our "All Family Gathering" (kids gathered with us) and a connection to Paul's encouragement to find "kindred spirits" as we seek to live a life worthy of the Gospel.