The Corinthians were divided over who was the best teacher, but in the passage today, Paul explains that all the teachers are their servants. Even more than that, all things are ours. That is because we belong to Christ, and He is God's. It is a concept that is difficult for us to believe, but if we do, it changes our whole outlook on life.

Our passage for this sermon describes those who build the temple of God made up of the living stones which are believers in Jesus. But it also warns of those who tear down the building through their false teaching and selfish agendas. We all have a part to play in building the temple of God and we must take great care in how we build. Our eternal condition is affected by it.

Are science and religion at odds? This year starts with a review of Eric Metaxas book Is Atheism Dead? In this short summary, we'll see how modern education has withheld from us the incredible odds that show life could not possibly have come about by chance. We'll see why seraphim sing that the whole earth is full of His glory. And we will wonder at the great faith of the educated atheist!

There has been a cosmic battle for the souls of men and women from the beginning of creation. Jesus' birth was the turning point in that battle. It was a kind of sneak attack that would end in the fulfillment of the promise to Eve that the battle would be won in an unusual way.

The root of the problem of factionalism in Corinth was their spiritual immaturity. The sermon explains from Scripture just how that immaturity is expressed and how we grow beyond it.

The world's wisdom is foolishness to God and yet we so often lean on it instead of looking to the wisdom that comes from above. The eternal wisdom that comes from God is often the opposite of what the world thinks. Yet, it is the answer to the world's problems. Jesus showed us that it is better to give than receive. In giving His life, He conquered sin and death and purchased His bride.

Paul was determined to preach the cross and trust the Holy Spirit to convey to listeners' hearts the power that it has to convict of sin and reveal the love of God. In this message, you will hear of dozens of effects that the Scriptures tell us the cross has in our lives.

This message touches on the fact that God's wisdom is infinitely superior to that of man. God chooses those that this world looks down on and reveals to them His divine wisdom demonstrated on the cross. While the Corinthians were pridefully associating themselves with an individual teacher whom they thought to be the best, Paul was telling them that the kingdom of God does not work along those lines. The cross nullifies all human pretension!

Psalm 118 repeats the national anthem of Israel. It is a message we desperately need today. Gratitude should be the key element in every human heart, but especially in the hearts of believers. God has shown His love for us, declared His promises to us, and prepared a future for us that is greater than we can imagine. Though we have trials in this life, we are blessed beyond measure, and it is only right for us to live a life expressing our gratitude for the goodness of God.

In the passage for this week Paul quotes from Isaiah to explain that God doesn't honor what the world honors. He calls those who are weak and inconsequential. And the reason He does that is because it shows how foolish man's wisdom is. The place where God has supremely destroyed all human arrogance and pretension is the cross.