In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul introduces the gifts of the Spirit and what they are used for. Verse 7 tells us that the purpose of these gifts is to produce what is beneficial. Although all of the gifts are important,... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 11 Paul was still addressing things within the church that were being done out of order. One of which was the right order and structure for doing things in their public assemblies. There were cultural practices about... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul uses the rebellion of the Israelites as an example to show the church at Corinth a picture of themselves. He reminds them that even though they all ate and drank from the same spiritual rock,... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul was talking about laying aside the rights he had as an apostle to be able to enjoy the fruit of his labor in the form of material items.  There were those who had considered Paul... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 8 Paul talks about meat that is offered to idols because this was a common stumbling block to the Gentiles who grew up serving other gods and now were faced with the moral questions in their minds... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 7 Paul addresses marriage and life situations. I have read these passages many times but as I read them this morning, I picked up on something very different about the heart behind it all. What Paul was... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 6 Paul is talking about the things that have control over us. He starts off by saying “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is helpful, everything is permissible, but I will not be brought under... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 5 Paul clarifies the topic of judgment in the church, and to me, his message couldn’t be more clear. He was hearing reports of sexual immorality within the church. The church at Corinth was proud of their... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 4 Paul was trying writing to the church at Corinth because after he had established their church they started chasing after other leaders who were not living out the gospel. They were prideful and full of their... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul was telling the church at Corinth that he was unable to speak to them with the kind of spiritual depth that they should be ready for because they were too immature and fleshly-minded. He continued... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul is explaining the difference between those who have spiritual eyes to see and those who do not. What I really pulled from this is that the gospel is like a hidden treasure that has to... Continue reading →

In 1 Corinthians 1 Paul addresses some divisions within the church because he was hearing reports about rivalry between them over whom they were following. Some would say they were with Apollos, and some would say Cephas, or some would... Continue reading →

Reading in Romans 16 Paul started off by acknowledging some women of the church who had served and worked. Then he acknowledged some couples and gave greetings to a long list of people before cautioning the church about divisive people... Continue reading →

Reading Paul’s letter to the church in Romans 15 reminds me today that those of us who are strong in the word and in our walk with Jesus have an obligation to set aside our own desires and our own... Continue reading →

Reading in Romans 14 Paul was cautioning the church that we need to be careful about how we manage our own personal convictions. Both for the sake of ourselves and for the sake of others. Because the gospel is about... Continue reading →

Reading Romans 13 today reminds me that we are all that we are all under authority, both spiritually and under the laws of the land. God said that he set authorities in place for our good and the authorities are... Continue reading →

Reading through Leviticus chapter 16 initially brought an interesting sorrow for me as I read a completely opposite message from what I am used to reading in the New Testament. The sorrow didn’t last long, and it actually turned into... Continue reading →

Reading in Romans 11 Paul reminds us as Gentiles that the hearts of the Jews were only temporarily hardened by God because of their disobedience, and God is using it as an opportunity to bring in the Gentiles in while... Continue reading →

Reading in Romans 10 was a very different shift focus from the emotions that Paul had expressed in chapter 9. Although he was obviously still very passionate about salvation for the Jews, he was now pointing toward all of the... Continue reading →

Reading in Romans 9 this morning I could feel the anguish in Paul as he desperately grieved for the salvation of the Jews. After all, he himself was a Jew and he grew up with so much passion and fire... Continue reading →