1 Corinthians 5:4-5a, 6b-13 Let’s start with the elephant in the room, confronting things is not an easy thing. It takes a lot of courage to confront someone who is doing something wrong. Imagine being Paul, talking to the church in Corinth. There was open unrepentant sin that was being tolerated. In a city that wouldn’t address issues, Paul comes in and urges the believers to confront it. He tell...  Read More

1 Corinthians 5:1-3, 6a When I was in youth ministry many years ago now, I went to a Youth Specialties conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In one of the big-group sessions, the speaker spoke about something he called “the clustering effect.” He proceeded to describe to us the hypocritical tendencies of most youth. For example, a student is one minute having sex with his girlfriend in the backs...  Read More

Week 5Main Point and Overview:    Is our church a “country club,” or is it the “pure bride of Christ?” Many churches are filled with people who “show up” but don’t “stand up” to sin, either theirs or the sin of others. Have you ever heard the phrase: “They want their cake and to eat it too?!” They want the “blessings” of Jesus, but they are not truly committed to following his clear expectations. ...  Read More

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 This portion of Scripture really challenged me this week. When it comes to teaching the Gospel, sometimes I feel like I am repeating myself. And I am. But it isn’t boring. It isn’t mundane. The Gospel is more than just words. Or a story. The Gospel is life. Jesus is alive and the story of His birth, death, burial and resurrection is anything but boring. With teaching kids, I a...  Read More

Romans 1:16; 15:13 The power of the Holy Spirit is within us! There are 2 things in life that the Bible tells us are real power, but I think we as believers have a hard time believing it. The power of prayer and the power of the Holy Spirit. Both seem sometimes like spiritual “talk” without meaning. Have you ever had someone come up to you and spill out their heart? You are sitting there listening...  Read More

John 14:15-17; 16:13 This week’s devotions have been so helpful, and I need all the help that I can get. ?Pastor Ken’s devotion, “The Spirit Factor” yesterday was on point! The Holy Spirit is no gimmick. In fact, the Holy Spirit is right alongside God the Father and Jesus the Son. Rather than a trick or a scheme, the Spirit is active and the divine presence of God living within believers, guiding ...  Read More