2 Corinthians 2:5-11 The church in Corinth struggled with serious moral and relational problems. Paul understood that discipline was necessary to protect the purity of the church, but he also knew that restoration was essential to reflect the heart of Christ. Biblical discipline was never intended to permanently exclude a repentant believer; its goal was repentance, healing, and renewed fellowship...  Read More

Matthew 18:15-17 Confrontation is something that most of us don’t look forward to doing. The idea of addressing the wrongdoing may feel judgmental. Often believers avoid confrontation, just letting it go, or have a confrontation that is done in a public way that causes more harm than good. Neither of these solutions address the real problem. Neither of these situations are what Jesus expects out o...  Read More

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