Assurance that God Remembers

As we serve God, we will likely go through struggles; at times, we may wonder if what we are doing is what God wants us to do. Today, though, we see an assurance that God does not forget His servants, particularly in those times when they need Him.

Serving in the Time of Hurt

Contrary to popular belief, being a Christian does not mean we are exempt from pain or hurt. As Paul opens his second (or third) letter to the Corinthian church, he asserts that hurt is not only normal, it more greatly enables us to minister to a hurting world.

Are We Ready to Be Sent?

The prophet Isaiah had a great impact both in his day, and in all of Christianity. As we shift our focus to “Connecting People to Service,” we see that his willingness to be used by God - even when he did not know what the task was - is the same willingness we need to develop in our lives.

Our Brother's Keepers

“Am I my brother’s keeper?” was Cain’s question to God after he had murdered his brother Abel. Thousands of years later, when Paul is writing to the church in Galatia, he answers that question with an emphatic “yes.”

Jesus Believes in Small Groups

Shortly after Jesus began His ministry, He called out 12 men to be in His inner circle, where He taught them and prepared them for ministry. What can we learn from how Jesus used this “small group” of men?

Love Wins*

When you hear the phrase “love wins,” what comes to mind? It’s a nice-sounding phrase, and several different groups of people have tried to stake a claim to it, including some in the church. Is it a true statement? The answer is all in how you define, and then apply, the word “love.”

Unity in Christ

In the churches around Ephesus, there was a wall between the Jews and the Gentiles. Paul points out that the wall separating them from one another was actually a wall separating them from God. Since Christ has torn down the wall separating them from Him, they should no longer have a wall between one another; He had made them (and has made us) one.

The Functioning Body of Christ

Today’s passage begins with Paul telling us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, then compares the church to a body, with all the various parts working in harmony. Each part has unique abilities, and the body as a whole functions best when each part is actually performing their part.

The Great Bond of Christian Love

People love* 1 Corinthians 13, but we’re often less enthusiastic about actually living it. When we grasp this type of love, though, we will become the people God wants us to be; it will help us build up one another within the church, as well as reach out to others outside of it.

* Pun totally intended…

Unity in the Body of Christ

When the body of Christ is functioning as a body, there are certain characteristics that are present. Paul lists several of these, and as we look at them, we can get an idea of what a healthy church looks like, and the unity that is present there.