Together: We Will Not Be Shaken
January 9 – February 20, 2022
Superior in Every Way
February 20, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 3:7–18
“You have to try this. It will change your life!” Has anyone ever said that to you? It usually means your friend discovered something far superior to what he or she had known before. Maybe Ms. Frozen Pizza was introduced to wood-fired pizza. Or Mr. Carnival Ride Guy went to Cedar Point for the first time. The experience is night and day. Likewise, the Christian life can seem mundane, even oppressive to some, with lots of perceived “do's and don'ts” and so many “shoulds.” But a true experience of the Gospel changes everything!
True Gospel People
February 13, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 2:12—3:6
Though cultural issues are often complex, it is all too easy to become polarized, seeing only two sides. Sometimes the side with which we most identify can seem like the correct side... even the only side. When this happens our theology and our passion can grow entwined, leaving the clarity of the gospel a causality to our convictions. But Jesus speaks to all sides! This week we’ll see how a picture Paul paints in his letter to Corinthians helps us to refocus on being true gospel people.
Conflict and Three Tests
February 6, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 2:5–11
Throughout the course of life, someone is going to wrong you. Or, you’re going to wrong them. And then it’s on! Being together has its challenges. Though the daily news is filled with stories of strife between nations and neighbors, the gospel calls Christ-followers to handle relational conflict differently, and better. How much better depends on how deeply the gospel has changed us.
Power in Weakness
January 30, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 12:8–10
Can we all agree that weakness is just the worst?! It’s no fun to experience debilitating sickness, feel powerless to change your circumstances, or not be able to figure something out. When we are at such a disadvantage, we’d rather others not know. But even though it doesn’t seem intuitive to us, God is not very much bothered by our weakness. In fact, He views human weakness from a completely different perspective…as an opportunity! And He longs for us to see it this way, too!
For Your Joy
January 23, 2022 • Jon Morales • 1 Corinthians 1:24—2:4
Something’s missing. It’s missing from the relationships in our families and our workplaces. Sometimes, it’s even missing in the church. Unfortunately, we’re not talking about conflict – there is plenty of that to go around, and we probably experience more than our fair share daily. When that conflict gets intense, often the easiest thing is to just walk away. But that’s not how it should be, and not how God intended things to be. The Gospel is meant to produce something far better in us, in our relationships, and in our culture. But it takes work – often in the form of honest self-evaluation, as we will learn in this weekend’s message.
Always Yes!
January 16, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 1:12–22
Do you have people in your life who usually say “yes” to everything, but sometimes don’t mean it? Even if their aims are good, their follow-through isn’t so much. It increasingly becomes difficult to not only trust their answers but also to credit their intentions. This week we find the Apostle Paul in such a predicament with the Corinthian Christians. They found him fickle and were unsure if his stated aspirations toward them were real. But in Paul’s profound response to the Corinthians, we see the life-changing power in God’s response to us.
Our Suffering and God’s Comfort
January 9, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 1:1–11
Even under normal circumstances, achieving unity is hard. But when culture is polarized, it seems impossible. The first-century Corinthian Church was discordant; comprised of Jewish and Gentile believers – some slaves, others free – and from a wide stratum of social classes. Paul knew the Church can only stand strong if believers are united. Therefore, he begins this letter with a couple of key ways that the Gospel of Jesus connects everyone. Along the way, Paul reveals God’s chosen tool to pry us from our self-reliance.