The Most Cheerful Giver
June 12, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 9:6–15
God isn’t just good at doing impossible math – he loves doing it! How do we know? Throughout the pages of scripture, we continually see situations where the equation doesn’t work. These are the spots where God is quick to insert himself and do what only he can. But the important thing is not that God can, or that God will…it’s that he genuinely wants to! In this last installment of Impossible Math, we’ll learn the key to having a generous heart and see what incredible impact that has on others.
Giving and Leadership
May 15, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 8:10–24
Starting is easy. Finishing is hard. This is especially true with endeavors of consequence. Completing a critical project takes more than a plan – it takes motivation. Sometimes, a fresh reason helps us get going again if we’ve stalled. That’s precisely what the Apostle Paul provides for the Corinthian church – extra impetus to act on their honorable desires. We’ll see that these reasons are also essential for us when it comes to giving.
The Power of Giving
May 1, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 8:7–9
As followers of Jesus Christ, we want our faith in God to be strong! We believe that the Holy Spirit is transforming us from the inside out, but sometimes there are aspects of our lives where we don’t connect the dots. One prominent area is our finances. How we view and use our money tells a story about our faith. This week in our Impossible Math series, we’ll learn that our giving not only impacts how we see God working in us but how others see Him as well.
Visible Grace
April 24, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 8:1–6
“It just doesn’t add up.” How many times have you said that about your personal finances? Oftentimes, the stuff you’d like to do with your money doesn’t seem very possible – especially charitable giving. Once all of the expenses are added up, where does that money come from? The same was true for the Corinthian church. They had made a commitment to a giving campaign for the church in Judea but were struggling to follow through. That’s when Paul shares a story about another church that involves some impossible math.
Are you reconciled to God?
March 20, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 5:11—6:2
“So…what’s new with you?” Certainly, you’ve been on the receiving end of this simple conversation starter. Everyone has. What’s our usual response? “Oh…not much.” But is that true? As followers of Jesus, there is always something new with us. If God’s mercies are “new every morning” and we are a “new creation” in Christ, newness will be our daily experience. But if it’s not, what’s missing? What are we not understanding about being “in Christ” and what it means to be reconciled to God? From this week’s passage, we’ll discover the ways in which reconciliation transforms our lives and the lives of those around us.
An Eternal Body?
March 13, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 5:1–10
How many times a day do you let out a groan? Sometimes the source of the groan is physical – you’re sore from a recent workout, or you’re getting older and are attempting to tie your shoes. Sometimes the source is emotional – sadness at world affairs, or the frustration from having to suffer fools. But every groan is, in some way, an expression of longing; not just the reprieve of a burden we currently carry, but a profound desire for something new, and something better. This week’s passage will leave you with confidence that God hears our longings and intends to fulfill them, but in the most amazing way.
Light Troubles. Eternal Glory.
March 6, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 4:7–18
Anyone who achieves greatness and glory sees things a little differently. Take the Olympic athlete. You and I see someone who may have great talent, great resources, great lineage, or great privilege. And some or all of these external things may be true. But we don’t see how hard they work, how much they sacrifice, or their singularity of focus on a distant prize. For four minutes we focus on what we see. But for four years, they’ve focused on something unseen. In this week’s passage, the Apostle Paul challenges God’s church not to dwell on the difficulties of living in our present age, but to discover the power God unleashes through jars of clay.
Not Losing Heart
February 27, 2022 • Jon Morales • 2 Corinthians 4:1–6
Have you ever observed human behavior when someone pulls out a camera? Bodies straighten, chins jut out, hair gets tossed, eyes widen, shoulders broaden, and smiles appear. No one wants to appear at a disadvantage. We want to look attractive, composed, focused, and strong. Yet, such a pose belies an ever-present reality that people are easily breakable – emotionally, relationally, financially, and in so many other ways. This fragility can cause us to lose heart. As Christians, we can wonder why God asks us to carry the glorious message of the gospel in vessels that are nothing special. As we continue to trace the Apostle Paul’s argument through the first seven chapters of 2 Corinthians, he unveils a pointed metaphor that gets to the paradox of the Christian message and life: jars of clay.
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!
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.