July 7, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 13:7–14
After defending himself and showing what a true apostle is, the Apostle Paul focuses on the opposite. What happens when believers are not striving to be true apostles? What healthy habits of discipleship are compromised when believers lack biblical integrity?
Great Expectations
June 30, 2024 • 2 Corinthians 12:20—13:2
Paul anticipates his visit to Corinth and challenges the believers with the expectations he has for them when he arrives. The expectations hold true for all disciples including us today. It’s God’s Power at work in us in our weakness that enables us to live out these expectations.
The Motivation for Ministry
June 23, 2024 • Caleb Roth, Associate Pastor • 2 Corinthians 12:11–21
In the concluding section of 2 Corinthians 12, Paul has “foolishly” boasted of his weaknesses in contrasting his ministry with the actions of the false “super-apostles. He knows God is watching and he wants these Corinthians to understand that this is what motivates his desire to not be a burden to them and why their continued growth in holiness is so crucial to his ministry. The answer to why our ministry is motivated—God is watching—may seem simple, but we should think deeper about what Paul says this pure motivation will look like.
The Blessing of Christian Weakness
June 16, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 12:7–10
Last Sunday, we saw Paul speak of two very different but connected experiences, one ecstatic and one painful. At the conclusion, he told us that Jesus gave to him these words of comfort, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor 12:9). Today we’ll explore this most compelling promise to learn how it helps us in our weakness.
How to Spot a Genuine Disciple in the Church
June 9, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 12:1–10
How do you spot a genuine disciple in the church?
- Genuine Disciples are Shaped by Testimony (1-6), “I must go on boasting…and I know that this man was caught up into paradise…” (1,2)
- Genuine Disciples are Sifted by Trials (7-10), “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness…” (9)
How to Spot a Genuine Leader in the Church
May 26, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 11:16–33
How do you spot a genuine leader in the church?
- You Will Know Them By Their Resolve (16-21a), “…since many boast according to the flesh, I too will boast…” (18)
- You Will Know Them By Their Resume (21b-33), “…if I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness…” (30)
How to Spot a Wolf in the Church
May 19, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 11:1–15
How do you spot a wolf in the church?
You Will Know Them By Their Beliefs (11:1-11), “But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ…” (3)
- They are deceptive – what your thoughts! (3), “…your thoughts will be led astray…”
- They teach false doctrine (4)
- Don’t take the bait! (4), “…you put up with it readily enough”
You Will Know Them By Their Behavior (12-15), “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ…” (13)
- They attack the faithful (7-11)
- They masquerade…but it won’t last (15), “…their end will correspond to their deeds”
Clarifying the Mission
May 12, 2024 • Caleb Roth, Associate Pastor • 2 Corinthians 10:7–18
How do we regain clarity following conflict?
- Edifying others without foolish compromise (7-11), …authority, which the Lord gave for building you up and not for destroying you. 2 Co 10:8
- Evaluating outcomes without false comparisons (12-15a),…when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding. 2 Co 10:12
- Expanding objectives without forced commendations (15b-18), as your faith increases, our area of influence among you may be greatly enlarged, 2 Co 10:15 For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends. 2 Co 10:18
Sound the Battle Cry - Part 2
April 28, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 10:1–8
How should we approach, respond to and deal with personal conflict?
- Before You Do Anything…Check Your Attitude (1-3), “I Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…” (1)
- Before You Do Anything…Check Your Artillery (4-6), “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power…” (4)
*The ‘Weapons’ of Truth, Love, Faith, Prayer
- Before You Do Anything…Check Your Aim (7,8), “Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone if confident that He is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we…” (7)
Sound the Battle Cry
April 21, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 10:1–8
How should we approach, respond to and deal with personal conflict?
- Before You Do Anything…Check Your Attitude (1-3), “I Paul, myself entreat you, by the meekness and gentleness of Christ…” (1)
- Before You Do Anything…Check Your Artillery (4-6), “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power…” (4)
- Before You Do Anything…Check Your Aim (7,8), “Look at what is before your eyes. If anyone if confident that He is Christ’s, let him remind himself that just as he is Christ’s, so also are we…” (7)
The Cheerful Giver - Part 2
April 14, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 9:9–15
How do we move our hearts to a place of spontaneous generosity?
As we embrace the…
The Bounty of Kingdom Grace (8-10), “And God is able….He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing…” (8;10)
The Benefits of Kingdom Giving (11-15), “By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the Gospel of Christ…” (13)
-*It Meets Needs (11,12)
-*It Awakens Gratitude (12)
-*It Glorifies God (13)
-*It Stimulates Prayer (14)
The Cheerful Giver - Part 1 (8:30am)
April 7, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 9:1–8
How do we move our hearts to a place of spontaneous generosity?
- Motivated by the Beauty of Giving (v.1-5), “…for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia…” (2)
- Mobilized by the Blessing of Giving (v.6-8), “…each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver…” (7)
The Gracious Generosity of an Ambassador
March 10, 2024 • Paul Nystedt, Associate Pastor • 2 Corinthians 8:1–15
How do we live and give with an eternal perspective?
- An Example and Call to Generosity—What it Looks Like (1-7, 10-15)
- The Empowerment of Generosity—How we do it (8-9)
The Fruit of Biblical Discipleship
February 25, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 7:2–16
What is the fruit of biblical discipleship?
- Fruit Test # 1: A Culture of Genuine Community (2-7), “…I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy…” (4)
- Fruit Test # 2: A Culture of Genuine Contrition (8-16), “As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting…for you felt a godly grief…for godly grief produces a repentance…whereas worldly grief produces death…” (9,10)
The Boundaries of an Ambassador
February 18, 2024 • Keith Doyle, Senior Pastor • 2 Corinthians 6:14—7:1
The Christian conundrum…we are “IN” the world, not to be “OF” the world, but are to “GO” to it…
Are we to engage our culture or completely separate from It?
- Why Can’t Believers be “Yoked” with Non-Believers? (14-16), “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers!” (14)
- What Kinds of Activities or Associations are Forbidden? (6:17-7:1), “therefore go out from their midst and be separate from them…let us cleanse ourselves” (17;7:1)
