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Puzzled about the Quality of Your Church?

1 Corinthians 3:10-17

August 28, 2022 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 3:10–17

1 Corinthians 3:10-17

10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care.

11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.

12 If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,

13 their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work.

14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.

15 If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames.

16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?

17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.

Puzzled about the Affect of Your Actions?

April 21, 2024 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 8:7–9

1 Corinthians 8 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.  3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”  5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),  6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.  8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?  11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Puzzled about Using God's Word?

April 14, 2024 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 8:4–6

1 Corinthians 8 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.  3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”  5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),  6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.  8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?  11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.

Puzzled about Knowledge?

April 7, 2024 • Brian Jones • 1 Corinthians 8:1–3

1 Corinthians 8 1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that “We all possess knowledge.” But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.  2 Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.  3 But whoever loves God is known by God. 4 So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world” and that “There is no God but one.”  5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”),  6 yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7 But not everyone possesses this knowledge. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.  8 But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak.  10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?  11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge.  12 When you sin against them in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.  13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.