A calling to preach the Gospel is not an assignment to be taken lightly. James cautions against many people pursuing this divinely ordained position within God's kingdom because the high standard by which such a person will be judged by God (Jam 3:1). Further, Paul reminds the church at Corinth that the apostles are servants of Christ by which glory is to be given to God. Therefore, their service should be not source of division, causing the congregation at Corinth to misappropriate their affections more on a preacher's giftings and appearance, than the One who sent them. This Sunday, Paul exhorts them to discontinue these evil judgments considering the fact a preacher true Judge is God alone.
Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
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A Christian is a fellow worker with God in his kingdom mission in the world. His church (body of believers) is his temple by which his Spirit dwells. When we stray from these truths, it is often because we have forgotten who we are and to whom we belong. As a result, we become susceptible to worldliness, which infiltrates the church like a Trojan Horse through the wisdom of men. As Paul closes his discourse on addressing factionalism in the church, he summarizes his main points he has been making through the first three chapters of 1 Corinthians:

· We are God's temple, sanctified to lead a life of holiness that imitates the character and nature of God.

· We are to flee the deception of the wisdom of the age. Its aid in this life is futile.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:16-23
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Jesus is the Chief Cornerstone, and his teaching is the foundation of our faith. A community of believers (Holy Temple, the church) is the structure that is built upon it. Peter writes, (1 Pt 2:5-6) "As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, (5) you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ." As an Apostle, Paul was commissioned by God to lay such a foundation for every church he planted, by which others (and the church today) are called to co-labor with God in building a body of believers in which His righteousness dwells and shines to His glory a dark world. In our sermon text for this Sunday, Paul cautions how we should go about this kingdom advancing work in light of future examination by God in the coming judgement.
Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
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There are no great men of God, but only a great God of men. This truth is lost in a church culture that idolizes ministry leaders like celebrities. Such a worldly mindset had infiltrated the Corinthian church as they gave esteem to men which only belonged to God, which became a source of factionalism. Paul endeavors to set the record straight by reminding them of the true station of ministers in comparison to God as we co-labor with him in his kingdom work. This Sunday, he highlights key roles of a "servant" in the ministry work that applies to all Christians, especially preachers of the Gospel.
Focus Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9
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Earthly wisdom prevails in a church only when spiritual growth is in a degenerative state. When we vacate Biblical truths in exchange human philosophies, ideologies, and political positions it will produce all sorts of fruits of our fallen nature, not that of God. James taught, "For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice (Jam 3:16). This "wisdom of the world or of this age,” was (among many other matters) operating in the Corinthian church that had divided the congregation. A misinterpretation of the character Christ had become a source of disunity (1:12-14). In our focus text, Paul continues his admonishments of the people of God by addressing the root of their problem: Spiritual Immaturity.
Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-4
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Jesus is the reason for the season. He is truly Emmanuel. As we celebrate Christmas [2023], it is vital that we explore the significance of "God with Us." What are the divine blessings we receive by God clothing himself in our humanity? How is our hopeless future changed in the promise of Jesus? This Sunday, we shall offer three reflections on the birth of our Lord into the created order as a blessing to the entire world.
Focus Scripture: Matthew 1:18-25
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This week we continue in I Corinthians 2:6-16 looking at Paul's instruction to a congregation where divisions and contentions were robbing the church of unity and spiritual progress. To combat these problems, Paul addresses the need for better understanding on how God reveals his hidden wisdom. We will see how the spiritual man differs from the natural man and how the wisdom of this world is inadequate for knowing God. By focusing on the fact that all of the servants of God mentioned in Chapter 1 were presenting Gospel truth as the Holy Spirit opened their understanding, the church could unite. The differing speaking styles of each teacher as evaluated by the cultural norms of that day would no longer serve as a source of contention.
Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:6-16
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The wisdom of heaven is displayed through Jesus Christ which glorifies and demonstrates the power of God (Jam 3:17, Prv 30:5). In contrast, the wisdom of earth manifests itself in our sinful nature which glorifies Satan and exposes its futility in the matters of salvation and eternity.

In the opening verses of 1 Cor 2, Paul continues his discourse on the “foolishness” of preaching, “the word of the cross,” to those who holdfast to human wisdom (cf., 1 Cor 1:18-31). In our focus text, he intends to emphasize that the proclamation of the gospel of “Christ crucified” does not draw its power in persuasive speech, but rather by the Holy Spirit. As believers, we are reminded we are to pay much closer attention to the substance and quality of the preaching of the gospel, rather than the outward appearance and oration talents of a preacher.

Focus Scripture: 1 Corinthians 2:1-5
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