The Wisdom of God, part 1
Welcome to Chapel City Church! Last week we were reminded how important unity is in the church. The gospel ministry in Corinth was hindered by deep divisions among God’s people. And the root cause of division, for them and for us, is pride. For the rest of the chapter, Paul shows that there is no foundation for pride in the life of a believer. The wisdom of God that…
The Unity of the Church
Welcome to Chapel City Church! Last week we laid the foundation for how Paul dealt with the issues facing the Corinthian church. Because they belong to Christ, because He is working in them, because He will finish that work, Paul anticipates real change. And he doesn’t wait long to address one of the main problems facing these beloved people. This is a church deeply…
The Foundation for Change
Welcome to Chapel City Church! Last week we introduced the author, audience, and the occasion behind 1 Corinthians. Paul writes to a people that he loves, but who need encouragement, guidance, and even correction. But how does Paul begin his letter to the church? Will he begin with righteous anger? Perhaps a list of wrongs that they need to correct? What we see might be…
The Church in Process: The Christian’s Calling
Welcome to Chapel City Church! Today we begin our journey through another book of the Bible as we open the pages of1 Corinthians. Most of us are familiar with parts and pieces of the letter. There are well-known passages that deal with the spiritual gifts, with the definition of love, and with the…
Closing Comfort
Welcome to Chapel City Church! For the last year, we have worked through the Book of Hebrews. We have been encouraged by the truth of who Christ is. We have been warned against the dangers of falling away. We have been called to live with joyful obedience, no matter our circumstances. This week, we come to the final lines of the book. Our author offers a final prayer on…
Love & Leadership
Chapter 13 has given us a model of what it looks like to offer acceptable sacrifice to God. We love others through hospitality, meeting needs, and in marriage. We think rightly about money and provision. We understand that because Christ made the final sacrifice for our sins, we can offer the sacrifice of praise and thankfulness to Him. This week, we look at sacrifice as…
Offering Acceptable Sacrifice
Welcome to Chapel City Church! Hebrews 13 began by focusing on love. We are called to love with a brotherly affection. That love extends to strangers in hospitality, and to those who are suffering. We saw the call to love well in the context of marriage, and last week the exhortation was to be free from the love of money. This week, we will work through a larger section…
Running for Love, part 3: Love & Money
Welcome to Chapel City Church! An obedient response to God never begins with a list of actions, even things that are objectively “good.” As Christians, we know that without faith it is impossible to please God. Every piece of our obedience is a faith-driven response drawn from love. Because God loved us and transformed us at a heart level, we are able to love Him.…
Running with Love, part 2: Love & Marriage
Welcome to Chapel City Church! As we continue working through Hebrews 13, we will see love play out in several different contexts. This week, we see what love looks like in marriage. The author gives one brief verse to the idea of honoring marriage, but we know that we could spend months working…
Running with Love, part 1: Love for Others
Welcome to Chapel City Church! This week we open up the final chapter of Hebrews. As he closes his letter to a people he loves dearly, our author has some important final points to make. In the coming weeks, we will work through brief points of practical application. And right at the beginning, we are reminded that love is the heart motivation behind all of these things.…
Do Not Refuse Him Who is Speaking
Welcome to Chapel City Church! Last week we stood at the foot of two mountains. At Mount Sinai we saw the holiness of God revealed in fire, darkness, and trembling. At Mount Zion we rejoiced that through Jesus Christ we have been welcomed into God’s presence by grace. That incredible privilege calls for a response: Will we listen to the God who speaks? This week we…
Fear & Faith: A Tale of Two Mountains
Welcome to Chapel City Church! We know that the consistent message of the Book of Hebrews has been that Jesus is better. Earlier in the book, we saw that he was better than Moses, the lawgiver of Israel. Moses was a faithful steward in the house, but Christ is the builder of the house. This week we will see a comparison that brings us back to that time of Moses and the…