A Hectic, Yet Blessed Life

It's been nearly a month since my last post and so much has happened since then. I have been meaning to update my blog, but every time I try something else comes up. For those who may not know, I am an intern with the student ministry at First Baptist Church in Clarksville, TN. I volunteer my time, seeing as I don't get paid, but I am very serious about it and see it as my job and as first priority. Again I do not get paid, therefore as a college student I needed a way to make some cash.

I have been doing this for a year, the entire time desperately searching for a paying job to be able to support myself financially. As my first year of school went by nothing seemed to poke it's proverbial head. In this time God taught me a lot, and I believe used that time to further mold me into being self sufficient as I received a bare minimum from my parents to get me along until I had a paying job.

Just before I was getting ready to start classes at Austin Peay this semester, God seemed to just throw an opportunity in my lap. I got a job at a Lasater's Coffee and Tea franchise here in Clarksville. Since, times have just been hectic with training there, now working closing shifts, and school work, as well as my job as an intern at FBC. The past month of my life has been a constant juggling act, burning a candle at three ends, just trying to figure out where everything fits. God has blessed me in so many ways, and in the midst of my current chaos I feel a sense of peace in it all.

Do not worry, in case anyone was, I have not forgot about my blog series on Corinthians. I plan to continue on soon, along with other posts. God is just doing many a work in my life right now, and I praise him for the blessing it is to be calm in the midst of this all, and the way he has blessed me in new relationships and a blessing financially with this new job.

I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.

-1 Corinthians 9:23

Check This Out

A video of discussion between pastors Josh Harris, Francis Chan, and Mark Driscoll talking about What is next for Francis Chan and their hearts for pastoring. A great video!

What's Next for Francis Chan? A Conversation with Mark Driscoll and Joshua Harris from Ben Peays on Vimeo.

Letters to Corinth: 1-Boast in the Lord

Passage- 1 Corinthians 1:18-30

(I will quote specific verses, but I ask and encourage you read, or have on hand, the passage.)

You may notice that I have skipped a small section of 1 Corinthians. This is deliberate in that we will return to it soon. Paul is addressing a specific issue of division in the church, but there are sections to the way he addresses it. Therefore in these next few posts we will dissect some of the specifics, and then take a look at it in the grand scheme of what Paul is saying to the church in Corinth. At that point we will come back to the section I am skipping for now.

"For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.'" -1 Corinthians 1:18-19 ESV

In this passage, Paul addresses the wisdom and the power of God. For the next few verses, he talks about how in the world's eyes, how the gentiles think of what wisdom is, the truth of the gospel is foolish, or "folly", as Paul states. But he addresses the world's wisdom, compared to God's wisdom in verse 25, saying, "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men." Specifically, Paul talks about how to the non-believing Jew, a crucified Christ is offensive and a stumbling block. And that to the "wise" Greek, or gentile, it is foolish. They don't understand it. In their way of thinking, whether it is offensive or foolish, Christ crucified makes no sense to them. The point that Paul is quick to make is that the wisdom of God surpasses that of man by leaps and bounds. What is wise to man is made foolish by the surpassing wisdom of God. In verse 21 he says how God is pleased in us preaching foolishness for the glory of God, because in reality, in preaching the gospel of Christ crucified we are sharing the true wisdom of God.

"For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;" -1 Corinthians 1:26-27 ESV

In that time, people were considered above others because of ancestry, how "wise" they were, or how much power they had. In verses 26-31, Paul points out that many of the church are not of these attributes. Explaining that Christ chose them by nothing of what they had done, but that God makes the standards of wisdom and power in the world low because of his surpassing wisdom. In the world people are chosen because of what they have done, but in Christ we are not chosen by foreseen merit, but because of the grace of God. In this we boast not in ourselves, but in the wisdom and power of God.

"And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, 'Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.' " -1 Corinthians 1:30-31 ESV

We live in such a similar state to that of Corinth. So many similarities in our culture, specifically the focus on wisdom. People of our day boast in what they know, filling our nation and world with prideful arrogance. Like to the people of Corinth, the gospel is foolishness to the "wise" of today. We live in a time where we boast in our success, fame, and fortune. We must be weary and heed the word that God brought through Paul. Not to boast in ourselves, but boast in the fact that we are saved through Christ, by nothing that we have done, but what God has done in us. Seek the true wisdom of God, not the self-righteous "wisdom" of our day.

Letters to Corinth: Intro

In the coming weeks I will be posting a series of blog posts titled, "Letters to Corinth". This is not anything I'm trying to peddle as some new or cool idea. There have probably been, in fact, I am quite certain that I've read blogs and listened to sermons on this same subject, possibly even titled exactly the same. This is a study of how God's words, through Paul, hold just as much weight as they did in the days of the early church.

The idea to do this really stems from hearing and reading so many passages from 1st & 2nd Corinthians over this summer and last year. I have felt a strong desire to study this and the idea came across to put this up on my blog and open to a bit of discussion. So over the coming weeks, intermingled with my other posts, there will be these, studying through 1st & 2nd Corinthians, dissecting how these two letters to the 1st century church in Corinth apply to the church today.

I will end this short introduction with a quote, specifically what Paul says in opening to the church in Corinth,

"I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge— even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you— so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord." -1 Corinthians 1:4-9 (ESV)

Follow Up

A few months ago I posted a link to an article on The Resurgence titled "A Religious Boneyard: Examining the South" by Tyler Jones, a pastor in North Carolina. If you haven't read it check it out here, http://theresurgence.com/religious-boneyard-examining-the-south

This is a follow up article describing the problem in the "church" of the South. Here's a quick quote from the article.

"Our churches are full of good-looking, upright, moral people. The tragic irony is that our goodness is our poision. A great many Southerners claim Christianity as their religion, mimicking righteousness on the surface while their hearts remain unchanged by the gospel of Jesus."

Get the full article here, http://theresurgence.com/quaint_moralism

Check This Out - Divisions in the Church

A satirical look at how the church becomes divided. If you you really listen to this, it makes many things that divide us as a church seem petty and childish.

Satan Talks Church Strategy with Craig Groeschel from LifeChurch.tv on Vimeo.

Check This Out

"In ancient times, Satan deceived God's people to prize their knowledge of the Scriptures more than the One behind them. Today, he lures God's people to fall more in love with their theological system than their Savior—a particular danger for our tribe."

A great article, take a minute to read it. Click and check it out!

http://theresurgence.com/justification_by_theology