We come to the conclusion of Revelation (and the conclusion of the canon!), and we find that ultimately, this is a book of hope. We are invited to “come” and hear the good news of the gospel. Come and leave this world behind, trusting that the next one is coming. Indeed, it is here.
We look at what it means to be faithful even as times get difficult.
Paul tells us that despite being the epitome of an honorable person, a good Jew, he “counts it all as loss” because of Christ. What does it mean to count it all as loss? We find that only in giving up our accomplishments do they have any value at all.
What does it mean that we “no longer see anyone from a human point of view”? We look at how we learn to see the new work of God in one another, even if it hasn’t started yet.
“If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” We hear and dwell upon this good news
Paul tells the church in Corinth that they, themselves, are a letter from God with the image of Christ, written in the ink of the Spirit. What does it mean to be a living testimony as a church?
Here we have our final stop in 1 Corinthians for the year, once again focusing on the issue of resurrection. We see that God is not done with this place or these bodies, and we should not have our eyes on escape, but instead place our hope in resurrection.
We take a deep look at the famous “love passage” here in 1 Corinthians, finding not instructions for marriage, but instructions for the church. We are to love not only those who are easy to love, but those who aren’t.
We continue working through 1 Corinthians 12, finding Paul identifying the Corinthian church as the body of Christ. We look at what this means for us.
We begin moving through the latter section of 1 Corinthians, talking about Spiritual Gifts, the source of those gifts, and the way those gifts function in the church.