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10 Life-Changing Lessons from 1st Corinthians Every Christian Must Know · truthunedited

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  Speaker 1: Have you ever wondered why churches seemed to struggle with
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  Speaker 1: the same issues as the world. Why believers who have
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  Speaker 1: been in the faith for years still struggle with division, pride,
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  Speaker 1: and compromise. Why some Christians are gifted, knowledgeable, and passionate,
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  Speaker 1: yet still lack true spiritual maturity. The truth is this
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  Speaker 1: is nothing new. The early Church faced the exact same struggles,
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  Speaker 1: and that is why Paul wrote First Corinthians to call
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  Speaker 1: the church back to spiritual maturity. The Corinthian Church had everything,
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  Speaker 1: spiritual gifts, passionate believers, and a strong foundation in Christ,
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  Speaker 1: but they were still acting like spiritual infants. They were
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  Speaker 1: arguing over leadership, dividing into factions, tolerating sin, and turning
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  Speaker 1: God's grace into an excuse to live however they wanted,
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  Speaker 1: and Paul's message to them was simple, It's time to
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  Speaker 1: grow up. Because spiritual gifts without maturity lead to pride.
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  Speaker 1: Knowledge without love leads to division, Freedom without discipline leads
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  Speaker 1: to destruction, and the same is true today. We live
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  Speaker 1: in a time when churches are more divided than ever.
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  Speaker 1: Arguments over theology, politics and leadership have split the body
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  Speaker 1: of Christ Believers. Chase after spiritual experiences, but many lack
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  Speaker 1: the depth of character to walk faithfully with God. The
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  Speaker 1: world is watching, but instead of seeing a united, holy,
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  Speaker 1: and loving church, they often see the same chaos, pride,
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  Speaker 1: and sin that exists outside the church walls. And this
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  Speaker 1: is why First Corinthians matters, because this book is not
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  Speaker 1: just a letter. It is a wake up call, a
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  Speaker 1: call to unity instead of division, holiness instead of compromise,
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  Speaker 1: love instead of pride, discipline in instead of complacency. And
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  Speaker 1: in this video, we are going to break down ten
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  Speaker 1: of the most powerful lessons from the Book of First
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  Speaker 1: Corinthians in a way you have never heard before. Because
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  Speaker 1: the truth is, many believers today are still stuck in
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  Speaker 1: spiritual infancy. When God has called us to maturity, many
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  Speaker 1: are still dividing over secondary issues. When God has called
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  Speaker 1: us to unity. Many are still living in compromise when
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  Speaker 1: God has called us to holiness. So let me ask you.
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  Speaker 1: Have you ever felt discouraged by division in the church.
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  Speaker 1: Have you ever wondered why some Christians seem to know
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  Speaker 1: so much but love so little? Have you ever struggled
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  Speaker 1: with balancing freedom in Christ with the call to holiness?
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  Speaker 1: Because by the time you finish this video, you will
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  Speaker 1: not only understand the Book of First Corinthians, you will
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  Speaker 1: understand how to live as a strong, mature and faithful
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  Speaker 1: follower of Christ. Here at Deep Bible Stories, we break
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  Speaker 1: down the Bible in a way that makes it easy
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  Speaker 1: to understand and apply to your daily life. We have
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  Speaker 1: created a full explainer video on First Corinthians and an
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  Speaker 1: in depth e book to help you go even deeper
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  Speaker 1: in your study. Both are linked in the description. It
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  Speaker 1: is our prayer that this message challenges you, encourages you,
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  Speaker 1: and awakens something in your spirit, because God is calling
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  Speaker 1: his church to be strong, united and spiritually mature. With
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  Speaker 1: that being said, let's get started. The first most important
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  Speaker 1: lesson we learn from First Corinthians is this true wisdom
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  Speaker 1: comes from God, not the world. We just learned that.
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  Speaker 1: Paul wrote this letter as a wake up call to
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  Speaker 1: a church that was gifted but immature, and one of
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  Speaker 1: their greatest problems was that they had started to rely
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  Speaker 1: on human wisdom instead of God's wisdom. They were proud
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  Speaker 1: of their knowledge, their ability to debate, and their understanding
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  Speaker 1: of philosophy, but in doing so they lost sight of
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  Speaker 1: the simplicity of the Gospel. Paul confronts this head on
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  Speaker 1: in First Corinthians one eighteen to twenty five, saying, for
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  Speaker 1: the message of the Cross is foolishness to those who
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  Speaker 1: are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it
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  Speaker 1: is the power of God. For it is written, I
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  Speaker 1: will destroy the wisdom of the wise, the intelligence of
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  Speaker 1: the intelligent, I will frustrate The Corinthians lived in a
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  Speaker 1: culture that valued intellectual superiority. They were surrounded by Greek philosophy,
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  Speaker 1: Roman politics, and religious legalism, all of which claim to
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  Speaker 1: offer truth, wisdom, and power. But Paul makes it clear
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  Speaker 1: true wisdom is not found in human reasoning. It is
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  Speaker 1: found in the Cross. And this message is just as
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  Speaker 1: relevant to day as it was back then. Because we
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  Speaker 1: live in a world that idolizes human wisdom, people chase
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  Speaker 1: after degrees, titles, and achievements, believing that knowledge alone is
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  Speaker 1: the key to success. Social media has made it easier
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  Speaker 1: than ever to debate, argue, and prove who is right.
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  Speaker 1: The world glorifies intellectual superiority, but it rejects the wisdom
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  Speaker 1: of God. Think about it. If you go out to
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  Speaker 1: day and start talking about faith, repentance, and salvation through Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: many people will mock you. They will call it outdated, irrational,
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  Speaker 1: or even foolish, because in the eyes of the world,
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  Speaker 1: the gospel makes no sense. How could one man's death
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  Speaker 1: on a cross be the solution to the world's greatest problem.
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  Speaker 1: How could faith be more powerful than knowledge? How could
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  Speaker 1: humility be the path to greatness? But Paul is telling
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  Speaker 1: us this is exactly how God works. For since in
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  Speaker 1: the wisdom of God, the world, through its wisdom, did
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  Speaker 1: not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of
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  Speaker 1: what was preached to save those who believe First Corinthians
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  Speaker 1: one twenty one. God deliberately chose a path that confuses
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  Speaker 1: human logic. He did not send Jesus as a military leader,
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  Speaker 1: a philosopher, or a political power house. He sent him
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  Speaker 1: as a servant, as a sacrifice, as the very embodiment
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  Speaker 1: of love, humility, and surrendered. And because of this the
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  Speaker 1: world rejected him. This is why the Gospel offends human pride.
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  Speaker 1: It tells us that we cannot save ourselves. No matter
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  Speaker 1: how smart, successful, or powerful we are. We need Jesus.
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  Speaker 1: Our wisdom is not enough. The greatest human minds cannot
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  Speaker 1: understand the depths of God's ways. God's way is upside down.
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  Speaker 1: Strength comes through weakness, life comes through death, Victory comes
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  Speaker 1: through surrender. And this is where we must ask ourselves
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  Speaker 1: whose wisdom are we relying on, Because many believers to
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  Speaker 1: day are still trying to mix the world's wisdom with
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  Speaker 1: God's truth. Some trust science and philosophy over scripture, believing
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  Speaker 1: that faith must conform to human logic. Some trust self
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  Speaker 1: help and psychology over spiritual discipline, looking for motivation rather
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  Speaker 1: than transformation. Some trust money, status, and politics over the
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  Speaker 1: power of God, thinking that earthly influence is the answer
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  Speaker 1: to spiritual problems. But Paul reminds us in First Corinthians
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  Speaker 1: three nineteen, for the wisdom of this world is foolishness
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  Speaker 1: in God's sight. God's wisdom is not like human wisdom.
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  Speaker 1: The world says, believe in yourself. God says, deny yourself,
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  Speaker 1: take up your cross, and follow me Matthew's sixteen twenty four.
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  Speaker 1: The world says the strongest survive. God says, MY power
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  Speaker 1: is made perfect in weakness Tewod Corinthians twelve nine. The
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  Speaker 1: world says, get what you deserve. God says, I give
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  Speaker 1: grace that you don't deserve. Ephesians two Colon eight. So
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  Speaker 1: what does this mean for us? It means we must
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  Speaker 1: make a choice. Will we build our lives on God's
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  Speaker 1: wisdom or the world's wisdom, Because what you trust will
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  Speaker 1: determine how you live. If you trust in human wisdom,
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  Speaker 1: you will be self reliant, prideful, and anxious, constantly trying
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  Speaker 1: to prove yourself, afraid of failure, and chasing after knowledge
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  Speaker 1: that never satisfies. But if you trust in God's wisdom,
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  Speaker 1: you will be humble, peaceful, and secure, knowing that your
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  Speaker 1: worth is not in how much you know, but in
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  Speaker 1: who you belong to. Think about jesus disciples. They were
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  Speaker 1: not scholars, philosophers, or theologians. They were fishermen, tax collectors,
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  Speaker 1: and ordinary men. But because they relied on God's wisdom,
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  Speaker 1: they change the world. Meanwhile, the Pharisees, the most educated
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  Speaker 1: religious leaders of the time, missed the truth standing right
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  Speaker 1: in front of them. Why. Because the Kingdom of God
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  Speaker 1: is not built on human logic, it is built on faith.
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  Speaker 1: So let me ask you, are you still relying on
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  Speaker 1: your own understanding? Are you trying to figure out life
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  Speaker 1: on your own, trusting in your plans, your intellect, your opinions,
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  Speaker 1: while neglecting what God has already spoken. Are you hesitating
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  Speaker 1: to fully trust God because his ways do not always
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  Speaker 1: make sense? Because today God is reminding you his wisdom
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  Speaker 1: is higher, his ways are greater, His truth is eternal.
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  Speaker 1: So stop chasing after the approval of the world, Stop
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  Speaker 1: trying to fit God's truth in to human reasoning. Stop
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  Speaker 1: depending on your own understanding when the creator of the
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  Speaker 1: universe has already given you the answers. Choose to day
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  Speaker 1: to trust God's wisdom, even when the world calls it foolish,
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  Speaker 1: even when it does not make sense, even when it
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  Speaker 1: requires faith, because when you do, you will see that
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  Speaker 1: what the world calls foolish is actually the power of
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  Speaker 1: God at work. The second most important lesson we learn
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  Speaker 1: from First Corinthians is this Christ, not people, is the
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  Speaker 1: foundation of our faith. We just learned that true wisdom
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  Speaker 1: comes from God, not the world. That the Gospel itself
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  Speaker 1: is foolishness to human logic, yet it is the power
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  Speaker 1: of God to those who believe. But even when we
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  Speaker 1: understand this, there is another danger that can creep in
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  Speaker 1: the temptation to build our faith on people instead of Christ.
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  Speaker 1: This was exactly what was happening in the career Corinthian Church.
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  Speaker 1: Instead of focusing on Jesus, they had started dividing over
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  Speaker 1: human leaders. Some followed Paul, some followed Apollos, some followed Peter,
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  Speaker 1: and they were turning their spiritual preferences into spiritual rivalries.
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  Speaker 1: Paul calls this out in First Corinthians three one to four, saying,
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  Speaker 1: brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people
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  Speaker 1: who live by the spirit, but as people who are
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  Speaker 1: still worldly, mere infants in Christ. For since there is
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  Speaker 1: jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are
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  Speaker 1: you not acting like mere humans? For when one says
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  Speaker 1: I follow Paul and another I follow Apollos, are you
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  Speaker 1: not being merely human? Paul is saying you are acting
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  Speaker 1: like spiritual infants. Because spiritual maturity is not about who
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  Speaker 1: you follow. It is about who your faith is built on.
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  Speaker 1: And this issue is just as real today as it
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  Speaker 1: was in corinth because we live in a time when
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  Speaker 1: Christians are more divided than ever. Some follow their favorite pastors, theologians,
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  Speaker 1: or influences more than they follow Christ. Some are loyal
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  Speaker 1: to denominations, church traditions, or movements rather than the Gospel itself.
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  Speaker 1: Some treat Christian leaders like celebrities, defending them no matter what,
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  Speaker 1: even when they fall into sin. And because of this,
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  Speaker 1: the Church is divided. People argue over doctrine, criticize those
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  Speaker 1: who have different interpretations, and compete over who is right
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  Speaker 1: instead of focusing on what is true. Some believers even
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  Speaker 1: walk away from the faith entirely, not because Jesus failed them,
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  Speaker 1: but because a leader they admired did. And this is
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  Speaker 1: why Paul reminds us people are not the foundation Jesus is.
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  Speaker 1: In First Corinthians three five to seven, he writes, what,
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  Speaker 1: after all, is Apollos and what is Paul? Only servants
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  Speaker 1: through whom you came to believe, as the Lord has
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  Speaker 1: assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos
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  Speaker 1: watered it, but God has been making it grow. So
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  Speaker 1: neither the one who plants nor the one who waters
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  Speaker 1: is anything, but only God who makes things grow. Paul
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  Speaker 1: is saying leaders are just servants. They plant, they water,
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  Speaker 1: but only God brings the growth. And then he makes
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  Speaker 1: this powerful statement in First Corinthians three eleven, for no
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  Speaker 1: one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid,
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  Speaker 1: which is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only foundation, not
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  Speaker 1: a church, not a denomination, not a famous preacher, not
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  Speaker 1: a social movement, not a political ideology. Only Christ. And
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  Speaker 1: if we build on anything else, our faith will not stand.
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  Speaker 1: Jesus himself warned about this in Matthew seven twenty four
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  Speaker 1: to twenty seven. He said, everyone who hears these words
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  Speaker 1: of mine and puts them into practice is like a
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  Speaker 1: wise man who built his house on the rock. The
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  Speaker 1: rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew
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  Speaker 1: and beat against that house. Yet it did not fall,
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  Speaker 1: because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone
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  Speaker 1: who hears these words of mine and does not put
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  Speaker 1: them into practice is like a foolish man who built
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  Speaker 1: his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose,
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  Speaker 1: and the winds blew and beat against that house, and
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  Speaker 1: it fell with a great crash. If your faith is
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  Speaker 1: built on Christ, it will withstand every storm. But if
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  Speaker 1: your faith is built on a leader, a church, a movement,
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  Speaker 1: or an idea, it will collapse the moment that thing fails.
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  Speaker 1: And this is why division in the church is so dangerous,
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  Speaker 1: because when we elevate personalities over the person of Christ,
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  Speaker 1: we are building on sand instead of rock. When we
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  Speaker 1: let spiritual preferences divide us. Instead of focusing on spiritual unity,
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  Speaker 1: we weaken the body of Christ. Paul urges us in
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  Speaker 1: First Corinthians one ten. I appeal to you, brothers and sisters,
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  Speaker 1: in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all
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  Speaker 1: of you agree with one another in what you say,
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  Speaker 1: and that there be no divisions among you, but that
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  Speaker 1: you be perfectly united in mind and thought. He's not
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  Speaker 1: saying we must agree on everything, but we must be
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  Speaker 1: united in Christ. So what does this mean for us?
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  Speaker 1: It means we need to check our hearts. Are we
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  Speaker 1: more passionate about defending our favorite preacher than we are
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  Speaker 1: about defending the truth of the gods. Are we quick
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  Speaker 1: to criticize believers who have different backgrounds, denominations, or perspectives.
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  Speaker 1: Are we putting too much faith in human leaders, leaders
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  Speaker 1: who are flawed, temporary, and imperfect, rather than in Jesus,
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  Speaker 1: who never fails. Because people will fail you, churches will
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  Speaker 1: disappoint you, movements will change, but Jesus never changes. And
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  Speaker 1: today God is calling his church back to the true foundation,
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  Speaker 1: back to unity, back to humility, back to a faith
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  Speaker 1: that is not built on charisma, knowledge, or trends, but
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  Speaker 1: on Jesus alone. So let me ask you what is
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  Speaker 1: your faith really built on. Is it built on Christ,
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  Speaker 1: the unshakable foundation, or is it built on a personality,
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  Speaker 1: a movement, or a human system that will not last?
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  Speaker 1: Because today God is reminding you leaders come and go,
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  Speaker 1: but Jesus remains forever. So stand firm on the only
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  Speaker 1: foundation that will never fail. The third most important lesson
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  Speaker 1: we learn from First Corinthians is this your body is
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  Speaker 1: the temple of the Holy Spirit. We just learned that Christ,
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  Speaker 1: not human leaders, not personal preferences, not traditions, is the
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  Speaker 1: only foundation of our faith. And when our faith is
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  Speaker 1: built on Him, it changes everything about how we live.
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  Speaker 1: But one of the greatest deceptions that crept into the
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  Speaker 1: Corinthian Church and still affects believers today is the idea
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  Speaker 1: that grace gives us permission to live however we want.
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  Speaker 1: Paul confronts this issue directly in First Corinthians six nineteen
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  Speaker 1: to twenty, saying, do you not know that your bodies
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  Speaker 1: are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you,
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  Speaker 1: whom you have received from God. You are not your own,
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  Speaker 1: You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with
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  Speaker 1: your bodies. The Corinthians lived in a culture of moral corruption.
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  Speaker 1: Sexual sin was not only common, it was celebrated. Temple
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  Speaker 1: prostitution was part of religious rituals. People did whatever they
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  Speaker 1: wanted with their bodies, and some of this mindset had
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  Speaker 1: crept into the church. Believers were saying things like, it
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  Speaker 1: doesn't matter what I do with my body. What matters
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  Speaker 1: is my heart. They were arguing, I'm saved by grace,
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  Speaker 1: so my actions don't affect my relationship with God. And
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  Speaker 1: Paul shuts this down immediately. He tells them, your body
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  Speaker 1: is not your own. You have been bought with a price,
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  Speaker 1: and now your life, including your body, must reflect the
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  Speaker 1: one who saved you. This is a message we need
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  Speaker 1: more than ever because we live in a culture that
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  Speaker 1: teaches my body my choice, Do whatever feels good, follow
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  Speaker 1: your desires. No one can tell you how to live,
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  Speaker 1: and unfortunately, some believers have adopted this same mindset. They
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  Speaker 1: say it doesn't matter what I watch, listen to, or consume,
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  Speaker 1: It's just entertainment. They say it doesn't matter how I dress,
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  Speaker 1: how I speak, or how I present myself. God knows
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  Speaker 1: my heart. They say it doesn't matter what I do
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  Speaker 1: with my body because grace covers everything. But Paul is
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  Speaker 1: saying the exact opposite. If you belong to Christ, your
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  Speaker 1: body is not your own. You were created by God,
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  Speaker 1: you were purchased by the blood of Jesus, you were
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  Speaker 1: sealed with the Holy Spirit. And now your body is
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  Speaker 1: a temple. Think about what that means. In the Old Testament,
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  Speaker 1: the temple was the dwelling place of God. It was
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  Speaker 1: wholly set apart and treated with the highest reverence. People
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  Speaker 1: could not just walk and do whatever they wanted. There
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  Speaker 1: were strict laws about purity, holiness, and worship because the
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  Speaker 1: presence of God was there. And now Paul is saying
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  Speaker 1: you are that temple. God's presence no longer dwells in
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  Speaker 1: a physical building. He does not live in a temple
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  Speaker 1: made of stone. He lives inside of you, and that
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  Speaker 1: means your life must reflect His holiness. Leviticus eleven forty
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  Speaker 1: four says be holy because I am holy. Romans twelve
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  Speaker 1: one says, offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy
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  Speaker 1: and pleasing to God. This is your true and proper worship.
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  Speaker 1: Holiness is not a suggestion, it is a command. But
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  Speaker 1: here is where many people misunderstand holiness. Somethink holiness is
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  Speaker 1: about legalism, a list of rules, restrictions, and religious obligations.
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  Speaker 1: Somethink holiness is optional, a goal for super spiritual people,
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  Speaker 1: but not necessary for everyone. Some think holiness is impossible,
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  Speaker 1: that because we are imperfect, we should not even try.
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  Speaker 1: But holiness is not about perfection. It is about direction.
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  Speaker 1: It is about making daily choices that reflect who we
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  Speaker 1: belong to. So what does it actually mean to honor
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  Speaker 1: God with your body? It means what you consume matters.
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  Speaker 1: The music you listen to, the movies you watch, the
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  Speaker 1: conversations you engage in. They all affect your spirit. If
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  Speaker 1: your body is a temple, would you bring those things
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  Speaker 1: into God's presence? How you treat your body matters. That
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  Speaker 1: includes what you put into it, how you care for it,
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  Speaker 1: and how you use it. Addictions, unhealthy habits, and reckless
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  Speaker 1: choices are not just personal decisions. They affect the temple
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  Speaker 1: of God. Your purity matters. The world treats sex as casual,
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  Speaker 1: entertainment as meaningless, and personal desires as the ultimate authority.
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  Speaker 1: But if you belong to Christ, your standard is not
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  Speaker 1: the world, It is the word. Your self. Image matters.
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  Speaker 1: Many struggle with body shame, insecurity or comparison. But if
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  Speaker 1: your body is God's temple, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.
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  Speaker 1: You do not belong to culture's standards. You belong to
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  Speaker 1: God's design. But here is the problem. Many believers treat
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  Speaker 1: grace as an excuse to live however they want. They
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  Speaker 1: think that because they are saved, their actions do not matter.
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  Speaker 1: But Paul warns against this in Romans six' one through two, saying,
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: By no means? We are those who have died to sin?
• 22:50
  Speaker 1: How can we live in it any longer? Grace does
• 22:53
  Speaker 1: not give us permission to sin. It gives us the
• 22:56
  Speaker 1: power to overcome sin. It does not lower the standard.
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: It empowers us to live righteously. So let me ask you.
• 23:04
  Speaker 1: Are you treating your body like a temple or like
• 23:07
  Speaker 1: something disposable? Are you honoring God in what you watch,
• 23:12
  Speaker 1: what you say, what you listen to, what you do?
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: Are you making excuses for sin or are you actively
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: pursuing holiness? Are you living as if God's presence is
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: in you? Or are you living like your body belongs
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: to you alone? Because today God is reminding you you
• 23:30
  Speaker 1: were bought at a price. Holiness is not about restriction,
• 23:34
  Speaker 1: It is about honoring the one who saved you. Purity
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: is not about legalism, It is about living in the
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: freedom Christ paid for. Obedience is not about earning God's love,
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: it is about responding to the love He already gave.
• 23:52
  Speaker 1: So today, make the decision to honor God with your body,
• 23:56
  Speaker 1: not because you have to, but because you belong to him.
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: The fourth most important lesson we learn from First Corinthians
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: is this love is greater than knowledge or gifts. We
• 24:09
  Speaker 1: just learned that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: that how we live matters, and that grace is not
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: an excuse to live however we want. But even when
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: we seek holiness, even when we grow in wisdom, and
• 24:23
  Speaker 1: even when we operate in spiritual gifts, if we do
• 24:27
  Speaker 1: not have love, we have nothing. This was a massive
• 24:31
  Speaker 1: issue in the Corinthian Church. They were a spiritually gifted church.
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: They had knowledge, they had prophecy, they spoke in tongues,
• 24:40
  Speaker 1: they perform miracles. But instead of using these gifts to
• 24:44
  Speaker 1: build one another up, they use them to compete, to
• 24:47
  Speaker 1: prove their superiority and to divide the church. Paul confronts
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: this in First Corinthians eight one, saying, now about food
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: sacrificed to idols, we know that we all possess knowledge.
• 25:01
  Speaker 1: But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. In other words,
• 25:07
  Speaker 1: knowledge without love leads to pride. The Corinthians were obsessed
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: with being right. They debated doctrine, flaunted their understanding, and
• 25:16
  Speaker 1: looked down on those who were weaker in faith. And
• 25:19
  Speaker 1: Paul is saying, you might know a lot, but if
• 25:22
  Speaker 1: you do not use that knowledge in love, you are
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: just puffed up with pride. And this issue still exists today.
• 25:30
  Speaker 1: We live in an age of information overload. You can
• 25:34
  Speaker 1: look up any theological debate online. You can read thousands
• 25:38
  Speaker 1: of books on biblical topics. You can memorize scripture, study
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: church history, and know every argument for and against Christianity.
• 25:48
  Speaker 1: But if all of that knowledge does not lead you
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: to love others better, it is worthless. Paul makes this
• 25:55
  Speaker 1: crystal clear in First Corinthians thirteen one through three, saying,
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: if I speak in the tongues of men or of angels,
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: but do not have love, I am only a resounding
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: gong or a clanging symbol. If I have the gift
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: of prophecy, and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge.
• 26:15
  Speaker 1: And if I have a faith that can move mountains,
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: but do not have love, I am nothing. If I
• 26:20
  Speaker 1: give all I possess to the poor and give over
• 26:23
  Speaker 1: my body to hardship, that I may boast, but do
• 26:26
  Speaker 1: not have love, I gain nothing. Think about that poor
• 26:31
  Speaker 1: is saying that you can have supernatural gifts, deep wisdom,
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: and even radical faith, but if you do not have love,
• 26:38
  Speaker 1: it is all meaningless. Why Because knowledge without love leads
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: to pride and division, Because spiritual gifts without love lead
• 26:48
  Speaker 1: to arrogance and competition. Because service without love leads to
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: self righteousness and burn out. This is why love is greater.
• 26:58
  Speaker 1: Paul continues in First Corinthians thirteen four through seven, describing
• 27:03
  Speaker 1: what love actually looks like. Love is patient, Love is kind.
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: It does not envy, It does not boast. It is
• 27:10
  Speaker 1: not proud. It does not dishonor others. It is not
• 27:13
  Speaker 1: self seeking. It is not easily angered. It keeps no
• 27:17
  Speaker 1: record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,
• 27:26
  Speaker 1: always perseveres. This is the true test of spiritual maturity
• 27:31
  Speaker 1: not how much you know, not how many spiritual gifts
• 27:35
  Speaker 1: you operate in, not how much you serve, how much
• 27:38
  Speaker 1: you give, or how spiritual you appear. The true test
• 27:42
  Speaker 1: is love. Jesus himself said in John thirteen thirty five.
• 27:46
  Speaker 1: By this everyone will know that you are My disciples
• 27:50
  Speaker 1: if you love one another. Not by how much scripture
• 27:53
  Speaker 1: you can quote, not by how many debates you win,
• 27:57
  Speaker 1: not by how much theology you understand, by how you love.
• 28:00
  Speaker 1: So what does this mean for us? It means we
• 28:03
  Speaker 1: need to examine our hearts. Are we more concerned with
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: being right than we are with loving people? Are we
• 28:09
  Speaker 1: using our spiritual knowledge to build others up or to
• 28:13
  Speaker 1: prove we are superior? Are we operating in spiritual gifts
• 28:17
  Speaker 1: with humility and love, or are we using them to
• 28:20
  Speaker 1: seek attention and validation? Because to day many believers are
• 28:25
  Speaker 1: making the same mistake as the Corinthians. Some are so
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: obsessed with theology and doctrine that they treat people who
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: disagree with them like enemies. Some use their knowledge to
• 28:38
  Speaker 1: correct and criticize, but not to encourage or build up.
• 28:43
  Speaker 1: Some seek after spiritual gifts, but only to elevate themselves,
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: not to serve the body of Christ, and poorly saying
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: you are missing the entire point. The goal of knowledge
• 28:56
  Speaker 1: is not to be right, it is to love better.
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: The purpose of spiritual gifts is not to elevate ourselves,
• 29:03
  Speaker 1: it is to serve others. The evidence of true spiritual
• 29:07
  Speaker 1: maturity is not how much we know, it is how
• 29:11
  Speaker 1: much we love. So let me ask you. Are you
• 29:14
  Speaker 1: more focused on knowledge or are you focused on love?
• 29:17
  Speaker 1: Are you patient with those who do not understand as
• 29:20
  Speaker 1: much as you do? Are you kind to those who
• 29:23
  Speaker 1: have different views? Are you willing to listen, to serve,
• 29:26
  Speaker 1: to be humble even when you know you are right?
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: Because to day God is reminding you Love is the
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: greatest evidence of a transformed life. If your knowledge does
• 29:38
  Speaker 1: not lead to love, it is just pride. If your
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: gifts do not operate in love, they are just noise.
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: If your service is not motivated by love, it is empty.
• 29:50
  Speaker 1: So choose to day to love above all else, because
• 29:53
  Speaker 1: love never fails. The fifth most important lesson we learn
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: from First Corinthians is this run the race with discipline.
• 30:03
  Speaker 1: We just learned that love is greater than knowledge or gifts,
• 30:07
  Speaker 1: that the true test of Spiritual maturity is not how
• 30:10
  Speaker 1: much we know, but how well we love. But love
• 30:14
  Speaker 1: is not just an emotion, It is a commitment. It
• 30:18
  Speaker 1: is a choice to live in obedience, to walk in holiness,
• 30:22
  Speaker 1: and to pursue God with everything we have, and that
• 30:25
  Speaker 1: requires discipline. Paul uses a powerful illustration in First Corinthians
• 30:30
  Speaker 1: nine twenty four to twenty seven. Do you not know
• 30:33
  Speaker 1: that in a race, all the runners run, but only
• 30:37
  Speaker 1: one gets the prize. Run in such a way as
• 30:40
  Speaker 1: to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: goes into strict training. They do it to get a
• 30:47
  Speaker 1: crown that will not last, but we do it to
• 30:50
  Speaker 1: get a crown that will last forever. Therefore, I do
• 30:53
  Speaker 1: not run like someone running aimlessly. I do not fight
• 30:57
  Speaker 1: like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a
• 31:01
  Speaker 1: blow to my body and make it my slave, so
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: that after I've preached to others, I myself will not
• 31:06
  Speaker 1: be disqualified for the prize. Paul is comparing the Christian
• 31:11
  Speaker 1: life to a race, not a casual jog, not a
• 31:14
  Speaker 1: short sprint, a race that requires endurance, training and discipline.
• 31:20
  Speaker 1: Why because spiritual maturity does not happen by accident, just
• 31:25
  Speaker 1: like An athlete does not wake up one morning and
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: win a gold medal. A believer does not wake up
• 31:31
  Speaker 1: one morning and suddenly become spiritually strong. It takes daily discipline.
• 31:38
  Speaker 1: But here is the problem. Many Christians start strong but
• 31:41
  Speaker 1: do not finish well. They get excited about Jesus, they
• 31:45
  Speaker 1: have a passion for God. But when life gets hard,
• 31:48
  Speaker 1: when temptation comes, when trials hit, when the excitement fades,
• 31:52
  Speaker 1: they slow down, They drift, they get distracted. Paul is saying,
• 31:58
  Speaker 1: do not run aimlessly, do not waste your energy on
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: things that do not matter. Run with focus, run with endurance,
• 32:06
  Speaker 1: Run like someone who actually wants to finish strong. And
• 32:10
  Speaker 1: this message is just as urgent to day as it
• 32:14
  Speaker 1: was back then. Because we live in a world that
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: prioritizes comfort over commitment. We are taught to seek instant
• 32:23
  Speaker 1: gratification rather than long term endurance. We are told to
• 32:27
  Speaker 1: do what feels good now rather than what produces fruit later.
• 32:31
  Speaker 1: We are conditioned to chase short term pleasure rather than
• 32:34
  Speaker 1: eternal reward. But Paul is reminding us the Christian life
• 32:39
  Speaker 1: is not about short term pleasure. It is about long
• 32:42
  Speaker 1: term victory. Athletes understand this. An Olympic runner does not
• 32:47
  Speaker 1: eat whatever they want, sleep whenever they want, train only
• 32:51
  Speaker 1: when they feel like it, and then expect to win
• 32:55
  Speaker 1: a race. They make sacrifices, They say no to distractions,
• 33:01
  Speaker 1: They endure the pain of training because they know the
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: prize is worth it. And this is exactly how we
• 33:07
  Speaker 1: are called to live. Jesus said in Luke nine twenty three,
• 33:11
  Speaker 1: whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and
• 33:15
  Speaker 1: take up their cross daily and follow me. That is discipline,
• 33:20
  Speaker 1: that is training, that is choosing obedience over comfort. So
• 33:25
  Speaker 1: let me ask you. Are you running with discipline or
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: are you running aimlessly? Are you focused on eternal rewards
• 33:33
  Speaker 1: or are you distracted by temporary pleasures? Are you training
• 33:36
  Speaker 1: yourself spiritually through prayer, through the word, through fasting, through obedience.
• 33:43
  Speaker 1: Are you willing to deny yourself, to say no to sin,
• 33:46
  Speaker 1: to sacrifice comfort, to live with purpose? Because here is
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: the truth. Your spiritual endurance is only as strong as
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: your daily discipline. If you are not training, you will
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: be weak. If if you are not preparing, you will
• 34:01
  Speaker 1: not finish well. If you are not intentional, you will drift.
• 34:06
  Speaker 1: Paul says in One Timothy four seven to eight train
• 34:10
  Speaker 1: yourself to be godly. For physical training is of some value,
• 34:14
  Speaker 1: but Godliness has value for all things. Holding promise for
• 34:19
  Speaker 1: both the present life and the life to That means
• 34:23
  Speaker 1: discipline is not just about saying no to sin. It's
• 34:27
  Speaker 1: about training yourself for godliness. It means spending time with
• 34:31
  Speaker 1: God even when you do not feel like it. It
• 34:34
  Speaker 1: means studying scripture even when it is easier to scroll
• 34:38
  Speaker 1: through social media. It means pursuing holiness even when the
• 34:43
  Speaker 1: world mocks you for it. It means saying no to
• 34:46
  Speaker 1: distractions because you are focused on something greater. Because at
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: the end of the day, the race you are running
• 34:54
  Speaker 1: is not for an earthly prize. It is for an
• 34:58
  Speaker 1: eternal crown. Paul says, they do it to get a
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: crown that will not last, but we do it to
• 35:04
  Speaker 1: get a crown that will last forever. That means everything
• 35:08
  Speaker 1: you do to day is preparing you for eternity. Every prayer,
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: every act of obedience, every sacrifice, every time you choose
• 35:17
  Speaker 1: faith over fear, every time you choose purity over compromise,
• 35:23
  Speaker 1: every time you choose Christ over comfort. It all matters
• 35:28
  Speaker 1: because one day we will stand before God, and in
• 35:31
  Speaker 1: that moment. Nothing else will matter, not how much money
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: we made, not how successful we were, not how comfortable
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: our lives were. The only thing that will matter is
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: did we run our race well? Did we stay faithful,
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: did we endure? Did we finish strong? Because many start
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: the race, but not every one finishes well. So to
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: day God is asking you, are you running with purpose?
• 35:57
  Speaker 1: Or are you distracted? Are you drifting? Have you slowed down?
• 36:01
  Speaker 1: Because today you have a choice. You can keep running aimlessly.
• 36:05
  Speaker 1: You can live for temporary pleasure. You can train your
• 36:08
  Speaker 1: body but neglect your soul. Or you can run with endurance.
• 36:12
  Speaker 1: You can fix your eyes on Jesus. You can live
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: with purpose, discipline, and focus because at the end of
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: this race there is a prize that will never fade,
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: So run in such a way as to win it.
• 36:26
  Speaker 1: The sixth most important lesson we learn from First Corinthians
• 36:30
  Speaker 1: is that everything we do should glorify God. We just
• 36:34
  Speaker 1: learned that the Christian life is a race that requires discipline,
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: that spiritual maturity does not happen by accident, but through
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: intentional choices, focus and endurance. But what is the goal
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: of this race, What is the purpose of our discipline,
• 36:51
  Speaker 1: our faith? Our obedience. Paul answers this question in First
• 36:56
  Speaker 1: Corinthians ten thirty one, saying, so, whether you eat or
• 37:01
  Speaker 1: drink or whatever you do, do it all for the
• 37:04
  Speaker 1: glory of God. Everything not just the big moments, not
• 37:10
  Speaker 1: just Sundays, not just when we are praying, worshiping, or
• 37:15
  Speaker 1: reading our Bible. Every single thing we do should reflect Christ.
• 37:20
  Speaker 1: And this is where many of us struggle because we
• 37:23
  Speaker 1: tend to separate life into spiritual things and ordinary things.
• 37:28
  Speaker 1: We think reading my Bible is spiritual, prayer is spiritual,
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: church is spiritual. But my job, my conversations, my hobbies,
• 37:39
  Speaker 1: that is just everyday life. But Paul is saying there
• 37:42
  Speaker 1: is no separation. Everything you do, whether big or small,
• 37:46
  Speaker 1: can and should bring glory to God. To glorify God
• 37:51
  Speaker 1: means to reflect his character in everything we do. It
• 37:55
  Speaker 1: means that our actions, our words, our decisions, and even
• 37:59
  Speaker 1: ourudes should point people back to Him. Jesus said in
• 38:03
  Speaker 1: Matthew five sixteen, let your light shine before others, that
• 38:07
  Speaker 1: they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: in Heaven. That means the way you work should reflect Christ.
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: The way you treat people should reflect Christ. The way
• 38:17
  Speaker 1: you handle stress, conflict, and difficulties should reflect Christ. Even
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: the way you rest, eat and in joy life should
• 38:25
  Speaker 1: reflect Christ because every part of your life is an
• 38:29
  Speaker 1: opportunity to worship God. The reason many believers struggle to
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: live this way is because they have lost awareness of
• 38:37
  Speaker 1: God's presence. They think of God as being present in church,
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: in prayer, in worship, but they forget that He is
• 38:45
  Speaker 1: just as present in the ordinary moments. He is present
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: when you are sitting in traffic. He is present when
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: you are doing laundry. He is present when you are
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: having coffee with a friend. He is present when you
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: are at work, at school, in the grocery store. When
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: you live with this awareness, everything changes. You start to
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: see your job as a mission field. You start to
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: see your family as a ministry. You start to see
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: your actions as opportunities to worship. Because when you realize
• 39:15
  Speaker 1: that God is with you in everything, you start to
• 39:18
  Speaker 1: do everything for Him. The way you treat people shows
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: the world who God is. Jesus said in John thirteen
• 39:26
  Speaker 1: thirty five. By this, everyone will know that you are
• 39:30
  Speaker 1: My disciples. If you love one another. That means glorifying
• 39:36
  Speaker 1: God is not just about loving people who are easy
• 39:39
  Speaker 1: to love. It is about showing kindness, patience, and grace
• 39:44
  Speaker 1: even when it is hard. It means forgiving when you
• 39:48
  Speaker 1: would rather hold a grudge. It means speaking with kindness
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: instead of reacting in anger. It means putting others first,
• 39:57
  Speaker 1: even when no one sees or appreciates it. Because every conversation,
• 40:02
  Speaker 1: every interaction, every relationship is an opportunity to glorify God.
• 40:09
  Speaker 1: Many believers think I am not in ministry, so my
• 40:13
  Speaker 1: job is just a job. But your work is worship.
• 40:18
  Speaker 1: Colossians three twenty three says whatever you do, work at
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: it with all your heart, as working for the Lord,
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: not for human masters. That means, if you are a teacher,
• 40:29
  Speaker 1: you glorify God by teaching with patience and integrity. If
• 40:35
  Speaker 1: you are a business owner, you glorify God by running
• 40:38
  Speaker 1: your business with honesty and generosity. If you are a
• 40:42
  Speaker 1: stay at home parent, you glorify God by loving and
• 40:46
  Speaker 1: raising your children with grace. Your job is not just
• 40:50
  Speaker 1: a paycheck, It is a platform to reflect Christ. Even
• 40:55
  Speaker 1: the small ordinary choices you make can bring glory to God.
• 40:59
  Speaker 1: The where you spend your time, are you using it
• 41:03
  Speaker 1: wisely or wasting it on things that do not matter?
• 41:06
  Speaker 1: The way you use your money, are you being generous
• 41:10
  Speaker 1: or are you consumed by greed? The way you care
• 41:13
  Speaker 1: for your body, are you treating it as a temple
• 41:16
  Speaker 1: or neglecting it? Because every decision is an opportunity to
• 41:20
  Speaker 1: honor God. But here is the issue. Many believers are
• 41:25
  Speaker 1: not living for God's glory. Instead, they are living for
• 41:29
  Speaker 1: their own comfort, their own success, their own pleasure. They
• 41:33
  Speaker 1: make decisions based on what benefits them, not on what
• 41:36
  Speaker 1: brings God the most honor. They seek recognition for themselves
• 41:41
  Speaker 1: instead of pointing people to Jesus. They build their lives
• 41:45
  Speaker 1: around their own desires rather than God's purpose. And Paul
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: is reminding us this life is not about us. It
• 41:54
  Speaker 1: is about bringing glory to the one who created us,
• 41:58
  Speaker 1: saved us, and called us. Jesus himself lived this way
• 42:03
  Speaker 1: in John seventeen four. He said, I have brought you
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me
• 42:10
  Speaker 1: to do. That is the goal that when we reach
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: the end of our lives, we can say, God, I
• 42:18
  Speaker 1: lived for you. I glorified you in my work, my relationships,
• 42:23
  Speaker 1: my choices. I finished the race you set before me.
• 42:29
  Speaker 1: So let me ask you, who are you really living
• 42:31
  Speaker 1: for Are you making decisions based on what benefits you
• 42:35
  Speaker 1: or based on what honors God? Are you using your gifts,
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: your time, your resources for your own success or for
• 42:42
  Speaker 1: God's kingdom? Are you living in a way that reflects Christ?
• 42:46
  Speaker 1: Or are you blending in with the world? Because today
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: God is reminding you every action, big or small, can
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: bring him glory. So whether you eat or drink, whether
• 42:58
  Speaker 1: you work or rest, whether you are in the spotlight
• 43:02
  Speaker 1: or behind the scenes, do it all for him, because
• 43:06
  Speaker 1: in the end, the only thing that will matter is
• 43:09
  Speaker 1: how well we reflected His glory. The seventh most important
• 43:13
  Speaker 1: lesson we learn from First Corinthians is that spiritual gifts
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: must be used with order and purpose. We just learned
• 43:23
  Speaker 1: that everything we do should glorify God, that our lives,
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: every action, every word, every decision should point back to Him.
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: But what happens when people misuse the gifts that God
• 43:38
  Speaker 1: has given them? What happens when spiritual gifts, instead of
• 43:42
  Speaker 1: uniting believers, cause division, confusion, and pride. This was a
• 43:48
  Speaker 1: major issue in the Corinthian Church. They were a church
• 43:52
  Speaker 1: rich in spiritual gifts, prophecy, tongues, teaching, and miracles, but
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: they were using them without wisdom, without order, and without love.
• 44:02
  Speaker 1: Instead of their gifts strengthening the church, they were being
• 44:06
  Speaker 1: used to show off, to compete, and to elevate certain
• 44:10
  Speaker 1: people above others. Instead of bringing unity, their gifts were
• 44:15
  Speaker 1: causing chaos. Paul addresses this directly in First Corinthians fourteen
• 44:21
  Speaker 1: twenty six to thirty three, saying everything must be done
• 44:26
  Speaker 1: so that the church may be built up, for God
• 44:30
  Speaker 1: is not a god of disorder, but of peace. The
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: Corinthians had the power of the Holy Spirit, but they
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: lacked the wisdom to use it correctly. Some were speaking
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: in tongues, loudly, all at once, with no interpretation, leaving
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: others confused rather than edified. Some were prophesying out of order,
• 44:51
  Speaker 1: interrupting each other rather than allowing each word to be
• 44:54
  Speaker 1: received with clarity. Instead of worship services being places of
• 44:59
  Speaker 1: incomouragement and instruction, they had become chaotic, unstructured, and even competitive.
• 45:07
  Speaker 1: Paul warns them that spiritual gifts should never lead to confusion,
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: but to peace, order, and the building up of the church,
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: and this is still relevant today. Many believers are passionate
• 45:20
  Speaker 1: about spiritual gifts, and that is a good thing. The
• 45:24
  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit still works, still moves, and still empowers his people.
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: But when spiritual gifts are used for the wrong reasons,
• 45:33
  Speaker 1: they can become more of a distraction than a blessing.
• 45:37
  Speaker 1: Some churches have completely ignored spiritual gifts, afraid of disorder
• 45:42
  Speaker 1: and excess. Others have made spiritual gifts the main focus,
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: elevating experiences over scripture, emotion over wisdom, and chaos over order.
• 45:54
  Speaker 1: Paul is reminding us that the gifts of the Spirit
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: were never meant to be a spectacle. They were meant
• 46:00
  Speaker 1: to strengthen and unify the body of Christ. So how
• 46:04
  Speaker 1: do we know if we are using our gifts for
• 46:07
  Speaker 1: the right reasons? The first question we must ask is
• 46:11
  Speaker 1: are our gifts bringing unity or are they bringing division?
• 46:16
  Speaker 1: The Holy Spirit does not give gifts to separate believers
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: into categories of more spiritual or less spiritual. The gifts
• 46:24
  Speaker 1: of the Spirit are not proof that someone is closer
• 46:27
  Speaker 1: to God than someone else. In one Corinthians twelve seven,
• 46:31
  Speaker 1: Paul says, now to each one, the manifestation of the
• 46:35
  Speaker 1: Spirit is given for the common good. This means that
• 46:40
  Speaker 1: your gift, whether prophecy, teaching, healing, or any other, was
• 46:44
  Speaker 1: never meant to elevate you. It was meant to serve others.
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: If the way you use your gift makes you feel superior,
• 46:52
  Speaker 1: or if it causes others to feel unworthy, something is wrong.
• 46:56
  Speaker 1: The second question we must ask is are we using
• 46:59
  Speaker 1: our guilt gifts for God's glory or for our own recognition.
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: Jesus warned about this in Matthew seven twenty two to
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: twenty three, when he said, many will say to me
• 47:12
  Speaker 1: on that day, Lord Lord, did we not prophesy in
• 47:15
  Speaker 1: your name, and in your name drive out demons, and
• 47:19
  Speaker 1: in your name perform many miracles? Then I will tell
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: them plainly, I never knew you away from me, you evildoers.
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: These people had spiritual gifts, but their hearts were far
• 47:33
  Speaker 1: from God. They performed miracles, but they did not have
• 47:36
  Speaker 1: a relationship with him. This is why Paul says in
• 47:39
  Speaker 1: one Corinthians thirteen one, If I speak in the tongues
• 47:42
  Speaker 1: of men or of angels, but do not have love,
• 47:46
  Speaker 1: I'm only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol. If
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: spiritual gifts are not motivated by love for God and
• 47:55
  Speaker 1: love for others, they are meaningless. Question we must ask
• 48:01
  Speaker 1: is are we allowing the Holy Spirit to move while
• 48:04
  Speaker 1: still maintaining order and wisdom. Some believe that being spirit
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: led means rejecting structure, rules or guidelines, but Paul teaches
• 48:14
  Speaker 1: the opposite. In First Corinthians fourteen forty, he says, but
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way.
• 48:22
  Speaker 1: Being led by the Spirit does not mean chaos. It
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: does not mean interrupting, shouting over others, or seeking attention.
• 48:31
  Speaker 1: It means allowing the Spirit to move in a way
• 48:34
  Speaker 1: that builds up the body of Christ, not in a
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: way that brings confusion. Think about Jesus. He was completely
• 48:41
  Speaker 1: led by the Holy Spirit, yet he was never out
• 48:44
  Speaker 1: of control. He healed the sick, cast out demons, and
• 48:49
  Speaker 1: taught with authority. But he never caused chaos. He never
• 48:53
  Speaker 1: used his power to draw attention to himself. He walked
• 48:56
  Speaker 1: in perfect balance, fully spirit filled, yet fully in all order.
• 49:00
  Speaker 1: This is our example. So let me ask you, how
• 49:03
  Speaker 1: are you using the gifts God has given you. Are
• 49:06
  Speaker 1: your gifts building up the church or are they causing division?
• 49:10
  Speaker 1: Are you using your gifts with humility or are you
• 49:13
  Speaker 1: using them to seek attention? Are you allowing the spirit
• 49:17
  Speaker 1: to move in a way that brings peace and order,
• 49:20
  Speaker 1: or are you more focused on creating an experience? Because
• 49:24
  Speaker 1: today God is reminding us spiritual gifts are not about us.
• 49:29
  Speaker 1: They are not about being impressive. They are not about
• 49:32
  Speaker 1: proving how spiritual we are. They are not about drawing
• 49:36
  Speaker 1: a crowd. They are about serving the Body of Christ.
• 49:39
  Speaker 1: They are about glorifying God, not ourselves. They are about strengthening, encouraging,
• 49:44
  Speaker 1: and bringing unity, not confusion. So today let's choose to
• 49:49
  Speaker 1: use our gifts the way they were meant to be used,
• 49:53
  Speaker 1: with wisdom, with humility, with order, and with a heart
• 49:57
  Speaker 1: that says Lord, let everything I do point back to you.
• 50:03
  Speaker 1: The eighth most important lesson we learn from First Corinthians
• 50:07
  Speaker 1: is that bad company corrupts good character. We just learned
• 50:12
  Speaker 1: that spiritual gifts must be used with order and purpose,
• 50:16
  Speaker 1: that they are meant to build up the Body of Christ,
• 50:18
  Speaker 1: not to create division or confusion. But even when we
• 50:22
  Speaker 1: are walking in our gifts, even when we are growing
• 50:24
  Speaker 1: in our faith, there is another danger that can quietly
• 50:28
  Speaker 1: erode our spiritual strength, the people we surround ourselves with.
• 50:34
  Speaker 1: Paul warns us in First Corinthians fifteen thirty three, saying,
• 50:37
  Speaker 1: do not be misled bad company corrupts good character. This
• 50:42
  Speaker 1: is not just a suggestion, it is a spiritual reality.
• 50:46
  Speaker 1: The people you spend time with shape your faith, your thoughts,
• 50:50
  Speaker 1: your habits, and your future. You may think that you
• 50:53
  Speaker 1: are strong enough to resist negative influences, but over time,
• 50:58
  Speaker 1: the voices you listen to begin to affect you, whether
• 51:01
  Speaker 1: you realize it or not. And this is why guarding
• 51:05
  Speaker 1: your influences is not just wisdom, It is essential to
• 51:09
  Speaker 1: spiritual maturity. Many believers struggle in their faith not because
• 51:14
  Speaker 1: they do not love God, but because they are constantly
• 51:17
  Speaker 1: surrounded by people who pull them away from Him. Some
• 51:21
  Speaker 1: friendships weaken our convictions. Some relationships stir up old temptations.
• 51:27
  Speaker 1: Some environments make it harder to hear God's voice. And
• 51:31
  Speaker 1: Paul is warning us, do not be deceived. If you
• 51:34
  Speaker 1: are constantly surrounded by people who do not honor God,
• 51:38
  Speaker 1: it will affect your character. This does not mean we
• 51:41
  Speaker 1: avoid unbelievers. Jesus himself spent time with sinners, tax collectors,
• 51:47
  Speaker 1: and outcasts. He was called a friend of sinners because
• 51:51
  Speaker 1: he came to seek and save the lost. But here
• 51:55
  Speaker 1: is the difference. Jesus influenced them, They did not influence him.
• 52:00
  Speaker 1: The problem is not being around unbelievers. The problem is
• 52:04
  Speaker 1: when they have more influence over you than you have
• 52:08
  Speaker 1: over them. If the people in your life are leading
• 52:11
  Speaker 1: you further from Christ instead of closer to him, that
• 52:15
  Speaker 1: is a warning sign. This is why Scripture repeatedly warns
• 52:20
  Speaker 1: us about our relationships. Proverbs thirteen twenty says walk with
• 52:25
  Speaker 1: the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools
• 52:29
  Speaker 1: suffers harm. Psalm one one says, blessed is the one
• 52:33
  Speaker 1: who does not walk in step with the wicked, or
• 52:36
  Speaker 1: stand in the way that sinners take, or sit in
• 52:39
  Speaker 1: the company of mockers. Two Corinthians six fourteen says do
• 52:44
  Speaker 1: not be yoked together with unbelievers, for what do righteousness
• 52:48
  Speaker 1: and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light
• 52:52
  Speaker 1: have with darkness? Because God knows that the people we
• 52:56
  Speaker 1: walk with will shape who we become. And this is
• 53:00
  Speaker 1: where many believers struggle. They want to grow spiritually, but
• 53:04
  Speaker 1: they keep surrounding themselves with people who do not share
• 53:07
  Speaker 1: their faith, their values, or their convictions. They want to
• 53:10
  Speaker 1: break free from old sins, but they keep going back
• 53:13
  Speaker 1: to the same friendships, relationships, and environments that pull them
• 53:17
  Speaker 1: back in. They want to hear from God, but they
• 53:21
  Speaker 1: fill their minds with voices that drown out His truth,
• 53:25
  Speaker 1: and then they wonder why their faith feels weak. Because
• 53:28
  Speaker 1: who you walk with determines where you end up. If
• 53:32
  Speaker 1: you surround yourself with people who pursue holiness, your faith
• 53:36
  Speaker 1: will grow. If you surround yourself with people who chase
• 53:39
  Speaker 1: after the world, your faith will shrink. It is that simple.
• 53:43
  Speaker 1: So let me ask you who has influence over your life.
• 53:47
  Speaker 1: Are the people closest to you pushing you toward Christ
• 53:51
  Speaker 1: or are they pulling you away from him? Are they
• 53:54
  Speaker 1: encouraging your faith or are they making you question it?
• 53:57
  Speaker 1: Are they challenging you to live righteously or are they
• 54:00
  Speaker 1: pressuring you to compromise? Because today God is reminding you
• 54:05
  Speaker 1: the company you keep will shape your character. So if
• 54:10
  Speaker 1: you want to grow in faith, surround yourself with people
• 54:12
  Speaker 1: who love Jesus, people who will pray for you when
• 54:15
  Speaker 1: you are struggling, people who will speak truth when you
• 54:19
  Speaker 1: are tempted to compromise, people who will encourage you, challenge
• 54:23
  Speaker 1: you and help you stay strong. This does not mean
• 54:27
  Speaker 1: cutting people out of your life completely. Jesus loved the lost,
• 54:31
  Speaker 1: and so should we. But it does mean being intentional
• 54:35
  Speaker 1: about who has the most influence over you. Because if
• 54:38
  Speaker 1: you are spending all your time with people who do
• 54:41
  Speaker 1: not value the things of God, do not be surprised
• 54:45
  Speaker 1: when your passion for God starts to fade. If you
• 54:49
  Speaker 1: are constantly listening to voices that mock holiness, do not
• 54:53
  Speaker 1: be surprised when your convictions start to weaken. If you
• 54:57
  Speaker 1: are always in environments that pull you into sin, do
• 55:01
  Speaker 1: not be surprised when you struggle to resist, Paul Is saying,
• 55:05
  Speaker 1: do not be misled. You may think you are strong
• 55:08
  Speaker 1: enough to resist. You may think it does not affect you.
• 55:12
  Speaker 1: You may think you can handle it. But slowly, without
• 55:15
  Speaker 1: realizing it, your character will begin to change. So today
• 55:19
  Speaker 1: you have a choice. You can keep walking with people
• 55:22
  Speaker 1: who weaken your faith, who pull you away from God,
• 55:25
  Speaker 1: who make you comfortable in compromise, or you can choose
• 55:29
  Speaker 1: to surround yourself with people who sharpen your faith, who
• 55:32
  Speaker 1: push you toward Jesus, who remind you of who you
• 55:35
  Speaker 1: are called to be. Because at the end of the day,
• 55:39
  Speaker 1: your spiritual strength is not just determined by your private devotion,
• 55:43
  Speaker 1: it is shaped by the company you keep. So walk
• 55:47
  Speaker 1: with the wise surround yourself with people who love God,
• 55:50
  Speaker 1: and let your relationships reflect the holiness of the one
• 55:54
  Speaker 1: you follow. The tenth most important lesson we learn from
• 55:58
  Speaker 1: First Corinthians is that we must be strong, stand firm,
• 56:03
  Speaker 1: and do everything in love. We just learned about the
• 56:06
  Speaker 1: power of the resurrection, that because Christ is alive, we
• 56:10
  Speaker 1: have nothing to fear. Death is not the end, Suffering
• 56:15
  Speaker 1: is not the final word, and every sacrifice we make
• 56:18
  Speaker 1: for God is never in vain. But as we wait
• 56:22
  Speaker 1: for Christ's return, as we live in a world that
• 56:25
  Speaker 1: opposes truth, how do we stand strong without becoming hardened?
• 56:30
  Speaker 1: How do we remain firm in faith without losing love?
• 56:36
  Speaker 1: Paul gives us the answer in First Corinthians sixteen thirteen
• 56:39
  Speaker 1: to fourteen, saying, be on your guard, stand firm in
• 56:43
  Speaker 1: the faith, be courageous, be strong, do everything in love.
• 56:50
  Speaker 1: These are marching orders for every believer, because following Christ
• 56:54
  Speaker 1: is not passive. It is a battle. Jesus never promised
• 56:58
  Speaker 1: us a life of comfort. He never said believe in
• 57:01
  Speaker 1: Me and everything will be easy. In fact, he warned
• 57:06
  Speaker 1: the opposite. In John sixteen thirty three, he said, in
• 57:10
  Speaker 1: this world you will have trouble, but take heart I
• 57:16
  Speaker 1: have overcome the world. Paul knew this well. He faced persecution, beatings, imprisonment,
• 57:25
  Speaker 1: and rejection, all because of his faith. Yet through it
• 57:28
  Speaker 1: all he remained unshaken. He never compromised truth, he never
• 57:34
  Speaker 1: wavered in his mission, and at the end of his
• 57:37
  Speaker 1: life he was able to say in Second Timothy four seven,
• 57:41
  Speaker 1: I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race.
• 57:46
  Speaker 1: I have kept the faith. That is what it looks
• 57:49
  Speaker 1: like to stand firm. But here is the challenge. How
• 57:53
  Speaker 1: do we stand firm without becoming bitter? How do we
• 57:57
  Speaker 1: fight for truth without fighting people? How do we stay
• 58:00
  Speaker 1: strong in faith while still walking in love? Many believers
• 58:05
  Speaker 1: struggle with this balance. Some are bold in truth but
• 58:08
  Speaker 1: lack love. They call out sin, but they do it
• 58:11
  Speaker 1: with harshness. They stand against evil, but they treat people
• 58:15
  Speaker 1: like enemies instead of souls who need Jesus. They have
• 58:19
  Speaker 1: passion but no compassion. Others focus only on love, but
• 58:23
  Speaker 1: compromise truth. They do not want to offend any one,
• 58:27
  Speaker 1: so they soften the gospel. They avoid hard conversations. They
• 58:33
  Speaker 1: choose comfort over conviction, and Paul is saying you need
• 58:37
  Speaker 1: both be strong, but do everything in love. Stand firm,
• 58:41
  Speaker 1: but reflect the heart of Christ. Speak truth, but let
• 58:44
  Speaker 1: it be spoken with grace, because here is the reality.
• 58:48
  Speaker 1: We are living in a world that will constantly pressure
• 58:51
  Speaker 1: us to compromise. Culture will tell you to let go
• 58:55
  Speaker 1: of biblical values. Friends or family may pressure you to
• 58:59
  Speaker 1: be silent about your faith. The enemy will whisper that
• 59:03
  Speaker 1: it is easier to go along with the world than
• 59:06
  Speaker 1: to stand against it. But Paul is reminding us, do
• 59:10
  Speaker 1: not waver when the world pushes against you. Stand firm
• 59:14
  Speaker 1: when you feel weary, Be strong when opposition comes, be courageous.
• 59:19
  Speaker 1: But in everything you do, let love lead, because love
• 59:23
  Speaker 1: is what sets us apart. Jesus said in John thirteen
• 59:27
  Speaker 1: thirty five. By this, everyone will know that you are
• 59:31
  Speaker 1: My disciples if you love one another, not by how
• 59:34
  Speaker 1: loud we argue, not by how many debates we win,
• 59:38
  Speaker 1: not by how much we know, by how we love.
• 59:41
  Speaker 1: So what does this look like in real life? It
• 59:43
  Speaker 1: means standing for truth even when it is unpopular, but
• 59:47
  Speaker 1: doing it with humility. It means refusing to compromise even
• 59:52
  Speaker 1: when it costs you, but responding with grace. It means
• 59:56
  Speaker 1: being bold in faith even when people mock you, but
• 1:00:00
  Speaker 1: never losing kindness. Jesus himself was the perfect example of this.
• 1:00:05
  Speaker 1: He was strong, he never compromised truth, He confronted sin,
• 1:00:11
  Speaker 1: he spoke boldly, he stood against religious hypocrisy. But he
• 1:00:15
  Speaker 1: was also full of love. He showed mercy to sinners,
• 1:00:20
  Speaker 1: he healed the broken, He wept with those who mourned.
• 1:00:24
  Speaker 1: He was never weak, but he was never without love.
• 1:00:27
  Speaker 1: And that is what we are called to be. So
• 1:00:30
  Speaker 1: let me ask you. Are you standing firm in faith
• 1:00:33
  Speaker 1: or are you wavering? Are you bold in truth or
• 1:00:36
  Speaker 1: are you afraid of rejection? Are you living with strength
• 1:00:39
  Speaker 1: or are you being swayed by culture? Are you fighting
• 1:00:42
  Speaker 1: the good fight? Or have you become comfortable with compromise?
• 1:00:46
  Speaker 1: Because to day God is reminding you you were not
• 1:00:49
  Speaker 1: called to a life of passivity. You were called to stand.
• 1:00:53
  Speaker 1: You were called to be strong, You were called to
• 1:00:56
  Speaker 1: live courageously, But above all, you were called to love.
• 1:01:00
  Speaker 1: So to day, make the choice to be both unshakable
• 1:01:03
  Speaker 1: in faith and overflowing in love, because when you do,
• 1:01:07
  Speaker 1: the world will not just hear the Gospel from you,
• 1:01:10
  Speaker 1: they will see it in you. After everything we have
• 1:01:13
  Speaker 1: learned from First Corinthians, the question remains, will we choose
• 1:01:18
  Speaker 1: spiritual maturity. We just explored what it means to stand firm,
• 1:01:24
  Speaker 1: to be strong, to live with unwavering faith while still
• 1:01:28
  Speaker 1: walking in love. But none of this happens automatically. Spiritual
• 1:01:33
  Speaker 1: growth is a choice. Maturity is a decision, and to
• 1:01:37
  Speaker 1: day you have to decide are you going to stay
• 1:01:41
  Speaker 1: where you are or are you going to grow? The
• 1:01:45
  Speaker 1: Corinthians were gifted, passionate and full of potential, yet they
• 1:01:51
  Speaker 1: were also divided, prideful and immature. They had access to truth,
• 1:01:57
  Speaker 1: but still lived in spiritual weakness. They had knowledge but
• 1:02:01
  Speaker 1: lacked wisdom. They had faith, but struggled with sin. And
• 1:02:05
  Speaker 1: Paul was urging them grow up in Christ. Stop living
• 1:02:10
  Speaker 1: like the world, Stop being controlled by the flesh. Stop
• 1:02:14
  Speaker 1: letting immaturity hold you back from everything God has for you.
• 1:02:18
  Speaker 1: And this is still the challenge to day. Many believers
• 1:02:21
  Speaker 1: settle for spiritual infancy. They believe in Jesus, but they
• 1:02:25
  Speaker 1: still chase after the world. They go to church, but
• 1:02:29
  Speaker 1: they do not let the word change them. They have faith,
• 1:02:33
  Speaker 1: but they still live as if they belong to this
• 1:02:35
  Speaker 1: world instead of the Kingdom of God. And Paul is
• 1:02:39
  Speaker 1: asking are you going to stay where you are or
• 1:02:43
  Speaker 1: are you going to grow. Are you still controlled by
• 1:02:46
  Speaker 1: the same struggles, the same fears, the same desires that
• 1:02:51
  Speaker 1: have kept you stuck for years? Are you still arguing, dividing,
• 1:02:56
  Speaker 1: or competing instead of walking in unity and love? Are
• 1:03:00
  Speaker 1: you still spiritually weak, easily swayed, easily discouraged, instead of
• 1:03:05
  Speaker 1: standing strong in faith? Because God is calling you higher?
• 1:03:10
  Speaker 1: The Christian life is not about staying the same. It
• 1:03:13
  Speaker 1: is about being transformed. It is about growing in wisdom,
• 1:03:18
  Speaker 1: in love, in holiness, in power. Hebrews five twelve to
• 1:03:23
  Speaker 1: fourteen says, though by this time you ought to be teachers.
• 1:03:27
  Speaker 1: You need someone to teach you the elementary truths of
• 1:03:30
  Speaker 1: God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food.
• 1:03:36
  Speaker 1: Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is
• 1:03:39
  Speaker 1: not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food
• 1:03:44
  Speaker 1: is for the mature, who, by constant use, have trained
• 1:03:47
  Speaker 1: themselves to distinguish good from evil. This is the difference
• 1:03:52
  Speaker 1: between spiritual infants and mature believers. Infants still rely on milk,
• 1:03:58
  Speaker 1: they need constant reassurance, They depend on others to feed them.
• 1:04:02
  Speaker 1: They are easily shaken, easily distracted, easily led astray. But
• 1:04:08
  Speaker 1: mature believers feed themselves from the Word of God. They
• 1:04:12
  Speaker 1: are strong in faith, disciplined in their walk, bold in
• 1:04:16
  Speaker 1: their witness, and that is the life God is calling
• 1:04:19
  Speaker 1: you to. So let me ask you again. Are you
• 1:04:22
  Speaker 1: living as a spiritually mature believer or are you still
• 1:04:26
  Speaker 1: controlled by the desires of this world? Are you seeking
• 1:04:30
  Speaker 1: God's wisdom or are you still running after the world's opinions.
• 1:04:34
  Speaker 1: Are you standing firm in faith or do you still
• 1:04:37
  Speaker 1: fall apart every time life gets hard? Are you living
• 1:04:41
  Speaker 1: in love and unity or are you still consumed with selfishness, pride,
• 1:04:46
  Speaker 1: and division. Because the truth is, spiritual maturity is not
• 1:04:51
  Speaker 1: about how long you have been a Christian. It is
• 1:04:54
  Speaker 1: about how much you have surrendered to Christ. Some people
• 1:04:57
  Speaker 1: have been in church for years, but they are still
• 1:05:00
  Speaker 1: spiritual infants because they refuse to let go of the world.
• 1:05:05
  Speaker 1: Others are new in the faith, yet they are growing
• 1:05:08
  Speaker 1: rapidly because they have fully surrendered their lives to Jesus.
• 1:05:13
  Speaker 1: So to day, God is calling you to grow, To
• 1:05:16
  Speaker 1: put away childish things, to stop making excuses, to take
• 1:05:21
  Speaker 1: responsibility for your spiritual life, to seek wisdom instead of comfort,
• 1:05:26
  Speaker 1: holiness instead of compromise, Christ over everything else. And here
• 1:05:31
  Speaker 1: is the good news. You do not have to grow
• 1:05:33
  Speaker 1: on your own. God has given you his word to
• 1:05:37
  Speaker 1: guide you. He has given you his spirit to empower you.
• 1:05:40
  Speaker 1: He has given you the body of Christ to strengthen you.
• 1:05:44
  Speaker 1: But you have to make the decision. You have to
• 1:05:46
  Speaker 1: choose to open the Bible and study it. You have
• 1:05:50
  Speaker 1: to choose to seek God in prayer instead of wasting
• 1:05:53
  Speaker 1: time on distractions. You have to choose to stand firm
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  Speaker 1: in faith when the world tries to shake you. You
• 1:06:00
  Speaker 1: have to choose to love people even when it is hard.
• 1:06:03
  Speaker 1: Because growth is a choice. Maturity is a decision, and
• 1:06:08
  Speaker 1: to day God is asking will you stay where you
• 1:06:13
  Speaker 1: are or will you grow into everything He has called
• 1:06:16
  Speaker 1: you to be. So take a moment and reflect what
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  Speaker 1: Lesson from First Corinthians spoke to you the most. What
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  Speaker 1: area of your life needs to mature. What is holding
• 1:06:27
  Speaker 1: you back from stepping into spiritual strength? Because to day
• 1:06:31
  Speaker 1: God is calling you higher. Do not settle for less
• 1:06:35
  Speaker 1: when He has called you to moore. Do not stay
• 1:06:38
  Speaker 1: in spiritual infancy when He has invited you into maturity.
• 1:06:42
  Speaker 1: Do not let fear, pride, or complacency keep you from
• 1:06:46
  Speaker 1: growing into the believer. God created you to be. This
• 1:06:49
  Speaker 1: is your moment. Will you choose spiritual maturity. As we
• 1:06:54
  Speaker 1: come to the end of this journey through First Corinthians,
• 1:06:57
  Speaker 1: we are left with a decision. Will we stay where
• 1:07:00
  Speaker 1: we are or will we grow? We have seen the
• 1:07:04
  Speaker 1: call to spiritual maturity, the need to stand firm in faith,
• 1:07:09
  Speaker 1: to walk in love, and to build our lives on
• 1:07:12
  Speaker 1: the foundation of Christ alone. We have been reminded that
• 1:07:16
  Speaker 1: following Jesus is not just about knowing truth, but about
• 1:07:21
  Speaker 1: living it. Not just about starting the race, but about
• 1:07:24
  Speaker 1: finishing it well. But the truth is none of us
• 1:07:27
  Speaker 1: can do this on our own. Spiritual maturity is not
• 1:07:32
  Speaker 1: about human effort. It is about surrender. It is about
• 1:07:36
  Speaker 1: letting God transform us from the inside out. It is
• 1:07:40
  Speaker 1: about relying on His strength, his wisdom, and his spirit
• 1:07:44
  Speaker 1: every single day. So let us pray, Heavenly Father, we
• 1:07:49
  Speaker 1: come before you with humble hearts, recognizing that apart from
• 1:07:53
  Speaker 1: you we are nothing. We thank you for your word,
• 1:07:57
  Speaker 1: for the truth you have spoken through the Book of
• 1:07:59
  Speaker 1: First Carerinthians, and for the challenge you have placed before
• 1:08:03
  Speaker 1: us to grow, to mature, to stand firm, and to
• 1:08:07
  Speaker 1: live in love. Lord, We confess that At times we
• 1:08:10
  Speaker 1: have been spiritually immature. We have let pride, fear, and
• 1:08:14
  Speaker 1: selfish desires hold us back. We have allowed the world
• 1:08:18
  Speaker 1: to influence us more than your word. We have been distracted, divided,
• 1:08:22
  Speaker 1: and weak in faith when you have called us to
• 1:08:25
  Speaker 1: be strong. But to day we surrender. We choose to grow,
• 1:08:30
  Speaker 1: We choose to walk in wisdom. We choose to stand
• 1:08:33
  Speaker 1: firm in faith. And we ask for your help because
• 1:08:36
  Speaker 1: we cannot do it without you. Father, Give us wisdom
• 1:08:40
  Speaker 1: to discern truth from deception in a world filled with
• 1:08:44
  Speaker 1: confusion and compromise. Help us to build our lives on
• 1:08:48
  Speaker 1: your word alone. Help us to see through the lies
• 1:08:52
  Speaker 1: of the enemy, to recognize false teachings, and to remain
• 1:08:57
  Speaker 1: steadfast in our faith no matter what comes our way.
• 1:09:01
  Speaker 1: Give us strength to stand firm when temptations come. Help
• 1:09:06
  Speaker 1: us to resist when trials hit. Help us to persevere
• 1:09:11
  Speaker 1: when the world tries to shake our faith. Make us
• 1:09:14
  Speaker 1: unmovable In Christ, Let us be like the house built
• 1:09:18
  Speaker 1: on the rock, able to withstand every storm because our
• 1:09:22
  Speaker 1: foundation is in You. Give us love that reflects Christ.
• 1:09:27
  Speaker 1: Let our words, our actions, and our lives be marked
• 1:09:30
  Speaker 1: by the love of Jesus. Help us to love those
• 1:09:34
  Speaker 1: who are difficult, to forgive those who have hurt us,
• 1:09:37
  Speaker 1: and to reflect your kindness even in a world that
• 1:09:40
  Speaker 1: does not understand it. Let our boldness be wrapt in grace,
• 1:09:44
  Speaker 1: and let our passion for truth never overshadow our compassion
• 1:09:48
  Speaker 1: for people. Lord, we ask for unity in the Body
• 1:09:52
  Speaker 1: of Christ. Where there is division, Bring healing where there
• 1:09:56
  Speaker 1: is competition, Bring humility where there is mis understanding. Bring peace.
• 1:10:03
  Speaker 1: Let us be known not for arguments, but for the
• 1:10:05
  Speaker 1: way we love one another. Help us to walk as
• 1:10:08
  Speaker 1: one body with one mission to glorify You, and above all,
• 1:10:13
  Speaker 1: help us to keep our eyes on Jesus. The world
• 1:10:16
  Speaker 1: will try to distract us. The enemy will try to
• 1:10:20
  Speaker 1: discourage us. Our flesh will try to lead us astray.
• 1:10:24
  Speaker 1: But Lord, fix our hearts on you. Let nothing move us,
• 1:10:29
  Speaker 1: let nothing take our focus off of you. Because you
• 1:10:32
  Speaker 1: alone are our hope, our strength, and our salvation. We
• 1:10:38
  Speaker 1: declare to day that we will run this race with endurance.
• 1:10:41
  Speaker 1: We will not turn back, we will not give up.
• 1:10:44
  Speaker 1: We will press forward, We will grow, and we will
• 1:10:47
  Speaker 1: finish strong, not for our own glory but for yours.
• 1:10:53
  Speaker 1: In Jesus Mighty name, we pray Amen, as you take
• 1:10:56
  Speaker 1: everything you have learned from First Corinthians. Do not let
• 1:10:59
  Speaker 1: its day as just knowledge. Let it change you. Let
• 1:11:02
  Speaker 1: it shape your faith, your choices, and your daily walk
• 1:11:06
  Speaker 1: with God. And if this message is spoken to you,
• 1:11:09
  Speaker 1: we encourage you to go even deeper. We have created
• 1:11:13
  Speaker 1: a full explain of video on First Corinthians to help
• 1:11:17
  Speaker 1: you understand this powerful book on a deeper level, and
• 1:11:20
  Speaker 1: we have also prepared an ebook study guide so you
• 1:11:24
  Speaker 1: can continue growing in your faith. Both are linked in
• 1:11:27
  Speaker 1: the description and we truly believe they will help you
• 1:11:29
  Speaker 1: in your spiritual journey. And before you go, take a
• 1:11:33
  Speaker 1: moment to share this message with someone who needs to
• 1:11:36
  Speaker 1: hear it. There are people in your life, friends, family,
• 1:11:40
  Speaker 1: even strangers who need the encouragement, the challenge and the
• 1:11:44
  Speaker 1: truth of God's word. You never know how one message,
• 1:11:48
  Speaker 1: one verse, or one prayer could change someone's life forever.
• 1:11:52
  Speaker 1: So to day, choose to grow, Choose to stand firm,
• 1:11:56
  Speaker 1: Choose to walk in love, and above all, choose to
• 1:11:59
  Speaker 1: live in the strength and wisdom that God has already
• 1:12:02
  Speaker 1: given you.