Summer Study

We had our first summer study session last night. Things kicked off well. Diving into 1st Corinthians is going to be fun. This church at Corinth was messed up:

• People arguing over who their leader was, even though none of the guys were even in the area.
• People getting drunk at communion.
• And the topper, a leader in the church was sleeping with his mother-in-law.

Besides the sin issues, the larger context were Christians figuring out how they could live out the Gospel without compromising the gospel. They so desperately wanted to fit into the culture of their day, so much so that they tried to "go beyond" the core of the gospel, which is the cross.

This particular lesson made me think of the times that I have had thoughts that cross my mind when trying to explain the gospel. Thoughts like, "this is crazy!" And, "I wish this made more sense to the modern mind." It is a reasonable faith for sure, but there is a point where reason leaves off and faith has to be employed. In the end, I like it that way because then it doesn't completely depend on me and my ability to understand the gospel and even communicate it, but on God's power and Spirit to open the hearts and minds of people.

It has also reminded me of the even more pressing need to be fluid in methods and solid in theology. What I mean by that is this: the methods (songs, events, teaching style, etc) can change like the wind if it helps communicate but the message stays the same. This is not to say I was even tempted any other way, just to say that it has made me even more convicted to "preach the cross" as Paul said.

In case anyone would like the audio or notes from last night, here it is. You can also subscribe to it in ITunes or other readers by clicking here.