Sermon
Notes & Quotes
October 12, 2025
God is Bigger Than Your Past
"Learning From Mistakes"
I & II Chronicles 1
Axios https://www.axios.com/2025/10/03/us-churches-close-religious-shift-christians
God’s Word – God's Word is a foundation upon which the most structurally sound houses are built upon.
History – study history and you see how nothing is new under the sun (Rutherford Hayes)
And when you can combine the two: God’s Word and history you get how God has moved through history.
History:
II Corinthians in Corinth in the year 55/56 AD/CE
Matthew preached last week from Luke which is in Judaen region of Israel between 60/80 AD/CE.
I & II Chronicles are written in between 520-450-400 BC/BCE.
What 1 & 2 Chronicles point to is the coming Messiah. 2 Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew Bible. The English Bible has Malachi as the last book. The Hebrew Bible closes with the promise of Jesus.
1 & 2 Chronicles is written to give hope by showing us the past. The books together tell Israel's story from creation to exile, focusing on faithful kings who center worship on God's temple and the Davidic covenant to rebuild the people's confidence in God's consistent promises.
I Chronicles 1:28
28 The sons of Abraham:
Isaac and Ishmael.
I Chronicles 1:34
34 Abraham was the father of Isaac.
The sons of Isaac:
Esau and Israel.
2 Chronicles 1:1
Solomon son of David established himself firmly over his kingdom, for the Lord his God was with him and made him exceedingly great.
2 Chronicles 1:6
6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the Lord in the tent of meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.
2 Chronicles 1:7
7 That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.”
II Samuel 7:8-9
8 “Now then, tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have cut off all your enemies from before you. Now I will make your name great, like the names of the greatest men on earth.
II Samuel 7:11b-16
“‘The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: 12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
II Samuel 7:14-16
14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with a rod wielded by men, with floggings inflicted by human hands. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’”
II Chronicles 1:8b-10
Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place. 9 Now, Lord God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth. 10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
II Chronicles 1:11-12
11 God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, possessions and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have.”
I Kings 3:27 & 28
27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”
28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
II Corinthians 5:17
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
New Every Morning (Porter's Gate)
You are not what you have done
Or what has been done to you
You are something like the rising sun
Can't you see that you are new
You might have your father’s name
Or bear the shame he left behind
But there's new life flowing through your veins
Leave some room to be surprised
September 28, 2025
The Body in Conflict: Radical Trust
II Corinthians 13
Christian is used three times in the NT.
First in Acts 11:26 connecting the two terms.
“The first time the disciples are called Christians is in Antioch.”
Matthew 16:18
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Christ came to build a church - Ekklesia (121 times in the NT)
The definition of trust in our world is:
firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.
The Bible's use of trust is slightly different. Psalm 20:7.Trust is not one word in the OT, but five different words that convey "to lean on someone or something", "to cling", to "know" that something will happen in the future as our hope, and to "be firm". Trust is a muscle not a belief.
Romans 5:3-5
3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
II Corinthians 13:1
This will be my third visit to you. “Every matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.”[Deut 19:15)
Deuteronomy 19:15
15 One witness is not enough to convict anyone accused of any crime or offense they may have committed. A matter must be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.
II Corinthians 13:2-3
2 I already gave you a warning when I was with you the second time. I now repeat it while absent: On my return I will not spare those who sinned earlier or any of the others, 3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me.
II Corinthians 13:3b-4
He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you. 4 For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.
II Corinthians 13:5-6
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? 6 And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test.
II Corinthians 13:7
7 Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed. 8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the truth.
II Corinthians 13:9-10
9 We are glad whenever we are weak but you are strong; and our prayer is that you may be fully restored. 10 This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority—the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down.
Questions to consider:
How do we learn to trust God through:
Word of God - are we in the word daily.
Prayer - take the "water" to God.
Discipleship/Church - are we rooted in MBC
September 21, 2025
The Body of Conflict: Radical Weakness
II Corinthians 12
I Peter 4:12-16
12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
I Corinthians 1:26-29
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.
II Corinthians 11:30
If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.
The gospel is not a set of spiritual principles that we access, activate or set into motion. The gospel is good news that we believe, rest in and are changed by.
II Corinthians 12:1-5
I must go on boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. 2 I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell. 5 I will boast about a man like that, but I will not boast about myself, except about my weaknesses.
II Corinthians 11:21b-23
Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. 22 Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. 23 Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more.
II Corinthians 11:23b-27
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.
“We are not saved by obedience, for obedience is the result of salvation! We are saved by faith because faith leads us to obey! Faith is weakness clinging to strength and becoming strong through so doing.”–1891, Spurgeon Sermon
II Corinthians 12:6-7
6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say, 7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
II Corinthians 12:8-9
8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
II Corinthians 12:9b
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
II Corinthians 12:10
10 That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Spurgeon
“God does not need your strength: he has more than enough of power of his own. He asks your weakness: he has none of that himself, and he is longing, therefore, to take your weakness, and use it as the instrument in his own mighty hand. Will you not yield your weakness to him, and receive his strength?”
Genesis 50:20
20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
September 14, 2025
The Body of Conflict: Radical Vulnerability
II Corinthians 11
How do we respond when we are provoked?
II Corinthians 11:23-29
I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
Deuteronomy 18:
21 You may say to yourselves, “How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the Lord?” 22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the Lord does not take place or come true, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously, so do not be alarmed.
Galatians 1:6-8
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!
1 John 4:1-3
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
II Corinthians 11:12-15
12 And I will keep on doing what I am doing in order to cut the ground from under those who want an opportunity to be considered equal with us in the things they boast about. 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
II Corinthians 11:19-21
19 You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! 20 In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. 21 To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that!
II Corinthians 11:4
4 For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the Spirit you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
Ephesians 4:14
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming.
II Corinthians 11:27-29
27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?
To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.
C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves
II Corinthians 11:30-33
30 If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. 32 In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. 33 But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.
Hebrews 4:15
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.
September 7, 2025
The Body in Conflict: Radical Grace
II Corinthians 10
“Every human kingdom, like Babylon, eventually becomes corrupt and oppressive. We should resist evil kingdoms by loving people and trusting that Jesus will not let evil go unchecked. He will return to remove evil from the world and make all things new.”
(Link: https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-revelation/)
How should we respond to conflict?
Micah 6:8 (ESV)
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
1 Peter 3:8-9 (ESV)
Finally, all of you, have unity of mind, sympathy, brotherly love, a tender heart, and a humble mind. Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.
Matthew 5:38-
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor[i] and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
grace
/ɡrās/
noun
1. simple elegance or refinement of movement.
"she moved through the water with effortless grace"
"at least he has the grace to admit his debt to her"
verb
do honor or credit to (someone or something) by one's presence.
"she bowed out from the sport she has graced for two decades"
Biblical understanding of grace is something far more tangible as a fruit. God’s grace is His free gift of life and goodness, rooted in enduring love for humanity. It reflects His nature to love without end, providing generously without regard to merit. The Hebrew word “khen” conveys a multifaceted meaning of grace. Grace is not only a disposition or a quality or an inclination in the nature of God, but it is an influence or a force or a power or an acting of God that works in us to change our capacities for work and suffering and obedience. Grace is what we put out into the world. There are 131 uses of grace in the Bible all meaning how God interacts with us and how we are to interact with others. 124 are in the New Testament, 86 of which are from the apostle Paul, which means two-thirds of all the uses of the word grace in the Bible are in one author: Paul. Paul is called “the apostle of grace.”
II Corinthians 10:1-6
By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you—I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” toward you when away!
Philippians 2:5-8
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
II Corinthians 10:1
By the humility and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you
Where am I
Where are they
Where is Jesus
II Corinthians 10:2
2 I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
II Corinthians 10:3-4
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
I'll praise when outnumbered
Praise when surrounded
'Cause praise is the water
My enemies drown in
II Corinthians 10:5
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
II Corinthians 10:3-5
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Hebrews 4:12-13
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
II Corinthians 10:6
6 And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.
Don’t just look for a church that will confirm everything you already know. Yes, Christians should always work to reconcile. But sometimes humility requires us to place those more intractable conflicts on the shelf for a while and ask the Lord to solve them in his time and his way. Until that time comes, your continued ability to hear and apply God’s Word without the stumbling block of broken trust remains crucial. Speaking as a pastor, I would rather someone leave my church because he doesn’t trust me, even if I am convinced he is wrong and I am right, so that he can, over time, grow in godliness somewhere else. Maybe hearing God’s Word preached somewhere else will allow him to grow so that, one day, we can reconcile. And probably I have some growing to do as well. It’s more important for people to be under leadership they trust than to be under my leadership. The good news is, every gospel-preaching church is playing for the same kingdom team.
God’s Word – how does God’s Word speak into our conflict? Where does God draw you when you are struggling? Elijah, Moses, Abraham, Job, Joel, Deborah, and Jesus had human conflict. How was grace shown through their actions?
Prayer – What is God calling us to do? Can we trust, do we trust the Holy Spirit to lead us through difficult paths.
Discipleship – How do we speak into people’s lives drawing them to Jesus?
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August 31, 2025
The Body in Conflict: Radical Obedience
II Corinthians 9
Genesis 19:15-17
15 With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” 16 When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. 17 As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”
Genesis 19:26
25 Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, destroying all those living in the cities—and also the vegetation in the land. 26 But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Philippians 2:5-8
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Matthew 26:36-39
36 Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and told His disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” 37 And He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee with Him, and began to be grieved and distressed. 38 Then He *said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.”
39 And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.”
Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more
o·be·di·ence
/əˈbēdēəns/
noun
compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority.
"children were taught to show their parents obedience"
The Bible says:
In its simpler Old Testament meaning the word signifies "to hear," "to listen." It carries with it, however, the ethical significance of hearing with reverence and obedient assent. In the New Testament a different origin is suggestive of "hearing under" or of subordinating one's self to the person or thing heard, hence, "to obey." The highest significance of its usage, however, is that of the relation of man to God. Obedience is the supreme test of faith in God and reverence for Him.
(https://www.biblestudytools.com/dictionary/obedience-obey/)
I Corinthians 9:1-5
There is no need for me to write to you about this service to the Lord’s people. 2 For I know your eagerness to help, and I have been boasting about it to the Macedonians, telling them that since last year you in Achaia were ready to give; and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. 3 But I am sending the brothers in order that our boasting about you in this matter should not prove hollow, but that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4 For if any Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we—not to say anything about you—would be ashamed of having been so confident. 5 So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to visit you in advance and finish the arrangements for the generous gift you had promised. Then it will be ready as a generous gift, not as one grudgingly given.
II Corinthians 9:12-15
12 This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of the Lord’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. 13 Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. 14 And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!
What happens when we are obedient to the will of the Father?
others will praise (doxazontes) God for the obedience (hypotagē) that accompanies your confession (diakonias )of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else (II Cor 9:13)
13 διὰ τῆς δοκιμῆς τῆς διακονίας ταύτης δοξάζοντες τὸν θεὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ὑποταγῇ τῆς ὁμολογίας ὑμῶν εἰς τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ ἁπλότητι τῆς κοινωνίας εἰς αὐτοὺς καὶ εἰς πάντας,
II Corinthians 9:6-11
6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:
“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”
10 Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11 You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.
Application
Read the Bible - over and over again. Meditate on it. Delight in it. Learn from it.
Pray: Go back to God directionally listening (shema) for His words.
Discipleship: Be in a church. Be in discipleship relationships. Hebrews 13:7, Romans 10 & Romans 12.
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August 24, 2025
The Body in Conflict: Radical Generosity
II Corinthians 8
Nihilism is the belief that all values are baseless and that nothing can be known or communicated. It is often associated with extreme pessimism and a radical skepticism that condemns existence.
(https://iep.utm.edu/nihilism/)
II Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Malachi 3:2b-3
For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver.
II Corinthians 8:5-7
5 And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. 6 So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
II Corinthians 7:5-7
5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
Isolated verse:
II Corinthians 8:7
7 But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.
II Corinthians 8:1-4
And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2 In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3 For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4 they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the Lord’s people.
James 1:27
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Honest Offering/I Surrender All - There is a line in that song that says:
You turned pennies in my hands
Into a heavenly treasure
'Cause Your kingdom rules by a different measure
And so I'm pouring out until I'm an empty vessel
II Corinthians 8:8-9
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
jehovah jireh - God will provide
II Corinthians 8:8-9
8 I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. 9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.
Porter’s Gate song The Kingdom of Jesus
He’s come to make all things bright and put new wine in us
He’s chosen the small things to outlast the great
The meek and the merciful to shine through the hate
Though it seems, some days, that hell and its gates are prevailing
II Corinthians 8:10-12
10 And here is my judgment about what is best for you in this matter. Last year you were the first not only to give but also to have the desire to do so. 11 Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means. 12 For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have.
Aristides (Athenian 2nd-century Christian Greek)
“Christians live in hope and expectation of the world which is to come. So they do not embezzle what is held in pledge, nor covet what is not theirs. If one or other of them has servants or slaves, through love towards them they persuade them to become Christians, and when they have done so, they call them brethren without distinction. They love one another, esteem widows, and rescue orphans from any who ill-treat them. Whoever has [wealth] gives to him who has not, without boasting. When they see a stranger, they take him into their homes and rejoice over him as a very brother. Whenever one of their number who was poor passes from the world, each one of them according to his ability contributes to his burial. And if they hear that one of their number is imprisoned or afflicted on account of the name of their Messiah, all of them anxiously minister to his necessity, and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. If there is among them any that is poor and needy, and they have no spare food, they fast two or three days in order to have food which they can supply to the needy one.”
II Corinthians 8:13-15
13 Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14 At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15 as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.”
Where is God showing up in your life?
Where is God interacting with you in His Word?
Where is God placing you in other people's lives?
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August 17, 2025
The Body in Conflict: The Holy Life
II Corinthians 7
“Do you want the holy life?”
Matthew 5:11-12
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
James 2:14-20
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.
18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.
20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless?
II Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
II Corinthians 7:1
Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.
Do you remember the promises last week?
God will never leave us because He promises us His presence - II Corinthians 6:16
We are to be set apart and holy – II Corinthians 6:17
We are a family in God – II Corinthians 6:18
“They knew that the testimony they gave through their individual lives, not the testimony of a moralized culture, was necessary for reaching their society.”
Holiness is:
separation from sin
connection to God
reliance on God's Word
dependency on the Holy Spirit
loving God's children
καθαρίσωμεν (katharisōmen) — 1 Occurrence
2 Corinthians 7:1 V-ASA-1P
GRK: ἐπαγγελίας ἀγαπητοί καθαρίσωμεν ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ
NAS: beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
KJV: dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
INT: promises beloved we should cleanse ourselves from
Beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from the defilement of our flesh (sarx not soma) and our spirit (pnuema)
Perfecting holiness -
ἁγιωσύνην (hagiōsynēn) — 1 Occurrence
2 Corinthians 7:1 N-AFS
GRK: πνεύματος ἐπιτελοῦντες ἁγιωσύνην ἐν φόβῳ
NAS: perfecting holiness in the fear
KJV: perfecting holiness in
INT: spirit perfecting holiness in fear
Leviticus 11:44-45
44 I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves along the ground. For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.”
Leviticus 20:26
You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy and have separated you from the peoples, that you should be mine.
Those passages are what Peter draws on to write these words.
I Peter 1:15-16
15 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16 for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
II Corinthians 7:8-
8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9 yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Rediscover Church -
“More than anything else, your non-Christian friends need not just your gospel words but also a gospel community that testifies to the truth of those gospel words. You want them to watch the life of your church and say, “God really does change people. And he really is building a just and righteous city—here in the church” (see 1 Cor. 14:25; Heb. 11:10).”
― Collin Hansen, Rediscover Church: Why the Body of Christ Is Essential
II Corinthians 7:4
4 I have spoken to you with great frankness; I take great pride in you. I am greatly encouraged; in all our troubles my joy knows no bounds.
II Corinthians 7:5-7
5 For when we came into Macedonia, we had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort you had given him. He told us about your longing for me, your deep sorrow, your ardent concern for me, so that my joy was greater than ever.
II Corinthians 7:2-3
2 Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. 3 I do not say this to condemn you; I have said before that you have such a place in our hearts that we would live or die with you.
Where is God showing up in your life?
Where is God interacting with you in His Word?
Where is God placing you in other people's lives?
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August 10, 2025
The Body in Conflict: The Good Life
II Corinthians 6
“You were born to win; you were born for greatness, you were created to be a champion in life”
“He wants you to live in abundance. He wants to give you the desires of your heart…God is turning things around in your favor”
“God wants to increase you financially, by giving you promotions, fresh ideas and creativity”
“It’s going to happen… Suddenly, your situation will change for the better…He will bring your dreams to pass”
“You will often receive preferential treatment simply because your Father is the King of kings, and His glory and honor spill over onto you”
“God wants you to live an overcoming life of victory. He doesn’t want you to barely get by. He’s called El Shaddai, ‘the God of more than enough’”
“God wants us to have healthy, positive self-images, to see ourselves as priceless treasures. He wants us to feel good about ourselves… God sees you as a champion… He regards you as a strong, courageous, successful, overcoming person”
(Joel Osten)
Luke 14:
26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
“Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”
John 15:18-25
18 “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20 Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21 They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. 24 If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. 25 But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’
“The interesting thing is that the early church never attempted to “impact” their society in the sense that we often use that word. They never worked to push a biblical moral agenda. They never got involved in trying to elect certain people to political office. They never got involved in trying to push people up the social ladder in order to gain some pervasive moral influence over their culture. Changing the morality or the politics of the world around them was never their goal. Instead, this is what the early church cared about, according to Paul’s letter to Titus:
They cared about not dishonoring the Word of God. They cared about living in such a way that unbelievers would have nothing bad to say about them. They cared about adorning the doctrine of God. In a word, what the early church cared about was evangelism. They were concerned about bringing the Word of God into the public forum so that the truth could be heard, and they were concerned about living godly lives so that there would be no hindrance to people believing in the truth. They knew that the testimony they gave through their individual lives, not the testimony of a moralized culture, was necessary for reaching their society. As the German philosopher Heine once said, “Show me your redeemed life and I might be inclined to believe in your Redeemer.”
II Corinthians 6:
3 We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
4 Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses;
5 in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger;
6 in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love;
7 in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in the left;
8 through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors;
9 known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed;
10 sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything.
II Corinthians 6:14-16
14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.
ἑτεροζυγοῦντες (heterozygountes) - Only time used in all of Scripture. Join that with ἀπίστοις (apistois) from apistos: Unbelieving, faithless, unfaithful. Paul isn’t talking about belief in Christ.
Matthew 11:28-30
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
II Corinthians 6:14b
For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? 15 What harmony is there between Christ and Belial[b]? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
II Corinthians 6:16
As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.” (Lev. 26:12; Jer. 32:38; Ezek. 37:27)
We are promised God’s presence in the holy life. He will never leave you nor forsake you. In the darkest parts, Scripture tells us it is light for God.
17 Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.” (Isaiah 52:11; Ezek. 20:34,41)
We were never supposed to be like the world. We were never supposed to create a world. We are to let God work through us, in our differences, pointing people to Him. He changes people. Our holiness is what people see as different.
18 And,
“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”