Rocky Mountain Christian Church

In today's culture of instant gratification, waiting can be challenging, leading to feelings of anxiety. Companies capitalize on this by offering fast services, but prayer doesn't always work at the same speed. Patience is a spiritual superpower and a fundamental element of our relationship with God. Zechariah and Elizabeth, a devoted couple who had been praying for a child, experienced God's timing in a surprising way. In our waiting, we must trust that God is with us and actively working. Embracing patience helps us navigate through seasons of waiting and grow in faith.

Paul passionately promotes a relief offering for the churches in Judea, particularly Jerusalem, aiming to unite Jewish and Gentile believers. He emphasizes the principles of generosity: giving as an act of worship, intentional and repetitive giving, individual participation, proportional giving according to income, and protecting the integrity of the giving process. The Macedonian churches' deep poverty didn't hinder their rich generosity, leading Paul to urge the Corinthians to follow their example. Paul highlights the joy and benefits of generosity, emphasizing that God provides the means to give. He encourages the Corinthians to trust God and start giving, reminding them of the impact their generosity can have.

The gift of speaking in tongues is a topic that has stirred controversy within the church, but its origin story is deeply intertwined with the early days of Christianity. In the Corinthian church, which faced various issues including division and confusion over spiritual gifts, the Apostle Paul addresses the misuse of speaking in tongues. While the gift itself is a personal language of prayer given by God through the overflow of the Holy Spirit, Paul emphasizes that love is the greater gift and the primary evidence of the Holy Spirit's presence. Paul stresses the significance of presenting the Gospel in a language visitors can comprehend, as speaking in tongues without interpretation may lead outsiders to perceive it as madness. Instead, Paul encourages believers to use their diverse gifts to build up the body of Christ and demonstrate love to others.

Paul, the author of Corinthians, served as a Sex Ed teacher for the church in Corinth, urging them to live according to Christian teachings. Sex is a gift from God but must be used within the boundaries of marriage. Sex goes beyond the physical, emphasizing the unity and permanence it creates. The misuse of this gift can lead to destruction, which is why Paul advises believers to flee from sexual immorality. Sexual sin hurts and dishonors others, as it goes against God's design for intimacy. Understand your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, recognize it's immense value as sacred image bearers. Christians do not own themselves but have been bought at a price, which further adds to their value.

Drawing inspiration from the Corinthian church, this sermon highlights the importance of remembering Jesus' sacrifice, unity within the church, and selfless service. By examining the Corinthians' forgetfulness and division, we are reminded to prioritize communion with reverence and gratitude, breaking down barriers and embracing the calling to love and serve like Jesus. Through a deeper understanding of the significance of communion, we are urged to reject selfishness and strive for unity, ensuring that we do not forget our purpose as followers of Christ.

From the vibrant city of Corinth to the challenges faced by the modern church, the book of First Corinthians unveils a timeless truth: growing older isn't the same as growing up.  In a world filled with divisions and personal preferences, Paul's powerful message to the early church urges believers to shed immaturity and embrace a mature faith.  By viewing life through the lens of the Gospel and prioritizing Jesus' perspective, we discover the path to unity, transformation, and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to grow up in our faith.

By wielding the sword of the Spirit, believers are encouraged to study, understand, and apply God's Word in their lives. It serves as a source of guidance, truth, discernment, and spiritual strength. Just as a physical sword is used in battle, the metaphorical sword of the Spirit enables Christians to defend themselves against spiritual attacks and engage in the spiritual battle they may face. This sword, the Word of God, is a powerful weapon that brings light into the darkness, and it will protect you, when the devil gets close, if you choose to use it.

The shield of faith is the fourth piece of armor that protects us from the distractions of our enemy. It is described in Ephesians 6:14-16 as a large rectangular shield made of wood, covered in leather and lined with metal, which was used by Roman soldiers in battles. Christians should take up the shield of faith as it is both their protection and badge of honor in their spiritual battle. Faith is not a blind leap into the unknown but a whole-souled response to God, grounded in its object, which is God himself. Faith becomes a shield that protects us from the flaming darts of the evil one, which are meant to distract us and cause us to doubt God's power and engagement. Satan often uses fear as a distraction to make us believe that God is smaller, less powerful, and less engaged.

How you respond to people who disagree with you, who hurt you, who hate you, who say mean things against you, how you respond to those people matters to God. If you are going to be a Peacemaker, then you are going to have to listen to understand how somebody could see it differently than you. Peacemakers have the ability to hold two perspectives in tension and CARE about the other person's viewpoint as much as their own.

What does it take to be a righteous person? It means that they are in right standing with God’s character. What does it mean that God is righteous? God always acts in a way that is consistent with his own character. Do you understand what Jesus did for you? On the cross, Jesus exchanged your sin for His righteousness so that we can one day stand before God as innocent. Have you traded your sin for Jesus’ righteousness?

You need to wrap truth around your waist, because if you have truth right, everything in your life will stabilize no matter how hard the fight is.  When we as Christians don't wear the Belt of Truth, our spiritual lives can become uncomfortable and ineffective. We begin to feel lost, confused, or even deceived.  But when we wear the Belt of Truth, everything falls into place. We're able to stand firm in our faith, resist the devil's lies, and live in the ways of Jesus. 

The reason so many Spiritual Streakers get taken out is because they don’t believe there is an enemy! If we don’t armor up, if we run around spiritually naked, not realizing we have an enemy stalking us, then our marriages, families, reputations, joy, future, even our culture is in danger of getting taken out! Satan wants to take all of this from us and he’s just waiting to blindside us. 

Everything big begins with a conversation: The Resurrection demands a conversation; if it really happened Jesus becomes the only credible answer. Easter gives an answer to something that has no plausible explanation.

Easter is a BIG conversation, and asks asks a BIG question: Did Jesus come back from the dead? The reason why you're here isn’t because Jesus said some cute things. It’s not because Jesus died on a cross. It’s because he came back from the dead, and people SAW it! The reason that we believe Jesus rose from the dead is because of their testimony. They saw Jesus die, and then they had a conversation with him 3 days later.

Standing out as a Christian is not about highlighting differences. Standing out as a Christian is not arguing your faith. Standing out as a Christian is not judging or avoiding people who are different. Standing out as a Christian is posting your political views on social media… Standing out as a Christian is not protesting in front of organizations you disagree with. Standing out as a Christian is not boycotting another organization. Standing out as a Christian is not isolating ourselves or our children from the world. You know what would really stand out in our culture…not highlighting differences but highlighting Jesus.

There is one vine (Jesus) with millions of branches (Followers of Jesus) bearing lots of fruit. Love is our fruit. Jesus passes down the love of God to us, so that we might continue to transmit that love to those around us. If you aren’t abiding in Jesus' love and then abounding in Jesus’ love for other people, you are not fully following Jesus.

God's spirit works in partnership with God's word; you won't understands the way of the spirit any more than you understand the word of God. Without Scripture there is no explanation of who God is and where we come from. Without the Holy Spirit there is no understanding of what scripture says about how we connect with God and love like him.

No matter what, God is good. When you feel like life is falling apart, you can still believe that God is good. God’s not good because of what has or happened in your life. God is good because of Jesus.

How long are you going to be a prisoner of your past? Are you so focused on what someone's done to you that you're missing what Jesus whats to do for you?

If you want healthy relationships, vulnerability is the way forward, and it starts first with vulnerability with God.