Christ - the End Game?

The Question is contentment...What is something you would not be able to live with indefinitely during your life? For example - if your job, marital status, health never changed would you be ok with it?

If you had to "tweet" (140 characters) what the end game or point of Christianity is, what would you say?
Concerning Change of Status
 17 Nevertheless, each of you should live as a believer in whatever situation the Lord has assigned to you, just as God has called you. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18 Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised. 19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. 20 Each of you should remain in the situation you were in when God called you.
 21 Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you—although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22For those who were slaves when called to faith in the Lord are the Lord’s freed people; similarly, those who were free when called are Christ’s slaves. 23 You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of human beings. 24 Brothers and sisters, all of you, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation in which God called you.

Patient Anticipation

Here is the idea...

We focus too much on the short term...not paying any attention to the fact that we will live in "heavenly bodies"...sex is a temporary thing...how can we anticipate what will be?

Question 1: When was a time you anticipated something? What was it?

Question 2: When was a time you experienced peace...what was it and how long did it last?

1 Now for the matters you wrote about: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 

2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband. 

7 I wish that all of you were as I am. But each of you has your own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that.

God has called us to live in peace. 

1 Corinthians 7:1-2, 7 

Patient Anticipation

Sorry it took some time to get this up this week...let me know your thoughts

12 “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. 13 You say, “Food for the stomach and the stomach for food, and God will destroy them both.” The body, however, is not meant for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 16 Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, “The two will become one flesh.”17 But whoever is united with the Lord is one with him in spirit. 18 Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins people commit are outside their bodies, but those who sin sexually sin against their own bodies. 19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:12-19

Generous Justice

Here is the rub for next weekend:
What is the most embarrassing thing you have seen a church or a few members of the church do in "public"?
What does "turn the other cheek" mean in the 21st century? Should we abstain from lawsuits?


Here is 1 Corinthians 6:1-11
¹ If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people? ² Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴ Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? ⁵ I say this to shame you. Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers? ⁶ But instead, one brother goes to law against another—and this in front of unbelievers!
 ⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? ⁸ Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters. ⁹ Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor practicing homosexuals ¹⁰ nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

As always, Leave your thoughts, comments and interpretation of the text in the comment section:)

Flat Friendship

6 Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough? 7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 

13 God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”

We are looking at 1 Corinthians 5:6-13

Here are the questions/subjects - 

1. Have you ever had something small in your life snowball into a large issue?

2. Have you ever had to break a relationship with someone because of their actions?

Look at the rest of the text and leave your feedback in the comment section:)

Aggressive Love

Tough Love: Is it hard for you to show "tough love"? Could you share a story of when this has worked in your life (either giving or receiving)?
Divine Neglect: In your experience is the American church too judgmental or too "relaxed" when it comes to the behavior of its members?

1 Corinthians 5:1-5 (MSG)

1-2I also received a report of scandalous sex within your church family, a kind that wouldn't be tolerated even outside the church: One of your men is sleeping with his stepmother. And you're so above it all that it doesn't even faze you! Shouldn't this break your hearts? Shouldn't it bring you to your knees in tears? Shouldn't this person and his conduct be confronted and dealt with?

3-5I'll tell you what I would do. Even though I'm not there in person, consider me right there with you, because I can fully see what's going on. I'm telling you that this is wrong. You must not simply look the other way and hope it goes away on its own. Bring it out in the open and deal with it in the authority of Jesus our Master. Assemble the community—I'll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power. Hold this man's conduct up to public scrutiny. Let him defend it if he can! But if he can't, then out with him! It will be totally devastating to him, of course, and embarrassing to you. But better devastation and embarrassment than damnation. You want him on his feet and forgiven before the Master on the Day of Judgment.

Foolish Simplicity

We are looking at 1 Corinthians 4:6-21 this weekend - here are the verses I am highlighting:
10 We are fools for Christ...
16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me...
20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power...
So my questions are -
Why are we required to become "foolish" for Jesus? 
When was a time you told someone to imitate you?
And finally What does it mean that the kingdom of God is a matter of power?
Looking forward to all your thoughts and comments:)

Legacy?

Hi everyone - we are going to be looking at what your legacy is when it comes to this life and Jesus. That being the case, here are a few questions:
What do you think of when you hear the word "Legacy"
What do you hope to be remembered for when your life has passed?
Whose opinion do you put too much stock into and why?

Here is the text we are looking...leave any thoughts, comments or illustrations that connect to you in the comments too:)

1 This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. 3 I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. 4 My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of people’s hearts. At that time each will receive their praise from God. 

Seeing Jesus

Here is the question(s):
Where have you seen Jesus in your life? I am looking for specifics...both physical and emotial/spiritual...where have you seen Jesus working and manifesting on earth? When was that?

Seeing Heaven, Smelling Hell

Sorry it took a bit this week - here is the question I have for you all...how do you develop healthy spiritual appetites?

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. 

- 1 Corinthians 3:1–2

1 Corinthians 2:5-16 - The Mind of Christ

Here is the question: What is the mind of Christ and how can you have it? If you have some thoughts post them in the comments section. Please comment on your thoughts for this section too:

1 Corinthians 2:5-16 TNIV

so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived—

these things God has prepared for those who love him” —

for God has revealed them to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit within? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for,

“Who has known the mind of the Lord

so as to instruct him?”

But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 1:18-31

 ¹⁸ For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ¹⁹ For it is written:

   “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
   the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”^[c]

 ²⁰ Where are the wise? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? ²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

 ²⁶ Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. ²⁷ But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. ²⁸ God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, ²⁹ so that no one may boast before him. ³⁰It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. ³¹ Therefore, as it is written: “Let those who boast boast in the Lord.”^[d]

^{Some thoughts on this would be great - what is an area you have "been made strong in weakness"}

^{Do you still feel the Cross is foolishness to the rest of the world?}

^{Feedback and meditation on these verses would be great:)}

Baptism and Spiritual Authority

If anyone wants to post some thoughts on either Spiritual Authority (who are your spiritual authorities) and/or baptism (what it means to you, have you been baptized, what it means today?)

! Corinthians Week 2

Hey everyone - here is the text for this next work. The main theme seems to be "Spiritual Authority"
I would love your thoughts on that subject, insights about the text or feelings towards Corinthians in general. Post your thoughts in the comments for this blog.


¹⁰ I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought. ¹¹ My brothers and sisters, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. ¹² What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephas^[a]”; still another, “I follow Christ.”

 ¹³ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into^[b] the name of Paul? ¹⁴ I thank God that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁵ so no one can say that you were baptized into my name. ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don’t remember if I baptized anyone else.) ¹⁷ For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel—not with wisdom and eloquence, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power.

Collective Knowledge

Recently I was thinking about the awesomeness of Wiki knowledge and realized that the very ways in which we think and process information have fundamentally changed in the last decade (I believe for the better). Now we are able to access more information than ever before at a fraction of the time it used to take. This is all possible because we realized that "experts" did not necessarily hold the keys to the cosmic warehouse of wisdom and knowledge.

That being said, I think theology and theological thinking (thoughts about God) needs to update their software to match the hardware we are all using. I want this space to be open for us to dialogue about thoughts on God and to shape the thinking of Kairos (our church plant) by forming and writing sermons together. While I may be the one usually giving the sermon when Sunday morning roles around, I hope that it is a culmination of a lot of different thoughts and experiences from conversations I am having we others - both on here and in real time.

So, if you have thoughts about the subject, text, illustration or if you have been doing some studying about the upcoming weekend's portion of the Bible we are looking at - post it. I will try to start a new post for the upcoming week on Mondays.

I look forward to seeing this work out.

p.s. You do not have to be a part of Kairos to post here, you just have to be sincere:)