2 Corinthians: Surpassing Glory

2 Corinthians 3: 7 - 16

There’s a strange tendency as Christians to not realize what we have in Christ and to not take full advantage of all that is available to us. We settle for less than what God has for us. This malnourished approach to the Christian life has become the norm in this western corner of the world.

Passages like 2 Corinthians 3: 7 - 16 spur believers to refocus on what we truly have with Christ within us! He is true satisfaction. Everything else pales in comparison. But we must chase it, hunger for it, surrender fully to God’s life to embrace the fullness of Christ within us.

2 Corinthians: Letters of Recommendation

What people have had the most theological influence on you? What is the criteria you look for to trust the person’s spiritual expertise? Whether we’re aware of it or not, we tend to be on the lookout for people to emulate, and it’s important to discern the level of truth we hear from different teachers.

The 1st century Corinthian culture was no exception to sifting out false teachers, and in the mess some challenged Paul’s validity. 2 Corinthians 3:1-6 looks at the relationship between Paul and the Corinthian church and how the good fruit from the Corinthians bears witnesses to God’s true transformation and the good gospel message which Paul delivered to them.

2 Corinthians: The Authority of Christ in Our Lives

2 Corinthians 2:17

What habits do Christ followers fall into that turn them into “peddlers of God’s word,” that cheapen or distort the gospel? How can we better understand and walk in the righteousness that Christ declares over his followers? Chris Waugh walks us through what gets disguised as Christ’s authority and Christ’s authority actually looks like.

Standalone Sermons: Looking for a Sign

Luke 24:13-34

Let’s talk about an Easter story after Easter! What if you already had the sign you were looking for? Council Leader Vicky Griffiths goes through the encounter of Jesus with the people on the road to Emmaus after the resurrection, how Jesus’ explanation of the scriptures and his breaking bread with the travelers both point to Him as the Savior we are looking for.

Easter 2024: Resurrection Life Now

Church spaces all throughout the globe are talking and singing about the resurrection of Jesus, and Christians have hope to be raised from the dead at Christ’s second coming. But there are ways we can experience resurrection life now! Somehow, the Spirit of the living God can raise us out of spiritual death today and seat us with the resurrected Christ in heavenly places. We can be raised out of the muck of guilt and shame now. There are so many more implications, and Pastor Scott points out the unexpected path to resurrection life is the same one Christ took. Through death to sin and self, there is new life ahead.

2 Corinthians: The Aroma of Christ to God

2 Corinthians 2:12 - 16

What does it mean to be “the aroma of Christ to God?” The aroma refers to the fragrance of a sacrifice burning up to the heavens. Imagine a person’s heart, marked by the sacrifice of Christ, set ablaze by the Holy Spirit, with smoke reaching up to please the Father—this is the pleasing aroma to which Paul in 2 Corinithians refers. Chris Waugh challenges some of the common habits we have, such as letting savviness for knowledge get in the way of the heart, or putting on our best self at worship services like we put on perfume. But God wants to purify the heart and set it ablaze. This is what pleases the Lord.

2 Corinthians: How to Respond to Scandal

2 Corinthians 2:5-11

How should a church respond to scandal within its community? Because the church is made of people who still sin, Christians need to prepare for how to disciple repentance and how to respond well to people’s sinful behavior. Pastor Scott talks about when to respond with tough love and when to respond with mercy by studying how Paul advises the Corinthians about a situation within their church community where they needed to call out the sin, confront, and restore the person back into the community.

2 Corinthians: Grief + Love for the Church

2 Corinthians 1:23 - 2:6

In 2 Corinthians 1:23 - 2:6, Paul refers to the grief he felt when addressing the corruption in the Corinthian church community. The portrait of Paul in the Corinthian letters brings us up against this question: do we possess this kind of abundant love for the Church, that her condition intensely produces deep grief or joy? How much are affected by the state of the Church? Or affected by the people around us who are spiritually lost? Pastor Scott challenges us to let God’s grief for the spiritual condition of people to hit our hearts. 

2 Corinthians: Now This is Our Boast

2 Corinthians 1:12-22

One day, followers of Christ will receive praise from Him for pursuing a life of righteousness. In the mean time, our present need is to motivate each other to seek Christ’s righteousness in the midst of trials and temptations. Following the model of church leaders encouraging believers in 2 Corinthians 1:12-22, Mark Skillin encourages us today to live in such a genuine way where Jesus is Lord over our politics, our homes, our work, even our meal times—every aspect of life, until the day when He tells us, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt 25).

Standalone Sermons: A Pastoral Talk

Pastor Scott shares thoughts and updates for the Ren community this season related to Lent, the move out of the 184 Broad St building, and Core membership in 2024. Chris Waugh closes out with a brief word on communion and the full measure we can have of Jesus in our lives.