Why I'm Glad I'm Not a Preacher . . .

At Grace Church, we are in the midst of a sermon series on I Corinthians.  It's topics like over the past three weekends that makes me glad I'm not a preacher who has to teach through a book like this, but it also makes me glad to be a part of church that teaches on these topics with authenticity (like the life change video this past weekend by a leader in our church talking about how he and his wife began their dating relationship with sexual intimacy).  You can listen to the series on our teaching page (look for 1st Corinthians - Church At Its Worst), and even get typed notes on each sermon.  Here's a summary of these last few sermons:

• November 7 (I Cor 5:1-13).  We, as believers, have the right and the responsibility to confront sin in each others' lives.  I've been on both sides on this (i.e., confronting others and being confronted), and I honestly couldn't tell you which is harder.
• November 14 (I Cor 6:1-8).  While the specific application addressed by Paul is about lawsuits, the broader principle is how we handle conflict between Christians.  The fact is that we are going to have conflicts because we are sinners, but because we have the Gospel as our greatest resource, God can be glorified in our conflict.  And sometimes, I may need to take a personal loss so the Kingdom can win.
• November 21 (I Cor 6:9-20).  Sexual immorality, addressed head on.  I don't think I need to say anything else.  But here's one quote, "Sexual sin leaves a big wound on your soul."  Amen.  Want to read more about why the church needs to talk about sex?  Check out this post from Stuff Christians Like.

These sermons weren't aimed to bash the culture.  Instead (and unfortunately) they completely apply to our own church body, and have challenged and convicted me on a personal level.