God thought - Bible #9

Read
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ die for our sins according to the Scriptures. -1 Corinthians 15:3

Reflect
Think about the last piece of BIG news or information you received. What was it? Maybe you made first chair in the band. Or maybe you got accepted into the college of your dreams. Or...maybe it wasn't good news at all. Maybe you didn't do as well on that test as you thought. Or maybe your grandama's cancer came back. Regardless of the actual specifics of the news, there is something about human nature that makes us want to share. And not just with anyone. We usually seek out those we are closest with and share our lives with them. We're just not wired to keep news to ourselves, whether good or bad.

Paul was just like us. When he had great news, he needed to share it with someone. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. Paul loved the Corinthians dearly, but he was frustrated with them. You see, the believers in the Corinthian church had abandoned a lot of the teachings Paul had taken the time to impart to them. He was writing to try and shake them up a bit, but also to give instructions on how to live as followers of Christ.

The secret to what Paul wanted to communicate to his friends in Corinth can be seen in verses 1-2. Paul knew his message was important. What was his message? Simply that Jesus is Lord; believe in Him and be saved. Like a friend with a great bit of news, Paul could not keep his message a secret. He knew that the message of Christ saves lives. He could not contain his excitement.

Do you share Paul's excitement for telling others the amazing story of Jesus? If you believe there is no real life apart from Jesus, shouldn't you be excited to share that news?

Respond
1. Have you ever shared the news of Jesus before? Why or why not?

2. Why are Christ's death & resurrection of "first importance"? (v.3-4)

3. Why do you think it was important for Paul to point out that all these things were written in the Scriptures?.

4. Evaluate your lifestyle and commitment to Christ by asking God to take away habits and sins that do not belong in a Christian's life. Take a few minutes to pray about that right now...