This week Pastor Matt Dean continued in 2 Corinthians 8, where we see Paul explaining to the church that financial integrity matters to Christ. He calls giving to others a grace, based on the grace that Jesus showed. Therefore, when we are not giving generously to Christ, His grace is not at work in us.

Beyond our tithe, there are moments and opportunities to freely give, and when we have first given ourselves to the Lord, and keep our hearts open to God and others, it is much easier to keep our finances open, too. Would we be people marked not by our riches, but by the richness of our willingness to be joyful in generosity.

This week, Pastor Lee Cadden gives us a picture of Paul’s state of mind while writing 2 Corinthians, and practical application that applies to us today. In 2 Corinthians 7:1-16, Paul's state of mind varies between deep despair over the weight of his pastoral burdens and care for others, and his unparalleled joy over the repentance of believers and the joy of his brother Titus.

In light of all of this we see Paul preach the hope of the Gospel to the Corinthians but also to himself. The letter turns toward a message of unity in Christ through Authentic Gospel Community: a small picture of Christ's Kingdom. It's why gathering for worship, gathering in homes, and even gathering in parking lots is so important. Our grief and our joy alike are meant to be shared with one another, all to His glory.

This week Pastor Matt Dean takes us through 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1. Some in the Corinthian church were blending in with the culture around them, and Paul offers them practical guidance in light of the gospel at work among them. He confronts these followers of Christ to live consecrated lives and to not participate in the rampant idolatry among them; as new creations in Christ they were - and we are today - to live as salt and light, distinctly different than unbelievers. This, indeed, is an incredible invitation to embrace God's dwelling among us as His temple, as His sons and daughters, as His chosen people.

This week Pastor Matt Dean continued with 2 Corinthians 6, verses 1-13, where Paul, with a pastor's heart, makes every effort to remind the Corinthians what Jesus has done for them, and how His ministry among them was for the singular purpose of knowing Christ. We must recognize and remember what He has done, and that His mercy is readily available to us, in times of plenty and in times of hardship alike.

This week Pastor Matt Dean continued our teaching in 2 Corinthians with chapter 5. He began by asking what motivates us and what gives you courage for the day; in other words, what are you living for? In verses 11-21, Paul encourages us to look to Christ and His Gospel for the foundation of our lives and purpose. There is no aim higher than living for Him.

This week Pastor Jeff Hollis helped us work through Paul's teaching about death, judgement and resurrection from 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. We learn that as believers we have hope in the age to come and live in the tension and longing of eternity with Christ. We face the limitations of our human bodies but God is glorified through the pain and suffering we experience. Ultimately, we don't have to fear death because it is not the end. Christ has secured our future for us. In his death we have life.