"You shall have no other gods before Me." We're supposed to believe that the biggest problem in the Old Testament - the most intractable sin, and the most abhorrent to God - has just vanished from the earth. If we do talk about idolatry, we might confine the discussion to the love of money - and boy, do we know some other people who need to hear that message! Today our study of 1 Corinthians will help us think more seriously about the rivals for our affection, and what's behind them.

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We know about the gift of sex, but there's another gift, too! As we continue in 1 Corinthians, we find some powerful principles governing God's gift of intimacy between husband and wife. Oh, what a different world we would live in if those who name the name of Christ would trust Him in this area! But we've also forgotten what the Lord said about celibacy. Paul presents it as a higher gift, without denigrating marriage. Here's Pastor Jim to begin the message, Sacred Sex.

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Let's talk about one of the most beautiful - and most dangerous - aspects of our lives: sex! The drives given us by our Creator bring new life into the world, and they bring down kings. They bond husband and wife, and they blow up ministries, careers and reputations. We would expect the church in hyper-sexualized Corinth to have problems with this. But would they look at our society and say, "Whoa! We never imagined that!"

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Yeast goes in the ciabatta, not in the church! The thing about yeast is that it's all around us - it's in the air right now - and it multiplies. We see it often in the Bible as a symbol of sin. This invisible infiltrator is something to guard against, spiritually speaking. Jesus told His men to "...beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees." And Paul cautioned the Corinthians about their careless kitchen habits. Here's Jim to talk about Rights and Wrongs.

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Our transformation comes with an obligation. We're responsible, of course, for our own actions. But what about the conduct of others? And which others? Are we accountable for the behavior of our minor children, for example? Most would say "yes" - and our laws may one day reflect that idea. But what about grownups who are not our relatives? Aren't our fellow servants of Christ allowed to serve Him however they see fit? The Corinthians had come up with the wrong answer to this question.

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Falling into factions, versus following a father. The ink was still drying on the parchment where Paul had warned the Corinthians to escape whatever cult of personality they had joined - including the "cult of Paul." But now he felt the need to correct the church, and to do that, he had to remind them that he had a unique relationship with them. It's not about personality, but responsibility. Here's a sermon Jim preached on Father's Day a few years ago, called Faith Fathers.

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A "party spirit" isn't actually as fun as it sounds. Paul once gave us a list of "deeds of the flesh," including "hatreds, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions," and the one we'll look at today: "factions." An older translation gives that as "party spirit," as in a political party - we would say, "partisanship." Why do Christians divide themselves into streams of teaching, or teachers? We need to stop.

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Higher education, lower destination? "I am much afraid that schools will prove to be the great gates of hell unless they diligently labor in explaining the Holy Scriptures, engraving them in the hearts of youth." If you know that quote is from Martin Luther, go to the head of the class! The battle for our minds is an ancient one; it goes back farther than we may realize. Today Jim will help us see what's really going on, with his message, The Degree That Destroys

This message can be purchased, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for just $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free.