The Joshua Victor Theory

Note: for the full audio of the sermon, check out my podcast. This is a limited outline. • Corinthian letters—1st to an immature, conflicted, error-filled church; yet still called “saints”. 2nd, to a more mature congregation, rejoicing over the reconciliations and growth that had happened in their midst, and reflecting on his own ministry to them. • 4 Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. What is this confidence? Vs. 1-3 “do we need letters of recommendation (referral letters) among you? You  are our letter, written on human hearts by Christ! We’re the messengers, you are sent out to the world! (way of talking about how Christian’s are to be living representatives, salt and light of Christ to the world). World experiences Christ’s love through you (or doesn’t experience…aren’t reading God’s Word, reading you). • Is this Paul taking credit for them? 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is fr...

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, Amen. During this month of October, as we remember the Reformation, the sermons will come from the book of Hebrews. Today we’re warned of the importance of paying attention to the message that we’ve heard, and not falling away from it. The writer to the Hebrews is reminding us of our precious gift and salvation in Jesus Christ. Some messages and some news can go in one ear and out the other, and nothing is really lost. You can forget the latest scores, or the reports about the state building project that got held up, or some other current news item, and you are no worse off for it. But pay attention (!!) the author of Hebrews says. You can’t afford to forget, ignore, or let the message of salvation, or the good news about Jesus leak out of your ears. Our very life depends on it! God knows so well that we are forgetful, we are prone to ignore, and have leaky ears. Therefore we need to he...