What a Mess

The church in the city of Corinth was like a house with serious foundational flaws. At first glance, issues appear to go unnoticed, but over time, through seasonal changes, harsh weather, and normal settling, the unseen foundation can create a real mess. Plumbing, door frames, siding, framing, and roofing, can all be seriously affected by a poor foundation that is buried deep in the ground, but affects absolutely every part of the home. In the same way, the church of Corinth had some extremely serious foundational flaws, which were beginning to affect everything in the church. The problems started small and almost hidden at first, and then cracks began to appear, until the church was a complete and utter mess. Unity was nonexistent. The use of spiritual gifts became a talent show. The Lord's Supper was destroyed by immorality and class warfare. Rampant sin was allowed to go unchecked in the church. And even Jesus was being overshadowed by a culture demanding celebrity preachers. What a mess! The trouble is that our American church culture sounds way too similar to the mess of Corinth. We need to, just as the church in Corinth did, listen to and learn from the gracious message of God, penned by the Apostle Paul. "What a Mess" is designed for discussion based growth communities or personal time in God's Word. Each section starts with a study guide and covers a chapter of 1 Corinthians. The study guide takes the reader through the chapter verse by verse with pointed, relavent questions. It is followed by six daily devotions based on the chapter to help you take the Word into your everyday life.