The believers in the Corinthian church clearly had an “I” problem. Desiring to be seen as important, many saw having one of the miraculous spiritual gifts as the way to attain significance. There were a number of believers who claimed their spiritual gift was being able to speak the language (or tongue) of angels, a language no human was able to understand. Paul’s question to them: How does that benefit others?




It’s no mistake that this passage comes right after the famous “love” chapter in the Bible, where Paul reminded the Corinthians that love “does not insist on its own way,” it is focused on others. Jesus told His disciples in Mark 9:35, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” God’s plan for His redeemed saints is the solution to the “I” problem: Pursue love by putting others first.



This week, as we watch Paul skillfully expose the flaw in the Corinthians’ self-centered logic, may we examine our own thoughts and actions. How can we as individuals and as a church family pursue love by using our spiritual gifts to benefit others instead of draw attention to ourselves?

This is Not About You (1 Cor 14:1-25)

“Church is just a bunch of hypocritical, mean people.” 

You would not believe how many times I have heard this type of a statement.  It is the number one reason people have given me for why they do not or will not go to church.  There are other reasons, and this has its own baggage attached; however, how sad if even a small grain of truth is present in the sentiment.  And you know it to be truer than we would like to admit.  Perhaps you have been hurt by someone in the church, maybe you have hurt someone…


This week, we continue in our series on First Corinthians, A Better Way, by examining 1 Corinthians 13.  In this familiar passage by Paul, we are going to receive a powerful lesson in the indispensable presence of love.  I have titled this message “Love’s Essential Quality”.  Paul’s description of love is so counter-cultural it is almost unrecognizable.  However, this type of love is non-negotiable, an absolute necessity in the Christian life.

DC Talk begins one of their songs with this quote, “The single greatest cause of atheism is Christians: who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle.  That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”   But the “deny Him by their lifestyle” is not usually those obvious, dramatic “sins”, it is the subtle / snarky / rude / assuming type lifestyle choices that simply derail many. 

Join us as God, through Paul, challenges our understanding and commitment to a lifestyle of life-changing love.

Love's Essential Qualities (1 Cor 13:4-13)

When you receive a gift, what do you think of first? Maybe you start with gratitude for the giver.  Maybe you wonder about the cost of the gift.  Maybe you begin to imagine how to put the gift to use.  I'm guessing, however, that your first thought isn't, "I wonder who I can give this to..."




Gifts are meant for the people they are given to.  When you unwrap something from the shiny paper and pretty bow, the adventure begins for the person who gave you the gift.  They watch your face when you become aware of what you have received and wonder what your response will be.  Will you treasure it?  Will you be disappointed?  What will your body language say?




This week, as we continue our series on First Corinthians, A Better Way, you will have the chance to begin the process of discovering the gifts that God has given you.  The Apostle Paul ends chapter 12 by describing some of the spiritual gifts that God has given to His people.  God is vitally interested in our response to the gifts we are given by the Holy Spirit.  What we choose to do with our gifts is a life-altering decision, both for ourselves and others.  As we read through 1 Corinthians 12:27-13:3, we'll be reminded that every spiritual gift from God is not just for us: all of them are meant to be for the benefit of others. 

The Function of the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27-13:3)

Human anatomy was not my best subject in college.  It was all I could do to pass the class.  In hindsight, there are many reasons why this was true: the 7:00am class start time, the monotone lecturer, and the fact that I get squeamish at the first sight of blood.  So, I'm not an expert on what I'm about to say by any means. Despite all my struggles, that class made one idea abundantly clear: the body is miraculous.




As science has progressed over the years, many aspects of our physical existence have become far more clearly seen and understood.  So many parts and processes of our bodies are absolutely breathtaking in their functionality and simplicity.  By looking at our bodies carefully, we can get a small glimpse into the mind and the heart of our Creator.




Even though he knew a tiny fraction of what we know now, the Apostle Paul knew enough to use the miraculous nature of our bodies as a way of describing the makeup of God's Church.  As we'll see this Sunday in our continuing study of 1 Corinthians, the human body and the Church have much in common.  In the same way that every part of our body plays a role in our health and wellbeing, so does every part of the body of Christ play a role in the health and wellbeing of the Church.  




Our series on 1 Corinthians, A Better Way, reaches the middle of chapter 12 this week.  I hope you can join us and consider again what it means to be the body of Christ on earth.  We won't be graded on this information, but we will be tested to see how well we are applying the concepts that Paul describes here at HCC.  

Becoming the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:12-26)

Anyone who observes any political advertisement, speech, or rally can clearly see the division, or rather disunity within our nation.  Sadly, the political realm is not the only thing that experiences disunity.  Even within the church, the Body of Christ, we see divisions strike up.  Even while writing this, it is hard to get a handle on how many Christian denominations there are, not only in America, but also in the world.  Apparently the 33,000 number that has been circulating over the past 12 years is not even close.  While we may not know how many splits the Church has undergone, we do know that we have been splitting over rather trivial things, like style of worship, preferred translation of the Bible and some more crucial matters like definitions of Elder and Deacons, and the gifts of the Spirit to name a few.  This week we will start the first fo several messages on spiritual gifts and the purpose of them.  Please join us as we seek to clear a few things up, and hopefully bring clarity on how we can view such things in a Biblically responsible manner.

Unity Through Serving (1 Cor. 12:1-11)

Ahhh... the church potluck.  There's nothing quite like walking into a room full of friends with a table full of food just waiting to be devoured.  




While the contents of the table have changed dramatically over the years, the tradition of sharing a meal with believers dates back to the earliest moments of the church.  In fact, sharing food was a major part of life for Jews and a variety of other idol worshippers throughout the Old Testament as well.  Food was not just for sustenance; food could also be a powerfully symbol. 





Additionally, gathering for a meal represented an act of worship.  Jesus created the clearest example of this as He gathered with His disciples on the night He was arrested.  He took two basic elements of a meal and used them to describe a life-changing spiritual truth.  The bread and the wine helped the disciples (and us!) understand Jesus' death on the cross.  In the years that followed, celebration of the Lord's Supper would be combined with what we know as the "love feast" (Jude 1:12).  Supper took on a whole new meaning. 





This Sunday, as we continue in our series on First Corinthians, A Better Way, we arrive at the second half of chapter 11.  Paul provides passionate correction and specific instruction to a church that had lost sight of the meaning of eating together.  By mistreating each other during these gatherings, the Corinthians were failing to live out the Gospel.  This passage contains important reminders about caring for others, as well as a pattern for remembering Jesus' sacrifice for us.  Let's figure out how to make progress in both of these vital areas.




See you Sunday!

Pastor Tom Beasley

You Before Me (1 Cor. 11:17-34)

Do you remember Mission Impossible?  Beginning in 1966, this popular TV series told the story of a small group of undercover government agents.  Each week, the group is given an "impossible" mission by an unseen government official.  The jobs usually involve incredibly dangerous covert operations against crime lords or dictators.  The tension was palpable, and there was always a little bit of doubt that the team would succeed right up to the end.  The series spawned several modern movies which contain lots of superhuman special effects and stunt work.  In the end, the Impossible Mission Force got the job done, no matter the cost.





Take away the stuntmen and special effects, and there are times when studying the Bible can feel like an impossible mission.  Some passages of Scripture contain ideas which seem far beyond our ability to comprehend; so much so, in fact, that we often don't even try.  However, one of the advantages of preaching through entire books of the Bible is the inability to skip difficult or controversial passages.  All Scripture is God-breathed, even the passages that cause us significant difficulty.  Accomplishing "impossible" missions through the power of the Holy Spirit is vital for our growth as believers.  We are called to do the hard work of understanding that which is tough to understand.  We get to do that hard work this week.





Your mission, if you choose to accept it, is to join us as we continue in our series on First Corinthians, A Better Way.  We'll read the first half of chapter 11, where the Apostle Paul addresses a problem that the Corinthian church was facing: the role of women in church life and culture.  Corinth was the home of a wide-ranging set of sexual beliefs.  When the Gospel took root in the city, those who were transformed by Jesus struggled with how to live holy lives, especially in the area of sexuality and gender.  It appears that some women in the church were using their new-found freedom in Christ to begin to blur the lines between genders. Paul's response is to clarify appropriate and holy behavior for both men and women.  By presenting both theological and practical arguments, he encourages the church to accept gender distinctions and pursue Godly relationships.  




In our modern context, this conversation provokes some emotional responses.  There is real tension between this Biblical teaching and our society's post-Christian philosophy of life.  Our goal this week will be to face these tensions head-on, seeking to place ourselves under God's authority in these areas.  We'll do our best to unpack the historical context, and Lord willing, we'll arrive at some principles that we can put into practice today. 

The Mission of Men & Women (1 Cor 11:2-16)

Incredibly, we're a full month into 2020. 


Of course, we know rationally that time doesn't pass "slowly" or "quickly".  Each minute has 60 seconds, each hour has 60 minutes, and each day has 24 hours.  Those numbers never change.  At the same time, however, emotionally or spiritually, the passage of time can surprise us.  We are all either wishing time would speed up so we can arrive at a long-awaited goal (Graduation? Vacation?), or wanting time to slow down so we can catch up with parts of our lives that we feel we're missing out on (Sleep? Relationships?).


One month ago, we were studying chapter 9 of First Corinthians in our series called A Better Way.  That morning, I spoke about choices. The Apostle Paul placed an incredibly high value on followers of Jesus making choices that would benefit the faith of others.  Paul knew that our decision-making can result in life or death for those around us, and so he encouraged the Corinthians to decide to place others first for the sake of the Gospel.  This meant that the Corinthians should lay down their rights and freedoms if doing so would help someone place faith in Jesus and receive eternal life.  Our takeaway that morning was to decide not to hinder Gospel ministry by pursuing our freedoms.


This week we will finish our study of 1 Corinthians 10, where Paul provides us with another opportunity to consider how our choices are impacting our world.  How many choices did you make in January?  How do you feel about those choices? Is change necessary to help your own personal discipleship?  Is change necessary to help others in your life find Jesus?  Let's take some time to tackle these questions together.

Who's First in Your Life (1 Cor. 10:23-11:1)

Do you remember the game show Let's Make a Deal? 





Contestants solved puzzles to win the chance to select a prize from behind door number 1, door number 2, or door number 3.  Behind each of the doors was a different prize.  Some of the prizes were awesome, others... not so much.   It was a stressful experience for the person choosing.  The studio audience would start yelling numbers and the contestant would start sweating until a choice was made.  No matter which door was chosen, someone's life was changed.





Take away the yelling and the stress (and the bad prizes!), and that's essentially what we want to offer you this week during our first Community Sunday service of 2020. 





Each of us has a choice to make to engage in the work of the body of Christ at Hesperia Community Church.  We want everyone to see all of the doors that are available to every person who wants to be a part of our HCC family.  To that end, you'll hear from our ministry leaders about what God has done through the ministries of HCC since our fiscal year started in July 2019.  We'll hear how we can participate in what God will do next in our midst, and we'll pray together that we would continue to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Come ready to choose a door and see what God has in store for you!

Community Sunday 2020

Who is God: Christ is God

In English, to worship is to feel an adoring reverence or regard for something or someone.  In Hebrew and Greek, the words we see in Scripture indicate a physical response to something, to fall down or prostrate oneself before something.


By these definitions, worship is identifiable in practically every society.  It takes many different forms, but regardless of religious persuasion or social class or political position, people worship.  If you grant the premise, several questions follow: who (or what) do we worship?  Why do we worship what we do?  How do we worship?  Is worship helpful?  Because worship is part of every life, everyone must wrestle with each of these questions.


This week, as we continue our series on First Corinthians entitled A Better Way, we will have the opportunity to come face to face with the substance of our worship.  In the middle of chapter 10 of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul gives an impassioned plea to the believers in Corinth to ensure that the only one they worship is the triune God.  To worship anything or anyone else is what Scripture calls idolatry, which Paul desperately wants the Church to avoid.  Our text for this weekend contains Paul's three-part argument against idolatry that is just as relevant for us today as it was for his audience 2000 years ago.

Our Jealous God (1 Cor. 10:14-22)

Week 2 - Who is God? God in the Old Testament

Who is God: God in the Old Testament

One of the most difficult consequences of our sin nature is the presence of conflict in our lives.  Many of us avoid conflict like it's a disease, shoving down our dissatisfaction deep into our souls where it festers, sometimes for years.  Others seek out conflict so they can flail away wildly at their intended victim, gaining hollow satisfaction in temporary "victories."  We each make reflexive decisions in the face of unavoidable conflict.





Generally, the Bible teaches believers to pursue peace instead of conflict. Jesus brought believers His peace (John 14:27), and the Holy Spirit enables peaceful living (Galatians 5:22).  The Apostle Paul told the church in Rome, "If possible, as far as it depends on you, live peaceably with everyone." (Romans 12:18).  Peace ought to generally be the goal for believers.





There is one aspect of the Christian life, however, where peace is completely rejected: followers of Jesus fight against sin.




Our battle against sin is real, and we must be prepared to fight as hard as we can so that sin does not gain a foothold in our lives.  As we'll find in the next installment of our series on First Corinthians, A Better Way, Paul knew this battle personally.  At the end of chapter 9 and the beginning of chapter 10, Paul describes some practical tools which believers can use to have increasing victory against sin.

Our Fight Against Sin (1 Cor. 9:24-10:13)

Week 1 - Who is God? Passing on the Faith

Who is God: Passing on the Faith

Now that we've officially arrived in 2020, I wonder if you're still thinking about the year to come.  You're probably not making resolutions, but maybe you're considering new priorities or guidelines to govern your decision making over the next 12 months.  Chances are that you would like some aspects of your life to change along with your calendar. If that's you, I hope you'll join us Sunday as we restart our journey through the book of First Corinthians.




Our preaching series for the year is entitled A Better Way for good reason.  The Apostle Paul writes this letter to encourage the church that he launched in the city of Corinth to rediscover what it means to live as followers of Jesus.  By answering specific issues and concerns that the church struggled with, Paul paints a vivid picture of a Christlike life.  I encourage you to visit our Livestream archive to refresh your memory about the many issues we have discussed so far.  You may remember that our last installment was eight weeks ago in chapter 8, where Paul shows the Corinthians that it's better to choose love over personal freedom.  He implored the church to live for the benefit of others more than their own desires, even if their desires weren't sinful.  





This week we'll turn to chapter 9, where Paul continues to explore the same ideas with a personal example.  Paul knew that to assert his rights could hinder Gospel ministry, so he laid down his rights in order to succeed in his goal of sharing the Gospel to as many people as possible.  He chose love over freedom to great effect.  As you and I think about the upcoming year, Paul's discussion of priorities can have a major impact on our choices and our impact on the world. 

Dont' Hinder the Gospel (1 Cor. 9:1-23)

“So this is Christmas. And what have you done? Another year over, and a new one just begun.”


With the excitement of Christmas fading, these lyrics from John Lennon’s song, So This is Christmas, come to mind. They describe the reflective attitude many people have this time of year as we say goodbye to 2019 and look forward to 2020. It is a time to celebrate what was accomplished, as well as make plans to address things we feel need to change. These changes usually take the form of New Year’s resolutions.


Most New Year’s resolutions tend to focus on personal health. Eating healthy and exercising rank high on the list for many people. Purchases of exercise equipment and gym memberships are highest this time of year. Enrollment in diet plans and downloading health & fitness apps is up there too. While physical health is no doubt important, how’s your spiritual health?


Would you describe your relationship with God this past year as vibrant and growing, or was He more of an acquaintance you chatted and visited with only when it was convenient? Wherever you fall on that spectrum, we all can agree there is always room for improvement. This week, we will take a short detour into the book of 2 Peter, written by the Apostle Peter just before he was executed, to remind the Church of the most important things we should be focusing on as children of God. I encourage you to read this short, three chapter book before our time together this week.


 What changes can we make as a church family that can improve both our individual and collective walks with our Lord? God certainly has higher goals for the new year than it just being “a good one without any fear.”

New Year! Now What? (2 Peter 1:1-11)

Who does the Christmas present wrapping in your family?

I can assure you that in my house, it's not me.  The invention of the gift bag is one of the most encouraging developments of my adulthood, because it meant that I could stop trying to figure out how to wrap presents neatly.  Doesn't matter if it's a normal cube shaped box or some strangely shaped toy: my wrapping skills have never measured up to my wife's or my parent's. 

It's because of my messy gift-wrapping skills that I can tell you with confidence that the power of a gift has nothing to do with how it's wrapped. 
Christmas is our opportunity to celebrate the most life-altering, powerful gift in history, and this gift was wrapped in what Scripture calls "swaddling cloths."  God with Us, Immanuel, makes his first appearance wrapped not only in these cloths, but also in flesh.  The gifts He came to bring us are far more valuable and important than anything you or I have ever wrapped.  Our Advent series, A Messy Christmas, continues this week with a careful examination of the gifts that Jesus brings to our mess.  John 1:1-18 contains some powerful images of the impact that Jesus has on our mess.  Join us for this encouraging discussion.

God Speaks into Our Mess (John 1:1-18)

Every year at this time, I'm repeatedly amazed at the degree to which Christmas has become an unstoppable cultural phenomenon, particularly in the United States.  





Think about all the forms of Christmas within our culture today: St. Nicholas from history became the Santa Claus in malls, greeting children and delivering presents.  Hollywood has given us ideas with incredibly diverse perspectives on Christmas: Home Alone, The Christmas Story, Miracle on 34th Street, Elf, Christmas Vacation, Polar Express, It's a Wonderful Life, A Charlie Brown Christmas... not to mention the never-ending Hallmark Channel movie collection.  Christmas decorations and sales arrive earlier and earlier each year, along with Christmas music from every conceivable genre.  Christmas is everywhere, but it's so diluted that we are in real danger of letting its true importance pass us by.




Despite all the noise surrounding Christmas in America, there is still nothing quite like soaking in the authentic, historic account of the reason Christmas is celebrated at all: the birth of Jesus Christ.  For believers and non-believers alike, there is a gentle, consistent pull back to the familiar accounts from Matthew and Luke, the familiar carols of old, and the familiar walk through the Advent season to prepare for Jesus' arrival.  Culture changes, but God's word never does.




This week, we will continue in our Advent series of messages entitled A Messy Christmas with one simple goal: to be reminded of the actual events of the first Christmas.  The events of Matthew 1-2 and Luke 1-2 are often presented as peaceful and idyllic; they were anything but.  Join us as we see just how messy Jesus' arrival was, and be encouraged to see past our cultural clutter to the original culture that Jesus came into.  Let's find the true meaning of Christmas in our Bibles rather than our T.V's this year. 

A Messy Arrival (selected texts)

Last week, as we launched our Advent series entitled A Messy Christmas, we discovered from Genesis 3 how one decision caused messy, life-altering, relationship-shattering consequences for the human race.  The decision to take a bite of a piece of fruit turned that which was good into evil, and the ripple effects of that decision are still being felt today.  Thank God, however, that the One who can control the ripple effects decided to do something about it. This is what we celebrate at Christmas:





"Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men.  For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous." (Romans 5:18-19)





Join us this week as we examine how the mess which began in the Garden spread to the whole world.  The Old Testament traces the ripple effects of sin while giving us clear evidence that the Creator of the Universe put a plan in motion to undo the destruction that our sin caused.  We'll see God's unmistakable love in the midst of the ripple effects of sin, and we'll see how God's plan to send one Man to the world began to unfold hundreds of years before it would happen.

The Mess on Display (selected texts)

Incredibly, Thanksgiving Day is almost upon us.  Over the next several days, we will be confronted with some very serious questions, like...





How many pounds of turkey do I need?

How many pies should I make/order?

How many trips to the grocery store will I make?

Will I need a new refrigerator to hold all the leftovers?




And, most importantly, what will I say when people ask me what I'm thankful for?






You may have already begun to rehearse your answer for when this question is asked around the dinner table.  It's easy for the default answers come out: family, health, etc.  Maybe it’s a struggle to figure out what your answer really is.  Not only is gratitude a choice, but it is a Biblical command, and it takes intention to make your answer mean more than just a cliché.  





Each year at HCC, we set aside the Sunday before Thanksgiving to answer that last question together as the gathered church.  We call it Celebration Sunday.  This service includes a close look at Scripture to understand gratitude Biblically, testimonies of God's faithfulness, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to the Lord.





But wait... there's more!  You have an important role to play in Celebration Sunday.   During the service, you will receive a Thankful Card, and you'll be given a chance to briefly write down the reasons why you're grateful this year.  Then, our staff and elders will read out many of the cards so that we can celebrate what God has done in our midst.  The cards will then be put on display in the lobby during the following weeks, and as an added bonus, you'll be fully prepared for Thanksgiving Day :).





I hope you will join us this week as we intentionally express our gratitude to our Creator and our Savior together!





Pastor Tom Beasley

Hesperia Community Church

Hesperia Community Church

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