1 Corinthians 15:13-57

"Dear Follower, Resurrection is coming. I will return for those who belong to Me. At My coming, everyone who belongs to Me will be given an immortal....."

"Dear Father, rewarder of all who diligently seek you, Thank you for the lessons in nature that teach truths about your kingdom. Help me to learn..."

"Dear Father, confirmer of truth, Strengthen me against all that Satan and the world can bring against me. Confirm my understanding of what you did in..."

"Dear Father, keeper of every promise, Thank you for disclosing to us the mystery of what is to come! Keep us looking forward to that moment when we....."

"Dear Father, rewarder of all who diligently seek you, Thank you for Jesus, whose life not only taught us how to live, but whose resurrection proved....."

It is simply not true that your best is always good enough; there are countless people every day who could witness to that. Patrick Odum reminds us that sometimes our best isn't good enough, it doesn't count, unless our focus is on the Lord Jesus and his work, then his resurrection ensures our work is not in vain!

"Dear Father, keeper of every promise, Thank you for making the first man, Adam, a living soul. Thank you even more that by your power the last man,....."

"Dear Precious One, The writer of the "word of exhortation" (Hebrews 13:22) that you call the book of Hebrews wrote this:When God spoke from Mount..."

Who has the final say in our lives? Death has been defeated by Jesus' resurrection so we need to only ask whether or not we belong to him.

"Christ has indeed been raised, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also..."

"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed — in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet....."

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us..."

"For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. Then, when our....."

"But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye,...."

"Dear Father, worthy God, You have declared that just as death came through the sin of one man, so life comes through one man's resurrection from the...."

Inspirational illustration of 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 -- 20   Christ has indeed been raised, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die

Is there room beyond the cemetery plot for you? Patrick Odum compares the lack of vacancy in a French cemetery and a law forbidding people to die to the hope we have in the resurrection of Jesus.

You have anything more going for you than just living to pay taxes? During tax season it is always important to be reminded that life is a whole lot more than living to pay taxes, in fact, God wants us to have life that is full of purpose and meaning.

What are you going to do on the next day? We all face the let down of failures on the next day; how will we handle the next day?

"For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death."

"Dear Father, my everything, May I learn from Christ's subjection to you, for when all things are subjected to him, your Son himself will also be..."

Inspirational illustration of 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 -- For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Should this interfere with us being intimate? Joe Beam answers a question about low sexual desire after a heart attack and what a wife should do in this situation.

He knew that people were fickle. They could cry out, “Hosanna!” one day, then cry out, “Crucify him!” a week later. Phil Ware continues his series on CRUCIFORMED focusing on the events of Jesus' last week from his Triumphal Entry to his resurrection.

"Dear Precious One, Yesterday I talked to you about the importance of My grace leading you to forgive those who have wounded you. That is hard. Today...."

It was a haunting sound, carried by the wind It was a haunting sound, carried by the wind as it seemed to float around those of us gathered there. The lone bugler sounding Taps

"If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

"But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."

"Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power."

"When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been..."

"Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"

"But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."

"The Scriptures tell us, "The first man, Adam, became a living person." But the last Adam — that is, Christ — is a life-giving Spirit."

"We follow this sequence in Scripture: The First Adam received life, the Last Adam is a life-giving Spirit."

"Dear Father, destroyer of every enemy, Help me to look to the outcome, to the end of things, when Christ will deliver the kingdom to you after..."

"Jesus is the federal head of his elect. As in Adam, every heir of flesh and blood has a personal interest, because he is the covenant head and..."

"The head and members are of one nature, and not like that monstrous image which Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. The head was of fine gold, but the..."

"The whole system of Christianity rests upon the fact that "Christ is risen from the dead;" for, "If Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain,....."

Inspirational illustration of 1 Corinthians 15:19 -- If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

Inspirational illustration of 1 Corinthians 15:24 -- Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

Inspirational illustration of 1 Corinthians 15:54 -- When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."

Scripture image of 1 Corinthians 15:57 -- Thanks be to God. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:51 - We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed.

Inspirational illustration of 1 Corinthians 15:55 -- Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?

How often do you celebrate it? Phil Ware shares with us the real meaning of Independence Day and how we can celebrate it every week.

Go ahead, plant a seed. See it disappear into the dirt. But, don't forget! Phil Ware continues his four week series on seed, towel, promise, and torchlight focusing on the power of the Seed to overcome dirt, darkness, and death.

Is your life actually going to be very short? Patrick Odum tells about a guy who thought he had pancreatic cancer and lived it up his last year of life and then found out the cancer diagnosis was wrong.

When Luke wrote his good news story about Jesus, he wants us to know that as much as we may resent and resemble Adam 1.0, the Holy Spirit is transforming us into Adam 2.0! Phil Ware leads us in exploratory devotional thoughts about the first and second Adams and what they mean to us and that Jesus came as Adam 2.0 to bring us a better future and life eternal with and like Jesus.

When is it time to surrender? Sometimes we need to resign from the war and surrender, trusting that we have the ultimate victory in Jesus.

"Dear Seeker of Truth, Believing in My resurrection is a real challenge. That's understandable. Having a friend who dies and then suddenly appears,..."

"Dear Beloved, Yesterday, I used parts of one of Paul's letters to the Corinthian Christians to emphasize the authenticity of the gospel message...."

"Dear Precious Disciple, While many things in life are complicated, the basis for saving faith shouldn't be. I want you to know that your faith is on...."

Don't be fooled by the simplicity of this meal, but be reminded that Jesus makes simple things glorious! Phil Ware reminds us that though the bread and wine of this meal are simple, so were Jesus' words to Jairus' daughter, and those words changed everything.

We will exchange our mortal bodies for immortal bodies that are made for eternal glory! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to glorify God as we remember the encouraging future and forever-change we have in Jesus at his return in glory.

You are going to die. How do you feel about it? I overheard a seven year old ask the question that many of us wonder about: Am I going to die?

"Dear Faithful Follower, People are afraid of many different kinds of things. That's why one of the most frequent commands in the Scriptures is not to..."

What do you most fear? Phil Ware continues his 7 sayings of Jesus on the Cross with the meaning of the line today of "you will be with me in paradise" and talks about the hope it brings in the face of death.

Before Jesus’ resurrection, to believe in a crucified savior was a ridiculous and foolish! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware combine to bless us with a powerful Resurrection Sunday message on Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection and the power God blesses us with to triumph over sin and death.

"But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable...."

"Dear Precious Child of the Father, My people have had to face hostile trials for their faith all throughout history. I'm not talking about the..."

Jesus died. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. Each one of those facts reminds us that Jesus was not some antiseptic hero from a distance. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that Jesus died and was buried and that his burial has special significance for us.

What difference does one twinkling star really make? Phil Ware reflects upon the star the Magi saw and puts it in its context of astrologers from Iran who recognized Jesus as King of the Jews and the religious leaders among the Jews who tried to kill him.

Get this and don't be misled. We cannot over-estimate the importance of seeing the truth.

Where did a bunny with eggs come from? Easter can be and should be on our hearts everyday and we should use Easter as a time to help our kids know about the Lord's resurrection and not just bunny eggs.

What's so special about Sunday, everything! Phil Ware shares insights on Sunday, the Resurrection Day of the Lord and why the disciples miss it and why we often do as well.

What are your habits, patterns, and companions communicating to others? Russ Lawson reminds us that the habits, patterns, and companions of our lives leave a message in the hearts of all who see us and know us.

So do I really become like them or they like me? Rubel Shelly reminds us that the friendships we form shape us and change us.

They stood there, stunned and perplexed. Phil Ware begins his series on Jesus' resurrection appearances called Resurrection 2.0

Jesus died. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. Each one of those facts reminds us that Jesus was not some antiseptic hero from a distance. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that Jesus died and was buried and that his burial has special significance for us.

Horatio Spafford knew about the storms of life The story of Horatio Spafford and his great hymn "When Peace Like a River" still inspires and encourages all of us who suffer.

Are we awake or have we chosen to fall asleep? Russ Lawson talks about events that shocked us and awakened us from our lethargy, but reminds us that we often just sink back into our old habits.

Jesus has not only given us the final victory, but he has also promised to be alive in us! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to remind us that Jesus is the strong man who binds Satan and is Greater than any who set themselves up as our enemy.

What gives us hope in the middle of crisis? A funeral helps a couple of ministers understand more clearly the grace of God and the power of the human spirit.

What time of the year is it? While it is time for Easter, we need to realize that there are many who would use this time to cast doubt and bash the very idea that Jesus is Lord and rose from the dead.

Jesus died. He was buried. He was raised from the dead. Each one of those facts reminds us that Jesus was not some antiseptic hero from a distance. James Nored and Phil Ware remind us that Jesus died and was buried and that his burial has special significance for us and how they helped define the way of Jesus through the cross to the empty tomb.

What in the world did were they for? Jesus' resurrection fills all of our life with meaning.

Our model, our hero, our example of great leadership, must always be Jesus! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to call us to recognize Jesus' example of being a servant and how we must resist worldly standards for our leaders in the Lord's church.

Yes you are going to die. So what? Death means the end of everything if you are not a Christian. It is the beginning of everything if you are.

Could the story be true? The crucifixion and resurrection are at the heart of the good news of Jesus. He came to this world, was rejected and killed, then overcame death and the grave. One day he will come again, and God will judge the world through him. Those who have put their

What do you think about when they put you to sleep for Things you are glad to have figured out before surgery: Have I made a difference? I am going to die someday. I am not in control.

Jesus rose from the dead, so we choose to live based on the conviction that this world is not our home, while we long for our lasting and more glorious one! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in a virtual, DIY, worship through words and music using YouTube videos to glorify God as we remember the life-changing implications of Jesus' resurrection.

As followers of Jesus, the clouds hold a message of hope for us, not just a warning. Phil Ware continues his series on Resurrection 2.0 and focuses this week on Jesus' return in the clouds which is guaranteed by his resurrection from the dead.

Who's afraid of the big bad grave? The fear of death is instinctive, but Jesus came to free us from living as slaves to that fear

"Dear Disciple, Paul's words in your verses today are as beautiful as they are powerful. They can help you deal with an inescapable reality of your..."

Is death always an intrusion and a tragedy? Mike Barres reminds us that death, like the falling of leaves in autumn, is a natural part of our world and we need to make sure we honor God when that time comes.

What do these words mean and whose words do we trust? Phil Ware weaves in the 7 sayings of Jesus on the cross with the sense of forgiveness and mission that should be ours in the cross and resurrection of Jesus.

We are still a family gathered to remember Jesus, even when we gather virtually! Demetrius Collins and Phil Ware lead us in virtual worship through words and music using YouTube videos to challenge us to explore deeper biblical messages in the Lord's Supper than we often allow ourselves to consider.