Christ's resurrection

Good afternoon brothers and sisters,
First, I'd like to wish a big happy birthday to my brother Will. Our reading for today begins the discussion of a key idea of our faith that we don't talk about very often: the resurrection of the dead. In this reading he's laying the foundation for that discussion, but not actually beginning it. Paul describes how the heart of the gospel he proclaims is that Jesus died for our sins and rose again. When he rose he appeared to many witnesses, including all the apostles. Years later, he appeared in a vision to Paul. Paul confesses that he is unworthy, but that through Christ's grace he has been very effective in his apostolic ministry. It can sound like Paul is bragging, and maybe he is. The important thing to take away from that is that 1, Christ rose from the dead, and 2, even if we feel unworthy or inadequate, God's power is more than enough to strengthen us for ministry. That's the power of the resurrection.

God bless,
Sam

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

Now I would remind you, brothers and sisters, of the good news that I proclaimed to you, which you in turn received, in which also you stand, ²through which also you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message that I proclaimed to you—unless you have come to believe in vain. ³For I handed on to you as of first importance what I in turn had received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the scriptures, ⁴and that he was buried, and that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the scriptures, ⁵and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. ⁶Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers and sisters at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. ⁷Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 

⁸Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. ⁹For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. ¹⁰But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them—though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. ¹¹Whether then it was I or they, so we proclaim and so you have come to believe.