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RELIGION
THURSDAY, AUGUSTS, 2006
Life IB
Bible iLcsMiit
Love
above all
1 Corinthians 12
Lesson Background
First Corinthians 13 is a
key part of Paul’s solution to
the problems of a divided
churdi. Up to this point in the
letter, he has discussed sever
al serious issues that were
points of conflict for the
Corinthian church. These
ranged fiom sectarianism, to
sexual sin, to lawsuits among
bdievers, to divorce, to Chris
tian liberties, to propriety in
worship.
Chapter 12 begins a lor^
section on the pride and arro
gance that had entered the
chm^h thror^h, ironically,
the use of spiritual gifts. That
discussion continues into
chapter 14, but Paul pauses
to give the short answer to all
the questions thus far: love.
Love for one another, proper
ly understood, will put every
thing into perspective. Love
win unify the church and
empower believers to glorify
Christ together.
The Preeminence of Love (1
Cor. 13:1-3)
1. Why is it important to
study 1'Corinthians 13 in the
context of spiritual gifts?
Often, this passage is stud
ied independently Many ser
mons have been preached
just on this pass^e of scrip
ture. However, in order to
understand the true mean of
1 Corinthians 13, we must
imderstand the context of
this scripture.
Paul was answering ques
tions to the church at Corinth
concerning spiritual gifts. In
chapter 12, he describes the
different types of spiritual
gifts and their uses in the
body of Christ. Chapter 13
focuses on love, which is
greater than any spiritual gift
fiom God. Verse 31 of chapter
12 implies that there were
some envy in the Corinthian
church concerning spiritual
gifts. Paul contrasts the gift
of tongues with the gift of
prophecy in chapter 14,
which indicates that the gift
of tongues was a popular gift.
2. How did Paul view those
who had spectacular spiritual
gifts but did not have love (v.
2-3)? ,
Everyone who is in the body
of Christ has at least one spir
itual gift. Ideally Christians
will use that gift to glorify
God and advance His king
dom. However, there are
some individuals who use
their gifhs) to gain ^ory from
other people. Some use their
gift for personal gain instead
of advancing God’s kingdom.
Paul’s point in verses 2 and
3 is that -without love, a spiri
tual gift is meaningless.
Whatever we do in this hfe,
we need to do it because we
love Grod. And if we love God,
then we will love other people
as well. Our gifts are meant
to help lost souls find Jesus
Christ. It is important 'that
we let God change our hearts
so that we can.do everything
in love.
The Performance of Love (1
Cor 13:4-7)
Please see THEi^B
‘Free’ to sing the Word
Immersion in music helps Sharrond King as gospel artist
Sharrond King’s latest CD sends a message of salvation and freedom.
By Cheris F. Hodges
cheris-hodges's'lhechartoftepostcom
When gospel singer Sharrond
King takes the stage to sing, she’s
offering the word of Glod for all to
hear.
“I’ve been singing for a very long
time,” she said. “Music of all kinds
was created by God.”
King hopes the success of her first
disc, “Dedicated,” which peaked on
the Billboard Gospel charts at num
ber nine, will help her continue to
• spread the word with a new CD
“Peelin’ Free.”
‘With so much tragedy going on,
people are in bandage, whether it is
financial bondage or habits that
they are caught up in or peer pres
sure for the youth,” King said. “With
this project, we deliver a message of
freedom of deliverance in Christ so
that people can just be set fi:ee.”
Kir^has been singir^ nearly all of
PHOTO/WADE NASH
her life.
Bom and raised in Marianna,
Ark., King began singir^ as a 4-
year-old in her family gospel group,
the Evening Stars. As a young stu
dent King joined the church choir,
school talent shows and music show
cases. In high school, she played in
the Lee High School marching and
conc^ band, (clarinet and bari-sax)
and concert choir.
Please see GOSPEL/6B
State probes landlord’s ‘God test for tenants’
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEWARK, N.J.-The way
Joe Fabics sees it, he has the
right to choose who lives
under his roof with him His
choice: God-fearing Chris
tians.
But state officials are inves
tigating whether Fabics is
violatii^ housing discriraina-
tidn laws by asldi^ tenants in
his New Brunswick house to
sign leases with phrases such
as, “This is a Christian house
hold” and “If you hate God, do
not move in.”
'T try to teU people to
beheve in God and the Tfen
Commandments, not the des
ecration of today’s teachings,”
he said. “I’m just telling them
that this is a Christian house
hold and that if they don’t
believe in God, they will feel
vmcomfortable. Most people
understand that and don’t try
to push their way in. This is
not communism.”
But it might be discrimina
tion, according to state offi
cials. New Jersey law "makes
it unla-wful to refuse to rent.
show or sell property based on
a person’s race, creed, color” or
many other factors.
It allows landlords to have
prospective tenants fill out
applications, but they cannot
include any refer^ce to fac
tors including religion.
Frank Vespa-Papaleo, direc
tor of New Jersey’s Division
on Civil Rights, would not say
if Fabics appears to have vio
lated the law, saying his office
has just begun looking into
the matter.
But in general terms, he
said, “It is a clear violation of
state and federal housing
laws to deny rentals to indi
viduals of one religion or
another, or to require that
people be of a particular rdi-
gion.”
Fabics insists that because
he fives in the two-family
house, along with four ten
ants, his building is an owner-
occupied dwelling and he can
legally rent—or not rent—to
wheanever he chooses.
“I don’t want people telling
Please see LANDLORD’S/7B
Religious groups build attacks on abortion rights
THE ASSOC/AreO PRESS
ATHENS, Greece—Famed
for its hiunan rights work.
Amnesty International is
under siege from religious
groups outraged by a propos
al that would expand
Amnesty’s mandate to
include supporting access to
abortion in cases such as sex
ual violence.
A small but growing band of
anti-abortion campaigners
and Roman Catholic clerics -
including some who have
backed Amnesty’s activities in
the past - daim the Nobel
Prize-winning group is drift
ing away fi.xim its prindples of
unbiased advocacy
They have threatened to
pull away members and
donations, and have called for
a flood of protest letters to
Amnesty offices - the same
strategy Amnesty uses to
pressure for the release of
political prisoners and others.
Amnesty offidals note that
any decision is still more than
a year away at the earliest,
and defend their right to
debate , abortion and birth
control within the context of
women’s ri^ts.
Tbp Amnesty offidals were
imavailable for interviews,
but the group released a
statement firom its London
headquarters saying the
group "does not make policy
according to the ebbs and
Cole’s hip
old school
plays well
on debut
• Marcus Cole
Write My Song
Luther ‘‘Mono" Hanes,
producer
Pure Springs Gospel
Cece Winans is serious
about her gospel label. She
won a Grammy last year for
“Purify” and has since been
busy signing new artists.
Marcus Cole is ^\finans’ lat
est find. Cole was once a
member of Commissioned
(post-Fred Hammond and
Michael Brooks) which
should give you a good indica
tion as to what’s on this CD.
Cole’s sormd is steeped in
Commissioned. It’s hip
enough for younger folks but
older listeiers will enjoy as
well.
Cole’s voice is nothing spec
tacular, yet very enjoyable.
He never tries to do too much.
He’s certainly emotional, but
doesn’t go into screaming fits.
I’d say he’s between a true
gospel singer and a Contem
porary Christian artist.
Cole works well with the
engagii^ material. All songs
lean heavUy toward contem
porary gospel - nearly R&B.
Cole co-wrote nearly each
song, primarily with producer
Luther ‘Mano” Hanes. He
opens with the greasy “That’s
Alri^t (Cause I Got You),”
which owes more to A1 Green
than Andr6 Crouch. “The
Lord Has Been Good” was
written by producer Hanes
but soimds a lot like Ham
mond’s work. Kajia Parker
joins Cole on “Finally” It’s
sounds much like Parker’s
writing, but she didn’t write a
word.
My favorite song is
“Remember Tb Breathe.” It’s
one of those fife-affirming
songs that speaks to the
heart. The chorus says sim
ply ‘You have what you need
inside/And you are still
alive/Remember to hreathe.”
Sometimes the most powerful
message can be expressed in
. the simplest words.
Cole’s solo effort is worthy of
a smous listen. He’s a talent
ed singer and writer who
looks to have a great future
as a solo artist.
flows of external pressure.”
It’s undear how deeply the
anti-abortion factions could
punish Amnesty But reli
gious groups have long been a
pillar of the organization,
which was founded in 1961 by
a Catholic lawyer in Britain
and now has more than 1.8
million members and many
other supporters around the
world. Its work to fi:ee people
held by repressive regimes
Please see CLERIC/6B
Ratiiigs
Exoeiiesnt '/'P 'L'
Good 'P' P 'S'
Fair P
Why?. P
No stars - Amesei
Church News
The deadline for announcements is 12 p.m. Friday.
Fax The Post (704) 342-2160 or e-mail
cheris.hodges@lhecharlottepost.com. Please put
“church news” in the subject line.
August 4
Overflow Ministries will host a two night
revival at Church Rock of the Kingdom, locat
ed at 6640 Suite A at Ifickory Grove Business
Park on W.T. Harris Blvd.
Services begin at 7 p.m. For more informa-
tion, call (704) 605-7022.
August 5
The Metrofina Baptist Assodation will host a
Women Reaching Women Conference at
Carmel Baptist Church, 1145 Pinevile-
Matthews Road. For more information, nafl
(704) 847-8575.
• Trinity Park -will host its aimual Commu
nity Fish Fry/Health Fair, at 10 a.m. The
church is located at 9115 Trinity Park Ifoad.
Augusts
Elder Fefida McCoy of Greater Bethany
Holiness Church in Philadelphia will be spe-
dal guest psalmist during the Stmday Worship
Celebration at Immanuel Christian Fellow
ship in Huntersville. Service location:
Huntersville Arts & Cultural Center, 109 S.
Old Statesvflle Road at intersection of Gilead
Ifoad. For more information, call (704) 785-
4016 or web site: www.jtwministries.org.
• Next Level hfinistries will hold its first ser
vice at 8 a.m. at A.E. Grier and Sons Funeral
Service, located at 2301 Statesville Ave.
ooo
August 7
Pleasant Hill Baptist Church will have its
annual revival through August 11. Services
begin ni^tly at 7:30 p.m., with the Rev. Mon-
tel Bmton as speaker for the week. The church
is located at 517 Baldwin Ave.
August 12
Cornelius Parks and Recreation Department
will host its third annual gospel fest at
Smithville Park. Ibnya Rivens of Praise 100.9
Please see VOICES/6B
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