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Aaron Giesler
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Living the Lord’s Prayer Sermon #1 July 2nd.
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I’ve been looking at 1 Corinthians 9 lately for some personal research and I found this in my old files… it was from my time at seminary. I thought it was worthwhile to post, maybe someone will benefit from it.
Introduction
This letter was written by Paul to the believers at Corinth to deal with problems that had arisen in the church. One of the topics Paul addresses is the tension between Christian freedom and weaker brethren.1 Paul consistently commands the readers to not abuse their fellow Christians with their freedoms but rather show love and preference when dealing with others. From 8:1 to 11:1 forms a sections that uses a specific example pertaining to meat sacrificed to idols, and in chapter 9 the author demonstrates his example to prove the overarching theme of love.
Argument
V. Meat sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8:1 – 11:1)
In this section Paul confronts a problem in the Corinthian church, which is whether believers could/should eat meat sacrificed to idols, to show Christians how to treat one another.
A. The example of Paul (1 Corinthians 9:1-27)
At first appearance, this looks to be an excursus from the argument in the previous section.2 But if one examines closely the real argument, which is “how should Christians treat one another in view of freedom,” then this section can be viewed as the extreme argument, or trump card, which shows Paul’s life should be an example for all believers.3
- His rights (1 Corinthians 9:1-14)
If anyone was to say to Paul it is unfair to limit their personal freedom in Christ Paul had a great case to show how it was the right thing to do. Paul appeals to his rights as an apostle, as well as his authority as an apostle, and turns the question back around on the reader.4 “Am I not free,” is the question Paul asks and then he goes on describing his freedom as an apostle. His final verse concerns how even the Lord directed those who give the Gospel to benefit from it.5
2.His refusal to exercise his rights (1 Corinthians 9:15-18)
Paul contrasts his rights and freedoms as an apostle with this section that describes his refusal to take those freedoms in order that he may offer the Gospel free of charge to anyone. He does this to show how much he cares for others as well as providing an example for the readers.
- His service of all men (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)
This section focuses on the extent to which Paul will deny his freedoms/rights in order to bring the Gospel to others as well as partake in their acceptance. He writes this to show how Christians should go out of their way to love their neighbor as themselves.
- His self-control (1 Corinthians 9:24-27)
Here the author brings out the reward aspect of serving others at one’s own expense. Paul emphasizes the reward, partaking in the Gospel (1 Corinthians 9:23). He compares the mission to share the Gospel with a race. He shows how discipline and denial are part of being successful. He exhorts the readers that they too should do whatever it takes, to deny themselves whatever the circumstances may dictate, to accomplish the mission of sharing the Gospel.
bliography
Bruce, F. F. 1 and 2 Corinthians. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1971.
MacArthur, John. 1 Corinthians. Chicago: Moody Press, 1984.
Morris, Leon. The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians. The Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1983.
Plummer, Alfred. First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians. 2nd ed. The International Critical Commentary. Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1914.
1 Morris, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians.,, pp 131.
2 Alfred Plummer, First Epistle of St Paul to the Corinthians, 2nd ed., The International Critical Commentary (Edinburgh: T & T Clark, 1914), pp 176-7.
3 John MacArthur, 1 Corinthians (Chicago: Moody Press, 1984).
4 F. F. Bruce, 1 and 2 Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1971), pp 82-3.
5 Morris, The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians.
Read (pt 1) (pt 2) & (pt 3) of this 4-part article Dealing with people One of the hardest things about selling your car is dealing with buyers. That is one of the reasons great salesmen earn so much money. Every buyer wants a great car for a great deal. That is why you did your research and determined the lowest price you would take for your vehicle. If you stick to that number you will be much happier. Once your car is listed you will start getting calls/texts/emails. Make sure you are diligent to check and respond to messages. Don’t try to sell your vehicle too hard over messaging, set up a time to meet, let them experience the vehicle. Also, avoid scams, they are everywhere. Do your homework. If something seems too good to be true, it is. Run away from scams. If in doubt google the details of the deal and you will quickly see the legitimacy of it.
The Meet Up When you set up your meet up time do so in a public place and take any safety precautions you deem necessary. There are some really great online articles that go really deep into keeping yourself safe when meeting strangers. As a large man I take less precautions than I would if I were not a large male, but I still maintain safety level that fits my comfort level. Make sure you check the license of the person driving the vehicle, if a non-licensed driver wrecks your car your insurance may not cover it. Finally, if you don’t feel safe or comfortable with the situation, LEAVE. There will be another potential buyer, don’t be afraid to leave any situation you don’t like.
Salesmanship You don’t have to be great at sales to sell your vehicle. These people want to buy a car, and in some situations, they need a vehicle quickly. Don’t be the reason your vehicle doesn’t sell. Here are a few don’ts to help you not ruin the sale. 1. Don’t talk too much, but be honest and respectful. It’s ok to give them tips on using the car or dealing with any flaws. (Like explaining how you deal with a turn signal that doesn’t go off automatically) 2. Don’t pay for stuff they want. If they want to take the vehicle to the mechanic make sure they pay for it and it fits within your schedule. 3, Don’t lose your patience. Be ready to show the vehicle multiple times. You may even show it multiple times to the same person. 4. Don’t go below your lowest acceptable amount. Eventually, you will find the right buyer for your car.
Gettin’ Paid Once you settle on a price with a buyer it’s time to close the deal and get paid. I’ll start with a simple but necessary word of caution… don’t get scammed. Online scams are everywhere and they range from simplistic to super complicated. Watch out that you are not left holding worthless piece of paper and no car. Make sure you check anything that seems fishy online. And, like before, if you are suspicious just walk away. Personally, I only accept cash or checks in my car dealings. Many people are freaked out that I accept checks so let me clarify. I accept personal or cashiers checks at the buyer’s bank where I can verify the account has the funds and I cash the check at the bank. Some people need to use a check to track a car purchase with a paper trail. Also, other people don’t like walking around with thousands of dollars in cash in public places. To complete the deal you exchange your vehicle and your vehicle title for money (or other stuff). If you are dealing in cash, take the time to count it. You will feel like a huge fool if you get shorted because you didn’t count the money. There will also be forms to fill out to make this deal legal. Make sure to check your state laws about what you have to fill out. In NM you only need to complete the buyer/seller portion of the title. In other states you may have to complete a bill of sale. The state of NM has all of these forms online on the MVD website along with detailed instructions of what to do to complete the sale. In NM you have to complete the bottom portion of the title and the seller takes the license plate. After the sale enjoy your cash. Also, make sure you arrange a ride home no one wants to be stranded with loads of cash in their possession.
Best times to sell & other tips There are better times to sell vehicles than others. The best time to sell a vehicle (especially if it is a vehicle in the $3,000-12,000 range) is late January – March. This is the time when people get tax returns and have a little extra cash. There are lots of people in the market for cars at this time and you can usually get the most money for your vehicle. The worst time to sell Christmas time. People aren’t looking at buying a car they want to buy presents. Second behind that is summer. If you have a convertible sell it as soon as the weather gets nice for maximum profit. That said, you can sell your vehicle at any time of the year. Someone is always looking for a car to buy. I sold many of my cars in the summer to folks who wrecked cars and had insurance money to buy new ones. Another unrealed tip is to fix fogged headlights. If you are handy you can do it yourself. It makes a huge difference to the look of the car. Brush the crud off the battery. That build-up makes the car look cheap and poorly maintained. Finally, if you want to buy a vehicle on Craigslist follow these steps in reverse (kinda) make sure it is clean, well maintained, has records, etc… and you put yourself in a better position to get a quality car. Good luck!
Read the previous articles here (pt 1) & (pt 2) Prepare your vehicle for the Sale Once you do your research and determine your car’s value, and more importantly, what your car is worth to you, you can prepare to sell your car. First thing, CLEAN YOUR CAR. You are throwing away money if you try to sell a dirty car. NO ONE wants to buy a gross car. At the very least wash, wax, vacuum, and wipe down the interior of your car. For goodness sakes, please make it smell nice. No one likes to smell your old Taco Bell burritos and wet dog. When I say at least, I mean that is the very least you should be doing. You should do more. If you want more money, do more. It is hard work to detail a car. Shampooing carpet, buffing, engine cleaning, and wheel cleaning is hard, but worth it. You can do it yourself, but you can also pay to have it done. Be ready to pay $100-200 for the cleanest your vehicle has been in years. If your floormat are gone or in terrible shape, replace them. They are usually cheap and can make a nice first impression for potential buyers. Now, that your car looks and smells good you can move on to the next step. Second, check your fluids and have them replaced if it is time for it. People will check the oil and transmission fluid during a test drive. If it is low or smells burned it will be no deal. If your transmission fluid is low buyers will assume the worst. Third, get your vehicle repaired. Few people want to buy a vehicle that needs an immediate repair. Those that will buy a vehicle in disrepair will only pay well below what it is worth. New tires and current regular scheduled maintenance are worthy investments also. People will generally pay for the convenience of not having to do those things to the car they just bought. If you are going to buy new tires buy the cheapest ones Discount Tires sells for that vehicle. They will look good, function better than the old ones, and come with a fully transferable treadwear warranty. You can usually recoup 100% of the value for tires and big maintenance.
Prepare yourself for the sale Gather all of your records you have on the vehicle. If you had every oil change and repair done at the dealership it may be worth paying the $40 for a Carfax or Autocheck. If you were not great at regular oil changes and had your buddies do all of the repairs, it’s probably not worth your time. Write down all of the repairs and service you can think of. Seriously, write is down… you will forget otherwise. FIND THE TITLE. Don’t try to sell a vehicle without a title in your hand. If you can’t find the title it is pretty easy to get a replacement… much easier than trying to get it after you have already accepted an offer but realized you lost the title in your last move.
Online Ad Now, your car is ready and you are ready, so let’s get this car listed online. Don’t pay for listing your car online. Use free services like Craigslist and Facebook. If you absolutely can’t sell it on a free site consider moving to a paid site. The key to a good listing is brutal honesty. This isn’t online dating, you can’t post a dishonest ad and try to sell it on charm. Brutal honesty starts with lots of great pictures. Use your cell phone ONLY if it has a good camera, if not use a real camera… you might have to borrow one from an old person. Take pictures of everything, I mean everything. You can add 24 pictures to Craigslist, so take 24 pictures of your car. Take pictures of both sides, the front, back, wheels/tires, trunk, backseat, front seats, center console, doors, electronic controls, instrument cluster, engine, and any cosmetic flaws the car has. Next, write a brutally honest and detailed description of your vehicle. Include everything you can (you did write everything down, didn’t you?), from repairs to specs to what you love about it. Use lists to make it easy to read. Include the VIN number so you a potential buyer can run a VIN check. Price it above the lowest price you will accept so there is room to negotiate. Once you hit the PUBLISH button, you start dealing with buyers.
Click to read the 4th and final part of this story
This is the second part of THIS article.
The trade-in reality The real reason you are selling your car is money. The dealer is infinitely easier but the dealer will not give you as much as you can get selling your car. Some may argue with this by citing a sweet deal they got and the huge amount they received for their trade-in. Take this with a grain of salt and chalk it up to how car deals are done. If your car is actually worth ~$7,000 a dealer isn’t paying you $10,000 for your trade, just know that they are making that money up somewhere else in the deal. That’s not a bad thing, it’s simply the reality of car sales. If you want to know what a dealer will actually give you for your car take it to CARMAX and they will give you an offer on the spot. It will not be convoluted by incentives and rebates on your new car purchase. It will, however, be significantly lower than you expected. Most car dealers will sell your car at auction, meaning they will get, at best, slightly below market value for your vehicle. That means a dealer, who is trying to make money, will not intentionally overpay for your trade-in. There are some exceptions to this. If you own a vehicle that your dealer finds highly desirable (like a late model Tacoma with low miles at a Toyota dealership) they may be willing to pay more because they will sell your vehicle at retail price. Or, if you are trading a rare car then you can hope for an above average trade-in value. Unfortunately, most people don’t have a vehicle like that… and before you start thinking that your 2003 Kia Rio with a cool 210,000 miles is highly desirable or rare, it’s NOT.
Market research So, you decided to maximize your money by selling it yourself, congrats. But you need to understand how much your car/truck/van is worth. Start by going to KBB.com and NADA.com and input your vehicle’s details to see what its worth. This will be a good estimate as most everyone that wants to buy your car will also look at these websites. In fact, most will look at both of these sites and expect you to accept under the lowest of the two. Your 2003 fully loaded Kia Rio wagon can differ by as much as $500 depending on which condition or website you choose.
Determining Real Value Based on your market research you need to determine the lowest price you will accept in a deal. This number needs to be based in reality. Understand that other people are not emotionally connected to your vehicle, so be realistic. There are things that add to your vehicle’s value. These things include factory add-ons, professional upgrades, and essential components. If your Tundra has a TRD dealer installed supercharger, professionally installed exhaust, or a brand new set of off road tires, these increase the value. One thing to remember on these, you will never recoup 100% of your cost for these things. You did them to enjoy them and that is where the majority of value is in these type things. Some things MAY add value, depending on who buys your vehicle. These things include stereo upgrades, performance upgrades, and appearance upgrades. A 22 year old guy might pay extra for Mazda 3 with an aftermarket stereo, with a performance muffler, and nice rims. But a 45 year old looking for a commuter car will probably not be impressed with those things. Some things will NOT add value, and may even detract from the value. Those include modifications that are poorly done, make the car less practical, or more complex mechanically. Ground effects on your honda civic may look cool (questionable) but it makes going over speed bumps a chore. Your homemade speakbox attached to the car with wood screws kill the value. So, take every modification and upgrade into account when assessing value. Based on all of these things set your absolute bottom price you will accept. Make sure you are comfortable with it and then stick to it. If the lowest price you will take for your car is $4,500, stick to it, accept nothing less. It is easy to caught up in the process and accept the first offer you get for way less money. The last thing you want to be left holding is an insufficient amount of cash and lots of regret. If you don’t get the amount you believe the car is worth it may help you appreciate your car more and change your mind about selling it. Eventually, you can adjust this number, but don’t do it right away.
Read Part 3 NOW!
Why I started selling cars Last summer I had my first sabbatical at Grace Church. That meant I had 12 weeks where I couldn’t/shouldn’t/didn’t go to work. I was a great time with family, a break from the rigors of full-time ministry and time for professional development. One of the joys of having that amount of time to spend with family is being able to go out of town and make memories. The reality of paying for all of those memory-making endeavors is another story. Along with paying for some unforgettable vacation time our family was 5 months away from having another driver in the house and we needed another car. So, as a side-hustle I sold cars on Craigslist during the spring/summer. I made some much needed extra cash, drove some fun little cars, and found my son’s car. Above all of that, I learned a lot about selling cars on Craigslist. Recently, I’ve had several people ask me how to sell a car and I wanted to put it all down in one resource. Here are a few lessons learned just for you. (FYI, this is not legal or financial advice, just stuff I learned from my experiences)
The setup My situation was a little different from most. The majority of cars I sold I were bought from a wholesaler (who was getting them at auction). I didn’t know any history on them except what was included at the auction, which usually isn’t much. I did sell two of my personal cars as well which I knew lots about having them for 15 and 10 years. I also sold one other vehicle for a friend, so I had some knowledge of the vehicle. I’m going to approach this as if you are only going to consider selling your personal vehicle. Most people don’t know a car wholesaler that will work with them not to mention it is a lot of work to flip cars.
Counting the cost If you are considering selling your car online first decide if it is worth it. It takes work and patience dealing with the public to sell a vehicle. If you are going to buy another car from a dealer it will always be easier to trade it in. I said easier, not more profitable. The dealer is a one-stop shop, you take your old car in and take home another one. You don’t have to do anything special, heck, you don’t even have to clean up your car. If simple is prime objective, the dealer is your best bet. If dealing with strangers, setting appointments, getting lowballed, no-shows, and keeping your vehicle clean sounds like a slow death then strongly consider trading that beater in at the dealer. If you want to maximize your profits and don’t mind dealing with folks, then keep reading. (The second part of this article)
Do you ever feel like a discussion just got away from you? I do sometimes. I find times when I’m having a conversation with someone this feeling comes over me that we are simply two people having competing monologues. That is NOT a good thing. Sadly, most communication I witness happens that way. Granted, I deal with rather touchy subject matter, faith. Faith is one of those areas of life that the majority of it is experienced, felt, and lived. In the Christian faith there are some absolutes that everyone who aligns themselves with Christ must believe. But that list is much smaller than most of us would tend to make it.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 is much simpler than I would explain it, but that is the foundation of the Christian faith. So much of what we hold near and dear to our hearts is our preference, tied so intrinsically to our history, that we cannot tell where our preferences end and objective truth begins. The only way to do this is by asking really, really, really good questions.
Good questions transform us. Questions take us out of the role of expert and put us squarely in the role of learner. If you are ever going to grow you need to move from expert to learner. Experts espouse, learners listen. Experts give away what they have while learners gather. That’s a simplistic view, I know, but most people who are functioning as experts are more prone to speak than to listen.
The problem with good questions is that they are elusive. Even in our questioning, we seek to have our positions strengthened rather than our horizons expanded. We’ve all seen the most obvious form of this in the political arena. The question will go something like, “Isn’t it true that you hate this group of people so you took away a program that served them?” We all know those are not good questions, but they are the easiest to think of and ask.
Harder questions, aka Good Questions, are those that don’t have easy answers, help us see other perspectives, and expand our learning. Good questions clarify the issue and bring mutual understanding. Good questions don’t necessarily bring agreement, but they can. Good questions help us understand others, even if we wholeheartedly disagree with them.
I think the greatest benefit of good questions is that it humanizes the person you are having the discussion with. When you view people as ideas, stereotypes, or even arguments to be won love does not apply. You don’t have to love arguments, ideas, and caricatures. You do, however, have to love people. Asking good questions is just another way you can show love. And isn’t that the basic tenet of of the Christian faith? Galatians 5:14 (For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” NIV)
Ask good questions, love people well…
I really enjoy self improvement. I have one of those personalities that thrives on outside goals to motivate me to be better. Just left to my own motivation, things get pretty bad. I know that, I own that, so when I lack motivation I begin looking for that thing that will provide motivation for me.
I have found that motivation in a backpack. I know that may sound silly, and it probably is. But that doesn’t matter. What matters is I’m striving to improve because of it. I’ll explain.
A couple of months ago I began planning a trip to India to help serve orphans with an organization we support. This would be a 2 week long trip, adding a stop in Indonesia to see a friend and see the relief organization he works with in that country. I’ve never really enjoyed how I’ve packed for long trips, but I wasn’t sure there was a better way. So, I started looking around, as per usual, the internet is a vast place to get lost. I was wonderfully lost for 3 or 4 days during my free times looking at all the internet had to offer. (NOTE TO SELF: remember to thank Al Gore next time I see him for inventing such a wonderful place) This discovery process led me down two roads. The first is packing light. As light as possible. Not taking half as much as you intended and then halving that again. The second road was challenge events. Both of these were the motivation I was looking for to improve myself.
I think the company that helped me see both of these most clearly was a company called GORUCK. I liked their gear. They don’t apologize for building incredible stuff and they stand behind it. The flagship of their fleet is the GR1, read about it here, and it is not cheap in any aspect. It is understated, multi-use, and ready for anything, which makes me like it. I’m also drawn to the quirkiness of the company’s founder, Jason, it’s endearing to me. They also do events. These events serve two purposes for the company. 1. “We are building a bridge between the civilian and military worlds.” These events are led by special forces types who are striving in an effort of 2. “building better Americans,” by showing them the power of a team and how much more they are capable of as a person. Those two thing appeal to me immensely. One of my best friends is former military and that gap needs to be bridged. I’m a team guy through and through and love the concept. And I think most organizations should help in the cause of building better Americans… if not simply better humans.
So, I bought a backpack and signed up for an event. I also got 5 or 6 of my buddies to sign up too, because they could use a little improvement as Americans as well. Just don’t tell them I said that. I’ve started my training and I’m sure I’ll chronicle my event in a month when it is done. I’ve also started changing the mindset of how I pack. I found another great website called “Pack Lite, Go Fast,” and it has been a good resource on how to do just that.
I got to try out my new packing style last week when I had to make a trip to Colorado Springs for some training. This training required a two day, one night stay and business casual clothes for each day. My goal for packing was three-fold. 1. Take two days worth of business casual clothes. 2. Take gear for two days worth of training while I was gone. 3. PACK LIGHT – nothing superfluous. Here is my packing list and picture.
From Right to Left, Top to Bottom.
GR1 Backpack, ball cap for training, Northface Jacket (it snowed on me one day), Computer charger, Kershaw pocket knife, flash drive, phone charger, head phones, bag o’ tech gear, Nalgene bottle holder, Lenovo X1 Carbon, Bible, Burt’s Bee hand moisturizer, Moleskin, Black & Blue pen, NB shoes and socks for training, Dopp kit, Dickies No-Wrinkle slacks, polo shirt, Nike Pro Combat undies, Hurley Phantom board shorts (used for training and swimming, and especially the hot tub) Not pictured was my workout shirt – it was still drying in the bathroom after being washed from my workout.
I was wearing my other set of business cloths and nice socks & shoes. It worked well, I was able to take everything I needed and very little I didn’t. I was also able to keep up with my training regimen, something I’m not great at on the road. It was a good experience, and I plan to take one small backpack (GR1 or GR2, not sure which one) on my Asia trip in January.
Separately, all of these things could appear chaotic, unrelated, or arbitrary. To me they are not. I want my life to be characterized by getting rid of things that I don’t need or things that slow me down or take away from my goals. (Reminds me of Hebrews 12:1-3 I guess) The older I get the more I like singularity of purpose as a lifestyle. Who knows how far I will get with that, I know I’ll never reach it. But to not strive for it is not in my nature. So I appreciate the guys who run companies and websites that motivate me to strive.
Here’s to pursuing that elusive goal.