Do we out-grow the gospel? Some Christians or churches give the impression that the gospel is there for the start of our lives but we move beyond it as we grow to maturity. But the truth is, we do not out-grow the gospel message of Christ crucified — in fact, it is how we grow.
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Many people in the world have started to look for wisdom over the last few years. A lot of people have even turned to the Bible. But how do we really find wisdom? In this passage, Paul explains that there is a difference between godly wisdom and worldly wisdom — and he shows how we can get godly wisdom.
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In this passage, we see that the message of the cross looks different from where we are standing: the world thinks it is foolishness, whereas Christians see it as the power and wisdom of God. This has implications for what we believe about God and how he relates to us, and how we should live in the light of it.
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We are living in a more divided time than ever — from the wider political realm to friendships and marriages. That makes this passage from 1 Corinthians 1 especially relevant to us: the message of unity through the gospel is one that we need to hear and take to heart.
If you’d like to see the video I made about denominations, it is available here.
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The start of a new year is an opportunity to make plans for the coming months. But few people — perhaps even Christians — stop to think: “What does God want my plans to be this year?” In this first sermon on 1 Corinthians, we think about what God wants from us and what that means for how we should live as we face the new year.
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We human beings find it difficult to look below the surface. It’s easy to see someone who is attractive, rich, powerful or influential, and think they are successful in God’s eyes. But the truth is that God is able to look below the surface, to our hearts. What does God look for in us, and why is this one of the most important things we need to hear today?
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When it comes to obeying God, we can’t pick and choose what we want to obey and what we don’t. Obeying God needs to be all or nothing. In this passage, we see what happened when Saul decided not to obey God fully, and what the consequences were.
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Maybe you’ve asked questions recently about power and authority. In a world where everything seems to be going wrong, who is in charge? Who holds the power? And what does that look like? In this passage we see that true power and authority doesn’t look like what the world thinks it does. In God’s world, true power and authority looks very different — which is something we should embody as Christians.
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How much difference is it possible for one person to make? We tend to think that only a few, exceptional, people can really make a difference. But this passage teaches us that anyone can make a difference, even to the point of changing the course of a war. What does it mean for us today?
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‘Actions have consequences’ — words which are often said to children. But it applies to adults as well: things we do wrong will affect us — both in terms of natural consequences, and possible punishment. When it comes to God, both of these things are true. We need to learn to repent and to live by faith in God rather than fear.
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