The church in Corinth had lost sight of the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper, treating it in ways that caused division. In this passage, Paul offers a strong correction—reminding the church (and us) of what this meal truly represents.
This passage is filled with timeless instruction that reveals God's good design for marriage. Additionally, we try to bring a bit of clarity to some of Paul's more confusing points (...because of the angels?). How can we see the cultural significance of this passage as Christians in Fort Collins? What is our personal response to God's design for marriage? How can we discern between timeless instruction and cultural instruction?
This passage is filled with instruction that applies to us today, even outside of the cultural context Paul was writing to. These truths about God's true design for marriage all point us to the worship of Jesus.
Through Christ, we've received the freedom to love others. But what can this look like in our lives today? This week, we unpack practical applications, discuss how the passage hit each of us, and consider what it really means to glorify God in life.
Paul tackles the topic of Christian freedom. What's our Christian freedom and how do we then live freely?
Brock joins us for this week's AfterWord as we discuss some hard questions surrounding the text. How did this passage strike you? How has an improper view of God and/or sin played out in your own life in the past? How can we fight against the sin of complaining? What are some ways God provides escape from temptation?
Idolatry is a serious and pervasive sin, and it often presents itself in ways that we would not expect. How can we "flee from idolatry?"
Giving up our rights to build gospel bridges . That's the main theme of chapter 9 that Jon showed us in his sermon. As we process that a bit more, we first explore a couple of clarification questions related to the text (Was it only Corinth in which Paul didn't receive financial support? Is his instruction here primarily targeting our interactions with unbelievers or believers or both?), and then we spend the bulk of our time talking through present day application. In Fort Collins, what are som...
Paul expands on the theme of surrendering our rights as Christians by exploring one key question: How are we called to give up our rights to build gospel bridges?
We have received many freedoms through Christ, but with that comes navigating how to love others more than we love our own rights. This week, our conversation largely focuses around that idea, and we explore questions like: What are some things that we need to be willing to sacrifice for the sake of loving others? How can we discern when it's appropriate to challenge the expectations of others and when we would be sinning against them? How did this passage hit you personally?...
Are we willing to lay aside our own rights and freedoms out of love for other people? Paul challenges the Corinthian church to not let their own knowledge interfere with their ability to love their brothers and sisters well.
Rather than exploring specific questions, we process our own thoughts and questions from the three main points of the sermon: Marriage is a worldly pursuit Marriage is a divided devotion Marriage is a practical decision
While this passage may seem like a commercial against marriage, it is really a call to be fully devoted to Jesus whether we are single or married. How can we fight to make our pursuit of Jesus our priority, no matter our season of life?
The conversation around marriage and divorce is difficult to navigate. We begin to scratch the surface of this with some questions like: Why is divorce so prevalent today? What is the difference between separation and divorce? When could separation be an option? What are some of the exceptions for marriage?
Marriage is a God-given gift that serves as a reflection of Christ's unending and sacrificial love for us. However, sin has tainted this gift, creating certain situations that may lead to exceptions to marriage. In all of the highs and lows of human relationship, we can be reminded of one eternal truth: We belong to Christ, no matter where we are in life.
We tackle the beginning of 1 Corinthians 7 with not one, but two married couples (and Betty)! No matter what stage of life you find yourself in, the truths of this passage hold a lot of relevance, and it is vital to have these conversations. Some questions we cover are: How can we view singleness as a gift? If you are single and don’t want to be, how do you embrace this season? Why does the church tend to avoid conversations around intimacy and sex? What is some of the baggage people can bring i...
Paul turns his attention to another topic brought to him by the church in Corinth - essentially, Is it good to abstain from sex? In answering that question, Paul focuses upon the gift and purpose of physical intimacy within a marriage. In doing so, he also touches upon singleness.
Paul provides for us a theology of the body. In this episode we unpack that a little bit and ask questions like: Can this text be used more broadly about how to treat the body, or does it apply more narrowly specifically to sexual immorality? What are some ways God uses to take good theology and head knowledge like this and move it into our hearts and how we then live? What are some ways parents can talk about this topic with their young kids? We want to hear from you! Please send any questions ...
Paul uses three rhetorical questions to illuminate the relationship between a Christian and sexual immorality. Rather than focusing on all of the physical and emotional and relational consequences that can occur, Paul offers us a theology of the body.
How should we handle conflict within the church? This week, we unpack this topic with a few questions for discussion: How do we identify "trivial" cases? How do we discern when it is best to suffer wrong? Can we defend ourselves without sinning? We want to hear from you! Please send any questions or comments to info@thetownchurch.org.
Our time in 1 Corinthians has centered around one theme: we are called to be saints together. This passage speaks into that theme as we consider how to approach conflict within the church as saints.
This passage covers a very difficult concept, bringing up a lot of questions around how to rightly handle sin. How does Paul's instruction to the church to disassociate with an unrepentant believer apply to one-on-one relationships like friendships and family? How does this fit with Jesus' instruction in Matthew 18 about dealing with someone who sins against you? What are some ways forward to give and receive feedback about our sin well?
How are we to live in light of the sacrifice of Christ? As Paul deals with sin that has impacted the church, we see how he calls them to deal with this sin, knowing Christ has been sacrificed on their behalf.
We have all received our gifts, skills, and abilities from God. How do we hold these in a way that does not diminish them or puff us up? How can the reality that we are receivers in Christ impact our daily lives? On this special Cinco de Mayo edition of the AfterWord, we discuss a hard-hitting question: Where are the best tacos in town?
Pride is a deeply rooted issue in the Corinthian church—one that distorts their understanding of who they are as Christians. In this passage, Paul reminds them (and us) of true identity in Christ.
We desire for our view of God to become more and more accurate over time. Our hearts respond to God further revealing himself to us with a growing love for God. As a church we have called this spiritual formation rhythm Doctrinal Formation. The primary place our view of God is accurately formed is in the Bible. To this end, we hosted a panel conversation discussing the book of Jonah. We asked several men and women to study the book beforehand and then get together to share the fruit of their stu...
In the church, we are constantly reminded that our identity is found in Christ alone. What does it look like to live this out practically? Other questions we explore: How have we (or people we know) lived in ways that the world may view as foolish? What difference does it make to us that our commendation comes from God? Additionally, we learn how to properly pronounce "legume."
Our hearts are quick to look for belonging and significance in things of the world. Paul reminds us in this passage that we receive our commendation from God alone because we belong to Christ.
This Easter, we celebrated Jesus' victory over death by looking at the story of Thomas. Thomas, like so many of us, needed to see proof of God's work to believe. When we sit in our own doubt, where can we look to see proof that God is faithful and will meet us in our doubt?
This week, we take some time to unpack the big themes that Paul focuses on in 1 Corinthians 3. What does the milk vs. solid food analogy really mean? How can we view the idea of the rewards we receive as Christians? While we don't come to full understanding of these topics, the images Paul provides give us a glimpse of how God is at work.
