Bethlehem Baptist Church, NZ

These days it’s easy to see life the way we want to. We can filter our images, pick the news we want to hear, and listen only to the viewpoints that agree with us. When we do that, we start to distort our view of the world. The same thing can happen to our view of God. We reshape our perception of Him into what we want to believe, or what we want to think about others. Jesus came to bring us the truth about God and His plan for us, and it doesn’t always sound like what you may think. This series cuts through the noise of the world’s perceptions of Jesus and what it means to follow Him, in ways that may be surprising to some people. It plays off the idea of memes as jokes, rhetorical devices, and sources of misinformation to debunk popular misconceptions and bring clear truth.

The church in Corinth was in trouble. They were divided. They were immature. They were abusing the sacraments, spiritual gifts, and each other. The apostle Paul had founded this church earlier (Acts 18), and when he hears of the young church’s struggles, he writes them a letter. And it’s a bold one. He tackles the issues the church faces, reprimands them for their shortcomings, and encourages them in love. First Corinthians is not a step-by-step guide to solving church problems, however. Instead of telling the church precisely what to do, Paul proposes a new perspective: put God’s glory first. It’s the key to overcoming these struggles.

These days it’s easy to see life the way we want to. We can filter our images, pick the news we want to hear, and listen only to the viewpoints that agree with us. When we do that, we start to distort our view of the world. The same thing can happen to our view of God. We reshape our perception of Him into what we want to believe, or what we want to think about others. Jesus came to bring us the truth about God and His plan for us, and it doesn’t always sound like what you may think.

This series cuts through the noise of the world’s perceptions of Jesus and what it means to follow Him, in ways that may be surprising to some people. It plays off the idea of memes as jokes, rhetorical devices, and sources of misinformation to debunk popular misconceptions and bring clear truth.

The church in Corinth was in trouble. They were divided. They were immature. They were abusing the sacraments, spiritual gifts, and each other. The apostle Paul had founded this church earlier (Acts 18), and when he hears of the young church’s struggles, he writes them a letter. And it’s a bold one. He tackles the issues the church faces, reprimands them for their shortcomings, and encourages them in love. First Corinthians is not a step-by-step guide to solving church problems, however. Instead of telling the church precisely what to do, Paul proposes a new perspective: put God’s glory first. It’s the key to overcoming these struggles.

God engages us even when we are in the depths of our sin, and he calls us to return to him for forgiveness and restoration. As we journey along the path of God’s holy way we will lose heart and stumble; however, God graciously provides strength and endurance for us. Charles Spurgeon, the great English preacher of the nineteenth century, once said, “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.” When we encounter trials that are beyond our strength, or weaknesses within that tempt us to quit our race, we should instead be grateful for the continual reminder that our only hope while on this journey is complete and total dependence on the grace and strength of God.

The church in Corinth was in trouble. They were divided. They were immature. They were abusing the sacraments, spiritual gifts, and each other. The apostle Paul had founded this church earlier (Acts 18), and when he hears of the young church’s struggles, he writes them a letter. And it’s a bold one. He tackles the issues the church faces, reprimands them for their shortcomings, and encourages them in love. First Corinthians is not a step-by-step guide to solving church problems, however. Instead of telling the church precisely what to do, Paul proposes a new perspective: put God’s glory first. It’s the key to overcoming these struggles.

God engages us even when we are in the depths of our sin, and he calls us to return to him for forgiveness and restoration. As we journey along the path of God’s holy way we will lose heart and stumble; however, God graciously provides strength and endurance for us. Charles Spurgeon, the great English preacher of the nineteenth century, once said, “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.” When we encounter trials that are beyond our strength, or weaknesses within that tempt us to quit our race, we should instead be grateful for the continual reminder that our only hope while on this journey is complete and total dependence on the grace and strength of God.

The church in Corinth was in trouble. They were divided. They were immature. They were abusing the sacraments, spiritual gifts, and each other. The apostle Paul had founded this church earlier (Acts 18), and when he hears of the young church’s struggles, he writes them a letter. And it’s a bold one. He tackles the issues the church faces, reprimands them for their shortcomings, and encourages them in love. First Corinthians is not a step-by-step guide to solving church problems, however. Instead of telling the church precisely what to do, Paul proposes a new perspective: put God’s glory first. It’s the key to overcoming these struggles.

God engages us even when we are in the depths of our sin, and he calls us to return to him for forgiveness and restoration. As we journey along the path of God’s holy way we will lose heart and stumble; however, God graciously provides strength and endurance for us. Charles Spurgeon, the great English preacher of the nineteenth century, once said, “I have learned to kiss the waves that throw me up against the Rock of Ages.” When we encounter trials that are beyond our strength, or weaknesses within that tempt us to quit our race, we should instead be grateful for the continual reminder that our only hope while on this journey is complete and total dependence on the grace and strength of God.

The church in Corinth was in trouble. They were divided. They were immature. They were abusing the sacraments, spiritual gifts, and each other. The apostle Paul had founded this church earlier (Acts 18), and when he hears of the young church’s struggles, he writes them a letter. And it’s a bold one. He tackles the issues the church faces, reprimands them for their shortcomings, and encourages them in love. First Corinthians is not a step-by-step guide to solving church problems, however. Instead of telling the church precisely what to do, Paul proposes a new perspective: put God’s glory first. It’s the key to overcoming these struggles.