CCF Sunday Messages

A large part of 1st Corinthians includes the Apostle Paul’s responses to questions--or disagreements--they had about certain topics including spiritual gifts and offerings to idols. They were trying to sort out what it looked like to live the Christian life in Corinth in the first century and surrounded by Corinthian culture!  If we had access to Paul today, what we would ask for clarity about? As we start chapter seven, we see Paul begin to respond to some hot issues that were on the minds of the Corinthian church.

There are some hot button issues related to sexuality and marriage that the Church and our current culture really differ on. And guess what: issues of sexuality were "hot button items" for the Corinthians too! Opening this chapter, Paul begins chipping away at the questions they had written to him about, and it appears that discussions of marriage and divorce and sex and remarriage were important topics for the christians living in Corinth.  

These first nine verses address issues of singleness, marriage and sexuality. If the body is for the Lord (as we learned at the end of chapter 6), and the culture in Corinth (like in America) is so sexually oriented, then maybe being single and celibate is the way to go! But what if we are already married? Should we divorce so we can focus more on Jesus? Or maybe we should have a "sexless marriage" so we can avoid distraction?

As we address these topics via Paul's answers to the Corinthian church, this will be the first in a brief mini-series on the subject of marriage — I hope to untie some "knotted up" understanding of what is involved when we tie the knot! If your spouse doesn’t usually come to church with you, beg him or her to come. Tell them the pastor is talking about sex! At least that will get their attention!

As a postscript, if you are feeling funny about discussing sex in church, then by all means don’t watch any movies or turn on the TV, because writers and producers and actors are talking to us all the time about extramarital, homosexual, and premarital sex. In fact it is glorified and romanticized! So as we study these passages, we are giving God a chance to speak into the twisted and confused culture about this activity He created for pleasure, unity, and procreation. We ought not be so quiet about it when Satan is so outspoken.

A large part of 1st Corinthians includes the Apostle Paul’s responses to questions--or disagreements--they had about certain topics including spiritual gifts and offerings to idols. They were trying to sort out what it looked like to live the Christian life in Corinth in the first century and surrounded by Corinthian culture!  If we had access to Paul today, what we would ask for clarity about? As we start chapter seven, we see Paul begin to respond to some hot issues that were on the minds of the Corinthian church.

There are some hot button issues related to sexuality and marriage that the Church and our current culture really differ on. And guess what: issues of sexuality were "hot button items" for the Corinthians too! Opening this chapter, Paul begins chipping away at the questions they had written to him about, and it appears that discussions of marriage and divorce and sex and remarriage were important topics for the christians living in Corinth.  

These first nine verses address issues of singleness, marriage and sexuality. If the body is for the Lord (as we learned at the end of chapter 6), and the culture in Corinth (like in America) is so sexually oriented, then maybe being single and celibate is the way to go! But what if we are already married? Should we divorce so we can focus more on Jesus? Or maybe we should have a "sexless marriage" so we can avoid distraction?

As we address these topics via Paul's answers to the Corinthian church, this will be the first in a brief mini-series on the subject of marriage — I hope to untie some "knotted up" understanding of what is involved when we tie the knot! If your spouse doesn’t usually come to church with you, beg him or her to come. Tell them the pastor is talking about sex! At least that will get their attention!

As a postscript, if you are feeling funny about discussing sex in church, then by all means don’t watch any movies or turn on the TV, because writers and producers and actors are talking to us all the time about extramarital, homosexual, and premarital sex. In fact it is glorified and romanticized! So as we study these passages, we are giving God a chance to speak into the twisted and confused culture about this activity He created for pleasure, unity, and procreation. We ought not be so quiet about it when Satan is so outspoken.

How do you view the body? Well, that's a weird question, isn't it? In the second half of 1st Corinthians chapter six, Paul has to deal with some challenging topics, and he wants the Corinthians to know it isn't just about the surface layer of actions (sexual immorality), but really has to do with the core issue of how we view our bodies. Are they for us or are they for the Lord?

As you might expect, Corinthian culture and norms are not that different from the world we are facing today in America. Views on morality have swung far away from a God-centric worldview to a hedonistic worldview: "my body is mine and I can do with it whatever I want!" The Corinthians had that same view and Paul starts this section by quoting it: "All things are permissible [lawful] for me!" but that doesn't mean all things are beneficial.

As Pastor Steve deals with this difficult and challenging topic of sexual sin, our bodies, and how we are to live in a permissive culture, listen in and be challenged to think like Paul--and like Christ--that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, therefore we should "glorify God in your body."

How do you view the body? Well, that's a weird question, isn't it? In the second half of 1st Corinthians chapter six, Paul has to deal with some challenging topics, and he wants the Corinthians to know it isn't just about the surface layer of actions (sexual immorality), but really has to do with the core issue of how we view our bodies. Are they for us or are they for the Lord?

As you might expect, Corinthian culture and norms are not that different from the world we are facing today in America. Views on morality have swung far away from a God-centric worldview to a hedonistic worldview: "my body is mine and I can do with it whatever I want!" The Corinthians had that same view and Paul starts this section by quoting it: "All things are permissible [lawful] for me!" but that doesn't mean all things are beneficial.

As Pastor Steve deals with this difficult and challenging topic of sexual sin, our bodies, and how we are to live in a permissive culture, listen in and be challenged to think like Paul--and like Christ--that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, therefore we should "glorify God in your body."

This week we open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 and--oh my--what a practical and challenging passage written to an immature and problematic people!

Chapter five challenged the church's pride and unwillingness to respond to public and flagrant sexual sin. Now, there’s another black eye on the face of this church. What was it?  They couldn’t resolve conflicts--so they took each other to Corinthian court to let them decide in the case involving God’s children! Paul is beside himself about this. How does this apply to us?

Every so often I get a call. “Pastor, we need some work done on our house and we’d like to give the work to Christian.  Can you recommend someone?”  I have come to realize that Satan loves when God’s people get into business deals together! It is almost predictable; the call comes some time later about how they didn’t get paid or the other person cheated them, the work was shoddy, expectations differed, and there was no contract! Now this deal which began with good intentions to help has gone very bad. In some cases, both parties have now blamed the church, left the church, and are going to court to settle the matter! They are determined to defend their rights.

I no longer make suggestions, and I warn people from this very passage before us.  My message is: “Are you willing to be wronged and cheated for the sake of Christ?”  If so, then go ahead and hire them. But if you don’t have the maturity to understand you might get cheated and be ok with that, then please hire someone outside the church!

So, given this very practical reality right here in the pages of 1 Corinthians, listen in and see how they, and we, are to handle these situations, if you really are concerned with the name of Jesus.

This week we open our Bibles to 1 Corinthians 6:1-11 and--oh my--what a practical and challenging passage written to an immature and problematic people!

Chapter five challenged the church's pride and unwillingness to respond to public and flagrant sexual sin. Now, there’s another black eye on the face of this church. What was it?  They couldn’t resolve conflicts--so they took each other to Corinthian court to let them decide in the case involving God’s children! Paul is beside himself about this. How does this apply to us?

Every so often I get a call. “Pastor, we need some work done on our house and we’d like to give the work to Christian.  Can you recommend someone?”  I have come to realize that Satan loves when God’s people get into business deals together! It is almost predictable; the call comes some time later about how they didn’t get paid or the other person cheated them, the work was shoddy, expectations differed, and there was no contract! Now this deal which began with good intentions to help has gone very bad. In some cases, both parties have now blamed the church, left the church, and are going to court to settle the matter! They are determined to defend their rights.

I no longer make suggestions, and I warn people from this very passage before us.  My message is: “Are you willing to be wronged and cheated for the sake of Christ?”  If so, then go ahead and hire them. But if you don’t have the maturity to understand you might get cheated and be ok with that, then please hire someone outside the church!

So, given this very practical reality right here in the pages of 1 Corinthians, listen in and see how they, and we, are to handle these situations, if you really are concerned with the name of Jesus.

This week as we enter the fifth chapter of 1st Corinthians, Paul has a difficult topic to handle with the immature Corinthian church: discipline in the body. The issue is blatant and unrepentant sexual sin, and the response of the church has been to boast at their openness and grace to this troubling issue, that isn't even acceptable "among the Gentiles," Paul tells them.

Paul speaks with authority and conviction at the need to deal with this cancer--this leaven--within the body before it spreads everywhere and brings death and ruin. Listen in as Pastor Steve shares from this serious chapter the important truths of proper and loving discipline in the body of Christ.

This week as we enter the fifth chapter of 1st Corinthians, Paul has a difficult topic to handle with the immature Corinthian church: discipline in the body. The issue is blatant and unrepentant sexual sin, and the response of the church has been to boast at their openness and grace to this troubling issue, that isn't even acceptable "among the Gentiles," Paul tells them.

Paul speaks with authority and conviction at the need to deal with this cancer--this leaven--within the body before it spreads everywhere and brings death and ruin. Listen in as Pastor Steve shares from this serious chapter the important truths of proper and loving discipline in the body of Christ.

This week we will take a break from 1 Corinthians and step into Matthew’s gospel with a special look at the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in chapter 18.  Unless you live under a rock, you are at least exposed to the news in some small form or another. You, as well as I, can see that we are living in a culture of divisiveness, polarization, guilt and punishment and judgement.  The prevailing attitude of the day can be summed up in phrases we hear, like: "I have been hurt/offended/violated. Someone else is to blame. We are angry. We won’t stand for it any more. They need to be punished. Justice needs to prevail…for me. You can’t get away with this!" That is where we are, and it appears it is only getting worse.

Now, the age old response to our predicament is “Why can’t we all just get along?” The focus of today's message is that the reason we can't is that we are leaving a very important word out of all these conversations. This word may be the only way to resolve conflicts, heal nations, and mend brokenness.  As Christ’s followers, we can interject this word and thought into the cultural conversation and demonstrate it with our lives!

What is that word? And how can it bring healing to your life and soul? You can shout it from the rooftops and teach it to your kids and grandkids. Jesus Himself taught us to pray about it and without it you cannot have a relationship with God. Listen in as Pastor Steve opens up the parable in Matthew 18 with a powerful study on this word: forgiveness.

This week we will take a break from 1 Corinthians and step into Matthew’s gospel with a special look at the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant in chapter 18.  Unless you live under a rock, you are at least exposed to the news in some small form or another. You, as well as I, can see that we are living in a culture of divisiveness, polarization, guilt and punishment and judgement.  The prevailing attitude of the day can be summed up in phrases we hear, like: "I have been hurt/offended/violated. Someone else is to blame. We are angry. We won’t stand for it any more. They need to be punished. Justice needs to prevail…for me. You can’t get away with this!" That is where we are, and it appears it is only getting worse.

Now, the age old response to our predicament is “Why can’t we all just get along?” The focus of today's message is that the reason we can't is that we are leaving a very important word out of all these conversations. This word may be the only way to resolve conflicts, heal nations, and mend brokenness.  As Christ’s followers, we can interject this word and thought into the cultural conversation and demonstrate it with our lives!

What is that word? And how can it bring healing to your life and soul? You can shout it from the rooftops and teach it to your kids and grandkids. Jesus Himself taught us to pray about it and without it you cannot have a relationship with God. Listen in as Pastor Steve opens up the parable in Matthew 18 with a powerful study on this word: forgiveness.