Before You Embark on a Sexual Ministry
Marriage is good, but so is staying single. Everyone ought to know to which they’re called and pursue that calling with wisdom and gratitude.
Series: 1 Corinthians
Verse by Verse
April 7, 2002
• 1 Corinthians 1-16
Verse by verse exposition of the book of 1 Corinthians
A Long-term Perspective on Your Sexual Ministry
1 Corinthians 7:10-16
The sexual bond in marriage is intended by God to be permanent, think that way and trust God to make it good.
When the Grass Looks Greener
1 Corinthians 7:17-19
Work at pleasing God where you’re at, knowing that God has you where he has you for a reason.
Trusting God in a Stinky Field
1 Corinthians 7:20-24
Because of our relationship with God (and each other) we can wisely & productively navigate any difficult station in life.
It’s a Big Decision
1 Corinthians 7:25-40
Big decisions (like getting married) must be prayerfully considered in light of timing, calling and the intensity of one’s desire.
Why You Feel Like a Loser When You Try to Be Nice
1 Corinthians 8:1-13
We must be quick to give up our prerogatives for other Christians whose conscience might be tweaked over the exercise of our freedom.
The Price of Being Really Nice
1 Corinthians 9:1-27
God richly rewards those who are willing to sacrifice their trivial desires for other people’s lasting good.
When Your Passions Meet Your Prerogatives
1 Corinthians 10:1-22
Don’t let the exercise of your freedoms put you in harms way; steer clear of situations which might tempt you to sin.
The Unwavering Focus of People Who Win
1 Corinthians 10:23 - 11:1
In summing up controversial matters keep focused on glorifying God, helping people and following godly examples.
What God Expects from Men
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
God has called men to a distinct and masculine role in life; fulfill it and affirm it even when it’s not popular.
What God Expects from Women
1 Corinthians 11:2-16
God has called women to a distinct and feminine role in life; fulfill it and affirm it even when it’s not popular.
The Problem of Me-ism in the Church
1 Corinthians 11:17-22
God has called us to focus on Christ when we meet to worship, which always includes selflessly serving his children.
The Thankful Focus of a Healthy Church
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
We ought to always remember the incredibly high price paid for our forgiveness and live compassionately and gratefully in light of it.
Avoiding the High Costs of Selfishness
1 Corinthians 11:27-34
We must learn to decipher whether a painful experience is God’s discipline, if so, let’s quickly respond and be thankful for God’s loving correction.
Rethinking God’s New Plan for My New Life
1 Corinthians 12:1-3
God has an important and fulfilling plan to utilize each of us in this world and in his church and that looks a lot better than the futile life we led before Christ.
Staying Focused on the Reason God Has Me Here
1 Corinthians 12:4-7
We ought to remain focused on God’s agenda to love and serve his people by enthusiastically embracing our role as his tools.
Zeroing In on God’s Task for Me Right Now
1 Corinthians 12:8-11
God has called each of us to get to work to make this outpost of Christ’s church great world history hinges on it!
Keeping Myself in Perspective as I Serve God’s People
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
God Expects us to watch our attitude as we minister to his people, so that we won`t ever quit or become haughty in our quest to serve the bride of Christ.
Don’t Have Breakfast Without It
1 Corinthians 12:31 - 13:3
God wants his kids to be motivated by his kind of committed and selfless love as we go about serving one another in the body of Christ.
Weeding Out the Bad Stuff
1 Corinthians 13:4-6
To be motivated by God’s love will require a serious resolve to fight our natural tendencies to put ourselves first and be intolerant of others.
In Search of a Divine Motive
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
We must resolve to rely on God to replicate God’s merciful and gracious love toward imperfect people.
A Lifelong Quest
1 Corinthians 13:8-13
I ought to assess myself by the progress I show in humbly loving others, because most everything else I do will one day become irrelevant.
Reaffirming God’s Word as Our Ultimate Authority
1 Corinthians 14:36-38
As the years & experience pas in the Christian life we must be careful to reaffirm the fact that everything we believe & everything we do is subject to God`s objective word!
The Problem with Corinthian (& Californian) Styled Tongues
1 Corinthians 14:1-40
We must carefully examine 1 Corinthians 14 to discover (and avoid) the damaging problems related to the kind of “tongues” phenomenon practiced in the church of Corinth.
Examining the Role of Tongues in the Bible
1 Corinthians 14:20-22
The Corinthian “tongues” display should be an obvious sign that something is seriously wrong, especially against the backdrop of true missionary oriented tongues.
A Closer Look at New Testament Churches without New Testaments
1 Corinthians 14:29-40
Great care, sobriety and thanksgiving should mark the proclamation and reception of God`s instructions for our lives.
A Brief Study of When God Breaks the Rules He Made
Various
God’s breaking of natural law is not the norm, nor should it be our expectation We should expect his intervention within the laws he made, not in the way he did for the prophets for whom he was verifying his new revelation.
A Few Preliminaries When Talking About Life After Death
1 Corinthians 15, Various
Death, both spiritual & physical, was a lamentable intrusion on mankind – one that God powerfully rectified and now provides us with a solution in Christ!
Conquering Death…It’s the Whole Point
1 Corinthians 15:1-19
Our future hope (a tangible resurrected bodily existence in the coming age) is based on the historical reality of Christ’s tangible, bodily resurrection. We must wholeheartedly confirm this fact and let I motivate us as we live each day in light of our future.
Living In Light of Christ’s Victory Over Death
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
Our future resurrection (guaranteed by Christ’s) should motivate us with a confident, positive and reverent attitude toward the Victor over death!