1 Corinthians
Resisting Chaos; Embracing Christ
Singular Devotion
April 28, 2024 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 7:8–9, 1 Corinthians 7:25–38
Marriage, relationships, and singleness can all be confusing to navigate - particularly for a Christian. Cultural norms and expectations, and our own desires, can make all of this even more difficult. Whether one is married, dating, engaged, or single, in this message we see what it looks like for each Christian to have a singular focus on serving the Lord where they are.
Marriage, Sex, and Singleness at the End of the World
April 14, 2024 • Jesse Furey • 1 Corinthians 7:1–7
The Corinthian church was very confused about a variety of issues, including sexuality and marriage. Some of them were saying that it was better for married couples to continue to abstain from sex, and Paul devoted part of his letter to correct this error. In the process, we see a beautiful picture of both marital intimacy, and the gift that singleness can be. Special thanks to Jesse Furey from Bonhoeffer Haus for preaching for us this Sunday! Due to the subject matter, this message is rated "PG-13."
You Are Not Your Own
February 25, 2024 • Sean Couch • 1 Corinthians 6:12–20
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 identifies four reasons why God takes sexual sin so seriously. Find out what these reasons are as we walk through this challenging passage and realize that those who are in Christ are no longer their own.
Such Were Some of You
February 18, 2024 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 6:9–11
As we look at what God teaches in 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 about sin and unrighteousness, Jeff explains that when you find your identity in sin rather than in Christ, you are in danger of missing the kingdom of God. However, those who trust in Christ for their identity have been washed, sanctified, and justified.
Judge Yourselves
February 11, 2024 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 6:1–8
Christians are going to enter into disputes with one another, it is inevitable. How can Christians deal with disputes without jumping immediately to thinking about conflict the way the world does? The Corinthians had adopted a worldly way of thinking about conflict with each other, and Paul was very frustrated that they had become so focused on "winning" that they had neglected their Christian unity. He shows them a better way for Christians to work through conflict with one another, remember that ultimately God is the judge.
The Principle of Disassociation
February 4, 2024 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 5
A situation had arisen in the Corinthian church that exposed how they had become permissive in the name of tolerance. However, Paul makes it clear that when we tolerate sin, and allow it, promote it, and even even redefine it as “not sin," we are ultimately belittling the work Christ did on the cross. Furthermore, since the goal of rebuke and discipline is restoration, the beauty of the gospel can be clearly seen through the whole process. NOTE: Due to some of the content covered in this message we would rate it "PG-13."
A Gentle Descent from Your High Horse
January 21, 2024 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 4:6–21
When you think about who to listen to and learn from, do you usually look for "successful" people? After all, the fact that they are successful and profitable by worldly standards means that they must be getting something right! 1 Corinthians 4:6-21 shows us that all those that follow Christ will experience opposition and suffering, even the leaders of the church! Leaders of the church, and all of us, should strive to be faithful to Jesus Christ as revealed in the Word of God, the Bible.
The Faithful Manager
January 14, 2024 • Matt Simpson • 1 Corinthians 4:1–5
These days, it seems like public opinion drives everything. Companies, celebrities, politicians, everyone seems intent on trying to appeal to the most people in the most effective way possible. "People-pleasing" is just part of the culture. In contrast, 1 Corinthians 4:1-5 teaches us that the leaders of the church should not be overly concerned with people's opinions - they ultimately answer only to God. This fact is frees church leaders from being people-pleasers, and is also a blessing to the members of the church. They can trust that a God-honoring, gospel-proclaiming church will tell them the truth even in the midst of a culture that is enslaved to public opinion.
Everything Is Yours
November 26, 2023 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 3:18–23
We live in a divided world full of constant noise, and this often antagonistic and one-sided. Furthermore, we don't even know who to trust! Even the church can become a fractured place where Christians fight over anything and everything. In the midst of this chaos, Christians must remember that because of Christ Jesus, "everything is yours." All wisdom, narratives, and perspective must bow to King Jesus and because of his authority Christians can have the ability to cut through cultural chaos.
The Temple of God
November 19, 2023 • Matt Simpson • 1 Corinthians 3:5–17
Is the church just a place where some people get together once a week to listen to live music and a nice talk, and then go home? Or is it something more? The Corinthians had devalued church by making it all about themselves, something that Americans can do as well. But, outside the prison of individualism, there is joy to be found by being part of the temple of God - God dwelling in us personally and among us corporately.
It's Mental
November 12, 2023 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 3:1–4
The Corinthian church thought they had it all together. They considered themselves wise, spiritual, and mature. However, in 1 Corinthians 3:1-4 Paul makes it very clear that even though they think they've reached spiritual maturity, they are actually incredibly immature Christians. For us today, Paul's words can be convicting as we consider what spiritual maturity really is or isn't - and how the way we think and evaluate what we hear reveals our spiritual growth.
The Mind of Christ
November 5, 2023 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 2:6–16
How is a Christian supposed to know and understand the things of God? Many people rely on worldly wisdom to navigate their day-to-day lives, and sometimes they even try to know God based on their own natural wisdom. But by God's grace, we are able to know the things of God in a transformational way through spiritual wisdom, given to us by being in fellowship with God through his Holy Spirit. In this message in our 1 Corinthians series, Jeff walks through the second half of 1 Corinthians 2 which shows us what it means to walk by faith, not by sight.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 - The Message Is More
October 29, 2023 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
We have no lack of "celebrity" these days. This infatuation with celebrity has even infected the pulpits of some churches, where polished orators attempt to use emotional manipulation and reasoning in order to push people to "make a decision" for Christ. This can lead to people to believe they have genuine faith when really they may have made an emotional decision rooted in human logic and understanding. In this message, Jeff talks about being a follower of Jesus is much more than just claiming belief, it is being daily transformed by the power of the gospel!
1 Corinthians 1:18-31 - The Word of the Cross
October 8, 2023 • Jeff Noble • 1 Corinthians 1:18–31
The gospel doesn't make sense - at least in the way that worldly wisdom would try to make it "make sense." Would the Son of God really come down to us, giving himself on the cross? It doesn't fit within any worldly paradigm of wisdom or knowledge. However, the only way to be made right with God is to humbly accept the scandalous, unexpected, illogical work of the cross. In this message in our 1 Corinthians series, Jeff talks about how the Corinthian church had in arrogance "outgrown" the scandal of the cross, and were turning instead to worldly wisdom, elevating that above the work Christ did on the cross. We also see how we today can turn to our own wisdom just as the Corinthians did.
1 Corinthians 1:10-17 - Celebrities, Buffets, and Competition
October 1, 2023 • Matt Simpson • 1 Corinthians 1:10–17
The Corinthian church was in trouble, in so many ways. One of the first issues Paul deal with in 1 Corinthians is how they had begun to divide themselves up, following different teachers who they esteemed highly. They were so focused on their favorite teachers that they had begun to forget the gospel and Christ himself! In this message from Northstar's series on 1 Corinthians, Matt looks at the problem of division in the Corinthian church, how the American church mirrors some of those problems today, and ultimately how division begins to fade when the church is made up of people whose hearts are captured by the beauty of the gospel.