“Eagerly desire the higher gifts” is what the Apostle Paul told the church in Corinth. Pastor Damian looks at 1 Corinthians 14 and explains why speaking in tongues and prophesy are so important to the body of the church.
No Christian can say that they are unimportant. The message of 1 Corinthians 12 is that everyone has gifts or talents that can bless the church. We are all part of the body, we all have a part to play and serving the church is vital to the function of the body as a whole.
Continuing the series looking at 1 Corinthians. Today Pastor Damian unpacks chapter 11 on the importance of Holy Communion. This is called different things in different churches but they all refer to the central element of the finished work of Jesus.
In a short but sweet Easter Sunday sermon, Pastor Damian gives three good reasons why the death of Jesus is a great benefit to having a better life.
On Palm Sunday, Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. He knew what lay ahead and he knew that his final journey would end in sacrifice. In this powerful message, Faye Harris draws on Matthew 11: 1-11 and uses Jesus’ experience to show how we need to be on a journey of personal sacrifice if we want to make an impact as a Christian in our own lives.
As Christians we have grace, yes? So, does that means we have the freedom to do anything? This is something that the Apostle Paul had to correct the church in Corinth over. Today, we could argue that we have the right to do anything too? Pastor Damian uses 1 Corinthians 8 to point out the errors in that way of thinking!
It’s been about a year now since we had the first set of restrictions and churches were closed. In this teaching as we recall the changes in the last year and look forward to even more changes ahead, we reflect on the unchanging nature of our God, the importance of pressing into Jesus and the need to be fervent in our devotion to Him.
Our relationships within the church are important. We learn from 1 Corinthians 7 that being married or single are just as valid and that there is no right or wrong. Pastor Damian preaches that we need to change our thinking and our attitudes to align to with the biblical view as both marriage and singleness are a gift.
The church in Corinth had a problem with sexual immorality, so much so that Paul had to write to them and tell them to put their house in order! Damian preaches from chapters 5 and 6 to emphasise that promiscuity and a lax attitude to sex create bigger problems than we think.
There were factions in the early church in Corinth and the Apostle Paul had strong words for them. Pastor Damian uses the first 4 chapters in 1 Corinthians to outline what Paul was telling the church and draws on this wisdom so that we can encourage unity in our own churches.