The Town Church / Fort Collins

When it comes to the gifts mentioned in this passage, many people fall along a wide spectrum in terms of their personal views. What is your personal experience with these gifts? How have your views continued to be shaped over the course of your Christian life? 

How is the Holy Spirit at work in the life of the Church? Paul answers this question in this passage, introducing three profound ways the Spirit builds up the Church. 

Communion is a beautiful way we are able to experience the love of Christ and recognize the sacrifice made for us on the cross. This week, we talk about changes we made as a church in how we do Communion and do a deeper exploration of this passage in 1 Corinthians 11. What is your process before you take Communion?What things may distract us from Jesus in our church gatherings today? What responsibility do parents have in guiding their children as they take part in the Lord’s Supper?

The church in Corinth had lost sight of the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper, treating it in ways that caused division. In this passage, Paul offers a strong correction—reminding the church (and us) of what this meal truly represents.

This passage is filled with timeless instruction that reveals God's good design for marriage. Additionally, we try to bring a bit of clarity to some of Paul's more confusing points (...because of the angels?). How can we see the cultural significance of this passage as Christians in Fort Collins? What is our personal response to God's design for marriage? How can we discern between timeless instruction and cultural instruction?

This passage is filled with instruction that applies to us today, even outside of the cultural context Paul was writing to. These truths about God's true design for marriage all point us to the worship of Jesus. 

Through Christ, we've received the freedom to love others. But what can this look like in our lives today? This week, we unpack practical applications, discuss how the passage hit each of us, and consider what it really means to glorify God in life. 

Paul tackles the topic of Christian freedom. What's our Christian freedom and how do we then live freely?

Brock joins us for this week's AfterWord as we discuss some hard questions surrounding the text. How did this passage strike you?How has an improper view of God and/or sin played out in your own life in the past?How can we fight against the sin of complaining? What are some ways God provides escape from temptation?

Idolatry is a serious and pervasive sin, and it often presents itself in ways that we would not expect. How can we "flee from idolatry?"

Giving up our rights to build gospel bridges. That's the main theme of chapter 9 that Jon showed us in his sermon.As we process that a bit more, we first explore a couple of clarification questions related to the text (Was it only Corinth in which Paul didn't receive financial support? Is his instruction here primarily targeting our interactions with unbelievers or believers or both?), and then we spend the bulk of our time talking through present day application.In Fort Collins, what are some examples where we might give up our rights for the sake of the gospel?What are some present day examples where we might conform to others for the sake of the gospel?

Paul expands on the theme of surrendering our rights as Christians by exploring one key question: How are we called to give up our rights to build gospel bridges?

We have received many freedoms through Christ, but with that comes navigating how to love others more than we love our own rights. This week, our conversation largely focuses around that idea, and we explore questions like: What are some things that we need to be willing to sacrifice for the sake of loving others? How can we discern when it's appropriate to challenge the expectations of others and when we would be sinning against them? How did this passage hit you personally? 

Are we willing to lay aside our own rights and freedoms out of love for other people? Paul challenges the Corinthian church to not let their own knowledge interfere with their ability to love their brothers and sisters well. 

Rather than exploring specific questions, we process our own thoughts and questions from the three main points of the sermon: Marriage is a worldly pursuitMarriage is a divided devotion Marriage is a practical decision

While this passage may seem like a commercial against marriage, it is really a call to be fully devoted to Jesus whether we are single or married. How can we fight to make our pursuit of Jesus our priority, no matter our season of life?

Marriage is a God-given gift that serves as a reflection of Christ's unending and sacrificial love for us. However, sin has tainted this gift, creating certain situations that may lead to exceptions to marriage. In all of the highs and lows of human relationship, we can be reminded of one eternal truth: We belong to Christ, no matter where we are in life. 

The conversation around marriage and divorce is difficult to navigate. We begin to scratch the surface of this with some questions like:Why is divorce so prevalent today? What is the difference between separation and divorce? When could separation be an option? What are some of the exceptions for marriage? 

We tackle the beginning of 1 Corinthians 7 with not one, but two married couples (and Betty)! No matter what stage of life you find yourself in, the truths of this passage hold a lot of relevance, and it is vital to have these conversations. Some questions we cover are: How can we view singleness as a gift? If you are single and don’t want to be, how do you embrace this season?Why does the church tend to avoid conversations around intimacy and sex?   What is some of the baggage people can bring into marriage that can make physical intimacy challenging?

Paul turns his attention to another topic brought to him by the church in Corinth - essentially, Is it good to abstain from sex?In answering that question, Paul focuses upon the gift and purpose of physical intimacy within a marriage. In doing so, he also touches upon singleness.