The Present Crisis and the Shortened Time May 4, 2025 David Starling Contentment, Singleness, Marriage, Reality 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 Introduction ‘There remain with God’ (v24) ‘The present crisis’ (v26) ‘The time is short…from now on’ (v29) Reasons to stay single (v32-35) Decisions for the betrothed and the widowed (v36-40) Conclusions
“There remain with God” Sex, Marriage and Counter-cultural Contentment April 27, 2025 David Starling Marriage, satisfaction, Contentment, Singleness 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 7:1-24 Love in an age of manufactured discontent Particular issues… For the married: sex or celibacy? (v1-7) For widows and the unmarried: to (re)marry or not to (re)marry? (v8-9) For those married to a fellow believer: to stay together or to separate? (v10-11) For those married to an unbeliever: to stay or to leave? and if your partner leaves? General Principles… Accepting God’s gifts (v7, 17, 21) Keeping God’s commandments (v10, 19) Responding to God’s call (v17, 18, 20, 21, 22, 24) Living in God’s freedom (v23)
“You are not your own” Six reminders about sin, holiness, and being the people of God March 9, 2025 David Starling Judgement & Restoration, Community, Belonging to Christ, Body of Christ, Honour God 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 5-6 A scandal in suburbia Two scandals in Corinth A man and his step-father (5:1-13) Predatory lawsuits (6:1-11) “Do you not know” Six things the Corinthians had forgotten “Don’t you know that a little yeast leavens the whole batch of dough?” (5:6) “Do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?” (6:2, cf. v3) “Do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God?” (6:9) “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?” (6:15) “Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body?” (6:16) “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” (6:19) You are not your own
Cross-shaped leadership, cross-shaped culture March 2, 2025 David Starling Christ-like culture, Obedience, Suffering, Sacrifice, Leadership, Servant, Wisdom of the Cross 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 4:1-21 Why care about leadership? The Corinthians and their leaders Boasting (v 6-7, 18) Judging (v 3-5) What are leaders? Servants (v 1-5) Slaves and fools (v 8-13) Examples to imitate (v 14-21)
Reframing Leadership in Light of God’s Judgement February 23, 2025 David Starling Belonging to Christ, Co-workers in Christ, Servanthood, Wisdom, Idolatry 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 3:1-23 Polls, Popularity and Power Leadership in Corinth (3:1-4) Reframing leaders (3:5-9) Reframing leadership (3:10-17) Careful work (3:10-15) Sacred work (3:16-17) Final warnings and reminders Boasting and wisdom Boasting and belonging
The Wisdom of God and the Message we Speak February 16, 2025 David Starling Revealed, Foolishness, Wisdom of the Cross, Salvation, Wisdom 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16 Alexamenos worships his God The Wisdom of God (1:18-31) Foolishness…and power (1:18) God and the ‘Wise’ (1:19-25; cf. Isaiah 29:10-20) God and the ‘Foolish’ (1:26-31) Therefore we speak…(2:1-16) …not with human wisdom (2:1-5) …but with the wisdom revealed by the Spirit (2:6-16) Alexamenos fidelis
Gospel-shaped Church, Gospel-shaped Ministry February 9, 2025 David Starling God's Kingdom, Grace, God's Gift, Sanctification, Community 1 Corinthians 1 Corinthians 1 Something Old, Something New Gospel-shaped Church (1:1-17) A holy community (1:1-3) A located community (1:2a) A catholic community (1:2b) A graced community (1:4-9) A unified community (1:10-17) Gospel-shaped Ministry (1:17-31)
Prayer, Wisdom, and the Redeeming of Time January 19, 2025 David Starling Prayer, Witness, Sharing the Gospel, His Mission Colossians Colossians 4:2-18 Time, opportunity and Mission of the Gospel Greetings (v7-18) Prayer (v2-4) Wisdom (v5-7)
The Transformed Household January 12, 2025 David Starling Husbands and Wives, Family Living, Children, A Godly Life Colossians Colossians 3:18-4:1 Wives and Husbands (3:18-19) Children and Fathers (3:20-21) Slaves and Masters (3:22-4:1) Ordinary life and Lordship of Christ
The Indwelling Word and the Indwelt Community December 22, 2024 David Starling Wisdom, Christianity in Practice, The Gospel, Christian Identity, The Word of God Colossians Colossians 3:16-17 Wisdom in Colossae Dying and Rising with Christ (Col 2:20-3:4) Putting off, putting on (Col 3:5-11) The Indwelling Word Focus and Scope ‘at home-ness’ in the church Reverberates within the church Words and deeds Application