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Kyle Kauffman 5/3/26 Kyle Kauffman 5/3/26

Marriage and Divorce

Kyle Kauffman

One of the most painful realities in our world is that of broken marriages. Sin runs so deep that it effects every single relationship we have. And because marriage is often the closest human relationship we have, the pain and hurt that sin can cause in marriage can be worse than anywhere else. We know from scripture that God intends and desires for marriage to be a lifelong covenant. This should correct any thinking or impulse in us that may see divorce as a light or small thing and encourage us to love our spouses even during the most difficult seasons of marriage. Yet we also must recognize that divorce is a painfully personal reality for some in the church. And the area of divorce and remarriage is not something all Christians will agree on. This should lead us to approach talking about divorce with grace, humility, and compassion as we explore when and where God may allow for divorce. Above all we need to remember that it is God’s grace alone that sustains any of us in marriage. And God, by his grace, can heal and repair the greatest wounds that may come from marriage or divorce.

1 Corinthians 7:10-16, 39-40

Kyle Kauffman 4/26/26 Kyle Kauffman 4/26/26

Marriage and Singleness

Kyle Kauffman

We live in a world that can simultaneously make too much or too little of marriage. On the one hand we can see marriage as the supreme goal in life. We can think everyone should aspire to be married and that there is nothing greater than marriage. We either intentionally or unintentionally make marriage the most important thing in this life and by doing so leave those who are unmarried feeling insignificant or like second-class citizens. On the other hand, we can see marriage as unimportant or as a threat to our freedom and joy in this life. Our culture can so easily view marriage as “just a piece of paper.” Paul does neither of these things. He sees both marriage and singleness as being good gifts by God. He sees both being intentionally given by God according to God’s calling in our life. And he sees both providing opportunities to reflect and enjoy God in unique ways. In the end Paul shows us that marriage, and singleness, and every other calling in this life are ultimately means to carry out the supreme goal in this life: living to enjoy and glorify God above all else.

1 Corinthians 7:1-9, 17-38

Kyle Kauffman 4/19/26 Kyle Kauffman 4/19/26

What’s the Big Deal with Sex?

Kyle Kauffman

The people living in Corinth tended to have simultaneously too high a view of sex and too low a view of sex. They were prone to see sex as everything (worshiping the act of sex) and as nothing (treating sex like it really doesn’t matter). This is one of the places where Corinth looks very similar to our modern culture. We are simultaneously a hyper-sexualized culture and yet also a culture that tends to say, “What’s the big deal with sex?” As a result, those who hold to a biblical view of sex can simultaneously be seen as prudes and as people who are making a big deal about nothing. In 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 Paul addresses why sex is such a big deal by pointing us to the fact that what we do with our bodies matters to God. This passage gives us theological grounding that enables us to think and live wisely in relation to sex. It ultimately shows us that God cares about sex because God cares about us.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

Kyle Kauffman 4/12/26 Kyle Kauffman 4/12/26

Hope Realized

Kyle Kauffman

In the events of Easter Jesus has forever secured the future hope for all who trust in him. This hope is that our bodies will be raised from the dead and we will live with Jesus in a perfect kingdom where there is no more trouble, tragedy, division, violence, loneliness, pain, and death. This is a hope that will be realized when Jesus returns to raise our bodies and bring his heavenly kingdom fully to this earth. It’s important for us to be clear on the content and timing of our hope. Hope is most powerful in our lives when it is most clear in our heads and hearts. While there are things about our future hope that remain a mystery, 1 Corinthians 15:35-58 gives us details that help us to have more clarity on the hope that Jesus has secured for us. It is a hope that stirs our hearts with longing and expectation. It is a hope that sustains us through the troubles and trials we face in this life. And it is a hope that can help us to live purposefully in the present even as we wait for the return of our Victorious King.

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Kyle Kauffman 4/5/26 Kyle Kauffman 4/5/26

Hope Secured

Kyle Kauffman

The events of our lives and this world can leave us feeling hopeless. Life can be so full of trouble, tragedy, division, violence, loneliness, pain, and death. In the midst of it all, we can find ourselves desperately longing for something hopeful to cling to. And yet hope itself can feel dangerous because we fear that what we hope for might never happen. To use the words secure hope can seem like an oxymoron. Hope by its very nature seems insecure. Hope is forward-facing and future-oriented. We don’t know or control the future and so we usually don’t know if the things we are hoping for will come to pass. So how can we speak of a secure hope? As Christians we are placing our ultimate hope in something that has already come to pass – the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This past reality is the grounds for our future hope. And because of that we are invited to find a secure hope in Jesus. A hope that will come to pass. A hope that nothing in this world can take from us. And a hope that can carry us through all the troubles of this life. Because on Easter Morning our hope was forever secured by Jesus rising from the dead.

1 Corinthians 15:1-28

Kyle Kauffman 3/29/26 Kyle Kauffman 3/29/26

Problem-Solving in the Church

Kyle Kauffman

We are going to have problems in the church. Hopefully that’s not a surprise to any of us. This is part of what it means to be a church full of sinful people. We are going to offend, wrong, disappoint, and hurt each other at times. Sometimes in small ways and sometimes in big ways. And part of what we are called to is to work through those problems together with one another. Some in the church at Corinth seem to have developed a bad practice in solving their problems: just take the issue to court. We may not have this issue in our own church, but we still have ways that we deal with our problems in unhealthy ways or ways that just reflect the world outside the church. It’s important for us to see how who we are in Christ should work its way out in how we deal with our problems. We are new people in Christ which involves cutting ties with the old ways we may have been marked by.

1 Corinthians 6:1-11

Brandon Fisher 3/22/26 Brandon Fisher 3/22/26

Counter-Cultural Love

Brandon Fisher

It’s hard for us to see how terms like judgment and discipline can go hand in hand with love and grace. Part of that is because we our own understanding of love is so easily shaped by the culture that we are a part of. God calls the church to live with a counter-cultural love that is willing to confront and discipline when needed those within our ranks who are living in unrepentant sin. We find in Corinth that the church was tolerated and even celebrating the sin of one of its members, rather than calling this man to repentance. While we may look at this situation and shake our heads over what was taking place, we should also recognize we still live in a world that is prone to tolerate or celebrate sin. The church is called to live differently by loving one another enough to confront and discipline sin when needed. This may not always feel like the most loving thing to do, but it reflects the love of Jesus who gave his life to save us from sin and make us holy.

1 Corinthians 5:1-13

Kyle Kauffman 3/15/26 Kyle Kauffman 3/15/26

A Cross-Shaped Life

Kyle Kauffman

One of the main problems in the church at Corinth seems to be that they were more shaped by the values and priorities of the culture they lived in then they were by the cross that they confessed to believe in. This is an ever-present danger for the individual Christian and the church as a whole. We can so easily adopt the values and priorities of the culture and simply adopt Christianity to those. But following Jesus is meant to radically change our values and priorities. We see this in the case of Paul and what he says to the Corinthians in chapter 4. He shows us what a cross-shaped life looks like and pushes us to think about where our lives may be more in line with the culture than with the cross. We are challenged to see that following Jesus is not just about adding something to our lives, it’s about a complete reorientation of our lives around the cross.

1 Corinthians 4:8-21

Kyle Kauffman 3/8/26 Kyle Kauffman 3/8/26

The Problem of Self

Kyle Kauffman

One of the most universal problems that people face in every culture and in every age is the problem of self. We may be prone to have to high a view of ourselves or too low a view of ourselves, but either way we are prone to think and focus on ourselves way too much. This was a problem in Corinth, and it remains a problem in our own day. So often we try to solve the problem of self by focusing more on ourselves with self-esteem, self-help, and self-care. This never cuts to the root of the issue and deals with the pride that is the source of all the problems with self. While we long to be free of the problem of self, none of our human solutions end up working. Only the gospel is able to liberate us from ourselves so that we can live a life of self-forgetfulness. This is what then frees us to joyfully live to glorify God and love others rather than being so focused on ourselves. This is what Paul found in Christ and this is what he invites us to find as well.

1 Corinthians 3:18-4:7

Kyle Kauffman 3/1/26 Kyle Kauffman 3/1/26

Growing Up in Christ

Kyle Kauffman

Many of the best gifts we receive in this life also come with responsibilities and challenges. Whether it is friendship, a job, marriage, children, owning a home, or any other gift, we can see how the gifts we are given also bring responsibilities and challenges in our lives. The same is true of ministry in the church. While Paul is mainly referring to himself and Apollos in 1 Corinthians 3:1-17, what he says here applies to every Christian. We are all called to minister to one another in the church. We have been given specific gifts, abilities, and interests that God wants us to use to love and serve one another. This ministry is both a gift and challenge for many reasons. And 1 Corinthians 3 is a great source of encouragement to us as we seek to do the work of ministry God has called us to.

1 Corinthians 3:1-17