Sermons on 1 Corinthians

Starting With God: Reliable Data

We’ve spent the last weeks in our Starting With God series looking at how having an intimate relationship with God is of ultimate importance in our lives. But in 1 Corinthians Paul says that striving for that relationship is futile if we don’t have evidence to back up our convictions. Chris looks at the “reliable data” that Paul provides to show that what we believe is actually true.

Lynne leads the rest of the service as Koa is dedicated to God and welcomed into the Burwell Baptist Church family, whilst Pete leads our sung worship.

Alan & Megan Barker

This week we were privileged to be joined once again by Alan & Megan Barker, our BMS link missionaries who we support in their work in Nepal. They both share with us the latest updates on their work in that country and bring us the message for this week about what our calling is with God.

Lorraine makes her debut leading the rest of our service whilst Nick leads our sung worship.

Starting With God: The Cross

In first century Judea a cross was not generally something talked about in polite conversation, let alone boasted about. Yet through Jesus’ victory Paul says that he (and by extension we) can boast in the achievement of the cross. As we continue our starting with God series Chris examines Jesus’ victory, the turning of a symbol of terror and oppression into a symbol of hope and how we can still see God’s glory through the cross.

Karen leads the rest of the service as we have our first update from May’s mission of the month, AIM, and Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

Alan & Megan Barker (BMS)

This Sunday we welcome Alan & Megan Barker who the church has supported as missionaries for 25 years through BMS. Alan gives us an update on some of the projects that they have been working on in Nepal over the last couple of years, particularly in the area of disaster relief and Megan’s calling as an occupational therapist. Megan then speaks on the outpouring of the Spirit through spiritual gifts, reminding us that God gives gifts generously, equally and freely and not to see ourselves as any more or less deserving of those gifts than others.

Chris leads the rest of the service as we think about the ascension of Jesus into heaven whilst Mike leads our sung worship.

Note: a small portion of the service and sermon has been trimmed to preserve the privacy and safety of some of those that Alan and Megan work with and live amongst in Nepal.

Peace, Love and Joy

A very happy new year to you all! Ant leads us in our first all-age service of the year, taking his inspiration from Chris’ Advent series of last month. How do we experience God’s peace, love and joy in our lives?

Mike leads our sung worship this week.

Love Never Fails

In the conclusion to our recent series on Love, we look at Paul’s final and definitive statement that love never fails. Chris examines how things like prophecy and knowledge will cease as we move from the “now” where we currently are to the “then” when Jesus returns in his glory but how love will endure. Love both leads us to God and keeps us in His presence, ever-enduring and never ceasing.

Pete and Nick lead our sung worship and we also have an update from Trevor about November’s Mission of the Month, Mercy Ships.

Love Always

In our All Age Service for November, Chris looks at verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 13. “[Love] always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” (NIV)
What does that mean? How does God practically show that protection, trust, hope and perseverence and how can we show those qualities to others?

Mike and Lynne lead our sung worship and Vanessa launches our Operation Christmas Child appeal for 2022.

Love Is Not Easily Angered, Keeps No Record of Wrongs

Anger. It’s something that, if left unchecked, can take over our lives. We can be angry with each other, angry with ourselves, even angry with God. In the latest in our series on love, Chris looks at how love can overcome anger. The agape love that the Holy Spirit brings us allows us to forget our anger and forgive.

Karen leads the rest of the service as we hear how our mission of the month YWAM is helping with the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Mike leads our sung worship.

Love Does Not Envy, Does Not Boast, Is Not Proud

When we look at the gifts that God has given others, it can be very easy to fall into the trap of either being jealous of that person or considering your gifts to be of greater value than theirs. This week Chris reminds us that love does not envy, does not boast and is not proud. Each person has a gift and each gift has a part to play in God’s plan. We shouldn’t need to be envious or value ourselves above anyone else.

Andy leads the rest of the service as we hear a bit about our mission of the month, YWAM, and Pete and Nick lead our sung worship.

Love is Patient and Kind

What Is Love? is the title of a 1993 number 2 hit for the Eurodance artist Haddaway. It is also the subject of our all-age service for October (the question, not the song). James leads us through some possible definitions of love, focussing on love being patient and kind, Paul’s first two definitions of love from 1 Corinthians 13.

Mike leads our sung worship and Chris leads prayers.