In this passage Paul continues his defense of the resurrection of Jesus and does so by asking three questions: if the dead aren't raised then, 1, why are you getting baptized on behalf of the dead, 2, why are willing to be in danger every hour, and, 3, why are you believing the ideas of those who have no knowledge of God?

Last week's passage was all about the negatives attached to the belief that those in Christ aren't physically resurrected. This week we move onto the positives and look at how the resurrection of Jesus serves as a firstfruit and how our resurrection serves to usher in the end.

What if there is no such thing as a resurrection? There are always cultural pressures that challenge the truth claims of Christianity. As Paul addresses the pushback around the resurrection he demonstrates how foundational the resurrection is to Christian faith. If its absence makes such a difference in our lives, how much more should its reality.

The good news story of the gospel is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. But what if you only had 30 seconds with someone? What would you tell them about the gospel and what evidence would you point to that bore witness to the gospel. Those are the questions this message addresses.

We're moving ahead in our series on I Corinthians and in the lead up to Easter teaching a series on chapter 15, what is commonly referred to as "The resurrection chapter." In today's message we are only looking at 2 verses where Paul reminds the Corinthians of the gospel he preached, they received, they stand in, and are being saved by. We end with a warning and encouragement that also comes with the gospel.

Marriage is to be held in honor by all, Hebrews 13:4 says, Marriage is the first institution God designed and chose to build the nations on. However, marriage is not for all. In this passage Paul lays out the reasons why single people should consider remaining single. However, it's a passage with huge implications for everyone regardless of their relationship status.

We might assume that a group of verses written in the First Century about circumcision and slavery have almost no relevance to our lives in the 21st Century, but, on closer examination, that assumption proves wrong. These verses get to the heart of several issues facing us today: identity, purpose, and contentment. When we begin to understand that the most important thing about us is not our cultural identity (circumcised or uncircumcised), nor our status (bondservant or free), but our identity as those called by God and purchased by Christ, we will begin to live differently.

In last week's message we spent the time talking about celibacy and singleness, in this week we talk about marriage. In this week's passage Paul addresses three groups: married Christians, Christians married to non Christians who want to stay married and Christians married to non Christians who want to leave the marriage. This message looks at Paul's counsel to each.

The very first command in the Bible is to be fruitful and multiply. The very first union in the Bible is a marriage. But does the kingdom of God have any room for singleness and celibacy? Paul addresses the topic in our passage and says that singleness and celibacy is a good choice for the right reasons but that celibacy has no role in a marriage.

One of the debates of the early church and continues through the centuries has been the debate over law and freedom. "All things are lawful," Paul writes. But what does that mean and how are we to see the freedom that is ours in Christ? Are we free to do whatever we want with our bodies sexually and otherwise? This message addresses those all-important questions.