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Fruitland Covenant Church

Fruitland Covenant Church

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Episodios
  • Love Over Rights

    Love Over Rights
    Feb 15 2026
    This exploration of 1 Corinthians 8 challenges us to examine the tension between theological correctness and loving action. The early church in Corinth faced a dilemma we might find strange today: whether to eat meat sacrificed to idols. While some believers rightly understood that idols are nothing and therefore the meat was harmless, others struggled with deep internal conflict, their consciences troubled by associations with their former lives of idol worship. The profound lesson here isn't about ancient dietary practices, but about how we wield our knowledge and rights. We learn that being theologically right doesn't automatically make our actions right. Knowledge can puff us up with pride, making us feel superior to those who struggle with issues we've resolved. But love builds up others, considering their spiritual wellbeing above our own freedoms. This passage invites us into uncomfortable self-examination: Are we more focused on asserting our rights or on loving others? Do we use our theological understanding as a weapon or as a bridge? The call is clearfollowing Jesus means sometimes voluntarily setting aside what we're entitled to for the sake of another's faith journey. It's a countercultural message, especially in a rights-focused society, but it's the very heart of Christ-like love. How might our modern emphasis on individual rights and freedoms conflict with Paul's teaching that love should take priority over our theological correctness or personal liberties? Can you identify a situation in your own life where you had the right to do something but chose not to for the sake of another person's faith or conscience? What is the difference between someone being merely offended or annoyed by our actions versus our actions actually causing them to stumble in their faith, and how can we discern between the two? In what ways does knowledge puff us up while love builds up, and how have you experienced this tension in your own spiritual journey or relationships with other believers? How do we balance holding firm theological convictions with the humility to recognize that we may not know everything about anything, as Paul suggests? What contemporary issues in the church today might parallel the meat sacrificed to idols controversy, where Christians have genuine disagreements in gray areas not explicitly addressed in Scripture? How does Paul's teaching challenge the American cultural value of asserting our rights, and what would it look like to adopt a more Christ-like posture of setting aside our rights for others? When have you witnessed or experienced someone using their theological knowledge or freedom in a way that harmed rather than built up another believer? How can we cultivate the mindset of Christ described in Philippians 2, who set aside his divine rights and made himself nothing for the sake of others? What practical steps can we take to ensure our actions are motivated by love that seeks the good of individuals and the community rather than by our desire to exercise our freedoms?
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  • Calling and Status

    Calling and Status
    Feb 8 2026
    This sermon explores Paul's pastoral and theological wisdom from 1 Corinthians 7 regarding marriage, singleness, and devotion to Christ. The central message emphasizes that both marriage and singleness are equally valuable gifts from God, neither superior to the other. Paul challenges the church's tendency to create hierarchies between married and single Christians, affirming that all life circumstances provide opportunities to serve Jesus. The sermon addresses how various aspects of liferelationships, possessions, careerscan become distractions from our primary calling to follow Christ with undivided devotion. Rather than prescribing one "right" path for everyone, Paul offers pastoral flexibility while maintaining the theological priority of wholehearted devotion to Jesus. The ultimate invitation is to examine our lives and minimize whatever distracts us from serving Christ fully, recognizing that Jesus is both the means and goal of our salvation. Key Points: Marriage is designed as a covenant between one man and one woman characterized by mutuality, not hierarchy or power dynamics Both singleness and marriage are gifts from God and should be equally honored in the church Single people are not incomplete Christians; they can serve God fully without marriage Marriage involves additional considerations and responsibilities that can divide attention from serving God Many things beyond relationships can distract uspossessions, careers, material goods, circumstances We can serve God faithfully in whatever life circumstances we find ourselves There is not always one "right" choice; God provides multiple good paths for serving Him Different life stages and situations require different expressions of service The most important principle is maintaining undivided devotion to Jesus We should actively work to minimize distractions that pull our attention away from Christ How does viewing both singleness and marriage as equal gifts from God challenge or affirm your current understanding of relationships in the church? In what ways have you experienced subtle or explicit pressure in Christian communities to be married, and how might recognizing singleness as a gift change those dynamics? What are the specific distractions in your current life circumstances that pull your attention away from devoted service to Jesus? How can married people serve God with undivided devotion while still honoring their commitment to spouse and family? What does it mean practically to live in your current circumstances rather than waiting for different circumstances to serve God more fully? How do you discern between multiple good options when making life decisions, especially when Scripture doesn't prescribe one right choice? In what ways might our possessions, careers, or hobbies function as distractions from devotion to Jesus similar to how relationships can? How does the concept of mutuality in marriage challenge traditional hierarchical views of husband and wife roles? What would change in our church community if single people were truly honored and valued as equals rather than viewed as incomplete or lacking? How can you evaluate whether a particular life choice will minimize distractions and maximize your ability to focus on following Jesus?
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  • Holiness and Witness

    Holiness and Witness
    Feb 1 2026
    This exploration of 1 Corinthians 5-6 confronts us with uncomfortable truths about how we live as followers of Jesus in a morally complex world. Paul addresses the Corinthian churcha congregation immersed in a city notorious for immoralityand challenges their complacency toward sin in their midst. The central message pierces through time: how we live matters. We're called to be holy, which simply means set apart, distinctively different because we embody God's character in our particular contexts. The passage wrestles with sexual immorality, lawsuits among believers, and a troubling pride that prevented the church from grieving over sin. What makes this relevant today is the question it forces us to ask: Do we grieve over sin, or do we make excuses? The imagery of leaven spreading through dough reminds us that sin doesn't exist in isolationit affects the entire community. Yet this isn't ultimately a message of condemnation but transformation. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they were washed, sanctified, and justified. We're invited to examine ourselves not to wallow in guilt, but to remember who we've become in Christ: changed, transformed, and called to live a new kind of life that witnesses to the world about the power of the gospel. How do we distinguish between showing grace and acceptance to sinners while still maintaining biblical standards of holiness within the church community? In what ways might our personal sins affect not just our relationship with God, but also the witness and health of our entire congregation? Paul describes the Corinthians as being 'proud' despite immorality in their midst. Where might we be guilty of similar spiritual pride that blinds us to sin around us or within us? How can we cultivate genuine grief over sin in our lives and communities rather than making excuses or dismissing it as 'just how people are'? What does it mean practically to be 'temples of the Holy Spirit' and to honor God with our bodies in our contemporary cultural context? How do we balance the biblical call to church discipline with the reality that we are all sinners in need of grace and transformation? In what ways might our behavior as Christians serve as an 'anti-witness' to those outside the church, causing them to see us as no different from the world? Paul uses the metaphor of old leaven and new leaven to describe leaving behind our old life. What specific 'old leaven' might God be calling you to remove from your life? How does understanding that 'you are not your own; you were bought at a price' change the way we view personal freedom and individual rights? When we come to the communion table, how can we better embrace both the backward look at what Christ has done and the forward look at who we are becoming through His power?
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