102 | How to Stand Firm in Your Faith When Culture Presses In: First Corinthians (Bible Study)

Find the full episode here >>> PaulaBehrens.com/blog

Looking around at your church family and thinking "this is messy" might leave you feeling discouraged—but take heart. The believers in ancient Corinth faced remarkably similar challenges to those we encounter today, from church divisions to moral confusion to the struggle of living distinctively in a complex culture.

The Book of 1 Corinthians provides a roadmap for navigating these challenges with Christ at the center. Paul's letter addresses practical issues that resonate with modern believers: How do we maintain unity when opinions differ? How do we exercise our freedom without harming others? How do we stand firm in biblical truth while showing Christ's love? At every turn, Paul directs the Corinthians back to the cross, emphasizing that true wisdom is found not in human eloquence but in Christ crucified.

What makes this ancient letter so powerful is its gracious approach to growth. Paul begins by thanking God for the grace given to this imperfect community—celebrating their progress while addressing their problems. This reminds us that spiritual growth is a process. Whether you're struggling with consistency in your devotional life, wrestling with how to respond to cultural shifts, or seeking to bring Christ into your everyday decisions, Paul's wisdom offers both challenge and comfort. His words on Christian freedom, love as the greatest measure, and the hope of resurrection provide timeless guidance for living purposefully in Christ. Ready to reset your spiritual rhythm with peace and purpose? Book your Aroma of Christ coaching session today and discover practical ways to keep Christ at the center of your life.

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Episode Transcript

Paula Behrens (00:01):
Have you ever looked around at your church
family and thought this is messy?
Or have you ever wondered howto live for Christ in a culture
that pulls you in a dozendifferent directions at once?
Or maybe you've wrestled withhow to bring Jesus into the very
center of your daily life, notjust into Sunday mornings, but
into your relationships, yourdecisions and your sense of

(00:21):
identity?
If those questions soundfamiliar, you're not alone.
The believers in Corinth wereasking the very same kinds of
questions, and we'll get to allof that real soon.
But first funny story.
When I first began my seminarywork while serving two church
congregations full time,everyone assumed I had my daily
devotional time perfectlyorganized.

(00:42):
But truth be told, there weremornings I could barely find
five minutes to catch my breath,let alone dive into deep
reflection.
One day, as I rushed out thedoor with mismatched shoes, I
realized that even in my chaosthere was a lesson.
Embracing God's grace andself-forgiveness, I realized
that true success in mydevotional life requires

(01:05):
prioritizing my spiritualpractices.
Are you finding it challengingto maintain your spiritual
practices or yearning for a morepeaceful, God-aligned day?
I'm Paula and I've been theretoo.
Balancing spiritual habits witha busy life can be difficult.
I longed for a deeperconnection with God, but
struggled with consistency.
Then I found the perfectapproach.

(01:27):
If you seek simple ways todeepen your connection with God,
this podcast is for you.
Please take a moment to followthe show, leave a review and
share with your friends who needa little biblical encouragement
today.
Hey friend, are you curiousabout what actually happens in
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Let me walk you through it.

(01:47):
First, we'll talk about yourcurrent routine what's working,
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Then we'll walk through yourspiritual goals, whether that's
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stay consistent.
Together, we'll find a rhythmthat aligns with your current
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sense of stability, reducestress and deepen your

(02:09):
connection with the Lord.
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Everything we do is led by theSpirit and grounded in grace,
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So head on over to paulabehrens.
com/ coaching and book yoursession.
That's Paula BehrensB-E-H-R-E-N-S .

(02:30):
com/ coaching (no spaces).
It's time to bring beauty andbalance back into your quiet
time.
Before we get started, I'd liketo give a shout out to Carrie
Allemeersch.
She writes, "Thank you, Paula,for your insights on spiritual
and emotional health and healing.
You have a wonderful way ofsharing deep truths with an

(02:50):
openness and clarity that makesit easy to listen and understand
.
" Well, thank you so much,Carrie.
It's always good to hear from afellow podcaster.
If you'd like to leave a reviewon Apple Podcasts, it's easier
than you might think.
Just head on over to thepodcast page, scroll down to the
ratings and review section andshare your thoughts.
Not only does your feedbackhelp others discover our show,

(03:12):
but your review could also beshowcased on one of our upcoming
episodes.
All right, let's get started.
Grab your Bible, dust off yourjournal and cozy up to your
favorite beverage and let's divein.
The book of 1 Corinthians is oneof the most practical and
heartfelt letters in the NewTestament.
It's both deeply corrective anddeeply encouraging.

(03:33):
Paul writes to a church full ofpotential but also full of
problems.
They were believers in Christ,but they were still living with
a lot of worldly baggage.
They were torn by divisions,puffed up with pride, confused
about morality and struggling tounderstand what it really means
to live under the Lordship ofJesus.
And yet Paul didn't give up onthem.

(03:55):
Instead, he reminded them, andreminds us, that the answer to
every problem, every questionand every challenge is to live
with Christ at the center.
As we walk through this lettertogether, we'll discover Paul's
understanding on various topicssuch as unity within the church,
marriage and singleness,spiritual gifts and even the
resurrection of the dead.

(04:16):
We'll also discover that atevery turn, Paul isn't focused
on quick solutions, but ratheron guiding people back to the
gospel.
He consistently directs them tothe cross, emphasizes the
wisdom of God that may seemfoolish to the world, and
highlights the love that unitesthe entire body of Christ.
Paul begins his letter withgratitude.

(04:36):
Despite all the issues inCorinth, he thanks God for the
grace given to them and for thegifts that they have received in
Christ.
That's remarkable.
It's like looking at a childlearning to walk, stumbling,
wobbling, sometimes falling flat, but still celebrating the fact
that they are learning.
For Christians today, this isvery freeing.

(04:59):
Even when your faith walk feelsunsteady, God celebrates that
you're still walking with him.
Maybe you've had sessions whereyour devotional time slipped,
or you said something harsh toyour kids or grandkids, or you
doubted your ability to lead aBible study.
Paul reminds us that God'sgrace is still present.
Paul does not ignore the hardstuff either.

(05:21):
He immediately addressesdivision in the church.
The Corinthians were rallyingaround different leaders Paul,
Apollos, Cephas and it wassplintering their fellowship,
and he points them back to thecross, saying that the church is
not built on personalities buton Christ crucified.
Think of how relevant this istoday.

(05:42):
Many Christians haveexperienced church hurt when
leaders fall short or cliquesform.
Maybe you've seen friends driftbecause of conflicts over
worship style or you felt caughtbetween cultural pressures and
biblical convictions.
Paul's reminder is this, it'snot about who leads the Bible
study or which preacher soundsmore eloquent, or what programs

(06:06):
are in place.
The foundation is Christ alone.
Paul then contrasts worldlywisdom with God's wisdom.
The Corinthians were drawn toflashy speech and clever
arguments, but Paul says Iresolved to know nothing among
you except Jesus Christ and himcrucified.
In modern terms, it's likesaying don't get caught up in

(06:30):
following influencers who seempolished or books that sound
wise, but leave Christ out, thetrue power lies in the simple
message of the cross.
What changes lives is not humanbrilliance but the Spirit of
God making Jesus known.
Paul also addresses personalmorality, lawsuits and marriage.

(06:52):
Each time, his principle isclear.
You were bought with a price,therefore, honor God with your
body.
Imagine how that applies today.
Maybe you are discerning how touse social media wisely, or how
to maintain integrity in yourworkplace, or how to honor God
in your singleness or marriage.
Paul's point is that every partof your life, your body, your

(07:16):
time, your choices, belongs toChrist.
That means your faith is notjust something you tuck into
Sunday morning.
It's something that shapes howyou speak to your teenager, how
you manage your finances, howyou treat your spouse and how
you carry yourself when no oneis watching.

(07:42):
One of the most practical areasPaul addresses is Christian
freedom.
In Corinth, believers arguedover whether it was okay to eat
meat that had been offered toidols.
Paul's answer is wise.
He says yes, you have freedomin Christ, but your freedom
should never come at the expenseof love.
Think about how this might playout today.
You might feel free to enjoy,maybe, a glass of wine, but you

(08:03):
refrain when you're with asister in Christ who struggles
with alcohol.
You may feel free to watch acertain show, but you choose not
to because you know it couldcause someone else to stumble.
Our choices are not just aboutwhat we can do, but about how
our actions affect others in thebody of Christ.
Love always comes first.

(08:24):
Then Paul turns to worship, andhere we find one of the most
famous passages in the Bible, 1Corinthians 13, the love chapter
.
We often hear it read atweddings, but Paul originally
wrote it to a divided churchfamily.
Think about that.
He reminds them that spiritualgifts, knowledge and even faith
mean nothing without love.

(08:44):
For us as Christians, this isthe call to slow down and ask,
am I doing this out of love?
Whether you're leading worship,teaching Sunday school,
volunteering at a food pantry orsimply listening to a friend
pour out her heart, love is ameasure of whether Christ is
truly at the center.
Love is patient when your childtests your limits.

(09:07):
Love is kind when yourco-worker gets under your skin.
Love keeps no record of wrongswhen your spouse or friend falls
short.
This is what makes the churchshine in a dark world.
Then the high point of theletter is chapter 15, where Paul
tackles doubts about theResurrection.
He declares boldly that ifChrist has not been raised, our

(09:30):
faith is useless.
But Christ has indeed beenraised.
This is where we, as believers,can anchor our hope.
When you've stood at thegraveside of a loved one, when
you felt the weight of grief,when you've wondered what the
future holds for your childrenor grandchildren, Paul's words
remind you that death is not theend.

(09:51):
Because Christ was raised, wetoo will be raised.
That means your faith is notjust about surviving this life,
it's about preparing foreternity.
Paul closes the letter withpractical reminders, saying
stand firm, give generously anddo everything in love.

(10:12):
Those closing words are just aspowerful today.
Stand firm when the culturepushes against your convictions.
We are living in a time wheneven churches and entire
denominations are splitting overthe question of morality.
Some are choosing toreinterpret scripture to align
with culture, while others areholding fast to the historic

(10:34):
biblical teachings about thecovenant of marriage between a
man and a woman.
This is not just an abstracttheological debate.
It is real, it is painful andit is affecting brothers and
sisters in Christ who findthemselves torn between
friendships, family loyaltiesand biblical convictions.
For Christians today, standingfirm may mean continuing to

(10:57):
uphold what God's Word clearlyteaches, even when people you
love accuse you of beingjudgmental or old-fashioned.
It may mean explaining to yourchildren or grandchildren why
your church believes differentlythan a neighboring congregation
.
It may mean prayerfully walkingwith a friend who struggles in
this area, showing them the loveof Christ without affirming

(11:17):
choices that contradict God'sWord.
Paul's call is clear.
Do not bend the truth to fitthe times, but also do not wield
truth without love.
Standing firm does not meanbeing harsh.
It means being steady, rootedin scripture and willing to live
counter-culturally because yourlife is anchored in Christ.

(11:42):
That is exactly what Paul wasurging the Corinthians to do in
their own context.
Corinth was a city filled withsexual immorality, yet Paul
reminded believers that theirbodies were temples of the Holy
Spirit and that they were boughtwith a price.
In the same way, modern-daybelievers are called to live
with integrity and courage,honoring God with their bodies

(12:05):
and holding on to biblical truth, even when the world, and
sometimes even parts of thechurch, call that truth
offensive.
Standing firm is not easy, butit is part of what it means to
live with Christ at the center.
If you are listening today andrealizing that standing firm in
your faith feels harder thanever, and if you're longing to

(12:27):
bring Christ back to the centerof your life but don't really
know where to begin, I'd love towalk alongside you.
I invite you to book an Aromaof Christ Coaching Hour plus
Peace RESET with me.
In this personalized session,we'll pray together, seek God's
wisdom and find a devotionalrhythm that fits your season of
life.
Think of it as a reset, achance to quiet the noise, let

(12:51):
go of stress, find peace inChrist and discover practical
ways to strengthen your walkwith him.
Book your session now atpaulabehrens.
com/ coaching.
That's Paula BehrensB-E-H-R-E-N-S .
com/ coaching (no spaces).
So how can you live this out inyour own faith walk?

(13:13):
It begins by remembering theheartbeat of Paul's letter.
Christ must be at the center.
When you face division ordiscouragement in your church,
ask yourself, Am I keeping myeyes on Jesus or on people?
When you wrestle with personalchoices, remind yourself, I was

(13:35):
bought with a price and my bodybelongs to Christ.
When you are tempted to measureyour worth by comparison,
remember that love is thegreatest measure.
And when you are weighed downby sorrow or fear, cling to the
truth that Christ is Risen andtherefore your hope is secure.
The Corinthians were imperfect,and so are we, but Paul's

(13:58):
message is timeless.
God's grace is bigger than ourfailures.
His wisdom outshines theworld's and his love never fails
.
To live on purpose in Christ isto let every part of your life,
your relationships, yourservice, your choices and your
hopes be shaped by him.

(14:18):
Let's take a moment to pray.
Lord, thank you for remindingus through your Word that you
are at the center of all things.
Help us to stand firm in ourfaith, to love others well and
to live with courage andintegrity in every area of our
lives.
Give us wisdom for the choiceswe face, patience for the

(14:42):
challenges and joy in walkingwith you each day.
May your Spirit guide us tobring your love into every
relationship and decision, andmay we always keep our eyes
fixed on Jesus, the author andperfecter of our faith.
It is in his name that we pray.
Amen.

(15:05):
If today's message spoke to yourheart and you're ready to reset
your spiritual rhythm withpeace and purpose, don't wait.
Go ahead and book your Aroma ofChrist Coaching Hour now, while
the Peace RESET is still on thetable.
Thank you for tuning in todayand remember, just like setting
biblical boundaries, it's okayto say no to things that don't

(15:25):
serve you well, like that thirdpiece of cake at the church
potluck.
If you were blessed by thisepisode, be sure to share it
with a friend and leave a reviewso that we can reach even more
women like you.
Check the show notes for allthe links.
Join us next week as wecontinue to discover how to live
on purpose in Christ.
Until then, keep leaning intoHim and walking in His wisdom.

(15:48):
See you next time.