I Thank My God

Bottom line

The good things that happen in life and in the church are a result of God’s grace.

Opening Line

This morning I want to start by circling back to something I said a couple of weeks ago.

Introduction

For those that missed it, on June 22, in case you want to jump on YouTube and check it out, I challenged the church in regards to your willingness to teach. I quoted Hebrews 5:12

Hebrews 5:12 NLT

You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.

and I asked how many in the church would be willing to teach. When no hands went up, I pointed out my disappointment in that, and I also acknowledged that I have a part to play in that. If you as the church do not feel qualified to teach, then it means that me as your pastor has not done enough to prepare you.

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I bring it up because I have not preached too many messages that had the kind of response that one did. I had several people come up to me later, admitting that they do feel comfortable teaching, but when no else put their hands up, mob mentality took over and they didn’t either. For those of you that let me know that, I thank you for that.

I also had some people who had a very negative reaction. Some shared their reaction with me directly, and I’m sure there were those who shared it with others. To those who may have been offended by my assertion, I want to remind you that I was simply quoting what the author of Hebrews wrote, so you’re offense isn’t with me, it is with Scripture, and when Scripture offends you, it is probably a good idea to do a little inner working and discover why it is causing an offense.

But my reason for circling back isn’t to call out anyone, because that doesn’t accomplish anything. I’m not circling back to apologize for what I said. If anything I will double down by reminding you of what Jesus’ last commission to the early church leaders was.

Matthew 28:19–20 NLT

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

What are we supposed to do? Go, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them to obey. If you ever want to know why the church exists, this is it right here. Go out into the world, make disciples, baptize them, and teach them the commands of Jesus and the scripture, which includes the great commission. So we are to make disciples, who go out and make disciples, who go out and make disciples. You are the disciples who are supposed to be making disciples, which includes teaching.

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However, the reason I am circling back is not actually to rehash that point that has already been said. It is actually to share what I didn’t get to say.

Main Point

See this morning, as we begin our series on 1 Corinthians, Paul starts this letter to the Corinthians by celebrating the good things that are happening at the church, which is something I want to do. Yes, you may not feel adequate to teach, though trust me, each of you has more to offer than you realize. However, there are a lot of great and amazing things that happening in the church, all markers of a growing church, and a church only grows when it is healthy. When Michelle and I arrived 5 and half years ago, our number priority was to ensure that the church was healthy, and what I’m going to share this morning is a great reminder that OneChurch has really come a long way in that department.

Why it matters

The reason I want to share this with you is to encourage you. You are growing, both collectively and individually. Some of these things don’t happen unless the church is doing something right. I share it with you to light a fire in your prayers, because the prayers of the saints make a huge difference, and you need to know that each prayer is making a profound impact on our ministry as a church and in the communities that OneChurch has influence over. God is moving in Southeast Saskatchewan, and each of you is part of that amazing truth. So thank you! Be encouraged!

Scripture

So to start out, let’s dive into the opening of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 1:1–3 NLT

This letter is from Paul, chosen by the will of God to be an apostle of Christ Jesus, and from our brother Sosthenes. I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be his own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours. May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.

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Paul starts off this letter with some really important points. First, he identifies himself as an apostle. It is important to note that apostle is not some office that he had been working towards and finally achieved. Being an apostle literally meant that Paul was a sent one, and in case, he want specifically sent by Jesus.

Secondly, he says he is writing to God’s church in Corinth. Not the church in Corinth that Paul planted, but God’s church. This is a really important reminder, recognizing that any church that gathers comes under the lordship of Jesus. When churches forget who is really in charge, they begin to wander down paths they were never meant to go down. Even here, I may be the pastor, and there may be 5 truly gifted people on the council, but this is God’s church, and we are merely the shepherds following the lead of the great shepherd.

Thirdly, Paul includes the message of the gospel so simply. You are made holy through Jesus Christ; in fact, anyone who calls on the name of our Lord Jesus is saved and made holy. Nothing you can say or do will ever earn you salvation. Only through what Jesus did on the cross are you saved and made holy.

There is a bit of a theme developing here. God is in charge, you are saved by God’s grace alone. Which brings us to the next part of Paul’s opening.

1 Corinthians 1:4–9 NLT

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way—with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns. God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Paul praises the church for its knowledge and the eloquent words. The reason this is significant is because of the culture of Corinth. There are three major aspects of Corinth that you need to know as we dive into this series.

1. Corinth was wealthy

The city was located 4 miles from the Aegean Sea. When sailors approached Greece, their options were either the sail around the southern end of Greece, where the seas were rough and turbulent, or sail through the channel of Corinth. If they did that, they would unload the cargo and roll the ship on rollers to the calmer Aegean Sea. So as a port city, it was wealthy.

2. Corinth was immoral

Corinth was also home of the temple of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Every night, 1,000 temple prostitutes would head out into the streets to round business in the name of worship.

3. Corinth was a philosophical centre

Along with Athens, Corinth was a favorite spot for philosophers to gather and share their ideas and theories.

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One of the things that we know about the Corinthian church was that it was a large congregations of new converts. As a philiosphical centre, some of the members would have engaged in the lofty discourses of the centre, which would have made them smart and quite well spoken.

So the church is full of smart people, they have every spiritual gift that they need as they eagerly wait for the return of Jesus, and Paul always thanks God for his memory of the church. High praise for this young church.

This is where I want to share about the things I am thankful for about OneChurch. When I speak with other pastors, I try to share what is happening at the church without sounding like I am bragging. I am truly excited about what is happening here. So here are some of the things you should be excited about.

1. Sunday gathering attendance is up

We are averaging 15 more people on a Sunday morning then we did at this time last year. If you don’t think that is significant, I want you to know that is a difference of 35 to 50 people on a Sunday. That 15 person increase is almost a 50% increase. That’s huge and it is exciting!

2. Giving is up

At our council meetings, we have started comparing our year to date finances to last years. As of the end of May, our general fund giving is up $8000. That means, for a church of 100, we are averaging an increase of $80/person over the first 5 months of the year. If you’re wondering where I get the 100 people, it is based on our attendance tracking and how many people are regularly accessing the app.

3. Small Group Success

When we attempted small groups back in 2021, we started the year with 4 small groups, and by the time we wrapped up for the summer we were down to 1. This past September, we started with 6 small groups, and when we stopped for summer we still had 4 small groups fully operating, and the two that stopped were due to life circumstances requiring a shift.

4. Online Presence

In 2024, our YouTube videos accumulated a total of 4,600 views over the whole year. In the first half of 2025, we have already had 43,600 views on the church’s content.

In 2020, we were reaching out, asking people to subscribe and help us reach 100 subscribers so we could have a better presence. Since 2025, we have 80 new subscribers, bringing our total to 246.

To add to the online presence, we just received an email from an independent panel, ranking us among the top 100 podcasts for Canadian Churches.

5. Youth

In 2020, the youth centre was barely operating with a very small group consistently coming. When we wrapped up for the summer, youth was averaging 18-20 in attendance.

6. Kids Ministry

This past year we ran Kidz Club, and it was a roaring success considering we didn’t do any advertising. We still have kids asking when Kidz Club is starting up again.

As we look ahead to fall, we have a fully trained kids ministry leader who is gearing up to launch kids church. So for anyone who would be interested, starting praying if you would like to be involved with kids church. I’m looking at you, teens, because we will need helpers.

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These are major wins everyone! The church is on a great trajectory of growth. I didn’t even mention the 5 baptisms, which is more then we did in the five years prior to this one. There is a lot to be excited about at OneChurch, and there is more good things to come. You should be excited about what is happening. You should be excited to be a part of this church!

This is why we are diving into 1 Corinthians now. 1 Corinthians is a letter from Paul, teaching this large congregation what it means to be the body of Christ especially in a culture that values wealth, values knowledge, and has been overly sexualized. I think we can relate to the situation Paul was writing to.

Transition to Application

But there is an important thing that Paul points out, and it is such an important reminder, even for us in the 21st century church.

1 Corinthians 1:4 NLT

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.

Everything Paul writes after this statement is a gift of grace from God. The knowledge, the eloquent words, the spiritual gifts, and the strength to endure and remain blameless until the day of the Lord: it is all a gift of grace.

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Even at OneChurch. The growth, the influence, the impact on the next generation. All these amazing things are simply because God is faithful, he is gracious, and he is the one who keeps us holy. This is really important to remember because there will be times when studying 1 Corinthians is going to feel like this...

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Main To Do

So I ask, where do you need more of God’s grace in your life? When it comes to your faith, it can be easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “If only I was more spiritual...” when the reality is that everything good thing is a grace from God.

So this week, take some time to pray about God’s grace in your life. Do you need to show yourself more grace? Is there someone at home or at work that you need to extend more grace to? When God reveals this to you, make a plan to encourage that person instead of tear them down.

Why it matters

Simply being encouraging or being helpful can open the door for healing in the relationship. The more you show grace to others, the easier it is to experience God’s grace in your own life.

Closing Line

Let us live in light of the fact that all the good things in life are a result of God’s grace.

Discussion Questions

What stood out from the message?

How can you personally recognize and celebrate the grace of God in your life this week?

What practical steps can you take to encourage someone in your life who may be struggling?

How do you see the influence of God’s grace impacting your friendships?

What specific area of your life do you feel you need to extend more grace to yourself or others?