God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Great Doors and Many Adversaries - Season 4, Episode 118
Why does every significant opportunity seem to come with fierce opposition? Pastor Dorrell confronts this universal tension through Paul's ministry in Ephesus, where a "great door and effectual" opened alongside "many adversaries." The sermon argues that in God's economy, meaningful work—whether in marriage, parenting, ministry, or character development—always demands sacrifice and perseverance. Paul's refusal to abandon his post despite hardship models a crucial principle: the best things in life are guarded by the greatest challenges, yet they yield eternal glory. Listeners are challenged to identify the "great doors" God has placed before them and commit to staying the course despite inevitable adversaries.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | The Grace and Accountability of Giving - Season 4, Episode 115
Is Christian giving just a financial duty, or is it something more? We often struggle to connect our professed love for God with how we use our money. Examining Paul's instructions for the collection in Jerusalem from 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Pastor Dorrell argues that Christian giving transcends mere obligation. He presents generosity as a grace—a disposition of the heart, an act of worship, and a tangible expression of love modeled on Christ’s own self-giving. This act of being a help not only meets practical needs but also creates gratitude that glorifies God. Listeners are challenged to shift their perspective and see their resources as a primary opportunity to be a help in the world.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Be Steadfast and Unmovable - Season 4, Episode 112
Why do Christians so often drift, derailed by life’s hardships and their own wavering emotions? Confronting this spiritual instability, Pastor Dorrell analyzes 1 Corinthians 15 to argue that the resurrection is more than a future hope—it is the present reality that empowers a durable faith. He illuminates how the certainty of our own resurrection provides an indestructible purpose and the motivation to live for an eternity that is more real than our present circumstances. This foundational doctrine is the believer's source of courage, conviction, and transformative power. This message challenges listeners to respond by becoming steadfast, unmovable, and always abounding in the work of the Lord.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Our Gifts, God's Glory - Season 4, Episode 109
How do we truly measure spiritual maturity? In a world focused on impressive talents and outward success, Christians can mistakenly elevate spiritual gifts, leading to pride, comparison, and division. Examining the iconic chapter of 1 Corinthians 13, Pastor Ben confronts this miscalculation. He argues that Paul presents "a more excellent way," demonstrating that without charity—a radical, selfless love in action—all other spiritual demonstrations are ultimately empty and amount to nothing. This love, perfectly embodied by Christ, is the supreme virtue and the true evidence of the Spirit's work. Listeners are challenged to stop being a mere reflection of a selfish world and instead become a clear window through which others can see the love of Christ.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Put Your Face in the Frame - Season 4, Episode 106
When we attend a church service, is our primary role to receive a blessing, or to be a blessing? We often focus on what we get out of worship, but what is our obligation to others in the room? Examining the disorder in the Corinthian church, Pastor Dorrell analyzes 1 Corinthians 14 to argue that the purpose of the gathered assembly is the mutual edification of believers and a clear witness to outsiders. He contends that intelligibility and love must govern our worship, moving the focus from individual experience to corporate well-being. The worship service is therefore a shared responsibility, not a performance for spectators. This message challenges each believer to consider their active role, consciously contributing to an environment where others are built up and can plainly see that God is truly present.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Every Member Matters - Season 4, Episode 103
In this message, Pastor Dorrell examines 1 Corinthians 12 to address the proper understanding and use of spiritual gifts within the church. Using the Apostle Paul's instruction to the divided Corinthian church, he explains that while believers possess a wide variety of gifts, they all originate from the same Spirit for a unified purpose. Pastor Dorrell uses the powerful analogy of the body to illustrate that every single member, regardless of how prominent or hidden their function may seem, is essential for the health and effectiveness of the whole. This sermon challenges the tendency to undervalue one's own contribution, reminding us that God has uniquely and supernaturally equipped every person to play an indispensable role in building up the local church.
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Bestowed and Labored - Season 4, Episode 101
In this message, Pastor Dorrell explores the dynamic nature of God's grace, drawing from 1 Corinthians 15 to illustrate that it is not a dead-end gift to be kept, but a powerful blessing meant to flow through us. He explains how we are called to be conduits, extending the same hope and goodness we have received to the people around us. This sermon unpacks the practical ways we can labor in God's grace—through meaningful connection, words of encouragement, and contagious joy—challenging us to rethink Christian growth as a transformative force that not only changes us but also enriches the lives of others.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | A Church in Trouble - Season 4, Episode 100
In this message, Pastor Dorrell examines 1 Corinthians 11, where the Apostle Paul confronts a church facing destruction not from outside forces, but from internal decay. Using the Corinthians' divisive and self-centered behavior during the Lord's Supper as a case study, Pastor Dorrell highlights the spiritual dangers of indifference and treating church as a consumer experience. He challenges us to move beyond simply attending services and instead embrace our role as active members of the body of Christ, called to serve, encourage, and care for one another. This sermon is a call for honest self-examination and spiritual "recalibration," urging us to close the gap of indifference and truly live as a church family.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Distinct by Design - Season 4, Episode 98
In a culture that increasingly seeks to blur and erase gender distinctions, Pastor Dorrell turns to 1 Corinthians 11 to explore the biblical foundations for masculinity and femininity. He examines Paul's instructions to the Corinthian church, not as an outdated cultural mandate for head coverings, but as a timeless principle for honoring God's created order. Contrasting the Bible's clarity with the modern agenda promoting gender confusion in media and education, this message is a call for Christians to thoughtfully embrace their God-given identities. It encourages men and women to reject cultural passivity and instead live out their distinct, complementary roles in a way that brings glory to God and provides a clear testimony to a watching world.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | How Far? How Close? - Season 4, Episode 95
In this message from 1 Corinthians 10, Pastor Ben addresses the human tendency to test the limits of Christian liberty. Using the historical example of the Israelites in the wilderness, he issues a compelling warning: our position in Christ does not make us immune to the destructive consequences of flirting with sin. Pastor Ben challenges us to change our fundamental question from, "What am I allowed to do?" to "Does this bring glory to God?" This sermon calls for a mature faith that stops fixating on the boundaries of sin and instead reorients itself to a passionate pursuit of God's presence in every area of life.
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Missions Month 2025 | For the Gospel's Sake - Season 4, Episode 89
Guest speaker Michael Jones explores the powerful motivation behind the Apostle Paul's ministry from 1 Corinthians 9: "for the gospel's sake." He challenges believers to embrace their personal responsibility in sharing the good news by examining the necessary sacrifices. Using the imagery of a disciplined athlete competing for an eternal prize, Jones illustrates why we should willingly set aside our personal freedoms and conveniences. This message calls every Christian to build bridges, understand the people they are trying to reach, and be prepared to step out of their comfort zone, all for the ultimate purpose of winning others to Christ.
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Missions Month 2025 | The Necessary Transaction - Season 4, Episode 86
In this message, Pastor Dorrell examines the principle of sacrifice from 1 Corinthians 9, explaining that for the gospel to advance, a "necessary transaction" must occur. Using the apostle Paul as the ultimate example of one who gave up everything to "gain" others for Christ, this sermon investigates the cost of missions. Pastor Dorrell challenges us to consider what personal comforts or resources we are willing to set aside so that people around the world might have the chance to hear the good news and be saved.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Relative Sacrifice - Season 4, Episode 83
In our Christian freedom, it's easy to focus on our rights and what we are permitted to do. But what if true spiritual maturity is found in willingly setting those rights aside? Pastor Dorrell examines 1 Corinthians 9, where the Apostle Paul uses his own life as a powerful example of deference. Paul gave up his right to financial support, choosing to work and even go hungry, so that nothing would stand in the way of the Gospel's message for the Corinthian church. This sermon introduces the principle of "relative sacrifice," challenging us to consider how we can live for something bigger than ourselves. It is a call to intentionally lay down our preferences and comforts for the well-being of others and the advancement of the Gospel, reminding us that we are running a race not for a temporary prize, but for an incorruptible crown.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Love Regulates Liberty - Season 4, Episode 80
In this message, Pastor Dorrell addresses the complex topic of Christian liberty using 1 Corinthians 8 as a guide. He explores the historical conflict in the Corinthian church over eating meat sacrificed to idols to reveal a timeless principle: knowledge must be governed by love. While we may have the freedom to do something, our choices must be filtered through a consideration for how they affect others. This sermon offers practical guidelines for navigating modern "gray areas," challenging us to exercise our freedom not just based on what is permissible, but on what is loving and edifying to the church body.
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Without Distraction - Season 4, Episode 79
In a world that glorifies busyness, how do we make space for what truly matters? Drawing from 1 Corinthians 7 and a key principle in Ecclesiastes 4:6, Pastor Dorrell discusses the spiritual danger of an over-cluttered life. He explains that our constant hurry, endless responsibilities, and accumulation of things—even good things—can prevent us from hearing God’s voice and experiencing His peace. This message offers a practical challenge to choose "a handful with quietness" over a life full of "travail and vexation of spirit," freeing ourselves from distraction to better attend upon the Lord and find true spiritual rest.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | On Assignment - Season 4, Episode 77
In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor Dorrell addresses the common feeling that we could serve God better if only our circumstances were different. Drawing from Paul’s instruction to the Corinthian church, this sermon challenges the idea that we need a new job, a different marital status, or a change of location to be effective for Christ. Instead, we are called to view our current life as a divine assignment. Discover how your workplace, neighborhood, and family are the unique and consequential mission field God has given you, and learn to embrace the purpose you can fulfill right where you are, today.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | On Marriage and Divorce - Season 4, Episode 74
Pastor Dorrell examines the challenging and sensitive topic of marriage, divorce, and remarriage by navigating through key passages in the New and Old Testaments. He explains God's original intent for marriage as a sacred, lifelong covenant, while also addressing the difficult exceptions of infidelity and abandonment that arise from the "hardness of heart." Ultimately, this message calls believers to honor the sanctity of their current marriage, offers hope and redemption for those who have experienced the tragedy of divorce, and encourages all to reflect Christ's restorative love within their most intimate relationship.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Due Benevolence - Season 4, Episode 71
Following up on the discussion of immorality in the culture, Pastor Dorrell turns to 1 Corinthians 7:1-9 to address the sanctity and potential pitfalls within marriage. He unpacks the Apostle Paul’s direct instructions regarding physical intimacy, explaining that it is a God-given gift meant exclusively for the marital covenant. This sermon confronts the common but unbiblical extremes of either worldly indulgence or a rigid, joyless abstinence. Pastor Dorrell challenges married couples to see intimacy not as a weapon or bargaining chip, but as a mutual, joyful responsibility and a selfless gift that protects the union from temptation and strengthens the bond of becoming "one flesh" in a way that honors God's design.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Bought with a Price - Season 4, Episode 68
In this message from 1 Corinthians 6, Pastor Dorrell examines the Apostle Paul's urgent correction to a church that had mistaken Christian liberty for a license to indulge. The Corinthians' catchphrases—"All things are permissible" and "Meats for the belly"—are countered with the profound truths that not all things are beneficial and that we must not be mastered by our appetites. Pastor Dorrell applies Paul's teaching that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit to our modern, gratification-pleasing culture, challenging us to flee from temptation, cultivate self-mastery, and consciously honor God in our bodies and spirits, which are His.
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God's Grace for an Imperfect Church | Casting a Dark Cloud Over the Gospel - Season 4, Episode 62
In this message from 1 Corinthians 6, Pastor Dorrell challenges believers to consider how their conduct—especially in conflict—reflects on the gospel. Drawing from Paul’s rebuke of the Corinthian church for taking disputes before unbelievers, the sermon calls Christians to prioritize humility, unity, and grace within the body of Christ. With powerful reminders about the cost of petty division and the high calling of our testimony, listeners are urged to walk worthy of the name of Christ, even when it means suffering wrong or choosing peace over vindication.
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