Why I Will Be Preaching Through 1 Corinthians in 2026

As we prepare to move into 2026, we find ourselves in a noisy, anxious, frustrated, and divided world.

We’re watching wars and humanitarian crises drag on and global conflicts that seem to be never ending. Economists warn about an uncertain future, slowing growth, persistent inflation pressures, and the possibility of financial shocks tied to the rapid rise and innovations connected to AI.

Man watching stock market plunge

At the same time, we find ourselves swimming in a flood of misinformation, outrage, and online polarization that is wearing people down emotionally and spiritually.

Into this kind of world, I feel the Lord leading me to take Mt. Zion Baptist Church through 1 Corinthians in 2026, slowly and carefully. This is not a 4-part sermon series, it is an immersion.

This letter is not a polite note to a well-run church. It is a Holy Spirit-inspired word to a messy, conflicted, gifted, tempted, easily offended congregation in a big, loud, and sophisticated society. In other words, it feels and sounds very much like today.

Corinth was a church full of factions: “I follow Paul,” “I follow Apollos,” “I follow Cephas.” Their loyalty to personalities and “tribes” was tearing the body of Christ apart. Today, we see the same spirit in politics, social media, and lifestyle. Even in the church we are tempted to line up behind certain voices, platforms, or styles and look down on everyone else.

In 1 Corinthians 1–4, Paul condemns that instinct. He takes us back to the cross, where all our boasting dies. In an age of branding and outrage, we need to hear again that Christ is not divided; His church must not be either.

There is Guidance for a sexually confused and “confused-about-freedom” culture.

Corinth was known for its sexual chaos. Some believers were shrugging at blatant immorality; others were reacting in strange, unhealthy ways. Paul doesn’t dodge the various topics. He walks the church through issues of sexual sin, marriage, singleness, and what it means to “glorify God in your body” (chapters 5–7).

We live in a time where questions about identity, what we do with our bodies, and sexuality are everywhere ... at school, at work, in law, and across all social media. I have spent years studying the life of the Apostle Paul and almost as long fascinated by the depth of this letter.

1 Corinthians gives us more than clichés; it gives us a biblical framework: your body belongs to the Lord, your identity is in Christ, and His design is for your good. This will help us think, talk, and live with both conviction, intention, and compassion.

It will help us navigate gray areas, idols, and everyday decisions.

One of the gifts of 1 Corinthians is that it not only addresses black and white issues; it also tackles gray areas such as food offered to idols, questions of conscience, and what to do when believers disagree with each other (chapters 8–10). Underneath these specific questions lies a even deeper set of principles that speak into our world of endless choices:

• What is my “right,” and when should I gladly lay it down for the sake of others?

• What am I really worshiping, Christ, or the idols of comfort, success, and approval?

• How do I decide what to do when something is technically allowed but not wise?

In a time when economic pressure, uncertainty about the future, and cultural tension make every decision feel loaded, these chapters teach us how to ask better questions: Is this helpful? Does this build others up? Does this glorify God?

There are principles for worship, conflict, and problem-solving inside the church.

Many of our personal struggles are not out “in the world” but inside relationships with family, friends, and fellow believers. In Corinth there were lawsuits between Christians, divisions at the Lord’s Table, fights over spiritual gifts, and confusion about how worship should actually work.

Instead of giving up on the church, Paul shows us how the gospel reshapes conflict and problem solving:

• In chapters 5–6, he shows us how to deal with serious sin and grievances without pretending or attacking.

• In chapters 11–14, he teaches us what edifying worship looks like—orderly, intelligible, centered on Christ, and marked by love.

• In chapter 13, he gives us that famous description of love, not as a wedding decoration, but as the way a church can thrive despite disagreements and various opinions.

As we walk through these passages, we’ll learn how to handle dispute, disappointment, and hurt with cross-shaped love instead of retreating or retaliating.

Finally, there is resurrection hope for anxious times.

Global reports describe 2025–2026 as years of high geopolitical risk, ongoing conflict, and economic fragility. No one knows what the world will look like in the near future but by the time we get to 1 Corinthians 15, many of us may feel even more distressed than we do now. Paul meets that feeling head-on with one of the strongest and clearest chapters in the New Testament on the resurrection.

Statue of the Apostle Paul

Paul reminds us that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is pointless but because Christ has been raised, our future is secure, death is defeated, and “your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” That kind of hope doesn’t erase the headlines, but it does put them in proper perspective. It gives us courage to keep loving, serving, and staying faithful and true even when we feel tempted to give up.

Finally, why is the Lord leading us to 1 Corinthians in 2026?

I believe it is because we need more than religious bumper-stickers, church growth gimmicks or quick fixes. We need a deep, sustained encounter with God’s Word addressed to real people in a real world facing real pressure.

This letter will help us:

• See our disagrements and idols more clearly so that we can bring them to the cross.

• Make wiser, more loving decisions in this confusing age.

• Practice conflict resolution and problem-solving that is shaped by the gospel.

• Have a clearer vision of the church as one body with many gifts.

• Stand firm in resurrection hope even when the world feels unstable.

My prayer is that as we walk through 1 Corinthians together in 2026, God will not only inform our minds but refill and revive, our life as Christ's body, so that in a loud, fractured world, we might be a community of faith where the crucified and risen Christ powerfully realized and clearly seen.