One Hope Church Stellenbosch

In I Corinthians Chapter 8, the apostle Paul addresses a conflict within the church around believers’ freedom to eat food that had been sacrificed to idols. While on the surface the Corinthian church seemed to have knowledge about spiritual truths, the apostle Paul contrasted their argument with the outworking of love. In this passage we see principles that show us how the Gospel is meant to shape how we view knowledge, how we view our brothers and sisters in Christ, and ultimately how we go about exercising the freedoms that we have.

In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul gives gritty, practical guidance to believers in every life stage — married, widowed, single, or in spiritually mixed marriages. Gareth unpacks God’s design for marriage, His grace for broken situations, and His call to live fully in the season He’s assigned us. Whatever our circumstances, we are urged to embrace undivided devotion to Jesus, letting the gospel shape every part of our lives as a response to His love.

In this sermon, titled Singleness, a Gift from God, Johannes unpacks 1 Corinthians 7:6–9 and 25–38, continuing our journey through the book of 1 Corinthians. Building on last week’s message about marriage, this week’s focus shifts to the equally valuable and often misunderstood gift of singleness. Johannes speaks honestly about his own journey, the cultural pressures surrounding romantic love, and what Scripture reveals about living a fulfilled, undivided life devoted to God. Whether you're single or married, this message is a call to see singleness not as a second-best, but as a God-given opportunity for thriving, purpose, and deep devotion.

In this week’s message, Gareth unpacks 1 Corinthians 7:1–5, showing how God’s design for sex and marriage is both beautiful and deeply practical. In a world full of confusion and distortion, Scripture calls us to flee sexual immorality and embrace God’s good gift of sex within marriage. With clarity and compassion, Gareth explores creation, fall, redemption, and restoration—helping both marrieds and singles develop a biblical, God-glorifying view of sex and the body.

In a world that tells us, “You are your own,” the apostle Paul writes something radically countercultural: “You are not your own—you were bought at a price.” In this message from 1 Corinthians 6:12–20, we explore what it means to belong—body and soul—to Jesus Christ. As Paul responds to troubling behavior in the Corinthian church, he doesn’t just offer moral correction—he unveils a beautiful, eternal truth: our bodies matter to God. This sermon unpacks Paul’s piercing question—“Do you not know?”—and reveals four foundational truths: 1. What you do with your body matters 2. Your body is united to Christ 3. Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit 4. You are not your own Far from being a list of restrictions, this is a glorious invitation to freedom, holiness, and hope. Whether you’re wrestling with sexual sin, cultural confusion, or identity questions—this text offers clarity and compassion through the gospel.