Updated: 4/30/2026
Sermon Prep
Coming off the heels of the last message, I was very intentional in my prep to shorten my sermons moving forward. To avoid getting lost in the sauce and keep the main thing the main thing. So when it came time to preach this message, I gave myself some unwritten rules. First, I used to allow my sermons to extend beyond 3 pages to fit whatever the topic was for that message, yet with this one I intentionally kept it to strictly 3 pages. I also limited myself to 1 quote from someone outside of the Bible and also cut down on the biblical cross references too.
To this day, I still follow these unwritten rules when teaching and so much so that I have it down to a science. For instance, I know that for every page of written text in my notes, that’s about 10 minutes of preaching material. I use the exact same sermon framework every single time which our teaching team calls the Reunion Standard. I think this has helped me more accurately measure the failure or success or a sermon versus before I taught at Reunion Church when I would loosely follow a 3-point public speaking structure I learned in college from my Public Speaking class.
Lastly, between this message and the last one we were finalizing moving out of my in-laws place and for the first time having our own space as a family. Our baby girl was almost 6 months and God orchestrated this beautiful new place for us to live once I finally decided to be open to renting again. Weird how when we humble ourselves, God almost always has something for us. Either way, here’s the YouTube recording and the notes for this message below:
Sermon Notes
Opening Line
- PMCC Thrive small group with Adam, Elijah, and Jeanette.
Intro
- Learned the importance of loving others in spite of knowledgeable differences.
Main Point
- A conviction is a moral belief and personal preference with spiritual significance.
- EX: drinking, fast food, movies, music, politics, religion, smoking; social media.
- The convictions of your faith matter, but unity among Christians matters more.
Live Free, Diet Hard | 1 Corinthians 8 (NRSVue)
“[1] Now concerning food sacrificed to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. [2] Anyone who claims to know something does not yet have the necessary knowledge, [3] but anyone who loves God is known by him. [4] Hence, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “no idol in the world really exists” and that “there is no God but one.” [5] Indeed, even though there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as in fact there are many gods and many lords— [6] yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. [7] It is not everyone, however, who has this knowledge. Since some have become so accustomed to idols until now, they still think of the food they eat as food offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. [8] “Food will not bring us close to God.” We are no worse off if we do not eat and no better off if we do. [9] But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. [10] For if others see you, who possess knowledge, eating in the temple of an idol, might they not, since their conscience is weak, be encouraged to the point of eating food sacrificed to idols? [11] So by your knowledge the weak brother or sister for whom Christ died is destroyed. [12] But when you thus sin against brothers and sisters and wound their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. [13] Therefore, if food is a cause of their falling, I will never again eat meat, so that I may not cause one of them to fall.”
- Food in this context wasn’t just a meal, but was often sacrificed to idols and pagan gods.
- Civic, religious, and social gatherings were all connected in Corinthian culture.
- Business, networking, politics, and religion were one and the same.
- Feasts or parties were where you wanted to be seen, where you would make business deals with patrons, and even socialize with friends.
- A patron was someone who helped clients financially and legally by way of their influence, power, and wealth. Clients had to prove their loyalty.
- Civic, religious, and social gatherings were all connected in Corinthian culture.
- Some knew it’s just food, but not all so love vs belittling them (1 Corinthians 8:1).
- God knows all things, so there’s no need to be a know-it-all to weaker believers.
- Don’t just know about God, but be known by him and remain in him.
- God knows all things, so there’s no need to be a know-it-all to weaker believers.
- In verses 1, 4, and 8 Paul uses Corinthian slogans to explain his argument.
- Verse 4 combines one of these slogans and Scripture (i.e. Deuteronomy 6:4).
- Early Christian Creed (1 Corinthians 8:6)
- A creed is the rule of faith and the symbol of faith. This means a creed is both a set of beliefs affirmed aloud and an outward action that brings us together.
- A modern example would be singing worship songs out loud at church.
- A creed is the rule of faith and the symbol of faith. This means a creed is both a set of beliefs affirmed aloud and an outward action that brings us together.
- The phrase “is destroyed” can be translated as “destroys himself,” which is an indirect middle implying that weaker Christians bear some responsibility (1 Corinthians 8:11).
- If a weaker Christian struggles with alcohol, then why are they at a bar?
- Read Proverbs 7:7-9 (NRSVue)
“[7] and I saw among the simple ones, I observed among the youths, a young man without sense, [8] passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house [9] in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.”
Why It Matters
- Their conscience matters more than your convenience, so use wisdom with convictions.
- Sacrificing freedoms can save faith for weaker Christians. It’s us for them, not versus.
Power Text
- Read Romans 14:1-3, 15-21 (NRSVue)
“[1] Welcome those who are weak in faith but not for the purpose of quarreling over opinions. [2] Some believe in eating anything, while the weak eat only vegetables. [3] Those who eat must not despise those who abstain, and those who abstain must not pass judgment on those who eat, for God has welcomed them… [15] If your brother or sister is distressed by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died. [16] So do not let your good be slandered. [17] For the kingdom of God is not food and drink but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. [18] The one who serves Christ in this way is acceptable to God and has human approval. [19] Let us then pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. [20] Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong to make someone stumble by what you eat; [21] it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that makes your brother or sister stumble.”
- The strong-minded believed that those who thought they needed to observe food laws were weak-minded and looked down upon them as inferior for lacking knowledge.
- There’s more to life than convictions, so build up the Christian who may be struggling.
Outro
- Read Ephesians 4:1b-6 (NRSVue)
“[1] I… beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, [2] with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, [3] making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace: [4] there is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling, [5] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, [6] one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all.”
- Let love guide your public decisions when exercising your convictions and rights.
“embrace a mutual unity in things necessary; in things non necessary liberty; in all things charity.” – Marco’ Antonio de Dominis, Archbishop of Spalato, Croatia
Final Thoughts
In retrospect, the changes I implemented in my sermon prep turned out great. The message flowed well and the congregation resonated with it too. Although I did have a major blunder by mispronouncing Shema as schema which was corrected later that day by my father-in-law Kenny. He knows a lot more Hebrew then I do and my notes just autocorrected the word and I didn’t catch it, so that was embarrassing.
It also was a huge benefit to this message in particular that I had recently finished the chapter of my book on convictions, so I was very versed in this topic. Overall, it was received well and the Table Talks were good. With that, Godspeed and Jesus bless.
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