September 13th, 2026 - Deep Hope: Rethinking Power

Scripture Passage: 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5

Slide 2

Deep Hope
Fall Series on Faith in the Face of Falleness

Slide 3

Deep Hope: Intro
Rethinking Power
Since 313 AD, we have had a power problem

Slide 4

A bit of evidence
cathedrals, Holy Roman Empire, crusades, inquisition, colonial missions, Doctrine of Discovery,
European-British-NA religious politics

Slide 5

Mountainview CRC
 We are part of a system that assumes a preference for power people

Slide 6

There is power; it can be good
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Slide 7

Inverse Power
 “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
    the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”

Slide 8

Upside-down power
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

Slide 9

We tend to want the wrong thing
22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom,

Slide 10

The "power" of the gospel
23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called... Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

Slide 11

The God way in Jesus
27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things

Slide 12

Is this what you want?
When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom ...3 I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling.

Slide 13

Leaning into Deep Hope 1
 I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.

Slide 14

Leaning into Deep Hope 2
2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Slide 15

Leaning into Deep Hope 3
 4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,

Slide 16

Bottom line
 5 so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.

Slide 17

Not building, people, money, organization, excellence, intelligence...
God, Jesus, Holy Spirit works in spite of these.

Slide 18

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.