The Foolish Wisdom and Power of the Cross

I read Paul’s words to the Corinthians and sat with the stark claim: the word of the cross looks like folly to those who are perishing, but to us it is the power and wisdom of God. I named the uncomfortable truth many of us feel—there are Sundays when even a vicar would rather stay in bed. I’ve had seasons as a retired minister when I wondered whether any of this makes a difference. Yet again and again, God meets us, often at the last moment, and reminds us why we gather: Christ crucified stands at the very center, not as self-help, not as entertainment, but as the saving act that redefines reality.

I reminded us that preaching is larger than a talk from a pulpit. As St. Francis is said to have counselled, live the gospel, and if necessary, use words. The cross doesn’t promise quick tips, shortcuts, or spectacle. If anything, it resists the Marvel-style storyline we might prefer. But beneath what seems foolish lies dynamis—God’s explosive power. The death of Jesus opens to the resurrection, and you cannot have the latter without the former. That is why the cross does not simply inform us; it transforms us. Death is defeated. Grace is unleashed. Love is made visible and costly.

Corinth struggled with clever oratory and shifting loyalties. Paul wouldn’t denounce wisdom; he simply refused to let intellect replace trust. The Christian faith welcomes investigation—Lee Strobel’s journey is a strong example—but the doorway into life with God is faith. And the wisdom we find on the other side is surprisingly simple: love God wholeheartedly; love your neighbor as yourself. Churches can be skilled at complicating what God has made plain. We add hurdles where Jesus has opened a way.

In an age of shrinking attention spans, the cross still works on hearts when it is embodied in lives. When our words and our walk line up, people hear something different. So I’ll keep showing up as long as God nudges, and I am asking you to keep coming hungry for Christ crucified. What looks foolish to the world is, for us, freedom, hope, and a holy calling to serve. Through his death and resurrection, Jesus offers eternal life; in the meantime, he trains us to live cross-shaped lives—quietly powerful, simple, and true.

Key Takeaways

• 1. The cross resists utility and spectacle The gospel does not exist to optimize your life or entertain your Sundays. It addresses a deeper ache: reconciliation with God and a new creation life that grows out of surrender. By refusing to be “useful” in worldly terms, the cross exposes the limits of our definitions of success and invites us into a different kind of flourishing. It asks for trust, not applause. [23:40]
• 2. The cross detonates with resurrection power Paul’s word for power is dynamis—an explosive, life-breaking-in kind of force. The resurrection is not a workaround but the fruit that grows from the soil of the cross. Real power is not domination; it is self-giving love that undoes death from the inside. We receive it not by striving but by yielding to the Crucified One. [25:12]
• 3. God’s wisdom is disarmingly simple Love God wholeheartedly, and love your neighbor—this is not simplistic; it is demanding in the most honest way. Simplicity here means integrity: our desires, decisions, and habits reordered by love. We complicate the faith when we prefer control over trust. Becoming “fools” means being humble enough to be taught by the plain word of God. [32:04]
• 4. Preaching is a life you live Words matter, but a cross-shaped life gives them credibility. When compassion, integrity, and sacrificial service show up in ordinary places, people see what cannot be faked. Your kitchen table, your workplace, your quiet acts of courage—these become pulpits. Embodied truth is memorable truth. [20:36]
• 5. Faith goes further than knowledge alone Corinth prized the best orator; we often prize the best argument. Investigation can clear obstacles—evidence matters—but trust is what actually carries us into communion with God. Knowledge without surrender can harden into pride; knowledge with faith becomes light for the path. Move from analysis to allegiance. [28:36]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [13:36] - Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
• [15:46] - The reluctant vicar anecdote
• [17:35] - Why speak of foolishness?
• [19:53] - Christ crucified at the center
• [20:36] - Preaching beyond words and pulpit
• [21:12] - Why the cross offends
• [22:18] - No Marvel hero, a real death
• [24:47] - Power: dynamis of the cross
• [26:40] - Wisdom: Corinthian divisions addressed
• [29:42] - Evidence that checks out
• [31:13] - Becoming fools to be taught
• [32:04] - The simple heart of the gospel
• [33:12] - Preaching in an age of distraction
• [35:04] - Keep proclaiming Christ crucified

1. What contrasting images and phrases does Paul use in 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 to show the difference between “worldly wisdom” and “God’s wisdom”? Which specific verses contain those contrasts?
2. The sermon used the story of a reluctant child who didn’t want to get up for church to name normal Sunday doubts and fatigue. What reasons were given in that anecdote for avoiding church, and which of those reasons resonate with you? [15:46]
3. Where in the passage does Paul connect the cross with both “power” and “wisdom”? How does the text link the cross to resurrection or new life?
4. Paul lists the kinds of people God chose—“foolish things,” “weak things,” “lowly things”—and gives a purpose for that choice. What is that purpose in the text, and how does the sermon highlight it? [15:02]

1. The message of the cross “resists utility and spectacle” rather than offering quick fixes or entertainment. What does that claim mean for how the church presents the gospel to people who expect usefulness or showmanship? [21:50]
2. Paul refuses to let intellect replace trust. How should the priority of faith over clever argument change the way the church handles questions, doubt, and investigation? [28:36]
3. The Greek word dynamis is described as explosive power that comes through a real death leading to resurrection. How does seeing power as “self‑giving” rather than domination reshape a Christian’s view of leadership, mission, and sacrifice? [24:47]
4. The call to “become fools again” and be taught by the simple word of God suggests a posture of humility. What would humility like this look like when people study Scripture, argue theology, or decide what the church expects of newcomers? [31:13]

1. Trust, not just knowledge, is the doorway into life with God. Where have you relied on information or clever answers instead of surrendering in trust? What one concrete step will you take this week to move from analysis toward allegiance? [28:36]
2. “Preaching is a life you live.” Identify one ordinary place in the coming week (kitchen table, workplace, playground, etc.) where you can intentionally let your actions match your words about Christ. What will you do there? [20:36]
3. The cross resists spectacle and invites costly love. Name one situation where you have chosen convenience over costly love. What specific change will you make to choose costly love instead? [21:50]
4. The wisdom of God is simple: love God wholeheartedly and love your neighbor. What is one habit, decision, or time commitment you can simplify or stop so that loving God and neighbor becomes clearer and more faithful in your life? [32:04]
5. The cross is dynamite that defeats death and trains us in cross‑shaped living. What fear, habit, or attachment needs to “die” so that new life can grow? What practical first step will you take toward that change? [25:12]
6. Regular gathering forms and shapes faith. If attendance or engagement is inconsistent, what specific barrier can you remove this month so you (or someone you know) can keep coming hungry for Christ crucified? [35:04]