Let’s face it, we live in a toxic world. We don’t like to admit it, but we can feel it. Look at your social media news feed, listen to the talking heads on cable news, read the statements of politicians and, yes, even take stock of the conversations happening in churches. One words seems to sum it up: toxic. This is not how the world should be.

Sadly, the church is not immune to division and toxicity. A prime example was the church in Corinth. Paul wrote his first letter to the Corinthians in response to problems in the church. Factions were forming, sexuality was being twisted, harsh disagreements were common and even the worship service was in chaos! Taking all that into account, Paul corrects the church. He identifies the toxic problem… and offers the Gospel solution: “Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance (1 Cor. 13:7, NLT).”

In this series, we are going to ask a simple question: how do we detox from life in this world? The word, toxic, refers to something negative, destructive, or ruinous—it is unhealthy. When we detox, we remove toxins from our system. We are cleansed. This is what Paul reminds the Corinthians: “You were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God (1 Cor. 6:11, NLT).” We are called to be different, to bring light to the dark, toxic places of relationships and society.

Over the next ten weeks, we will examine the areas where toxins have seeped into our world: our culture, our personalities, our families, our leadership, and yes… even ourselves. And each week, we discuss what it means to detox with the spiritual light and power of the Gospel.