In 1 Corinthians 7, Paul affirms both singleness and marriage as good options for Christians. But when he is asked about issues of separation and divorce, Paul applies the teaching of Jesus and the heart of God in a way that offers both grace and truth. There is hope for every marriage to stay together, there is hope for victims, and there is hope for life after divorce.

The sermon today is titled "Body Matters." It is the twelfth installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 7:8-15 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on November 17, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):

• Coffman, James Burton. 1 Corinthians. Coffman’s Commentaries on the Bible.
• Hays, Richard B. “Divorce and Remarriage,” in The Moral Vision of the New Testament, pp. 347-78, NY: HarperOne, 1996.
• Instone-Brewer, David. Divorce and Remarriage in the Church: Biblical Solutions for Pastoral Realities, Downers Grove, IL: IVP Books, 2006.
• Adams, J. E. Marriage, Divorce, & Remarriage in the Bible: A Fresh Look at What Scripture Teaches, Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1980 / Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986.
• Grudem, Wayne, Heimbach, Daniel R., Mitchell, C. Ben, & Mitchell, Craig. “Divorce and Remarriage,” in ESV Study Bible, pp. 2545-47, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2008.
• Collier, Gary D. “Rethinking Jesus on Divorce,” RQ 37/2 (1995): 80-96.
• Lightfoot, Neil. “Paul on Marriage & Divorce (1 Cor 7).” ACU lectures 1982. (Audio)

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In 1 Corinthians 5-7, Paul deals with a variety of situations that call for a healthy understanding of Christian sexual ethics. The heart of his response can be summarized as “honor God with your bodies.” How can Paul’s response to Corinth speak to our contemporary moment? One thing is certain: grace and truth belong together.

The sermon today is titled "Body Matters." It is the eleventh installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 6:13-20 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on November 10, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):

• Abigail Favale, The Genesis of Gender: A Christian Theory (Ignatius Press, 2022)
• Wesley Hill, Washed & Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness & Homosexuality (Zondervan, 2010)
• Rubel Shelly, The Ink is Dry: God’s Distinctive Word on Marriage, Family, and Sexual Responsibility (College Press, 2023)
• Preston Sprinkle, Living in a Gray World: A Christian Teen’s Guide to Understanding Homosexuality (Zondervan, 2015)
• Preston Sprinkle, Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church & What the Bible Has To Say (David C Cook, 2021)
• Keith Stanglin, "Christian Moral Reasoning," Journal for Christian Studies
• Rubel Shelly, "The Ink Is Dry." Harding Inspire Bible Lectures 2024.
• Wesley Hill, "Washed and Waiting." Wheaton College Lecture.

I'd love to connect with you!

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I have the right to surrender to Christ. I have the freedom to become a slave of Christ. I have the liberty to become dependent on Him. And living out of a cross-shaped story, I can choose to give up and give in for the good of the body and for the joy of love. Re-imagine what freedom looks like in Christ.

The sermon today is titled "When Rights Can Wrong." It is the tenth installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 10:31-33 (ESV) and the contextual passage is 1 Corinthians 8-10. Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on October 27, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):

• David Garland, 1 Corinthians, Baker (BECNT)

I'd love to connect with you!

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Won't you be my neighbor? The Christians in Corinth were called to be “city lights,” shining the light of Christ in a dark world. So how does your light shine in your neighborhood? This week, we unpack Paul’s seven lenses and ask how Christ would have us treat the people who live next door.

The sermon today is titled "Neighbor Matters." It is the ninth installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 10:24-25 (ESV) and the contextual passage is 1 Corinthians 5:9-6:8. Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on October 13, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):

• Mr. Roger's Introduction
• Robert Frost reads "Mending Wall"
• David E. Garland, 1 Corinthians (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)
• Conversation with Steven McClelland, Attorney-at-Law.

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Who is God? Well, God is patient, and He is kind. He does not envy or boast. He is not arrogant or rude. He does not insist on his own way. He is not irritable or resentful. He does not rejoice at wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. He bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. God never ends and He will not fail.

The sermon today is titled "One God, Whose Name Is Love." It is the eighth installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 13 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on October 6, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):

• Jonathan Edwards, "Heaven Is A World Of Love"

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Now these three abide – faith, hope, and love. If Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain, and you are dead in your sins. But since Christ is raised from the dead, He will also raise your body by the power of his spirit. He shall return to make all things right, and we shall live with him forever in glory. We live out of this hope…and we die with this hope.

The sermon today is titled "One Hope: Living Out Of Our Inheritance." It is the seventh installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 15:12-28 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on September 29, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):

• Cheeky Kid, “100 Funny First World Problems.”
• Victoria Emily Jones, “This is What Hope Usually Feels Like.” The Jesus Question.
• Gregory Knox Jones, “Clinging To Hope.”
• Merriam-Webster: “Optimism.”
• Tim Keller, “The Grammar of Hope.”
• Shawn Wilhite, “Brief History of Martyrdom Accounts in Antiquity.”

I'd love to connect with you!

• Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.
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If you only have one Lord...why is that hard to tell during an election season?

This week, Jimmy Shaw--a Shepherd at West Side--invites us to consider what it means to claim ultimate allegiance to Jesus Christ.

The sermon today is titled "One Lord: The Supreme Allegiance Which Unites Us." It is the sixth installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 1:2 (ESV). Originally preached by Jimmy Shaw at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on September 22, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon.

I'd love to connect with you!

• Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.
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Show me your way of life…and I’ll show you what you believe.

This week we reflect on our “way of life in Christ” (1 Cor 4:17). We tell of our shared faith story as we welcome 4 new shepherds to lead one flock under Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd.

The sermon today is titled "One Faith: Our Way Of Life." It is the fifth installment in our series "City Lights: Bearing Witness To A Culture In Crisis." The Scripture reading is from 1 Corinthians 4:15-17 (NIV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on September 15, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.

Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):

• Gordon Fee, The First Epistle to the Corinthians (NICNT)
• Mark Rothenburg story on Sandy Koufax
• John Mark Comer, "Practicing The Way" Interview

I'd love to connect with you!

• Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.
• Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.
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