First Corinthians: Cutting Through the Noise

The Tapas Chapter

April 10, 2022 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 16

What is a Christian?

March 26, 2022 • Curtis Andrusko • 1 Corinthians 1:1–3

Pastor Curtis Andrusko walks us through what it means to be a Christian.

Friendship on the Edge of Eternity

March 26, 2022 • Dave Turner • 1 Corinthians 1:1–9

Pastor Dave Turner walks us through 1 Corinthians 1:1-9.

Doubling Down on Church

March 27, 2022 • Bryan Loritts • 1 Corinthians 1:1–19

The local church gets a lot of bad press these days—and much of it for good reason. It’s enough to make people want to give up the church (and Christianity) altogether. But in this message from 1 Corinthians 1, Pastor Bryan encourages us to double down on God’s broken but beautiful body. God moves through circumstances. God uses various individuals. But when it comes to God’s work in the world, the local church is always “Plan A.”

Is Life Over for Me?

March 20, 2022 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 15

In this message from 1 Corinthians 15, Pastor J.D. takes a look at how Paul responds to some of the Corinthians who are saying there’s no resurrection of the dead. In his answer, Paul shows them that belief in our bodily resurrection is as core a Christian concept as you can get. It’s not a secondary or peripheral belief; it’s at the core of Christian hope.

The Rowdy Chapter

March 13, 2022 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 14

In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor J.D. walks through what some might call “the rowdy chapter” of Paul’s letter, the one about spiritual gifts of tongues and prophecy. As a church, we should be open to and desirous of these spectacular gifts, being careful to avoid fleshly limitation and pursuing them in the way the Bible instructs us to.

Love > Gifts

March 6, 2022 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 13

In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor J.D. talks about a topic as popular as it is misunderstood—love. Our society seems smitten with notions of love, but at the same time, we don’t seem to live in a fairy-tale land of love and grace. What does real love look like? And once we understand it, how can we, tangibly, become more loving? A dive into 1 Corinthians 13 shows us the most profound, powerful, and counter-cultural description of love ever written.

Now Concerning the Spirit Stuff...

February 27, 2022 • 1 Corinthians 12:1–24

In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor J.D. takes a look at the (surprisingly controversial) topic of spiritual gifts. According to the Apostle Paul, God didn’t establish his church as a collection of individuals, but as an interconnected body. I need you; you need me. Where do we see that interconnectedness most? In our spiritual gifts. None of us—and none of our brothers or sisters—can truly flourish until we know and exercise our gifts. In God’s community, everybody has a special role to play. Every. Body. Including you.

Why People Sometimes Die After Communion

February 13, 2022 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 11:17–34

In this message from 1 Corinthians 11, Pastor J.D. picks up the most fundamental element of Christian worship—the bread and the cup of communion. When we share this meal together, we aren’t merely remembering Jesus’ last meal. We are entering into his presence. Come to this table. There is no place for religious pride here. No place for classism. No place for racial division. But there is a place for you.

He/Her/Xem and Head Coverings

January 16, 2022 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 11:1–16

In this message from our “Cutting Through the Noise” series, Pastor J.D. walks through one of the most confusing and misinterpreted passages in the entire New Testament. Along the way, we’ll learn just how relevant first-century head coverings are for the hot button questions about gender (and gender identity) in the twenty-first. And we’ll see that in Christ’s service, every brother and sister finds unimaginable grace, inestimable value, and eternal purpose.

Pursuing Dust

January 9, 2022 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 10

In this message from our “Cutting Through the Noise” series, Pastor J.D. echoes the warnings of Paul in 1 Corinthians 10, showing us the dangers of (and the deliverance from) idolatry. Much of what we seek in life—success, romance, family—is good. But when we make these good things into essential things, we find ourselves eaten up with anxiety, strife, suffering, and sin. Only one identity is strong enough to be our foundation—servant of God.

The Last Spike

January 2, 2022 • Bryan Loritts • 1 Corinthians 9:24–27

Pastor Bryan continues in our series on 1 Corinthians.

That I Might Save Some

December 5, 2021 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 9:19–23

In this message from our “Cutting Through the Noise” series, Pastor J.D. picks up the analogy Paul uses in chapter 9—of an athlete in training—and asks us, “How can we run like disciplined athletes in pursuit of the race God has set before us?” Athletes are ruthless, eliminating everything that stands in the way of winning. And we should be the same. Whether we’re looking at our personal preferences, our worship services, our political decisions, even our ethnic identity … we lay it all on the line for the sake of the gospel—that we might save some.

Difficult Marriages and Divorce

November 21, 2021 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 7:10–15

In this message from 1 Corinthians 7, Pastor J.D. addresses an issue that is as relevant today as it was 2,000 years ago—divorce. Broken marriages affect so many of us in the church, and we often fail to apply gospel hope to this painful experience. But the Apostle Paul offers real-world wisdom and gospel hope to those who are divorced, those who have considered divorce, those who have been hurt by divorce. Essentially, to all of us.

Why Singleness Matters

October 24, 2021 • J.D. Greear • 1 Corinthians 7

In this message from 1 Corinthians 7, Pastor J.D. walks us through Paul’s teaching on sex, singleness, and spiritual gifts. When it comes to marriage and singleness, it’s easy for us to get disoriented. Outside the church, marriage seems less and less important. But inside the church, it can sometimes be elevated to the status of idol! So how do we understand God’s design for both marriage and singleness? Simple: We follow the example of the Apostle Paul.