Summit Life with J.D. Greear

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.

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.

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.

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.

As we continue through the book of 1 Corinthians in our series, “Cutting Through the Noise,” Pastor J.D. explores a topic that is as contentious to us today as it was to the people in Corinth—sex. Our society has a lot of competing ideas about what sex is for and what makes sex good. God has ideas, too. And since sex was his idea, it’s well worth listening to the wisdom he has to share.