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.

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 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 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. 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.

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.

In this message from 1 Corinthians, Pastor J.D. takes a look at the 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.

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.