Sermons

The Christian life is hard. It can be almost impossible if we're trying to live it on our own. That's why God gave us the church and other believers to try and help us keep our eyes on Jesus. Sometimes this comes from the encouragement we receive from others, and sometimes it can be done through a practice like church discipline. Why is church discipline something we should welcome as we seek to follow Jesus? Check out the latest sermon from City of God.

Where do we find our identity and value? Typically, it's in comparisons with other people. If we feel like we measure up well to our peers, then it's easy to feel happy with our life. However, we always find someone who has accomplished more than us, and so we're stuck in a cycle of comparison, happiness, and anxiety. Is it possible to avoid this comparison trap? The Apostle Paul outlines a strategy in 1 Corinthians 4 that helps us find peace and contentment in this life.

Foundations matter. They matter for buildings and bridges, but they also matter for people. The foundation you choose to build your life upon will affect everything about you. How can we know we're building on a solid foundation, and what kind of life should we be seeking to create? "Take Care How You Build" helps us address these specific questions.

What are the greatest threats to the church today? You could probably come up with a lot of answers before you thought of jealousy, but that's exactly what Paul does in 1 Corinthians 3:3-9. There was a lot of conflict happening in the church at Corinth, and jealousy was the root of much of it. In this text, Paul teaches us how to combat jealousy by finding our identity, security, and contentment in Christ.

The Christian life described in the Bible doesn't make sense unless someone is connected to a church. In our day, church membership is one of the primary ways someone can join a congregation and live on mission with that specific church body. But what is membership, and why is it important? Join us for a special conversation between the City of God Staff on this issue.

What does a mature Christian look like? We all have some idea of what it means to take our faith seriously, but in 1 Corinthians 3:1-3, Paul gives us one of the best pieces of evidence that we're growing in Christ. Are we waging war against our sin? Are we becoming increasingly obedient to Jesus? One of the best pieces of evidence that we are progressing in the Christian life is that we are walking with the Spirit as our lives are transformed.

For many people, the Christian life feels like a long list of do's and don'ts. They've been led to believe that life in the church is about following a list of rules, and because of this the emotion they most often associate with their faith is guilt. It always feels like they should be doing more. However, that's not how Paul framed following Jesus. Rather than focusing on the rules, Paul pointed people to Jesus and the overwhelming amount of grace he made available. Once someone realizes how much Jesus has done for them, the Christian life becomes a delight motivated by love.

Tyler St. Clair is a pastor and church planter at Cornerstone Church in Detroit, MI.

Everyone is searching for significance and meaning. The culture tells us that we can find it in a few commonly accepted places, but once we've accomplished what we're supposed to we're left just as empty as were before. Humanity seems to be looking for something, and in order to find it, maybe we need to look where no one else is looking. In 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5, Paul reminds the church that the message of the cross sounds foolish, but as surprising at it sounds, it's the only place we can find what we're searching for.