1 Corinthians 16:13-24: Parting Words
A good sermon’s conclusion draws everything together into short, memorable statements, Nick says, and Paul’s own parting words to the Corinthians work the same way. He closes out 1 Corinthians by walking through Paul’s final...
1 Corinthians 16:5-12: A Man on a Mission
We call someone driven and focused a man on a mission, Nick says, and Paul is the quintessential example, except his mission is God’s. He works through Paul’s travel plans as he closes 1 Corinthians,...
1 Corinthians 16:1-4: The Collection for the Saints
Early Christianity changed the world partly through its generosity to the poor, Nick says, pointing to the Jerusalem church selling possessions so no one went without after Pentecost. He works through Paul’s instructions for the...
1 Corinthians 15:50-58: The Last Trumpet
The best news the world ever had came from a graveyard, someone once said, Nick recounts, and he means the resurrection. He works through Paul’s triumphant conclusion to his resurrection chapter, the last trumpet and...
1 Corinthians 15:35-49: The Resurrection Body
The Hebrew mind was already prepared for bodily resurrection, Nick says, pointing back to Enoch, who walked with God and simply was not, because God took him. He works through Paul’s teaching on what kind...
1 Corinthians 15:29-34: Because the Resurrection is True…
How would you live today if you actually believed everything the Bible says is true? Nick asks. He works through Paul’s argument that the resurrection isn’t just a doctrine to affirm, it’s meant to change...
1 Corinthians 15:20-28: How we are Resurrected in Christ
A preacher is always asking how a truth applies to the believer’s life, Nick says, but today’s sermon works differently, tracing the cosmic sweep of Christ’s resurrection before it ever gets to application. He works...
1 Corinthians 15:12-19: If the Resurrection Were Not True
Ligonier’s state of theology survey turns up shocking answers from self-identified evangelicals, Nick notes. He works through Paul’s own argument for why, if the resurrection isn’t true, our faith and our preaching are worthless.
1 Corinthians 15:9-11: All of Grace
There but for the grace of God go I, the English martyr John Bradford reportedly said watching criminals marched off to execution, Nick recounts. He works through Paul’s own testimony as the least of the...
1 Corinthians 15:5-8: The Historicity and Significance of the Resurrection
How can we actually know Jesus rose from the dead? Nick asks, pointing to the strongest kind of evidence the ancient world could offer: multiple eyewitness reports. He works through Paul’s list of resurrection appearances...
1 Corinthians 15:1-4: A Reminder of the Gospel
He is risen, he is risen indeed, was how the early church greeted each other, Nick notes. He works through 1 Corinthians 15 and Paul’s reminder to a church that believed in Christ’s resurrection but...
1 Corinthians 14:26-40: Worshipping in Spirit and in Truth
Spirituality outside the church has become self-help ideology dressed up in New Age language, Nick says. He works through Paul’s instructions for orderly worship in 1 Corinthians 14 to recover what worshipping in spirit and...
1 Corinthians 14:1-25: Putting the Gift of Tongues in its Place
Forty years ago Neil Postman warned that television was turning our brains to mush, training us to prefer entertainment over substance, Nick notes. He applies that same caution to the Corinthians’ obsession with tongues, a...
1 Corinthians 13:8-13: The Superiority of Love
Common sense says choose the reliable car with a full service record over the flashy one with 300,000 kilometres on the clock, Nick says. He applies that same common sense to Paul’s argument for why...
1 Corinthians 13:7: Omnia Vincit Amor
Omnia vincit amor, love conquers all, Nick says, tracing the phrase back to Virgil in 37 BC and forward through centuries of songs, tattoos, and paintings. He works through Paul’s claim that real love bears,...
1 Corinthians 13:6: The Principles of Love
The word love has become nearly meaningless in our post-Christian age, Nick says, stripped of any objective standard to define it. He continues through 1 Corinthians 13 to recover what love actually means when it’s...