Life at the Corner

You may have heard phrases like "No creed but Christ" and "The Bible alone is my authority." Some churches reject creeds and confessions on this basis, believing they ought to rely solely on the Word of God. But this belief actually misses the whole point of a creed or confession, even to the point of misunderstanding what is the work of theology. Today, Pastor Nate discusses the nature of creeds...

It's been said, "To know the content of a man's prayers is to have a window into his soul." If that is true, what do your prayers say about your soul? In today's episode, Pastor Nate explores the subject of kingdom centered prayer, and why the Lord has often used this form of praying to prepare his people for revival and special outpourings of the Holy Spirit. 

Today Pastor Nate answers the question he introduced last week regarding the nature of the temptation of Christ. Christ was sinless, so how is it possible that he could be tempted? Did he just pretend his temptations were difficult? But if so, how can he be our high priest who was "tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15)? Pastor Nate takes us to Scripture to answer this que...

Today Pastor Nate addresses a question that arose in a Home Fellowship Group at Cornerstone: Was Jesus able to sin? If Christ is our great high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4), does that not mean he could have sinned? Pastor Nate addresses this question and prepares the way for next week's episode in which he will explain  how Christ was tempted.

Today Pastor Nate finishes the conversation he began last week about whether we as believers can attend the wedding of a transgender (or homosexual) couple. He opens the Scriptures and shows God's clear, biblical principles of marriage and sexuality. These principles inform both what we believe and how we act on those beliefs toward others. We must act according to both the truth God has revealed...

The question of whether it is right or wrong for a Christian to attend a homosexual or transgender wedding was once again being debated in the evangelical world this last week. In response to your many questions on this subject, Pastor Nate ditched what he planned and takes some time to lay biblical and ministerial foundations for addressing this important question. Today's episode is the first of...

Today on the podcast Pastor Nate is flanked by Assistant Pastor, Tony Giles, and Cornerstone member, Liz Taylor. Together they talk about evangelism – what it is, why we're afraid to do it, and where we can find courage and hope to do it. Listen to the truths and stories from today's podcast and let them lead you in faith and obedience toward sharing the gospel with those the Lord puts in your pat...

How should we live in a post-modern world? Many of us grew up in a world we thought founded upon Christian teaching, beliefs, and practices. But now our society and culture increasingly reject what we stand for and hope in. Today Pastor Nate briefly tackles this question, drawing on a book written by D. A. Carson: Christ and Culture Revisited . In it, Carson lays out three biblical principles that...

Ethan Vroom and Tucker Alexander join Pastor Nate on this episode of Life at the Corner. Ethan is a Pastoral Assistant at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church, and Tucker is a Pastoral Intern. After bantering about their roles, the three of them turn to discuss what it looks like for us to be ambassadors for Christ. What are the difficulties with loving people while seeking to serve them? How do we pro...

Pastor Nate reflects on a question he recently heard: "what humanly impossible thing will you ask God to do this year?" He asked that question of several Cornerstone members, and one answer he received was "really loving my neighbors." That simple and profound answer is the focus of today's episode. How can Christians love these people whom God has placed in our lives?

There's a line in the Counting Crows' 1995 smash hit song,  A Long December , that goes like this, "It's a long December, but there's reason to believe, maybe this year will be better than the last." Though I wouldn't recommend you get your theology from the Counting Crows, they do raise an important question. What reasons do Christians have for hope as we enter 2024?   

Pastor Nate reads the reflection written for Christmas Day, 2023, in the Cornerstone Christmas Devotional. When the angels announced the birth of Christ, they said he was born "unto you." One might expect "born unto Mary" or just "born," but God chose to emphasize through the angels that Christ was born for us . Why do we need this and how is this good news? To answer this, Pastor Nate turns to th...

In this episode, Pastor Nate explores the meaning of patience and kindness, two aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. Why are those two linked in Galatians 5? What is patience and why is it so difficult? Why does kindness immediately follow it in the list? Through anecdote, word study, and meditation, Pastor Nate unpacks the nature of these virtues.

Most people think of John Newton as a hymn-writer and the composer of that famous hymn, "Amazing Grace." Few know him as an author of pastoral letters in which he displayed wonderful love and wisdom. Today, Pastor Nate focuses on one of his letters, entitled "On Controversy." In it, Newton gives guidelines for how to approach a conversation with someone you disagree with. Pastor Nate meditates on...

Today Pastor Nate looks at the prayer of Caleb in Joshua chapter 14. It is a bold prayer, in which Caleb asks for the hill country that God had promised. Pastor Nate explains what boldness in prayer is and how one can pray boldly. Sometimes our requests are not answered and sometimes they are. God could be answering one prayer by denying another. It can be confusing why God answers some prayers an...

Greg Wilbur and Max Shell join Pastor Nate on this episode of Life at the Corner to talk about Advent. Greg is the Chief Musician at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church. He is also the Founder and Dean of Students at New College Franklin. Max is Cornerstone's Worship and Music Assistant and works closely with Greg in worship planning, writing liturgies, and composing music for the church. What is Adve...

Today, Pastor Nate shares some tips for how we can prepare for Thanksgiving. Remembering our blessings is good and necessary, but ultimately Thanksgiving Day should direct our hearts to remember God who gave us each and every blessing. Pastor Nate offers encouragement and shares some of his Thanksgiving practices as we look forward to the holiday season. He draws from an article he wrote in 2013 f...

Today, Pastor Nate discusses the recent conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians and presents a biblical perspective on the importance of land in God's covenants with his people. Understanding God's promise of land to his people can aid Christians as they discuss the conflict and how it connects to debates about eschatology and the role of the Jewish people in salvation history.

Welcome to Life at the Corner! In this podcast, Pastor Nate Shurden will talk through topics relating to the intersection of life and faith, including issues of doctrine and right Christian practice, political and social events, books, and anything else that seems worthy of discussion. In this episode, Pastor Nate introduces the podcast and gives its background, purpose, and context. If you have a...