Cornerstone West Los Angeles » Sermons

We have all been incredibly blessed. While life is hard and difficult at times, it is also filled with inordinate blessings. But when we forget where those blessings come from our hearts are led away from the giver and chase after a never-ending list of false hopes. To follow Christ we have to remember where our blessings come from and trust him when they seem more scarce. Application Questions: ...

God has called us all to spread the gospel to those he has placed in our lives. But we can often view that calling as a chore we need to complete before getting back to the things that bring us joy. When we understand how God has created us, the hope he has promised us, and the purpose he has given to us, we begin to see that our greatest joy is actually found in living for others and sharing the...

In the Resurrection Jesus has defeated death- but where did death come from? We see in the beginning of Genesis that in the beginning Adam and Eve doubt God's goodness and His Word. In response to their sin they run from God and hide, but God chases after them, and invites them home.  Application Question:  How impactful has the Resurrection been for you this week?

On the first Easter, Jesus has to convince his own disciples that he really rose from the grave. His real resurrection transforms their lives, and can transform ours as well. Application Questions:  1. How would your life change if you truly believed Jesus rose from the dead?  2. How can you relate to the disciples, who struggled to believe in the resurrection?  3. What led them to believe? How mi...

Paul transitions from talking about food sacrificed to idols, and takes focus on the rights that he has as an apostle to ask for financial support from churches. Instead Paul refuses to exercise this right because his highest priority is to not let anything be a stumbling block to the spread of the gospel. Application Questions: 1. What does Christian freedom look like in your life? Where do you s...

The value and importance of knowledge is undeniable when it is put to use to help us in how we live our lives. But the way in which it is done is the most significant thing. Paul shows us a better way to apply our knowledge through sacrificial love.   Application Questions: 1. In what ways are you tempted to let your knowledge "puff you up?" 2. How does being known by God change the way you view w...

The story we tell ourselves about marriage determines how we think about our marital status. But God places our marital status (both single and married) within the larger story of his redemptive work and promised return, reframing how we think about every different season in our lives. In light of God's grace, and his promised return, singleness becomes a beautiful blessing that uniquely displays...

In the context of a discussion of sex, marriage, and singleness, Paul tells the Corinthians that their circumstances are not as important as their relationship with Christ, and following Him. Instead of concerning themselves with improving their circumstances in this world their concern should be about how to honor the Lord in the midst of their circumstances. Application Questions: 1. In what way...

Paul’s specific counsel to the Corinthians on divorce is built on a rich understanding of marriage. Marriage is a covenant union, with self-giving love at its center. This changes how we approach marriage, divorce, and much more. Application Questions: 1. What are common things you hear in our city about marriage and divorce?  2. Why does Scripture insist that marriage is a covenant? How is that g...

Paul begins a long section on marriage, singleness, and spirituality for a divided church in Corinth. In this first section, we clear the table of some misconceptions about marriage so we can take a look at the heart of marriage, not just for married people but for everyone: love. Application Questions: 1. Have you ever thought that marital status was connected to spiritual maturity? Why or why no...

Why did God create us sexual beings? What is the purpose of our sexual desires? What is the purpose of sex within marriage? The Corinthians were confused about the ultimate purpose of sex, and so are we. But, just as in every area of life, God brings clarity and peace out of the confusion through his Word. Application Questions: 1. How does the way you've previously thought about sex differ from t...

The Christian view of sex seems backwards to modern people, but it’s actually joyful and hope-giving. Paul shows us how by teaching us about our body. For Christians, the body is sacred and valuable and it matters how we use it.  Application Questions: 1. When it comes to our city, do you think we view the body as very important or not very important?  2. Why is it good news that God cares about y...

Whether it's life stage, a special circumstance, or specific struggle, we're all tired. Sometimes exhausted. Jesus meets us in our need with an offer of his rest. In Him, we find the unexpected and potent peace of His presence - the rest we truly need.  Application Questions: 1. What are some ways in which you look for rest?  2. How is Jesus' unexpected offer of rest actually good news?  3. How ca...

The Kingdom of God is something we all long for—whether we admit it or not. Paul sees that the Corinthians were losing sight of the kingdom, and their lifestyles showed it. So he refocuses them on the kingdom: what it is, what keeps us from it, and how the gospel gives us a new identity that brings us into it. Application Questions: 1. How do you see a desire for the kingdom of God in your own lif...

In Corinth there are Christians who are handling disputes among one another by suing each other in secular courts. Paul shows them that this kind of action undermines the witness of the gospel in the church. Through the power of the gospel the church should be able to handle disputes through discernment, reconciliation, and unity. Application Questions: 1. How different is authentic Christian comm...

When we hear of someone being removed from the church community we inevitably have a lot of questions. Isn't that unkind? What exactly does that mean? Why would God promote that kind of shunning? But most of our questions stem from misunderstanding what is typically called "church discipline." But when we understand the biblical concept of "church restoration" things become more more clear and com...

What do you do when sin runs rampant in the church? How do you handle unrepentance in the body? Paul takes on some of the hardest questions facing the church in Corinth (and the church in LA) head on. And he does it with boldness, love, and a confidence in the restorative power of the gospel.

New Year’s Day is usually a letdown. The real celebration is the night before, and we wake up in another year with another set of things we’d like to change. The Bible gives us a better way to celebrate the New Year, one that connects it to God’s faithfulness in the past, present, and future. Application Questions: 1. Are you a New Year’s Resolution kind of person or an anti-New Year’s resolution...

Christmas can be a time of incredible darkness and pain, only highlighted more clearly because of the lights and joy of the season. But Christmas is a story of a God who knows our darkness, and who chooses to enter our darkness with us and for us. Christ is God in the flesh, God revealing Himself to a dark and broken world, and it is into the darkness Christ goes, the darkness of our world and the...

Paul wields his authority in 1 Corinthians, but in a way that isn’t very familiar to us today. We struggle with authority, but Paul teaches us the better way of authority founded on the gospel. Application Questions: 1. Do you tend to reject authority or embrace it? 2. What is compelling about Paul’s vision of authority as loving, worth imitating, and determined?  3. How does the gospel free us to...

We're all searching for a better way to live. But the only way to live that truly satisfies is backward from what we would expect. On the cross Jesus not only saved and redeemed us, but he also showed us the way forward in this fallen world. He showed us the truly better way to live. And it's the way of the cross. Application Questions: 1. In what ways do you see the lie of achievement sneak into...

In Corinth, like Los Angeles, everyone is climbing the ladder towards success and significance. And if you want to make sure you are significant, you have to do a lot of judging—of others, and of yourself. Paul explains how the gospel upends the way we judge others and ourselves: by giving us true humility in Jesus Christ. Application Questions: 1. Do you care more about what others think of you o...

We are God's temple and all things are ours in Christ. We must fight to keep our eyes on Him, to humble ourselves before the One who made us all the things that we are. When we do, He lifts us up and sends us out, empowered by His Spirit to do His work. Application Questions: 1. What does it mean to you that you are God's temple?  2. How can you humble yourself more before the Almighty God?  3. Ho...

How do you build a church? What do you expect from your pastors and Christian leaders? What do you expect from your local church? How you answer these questions will not only determine how you're involved in the local church, it will also determine how you build your life as a Christian. And, as Paul continues to show us: Jesus has a better way to build. Application Questions: Prior to this sermon...

Paul corrects a prideful church in Corinth, and as he does we get a lesson on spiritual growth. Like moving from an infant towards maturity, spiritual growth means we grow more and more into the image of Christ in our hearts and our lives. We receive God’s truth, and others help us, but ultimately it’s God who gives the growth. Application Questions: 1. What is your experience with spiritual growt...