In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 12, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on church membership.

• In this episode, we reflect on what it means to be a member of the church, and how the Holy Spirit actively shapes both our belonging and our collective decisions. Membership isn’t about being on a list or meeting a set of formal requirements—it’s about the Spirit of God doing something in us. It’s about confessing Jesus as Lord, receiving spiritual gifts, and using those gifts to serve one another in love.
• Every person in the body of Christ matters. We each carry something different, and when we offer it in service to the community, the church thrives. No one is more important than another—when one rejoices, we all rejoice. When one suffers, we all feel it. This shared life transcends every boundary, whether ethnic, racial, or social, and brings us together in a way that honors God.
• We also look at how decisions are made in the church, not through voting or control, but through discernment. Leadership doesn’t mean authority over others, but a posture of service under Christ. We trust that the Spirit leads us, planting wisdom and conviction in each member. Being part of the church means committing to a group of people who love God, pursue righteousness, give generously, and carry the gospel of reconciliation to the world—not out of duty, but because the Spirit has stirred something real in them.

Membership, then, is not a formality. It’s a living, Spirit-led participation in the life of the church. It’s a call to show up, to serve, and to belong. Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 12

Date: April 18, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 11, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on church leadership. In this episode, we explore what qualifies someone for leadership in the church, focusing on character over credentials. True leaders are those—men or women—who walk closely with God, show spiritual maturity, and are recognized by the community for the evident work of the Holy Spirit in their lives. It's not about titles, education, or past roles, but about being rooted in Christ and living faithfully among the body. Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 11:1-16

Date: April 11, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 9, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on the difference between calling and identity. He reflects on how Paul refused to take advantage of the benefits of his role as an apostle, choosing not to conflate his calling with his identity. We are challenged to hold our earthly identities—our jobs, our ethnicity, even our calling—loosely, so that our true identity as people transformed by Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection becomes our motivation to serve God and love our neighbor as He instructed.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love. Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 9

Date: March 30, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 8 and 10, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on how, when we encounter people who practice their faith differently, we are called to respond not just with knowledge, but with love—because love builds up and guides us to act in a way that protects, honors, and leads others toward Christ.

• In Greek culture, meat sacrifices were common, and while some believers saw no problem in eating the meat, others felt it held power from the sacrifice. We are faced with two ways to approach such situations: knowledge and love.

• Love should take precedence over knowledge, as knowledge can lead to arrogance, while love builds others up. Our actions should be guided by love, not just by what we think is right, because acting out of pride can harm others. Love calls us to make sacrifices, even in small ways—such as choosing grape juice at communion to avoid hindering someone who doesn’t drink alcohol.

• We need to be aware that we are called to avoid sin, and that loving and caring for others is a tool that helps us on that path. May we be in tune with the Spirit of God so that we know how to act and respond. And when faced with a situation that makes us uncomfortable, we pray to be guided with love and to behave within the parameters that Jesus has given us—so that they may be saved.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 8 & 10

Date: March 23, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 7: 25-40, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights living with a sense of urgency and faithfulness, reflecting on the teachings of Paul.

• Paul urges first-century believers to live in light of the end times, where their decisions and actions should reflect this reality.
• He emphasizes the importance of staying where they were when called—whether slave or free—and focusing on their commitment to God in that context.
• Through the difficulties of life, he encourages the church to remember that the things they hold onto, such as relationships and possessions, are temporary and may change at any moment. This includes having undivided attention to God, particularly in managing desires like sexual temptation.
• As a Church, the question we must ask ourselves today is: How are we responding to the circumstances around us? Are our actions glorifying God, and are we living as if Christ could return at any moment?

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 7: 25-40

Date: March 16, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 7:1-24, where Georges Melki shares insights on how holiness in sexuality isn’t about rigid rules or escaping desire, but about living with undivided devotion to God—whether in marriage, singleness, or struggle—by receiving sex as a gift and embodying grace in a hypersexualized world.

• Jesus didn’t give laws—he addressed people’s real-life struggles and offered principles to guide them through life.

Paul reframes sexuality in many ways:

• In this passage, Paul challenges the idea that holiness is only individual. It’s also communal.

• By calling spouses to yield their bodies to each other, Paul makes a radical, countercultural statement of equality in a time when men held power.
• Paul offers a positive view of sex—not just for procreation but as a meaningful part of life and relationship.
• He describes sex as good, but not ultimate. It’s one of three powerful gifts (money, sex, power) that can either bless or corrupt, depending on how they’re used.
• Cultural messages either demonize sex as impure and unholy or idolize sex as the ultimate expression of freedom.

• There’s value in fasting from sex for spiritual growth. Even within marriage, sex can distract from full devotion to God—so the core principle remains: in all things, pursue undivided devotion to God.

• In today’s hypersexualized world, struggling with sexual thoughts doesn’t mean you lack the gift of celibacy—it simply means it’s hard to resist what’s constantly around us.

• We often want quick answers. If married to an unbeliever, we might think divorce is the solution—but Paul points to be more gracious. Mature holiness means knowing Jesus sanctifies us daily, and we shine His light within our relationships. We don’t leave to be more holy—we become holy where we are.

• Our calling is sanctification. Don’t try to change yourself—it turns that struggle into an idol. Let God do the work. He’ll free captives, restore what’s broken, and bring you the relationships meant for you.

• At the end of his life, Jesus didn’t resist his suffering. He was treated like a slave, beaten like an abused woman, abandoned like a divorcée. He didn’t change his fate—God brought resurrection.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love.

Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Georges Melki

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 7: 1-24

Date: March 9th, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 6, where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on how pursuing one's own desires, particularly in regards to sexuality, reflect a desire for something in addition to God, and how that desire for more is the root of sin. He talks about how the church can address that using the scriptures and the power of God, practicing in our lives today what will be our reality in God's future Kingdom. Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love. Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: 1 Corinthians 6

Date: February 23, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 4 where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on leading a life that inspires others to follow Christ by following Paul's example in preaching the message of Jesus, discipling others to grow in faith, and are consistent in a Christ-like attitude in all circumstances, and are humble in the face of the power of God. Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love. Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Corinthians 4

Date: February 9, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at 1 Corinthians 1-3 where Pastor Lyall Armstrong shares insights on how truly knowing and understanding God is given by the Spirit of God that transforms those who, with a humble heart, accept to be taught by God.

• Knowing God is not an academic understanding, it comes with surrendering one's life to God and admitting one's ignorance, and it is then that the Spirit transforms us.

• What characterizes the Church is that it is not divided with factions and divisions, but unified with Christ. Pastor Armstrong also highlights the holiness of gathering as a Church in the presence of God.

• Becoming a fool means accepting the message of the cross, when we are wise, we are too good for that, so we must become fools to ourselves to become wise with God.

• Jesus is our foundation in glorifying God in all that we do.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love. Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Corinthians 1-3

Date: February 2, 2025

Sermon Series: Glorify God

In this episode of the Cedars Church Podcast, we look at Colossians 3 again, Pastor Lyall shares with us about how we should be ending our year after all the joys and sorrows we went through in Beirut. How to focus on Christ and keep moving forward, removing everything that tempts and hinders us. This sermon is part one of a series on ending and new beginnings.

Through this message, we’re encouraged to grow in our understanding of God’s word and to live out our faith with wisdom and love. Tune in to reflect, be inspired, and join us in our journey to build a vibrant, supportive community grounded in truth. Subscribe to stay connected with weekly sermons and teachings from Cedars Church Beirut.

Speaker: Pastor Lyall Armstrong

Bible Passage: Colossians 3:1-11

Date: December 29, 2024

Sermon Series: New Year 2025