Life at the Corner

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 the Old Testament and sees how Christ solves an age-long problem.

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 Newton's advice and applies it to our hurried and work-oriented lives. You can find this letter at: https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/on-controversy.

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 and not others, and it can be tempting to view him as a kind of Santa Claus or genie and be disappointed when we do not get what we asked for. We need a proper understanding of who God is and the imitation of Christ's example of prayer to humbly make our requests.

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 Advent? How do we celebrate it? Are there differences between Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany? Cornerstone's resident experts are here to answer all these questions and more! (And in case you thought Max and Greg would only talk about music, they also promote their Christmas tradition of making meat bread). Stay tuned for their conversation and enjoy the banter.

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 for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You can find that article at https://www.placefortruth.org/blog/take-time-to-give-thanks.

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 any questions, comments, or topics you'd like Pastor Nate to address, you can email him at [email protected].