Life on the West Side

Nathan Guy

Everyone I know longs for genuine happiness, lasting peace, real beauty, ultimate purpose, and honest, sincere and overwhelming love. I want you to know that Jesus came so that you can experience rich, abundant life and overwhelming love! Join me, Nathan Guy, preaching minister for the West Side Church of Christ in Searcy, Arkansas, as I share my passion for Jesus Christ in weekly teachings, conduct exciting interviews with other ministers, authors and church leaders, and discuss things learned along the way. Each episode will offer a recent sermon or interview with inspiring guests intended to encourage you in your faith formation as disciples of Jesus Christ. In addition, I will link to further resources such as a discussion guide, points to ponder, and recommended resources. You can watch these sermons and find more resources at nathanguy.com, follow me @nathanpguy and subscribe to my weekly e-mail at nathanguy.substack.com. read less
Religion & SpiritualityReligion & Spirituality

Episodes

Read Communally
Mar 20 2024
Read Communally
When we are so tired of the voices in our heads and in our culture, we long to hear the voice of God. Generations come and generations go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Learn healthy practices to hear the voice of God in Scripture.The sermon today is titled "Read Communally." It is the seventh installment in our series "Read Well." The Scripture reading is from 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on March 17, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Bible Interpretation.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:Nathan Guy, “Appreciating Orthodoxy.” Healthy Theology WebsiteNathan Guy, “Believing Well.” Healthy Theology Website Joel Miller, “Why Apostolic Tradition Matters.” PatheosSavi Hensman, “Thinking Theologically: Bible, Reason, Tradition, & Experience.” Ekklesia websiteJohn L. Thompson, Reading The Bible With The Dead John Mark Hicks, Searching For The Pattern: My Journey In Interpreting The Bible (2019) Josh Buice, "Three Reasons Why We Moved The Lord's Supper to Every Sunday," G3 (May 3, 2022).Timothy Beal, "The Rise of Rapture Horror Culture", Humanities (Fall 2022)Jack P. Lewis, "The Days of Creation," JETS (1989)I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.
Read Normally
Mar 13 2024
Read Normally
When we are so tired of the voices in our heads and in our culture, we long to hear the voice of God. Generations come and generations go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Learn healthy practices to hear the voice of God in Scripture.The sermon today is titled "Read Normally." It is the sixth installment in our series "Read Well." The Scripture reading is from Deuteronomy 29:29 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on March 10, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Bible Interpretation.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:Kevin DeYoung, The Biggest Story.Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet.Stafford North, “Command, Example, & Necessary Inference.” https://faculty.oc.edu/stafford.north/comm-ex-inf.htm Milo Hadwin, The Role of New Testament Examples As Related To Biblical Authority (1974). https://www.amazon.com/Testament-examples-related-Biblical-authority/dp/B0006YPGY0/ John Mark Hicks, Searching For The Pattern: My Journey In Interpreting The Bible (2019). https://www.amazon.com/Searching-Pattern-Journey-Interpreting-Bible/dp/1689634626/ Elisha Sewell, Gospel Advocate (Nov 13, 1923), pp. 1102-1103.I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.
Read Humbly
Mar 4 2024
Read Humbly
When we are so tired of the voices in our heads and in our culture, we long to hear the voice of God. Generations come and generations go, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. Learn healthy practices to hear the voice of God in Scripture.The sermon today is titled "Read Humbly." It is the fourth installment in our series "Read Well." The Scripture reading is from Zephaniah 2:3 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on February 25, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Bible Interpretation.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:Gordon D. Fee & Douglas Stuart, How To Read The Bible For All It's Worth (4th ed), Chap 1: "The Need To Interpret."Dan Kimball, How (Not) To Read The Bible (Zondervan 2020), Introduction.Scot McKnight, The Blue Parakeet: Rethinking How You Read The Bible (2nd ed) (Zondervan, 2018), Introduction & Part 1.E. Randolph Richards & Brandon O'Brien, Misreading Scripture Through Western Eyes: Removing Cultural Blinders to Better Understand the Bible (IVP, 2012), Introduction.I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.
Does Prayer Do Anything?
Jan 14 2024
Does Prayer Do Anything?
Going to God in prayer is meant to disable all the signals coming from our culture, and even quiet the noise in our heads. It stops the outside voices clamoring for our attention, and forces us to be still. Why? Because we are not actually in control of our lives; and God wishes to communicate with us and even navigate our way in the world.The sermon today is titled "Does Prayer Do Anything?" It is the second installment in our series "Airplane Mode." The Scripture reading is from Ephesians 3:20 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on January 14, 2024. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under GROW: Spiritual Disciplines.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:Series title from Grace Church (Kansas City).I am grateful to Rick Atchley of The Hills Church (Richland Hills, TX) for several lessons (heard decades apart) where he offered material used in several key aspects of the sermon today. A sermon on revival preached 25 years ago (in Jackson, TN) included the opening story of the Golf Legend, and a telling of the escape of Peter from prison (Acts 12). More recently, he preached a sermon at The Hills church telling of his dream in the file-cabinet room of heaven, and challenging the church to ask for more.C. S. Lewis' response on prayer is found in his 1945 essay "Work and Prayer" and in his book Letters to Malcolm, Chiefly on Prayer.A list of powerful prayers in Scripture used in this lesson can be found here.Song leader: Tyler Mayo.I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.
Exact Representation
Dec 20 2023
Exact Representation
Go back before time. Before all galaxies. There He is. The spoken word creates all things. Can you see him?That word became flesh. The incarnate one. The express image of gods glory. Can you see him?Beyond presents and trees. Beyond ribbons and reindeers.is the true reason for the season. God in the flesh, Majesty in a manger, who came for you.The sermon today is titled "Exact Representation." It is the third installment in our series "Cosmic Christ." The Scripture reading is from Hebrews 1:1-4 (CEV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on December 17, 2023. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under BEGIN: A Loving Christ.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:The famous trilemma ("Lunatic, Liar, or Lord") is drawn from C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Book 2, Chapter 3: "The Shocking Alternative." For the organization of passages, I am indebted to William Lane Craig's Defender's podcast (Series 3): "Doctrine of God: Trinity (Part 3): The Deity of Christ."For the language of "in having to do with Jesus, we are having to do with God," I credit my Oxford tutor, Robert Morgan. For the claim that early Christians developed Trinitarian language as an outgrowth of their experience of God in Jesus Christ, I am grateful to readings and dialogue with my Cambridge supervisor, Janet Martin Soskice.I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.
Radiance of God's Glory
Dec 19 2023
Radiance of God's Glory
Go back before time. Before all galaxies. There He is. The spoken word creates all things. Can you see him?That word became flesh. The incarnate one. The express image of gods glory. Can you see him?Beyond presents and trees. Beyond ribbons and reindeers.is the true reason for the season. God in the flesh, Majesty in a manger, who came for you.The sermon today is titled "Radiance of God's Glory." It is the second installment in our series "Cosmic Christ." The Scripture reading is from Hebrews 1:1-4 (CEV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on December 10, 2023. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under BEGIN: A Loving Christ.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:The opening quote ("I believe in God as I believe in the sun") is from C. S. Lewis.On the wonder of light, I summarize findings here: Astrum, “The Attribute of Light Science Still Can’t Explain.” For exegesis of Hebrews 1:3, see Alan C. Mitchell, Hebrews (Sacra Pagina).On the Transfiguration, see Tim Keller, "Jesus the King."The concluding observations--that light is the basic source of life, truth, and joy, but also what can take all these away--are from Tim Keller, "I Am The Light."I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.
Practice Makes Perfect
Nov 27 2023
Practice Makes Perfect
Beyond rules and moral ideals. Read the Sermon on the Mount as every day, in every way, learning to practice the presence of God.The sermon today is titled "Practice Makes Perfect." It is the thirteenth and last installment in our series "One Sermon That Changed The World." The Scripture reading is from Matthew 7:24-29 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on November 12, 2023. All lessons fit under one of 5 broad categories: Begin, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under DISCOVER: A New Lifestyle.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Click here if you would like to download "Living the Sermon on the Mount," a free teachers guide and workbook resource for class and small groups.Click here for the "Outside the Walls" podcast discussion of this sermon.Sources of Inspiration for the Lesson Used in Today's Podcast:James Bryan Smith, The Good & Beautiful Life.James Clear, Atomic HabitsChristianity Today article: 26 million Americans stopped reading the Bible…American Bible Society 2002 Report: The State of the Bible.Brother Lawrence, Practice of the Presence of God.Lee Daniel's The Butler "Sit In" scene.Craig Keener, Matthew: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary.Stanley Hauerwas, Matthew (Brazos).Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Cost of Discipleship.I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide and even kids notes on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.