Sermons

As Christians, one of the most common questions we ask is “What is God’s will for my life?” But discerning God’s will isn’t always obvious. So how do we know God’s plan for our lives? It starts with the understanding that God’s will is more about the kind of person we’re becoming — not what activity we’re doing.

We would all love for God to give us a clear sign to help us know His will in every situation -- but those occasions are rare. Instead, rather than giving us a sign, God wants to lead us with His peace. But for God to lead us with His peace we must first learn to discern the difference between worldly peace and God's peace.

In the first Christian sermon ever recorded, Peter explained Jesus’ resurrection with an intriguing phrase: “Death could not hold Him.” On Sunday, Todd explained what Peter meant by this and how Jesus’ triumph over death has opened the door for all of us to eternal life.

We tend to gravitate towards certain aspects of Jesus’ personality — His compassion, His wisdom, or His power — but we tend to avoid Jesus’ suffering. Isaiah 53 brings the suffering of Jesus into sharp focus and explains how he entered into our suffering on every level in order to redeem us from our sins and reconcile us to God.

Why did Jesus die? Out of the thousands upon thousands of people crucified by the Romans, what makes His death so unique? Isaiah 53 foretold how God would come as the Suffering Servant to receive the punishment we deserve — making it possible for God’s justice to be fulfilled while still showing mercy to a broken and sinful world.

The world looks for certain things to identify successful or significant people: money, looks, connections, credentials, and talents. But Jesus didn’t have any of those things. To the world’s eyes, He was completely ordinary. But God doesn’t see as the world sees. God looks at the heart — and under Jesus’ ordinary exterior beat the greatest heart that ever lived. Jesus shows us that God uses the ordinary of our lives to bring about the extraordinary.

Suffering is often messy, disruptive, and painful to witness. So when we hear about someone else’s suffering, our natural response is to look the other way. But when we make the choice to enter into someone else’s suffering, we become vessels through which God pours out His comfort to the people who need it most.

How should we respond when we’re in pain? Job’s response to suffering was affirmed by God, which is surprising since his prayers were more rants against God than proclamations of faith. So why did God affirm them? Because they were prayers. Job teaches us that we can’t go wrong if we’re going to God with our pain.

Modern secular culture sees suffering as the ultimate evil — something to be avoided at all costs. But the early Christians took a different view: suffering was something to be embraced, not merely endured. How could they say that? Was this just macho chest-thumping? Or are the pointing us to something deeper — something essential that could transform our experience of suffering?

It can be deeply troubling when bad things happen to good people. Not only does it serve as an uncomfortable reminder that life is uncertain, it also exposes the false idea that “If I’m a good person, then God will reward me.” But while the Bible never promises a life without suffering, it does present a God who suffered on our behalf so that suffering wouldn’t have the last word.

Most of us are extremely uncomfortable with uncertainty. It’s the source of so much debilitating worry and anxiety. But does it have to be that way? On Sunday, Todd looked at how Jesus taught us to respond when we encounter life’s inevitable uncertainties. 

It’s easy to be apprehensive as we enter 2024 — with divisive elections looming and two wars which could escalate at any moment. But as followers of Jesus, we don’t just look at the news, we look to God and seek Him for guidance in navigating these uncertain days. On Sunday, Todd shared three ways we can walk with God into the new year.

The start of a new year often triggers our longing to make changes to our lives. We often use New Year’s Resolutions to help us make those changes, but they rarely work. Instead, God invites us to walk with Him into the new year by seeking Him and receiving His counsel for our lives. On Sunday, Todd explained one approach to seeking God for your year called the VIM method.

As Christians, we are all pilgrims — people who are on a journey toward Christlikeness and ultimately to heaven itself. On Sunday, Don Martin looked at three crucial mindsets of a pilgrim: turning, serving, and waiting. Embracing these mindsets helps us persevere in hope in our pilgrimage through life.

The busy holiday season rush is over. Now it's time to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas. Join us as we retell the birth of Jesus and the Joy, peace, hope and love that means for us today.

Christians are commanded to “rejoice always.” But can we really be commanded to rejoice? Isn’t joy something that depends on circumstances outside our control? The command to rejoice always isn't a command to deny the painful realities of our lives, but to anchor our souls in the transcendent reality of our faith.

We often associate Christmas with peace. But the peace that Jesus offers us is very different from the sentimental peace we all long for at this time of year. In order to experience the peace of Christ, Jesus must first confront the things in us that hinder our connection to Him. While that confrontation can be disruptive and painful, it can set us free and allow us to experience a deep and lasting peace.

The writers of the New Testament frequently mention hope as one of the key mindsets of the Christian life. But in a world as broken as ours, what is there to be hopeful about? Todd explores the critical role hope plays in anchoring and strengthening our faith in the midst of hardship and suffering.

The ultimate goal of solitude is encountering God. Sometimes that happens easily. But sometimes our encounter looks more like a wrestling match, where we bring to Him the questions, doubts, and painful disappointments with Him that hide in the shadows of our hearts. But the story of Jacob shows us that if we are willing to wrestle through these painful places, we will discover a renewed trust and a deeper intimacy with God than ever before.