“Praise God, from whom all blessings flow.” We love to sing and experience this line from the Doxology hymn, but what happens when it feels like the blessings are flowing toward someone else? Do we celebrate, or do we begrudge? In the final installment of our summer Parables series, Pastor Josh walks us through a parable about the generosity and graciousness of our God.
Parables: 4 Soils
August 18, 2024 • Kevin Marando • Matthew 13:1–23
Matthew, Mark, and Luke record this parable first because it contains within it the key to unlocking the rest of the parables: do you have ears to hear? Do you want to know more about the kingdom of heaven or are you content with the way things are?
Parables: Pearl of Great Price
August 11, 2024 • Will Corrie • Matthew 13:44–46
Have you ever had a "eureka moment" where suddenly things click into place? This week Will Corrie, on of our elders, walks us through the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price and reveals the ultimate eureka moment, that the kingdom of God is more wonderful and more valuable than anything else we could possibly imagine.
Parables: The Wedding Feast
August 4, 2024 • Paul Cole • Matthew 22:1–22
Jesus extended an invitation to all mankind to join him in the Kingdom of heaven but not all respond. One of our elders, Paul Cole, explains this week that we must respond to the invitation that Jesus extends in order to join him in the kingdom.
Parables: Rich Man and Lazarus
July 28, 2024 • John Ames • Luke 16:19–31
*audio only
Our earthly riches are not an indicator of our faith, but how we spend our earthy riches is. This Sunday, John Ames walks us through Jesus' parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus and reveals God's heart toward the poor and how we as his people are expected to respond.
Parables: The Lampstand
July 21, 2024 • Antoine Brewster • Mark 4:21–25
In a dark world, Jesus calls us to be light. This week, Antoine Brewster walks us through the Parable of the Lampstand and reminds us that we cannot hide our light under a basket, but instead we should shine bright and bring glory to our Father in Heaven.
Parables: Pharisee and the Tax Collector
July 14, 2024 • Jua Robinson • Luke 18:9–14
Humility is one of the fundamental aspects of following Jesus. It gives us a realistic picture of the human condition and prepares us to walk faithfully with God and generously with our neighbors. This week, Jua Robinson reveals the gift of humility through the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
Parables: The Dishonest Manager
July 7, 2024 • Joel Richards • Luke 16:1–13
You cannot love both God and money. This week, Joel Richards reveals that God's people need to be shrewd with the resources we have been given and prioritize God's kingdom, not creating our own.
Parables: The Unmerciful Servant
June 30, 2024 • Andrew Nilson • Matthew 18:21–35
One of the core attributes of love is forgiveness, a taking upon oneself the debt that someone else owes. It is at times impossibly hard to extend forgiveness to others. This week, Andrew Nilson shares how forgiveness is a necessary attribute of the followers of Christ and how we can extend forgiveness to others by looking to what we have been forgiven in Christ.
Parables: The Good Samaritan
June 23, 2024 • John Ames • Luke 10:25–37
Jesus told us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves but the question becomes, "who is my neighbor?" This week John Ames shows that everyone is our neighbor and that Jesus is the compassionate Savior we all need.
Parables: The Prodigal Son
June 16, 2024 • Kevin Marando • Luke 15:11–32, Luke 15:1–2
Israel's history is full of those who wander and need grace, those who are lost and then found. This week Pastor Kevin begins our Parables series with the story of the Prodigal Son and reveals that at the core of the Father's heart, there is grace.
