Lost at Home
November 19, 2023 • Luke 15:25–32
The parable of the prodigal son has a natural focus on the son who leaves, lives recklessly, and returns. But many of us live out our faith like the older brother—living at home, with the Father, yet refusing to enter into joy. The younger brother chased the desires of his stomach and found himself lost in the world. The older brother, blinded by resentment, entitlement, and fear, was lost in his own home.
Stones of Remembrance
October 22, 2023 • Joshua 4:1–7
Whether through altars built or communion elements taken, God places a high emphasis on remembrance for His people. When we remember correctly, we move forward differently. And how do we remember? We build a memorial for what He has done and testify that He is with us and He is powerful.
Waiting on God
September 17, 2023 • James 5:7–11
The tenured farmer, after preparing the ground with seed, does not pester the crop to hurry the harvest. He waits. James tells us to be patient for the coming of the Lord. We should not wait with grumbling, but with joy, establishing our hearts in the Lord. He has set a time, and He will return.
Sowing and Reaping
August 27, 2023 • Galatians 6:7–10
There is objective truth that doesn’t erase difficulty, but brings true life. In God’s design, there is accountability for our actions. And God is not mocked. What we sow, we reap. If we sow to the flesh, we reap corruption. If we sow to the Spirit, we reap a bountiful harvest of truth, beauty, and goodness in this life and the life to come.
Reassurance
July 23, 2023 • 1 John 3:19–24
It is of utmost importance to follow God, and utterly impossible to do it on our own. When we face the important and impossible, we tend to run towards shame, pride, or condemnation. Though our hearts condemn us, God does not, because He is greater than our hearts. So let your mind be convinced and your heart pacified with Him as your judge.
Made for People
July 16, 2023 • John 15:12–17
The drumbeat of Genesis was God creating and calling it good. But after He made the first human, He saw it was not good for us to be alone. He made more people so that we would have companions and friends. Jesus was friendship made flesh. He modeled vulnerability and commitment showing the path to human flourishing is to be fully known and loved regardless.
God’s Grace Guarantees Our Future
July 9, 2023 • Philippians 1:6
Paul, inspired by the Spirit, states that God began a good work in us and will bring it to completion at Christ’s return. This prophetic, rugged verse outlasts the buffeting of life and stands firm as a promise—He started it, and He will finish it.
Where's Our Help?
July 2, 2023 • Psalm 121
The hills and high places were known centers for idol worship and altars to false gods. The Psalmist, looking up to these places, declares that his help will not come from the mountains, but from the Maker of the mountains. The one true God is our help in times of trouble.
Commending to the Next Generation
May 21, 2023 • Psalm 145:1–9
Generation Z is not only the church of tomorrow, but the church of today. Psalm 145 calls us to invite the next generation into God’s greater story, praising Him for His wonderful works. We ask God to raise up bold and faithful leaders in the generations to come and for us to be faithful in commending to them the beauty of His gospel.
The Good News for Mothers
May 14, 2023 • Mark 10:29–30
Motherhood is a reflection of the nature and character of God. The Accuser takes this truth and convinces moms that they should know everything, be everywhere at the same time, and carry the weight of the family’s world on their backs. But only God is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. We can rest in Him when we meet our human limits. This is good news for mothers and for all of us. Only God is perfect.
A Community of Mercy
May 7, 2023 • Romans 12
The ultimate act of mercy is shown in God giving His Son as a sacrifice for us, the undeserving, that we might be saved. God now calls us to go and be merciful—presenting ourselves as living sacrifices, outdoing each other in showing honor, befriending the lowly, practicing hospitality, and blessing our enemies.
A Community of Hope in a World of Rage
April 30, 2023 • Revelation 7:9–17
In a world like ours, the Church should not be happening. Yet it continues to progress, all over the world, and will only get better over time because Christ is with us. God tilts the beautiful future we read of in Revelation and the old words of Paul in Romans back into the here and now. Our God of hope continues to fill us with all joy and peace so that we can abound in hope, by the work of His Spirit.
Growing in Grace
April 23, 2023 • Galatians 2:15–21
The gospel we first received is the gospel we still need. It serves the human heart as water, sunlight, and air serve the grass of the fields. The gospel is what we need today and is what we will need tomorrow. Rather than spending our days trying to prove we were worthy all along of God’s forgiveness, let’s enjoy the freedom of knowing we are fully-loved in our unworthiness.
Doubt and Mission
April 16, 2023 • Matthew 28:16–20
The disciple Thomas was a zealous follower of Christ, yet is forever known for his moment of weakness. Right before Jesus commissions His followers, the Word says some still doubted. But Jesus doesn’t withhold His mission when His followers doubt. Like Thomas, Christ invites us to move toward Him with our questions and to keep going.
Contempt and Redemption
November 20, 2022 • Luke 18:9–14
We all feel a sense of worthlessness or contempt in our hearts. We try to combat it with self-righteousness and self-loathing. When we realize that although we can’t save ourselves but Christ’s desire is to do that very thing, it produces in us a humble self-forgetfulness. Our reward is justification, atonement, and looking away from ourselves to gaze at the Lamb of God, our Savior.
Church Planter Commissioning
November 13, 2022 • Acts 13:1–3
It is our hope and prayer that we will have planted and revitalized 30 healthy, gospel-centered, multiplying churches by the year 2030. And God has already begun this work. As a church, our work is to collectively affirm what God is doing and commit to support the work of advancing the Kingdom of God through the sent ones. It is our honor to commission two men as they are sent by the Spirit to expand the Kingdom for His Glory.
You Will Receive Power
November 6, 2022 • Acts 1:1–11
There is an innate hunger for abundant life hidden in the heart of people, and the vast majority don’t yet know the beauty, truth, and relevance of Jesus. Before He ascended into the heavens, Jesus made a promise to His followers that we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes. Therefore, we shouldn’t stare up at the heavens until He returns, but we should go share this good news of abundant life by the power of the Spirit.
Pulling Back the Curtain
July 17, 2022 • Revelation 1:12–18
Around the age of 90, the apostle John finds himself isolated on an island, far from the churches he had planted years ago, and imprisoned by the most corrupt and violent emperor. In this sermon, Ross Lester shares that it was during this season of suffering that Jesus gave John an astounding revelation.