Podcasts
Audio-Only versions of sermons (also available on your favorite Podcast App)
At the King's Table
May 5, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • 1 John 2:15–17
Sometimes even good things can become bad things if they are keeping us from Christ the King. Each and every one of us have received an invitation to sit at the King's table— an invitation to be with our Father. The problem is that there are all sorts of other things vying for our attention, trying to keep us from accepting that invitation. At the midpoint of 1 John chapter 2, the author reminds us that if we love the world and the things of the world, the love of the Father is not in us. This simple truth isn't designed to offend us; it's designed to remind us that a relationship with our Father and creator is so much better than any of the temporary pleasures the world can provide. In this message, Brock reminds us that true Christianity runs much deeper than simply abstaining from sin and worldly pleasure. It is also about laying aside those weights so that we may taste the supreme goodness that can only be found in God alone.
Love One Another
April 28, 2024 • Colby Dorcely • 1 John 4:7–12
What is the difference between knowing about God and knowing God? Although it is a small letter, 1 John is packed full of ideas that have incredibly vast implications for what we believe and how we live. Three of the main themes covered in the letter are: sound doctrine about who Jesus is, obedience to his commands, and love. All three of these themes work together to give a full picture of what it looks like to genuinely know God through Jesus. As we have gone through the first two chapters verse-by-verse, we have seen much of John's writing about the first two of these themes: sound doctrine and obedience. In Colby's message this week, we take a short detour from where we left off in 1 John and skip to chapter four, to touch on the last of the three major themes of the letter: love. In 1 John 4 we receive the command to love one another, and the author elaborates that anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. But what exactly does it mean that God is love? And how does that inform the way that we love our brothers and sisters?
The Song of the Redeemed
April 21, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • 1 John 2:12–14, Isaiah 43:6–7, Romans 3:23, 1 Peter 3:18, 2 Corinthians 5:21
There is a song of worship that even the angels cannot sing. Just think about that for a second. We see references to it throughout the Bible, and it has come to be referred to as "the Song of the Redeemed." The angels can't sing it is because they have never been rescued like we have— they have never tasted separation from God, and the hopelessness that comes with it. And likewise, they have never experienced the life-altering grace and kindness and rescue that was made possible through the work of Jesus. And because redemption is not a part of their story, they cannot join in the Song of the Redeemed. Verses 12-14 of 1 John chapter 2 are markedly different from any other verses in the letter. They are written in the form of poetry, mimicking a song or a dance. After spending the majority of chapter 2 warning against hypocrisy, the author shifts and affirms the authenticity of his listeners' faith— almost like he is reminding them of their redemption and is encouraging them to once again sing out in the song of the redeemed. In this message, Brock gives a powerful presentation of the Gospel, and invites us all to learn the song of our redemption, and to join in the great symphony of God's redeemed.
From Encounter to Transformation
April 14, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • 1 John 2:1–6
It is impossible to have an encounter with a holy God without being changed by it. We see it play out time and time again throughout the narrative of scripture. From Moses' encounter with God at the burning bush, to Isaiah's vision of Yahweh on his throne in the temple, to Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus; it is clear that when we encounter God's presence, we walk away differently. In the second chapter of 1 John, the author of the letter speaks to the authenticity of our faith, making the bold claim that if we claim to know Jesus, but we do not walk in the way he did— if we have not been changed by an encounter with him— then we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. In this message, Brock breaks down the second chapter of 1 John, and teaches on what it means to have an authentic faith— how to keep an aroma of heaven about us, even through the changing seasons of life.
Bring it to Light
April 7, 2024 • Cody Zimmerman • 1 John 1, James 5:16, 2 Chronicles 7:14
The book of First John begins with a bold claim: “God is Light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” And because of that, we are called to be people who walk in the light, not under the cover of darkness and pretension. It’s no surprise then that John immediately tells us to confess our sins to each other. The rhythm of regular confession is something that many of us leave out of the rule of Christian living. Maybe we do this because we don’t think we need to, or maybe it’s because we intentionally want people to think more highly of us. Whatever the reason, a consistent rhythm of confession; for the purpose of building up, not of shame, can create opportunities in our life for deeper intimacy with God, deeper community with each other, lasting healing from sin, and greater spiritual maturity.
From the Tomb to the Table
March 31, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • Luke 24:13–35
One of the most beautiful stories that we have in the Bible of the day Jesus was raised is the story of the two followers on the road to Emmaus. In the story, the two friends were returning home from Jerusalem after witnessing all that had happened to Jesus on Good Friday. While they were walking, the resurrected Jesus met them on the road, but his identity was hidden from them. It was over the course of their journey that they aired their disappointments and grievances with how the story had unfolded up thus far. They had thought Jesus would be the one to redeem Israel. They thought he would be the one to liberate their people from Rome. They had thought he was God's anointed. Apparently, he wasn't. The stranger on the road challenged their perspective on some things, but it was not until they invited him to eat with them and saw him break the bread that everything became completely clear. In this Easter message, Brock uses this familiar story to illustrate how we all are so often uncomfortable with how God brings His plans to completion. The fact is, most of us want to maintain some semblance of control. We want things to be done our way. But when we remember the reality that the tomb is empty, and that the Savior is no longer there but is inviting us to a table instead; we remember that the impossible is possible, and that even out of death, new life can spring forth.
The Breath of Life
March 24, 2024 • Colby Dorcely • Ezekiel 37:1–14
Holy week seems to always come around when there are all sorts of painful things happening. The image of Jesus riding into Jerusalem challenges our hopelessness, our belief that God has forgotten us and has left us in our despair. In Ezekiel's incredible vision of the valley of dry bones, God asks him an almost ridiculous question: "Can these bones live?" Can God bring resurrection when these bodies have been dead for so long? Is resurrection even possible in this circumstance? Or is the situation too far gone? In this Sermon given on Palm Sunday, Colby finishes up our series on the Holy Spirit by showing us the Holy Spirit's role in resurrection— how God restores the muscles and skin of the dry bones while Ezekiel prophesies, but they aren't truly alive until the breath of the Spirit fills them—the Breath of Life.
The Witness
March 17, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • Acts 5:17–32, Romans 8:12–17, Hebrews 10:15–17
Imagine that you are a defendant in a courtroom, and you are called to the stand to give your side of the story. No matter who you are or how well spoken you are, it would be foolish for the jury to just take you at your word without anyone else corroborating your story. That is why witnesses are so important in a courtroom. In Acts 5, Peter invokes the Holy Spirit himself as a third witness to all that Jesus had done. In that text, as well as several others, the Holy Spirit is described as a "witness." And as we find out by digging into the scriptures, the Holy Spirit's role as a perfect witness to the gospel and to what is true is extremely vital to us and our faith, especially considering how untrustworthy our own emotions and thoughts can be.
Fruit, Not Fruits
March 10, 2024 • Cody Zimmerman • Galatians 5:16–24
We are all living in the middle of a great battle—a battle that rages inside each and every one of us; the battle between the Holy Spirit and our flesh—the natural desires that are in all of our hearts, running counter to God's will for our lives and for human flourishing. And it is into that battle that Paul gives the command to the church, "Walk in step with the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh." As it turns out, walking in step with the Spirit is not about modifying our own behavior from our own strength, but instead comes from our identity, and where we are planted. And it is after he gives that command that Paul gives his famous contrast between the "works of the flesh" and the "fruit of the spirit." But instead of contrasting all of the behaviors in those lists, what can we learn by contrasting the names of the lists themselves? What is the difference between "works" and "fruit?"
Four Important Truths About the Holy Spirit
March 3, 2024 • Brock Tharpe
It's a little bit of a mouthful, but the official working title for this sermon is "Four Important Truths About the Holy Spirit that I Think are Significant, but I haven't Been Able To Fit Them in a Sermon Yet." It may not be a great title, but it does get at the heart of this message. Over the course of our teaching series on the Holy Spirit, there have been several significant, biblical truths about the Holy Spirit that Brock has felt led to share, but they haven't really fit in with the topics of each of the messages so far. This message is straight from the cutting room floor, in hopes that God can take the scraps left over and turn them into the entree.
From Wine to Worship
February 25, 2024 • Cody Zimmerman • 1 Kings 19:11–13, Ephesians 5:15–21, Psalm 33:3
It can be very easy to confuse the effect of something with the thing itself. There is a beautiful moment in the story of Elijah where God tells Elijah to come out of the cave he was hiding in to meet with Him. The Bible says that the Lord passed by, and with that there were several effects of his presence: a mighty wind, an earthquake, and a fire. But Elijah knew the difference between the effects of God's presence, and God himself. It is especially dangerous in worship to make the same mistake. In Ephesians 5, Paul tells us that our songs of worship are to be an effect of being filled with the Holy Spirit. If our worship doesn't come from a lifestyle of being filled with the Spirit, and if it doesn't lead us into further submission to the Spirit, then our worship can become something altogether different.
Chained to a Ghost
February 18, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • Acts 20:22–24
The Apostle Paul saw the Holy Spirit much differently than many of us do. While many of us see the Holy Spirit as a sort of adviser, Paul saw Him as his Master. While many of us see the Holy Spirit as a supplement to our faith, Paul sees him as central. A great example of this is in Acts 20, where Paul says that he is literally "chained to" or "bound to" the Holy Spirit, even when the Spirit leads him to places where there will be hardship and suffering. It's obvious that the majority of us don't submit to the Spirit in this way, but we are invited deeper into submission. We are all on a journey of relying more and more on the Spirit, from being curious about him, to being led by him, to being bound to him. And it is through being bound to the Spirit that God can use hardship and suffering in our lives to produce power in us to reach the world.
Too Deep For Words
February 11, 2024 • Cody Zimmerman • Romans 8:18–28
Last time Cody preached, we went through the first section of Romans 8 together, and broke down how the Holy Spirit helps us to lay down our own brokenness in exchange for the new life God has invited us into. But Romans 8 has so much more to say about the Holy Spirit! In this message, Cody focuses on the middle section of Romans 8, which is all about prayer from within suffering. When we as believers stand prayerfully in the spirit at the places where our world is in pain, the Holy Spirit takes those cries for redemption and intercedes for us with groans that are “too deep for words.” Because of that, it is very possible that prayer plays a deeper role in our mission as Christians than we originally thought.
Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
February 4, 2024 • Brock Tharpe • Matthew 12:22–32
Jesus told the Pharisees and teachers of the law in Matthew 12, that "every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven." Because of that statement, many have come to refer to "blaspheming the Holy Spirit" as "the unforgivable sin." But what exactly does it mean to blaspheme the Holy Spirit? Is it possible that we have done it unintentionally, and in so doing, disqualified ourselves from forgiveness? Questions like this have led many people to view this passage through a lens of fear. In this message from our series on the Holy Spirit, Brock digs in to what Jesus was getting at when he made this incredibly bold statement against the religious elite of his day.
The Armor of God
January 28, 2024 • Colby Dorcely • Ephesians 6:10–17
Living in a modern, fast-paced culture can make it easy to forget that we are in the midst of a battle. And Paul reminds us in Ephesians chapter six that it is not a battle against people who believe differently than we do, or people who persecute us for our faith, or even against unbelievers. It is a spiritual battle against the dark forces of the world, our own sinful natures, and the devil himself. To fight in this spiritual battle requires preparation: being equipped for what is rising against us. In Ephesians six, Paul gives an incredible roadmap of what it takes to navigate the spiritual warfare that we each must face if we intend to follow Jesus, culminating with our one offensive weapon: the sword of the Spirit.