Dauphin Island Baptist Church Message of the Week

Church was never meant to be somewhere we simply show up. Jesus invites us into something MORE—a family where we can belong, be known, and share LIFE together.

In Finding HOME Matters More Than Sharing SPACE, Pastor Chris Schansberg unpacks Acts 2:42–47 and the biblical picture of koinonia—Christian fellowship and shared life. The early church didn’t just worship in the same room. They prayed together, shared meals, opened their homes, met one another’s needs, and made ROOM for people. 

And something powerful happened: God’s presence became visible. Prayers were answered. Lives were changed. People found Jesus. What God was doing IN His people began moving OUT through His people. 

Come on—this is what HOME can be.

A place where you don’t just attend—you BELONG. A place where people know your name, know your story, pray with you, laugh with you, and make ROOM for you.

And maybe the question isn’t only, “Have I found HOME?”

Maybe it’s also, “Who am I helping find HOME?”

Because somebody once made ROOM for us. Now we get to make ROOM for somebody else. 

Scripture: Acts 2:42–47
Series: MORE THAN TOGETHER!
Topics: Christian community, church family, fellowship, koinonia, belonging, spiritual growth, relationships, Acts 2, making room for others

What if you didn’t have to figure everything out on your own?

In Help Is Here, Pastor Chris Schansberg continues More Than Together with a message from 2 Corinthians 13:11–14 about what it means to live in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Following Jesus is deeply personal—but we were never meant to follow Him alone. The Holy Spirit isn’t distant, and He isn’t simply Someone Christians believe in. He is God, He lives in those who belong to Jesus, and we get to share life with Him. 

His presence changes how we live. He gives wisdom, guides our steps, produces His fruit in us, and helps us become more like Jesus. And His work doesn’t stop with us individually—the Holy Spirit brings believers together into something bigger than ourselves. He doesn’t just change me. He creates an us.  

Whatever you’re walking into this week—a difficult conversation, a decision, a relationship, pressure, or something you simply don’t know how to fix—you don’t have to face it in your own strength.

Ask Him for wisdom. Listen for His leading. Make room for Him to change you.

You’re not walking into this week alone.

Help is here. 

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 13:11–14

Series: More Than Together

Pastor Chris Schansberg | Dauphin Island Baptist Church

There’s more to following Jesus than simply knowing about Him. Jesus is inviting us to share life with Him.

In There’s More to Life, Pastor Chris Schansberg explores the powerful New Testament idea of koinōnia—a life of genuine fellowship with God that overflows into the way we love, serve, and make room for others.

John tells us that Jesus doesn’t simply give life—Jesus is life itself. And the incredible news of the Gospel is that God didn’t wait for us to find our way to Him. God made the first move. He came all the way to us in Jesus. 

Following Jesus was never meant to happen from a distance. It’s an everyday invitation to walk with Him, share our whole lives with Him, and allow His presence, love, and purposes to reshape who we are. 

And that shared life doesn’t stop with us. There’s always room for one more.

So what might happen if we stopped watching this kind of life from a distance and actually stepped into it?

Share your life with God. Let His life reshape yours. Share that life with somebody else.

There’s more to life. And Jesus is inviting you to live it.

Scripture: 1 John 1:2–4 | Series: More Than Together

What if following Jesus was never meant to stop with you?

In Come. Follow. Repeat., part of the Start With One series, Pastor Chris Schansberg unpacks the beautiful invitation of Jesus in Matthew 11:28–30—“Come to Me.”

Jesus sees what you’re carrying. He knows the questions, the pressure, the pain, and the parts of your story nobody else sees. And He doesn’t promise a life without weight. He promises a better way to carry it—with His peace, His strength, and His presence.

But following Jesus doesn’t end there.

We come to Jesus.
We learn to follow Jesus.
And then we help somebody else do the same.

Come. Follow. Repeat.

Who is your Somebody?

Maybe they have questions. Maybe they’re skeptical. Maybe they haven’t responded yet. Don’t give up. God may be doing something you can’t see.

Stay teachable. Keep following. Keep inviting. Keep believing.

Because when one life reaches another life, and that life reaches another, something beautiful begins to happen.

Ordinary people following Jesus can change the world—one life at a time.

Scripture: Matthew 11:28–30
Series: Start With One

Topics: Following Jesus, discipleship, making disciples, spiritual growth, evangelism, Christian living, rest in Jesus

What do you do when your future feels uncertain, your past still speaks loudly, or parts of your life seem too broken to become beautiful again?

In this hope-filled message from Romans 8, Pastor Chris Schansberg reminds us that our confidence isn’t found in our ability to hold on to God—it’s found in God’s faithfulness to hold on to us. Because of Jesus, you’re in better hands than you think.

Discover why God always has the final edit of your story, how He uses even the difficult and broken pieces of our lives for good, and why the best version of you is still coming. Through the powerful picture of Kintsugi—the Japanese art of restoring broken pottery with gold—we see how God doesn’t simply take us back to who we were. He transforms us into the people He created us to be.

If you’ve been staring at the cracks, Romans 8 invites you to start looking for the gold. God is already at work. He hasn’t abandoned your story, He hasn’t been surprised by your failures, and He isn’t finished with you yet.

Scripture: Romans 8:28–35, 37–39

Topics: Romans 8, God’s Faithfulness, Christian Hope, God’s Love, Spiritual Growth, Kintsugi, Redemption, Grace, Sanctification, Healing, Overcoming the Past, Christian Encouragement

What if the moment you’ve been praying for doesn’t look like you expected?

In this message from the Start With One series, Pastor Chris Schansberg explores Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4:4–14, revealing how God often works through ordinary conversations to accomplish extraordinary things. Jesus didn’t wait for the perfect setting—He embraced the interruption, crossed cultural barriers, remained available even when He was tired, and patiently led one searching woman toward the living water only He could give.  

You’ll discover practical, biblical encouragement for sharing your faith with the people God has already placed in your life. Learn why the detour may be the assignment, why differences don’t have to become distance, why we shouldn’t give up when people don’t immediately understand, and why Jesus always met people where they were before leading them where they needed to be. Sermon Template - What If This Is the Moment - ChatGPT.docx

Whether you’re praying for a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor, this message will encourage you to trust that God is already at work. One conversation. One invitation. One act of kindness. One moment of courage may become the moment God uses to change someone’s eternity. 

Scripture: John 4:4–14

Topics: Evangelism, Sharing Your Faith, The Samaritan Woman, Living Water, Divine Appointments, Christian Living, Discipleship, Gospel Conversations, Mission, Start With One, Jesus, Hope.

Who is your Somebody?

The friend. The child. The spouse. The coworker. The person you’ve been praying for and believing God to reach.

In Mark 2, four ordinary men carried their friend to Jesus. When the crowd got in the way, they didn’t quit. When the door was blocked, they found another way. Their compassion was stronger than the obstacles in front of them.

And maybe that’s the challenge for all of us.

What if faith isn’t just believing God can change someone’s life?

What if faith is refusing to stop carrying them to Jesus?

In this message, Pastor Chris Schansberg explores the story of the four friends and the kind of tenacious compassion that keeps praying, keeps believing, keeps inviting, and keeps showing up. Because sometimes the greatest act of faith isn’t starting the journey—it’s refusing to stop walking.

If you’ve ever felt discouraged praying for someone you love, this message will remind you that God is still working, Jesus still changes lives, and one encounter with Him can change everything.

Scripture: Mark 2:2–12
Series: Start With One
Speaker: Pastor Chris Schansberg

Don’t stop carrying. Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop believing. Jesus may be doing more than you can see.

Before we talk to people about God, we need to talk to God about people.

In Week 2 of the Start With One series, Pastor Chris Schansberg explores Colossians 4:2–6 and reveals a powerful truth that can change the way we think about evangelism: the most important conversation often happens before we ever speak a word. Prayer is not the backup plan—it is the starting point.  

Through Scripture and practical examples, this message shows how God is already at work in the lives of people long before we arrive. Looking at the stories of Philip and the Ethiopian official, Lydia’s conversion, and Paul’s instructions to the church at Colossae, Pastor Chris reminds us that the primary mover in evangelism is Jesus. We are participants, not producers.  

Discover how to:

* Stay close to Jesus through a “praying life,” not just a prayer time.
* Pray, “Lord, open a door. Help me say it. Help them see it.”
* Allow prayer to shape your presence before it shapes your words.
* Speak with grace, wisdom, and confidence when God opens opportunities.
* Trust the Holy Spirit to do what only He can do—open hearts and bring people to faith.  

Whether you’re praying for a family member, friend, coworker, neighbor, or someone God has placed on your heart, this message will encourage you to release the pressure, trust God’s work, and faithfully join Jesus in what He is already doing.

Scripture: Colossians 4:2–6
Series: Start With One
Speaker: Pastor Chris Schansberg
Church: Dauphin Island Baptist Church

Start with prayer. Stay close to Jesus. Trust the Holy Spirit. And watch what God can do through one conversation before the conversation.  

What happens when one person meets Jesus? In this message from John 1:40–49, Pastor Chris Schansberg launches the Start With One series by exploring a simple but powerful truth: everybody has a somebody. Andrew finds Simon. Philip finds Nathanael. Jesus finds Philip. Throughout the story, ordinary people take intentional steps to help others encounter Christ.  

In Why Is Everybody Finding Somebody?, you’ll discover how God is already at work in the lives of the people around you, why somebody often comes to mind when you walk closely with Jesus, and how simple invitations can become life-changing moments. Through biblical teaching, practical application, and a powerful testimony of God’s pursuit, this message reminds us that evangelism is not about winning arguments—it’s about helping people meet Jesus for themselves.  

Whether you’re praying for a family member, friend, neighbor, coworker, or someone God has unexpectedly placed on your heart, this message will encourage you to trust that Jesus got there first—and to take your next step in faith.

Scripture: John 1:40–49
Series: Start With One
Speaker: Pastor Chris Schansberg
Church: Dauphin Island Baptist Church

Join us as we learn how one conversation, one invitation, and one act of obedience can become part of God’s plan to change a life, a family, and even generations to come.  

In this Father’s Day message, Pastor Chris Schansberg explores Jesus’ call to discipleship in Luke 9:21–25 and what it means to faithfully “Keep Showing Up.” While the message speaks directly to fathers, its challenge applies to every follower of Christ.

Jesus modeled a life of sacrifice, endurance, and unwavering love. He not only showed us the way—He invites us to walk it. Through practical stories, biblical teaching, and encouragement for parents and families, Pastor Chris reminds us that some of the most important moments in life happen in the ordinary decisions we make every day.

Whether you’re a father, a parent, a grandparent, or simply someone seeking to follow Jesus more closely, this message will encourage you to keep loving, keep serving, keep trusting God, and keep showing up. As we choose what matters most over what feels most urgent, God uses our faithfulness to strengthen relationships, build lasting legacies, and shape us into people others can count on.

Scripture: Luke 9:21–25
Series: When in Rome, Pt. II
Message Title: Keep Showing Up