Garden City Church Sacramento Sermons

Sunday Sermon August 2nd, 2026

Do you find yourself constantly answering "I've been so busy!" whenever someone asks how you're doing? Modern society has conditioned us to believe that a full calendar equals an important life. But behind the non-stop hustle, many of us are spiritually and emotionally exhausted.

Pastor Zack Park launches the new series, "Glimpses: A Vision for Flourishing," by taking a deep dive into Genesis 2:1–3. Exploring the theology of 18th/19th-century Dutch theologian Herman Bavinck, Pastor Zack breaks down three core truths about rest and busyness:

1. We Were Created for Rest: True rest is not merely a vacation, retirement, or self-care day—it is relational communion with God. In the creation narrative, human existence begins not with work, but on the Sabbath.
2. We Have Become Restless: Busyness functions as an idol of control and disordered love, tricking us into thinking our worth depends on what we accomplish rather than what God has accomplished.
3. Christ Restores Us to True Rest: In Matthew 11:28, Jesus doesn't just teach about rest; He offers Himself as our rest. When our identity is secured in His finished work on the cross, we are freed from trying to be our own saviors—ironically freeing us to work and serve harder with true joy and peace.

Key Takeaway:

"Sabbath is not God's reward for people who have worked hard enough. It is God's declaration that you are more than what you produce."

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Sunday Sermon July 26th, 2026

Have you ever felt like your prayers were forced, stale, or easily distracted? You aren't alone. In Luke chapter 11, the disciples—who grew up around religious traditions—observed Jesus praying and asked, "Lord, teach us to pray". Jesus met them with patience, offering a clear pattern to center their hearts on God.

Pastor Keith McMillan breaks down the ACTS prayer model (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) as a practical tool for daily life. Thinking of prayer structure not as a rigid formula, but as a "trellis" that supports a living vine, this guided sermon includes built-in quiet moments for listeners to actively practice each movement:

Adoration (A): Shifting the focus entirely to God’s character and worth.

Confession (C): Bringing both sins of omission (what we left undone) and commission (what we shouldn't have done) to the Father who promises cleansing grace.

Thanksgiving (T): Resisting our culture's constant dissatisfaction by offering specific gratitude for God's provisions.

Supplication (S): Entrusting our deepest personal needs and burdens for others to the God who hears us.

Key Takeaway:

"Prayer is not an attempt to convince a distant deity to care about us. Prayer is the privilege of children who have been brought near to God through Jesus Christ."

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Sunday Sermon June 19th, 2026

In a culture obsessed with self-confidence and self-help, we are often left swinging between the two extremes of arrogance (when things go well) and anxiety (when things go poorly). When we bring this performance-driven mindset into our relationship with God, it produces either self-righteous or guilt-ridden Christians.

But John points us to a better way: a humble confidence that is rooted entirely outside of ourselves. Discover how we can live with deep certainty by resting in three specific anchors:

- Christ's Work: Standing secure in the three divine testimonies of the water, the blood, and the Spirit.

- God's Will: Moving from self-focused prayers to being shaped by God’s ultimate purpose—eternal life breaking into the brokenness of our world right now.

- Our Witness: Confidently praying for the spiritually dead to receive life, and living a distinct, counter-cultural life free from the idols of consumerism, anxiety, and polarization.

As C.S. Lewis beautifully stated, "Humility is not thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less." Watch to find out how to anchor your assurance in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

Sunday Sermon June 12th, 2026

Pastor Chris Feigles from Discovery Hills Church walks us through the beginning of 1 John chapter 5, Pastor Chris connects the three recurring tests of a genuine believer: right belief, right love, and active obedience.

To accept Jesus as the "Christ" means abandoning our own agendas, military dreams, or self-made definitions of happiness, and surrendering fully to His lordship. When we place our faith in Him, we are radically born again into the family of God. Pastor Chris breaks down how we love others best when we love God first, how all biblical commandments hang on these truths, and how our faith provides the supernatural victory required to overcome the pull of the world.

Sunday Sermon June 5th, 2026

Guest speaker Pastor Sheridan from One Church in Oak Park. Walking us verse-by-verse through 1 John 4:7-21, Pastor Sheridan Smith explores the deep, transformative reality that "God is love."

True Christian love isn't a theological abstraction; it is concrete, relational, and sacrificial. John’s own life was completely overhauled by this truth—transforming him from a hotheaded "son of thunder" into the apostle of love. When we actively love one another, an invisible God is made visible, and His love reaches its intended destination.

Sunday Sermon June 28th, 2026

Pastor Zack Park walks us through 1 John 4:1-6, exploring what it truly means to "test the spirits" and remain faithful in a world filled with competing voices. Faithfulness isn't just about what we choose to believe—sometimes, it requires us to say, "No, I don't believe that." Rather than becoming hyper-focused on studying every false teaching or counterfeit message in the world, John calls us to do something much more foundational: stay closer to Jesus and know the truth of His Word so deeply that error becomes immediately obvious.

Sunday Sermon June 21st, 2026

Pastor Zack Park explains that Christians can have confidence in their salvation not because of their own performance, but because of Jesus' finished work, reminding believers that God's grace is greater than their doubts and failures.

June 21st, 2026

1 John 3:19-24

Zack Park

Sunday Sermon June 14th, 2026

Keith MacMillan teaches through 8 questions from the text before stepping back to look at John's primary contrast and what it means for us.

June 14th, 2026

1 John 3:11-18

Keith MacMillan

Audio quality reduced due to technical issues

Sunday Service June 7th, 2026

Our 7th week in 1 John, pastor Keith outlines why we can't remain in sin-- because of what sin is, because of what Jesus has done, and because the Spirit remains in us.

1 John 3:4-10

June 7th, 2026

Keith MacMillan

Sunday Service May 31st, 2026

We continue our series in 1 John. Pastor Keith unpacks why we don't need to shrink back from Jesus-- we're secure, but we're unfinished, so be faithful today.

May 31, 2026

1 John 2:28-3:3

Keith MacMillan