In this message from John 1:35-51, Pastor Matt explored the big idea that salvation is initiated by God, responded to by people, and multiplied through relationship. He emphasized that while salvation is entirely God's work through grace, it demands a human response of repentance and faith in Christ. Pastor Matt highlighted the significance of Jesus's first recorded words in John's Gospel: "What are you seeking?" - calling this the mother of all questions that exposes the heart and leads to life's most important question: "Who is Jesus?"

The sermon demonstrated how Jesus's simple invitation "come and see" created a multiplication effect throughout John 1:35-51. Andrew heard John the Baptist point to Jesus as the Lamb of God, followed Jesus, and immediately brought his brother Simon Peter. Philip was called by Jesus and then found Nathaniel with the same invitation: "come and see." Pastor Matt emphasized that God uses found people to find people, and challenged the congregation to be witnesses rather than attorneys - simply sharing their story rather than feeling they need all the answers. The message concluded with a focus on baptism as a public declaration of faith and first step of obedience, encouraging believers who haven't been baptized to take that step.

This podcast centers on the launch of a new sermon series through the Gospel of John, with the speakers discussing how John's Gospel uniquely focuses on revealing Jesus's deity. They examine John's explicit purpose statement in John 20:31, where he writes so that readers "may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." The discussion highlights the prologue of John (verses 1-18), where Jesus is presented as the eternal Word who was present at creation and became flesh to reveal God to humanity.

A significant portion focuses on John the Baptist's declaration of Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), connecting this title to Old Testament sacrificial imagery from Abraham and Isaac through the Passover and Day of Atonement. The speakers emphasize that Jesus fulfills both aspects of the Day of Atonement - being both the sacrifice for sin and the one who carries our sins away. They stress that our greatest problem isn't our difficult circumstances, but our sin, and that salvation is offered as a free gift through Jesus Christ.

Pastor Matt launched a 10-week journey through the Gospel of John, part of a larger series covering John, Acts, and Romans - three books he considers essential for understanding the Christian life. He explained that John's Gospel is 93% unique material that supplements the other Gospels, with the purpose stated in John 20:31: "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

The sermon focused on John 1:1-34, beginning with the prologue that establishes Jesus as the eternal Word who "was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Pastor Matt then examined John the Baptist's declaration of Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), connecting this title to Old Testament imagery of sacrificial lambs and the Day of Atonement. He explained how Jesus fulfills both the sacrificial goat (whose blood covers sin) and the scapegoat (who carries sin away), emphasizing that our greatest problem isn't our circumstances but our sin. Pastor Matt concluded by explaining that salvation is received as a gift through faith, not achieved through works, and called for honest self-reflection about one's relationship with Jesus.

In this episode, Pastors Matt and Brian reflect on the recent winter storm that forced them to pre-record their church service, sharing how God sometimes changes our plans to provide needed rest. Matt introduced the major sermon series called "The Bible in a J.A.R.," covering the books of John, Acts, and Romans over the next several months.

Pastor Matt explains that these three books perfectly illustrate the discipleship journey: John shows us who Jesus is (meeting Jesus), Acts demonstrates how to live out our faith in mission (joining His mission), and Romans provides the theological foundation for why it all works (growing in truth). He emphasizes that Jesus is the central figure of all Scripture - the Old Testament points toward Him, and the New Testament explains who He is and what He accomplished. Pastor Matt also encourages listeners to continue their Bible reading plan, particularly as they enter Leviticus, explaining that even the detailed sacrificial laws and rituals described there point forward to Jesus as our perfect sacrifice and great high priest.

Pastor Matt begins this foundational message by sharing "A Tale of Three Bibles"—a personal story illustrating his spiritual journey from keeping his Bible on the shelf to becoming fully engaged with God's Word. He introduces Hope Church's 2026 theme based on Joshua 1:8, emphasizing the importance of daily meditation on Scripture for life transformation. The "Bible in a JAR" series will spend 70% of the year's Sundays studying John, Acts, and Romans—books that collectively answer the essential questions of who Jesus is, what His followers should do, and what disciples should believe.

Pastor Matt provides a 60,000-foot overview of the entire Bible, explaining how it tells one continuous story through four major themes: Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. This story ultimately demonstrates God's great love for us, summarized perfectly in John 3:16. He establishes that Jesus Christ is the central figure of all Scripture, with the Old Testament anticipating Him and the New Testament explaining Him. Using the "New Triangle" framework of knowing, becoming, and doing with the Bible at the center, Pastor Matt shows how these three books work together: John reveals who Jesus is (God and Savior), Acts demonstrates the church's mission to take Jesus to the world, and Romans explains the theological foundation and practical application of our faith. The message concludes with 2 Timothy 3:16-17 as the memory verse, emphasizing that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness.

In this podcast episode, Hope's Associate Pastors reflect on their congregation's Bible reading plan, having completed Genesis and started Exodus. They discuss how reading through Genesis reveals God's incredible mercy and patience with broken people, noting that the heroes of faith were "mildly screw ups" whom God used for great things. The conversation shifts to personal testimonies as Pastor Meyers shares his journey from physical therapy to ministry, describing how God's call became undeniable during a quiet moment in his clinic.

The discussion centers around the "3C's" of discipleship that their church has been teaching: commitment to Christ, connection to His followers, and contribution to His mission. The pastors share how their upbringing in families that prioritized ministry and opened their homes to missionaries and church leaders shaped their understanding of faithful living. They emphasize that while not everyone is called to vocational ministry, the same three principles apply to all believers. The episode concludes with reflections on how genuine connection with other believers is essential for spiritual growth and victory over temptation, noting that simply attending church is different from being truly plugged in and connected to the community.

Pastor Brian wrapped up the Becoming a 3C Disciple series by presenting a framework for spiritual growth built around three key areas. The three C's include commitment to Jesus (knowing Him personally and being transformed by His lordship), connection to Jesus' followers (building intentional relationships within the church community), and contribution to Jesus' mission (serving as both servant and ambassador).

The sermon featured powerful testimonies from Rich and Lynndale Hardeman, who shared their journey from salvation through pastoral ministry; Aaron and Elizabeth McWilliams, who demonstrated how connecting with others changes across different life stages; and Jared and Anna Jeffries, who showed how contribution often begins with small steps of obedience. Pastor Brian explained that these three areas integrate to produce a fourth outcome: becoming a humble leader who follows Jesus' example of servant leadership. He concluded by challenging the congregation to consider their next steps in each area, emphasizing that this framework provides clarity, alignment, and scalability across all life stages.

Pastor Matt's Ministry Mentor Podcast: https://mattsturdevant.com/podcasts/

In this podcast discussion about Hope Church's "Becoming a 3C Disciple" series, Pastors Matt, Brian, Jeremy, and Luke explore what it means to live as committed, connected, and contributing followers of Jesus. They address the challenge of building adult friendships, noting that proximity, timing, and energy are essential for deep relationships - with research showing it takes 74 hours to become casual friends and over 200 hours for close friendships. The discussion emphasizes that Christians don't just attend church but belong to the body of Christ, shaped through relationships where "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17). They explore spiritual gifts extensively, explaining that every believer receives at least one spiritual gift at salvation to serve others and glorify God. The conversation includes practical advice about discovering gifts through service, the importance of "doing life together," and the reality that all Christians are called to be servant ambassadors wherever they "live, work, parent, and play."

Pastor Matt delivered the second message in the "Becoming the 3C Disciple" series. The sermon focused on the second and third "C's" - being connected to Jesus followers and contributing to His mission.

Pastor Matt emphasized that community is essential, not optional, for Christ followers, explaining that from the beginning Jesus formed a people, not just individual believers. Using the body metaphor from Romans 12, he showed how the church functions with unity without uniformity, interdependence, and mutual responsibility. He referenced Acts 2:42, where early believers devoted themselves to teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayers, creating a shared rhythm of life that resulted in spiritual formation and witness to the watching world.

The third "C" involves contributing to Jesus' mission as sent, gifted disciples who cheerfully give back to God. Pastor Matt explained that disciples are called to be "servant ambassadors" who both serve others with Christ-like humility and represent Jesus to the world. Drawing from Romans 10:13-15, he emphasized that everyone who calls on the Lord will be saved, but people need to hear the good news, which requires messengers with "beautiful feet" who bring the gospel wherever they live, work, and play.

In the first message of the "3C Disciple" series, Matt began with the foundational truth that "you don't have to stay the way you are," emphasizing that real transformation is possible through Jesus Christ. He defined discipleship as more than just belief - it's about following Jesus, being changed by Jesus, and being committed to His mission. The first "C" focuses on being committed to Jesus, recognizing Him as both Savior and Lord, not treating these as separate categories.

Matt spent considerable time addressing cultural barriers to commitment, explaining how our society trains us against making lasting commitments through endless options, comfort-maximizing technology, and viewing discomfort as a problem rather than a teacher. He noted how previous generations saw commitment as virtuous and character-building, while today's culture often views it as limiting freedom. The sermon emphasized that obedience doesn't earn salvation but reveals genuine faith, and that loving God requires total life devotion - heart, soul, mind, and strength. Using the "know, be, do" triangle, Matt explained that disciples must know Jesus personally, be transformed by His lordship, and do what He commands. The church is emphasizing Bible reading this year with Joshua 1:8 as their theme verse, encouraging members to read Scripture at least four days a week for spiritual transformation.