Immanuel Fellowship Church

At the end of Matthew, Jesus gives his final command on the mountaintop. It's easy to just zone out because we've heard it a million times, but that command wasn't just for the apostles back then. If you follow Jesus today, you're part of that same unbroken line of faith going back 2,000 years.

Jesus didn't just beam us straight to heaven when we got saved. He left us here to be his hands and feet in our hometown. It's so easy to get caught up in being busy and completely miss the people right in front of us who don't know him, but we have a real part to play in his mission. Let's take a fresh look at what it means to actually live out what we believe, and remember he's right there with us through all of it.

In today's message, Pastor Sam talks about the parable of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15. This sermon, "One Found Son," is a look at how God pursues people and welcomes them home no matter what.  Pastor Sam also spends some time on the older brother in the story. It's an honest look at our own resentment and why it can be so hard to forgive the people we think don't deserve it. This sermon discusses what it means to pray for your "one" and how we should be celebrating when people turn their lives around.

If you want to understand grace and forgiveness a little better, give this a listen.

This week's sermon "One Found Coin" takes a look at Luke 15:8-10 to show just how deeply God values every lost person. It digs into how Jesus reveals God as someone who actively goes looking for sinners, and why heaven itself celebrates when even one person repents. Looking at Ephesians 2, it is clear that salvation is by grace alone - God reaches people who are spiritually dead and brings them to life in Christ purely through His mercy and love, not because of anything we do. We encourage you to start seeing the world through Christ's eyes, to notice the lost people around you, to pray for specific individuals by name, and to live with a real sense of intentional purpose that reflects God's compassionate pursuit of people.

Every person matters deeply to God. Looking at Jesus’s parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15, Pastor Sam opens our new series "Who's Your One?" and reminds us that God sees our worth, pursues us in our lostness, and joyfully welcomes us home.

Like Levi and Zacchaeus, we are invited into a better story of repentance and transformation. We have been found by Jesus, and are called to live with “heads up and eyes open,” noticing and loving those who are lost around us. When we are captivated by Christ’s relentless love for us, loving others and joining His mission to seek and save the lost becomes the natural outpouring of a life transformed by grace.

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In this message, Pastor Craig unpacks Titus 2:11–15, highlighting how God's grace not only saves but also trains believers to live transformed lives in a broken world. Discover how grace shapes our identity, empowers us to deny godlessness, and calls us to live with hope and purpose as Christ’s ambassadors. If you’re exploring faith or seeking encouragement for your Christian walk, this sermon offers biblical insight, practical application, and gospel-centered hope.

This past Sunday, Pastor Sam walked us through 1 Samuel 23, looking at a season where David’s life was completely upended. Hiding in the wilderness and hunted by Saul, David faced constant pressure and betrayal. Yet, instead of waiting for his circumstances to settle, he continued to seek God and obey Him—even when step-by-step obedience made no practical sense. David's story shows us that while hardship is an unavoidable part of living in a broken world, God does not leave us to figure it out alone. He sustains us right in the middle of our struggles, often providing the exact encouragement we need through others to keep going. The takeaway for us is clear: stop waiting for life to clear up before saying "yes" to God. It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking we will commit more deeply once our finances are stable, a relationship fixes itself, or work calms down. God calls for our obedience right now, right where we are. When you feel spent, bring that weariness to the Lord and lean on your church community. As we allow the gospel to anchor us and support each other through hard seasons, our current pain loses its power to derail us, keeping our eyes fixed on what God is doing for eternity. 

In 1 Samuel 22 we see David at his lowest point. He's hiding in a cave with nothing but the clothes on his back, surrounded by a ragtag group of desperate people. Meanwhile, King Saul's envy has rotted him out completely, leading to one of the darkest moments in Israel's history. Pastor Sam hits on the point God leads us even in the midst of evil. David doesn't try to seize the throne through his own strength. Instead, he focuses on daily integrity and faithfulness while God builds his kingdom for him. We see how God goes ahead of us, scouts the path, and makes a way even when everything feels like it's falling apart. This message tackles some hard realities. Sometimes you do your best and horrible things still happen. Sometimes you don't get a why. But the promise of Scripture is clear: when we walk through evil, we do so with no fear because God is with us. He doesn't watch from a distance. He climbs down and walks ahead of us through the mess.

Ever feel so desperate you'll do anything to survive? In this sermon on 1 Samuel 21, we follow David as he flees from King Saul with no food, no weapons, and no allies. We see his mistakes, his fear, and his desperation - but more importantly, we see God's gracious provision.

Through the bread of presence and the sword of Goliath, we're reminded that God sustains his people and delivers them. We also explore Psalm 34, written during this dark time, where David's heart of worship shines through. If you're in a season of loneliness, making poor choices out of desperation, or simply feeling overwhelmed, this message will encourage you that God is near the brokenhearted and saves those crushed in spirit.

This week as we finish out our Hard Mode series, we tackle one of the most pressing issues of our time: loneliness. Despite living in the most connected age in human history, the CDC identifies loneliness as a mental health epidemic. Why do we feel so isolated?

Through 1 Samuel 19, we follow David as he faces Saul's escalating threats on his life. Jonathan, Michal, and Samuel each step up as faithful friends—yet each friendship falls short in crucial ways. David needed something more than earthly friendship: he needed God's direct intervention.

This message explores the beautiful truth that Jesus Christ calls us friends and loves us with sacrificial, intimate affection. Discover how the friendship of Christ transforms our loneliness and how we become God's primary method of displaying His friendship to others.

Topics: Biblical friendship, overcoming loneliness, 1 Samuel, David and Jonathan, Jesus as friend, Christian community, church relationships, faith in hard times

Perfect for: Anyone struggling with loneliness, seeking deeper friendships, or wanting to understand how God works through relationships.

Integrity in Hard Times: When God Works Behind the Scenes (1 Samuel 18)

David's victory over Goliath should have been his breakthrough moment, but it actually made his life harder. King Saul became jealous, threatened, and openly hostile. Yet David continued choosing integrity, faithful service, and humility over self-promotion.

This week as we continue our Hard Mode series, we explore how David's personal integrity allowed God to work powerfully behind the scenes, protecting him from traps he never even saw. More importantly, we discover how Jesus' work on the cross fuels our own ability to live with integrity. 

If you've ever struggled with cutting corners when no one's watching, or wondered if doing the right thing is worth it, this sermon offers both challenge and profound encouragement. The cross changes everything about how we approach our daily choices.