McGregor Podcast

What happens when a church family gives, serves, and gets ready for change all in the same season?

Pastor Mark Bricker, Tamar, and Christian look back on the Change the World offering and the Ministry Fair, then share a Renew Phase 2 update. They explain the move to two Sunday services once we return to the Worship Center and how Life Groups are being balanced between them. They also cover the new Journey Together classes, the Prospective Member Class on December 13, Newcomer Coffee and a family mission trip informational meeting on October 18, and how to pray for teams serving in Hungary, South Asia, and Zambia.

Every gift, every class, and every prayer is a response to the grace of Jesus. If you want to know where this church family is headed this fall and how to join in, this episode lays it out.

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

What did Jesus mean when he said some choose to stay single for the sake of the kingdom of heaven?

On this episode of Beyond the Notes, Elder Omar Edwards goes back to the last three verses of Matthew 19, the passage he taught from on Sunday. He explains the three kinds of eunuchs Jesus names, and what each one tells us about marriage, singleness, and the freedom God gives to serve him in either one. He also returns briefly to something he raised on Sunday: what to do if you or someone you love is in an abusive relationship.

Listeners walk away with a clearer picture of what Jesus actually said about marriage and singleness, and a case for singleness as a gift rather than a waiting room. This episode is for anyone wondering what their current season of life is for, married or single.

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

Matthew - The King has Come

"What God Has Joined Together"

What is marriage, really? In this message from Matthew 19, Elder Omar Edwards shows that marriage was never a human invention or a contract built for personal convenience. From the beginning, God designed marriage as a binding, lifelong covenant between a man and a woman, one He joins together and calls us not to separate. Elder Edwards walks through Jesus's teaching on divorce with honesty and compassion, addressing the hard questions many in the room carry, and pointing every listener, married or not, back to the faithfulness of Christ.

Sermon Notes

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

What does it look like when a church family gives, serves, prays, and sends on the same Sunday?

Pastor Mark Bricker, Tamar, and Christian walk through Sunday, October 4, at McGregor: the Ministry Fair along Main Street, the Change the World offering, and the close of Elevate Weekend for students. They share where to drop off Fall Festival candy, how to sign up for the Prospective Member Class on October 11, and the latest on Renew Phase 2 construction. They also ask for prayer for a team leading marriage conferences in Hungary and a team preparing to train pastors in South Asia.

Every gift, every volunteer, and every prayer is a response to the grace God has already shown us in Jesus. If you want to know where to give, serve, or pray this month, this episode lays it out.

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

Does God still heal? And if he does, why doesn't he always heal when we ask?

On this episode of Beyond the Notes, Pastor Ryan Flint goes back through Psalm 103 and the promise that God "heals all your diseases." He explains the ordinary and extraordinary ways God heals, what James 5:14 means for a sick believer asking for prayer, and why faithful Christians still get sick, suffer chronic pain, and grieve loss without that being a failure of faith.

Flint also shares how he and his wife have prayed through the loss of a child, and gives three ways to pray when healing doesn't come as we hoped: pray boldly, trust humbly, and hope ultimately in the resurrection. For anyone walking through sickness or grief, or supporting someone who is, this episode offers language for the prayer and for the waiting.

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

Psalms - Songs of the King

"Read It. Write It. Worship."

David comes to Psalm 103 near the end of a life spent walking with the Lord. Instead of describing what he believes about God, he preaches it to his own soul. He names five specific ways God has already been good to him: forgiveness, healing, redemption, love, and satisfaction. Then he remembers who God is: merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Worship Pastor Ryan Flint walks through the psalm to show why forgetting God's goodness comes so naturally to us, and why remembering it, on purpose, is what turns into worship.

Sermon Notes

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

What does a church family look like when it gives, serves, and prays in the same two weeks?

Pastor Mark Bricker, Tamar, and Christian walk through a full fall calendar at McGregor: a Night of Prayer and Praise on Wednesday, September 30, with original songs from the worship team; the Ministry Fair and the 10th annual Change the World offering on Sunday, October 4; Elevate Weekend for students; the Prospective Member Class on October 11; new Journey Together classes beginning October 7; and a mission team leading a marriage conference in Hungary.

Every one of these is a response to the grace God has already shown us in Jesus. If you want to know where to plug in, what to pray for, or how to get your family involved this fall, this episode lays it out.

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

I AM Seven Signs of the Savior

"I Am The True Vine"

The night before the cross, Jesus told His disciples something they needed to hear, and something we need to hear again ourselves: "I am the true vine." Mike Hess walks through what it means to abide in Christ, to stay so connected to Him that His life, not our own effort, produces fruit that lasts. If your walk with the Lord feels dry right now, or you're discipling someone who feels stuck, this teaching gives you a place to start and a reason to keep returning to His Word.

September 23, 2026

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

Why are so many young Christians drawn to socialism, and does the Bible actually support it?

In this Beyond the Notes, Pastor Russell Howard responds to research showing that a growing share of young evangelicals believe Scripture aligns with socialism. He offers a plain working definition, then walks through five truths: that capitalism creates wealth rather than merely dividing it, that the Bible assumes and affirms private ownership, that the account in Acts 4 and 5 does not teach socialism, that Scripture calls for free generosity rather than coercion, and that no government is trustworthy enough to redistribute justly in a fallen world.

Howard traces the pull toward socialism back to envy and covetousness, the very things forbidden by the tenth commandment, and points instead to contentment in what God has provided. Whether you have wrestled with these questions yourself or simply want to think biblically about money, ownership, and caring for the poor, this episode gives you a framework grounded in God's Word.

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026

Psalms - Songs of the King

"I Have Made The Lord My Refuge"

Psalm 73 begins with a confession most of us feel but rarely say out loud: it is easy to look at people who want nothing to do with God and envy how well their lives seem to go. The psalmist almost stumbles over it, until he comes into the presence of God and sees where that road finally ends. From there everything shifts. He trades envy for contentment, resting in the God who holds his right hand and remains the strength of his heart. This message follows that turn and leaves you with a place to stand: there is nothing on earth worth wanting more than God Himself, and in Him we make the Lord our refuge.

Sermon Notes

Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026