MillCity Church

The Lord did phenomenal things over the course of MillCity Conference 2026! Please enjoy a special message from Conference Sunday featuring our guest speaker Dr. Charlie Self!

This sermon on Matthew 27:27–32 centers on Jesus’ suffering, Simon of Cyrene carrying the cross, and the call for believers to “take up their cross” and follow Christ. It begins by emphasizing that Jesus willingly endured humiliation, torture, and crucifixion in obedience to the Father and in fulfillment of Scripture, demonstrating the importance of trusting God’s Word even when circumstances are painful. The message then explores Simon of Cyrene, arguing that what appeared to be a disruptive and humiliating interruption became a divine appointment that likely led him and his family to faith in Christ. Simon’s act of carrying the cross behind Jesus is presented as a powerful picture of Christian discipleship, echoing Jesus’ command that His followers deny themselves, die to their old sinful nature, and follow Him wholeheartedly. The sermon teaches that taking up one’s cross means surrendering personal desires, living under Christ’s lordship, and remaining faithful through persecution, suffering, and hardship. Drawing on numerous biblical examples, including Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, it encourages believers to endure trials with confidence that God strengthens, protects, and refines His people through suffering. Ultimately, the message points to the eternal rewards awaiting those who remain steadfast in Christ, urging Christians to hold firmly to Jesus no matter the cost because following Him is worth far more than anything this world can offer.

This sermon on Matthew 27 focuses on the ridicule, rejection, and suffering Jesus endured on His way to the cross, emphasizing that Scripture often highlights the emotional and spiritual persecution surrounding the crucifixion more than the physical suffering itself. Jesus was mocked by religious leaders, political authorities, soldiers, passersby, and even fellow criminals, revealing the tragedy of humanity’s rejection of its Creator. The message connects Christ’s experience to the lives of believers, reminding Christians that persecution, ridicule, false accusations, and hardship are often part of faithfully following Jesus, just as He warned in Matthew 5 and John 15. A central theme is the call to “take up your cross daily,” recognizing that God can use trials, suffering, and opposition to accomplish His purposes and advance His kingdom. The sermon highlights Simon of Cyrene, who was unexpectedly compelled to carry Jesus’ cross, as an example of how God works through seemingly random and difficult circumstances to fulfill a greater plan. By tracing evidence that Simon and his family likely became influential members of the early church, the message demonstrates that God uses even unwanted burdens to shape lives and impact generations. Ultimately, the sermon encourages believers to trust God through whatever cross they are carrying, confident that He has a purpose for every trial and that His plans extend far beyond what can be seen in the moment.

This sermon explores the trial of Jesus before Pontius Pilate and the contrasting responses of Pilate and Barabbas. It explains the historical background of Pilate, a Roman governor with a strained relationship with the Jewish people, and outlines the multiple phases of Jesus’ trial before Jewish and Roman authorities. Although Pilate repeatedly recognized Jesus’ innocence and even received a warning from his wife, he ultimately chose political convenience over truth and handed Jesus over for crucifixion. The message highlights Pilate as an example of someone who knew about Jesus but failed to commit to Him, emphasizing that knowledge alone is not enough—each person must decide whether Jesus is truly Lord. The sermon also focuses on Barabbas, a guilty criminal who was released while Jesus took his place, illustrating the Christian doctrine of grace and substitutionary atonement. Just as Barabbas was freed because Jesus was condemned, humanity receives undeserved forgiveness and salvation because Christ bore the punishment for sin. The central theme is that Pilate missed recognizing and following Jesus despite knowing the truth, while Barabbas unknowingly became the first recipient of the grace made possible through Christ’s sacrifice, demonstrating God’s love and redemption for all people.

This sermon examines Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate in Matthew 27, highlighting the tragic irony of religious leaders who sought ritual purity while plotting the death of the innocent Son of God. The message explores Pilate’s historical background, his strained relationship with the Jewish people, and his repeated attempts to avoid condemning Jesus despite recognizing His innocence. Through the contrast between Jesus and Barabbas, the sermon presents a powerful picture of the Gospel: the guilty go free while the innocent is condemned. Barabbas represents sinful humanity, and Jesus willingly takes the punishment that others deserve. The crowd’s choice of Barabbas and the religious leaders’ declaration, “We have no king but Caesar,” reveal how people often reject God’s truth in favor of their own desires, comfort, or power. Pilate’s failure to act on what he knew was right serves as a warning that there is no neutrality regarding Jesus—everyone must decide what they will do with Him. Ultimately, the sermon emphasizes that Jesus remained sovereign throughout His suffering, willingly embracing the cross as God’s plan of redemption so that sinners could be forgiven and receive salvation through Him alone.

This sermon examines the contrasting failures of Judas and Peter in the final hours before Jesus’ crucifixion, emphasizing that failure is a universal human reality but does not have to be the end of anyone’s story. Drawing from Isaiah 53, the message reminds believers that all people have gone astray and that Jesus bore the sins of all humanity, including both Peter and Judas. While both men were called by Jesus, witnessed His miracles, preached the kingdom, and experienced significant spiritual opportunities, their responses to failure were radically different. Peter pursued Jesus, trusted Him despite his weaknesses, and responded to his denial with humility, godly sorrow, and repentance. Judas, however, followed his own plans, betrayed Christ for personal gain, and responded to his failure with remorse rather than true repentance. The sermon distinguishes remorse—feeling bad about the consequences of sin—from repentance, which involves turning to God for forgiveness and restoration. Judas attempted to fix his problem through human means and ultimately fell into despair, while Peter allowed his failure to drive him back to Jesus. Through Christ’s restoration of Peter in John 21, the message highlights that God’s goal is not merely forgiveness but restoration and renewed purpose. Peter’s failure did not disqualify him from ministry; instead, God used him powerfully as a leader of the early church. The central lesson is that while failure is inevitable, what matters most is how a person responds to it. Pride and self-reliance lead to destruction, but humility, repentance, and surrender to Christ lead to forgiveness, restoration, and a future shaped by God’s grace.

This sermon on Matthew 27:1–10 examines the corruption surrounding Jesus’ condemnation, the tragic fate of Judas, and the sovereignty of God working through human evil. It highlights how the Jewish leaders violated their own legal standards through a secret nighttime trial, false testimony, and a predetermined verdict, contrasting their hypocrisy with Jesus’ innocence and righteousness. The message then focuses on Judas, who felt deep sorrow and acknowledged his sin but sought relief through the religious system rather than through Christ. Drawing a distinction between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow, the sermon argues that Judas’ remorse led him to despair because he placed his hope in the law and corrupt leaders, while Peter’s failure ultimately led him back to Jesus, demonstrating true repentance that results in salvation. The sermon further explores why God allowed betrayal and injustice, presenting them as evidence of Christ’s kingship, human freedom, and God’s sovereign plan to fulfill prophecy and accomplish redemption. Ultimately, the message emphasizes that no religious system, personal reform, or worldly pursuit can save; salvation is found only in Jesus Christ. The darkness of Judas’ betrayal, the corruption of the religious leaders, and the suffering of Christ all serve to magnify God’s grace, showing that despite humanity’s failures, God’s redemptive purpose prevails and invites people to run to Jesus rather than trust in the broken things of the world.

This sermon on Matthew 26 uses Peter’s denial of Jesus as a warning against spiritual overconfidence. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 10:12, it argues that Peter’s fall did not happen suddenly but resulted from a series of warning signs: he failed to listen to Jesus’ repeated warnings about His coming arrest and death, became boastful about his own faithfulness, neglected prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, acted impulsively by attacking the high priest’s servant, and ultimately followed Jesus “at a distance.” As pressure mounted during Jesus’ trial, Peter’s confidence gave way to fear, leading him to deny knowing Jesus three times. The sermon emphasizes that Christians can experience great spiritual victories and still stumble if they become self-reliant rather than dependent on God. Yet it also highlights God’s grace: Jesus knew Peter would fail, prayed for him, and intended to restore him. Peter’s later transformation into a humble and steadfast leader demonstrates that failure does not have to be the end of a believer’s story; when met with repentance and reliance on Christ, it can become a catalyst for growth, maturity, and stronger faith.