Misty Creek Community Church Sermons

Joshua Part 2: Remember What the Lord Has Done
Joshua 3:9-17
 
Dear Misty Creek family, This Sunday we’ll continue our Joshua series in Joshua, chapters 3 and 4. The Jordan River was at flood stage, and God didn't wait for the water to calm down before He called His people forward. The river didn't part until the priests carrying the Ark put their feet in the water. If you're in a tough season, this message is for you. We'll see that God never pretends the flood isn't real, and that He goes into the river with us.
 
We'll also look at how remembering His faithfulness, from the stones of Joshua 4 to Samuel's Ebenezer ("Thus far the Lord has helped us"), makes us strong and courageous. You'll be invited to name your Jordan, take the next step of faith, and join us for Holy Communion. Everyone will also receive a small stone to take home as a reminder of what God has done for you.
Come, bring a friend and be encouraged in the Lord.
I hope to see you Sunday!
Pastor doug

Joshua Part 1: Be Strong and Courageous, Learning to Trust in God’s Classroom

Joshua 1:7-9
 
Hi Misty Creek family, This Sunday we begin a four-week series on the life of Joshua.
What kind of person does God use? It's not the most polished or the most self-assured. We'll start with a quick look at the famous poem Casey at the Bat then we’ll meet Joshua. His name Yehoshua or Joshua means "Yahweh is salvation." We'll follow him from the Red Sea to the battle at Rephidim in Exodus 17 to the golden calf in Exodus 32.
 
We'll see how each test in God’s classroom taught him that the Lord is dependable and faithful, especially when things look impossible. I'll also share my own story of the step of faith that led to Misty Creek. God didn't show me the outcome, but He provided every step of the way.
 
Your preparation for Sunday: Read Joshua 1:5-9, Exodus 14, Exodus 17, and Exodus 32. Your challenge for next week: Choose one uncertain situation in your life and pray over it every day. I'll give you a short prayer to use on Sunday. Bring a friend, and come ready to trust God with what's ahead.

Grace and peace,
Pastor doug

"The Butterfly Effect"

Luke 10:30-31

Is life just a series of happenstances, have you wondered if there are coincidences? He will examine what Scripture has to say by looking at the story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-31. 

Rev. David Shivers

Fix Your Eyes on Jesus: He is Our True North 
Hebrews 12:1-3
Everything around us seems to be shifting — our feelings, our beliefs, our circumstances, our morals, even the culture we live in. In a world without a stable and true reference point, where do we turn for lasting direction? This Sunday, we’ll explore Hebrews 12:1-3 and the powerful truth that Jesus never changes (Hebrews 13:8). Like a compass pointing to true north, Jesus gives us a fixed point to navigate by — showing us who God truly is, correcting us when we drift off course, steadying us in uncertain times, and leading us to our ultimate destination: His presence. 
 
Drawing on the picture of sailors navigating by the stars and a personal story from driving delivery trucks through 1980s Los Angeles with nothing but a paper map to guide him, Doug will challenge us to ask: What has really been functioning as our true north?
And to return, again and again, to fixing our eyes on Jesus alone. 
 
Join us this Sunday as we discover that in a world of shifting sand, Jesus remains the same — yesterday, today, and forever. 

I hope to see you Sunday!

Pastor doug

This Sunday: Do the Demons Know You By Name?
Acts 19:13-20
 
Join us this Sunday as we dig into one of the strangest stories in Acts — seven brothers who tried to cast out a demon using Jesus' name and Paul's reputation, only to be beaten, bloodied, and sent running out naked (Acts 19:11-20). They knew the name. They didn't know the relationship: and the demon knew the difference. We'll ask a piercing question together: if the enemy looked at your everyday life, would he recognize real authority — or would he ask, "Who are you?"
 
We'll take a quick look at Ephesians 6 as a reminder of who our real enemy is, and we'll talk honestly about the modern ways we can invoke Jesus' name without truly walking with Him. This isn't a guilt trip — it's an invitation to more. We'll close together in a bold prayer of commitment, asking God for renewed boldness and authority as we go live lives that hell can't ignore.
I hope to see you Sunday!
Pastor doug

If My People: A Call to Humility, Prayer and Hope in a Dark Hour
2 Chronicles 7:14-16
This week marks the 25th anniversary of September 11th, and I will begin the message with my own memory of that day. Then I’ll speak to the surprising season of prayer and unity in our country that followed, albeit short lived. But why did it take tragedy to bring us to our knees? From there, we'll dig into 2 Chronicles 7:14, God's promise to Solomon: If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
 
We'll walk through all four of those verbs — humble, pray, seek, turn — as a personal charge first to ourselves, then for our families, our church, our community, our country and the world. Along the way we'll look honestly at 2 Timothy 3:1-5 and how Paul's warning about self-love, lost self-control, and rejected truth describes our own cultural moment.
 
But we won't stop in the darkness — we'll close with the hope that we are salt and light, and that Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27). Come ready for an honest look inward, and leave with real hope for what God can do through a humbled, praying, seeking, repentant people.
 
I hope to see you there!
Pastor doug

Pray About Everything!
Philippians 4:6a & 2 Kings 6:1-7
 
Reverend David Shivers

A powerful sermon on the importance of prayer for the follower of Christ.

Jesus Is Coming Back — Are You Ready? 
Matthew 24:36-44
 
Jesus promised He would return, and that promise is certain, even though no one knows the day or hour. The real question isn't “if” He's coming, but “whether we'll be ready when He does”. We’ll look at why God's patience is an act of mercy (2 Peter 3:9), not a sign He's forgotten His promise. We’ll also unpack what it practically looks like to live ready: watching, praying, working, witnessing, walking holy, and waiting with hope (Titus 2:13).
 
We'll close by asking the most important question of all : have you truly given your life to Jesus? Whether you're taking that step for the first time or need to recommit, there will be a time to respond. Come ready to be encouraged, challenged, and reminded that His return is good news for those who belong to Him.
 
I hope to see you Sunday! Bring a friend!
Pastor doug

This Sunday: Storms Part 4: The Storm That Reminds
Matthew 14:22-33
Friends, This Sunday we close out our four-week Storms series with "The Storm That Reminds." Over these weeks we've seen how storms reveal what's really in us, refine our character like fire refines gold, and redirect us back onto the road God intends. This week, we land on the final truth: storms remind us that God is with us now, that He's always been with us, and that the storm will not last forever.
 
We'll walk through Jesus calming the storm in Mark 4 and Peter stepping out onto the water in Matthew 14, including a powerful clip from The Chosen, to illustrate that Jesus doesn't wait for the storm to end before He shows up; He comes into it. We'll discover that our focus, not our circumstances, determines whether we sink or stand. We'll look at how Peter's own storms gave him the personal story to write "trials prove the genuineness of our faith" (1 Peter 1:6-7).
 
And we'll close with the promise of Revelation 21: that every storm, no matter how long, has an expiration date. The bottom line: the storm may not always end when we want it to, but it will end, and Jesus will never leave us before it does.
Invite a friend and come ready to be reminded of God’sfaithfulness.
I hope to see you Sunday!
Pastor doug

Storms, Part 3: The Storm That Redirects
Jonah 1:1-6
 
This week, we continue on in our Storms series with Part 3: The Storm That Redirects
We've seen how storms can:
 
Reveal what's in our hearts (Week 1)
 
Refine our character (Week 2)
 
This week, we look at how some storms exist simply to change our direction, because God has a purpose that He's determined to fulfill in us. We'll dive into the story of Jonah, tracing his flight from God's call, the storm that stopped his escape, and the mercy hidden inside his three days in the belly of a great fish. We'll place his story next to Paul's — a man blinded on the road to Damascus, redirected not from rebellion, but from misplaced zeal. Together, their stories show us two kinds of storms: some are corrective, and some are providential.
 
The Big Idea: Some storms change our direction so God can fulfill His purpose.
The Bottom Line: Sometimes what feels like a setback is actually God's redirection and course correction. Come ready to reflect on where you may be resisting God's redirection in your own life. We'll have time to respond together in prayer.

See you Sunday!
Pastor doug