CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Good Morning & Welcome

[03:54] - Who is My Neighbor Series

[05:19] - Christian Taglines

[08:25] - Love God, Love People

[09:51] - Why Are Commandments Hard?

[10:49] - The 613 Laws & The Shema

[13:42] - Loving with Everything

[15:26] - Healing on the Sabbath

[17:06] - You Shall Love

[18:27] - God's Steadfast Love (Hesed)

[19:31] - Examining Your Faith

[21:42] - Your Reputation Matters

[22:35] - Low Hanging Fruit

[24:49] - Actionable Next Steps

[27:00] - Closing Prayer

REFERENCES

[00:42] - 24-7 Prayer Global Prayer Movement (https://www.24-7prayer.com/)

[00:56] - Lectio 365 Devotional App (https://lectio365.com/)

[02:23] - Global Week of Prayer September 6-13, 2026 (https://www.24-7prayer.com/weekofprayer/)

[10:49] - The Shema Prayer - Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (https://bibleproject.com/articles/what-is-the-shema/)

[13:42] - Deuteronomy 6:4-9 Scripture (https://www.esv.org/Deuteronomy+6:4%E2%80%939/)

[16:37] - Leviticus 19:18 Love Your Neighbor (https://biblehub.com/leviticus/19-18.htm)

[17:06] - Leviticus 19:34 Love the Stranger (https://biblehub.com/leviticus/19-34.htm)

[18:27] - Hesed: Hebrew Word for Steadfast Love (https://www.gotquestions.org/meaning-of-hesed.html)

In this first installment of a five-week series on the Good Samaritan, Rachel Palmbush explores what happens when we approach faith looking for simple answers but encounter an invitation to something far deeper and more beautiful.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - A Modern Good Samaritan

[00:55] - The Cultural Icon

[01:22] - Beyond Simple Morals

[02:22] - Provocative Parables

[03:31] - The Upside-Down Kingdom

[04:38] - Five-Week Series

[05:02] - A Story Within Story

[06:16] - Meet the Teacher

[07:54] - Testing Jesus

[08:52] - Questions as Response

[09:49] - The Transactional Mindset

[10:48] - Our Own Checklist

[11:37] - Invitation to Live

[13:55] - Faith Like Exams

[15:58] - The Twist

[17:18] - Jewish Teaching Method

[18:15] - Story Over Checklist

[19:17] - Jesus Rarely Answers

[20:40] - Invited Into Story

[23:38] - Expanding Love's Boundaries

REFERENCES

[02:56] - Amy-Jill Levine, Short Stories by Jesus (https://www.amazon.com/Short-Stories-Jesus-Enigmatic-Controversial/dp/0061561037)[16:49] - Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 – Love God, Love Neighbor (https://www.esv.org/Deuteronomy+6:4-5;Leviticus+19:18;Mark+12:28-31/)[18:15] - Luke 10:25-37 – The Good Samaritan Parable (https://www.bible.com/bible/1/LUK.10.25-37.KJV)[01:22] - Good Samaritan Laws (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK542176/)

In this sermon, Rachel explores how slowing down isn't about passivity—it's about presence. Through Mary of Bethany's intimate act of anointing Jesus' feet with expensive perfume, we discover what it really means to be attentive to God's presence in our lives.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Summer Slowdown Series Opening

[02:11] - Leslye's Family Road Trip Stories

[13:23] - Opening Prayer for Journeys

[14:36] - Poem References

[15:50] - Church Announcements

[16:51] - Setting Up Scripture Context

[17:16] - John 12 Scripture Reading

[19:13] - Mary's Unique Slowdown

[21:31] - The Dinner Party Scene

[26:07] - Fragrance & Presence

[27:38] - Plant Bending Toward Sun

[35:37] - Judas as Foil Character

[36:54] - Titanic Necklace Reflection

[40:27] - Personal Identification & Practicality

[41:26] - Point of Slowing Down

[42:29] - What Fragrance Are You?

[43:03] - Jesus Transforms Death to Life

[43:53] - Closing Prayer & Blessing

REFERENCES

[08:19] - Elijah and the Still Small Voice (https://www.str.org/w/first-kings-19-and-the-still-small-voice-of-god)[09:18] - "Patient Trust" by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin (https://alifesworkmovie.com/2015/05/patient-trust-a-poem-by-pierre-teilhard-de-chardin/)[15:05] - "A Blessing for a Gentle Summer" by Kate Bowler (https://katebowler.com/blessings/a-blessing-for-a-gentle-summer/)[36:36] - Titanic (1997 Film) - Heart of the Ocean (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_(1997_film))

In this message, Dave Peterson returns from sabbatical to explore what he calls "unwelcome solitude" through the story of Elijah: a powerful prophet who broke under pressure at the very height of his ministry.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome Back

[03:10] - Summer Recombination

[04:08] - Kate Bowler's Blessing

[06:23] - Hold Your Moments

[07:36] - Three Kinds of Solitude

[09:43] - Unwelcome Solitude

[10:47] - Elijah's Breakdown

[12:05] - Why God Shows Us Brokenness

[15:07] - Finishing Well

[16:38] - Three Life Suggestions

[19:12] - Four Wisdom Nuggets

[20:30] - God's Response to Elijah

[22:46] - The Gentle Whisper

[24:12] - God's Loving Gaze

[25:56] - God Doesn't Use You

[26:53] - Two Closing Truths

[29:44] - Psalm 40

REFERENCES

[04:08] - Kate Bowler — "A Blessing for a Gentle Summer"[10:47] - 1 Kings 19 — Elijah at Horeb (NIV, Bible Gateway)[15:31] - Gordon MacDonald — Ordering Your Private World[24:12] - Pray As You Go — Daily Jesuit Prayer App[29:44] - Psalm 40:1–4 (NIV, Bible Gateway)

Today Josh Jewell-Horton takes us into the story of a woman on the margins, carrying a complicated past, who meets Jesus in the middle of an ordinary afternoon and ends up with a whole new life. Jesus doesn't offer her a lecture, a list of rules, or easy answers; He meets every single one of her defenses with something of Himself.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Summer Slowdown

[02:02] - The Surfboard Story

[04:51] - Into the Text

[06:00] - Jews & Samaritans

[07:38] - Woman Arrives at the Well

[10:27] - Borders to Asking

[12:18] - Borders to Receiving

[15:36] - How Jesus Meets Every Border

[17:38] - Mustard Seed Faith

[19:42] - She Runs to Her Village

[22:07] - The River Overflows

[23:40] - Closing Prayer

REFERENCES

[04:51] - John 4:1-42 — Woman at the Well (main text) — https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4%3A1-42&version=NIV

[07:38] - John 3 — Nicodemus (contrasted with the Samaritan woman) — https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3&version=NIV

[16:48] - Andy Squyres, "Death Defying Joy" — https://www.shazam.com/song/1791330060/death-defying-joy

[17:38] - Frederick Dale Bruner, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (Eerdmans, 2012) — https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-John-Frederick-Dale-Bruner/dp/0802866352

In this week's message from NCC's Summer Slowdown series, Rachel Palmbush takes us into Psalm 73, where a psalmist mired in envy and comparison finds his heart completely reoriented by one simple act: entering the sanctuary of God.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Move Your Seat

[03:46] - Highlander vs. Lowlander

[06:47] - Geography Shapes the Soul

[09:49] - Biblical Relocation Stories

[11:19] - Scripture Relocates Us

[12:55] - Enter Psalm 73

[15:48] - The Sanctuary Pivot

[17:34] - God Was Already There

[20:19] - The Art of Perspective

[21:24] - NCC Community Practices

[22:59] - Nearness Is Enough

[24:24] - Practical Steps This Summer

[29:31] - Come to the Table

REFERENCES

[12:55] - Psalm 73 (NIV)[15:16] - The Passion Translation[20:19] - Pointillism / Post-Impressionism — Georges Seurat (Britannica)[21:24] - Camino de Sonoma[21:36] - Mount Hermon Christian Camps & Retreats[21:57] - Camino de Santiago (Way of St. James)[22:07] - Jesuit Retreat Center of Los Altos

In this Summer Slowdown message, Joanna Bartel invites us to see delight not as a feeling we earn but as a practice we can step into in any season–even the hard ones.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Introduction

[00:40] - What Is Delight?

[01:57] - Life Is Hard, But...

[03:39] - Delight as a Practice

[05:20] - Delighting in a Child

[07:40] - Setting Up John 21

[10:37] - Jesus on the Shore

[13:57] - Come and Have Breakfast

[16:16] - The Charcoal Fire

[18:24] - Grace Before Correction

[21:23] - Praise Completes the Delight

[22:42] - Fearfully & Wonderfully Made

[25:08] - Living from God's Delight

[26:49] - Behold, God Beholding You

REFERENCES

[01:25] - Merriam-Webster — definition of "delight"[02:50] - Inside Out (2015) — Pixar film about the complexity of emotions[03:44] - Dallas Willard — The Spirit of the Disciplines[07:40] - Young Life — Christian youth ministry for teenagers[08:51] - John 21 — Jesus appears to his disciples; breakfast on the shore (NIV)[11:41] - Luke 5:1-11 — Jesus' first miraculous catch of fish (NIV)[21:23] - C.S. Lewis — Reflections on the Psalms[23:07] - Genesis 1 — The creation story (NIV)[23:51] - Psalm 139 — "Fearfully and wonderfully made" (NIV)[26:49] - Ben Patterson — Campus pastor at Westmont College, author[26:49] - Westmont College — Christian liberal arts college, Santa Barbara

After completing a seminary capstone on technology and pilgrimage, Josh set out on a multi-day analog walk along the Camino de Sonoma. What he expected was transcendence. What he found was an anxiety attack and a truer version of himself than he'd bargained for. Jesus doesn't call the hurting to get it together; he blesses them, because it is in those places of hurt where the seeds of his kingdom have been sown.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Pilgrimage Begins

[03:20] - Series & Today's Theme

[06:52] - The Beatitudes Unpacked

[08:23] - Three Kinds of Hurt

[11:31] - Gospel, Not Advice

[12:55] - Day Two on the Trail

[17:05] - Christ in Our Pain

[18:55] - The Whole Point of Life

[20:58] - Our Role: Revelation

[23:32] - Jenny's Gift

[25:43] - The Invitation

[27:19] - William Blake's Poem

REFERENCES

[00:41] - Camino de Sonoma — 75-mile pilgrimage route through Sonoma County, CA (https://www.caminodesonoma.com/)[06:00] - Peter Kreeft — "Heaven" essay ("the whole world is only heaven's womb") (https://www.crossroadsinitiative.com/media/articles/heaven-peter-kreeft/)[17:42] - Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki — theologian, process theology (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marjorie_Hewitt_Suchocki)[18:55] - Henri Nouwen — Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life (https://www.henrinouwen.org/books/reaching-out)[22:13] - Andy Squyres — Poet Priest, Vol. 2 (https://andysquyres.com/products/poet-priest-magazine-volume-2)[27:19] - William Blake — "On Another's Sorrow" (1789, Songs of Innocence) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Another%27s_Sorrow)

This week, Rachel’s sermon from our Summer Slowdown series makes a case that creativity isn't a talent reserved for a special few, but a core expression of what it means to be made in the image of a God who makes art. This message is an invitation to remember your truest identity: you are God's poema, and you were made to make beautiful things.

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Kids Ministry

[01:00] - The Story of Frederick

[03:43] - Series Intro: Summer Slowdown

[05:06] - Invitation to Doodle

[07:01] - Creativity Is for Everyone

[08:36] - In the Beginning, God Created

[11:01] - Humanity as Co-Creators

[12:49] - Recovering Our Wonder

[15:44] - Revelation's Colorful Vision

[18:45] - Becoming Like Children

[22:26] - We Are God's Handiwork

[25:23] - Practical Ways to Create

[29:04] - Closing Prayer

REFERENCES

[01:23] - Frederick by Leo Lionni[07:01] - Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art by Madeleine L'Engle[11:01] - Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller[11:57] - A Million Little Ways by Emily P. Freeman[12:49] - G.K. Chesterton, The Autobiography of G.K. Chesterton[17:46] - The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)[18:13] - Reversed Thunder by Eugene Peterson[19:37] - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008 film)[23:59] - The Passion Translation (Bible)

What if play were a spiritual responsibility? In this week's message from the Summer Slowdown series, Josh Jewell-Horton makes the case that play is not a luxury for Christians but an act of deliberate rebellion against the empires of this world, and a bold anticipation of God's coming kingdom.

ncc.church

CHAPTERS

[00:00] - Welcome & Series Intro

[00:37] - Recap: Stop & Rest

[02:44] - Introducing Play

[04:29] - The Research on Play

[06:55] - Matthew 18: Who Is Greatest?

[09:34] - Two Marks of Childlikeness

[11:19] - Jesus as the Childlike One

[12:39] - Aslan's Resurrection Romp

[14:32] - Empire vs. Christ's Kingdom

[16:28] - Play as Participation in Creation

[18:14] - Play as Anticipatory Kingdom Living

[19:56] - Zechariah's Vision

[22:44] - Play Must Be Restorative

[25:04] - Morning Has Broken & Closing

REFERENCES

[03:36] - The God Who Plays — Brian Edgar[04:29] - Friedrich Schiller's Play Drive Theory — Wikipedia[05:00] - National Institute for Play[06:55] - Matthew 18:1–6 (NIV) — BibleGateway[09:34] - Unfettered — Mandy Smith[12:39] - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe — C.S. Lewis[16:28] - New Seeds of Contemplation — Thomas Merton[19:56] - Zechariah 8:4–8 (NIV) — BibleGateway[21:41] - Frederick Buechner on Playing and Religion — frederickbuechner.com[25:04] - Morning Has Broken — Eleanor Farjeon (Wikipedia)