Does Prayer Make A Difference?

Does prayer really work, or are we just talking to the ceiling? Many of us know we should pray, yet we wonder whether it changes anything.

In this message from the series Honest to God Questions, Dr. Nick Hughes follows Jesus into the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36–46, on the night before the cross. Using the acrostic ASK, he shows three ways prayer makes a difference. Through prayer we can Accept what we cannot change, Seek God's help, and Know that we are not alone.

Whether you pray every day or have nearly given up, this message will encourage you to bring your burdens to a God who is listening.

Doesn't Science Contradict the Bible?

Can you trust your science textbook and still trust your Bible? In this episode, we tackle one of the biggest questions people carry into — or away from — church: does science make God unnecessary? Rooted in Psalm 33:6-9, we explore why understanding how the universe works doesn't erase the One who spoke it into being. Science tells you how the world works. Scripture tells you who made it, and why it matters. You need both to see the whole picture.

Why Doesn't God Prove Himself to Doubters?

In 1910, a single fingerprint pressed into wet paint convicted a killer — no witness needed. The mark was enough. In this message from Romans 1:18-25, Pastor Nick Hughes asks whether God has done the same thing: left evidence everywhere, evidence we've simply stopped noticing.

Kicking off the series "Honest to God Questions," this sermon tackles one of the doubts many of us carry but rarely say out loud. Drawing from Scripture, personal stories of Florida sunsets and a room full of believers from forty nations, Nick makes the case that God hasn't been playing hide-and-seek, He's revealed Himself in creation, in conscience, in the church, and most fully in Christ. The real question isn't whether God has given enough evidence. It's what we've done with the evidence He's already given.

Have you ever gotten so used to being comfortable that you stopped noticing what it cost you?

The church at Laodicea had. They were wealthy, self-sufficient, and perfectly satisfied. Jesus tells them exactly what that satisfaction had done to them. They were not hot enough to heal, not cold enough to refresh, just lukewarm enough to turn Jesus' stomach. He doesn't correct their theology or confront a sin they were flaunting. He confronts a church that thought it needed nothing and didn't realize how much it had lost.

Join Pastor Nick for "A Heart Strangely Lukewarm," from Revelation 3:14–22. This is the final letter in the Direct Message series. This is a letter about complacency, self-deception, and a door Jesus is still standing outside of, knocking — one that can only be opened from the inside.

Together, we'll ask what it looks like to need Jesus again after we've quietly decided we don't.

Note: Due to technical difficulties, we weren't able to broadcast live from this week's service. What you're hearing is a later recording.

Have you ever stood outside a locked door?

The church at Philadelphia knew that feeling. They'd been pushed out of their synagogue and cut off from the community that shaped their whole identity. They had little strength, no influence, and nobody important in their pews, and yet Jesus doesn't send them a single word of correction.

Instead, He tells them about a door. They don't have to force this door open either, because Jesus has already opened it Himself, and once He opens it, nobody can shut it again.

Join Pastor Nick for "An Open Door Policy," part six of the Direct Message series, as we open Revelation 3:7–13. This is a letter about opportunity, opposition, and the kind of security that doesn't depend on whether anyone ever notices your faithfulness.

Together, we'll ask what it means to trust a God who doesn't wait for us to have enough strength, only enough willingness to walk through the door He's already opened.

Have you ever kept everything running—the routine, the schedule, the appearance—while something inside had quietly stopped?

The church at Sardis had a stellar reputation. Nobody in town would've said a bad word about them. But Jesus looked past the reputation and said something no church wants to hear: "You have a reputation for being alive, but you are dead."

Join Pastor Nick for "Dead as a Doornail," part five of the Direct Message series, as we open Revelation 3:1–6. This is a letter about how something can look alive on the outside and be dead on the inside — and the three quiet symptoms that get you there before you ever notice.

Together, we'll wrestle with the hardest kind of diagnosis: not the church that's under attack, but the church that's under anesthesia.

Have you ever learned to live with something you know is wrong? Not something dramatic, just a small compromise you excused because it seemed easier than confronting it?

The church in Thyatira knew that struggle. They were busy, growing, and full of good works, but they had learned to tolerate a false teacher who was leading them into compromise, one small step at a time. Jesus praised their labor, but He wouldn't overlook what they'd let slide: "I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel."

Join Pastor Nick for "Going Along to Get Along," part four of the Direct Message series, as we open Revelation 2:18–29. This is a letter to a church whose greatest danger wasn't what they believed, but what they were willing to tolerate.

Together, we'll discover this truth: when you tolerate what is wrong, you contaminate what is right.

Have you ever caved under pressure? Have you ever said nothing when you should've spoken up, or gone along with the room just to keep the peace?

The church in Pergamum knew that struggle intimately. They were surrounded by idol worship, emperor worship, and a culture that pressured them to compromise at every turn. But Jesus had a word for them: I know where you live. And I'm calling you to hold your ground.

Join Pastor Nick for "Under Pressure," part three of the Direct Message series, as we open Revelation 2:12-17. This is a letter to a church living in the shadow of what Jesus calls "Satan's throne."

Together, we'll discover this truth: following Jesus faithfully means standing firm under pressure.

Have you ever wondered if faithfulness is really worth it? Ever wanted to throw in the towel when following Jesus got hard?

A small, persecuted church in Smyrna knew that feeling well — poor, pressured, and staring down real suffering for their faith. But Jesus had a message for them: I know. I see you. And I'm faithful to you.

Join Pastor Nick for "Quitters Never Win and Winners Never Quit," part two of the Direct Message series, as we open Revelation 2:8-11 — one of only two churches in Revelation to receive no rebuke from Jesus. You'll meet a 95-year-old WWII POW who never stopped fighting the good fight, and an Olympic marathoner who finished dead last... and became a legend for it.

Because here's the truth: Jesus is faithful to you, so you can be faithful to Him — all the way to the finish.

Listen now as we continue the series exploring the seven letters Jesus wrote — not to us, but for us.

What if Jesus sent you a direct message today?  What would be the content of that message?

In this opening sermon in the Direct Message series, we journey to the church at Ephesus—a church that was busy, faithful, and doctrinally sound, yet had drifted from its first love.

Jesus' words are just as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago. It's possible to work for Jesus without walking closely with Jesus. Duty is important, but duty without devotion leads to death.

Join Pastor Nick Hughes as we explore Christ's loving call to remember, repent, and return to the One who first loved us. Whether you've grown spiritually weary or simply want to rekindle your passion for Christ, this message from Revelation 2:1-7 is a timely reminder that Jesus doesn't just want your service—He wants your heart.