Pastor Lonnie’s sermon celebrates God’s faithfulness throughout the church’s life and history. It looks back to the early days, when the church was new, had no permanent home, and was unsure whether the city would approve land for church use. The sermon connects this story to biblical examples of people who faced situations too big for them, including Abraham, Moses, Joshua, David, Mary, and the early church. In each case, God demonstrated divine power when people trusted God. The message makes clear that believing in a big God does not mean life will be easy or that every answer will come quickly. Sometimes God works slowly, and sometimes the miracle is the endurance God provides along the way. The heart of the sermon is the reminder that God is still big. The same God who provided in the past still leads the church today. An anniversary is not only a time to remember what God has done but also to ask what God wants to do next. The sermon calls the congregation to honor the faith and sacrifice of those who came before by becoming a dedicated, praying, generous, and courageous church for the future.

This message from Pastor Lonnie reflects on Matthew 25:31-40 and the call to live out our faith in love, compassion, and service. It reminds us that Congregational faith is not only something we believe but something we practice through everyday acts of mercy: feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, visiting the lonely, and noticing Christ in those around us. The message invites us to see service not as an obligation but as a natural response to God’s grace and a visible expression of following Jesus.

In this message from Pastor Lonnie, we are reminded that a faithful community is built not on control or quick agreement, but on humble listening and shared discernment. Drawing on Acts 15 and the Jerusalem Council, the sermon explores how the early church navigated deep disagreement by gathering, listening, praying, and remaining open to the Spirit’s leading through unexpected voices. The message challenges us to resist a culture of division and instead practice patience, humility, and genuine listening. At its core, the sermon declares that every soul bears God’s image and that, because God can speak through anyone, every voice matters.

Pastor Lonnie’s message explores covenant as a lived promise rather than merely a church concept, inviting the congregation to see faith as a shared commitment to walk together in Christ. Drawing on the Mayflower Compact and the example of the early church, it highlights how communities are shaped not by hierarchy but by mutual care and responsibility. Covenant is described in practical terms: showing up for one another, praying for one another, and offering support through life’s challenges. It acknowledges that real community is imperfect but worth the effort. Ultimately, the message calls Fox River to embrace church not as a place they attend but as a promise they actively live out, one relationship at a time.

In this message, Pastor Lonnie invites us to a deeper understanding of Christian freedom, not as license to believe anything or as blind obedience to authority, but as a Spirit-led journey of discernment. Rooted in the Congregational tradition, the message affirms radical trust that God speaks through the interplay of Scripture, the Spirit, and community. Drawing on the story of Elijah and the image of God’s “still, small voice,” the message encourages us to slow down amid life’s noise to listen for divine guidance within. It challenges both rigid certainty and casual relativism, offering instead a thoughtful, humble faith that wrestles, reflects, and grows. Ultimately, the sermon calls us to embrace the responsibility of freedom, make space for God’s whisper, engage in honest community, and trust that we are participants in an ongoing conversation with God.

This message by Pastor Lonnie concludes the “Something Happened” series, focusing on the transformation of Jesus’ followers from fearful, hidden individuals into those who actively serve others. After Jesus’ death, the disciples were afraid and uncertain, but everything changed when they encountered the risen Jesus, who greeted them with peace and then sent them out. Their shift from silence to service wasn’t about becoming extraordinary but about responding to a real experience of grace and the Holy Spirit’s presence. The message emphasizes that service today isn’t about pressure or grand gestures but about simple, everyday acts of love rooted in a changed life, suggesting that when faith becomes lived rather than merely believed, something still happens.

In this passage from Luke 24:13–35, two discouraged disciples walk away from Jerusalem, carrying fear, confusion, and shattered hope, yet on that ordinary road, the risen Christ comes alongside them, though they do not recognize Him at first. As He opens the Scriptures and later breaks bread, their hearts burn, their eyes are opened, and everything changes. What begins as a retreat becomes a return of courage as they rush back to Jerusalem to proclaim the good news. This message reminds us that courage is not something we manufacture; it is born when we encounter the living Christ, who meets us in our disappointment, walks with us in our questions, and transforms our fear into fearless witness.

Doubt isn’t the end of faith but often the beginning of something deeper. After the disappointment of Jesus’ death, Thomas struggled to believe in the resurrection without seeing proof for himself. Instead of rejecting him, Jesus met Thomas in his doubt and invited him into faith, leading to a life-changing declaration: “My Lord and my God.” The message reminds us that we all face moments of uncertainty, but we don’t have to hide them. When we bring our doubts honestly to Jesus, stay connected in community, and remain open, those questions can become the very place where our faith grows stronger and more personal.

Palm Sunday highlights the gap between what people expected and what Jesus came to do. The crowd wanted a powerful king to fix their problems, but Jesus arrived humbly on a donkey, showing his mission was to change hearts, not take control.

That same tension remains today. We often want a Jesus who aligns with our preferences and operates on our schedule. Like the crowd, we celebrate when things go right but struggle when they don’t. Their shift from “Hosanna” to rejection shows how fragile that kind of faith can be.

Jesus revealed a different kind of strength—choosing love over control, forgiveness over revenge, and sacrifice over status. His path led to the cross, addressing our deepest needs.

The question is simple: will we follow Jesus for who he is, or just for what we want from him? This message by Pastor Lonnie calls us to trust his character and believe his love brings lasting change.

The message centers on three temptations of Jesus. First, turning stones into bread represents the desire to fulfill important needs in the wrong way or on our own terms. We are tempted to address discomfort immediately rather than trust God’s timing. Second, throwing himself from the temple illustrates the temptation to prove our identity, perform, and demand visible signs. Jesus resists by resting in the Father’s declaration that he is loved. Third, the offer of all the kingdoms of the world reveals the temptation to take shortcuts, like seeking glory without obedience or compromising without cost.