St. Mark Houston

What happens when the very place meant to bring healing becomes the source of pain? In this final message of The Tough Stuff series, we explore one of the most uncomfortable topics in the church: church hurt.

Drawing from Ezekiel 34 and the Gospel of John, Vicar Alex unpacks the image of the shepherd and what it reveals about leadership, accountability, and the danger of entitlement in the pews. The sobering truth is that church hurt doesn't only come from the top, it can come from any one of us.

Whether you've been wounded by the church or wonder if you've ever been the one doing the wounding, this message invites honest reflection. And for those carrying that pain, there is a word of hope: the church at its best is a place where the wounded are are welcomed. Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and he is still in charge.

What do you do with the mistakes you can't take back? In this sermon, we get honest about one of the most universal human experiences: regret. But scripture doesn't shy away from this topic. In fact, one of the most surprising verses in the entire Bible reveals that even God himself is described as experiencing regret over creating humanity.

Rather than explaining that away with a comfortable interpretation, this message digs into what that passage actually means and what it has to teach us. Through the stories of the Apostle Paul, the shocking Genesis 6 text, and the fascinating real-life account of Alfred Nobel (the man who invented dynamite and later founded the Nobel Prize) we discover that we serve a God who doesn't just sympathize with our regret, he empathizes with it. No matter how dark or deep your regret may be, this message points to a God whose grace will always dwarf it.

What should you look for in a spouse, and what happens when you and your spouse don't share the same faith? In this message, we tackle one of the most tender topics in relationships: navigating a mixed-faith marriage. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 7, we explore what God's Word says about staying committed, finding peace, and understanding that your marriage, even an imperfect one, is valued and seen by God.

If you're in a spiritually unequal relationship, this message is for you. Discover how your faith, your example, and your prayers can become a powerful witness right inside your own home. Your job isn't to bring your spouse to Jesus; it's to bring Jesus to your spouse.

Have you ever been angry at God and didn't know what to do with it? In this message, Pastor Ben Griffin tackles one of the most honest but overlooked emotions in the Christian life: anger toward God.

Drawing from Psalm 22 and Ephesians 4:26, we explore what the Bible actually says about anger, why unmet expectations and life's hardships drive us to frustration, and how God invites us, not to suppress those feelings, but to bring them to him through lament.

You'll learn a practical four-step model for lamenting: remembering who God is, pouring out your honest emotions, asking for help, and declaring your trust in him. Whether you're wrestling quietly beneath the surface or have been carrying anger for years, this message is for you.

We all have a battle with sin, and part of that battle happens in secret. In this message, we open a brand new series called, The Tough Stuff, by taking an honest look at the hidden, shameful, and often habitual sin that none of us want to talk about.

Drawing from Romans 7 and Ephesians 5, we explore what it means to wake up to the reality of our sin, drag it out of the darkness and into the light through confession, both to Jesus and to trusted people in our lives, and then fight it not from a place of fear, but from a foundation of deep gratitude for the grace we already have in Christ.

What's done in the dark always comes to the light. The question is whether you bring it there yourself.

Moms spend so much of their time trying to understand and meet the needs of everyone around them, and yet so rarely does anyone stop to ask what's going on inside their hearts.

This Mother's Day message is for every parent who's locked themselves in a bathroom just to cry, gripped the steering wheel after school drop-off, or laid awake wondering if they're getting it all wrong. That voice is real. But it's not the only voice.

From Lamentations 3, we find a promise that cuts through all of it: that God's mercies are new every single morning, that He sees what no one else notices, forgives what you're most ashamed of, and that your identity is not your responsibility. You are not what you do. You are whose you are.

What do a wandering sheep, a missing coin, and a rebellious son have in common? They were all pursued.

In this message, we explore the two parables Jesus told before the Prodigal Son, a prequel that reveals one of the most powerful truths in Scripture: no matter how lost we are, God relentlessly pursues us. Drawing from Luke 15, we unpack what it means to be found by a God who doesn't wait for us to come back but runs to meet us right where we are.

Most people assume there's only one way to be lost: through rebellion and running away from God. But in the parable of the prodigal son, Jesus reveals a second, subtler way: getting so caught up in rule-keeping and score-keeping that you drift far from the Father's heart.

If you've ever felt entitled to God's blessings, quietly judged someone else's grace, or confused obedience with intimacy, this message is for you. The Father isn't laughing at you; he's pleading with you to come to the party.

In the parable of the prodigal son, we discover that God doesn't wait passively for us to find our way back. He actively pursues his lost children. When a wandering son finally comes home, his father doesn't just forgive him; he elevates him, clothes him in honor, and throws the party of a lifetime. This is the heart of God on full display: a love that restores, celebrates, and recreates everyone who comes home.

If you've ever felt far from God, distant from your faith, or weighed down by your past, this message is for you."

The Black Sheep - Matt Popovits by St. Mark Houston