The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast

Nathanael is told about Jesus, but is skeptical because Jesus is from Nazareth. Nothing good ever comes from Nazareth. Surely it would take a miraculous sign to change Nathanael's mind. Right?

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Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

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The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

What does a rusty microwave have to do with God and the Bible? And what does that have to do with me?

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

Have you become so accustomed to living with a problem that you've stopped believing God can set you free? Sometimes we spend so long struggling with the same sins, destructive habits, and spiritual obstacles that we begin to accept them as permanent parts of our lives. 

We believe Jesus loves us. We believe God has the power to change us. But somewhere along the way, we've stopped expecting anything to be different. What if God wants more for us than simply learning to live with spiritual defeat?

In 1 Samuel 17:41–51, the familiar story of David and Goliath finally reaches its dramatic conclusion. After forty days of threats and intimidation, Goliath charges toward David. But the young shepherd doesn't retreat. He runs toward the giant, trusting that the battle belongs to the Lord.

One stone strikes Goliath in the forehead, sending the mighty warrior crashing to the ground. But David doesn't stop there. He takes Goliath's own sword and cuts off the giant's head, bringing the confrontation to a decisive conclusion.

In “Off with His Head,” the final installment of the four-part A Really Big Problem sermon series, Pastor Jason explores what David's victory teaches us about overcoming sin, trusting God's power, and experiencing genuine freedom through Jesus Christ. Throughout this series, we've discovered the importance of refusing to let fear cripple us, maintaining confidence in God's faithfulness, and trusting Him as the people He created us to be.

But there's one final lesson. Don't settle for living with something God wants to free you from. Too often, we become comfortable with spiritual stagnation. We recognize the patterns of sin holding us back, but instead of seeking transformation, we convince ourselves that this is simply how life will always be.

Yet the good news of Jesus Christ offers something greater than resignation.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus didn't merely make forgiveness possible. He defeated the power of sin and opened the way for us to experience new life, holiness, and freedom through God's transforming grace. Jesus didn't come simply to help us manage sin. He came to set us free from its dominion.

That doesn't mean every hardship, illness, or painful circumstance will disappear in this life. But it does mean we don't have to surrender to the spiritual bondage from which Christ came to deliver us.

Whether you've been struggling with a destructive habit, feeling spiritually stuck, or wondering whether genuine change is possible, this Christian sermon offers encouragement to stop settling for defeat and begin trusting the power of God to transform your life. The same Jesus who conquered sin and death invites us to follow Him in the freedom of His grace.

You don't have to defeat sin through your own strength. You can surrender to the God who has already made victory possible through Jesus Christ.

How do you overcome a really big problem? Don't just settle for living with it. Trust God to bring the freedom and transformation only He can provide.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

Do you ever feel like you have to pretend to be someone else to be a good Christian? Maybe you walk into church on Sunday morning, put on a smile, say all the right things, and try to look like you have everything together. But underneath that appearance, you're struggling with fear, doubt, insecurity, or the challenges of everyday life.

What if following Jesus was never supposed to be about putting on a religious performance?

In 1 Samuel 17:38–40, David is preparing to face Goliath, the giant warrior who has terrified the armies of Israel. King Saul gives David his blessing, then dresses the young shepherd in his own royal armor.

There's just one problem. David can't walk in it. The armor isn't necessarily bad. It's simply not David's. He's a shepherd, not a soldier, and the experiences and abilities God has given him don't look like the ones Saul expects a champion to possess.

So David takes off the armor, picks up his shepherd's staff, sling, and five smooth stones, and prepares to face Goliath as the person he actually is.

In “These Are Not My Clothes,” Part Three of the four-part A Really Big Problem sermon series, Pastor Jason explores what David's decision teaches us about Christian identity, authentic faith, trusting God, and overcoming life's biggest challenges without pretending to be someone else.

Sometimes we approach our relationship with God the same way David approached Saul's armor. We try to fit someone else's expectations of what a Christian should look like. We imitate their spirituality, hide our struggles, and convince ourselves that God will love us more if we can just become the person everyone expects us to be.

But that isn't the freedom Jesus offers. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. God knows who we are. He knows our strengths, weaknesses, experiences, and struggles. And through His grace, He invites us to come honestly before Him, trusting Him to shape and transform our lives.

Authentic Christian living isn't about pretending we've already become everything God wants us to be. It's about allowing Jesus to transform the people we actually are. That includes how we approach worship.

What if we stopped putting on our Sunday best spiritually and started bringing our real selves before God? What if the person we are throughout the week is the person we honestly bring into church, trusting God's grace to meet us there? And what if we stopped assuming that overcoming our problems requires becoming somebody else?

David didn't need Saul's armor. He needed to trust God with the abilities and experiences he already had.

You don't have to wear someone else's armor to follow Jesus.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

How do you find the courage to face life's biggest challenges when even the people around you doubt you can overcome them?

Sometimes the biggest obstacle isn't the problem standing in front of us. It's the fear, discouragement, and doubt that convince us we're not capable of moving forward. But what if genuine confidence doesn't come from believing in ourselves? What if it comes from remembering the faithfulness of God?

In 1 Samuel 17:12–37, the familiar story of David and Goliath takes an unexpected turn. For forty days, Goliath has challenged the armies of Israel, leaving even King Saul afraid to confront him. Then a young shepherd named David arrives, bringing food to his brothers.

David isn't an experienced soldier. His oldest brother questions his motives, and King Saul insists he's too young and inexperienced to face such a powerful enemy. Yet David possesses something the others seem to have lost: confidence in the living God.

In “Like the Other Beasts,” Part Two of the four-part A Really Big Problem sermon series, Pastor Jason explores how David's confidence was shaped by his experiences protecting sheep from lions and bears. David remembers how God delivered him in the past, and that faithfulness gives him courage to face the challenge ahead.

This sermon explores what it means to trust God in difficult times, overcome fear and discouragement, and find spiritual confidence through the power of the Holy Spirit. David's courage wasn't simply a matter of positive thinking or believing he was stronger than Goliath. His confidence was rooted in the God who had already proven faithful.

And there's an important lesson here for followers of Jesus. When we're facing overwhelming circumstances, we can become so focused on our limitations, the opinions of others, or the size of our problems that we forget what God has already done. But the same Holy Spirit who empowers believers to follow Jesus also gives us the courage to keep moving forward in faith.

Holy confidence isn't arrogance. It's trusting the faithfulness of God more than our own abilities. You may be facing a difficult decision, feeling discouraged by criticism, or struggling to take the next step in your Christian walk. You may even recognize that fear has kept you standing still.

The answer isn't simply to try harder or convince yourself that you're strong enough. It's to remember the God who has been faithful, depend on the Holy Spirit, and trust Him with the next step. The size of the problem may change. The faithfulness of God does not.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

What do you do when the problems in your life feel too big to overcome? Fear can be overwhelming. Whether you're facing uncertainty, anxiety, grief, financial struggles, or circumstances beyond your control, sometimes life's challenges seem impossible to defeat. You may believe God is with you and still feel afraid to take the next step. You're not alone.

In 1 Samuel 17:1–11, the Israelites face a powerful Philistine army. But the enemy's army isn't their biggest problem. Standing before them is Goliath, a giant warrior whose size, weapons, and threats leave even King Saul terrified. Israel has a champion, but their champion is afraid.

In this sermon, “Upset and Afraid,” Pastor Jason begins the four-part A Really Big Problem series by exploring the familiar story of David and Goliath from an often-overlooked perspective: the fear that gripped Israel before David ever stepped onto the battlefield.

What happens when fear convinces us that our problems are greater than God's power? How can we keep trusting God when the obstacles ahead seem impossible?

Through Ephesians 6, Hebrews 6, and Romans 8, we discover that overcoming fear with faith doesn't mean pretending our problems aren't real. It means remembering who our true champion is: Jesus Christ.

Our hope isn't found in our own strength, courage, or ability to control the outcome. It's found in the steadfast love of God, the salvation we have through Jesus, and the Holy Spirit who empowers us to keep moving forward.

You don't have to be fearless to trust God. And you don't have to overcome everything today. Sometimes faith means taking the next step, even while you're afraid. And sometimes that next step is simply taking the next breath.

If you're feeling overwhelmed, struggling with fear, or searching for Christian encouragement during difficult times, this message is a reminder that your problems are never greater than the hope you have in Jesus.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

Bartimaeus is begging to see the world that is passing by him. When he learns Jesus is there, he shouts to get the Lord's attention. Many tell him to be quiet. How does Bartimaeus respond? And what does that teach us? Pastor Jason shares from Mark 10:46-52.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

It is easy for us to begin to question where God is when life gets hard. When we feel so alone and so hopeless, when we feel broken,  we can sometimes feel like God is nowhere around. Pastor Nicole Barnett shares from John 11:17-37.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

We are called to no longer conform to the patterns of this world, because our citizenship is in heaven. But what do we owe this world? The sermon text for this message is Romans 13:1-8.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]

What if God’s warning about sin is actually an act of mercy?

In the story of Cain and Abel, God doesn’t begin with punishment—He begins with a question. Before anything tragic happens, God speaks directly to Cain, naming the struggle within his heart and offering him a choice. Sin is described not as a distant threat, but as something close, personal, and powerful—something that seeks to rule us if left unchecked.

This sermon explores Genesis 4:1–16 through the lens of grace and responsibility. It looks honestly at the destructive nature of sin, the cost it demands, and the way it can convince us that running is better than repentance. But it also points to God’s patience, His willingness to give space, and His desire for restoration rather than rejection.

Ultimately, this message reminds us that sin does not get the final word. Through Jesus Christ, the burden of sin has been defeated, and freedom is still possible—for us, and for those we love but cannot force to change.

Whether you’re wrestling with your own faith, trying to help someone who feels stuck, or wondering what God is like when we fail, this sermon invites you to listen again—to a God who warns because He loves, and who still invites us to the table.

Send us Fan Mail

Linkoln shares his story on why he started coming to Ravenna Church of the Nazarene and shares why you should consider doing the same.

Ravenna Church of the Nazarene
530 Main Street, Ravenna, KY 40472

Support the show

The Dirt Path Sermon Podcast is a place for real sermons that speak to real life. Subscribe and walk the path with us every week.

Consider visiting Ravenna Church of the Nazarene where Pastor Jason is the Senior Pastor.   

Have a prayer need? Want to share something with Pastor Jason? Email [email protected]