The Local Church

January 26, 2025

In this sermon, we explore Howard Thurman's powerful concept of "Inner Authority" and what it means to truly come alive to ourselves. Through the lens of Christian mysticism and social justice, we discover how the Holy Spirit empowers us to speak truth and act boldly in the face of injustice. Thurman teaches us that spiritual formation and social transformation are inseparable – when we learn to listen deeply to the divine presence within, we find the courage to stand on holy ground and work for justice in community.

Scripture: John 14:15–21

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

In this sermon, we launch our new series "Come Alive: A Series on What the World Needs" by exploring the transformative practice of "centering down" through the wisdom of Howard Thurman and the example of Jesus. Drawing from Thurman's profound connection with an oak tree in his youth to Jesus's regular retreats for prayer, we discover how intentional pause and contemplation aren't just spiritual luxuries—they're essential practices for anyone seeking to make a difference in the world. This counter-cultural message reminds us that our inner work directly shapes our outer witness, and we can't fully come alive for others until we're fully alive to the divine within.

January 19, 2025

In this sermon, we launch our new series, "Come Alive: A Series on What the World Needs," by exploring the transformative practice of "centering down" through the wisdom of Howard Thurman and the example of Jesus. Drawing from Thurman's profound connection with an oak tree in his youth to Jesus's regular retreats for prayer, we discover how intentional pause and contemplation aren't just spiritual luxuries—they're essential practices for anyone seeking to make a difference in the world. This counter-cultural message reminds us that our inner work directly shapes our outer witness, and we can't fully come alive for others until we're fully alive to the divine within.

Scripture: Psalm 1; Matthew 6:5–13

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

When God writes "Beloved" on our hearts, it transforms how we see ourselves and each other. Like a child proudly writing their name, like friends recognizing each other's baby pictures, like communities holding space for both joy and sorrow—we're called to live as if we actually believe we're beloved, and to create spaces where others can discover they are too.

January 12, 2025

When God writes "Beloved" on our hearts, it transforms how we see ourselves and each other. Like a child proudly writing their name, like friends recognizing each other's baby pictures, like communities holding space for both joy and sorrow—we're called to live as if we actually believe we're beloved, and to create spaces where others can discover they are too.

Scripture: Luke 3:15–17; 21–22

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

In this sermon, we explore how God's faithfulness mirrors the constancy of stars in the night sky. Drawing on the Epiphany story of the magi following the star to Jesus, Pastor Brent illuminates how God's steady presence guides us through life's uncertainties and dark moments - just as celestial bodies have faithfully oriented travelers for millennia. Like the persistent star that led the wise men to an unexpected encounter with divine love, God's light remains constant, leading us to hope and revelation in surprising places.

January 5, 2025

In this sermon, we explore how God's faithfulness mirrors the constancy of stars in the night sky. Drawing on the Epiphany story of the magi following the star to Jesus, Pastor Brent illuminates how God's steady presence guides us through life's uncertainties and dark moments - just as celestial bodies have faithfully oriented travelers for millennia. Like the persistent star that led the wise men to an unexpected encounter with divine love, God's light remains constant, leading us to hope and revelation in surprising places.

Scripture: Matthew 2:1–12

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

In this sermon, we explore how God disrupts and rewrites our expected endings through the lens of a surprising Christmas carol and a fresh look at the nativity story. By examining how the traditional interpretation of "no room at the inn" might actually be a story of radical hospitality, we discover a God who consistently shows up in unexpected places and subverts our assumptions about how things "must" end. This message of divine disruption reminds us that our seemingly fixed endings are never truly final in God's economy of grace and possibility.

December 24, 2024

In this sermon, we explore how God disrupts and rewrites our expected endings through the lens of a surprising Christmas carol and a fresh look at the nativity story. By examining how the traditional interpretation of "no room at the inn" might actually be a story of radical hospitality, we discover a God who consistently shows up in unexpected places and subverts our assumptions about how things "must" end. This message of divine disruption reminds us that our seemingly fixed endings are never truly final in God's economy of grace and possibility.

Scripture: [Luke 2:1–20](URL here)

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at [email protected].

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

In this sermon, we dive into what happens when vulnerability meets blessing through the lens of Mary's visit to Elizabeth. We explore how creating safe spaces for truth-telling—like Elizabeth's home and the muskrat's winter den—allows us to encounter transformative love that empowers us to sing new songs of hope. This fourth Sunday of Advent reminds us that authentic love makes room for our whole selves, not just our highlight reel.