The Refinery Church Sermon Podcast

In the final message of our Like a Child series, Pastor Landon invites us to reflect on one of the most essential marks of childlike faith: forgiveness. Drawing from Matthew 18:21–35 and Matthew 4:12–17, this message reminds us that forgiveness is not optional in the kingdom of God—it flows from the very heart of the gospel.

Throughout this series, we’ve explored what it means to approach God with humility, curiosity, and trust. As we close, we see how forgiveness anchors all of that posture. Jesus came to make a way for broken relationships to be restored—first between humanity and God, and then between one another. Because we have been freely forgiven, we are called to forgive from the heart.

This message challenges us to examine where repentance, humility, and forgiveness are needed in our own lives, and to embrace the freedom that comes when we live as people shaped by grace.

Lifegroup Questions:

1. Share about a time in your life where someone showed you forgiveness that deeply impacted your life. 
2. Read Matthew 18:21-22. Peter suggests forgiving up to seven times, which would have seemed very generous in his day, yet Jesus pushes far beyond that. How do we live out this call to forgiveness without keeping score, while also wisely addressing patterns of harmful or unhealthy behavior toward ourselves or others?
3. Read Matthew 18:23-34 The servant forgiven an enormous debt refuses to forgive a much smaller one. What emotions or reactions does this story stir in you?
4. Why do you think forgiveness can be so difficult, even when we know how much we’ve been forgiven by God? What fears, wounds, or misconceptions tend to get in the way?
5. Read Matthew 18:35 Jesus says forgiveness must come “from the heart.” What do you think that means practically? How is forgiving from the heart different from simply letting something go on the surface?
6. Read Matthew 4:12-17. Jesus was born so that people might be reconciled to God and know life to the full. From the beginning, He invites people to turn from broken ways of living (like unforgiveness) toward life giving ways of living (forgiveness). 
7. As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth, what might it look like for you to live more fully as a “forgiven and forgiving person” this Christmas season? Is there anything you need to repent of to God yourself? Is there anyone you can show forgiveness as God has forgiven you? 

In Week 3 of the Like A Child series, Jay Zollars explores what it means to cultivate healthy community in a world that so often chooses destruction over restoration. From broken relationships to fractured systems, the evidence is everywhere—yet Jesus invites His followers to live differently.

Rooted in 2 Corinthians 5:17–19, Matthew 18:15–20, and Matthew 2:13–18 this message reminds us that creation has always been God’s way. From the opening words of Scripture to the promise of all things being made new, God calls His people to participate in His creative, reconciling work.

While the human heart remains the greatest obstacle to true peace, those who follow Jesus are invited to model a better way—one marked by humility, love, truth, and restoration. Finding the right community moves us to live the right way: as agents of reconciliation.

Listen in as we consider how childlike trust in Christ reshapes the way we relate to one another and how the Church can reflect God’s renewing work in the world today.

Lifegroup Questions:

1. Our brains are intentionally designed to help us remember the good from our past. What are some of your favorite or best childhood memories?
2. Read Matthew 2:13–18 Herod cared about making his name great. Where do you see “Herod-like” patterns—control, fear, or self-preservation—showing up in our world today? Where do you see them showing up in yourself?
3. Read Matthew 18:1–4. How does Jesus’ definition of greatness challenge the way our culture defines success or influence?
4. When Jesus says, “Unless you change…,” what do you think real change actually looks like in a person’s life?
5. Read 2 Corinthians 5:17–19. How is reconciliation different from simply trying harder or becoming a better person? What does it mean for us to be people of “reconciliation?”
6. Read Matthew 18:15–17. How does Jesus’ approach to accountability differ from how confrontation usually happens in the world?
7. Why do you think Jesus assumes that growth, accountability, and reconciliation all happen in the context of community? How have you seen this in your own life?
8. Who in your life helps keep you accountable in your relationship with Jesus—and what might need to change for you to experience healthier, deeper community?

In this second week of our Advent series, Like A Child, Pastor Landon invites us to rediscover the kind of love that doesn’t measure, calculate, or protect itself—a love that gives freely. Advent reminds us that God goes to great lengths to love all people, and that true love is always costly.

Pastor Landon explores Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18, where a shepherd willingly leaves the ninety-nine to search for the one who is lost. It isn’t careless; it’s attentive, intentional, and deeply sacrificial. This is the kind of love God has shown each of us.

As we look at the story of Jesus’ birth—Mary’s courageous “yes,” Joseph’s obedience despite uncertainty, the Magi’s long and risky journey—we see a picture of love that exceeds limits and expectations. God’s love comes to us generously, purposefully, and relentlessly, hoping that we might be found.

Join us as we continue to embrace Advent with childlike wonder and discover again that God’s love is a love that gives.

Lifegroup Questions:

1. When you think back to your childhood or past Christmases, what shaped your view of giving vs. getting? How has that perspective changed as you’ve grown?
   
   
   
2. Read Matthew 18:10–14. Jesus describes a shepherd who will not rest until the lost sheep is found. What does this picture teach us about the costliness and persistence of love? Where have you experienced that kind of love personally?
   
   
   
3. Read Matthew 2:1–12. The Magi traveled far, spent much, and risked greatly to honor Jesus. What part of their example stands out to you the most—and why?
   
   
   
4. The sermon mentions “mutual voluntary submission.” Where have you seen this kind of self-giving love strengthen a relationship? How can this be hard to put into practice?
   
   
   
5. In what ways does our culture—especially during the holidays—pull us toward getting rather than giving? What helps you resist that pull?
   
   
   
6. The sermon highlighted three areas where we can practice generosity with others: words, time, and finances. Which of these comes most naturally to you, and which are most challenging? Why? How can you grow in all three? 
   
   
   
7. Imagine rooting your life more fully in God’s generous, self-giving love. How might that shift the way you live, make decisions, or relate to others in the coming weeks?

In this first week of our Advent series, Like a Child, Pastor Landon invites us to rediscover the surprising, disruptive, and life-changing call of Jesus: “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Advent is the perfect season to reflect on this invitation. God Himself entered our world as a child—small, vulnerable, dependent—showing us that His kingdom is woven through humility, trust, and love. And just three decades later, Jesus would teach His disciples that childlike faith is the very posture required to truly see, understand, and follow Him.

This isn’t a call to abandon thought or reason. Children are some of the most curious people on earth. Instead, Jesus invites us into a way of living marked by openness, surrender, and humility—a willingness to ask, to wonder, and to be shaped by God rather than shaping the world in our own image.

As we begin this Advent journey, Pastor Landon helps us see that those who take God’s claims seriously are changed by them. We can either soften our hearts to His love and direction… or harden them in an attempt to stay in control.

Lifegroup Questions: 

1. Looking back at your childhood, what do you remember anticipating the most during Christmas? How does that sense of wonder or longing compare to how you experience Advent today?

2. In Matthew 1:18–24, Joseph faces a confusing and stressful situation. What stands out to you about Joseph’s posture in this moment? Where do you see humility at work?

3. Advent is described as a season of waiting and preparing our hearts.What helps you wait well? And what tends to distract you or pull you into hurry?

4. The sermon talked about God making “the first move” toward us in Jesus. Where in your life have you experienced God initiating, pursuing, or drawing near?

5. In Matthew 18:1–5, Jesus places a child at the center of a conversation about greatness. Imagine yourself in that moment. How does Jesus reframe the whole conversation with this one move? How does this illustration help us consider the idea of greatness still today?

6. Humility can be described not as thinking less of yourself but rather meeting others on equal footing. Where might God be inviting you to practice that kind of humility in a relationship right now?

7. Philippians 2:5–7 gives us a picture of Jesus’ humility. What part of that passage challenges you most? What part encourages you most?

8. As we move into Advent, how do you sense the Spirit inviting you to “lean in like a child”? What is one practical way you can cultivate humble, joyful anticipation this week?

9. In Luke 22, Jesus gives the disciples bread and cup as symbols of His self-giving love. How does the practice of Communion invite us into a posture of humility—both in remembering Jesus’ sacrifice and in how we relate to others?

In the final message of our Back to Life series, Pastor Landon reminds us that if there is breath in our lungs, God still has purpose for our lives. From the very beginning, God designed us not as spectators but as partners—people who actively join Him in shaping, restoring, and renewing the world around us.

In Acts 9, we meet a woman whose faithful, everyday obedience made such an impact that her community could not imagine moving forward without her. Her story reminds us that our calling matters and that God works through ordinary people who simply choose to walk with Him.

This week’s message challenges each of us to believe deeply: God is not done with you. There is meaningful work for you to step into—today, and every day—for the glory of God.

And finally, we want to offer a heartfelt thank you to Pastor Ben for sharing his heart in this message and for the faithful way he has served as our Student Ministry Director. As he begins his transition out of this role, we honor his leadership, his impact, and the love he has poured into our students and our church family. We’re grateful for Ben, Cynthia, Miles, and JJ!

Lifegroup Questions: 

1. When you hear the phrase “God is not done with you,” what stirs in you — hope, hesitation, uncertainty, gratitude? Why do you think that is?
2. The sermon highlighted that our primary calling is to love and follow Jesus, and our secondary calling is how we express that in our daily life and work.
   How would you describe your own sense of calling in this season — primary and secondary?
3. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul says we are “God’s handiwork… created to do good works.” What “good works” might God be preparing for you right now, even if they seem small or ordinary?
4. Tabitha was remembered as someone who was “always doing good and helping the poor.” If people in your community described your life in one sentence, what do you hope that sentence would say?
5. Peter’s first instinct recorded in the passage (Acts 9:40) was to kneel and pray. What tends to be your first instinct in moments of pressure, grief, or challenge? How might you cultivate a more prayerful reflex?
6. The widows showed Peter tangible evidence of Tabitha’s love — the clothes she had made. What are the ‘tangible’ ways your faith shows up in the lives of others? What would you like those to be?
7. The miracle in Acts 9 led to many people believing in the Lord. Where have you seen God use ordinary obedience in someone’s life to make an extraordinary impact?
8. The sermon reminded us that God invites us to “clear the room” of distractions and listen. How can you put this into practice in your own life to help you hear God’s call clearly?
9. What is one concrete act of love, service, or obedience you feel prompted to do this week — and how can your group support you in it?

In this week’s message, Pastor Landon takes us into 2 Kings 4:28–37 and Ephesians 3:20 to remind us of a powerful truth: God can be trusted with all things.

Drawing from a famous line in The Shawshank Redemption — “Hope is a dangerous thing” — Pastor Landon challenges the idea that hope sets us up for disappointment. In the story, hope is seen as something that tempts people with what may never come. But Scripture tells a different story.

We meet a Shunammite woman who longed for a child but had buried that hope deep, fearing the heartbreak of it never becoming reality. Yet through God’s power, her deepest dream, the one she dared not even speak aloud, becomes a living testimony to His faithfulness.

Pastor Landon helps us see that when we walk with Jesus, our hopes and dreams aren’t too big — they’re often too small. God invites us to trust Him fully, to believe that He is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine.

LIFEGROUP QUESTIONS: 

* Where in your life have you felt the tension between hope and disappointment? What does the Shunammite woman’s story help you see about that tension?

* The Shunammite woman was generous and hospitable long before she experienced a miracle. What does her posture teach us about trusting God in the everyday, ordinary rhythms of life?

* She said to Elisha, “Don’t mislead your servant!” Why do you think hope felt so risky to her — and why does it sometimes feel risky to us?

* How have your past experiences, abilities, or resources shaped what you believe God can or cannot do? What parts of your story make trusting God feel easy? Which parts make it hard?

* When her son died, the woman went straight to Elisha — she refused substitutes. What might it look like for us to go “straight to God” when we’re overwhelmed?

* How does hearing modern stories, like Scott & Ryann’s, help you make sense of the stories in Scripture? Where do you see God weaving hope and healing in people around you?

* Read Ephesians 3:20–21.What dreams or hopes in your life feel “too big,” and how does this passage challenge or encourage you?

* The sermon ended with this takeaway: “God can be trusted with everything.” What is one concrete area of your life where you need to actively practice trusting God this week? What might one small act of trust look like?

In this second message from the Back to Life series, Pastor Jay helps us look at the story of Elijah and the widow—a moment when God’s provision showed up in the middle of a dry and desperate season. When everything seemed to be running out, God reminded His people that with Him, there is always enough. Through the widow’s faith and obedience, we see that trusting God often requires action—even when circumstances seem hopeless. She gave the last of what she had, believing that God would provide, and He did.

This story invites us to do the same: to trust that God sustains, provides, and gives us life. No matter how dry the season, His presence and provision are always enough—because He is enough.

Key Takeaway:
With God, there is always enough. Trust Him by putting Him first.

To learn more about The Refinery Church, connect, or share a praise or prayer request, visit Refineryohio.com

In this message, Pastor Landon looks at three powerful moments where Jesus steps into scenes filled with loss, pain, and despair—and everything changes. When Jesus enters the picture, the crushing weight of death and grief is lifted. God cares deeply about what breaks your heart, and Jesus draws near to the brokenhearted.

No situation, relationship, or circumstance is too far gone for Him. What looks like a dead end to us is a starting point for His resurrection power.

Walk away from this episode with a renewed belief: Life in Jesus can always overcome death. Whatever you’re facing, live with confidence that God can bring new life into every part of your story.

To learn more about The Refinery Church, connect, or share a praise or prayer request, visit Refineryohio.com