Walnut Creek Downtown

Have you ever wondered why the plagues? Did God just choose things at random that he thought would annoy Pharaoh? Exodus 7 kicks off the first of the plagues, water of the Nile to blood. Pastor Dan Rude helps us understand the purpose of the plagues by unpacking this sentence:
Through the plagues, God reveals His glory, to free His people by defeating the gods of Egypt, demonstrating the futility of idolatry, and winning the worship of His people.

In each plague, God challenges the Egyptian gods, exposes them, and ultimately defeats them, revealing His own glory for the good of His people.

Questions and Topics Discussed in this message:
Core Truths about Humanity
Egyptian Worship - gods of Egypt
Why did Moses’ staff turn into a serpent?
Plagues in Exodus
The first plague: Water of the Nile to Blood
2 Basic Truths about Relationships
Babydoll by Jaimie Miller

In Exodus 5 and 6, we see the first recorded time when Moses intentionally goes to God. Moses was transformed by meeting regularly with the Lord, and you will be too. Pastor Dan explains the benefits and the need to meet regularly with the Lord: to stay grounded in times of trouble, learn truths, be reminded of what you already know, and see what God is doing.

Topics and Questions Discussed:
Personal Quiet Time with the Lord
Meeting with God
The Benefits of God’s Promises
What are the benefits of meeting with God personally?
Moses’s struggle and God’s truth applied
How do we deal with our struggles?
How God changes people over time

Courage and boldness that can only come from an understanding of God’s authority and power allow Moses and Aaron to stand before Pharaoh, a man who considers himself a god. They did not deliver a message Pharaoh wanted to hear: “Let my people go!” However, this obedience did not lead to the results you would hope for. Pastor Luke explains Pharaoh’s reaction to Moses and Aaron’s request and how this story will help us shape our expectations in following the Lord.

What questions / topics discussed:
Israelites' oppression in Egypt
The devil’s strategy
Why are Christians characterized by boldness and courage?
What should you expect as you follow the Lord?

Moses hesitated. God called him to go to Egypt but he was overwhelmed by the task. Dan Rude explores how God responds to Moses's excuses and what we can learn about God's ability to call and equip His people.

In Exodus 3, Moses encounters God in a powerful, mysterious, and clear way. Moses is given an impossible-sounding task, but with it comes a promise that Christians still have today: "Behold, I AM with you."

In Exodus 2, we see the birth and early life of Moses, the most pivotal character in the entire book. Moses's birth and childhood deliverance from death foreshadow God's rescuing of His people. His rescue attempt, which turned to murder, points to his imperfection. His humbling in the wilderness shows us how God uses ordinary, humble people to do extraordinary things.

When worldly powers demand compromise, where does your ultimate allegiance lie?

In this opening message of our Exodus series, we look at Exodus 1:1–22 and the incredible courage of two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. Facing a paranoid Pharaoh determined to crush God’s people, these women chose to fear God rather than man—taking a stand for the sanctity of human life and demonstrating what unconditional obedience looks like.

Join us as we explore what it means to honor God as our supreme authority, trust Him with the outcomes of our faith, and find ultimate freedom through Jesus Christ—our true Redeemer who delivers us from the pit of sin and death.

📖 Scripture: Exodus 1:1–22
📍 Speaker: Walnut Creek Church Downtown Teaching Team
📍 Location: East Village, Des Moines, IA

People don't reject Jesus just because of evidence. In John 12, we see why people reject Jesus. Pastor Luke talks about the reality of God hardening hearts, man's culpability, and the mystery of how the two interact. One thing we do know: there are consequences to rejecting Jesus.

Topics / Questions Discussed:
God's Sovereignty
Rejecting Jesus
Why People Reject Jesus
Consequences to Rejecting Jesus
Man's Culpability
God Hardening People's Hearts
John 12's Isaiah Reference

In John 12, Jesus enters Jerusalem, but it isn’t what the crowd expects! Instead of Jesus claiming an earthly throne, He enters knowing that He is going to die for the sins of His people and the world. Pastor Dan Rude explains what it means for Jesus to be glorified and how you can’t have your old life and new life at the same time.

Topics and Questions Discussed:
Sin Must Die
What does it mean for Jesus’s hour to come?
The Seed of Wheat Analogy
Whoever Loves His Life Will Lose It
What does it mean to lose your life to save it?

In John 12, we have Jesus right before the Passover gathering together for a secret dinner with some of His followers. Then Mary does something no one expected her to do. Through it, we see the heart of true worship. We see that true worship is costly, offering ourselves to God, Christ-centered, and false worship hates it.

Questions and topics discussed:
Characteristics of True Worship
What is true worship?
Perfume customs of the day
How do we love God?
What is a phylactery?
How do you consider Christ every day?