What is the church—and what does it mean to belong to it?

In this opening message of a new year and a new series, we zoom out to see the big picture of who we are as God’s people. Rather than treating the church as a building, an event, or an organization we occasionally attend, this sermon invites us to see the church as something God is actively building—stone by stone, life by life.

Using the imagery of architecture, history, and Scripture, we explore how God forms ordinary people into something extraordinary: a spiritual house, a holy people, and His treasured possession. This message challenges our individualistic instincts and calls us to rediscover the beauty, purpose, and significance of being part of the church—not as spectators, but as living stones.

If you’ve ever struggled to love the church, questioned its value, or wondered where you fit within it, this episode invites you to slow down, look again, and be captivated by what God is doing through His people.

This message examines the growing pull of escapism and the desire to retreat into alternative or fabricated realities. Beginning with cultural examples such as Ready Player One and its film adaptation by Steven Spielberg, the sermon explores how warnings about living in false worlds can themselves become realities when people seek escape rather than engagement.

Anchored in Genesis 1, the message reflects on God’s intentional creation of the real world—its beauty, order, purpose, and meaning. Genesis is presented as the foundation of reality itself, showing that God not only created the world but also established humanity’s identity and purpose within it. The fall is examined as humanity’s first surrender to a false reality, where the promise of becoming “like God” drew Adam and Eve away from the good world God had given them.

The sermon broadens the discussion to modern forms of false worlds, including media, social platforms, fantasy, distorted views of relationships, and self-created narratives that promise control, comfort, or escape. While acknowledging that stories, creativity, and recreation are not inherently wrong, the message asks where the line is crossed between enjoyment and avoidance. Drawing on insight from C. S. Lewis, it distinguishes between healthy rest and escapism that pulls people away from truth, responsibility, and God-given purpose.

At its core, the message emphasizes that the real world—though broken by sin—is the only reality God chose to enter, redeem, and restore through Jesus Christ. Rather than escaping pain through false realities, listeners are invited to bring their struggles before God, live more fully present in the world He created, and seek healing, identity, and purpose where Christ has already met them.

This sermon calls for thoughtful self-examination, renewed presence, and a deeper commitment to living faithfully in the reality God designed—because it is here, and only here, that redemption was accomplished and life with God is found.

When help is hard to find and solutions feel impersonal, Christmas offers a different kind of answer.

This Christmas Eve message reflects on the frustration of seeking help in a broken world and points to the truth that God did not respond to human need with distant advice or instructions. Instead, He came in person. Drawing from Isaiah 9:6, the sermon explores the meaning of Jesus being called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

The message walks through the shared needs of humanity—guidance, strength, restoration, and peace—and shows how each of these is met in Christ. Rather than giving directions from afar, God provided someone to follow. Rather than demanding strength humanity does not have, He supplied His own. Rather than leaving people separated by sin, He made a way to be cleaned, restored, and welcomed home. Rather than offering temporary relief from anxiety, He brings lasting peace rooted in God’s control and promises.

The sermon concludes by focusing on the incarnation as God’s invitation to draw near, and on communion as a reminder that Jesus met human need through His own body and blood. Christmas is presented as a moment to examine our need for help and to recognize that in the child born in the manger, God has already provided what we lack.

What does it really mean to call Jesus the Prince of Peace? In this episode, we explore one of Isaiah’s most hope-filled promises and see how it takes shape in the life and ministry of Jesus. Rather than defining peace as the absence of trouble, Scripture shows us a deeper kind of peace—one that holds steady even in the middle of chaos. By looking at Jesus calming the storm, we see how His authority brings peace not only to circumstances, but to fearful hearts as well. This message invites us to consider where we look for peace, and why lasting peace is found not in control, but in trusting the One who is truly in charge.

In this message from our He Will Be Called series, we explore the name “Everlasting Father” from Isaiah 9:6 and discover what it reveals about Jesus’ heart and His Kingdom. While we often think of Jesus as the Son, Scripture shows Him as a King who rules with the loving, steady care of a perfect Father—one who provides, protects, and lovingly guides His people forever.

Through Jesus’ interaction with children in Mark 10, we’re reminded that the Kingdom of God doesn’t belong to the impressive, the independent, or the self-sufficient. It belongs to the helpless, the dependent, and those willing to receive grace like a child. This episode challenges the idea that our value comes from what we can offer and invites us instead to rest in the truth that we are loved simply because we belong to Him.

As we head into the Christmas season, this sermon also calls us to reflect the heart of our Everlasting Father by opening our arms to the vulnerable—children, widows, and those who may feel forgotten—loving others not for what they bring to the table, but because they matter to God.

What does it mean that the child born to us is also our Mighty God? This week, Pastor Jed turns to the mountain of Transfiguration in Matthew 17, where Jesus’ divine nature shines unmistakably. In this episode, we discover why the divinity of Christ matters for our salvation, our worship, and our everyday confidence. When we see Jesus for who He truly is, everything changes.

In this week’s message from our Christmas series on Isaiah 9:6, we look at the first name given to Jesus: Wonderful Counselor. Christmas reminds us that Jesus didn’t just come to save us—He came to guide, restore, and speak life into weary hearts. In John 21, we see the risen Jesus meet Peter in his failure, counsel him with grace, and restore him to purpose. That same Wonderful Counselor comes alongside us today with wisdom, truth, and unwavering love. Join us as we discover how the One born in Bethlehem continues to lead us gently and powerfully into hope.

When Zacchaeus climbed that sycamore tree in Luke 19, he was just trying to see Jesus. But that moment changed everything — not just his life, but his heart. His view of money, status, and success was flipped upside down the moment he met the Savior face to face.

In this final message of the First Fruits series, we explore how seeing Jesus clearly reshapes how we see everything else — especially our wealth. When our eyes are fixed on Him, generosity stops feeling like loss and starts looking like freedom.

In this message from our First Fruits series, we take an honest and biblical look at tithing—what it means, where it comes from, and how it fits into life as a follower of Jesus today. Rather than focusing on percentages or obligations, this sermon explores the heart behind the tithe: recognizing that everything we have comes from God and responding with gratitude and faith. Through Scripture, we discover that giving is not a rule to follow but an act of worship, trust, and partnership in God’s work.

In his farewell to the Ephesian elders, Paul reminds the church of Jesus’ words: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” In a world obsessed with accumulating more, this truth cuts straight to the heart. The real joy of life isn’t found in what we hold onto — it’s found in what we give away.

In this sermon, we explore how generosity shapes our faith, strengthens our community, and draws us closer to the heart of God. Because when we give, we reflect the character of the One who gave everything for us.