Associate Pastor Steve Douglas opens up the book of Ephesians to answer the foundational question: What is the Church? This passage grounds us in the gospel, explains the grand purpose of God to make a new Family of God, and helps us see the goal of growing the love of Christ that surpasses understanding.
What Is Spiritual Growth? (Matthew 7:24-29)
Pastor Brent walks through the Sermon on the Mount to see what Jesus desires for our spiritual growth. This important teaching concludes with a challenge to all: either you are on the narrow path that bears good fruit and knows Jesus and is built on the solid rock of his teaching, or you are on the wide path that bears bad fruit and doesn’t know Jesus and is built on the shifting sands of the alternative saviors and gospels of this world. The way you can tell the difference: when the storm comes!
What Is Theology? (Galatians)
Our theology must be cross-centered and cross-shaped. Pastor Brent explains how we can think theologically, he defines some key terms about theology, and then walks through the book of Galatians to illustrate how we can apply the gospel. “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14).
What Is The Bible? (2 Timothy 3:10-4:5)
Pastor Brent guides us through a foundational passage about the doctrine of scripture. We cover important issues like inerrancy, inspiration, and the purpose of scripture. Our passage shows how Paul encourages his young protege Timothy to stand firm in the truth of the Bible in tumultuous times. Listen and learn about the sufficiency, clarity, authority, and necessity of scripture.
What Is The Gospel? (Romans 3:9-31)
Pastor Brent answers the fundamental question of the Christian faith: What is the Gospel? In this message we zoom in on Romans 3 to understand the biblical concept of justification by faith. This is the bedrock truth about how we are saved, that we are sinners saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
God's Story (Hebrews 1:1-4)
Week one of a new series called “Summer Seminars: Foundations of Faith”. Pastor Brent opens this new series with a message from Hebrews 1:1-4 that sets the stage for our understanding of the grand story of the Bible. This series will answer important questions like What Is The Gospel, What Is Theology, What Is The Church, and What Is Spiritual Growth. We will also address how we can have a biblical perspective on current issues in life such as work and fruitfulness, worship and generosity, suffering and perseverance, conflict and forgiveness, worldview and culture, marriage and family, embodiment, and civic engagement.
The One Who Sent Me (John 12:37-50)
Associate Pastor Steve Douglas helps us understand the dividing line of belief and unbelief. Jesus is one with the Father, sent by Him, and always speaking God’s words and doing God’s work. Some will not believe. How can we search our hearts about whether we trust in Jesus and believe that everlasting life is only found in Him? Jesus’ word in John 12 penetrate the hardness of our hearts and bring us to humble repentance and faith.
Father, Glorify Your Name! (John 12:20-36)
Pastor Brent discusses how Jesus’ death on the cross was his exaltation! His faithfulness to die opened the way for our redemption, and Jesus calls us to walk in faithfulness as we die to self. This passage reveals the agony of the cross and encourages us when we face difficulties in this life.
The Anointed King (John 12:1-19)
The humble anointing of Jesus and triumphal procession into Jerusalem reveal the very heart of God. We see the goodness of Jesus that welcomes us to come to him.
One Man Will Die (John 11:45-57)
Associate Pastor Steve Douglas helps us understand why so many people were divided about Jesus. In this pivotal passage, we see the High Priest speaking better than he knew. The showdown is on the horizon between Jesus and the religious leaders, and we need to check our own expectations about Jesus.
I Am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:1-44)
Easter Sunday! Pastor Brent walks us through the account of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, an event that foreshadowed his own death and resurrection where Jesus defeated death itself! This account is a preview of the coming attraction, a living parable of the future hope we have in the resurrection at the Last Day.
I Am God's Son (John 10:22-42)
Pastor Brent launches back into our series in the Gospel of John to look at a passage about the extraordinary claims of Jesus. The most important question we could possibly be confronted with is this: How will you respond to the words and works of Jesus? In order to truly understand this question, we need to grasp with the “perception of our heart” that Jesus is God’s Son.
Strength: Repatterning Our Lives (Romans 12:1-2 and Daniel 1)
Vision Sunday! Pastor Brent wraps up our mini-series on the Greatest Commandment by helping us understand how we are transformed through the gospel to embody a whole-life discipleship. This message focuses on how Babylon will try to bend you into its shape, whereas the gospel will transform you into the likeness of Christ.
Mind: Rediscovering The Truth (1 Corinthians 1:18-2:16)
Pastor Brent digs into an important passage that keeps our focus on the cross of Christ, and reminds us that the inner conviction of the truth of the gospel comes from the work of the Holy Spirit. We are called to love God with all our intellect, to take every thought captive to Christ, and to surrender to the fact that there is objective eternal truth.
Soul: Redefining Our Identity (Romans 8:1-17)
Associate Pastor Steve Douglas takes the second installment of our series “Disciple-by-Doing” in which we are learning how to love God with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength. This series will set the foundation for our church’s disciple-making vision. This week’s topic explores how the gospel of Jesus Christ redefines our identity as children of God.
Heart: Reordering Our Loves (Mark 12:28-34)
Listen to Pastor Brent’s sermon from March 5, 2023 in our series called Disciple-by-Doing. We are starting this four-part series with a look at the Greatest Commandment in order to envision a whole-life, whole-hearted discipleship that begins with loving God supremely. This series will help us learn how to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.