Icon Church: Recent Episodes
Icon Church
Icon Church is a Christian church that meets in the Central District in Seattle, WA. We believe all people are icons of the invisible God, made in his image to reflect his glory and grace. We help people follow Jesus faithfully in real life. Find more information about Icon at iconchurch.org.
Elder Ben Wishall leads us through week seven of our eight week Philippians series. Out of Philippians 4:1-9, Ben teaches how to don the peace of the Lord and quell our anxious hearts.
Icon partner Matt Greco is back to lead us through week six of our eight week Philippians series. Preaching from Philippians 3:12-21, Matt encourages us to "press on" and lead a life worth imitating, for our true citizenship is in Heaven and home is the prize at the end of this difficult journey.
Icon partner Matt Greco picks up our series through Philippians in it's fifth week of eight. Leading us through Philippians 3:1-11, he uncovers what it means to rejoice in the Lord and recognize where we might be putting our confidence in the flesh, all in the pursuit of righteousness through faith in Christ.
Elder Ben Wishall continues our Philippians sermon series with week four of nine. in Philippians 2:12-18, Paul writes that we are to "work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you." Elder Ben expounds on how this doesn't mean that God is leaving us to save ourselves, explains how to approach scripture that seems to contradict what we know about God, and teaches how to break the Word down using four practical bible study strategies.
This week we welcome guest preacher Jared Crabtree as we continue with week three of a nine week series through Philippians. Philippians 2:1-11 gives us a glimpse into the very mind of Christ that reveals the life-altering beauty of humility and demonstrates the path He took from the throne of heaven, down into humanity, lower into servanthood, and lower still "...becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."
Icon Elder Ben Wishall continues with week two of a nine week series in Philippians. This week we journey through Philippians 1:19-30. In this section, Paul tells the Philippians, "Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ." We know that salvation is not earned, it is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone - so what does it mean to live a life worthy of the Gospel?
Icon Elder Ben Wishall kicks off a nine week series in Philippians. The book of Philippians is structured like a mountain, and chapter one is the ascent of the book. It is filled with words of encouragement as we sojourn in the Christian life. This week we journey through Philippians 1:1-18.
Meiko Seymour, a credentialed minister in St. Petersburg, FL, explores the generous saving nature of our Lord through the story of Paul, Silas, and the Roman Jailer in Acts 16:25-34.
Toney Salva, the Executive Director of The CEA (a regional church planting organization committed to establishing new churches throughout the Pacific Northwest), teaches from Matthew 5:9 and explains the difference between peacemaking and peacekeeping. He shares deeply moving personal stories and connects them to how Jesus sets the example of how we should make peace.
Toney Salva, the Executive Director of The CEA (a regional church planting organization committed to establishing new churches throughout the Pacific Northwest), teaches from Matthew 5:33-41 about how Jesus lived a life that avoided the typical fight or cower responses when confronted by challenging people, but chose a third way. And as followers of Jesus we should strive to live out this third way as well.
Pastor Josh kicks off our Advent series entitled Advent Lessons. In this series, we will explore four key aspects of how Jesus came into the world, and why they are critical to our faith. This week starts off by exploring the virgin birth of Christ. Sermon Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
To finish up our I Lift My Eyes series, Pastor Josh looks at the topic of suffering. Specifically, he explores what’s necessary in order to make it through suffering with hope and faith.
Sermon Scripture: Psalm 27:13-14
This week Pastor Josh looks at what doubt is and how it affects our relationship with God. We see how doubt is connected to pain, how it can create darkness, and what real faith actually looks like.
This week Pastor Josh finishes our Contested Marriage series by looking at the contest between love and indifference. We see what love really is and how to fight back against indifference.
Sermon Scripture: Song of Solomon 8:5-7
This week Pastor Josh explores vulnerability and trust in a relationship. We learn what makes us want to hide from one another and how the Gospel gives us the courage to be vulnerable.
Sermon Scripture: Genesis 2:24 - 3:13
This week Pastor Josh explores how to make peace in a marriage. We see together what drives animosity and how to make peace.
Sermon Scripture: James 3:13 - 4:3
This week Pastor Josh kicks off our new series: Contested Marriage. For this sermon, we explore the realities of marriage and how we often have the wrong expectations for marriage.
Sermon Scripture: Matthew 19:1-12
This week, Pastor Josh closes our Revelation series (Revelation 21-22) by exploring the finished redemption God will bring.
This week Pastor Josh looks at Revelation 19 and 20. In this passage, we are reminded of who Jesus is and why we should worship him.
Sermon Scripture: Revelation 19:11-16.
This week Pastor Josh explores how we as Christians can endure while living in a big city. We see from Revelation how God speaks honestly about the city but also calls us to it.
Sermon Scripture: Revelation 18:1-10
This week Pastor Josh explores the tactics of Satan in Revelation 12. We see that accusation and shame are Satan’s favorite tools of warfare, and also how we can battle against that with the gospel.
This week Pastor Josh looks at the Seven Trumpets in Revelation. Through this text we see the warning God gives around the dangers of sin and how God wants his church to react.
This week Pastor Josh looks at what happens when the kingdom of God confronts the kingdom of evil. We look at Revelation 6 and 7 to see how evil reacts when Jesus seeks to bring his kingdom.
This week, guest preacher Beau Hughes teaches from Jesus's interactions with the rich young ruler in Mark 10.
This week, guest preacher Seth Westhoff looks at Jesus’s message to the church in Laodicea. We see the need for zealous repentance when our faith has become lukewarm.
This week, we take a break from our normal sermon series to hear from Pastor EuGene Lewis about the parable of the Good Samaritan and what it looks like to be compassionate followers of Christ.
This week Pastor Josh looks at Jesus’s message to the church in Philadelphia from Revelation 3:7-13. We see how Jesus’s acceptance can help us endure rejection from our culture.
This week one of our Elder Candidates, Ben Wishall, looks at Jesus’s message to the church in Sardis from Revelation 3:1-6. We see how Jesus is intent on addressing the core of who we are and not just what we project to others.
This week Pastor Josh looks at Jesus’s message to the church in Thyatira. We explore what to hold onto when our career threatens our faith in Jesus.
This week Pastor Josh covers Jesus’s message to the church in Pergamum. We see that faith in Jesus will sometimes mean exclusion from the normal pieces of society.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at what Jesus says to the church in Smyrna and how we see what to do when suffering doesn’t seem to be ending.
This week Pastor Josh covers Jesus’s message to the church in Ephesus. We see that without a prioritized love for Jesus, our faith is at risk.
This week, Ben Wishall examines how the prophet Isaiah shows us in Isaiah 6 that we can find peace when earthly comforts fail us.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at the vision of Jesus given in Revelation 1. We see how much his strength and power means to our continuing endurance as disciples.
This week Pastor Josh kicks off our new series in the book of Revelation at Icon Church Seattle. He shares ten important principles on how to interpret such a complicated book.
In closing our Jesus the Great Philosopher series, Pastor Josh explores the conclusion Jesus gives in his Sermon the Mount. We see that there are only two options for his conclusion: either follow Jesus or don’t.
This Easter Sunday, Pastor Josh shares three implications of why the resurrection should seize us into astonishment: the victory over death, the forgiveness of sins, and the real hope we have.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at what Jesus has to say about judging others in his Sermon on the Mount.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at what Jesus says about our anxiety. We see how Jesus invites us to see reality through a biblical lens, how that can calm our anxiety, and how to begin seeing in a new way through faith.
This week Pastor Josh explores how Jesus thinks about money. We see the importance of analyzing where our allegiance and hope lies: either with God, or with money.
In this week's sermon, Pastor Josh looks at Jesus’s teaching on prayer. We see where prayer gets its power, what we should pray for, and how to think through unanswered prayer.
This week, Josh takes a break from our Jesus the Great Philosopher series to preach from Psalm 123 about endurance in exhaustion and seeking the sustaining help of God.
This week, Pastor Josh talks about how Jesus confronts hypocritical generosity in Matthew 6 and how to seek justice in a way that isn't motivated by self-interest.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at two important relationships that reveal our hearts: our spouses and our enemies.
This week, Pastor Josh discusses Jesus' teaching from his Sermon on the Mount on lust and adultery in Matthew 5.
Today, Jeff Vanderstelt joins us to teach from Jeremiah 29 about what it means for Christians to thrive when things get tough.
This week, Pastor Josh discusses anger. We see why Jesus speaks so seriously about it and how to give our angry hearts to Jesus in surrender.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at what it means for Christians to be salt and light as Jesus shows.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at the Beatitudes and how they flip our idea of happiness upside down.
This week, Pastor Josh kicks off our new series on the Sermon on the Mount by examining our innate human drive for happiness and why that matters.
For the first Sunday of the year, Pastor Josh sets the tone for what we should hope for at Icon this year.
This week for our Advent series, Pastor Josh looks at Simeon's Song. Together we see that God is a promise-making God, and we should look forward to the fulfillment of the great promise that Christ will return again.
This week, Pastor Josh examines the angelic choir of Luke 2. We see that the coming of Jesus Christ frees us from fear and how we can then rejoice in God’s glory.
This week in our Advent series, Pastor Josh looks at Zechariah’s poem to see what can bring real peace in our real lives.
This week we kick off our Advent series by looking at Mary’s Magnificat. We see how the incarnation of Jesus brought Mary joy in her humble estate.
In our final week of Why Us Why Here, Pastor Josh looks at the problem of transience and sees how God’s sovereign purposes should inform when we leave and when we stay.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at the reality of activism in Seattle and how a Christian should both think about and practice activism.
In this sermon, Pastor Josh looks at the story our culture is telling around our sexuality and personhood, and then shows the better story the Gospel has to offer.
Over the last decade, the church has slowly awakened to the reality, impact, and devastation of trauma. However, there is one form of trauma that seems most elusive for the church to identify: spiritual trauma. But the difficulty in identifying it doesn’t change the painful experiences many Christians have endured under the guise of Christian leadership.
Here at Icon, we want to be a gracious, accommodating, and healing voice for those in our city who have endured such trauma. Because of that, we hosted a forum to unpack what spiritual trauma is, how to identify it in your own story, and how to begin the healing process.
This event included a two-part teaching: Part one was from Beth Broom, a Trauma Specialist LPC. Part 2 was taught by Lead Pastor, Josh Sercey. Josh and Beth then partnered to conduct an audience Q&A session.
Note: Due to copyright reasons, the first teaching by Beth Broom is available by request only. Please email info@iconchurch.org for the link to the audio recording. The following recording includes only the teaching from Joshua Sercey and then the audience Q&A.
This week, Pastor Josh makes a pivot in our Fall series. After having talked about our values as a church for the last six weeks, we now shift to talk about the virtues we must embody if we are to reach Seattle. This week, we talk about the wealth of Seattle and biblical generosity.
This week, Pastor Josh explores the value of being Sent on Mission. The Scripture for this week comes out of Matthew 28:16-20.
Continuing in our Why Us Why Here series, Pastor Josh looks at what it means to be Renewed as Community.
This week, Pastor Josh explore the value of being Grounded by Scripture. We see together that grounding in Scripture starts with a foundational delight in Scripture.
This week, Pastor Josh looks at what it means to be grace-oriented as a church. We see how the grace of God orients our relationship with God and with one another.
This week in our "Why Us, Why Here?" series, Pastor Josh looks at Acts 1:4-9 and explores why the Holy Spirit’s power is critical to our church.
In this sermon, Pastor Josh kicks off our new Fall series, "Why Us, Why Here?". We look at our first value as a church: being Jesus-Centered. Tune in to find out why our identity in Jesus should be the most important thing about us.
In this sermon, Pastor Josh looks at Psalm 107. Celebrating our 2nd anniversary, Josh shares from this Psalm how the road ahead can be even better than what we’ve experienced so far, if only we will give ourselves to a consuming hunger for God.
- Doubt is common, but not all doubt is alike. Sometimes we experience emotional doubt just as much as intellectual doubt. This week, Pastor Josh takes us through emotional doubt and why God’s demonstration on the cross can help us to be released from this type of doubt.
In this sermon, Pastor Josh explores how Christians are able to endure suffering because of the hope they have and the future that’s promised to them.
- This week, Josh shares how having God as our Father heals past wounds, strengthens us in present suffering, and gives us a future worth waiting for.
This week, Josh continues in our Romans series by looking at how we can know whether we’re a Christian or not. Tune in to find out the two identifiers the Apostle Paul gives to answer this question.
- What you think changes how you live. Pop psychology has tapped into this in the past few years, but it’s merely catching up with the Bible. In our sermon this week, Josh looks at Romans 8:5-8, where we’ll see Paul exhort us to have a mindset that is Spirit-led.
- How does the gospel actually work? If it’s such good news, we should probably have some real clarity around it. This week in our Romans series, we’ll look at Romans 8:1-4, which lays out as clear as possible how we are released from earning our salvation. And, as you’ll see, that clarity gives us a security that is untouchable and a hope that is immovable. In other words, it’s a clarity we need for our real life.
- Some of us are chronic rule followers. And even those who aren’t type A know that we need to know what’s expected of us in order for a relationship or job to go well. This is the same for our relationship with God. But, as we see in this week’s sermon, our relationship with God is not measured by law but by love.
What happens when you suddenly tell a group of very religious people that they are no longer bound to the Law for righteousness? They start sinning, that's what. Paul knows people and so he gets ahead of this human impulse with a series of rhetorical questions. Paul expects that the Romans will wonder if they have to keep obeying now that their standing with God is based on grace.
- Sin can be very sticky, leaving us confused on how to get out. But when we trust in Jesus, our relationship with sin categorically changes. Jesus has changed our identity, which changes how we live and think about ourselves. That’s why freedom from sin doesn’t come with just trying harder, but seeing Jesus better.
In a one-off sermon this week, Josh looks at Jesus’s transfiguration in Mark 9:2-8. We explore how Jesus’s transfiguration verifies for us that he’s the right person to follow, and shows us that he’s worth following.
This is the final week of our Rest series and we are looking at Isaiah 55:8, a well known verse that tells us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and that God’s ways are not our ways.
This week in our Rest series, we’ll see how Jesus’s heart is always inviting and open, ready for us to come to him despite how poor or how well we’re doing.
This week in our Rest series, Josh looks at 1 John 2:1-2 and asks the question: how can we be comfortable in our relationship with God when we still screw it up? Listen in and find out how Jesus’s role as advocate provides the answer.
In week 2 of our Rest series, Josh looks at Exodus 34 where we get a personal, in depth revelation of what God is like. Spoiler alert: it’s far more wonderful than we could have expected.
This week Josh finished our series in John looking at Jesus being the Son of God. We explore how Jesus relates to God the Father, and why that’s incredibly practical for our real lives.
Week 11 of He’s the One is all about shepherds and sheep. Jesus is the good one and you should follow him.
Week 10 of He’s the One shows us Jesus healing a blind man and forcing those around him to ask themselves, what do I see?
This week, Josh looks at a well known story in John 8 and shows how the mercy of Jesus restores our dignity, relieves our fear, and initiates a response.
In week 7 of He’s the One, Josh looks at how we often misconstrue why Jesus is a reliable authority, and how Jesus corrects us.
In Week 6 of He’s the One, Pastor Justin explores the idea of eternal life, both here and in heaven.
Week 5 of He’s the One brings us to John 6 and the weighty topic of election and God’s role in our salvation.
Week 4 of our He’s the One Series takes us to the feeding of the 5000 and Jesus walking on water. He’s the One with the Power.
Week 3 of He’s the One wraps up chapter 5 and Jesus’ beef with the Pharisees about healing on the Sabbath.
Week 2 of our He’s the One series takes us to a fiery discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees regarding his authority to heal on the Sabbath.
In our final sermon for the Advent series, Josh explores how Jesus is the Prince of Peace that we all really need. For more information, visit iconchurch.org
Week 3 of Advent 2020 explains how Jesus, our Savior-King is also our Everlasting Father. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 2 of Advent continues in Isaiah 9 and describes Jesus as our Mighty God. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Pre-2020, life in America was riddled by a mental health epidemic. In steps COVID-19. Now, mental health experts say that the rate of those admitting to mental health issues are higher than ever. And so, we must ask: does the God of the Bible have anything to say to such a wave of darkness and struggle? Can he offer any actual help that goes beyond platitudes and cliches? The answer is yes, and we’re going to explore how in this midweek series. We’ll take a real look at struggles such as depression, anxiety, or addiction, and see some specific characteristics of God that are able to bring real and significant help on the road to wholeness.
In this first sermon of our Advent series, Josh looks at Isaiah 11 to see how Jesus’s wisdom and ways make him a Wonderful Counselor. Tune in to hear how submitting ourselves to the wisdom of Jesus can help us resolve the mess of 2020. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 9 of Father Abraham finally brings the birth of the promised son, Issac, but it also brings pain and uncertainty for many others. How can God bring joy out of our pain? This story leads the way. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This message was delivered on the radio for a special 105.3 series called “Trusting Jesus in 2021" and highlights how the values of Icon Church serve as the backbone of our identity and mission in the world, no matter what is going on around us.
Pre-2020, life in America was riddled by a mental health epidemic. In steps COVID-19. Now, mental health experts say that the rate of those admitting to mental health issues are higher than ever. And so, we must ask: does the God of the Bible have anything to say to such a wave of darkness and struggle? Can he offer any actual help that goes beyond platitudes and cliches? The answer is yes, and we’re going to explore how in this midweek series. We’ll take a real look at struggles such as depression, anxiety, or addiction, and see some specific characteristics of God that are able to bring real and significant help on the road to wholeness.
Week 9 of Father Abraham finally brings the birth of the promised son, Issac, but it also brings pain and uncertainty for many others. How can God bring joy out of our pain? This story leads the way. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Pre-2020, life in America was riddled by a mental health epidemic. In steps COVID-19. Now, mental health experts say that the rate of those admitting to mental health issues are higher than ever. And so, we must ask: does the God of the Bible have anything to say to such a wave of darkness and struggle? Can he offer any actual help that goes beyond platitudes and cliches? The answer is yes, and we’re going to explore how in this midweek series. We’ll take a real look at struggles such as depression, anxiety, or addiction, and see some specific characteristics of God that are able to bring real and significant help on the road to wholeness.
Week 8 of Father Abraham covers the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah and the sin that caused it. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 7 of our Father Abraham series explores the audacity of Abraham’s prayer life and what it means for us. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Pre-2020, life in America was riddled by a mental health epidemic. In steps COVID-19. Now, mental health experts say that the rate of those admitting to mental health issues are higher than ever. And so, we must ask: does the God of the Bible have anything to say to such a wave of darkness and struggle? Can he offer any actual help that goes beyond platitudes and cliches? The answer is yes, and we’re going to explore how in this midweek series. We’ll take a real look at struggles such as depression, anxiety, or addiction, and see some specific characteristics of God that are able to bring real and significant help on the road to wholeness.
Week 6 of Father Abraham covers one of the most relatable portions of the Abraham narrative. Tune in as we explore why it’s so difficult to believe God, and what we can learn from Abraham to change that. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Pre-2020, life in America was riddled by a mental health epidemic. In steps COVID-19. Now, mental health experts say that the rate of those admitting to mental health issues are higher than ever. And so, we must ask: does the God of the Bible have anything to say to such a wave of darkness and struggle? Can he offer any actual help that goes beyond platitudes and cliches? The answer is yes, and we’re going to explore how in this midweek series. We’ll take a real look at struggles such as depression, anxiety, or addiction, and see some specific characteristics of God that are able to bring real and significant help on the road to wholeness.
Week 5 of Father Abraham brings us to the story of Sarai and Hagar and the grave consequences of treating people like they are less than human. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
A look at who God is and why it matters for mental health.
This week we launched our God of the Valley miniseries, focused on who God is and why knowing Him matters for specific issues like anxiety, depression, and addiction.
When we’re dealing with issues of mental health, it's important to know why and how to enter the conversation. So in Part 1, Josh begins by looking at why this discussion is necessary for us in the church. Tune in as he unpacks our contextual, personal, and theological motivations behind pursuing wholeness in our mental health.
Week 4 of Father Abraham reminds us to not focus on what is expedient, but what is ultimate and meaningful. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 3 of Father Abraham makes old Abe look a lot better than week 2 did. Abraham takes responsibility for his nephew Lot on two separate occasions and there is a lot we can learn from him in the process. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 2 of Father Abraham shows us just how quickly people can go from obedient to monstrously evil and how faithful and consistent God is no matter our behavior. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week kicks off our new series Father Abraham: Lessons for Growing Up by looking at some of the big themes of Abraham’s life that emerge from the very first verses of chapter 12. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week Pastor Justin celebrates the one year anniversary of Icon with a special message about the vision of the church for Year 2. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Romans 5 is Paul at his best: explaining the existence of death and the hope of grace’s great reversal. As we close out our series in Romans, we’ll see why death has come into this world, and how God’s grace undoes sin and death through its results and through its reign. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
In Chapter 5 of Romans, Paul outlines seven different implications of justification by faith. These implications are promises that Christians can cling to in times of trial and temptation. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Romans 4 is a case study in salvation by faith. Paul goes back to the life and faith of Abraham to prove that God has always saved by faith, even if the Jews didn’t see it that way. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
The end of Romans 3 describes the nature of God’s righteousness as mankind’s only hope for redemption. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week, in Romans 3, we tackle one of the most difficult passages in the book because of how it describes humanity – namely, that we are the worst. Paul leaves no room for boasting or even positive self-talk in his long list of Old Testament quotes. But, his point isn’t to tear us down or make us feel worthless. Rather, he points us towards the only one who can bring us the hope, goodness, and transformation we all long for. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
In our world of constant distraction and never-ending opportunities for productivity, there may not be a more important spiritual practice than Sabbath, nor any pastor better equipped to teach us about Sabbath than Pastor John Mark Comer from Bridgetown Church in Portland. Don't miss this timely and in-depth look at the power of Sabbath for our lives. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week, Pastor Jon Tyson from Church of the City in New York City joins us to preach on the important topic of prayer. He offers a framework that challenges us to grow in our prayer lives as we pursue a compelling vision of prayerful surrender. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week in Voices, Pastor Mark Sayers from Red Church in Melbourne will be talking about how moments of transition and disruption like the one we are experiencing now are ripe for both personal and corporate renewal. He offers a vision for how God can use this cultural moment to great effect in our lives. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week, Jackie Hill Perry helps us think about what it means to look vertically to God for our identity and to understand that we are made in His image. Rather than looking horizontally to the tangible things around us to know who we are, we look by faith to God to define us and find our sense of purpose. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
The end of Romans 1 shows Paul subtly shifting the focus from the Gentiles toward the Jews. But Romans 2 takes the subtle shift of Romans 1 and turns it into a full blown decimation of the advantages the Jewish community in Rome thought they had. Tune in this week to see how God’s judgment is impartial, and how that’s both good news for a broken world and bad news for us sinners. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 3 of Romans is a doozy. Paul gets into the meat of his argument by addressing a stereotypical vision of gentile sin, namely wanton sexual practices that Jews would only whisper about in judgmental tones. But Paul’s main point isn’t to call out gentiles, he has another audience in mind as well. Tune in to see how Paul uses Jewish arguments against them. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
In Romans 1:18-23, Paul explains the nature of sin to the Roman church. In his continuing effort to unify an ethnically diverse and culturally tense Roman church, Paul explains why each and every one of them need the Gospel. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
In week 1 of our Romans series, Paul lays out his broad agenda for the church by talking about what the gospel is, who the gospel is for and what the gospel does. He lays the foundation upon which he will build an argument for the value of and way to build a multi-ethnic church. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week, because of all that is happening in our world today, Pastor Justin preached a special message on The Gospel of Reconciliation. Racism and bigotry in all of its many forms is an affront to the Gospel because it rejects and defaces the image of God in people. Paul confronts Peter in Galatians 2 for racially-driven hypocrisy because it is “not in step with the truth of the gospel”. Racism is a gospel issue and this week’s sermon addresses this topic head on. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
We wrap up our Rule for Life Series with the dual practices of Simplicity and Generosity with special guest Pastor Eugene Cho. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week we tackled the dual practices of fasting and feasting. These two practices, taken together, allow us to see clearly what it is we reach for in times of stress and to appreciate the ways in which God always provides for us. This focus on seeing clearly and appreciating fully fills us with the peace of God. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This teaching in our Rule for Life series explores the principles of life together as Christians that can bring peace and rescue us from the isolating nature of anxiety. We look at how the Christian community is poised and resourced to be a loving and patient people, and how this type of community becomes the voice and presence of God, manifesting the gospel to us outside of us. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Vocation and Sabbath are interdependent and integral parts of our lives. We tackle both in this installment of the Rule for Life series. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This teaching from our Rule for Life series focuses on our need for silence and solitude as a way to “partner” with God. When we carve out moments to quiet both the external and internal noise, we find peace in the presence of God, and only then do we have something of value to offer the people around us. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
In this week of our Rule for Life series, Pastor Justin teaches us that peace needs a language that honestly communicates about the reality that we face and clings to the promises of the Gospel. Jesus modeled a language, and arguably, if we learned to pray and not just recite the Lord's Prayer, it contains all the language we need to find peace. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Jumping back into our Rule for Life series, Pastor Justin reminds us that to navigate the uncertain and unfamiliar, we need a guide to tell us where we are and where we should go. As Christians, we have such a guide in the Bible, the words of God meant to direct our path. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Pastor Justin preached from John 20:1-30 and talked about how Everyone Believes, Everyone Hopes and Everyone Doubts. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
In week 2 of our Rule for Life series, Pastor Justin will show us how "Peace needs a Focus" and – spoiler alert – it's not you! We will never find peace as long as we are at the center of our own attention. We have to have another focus. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week kicked off our new series called A Rule For Life, Seeking Peace in an Anxious World. In this first sermon, Pastor Justin outlined what a Rule of Life is and how it can form our character and not just modify our behavior. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Our final sermon of our first John series was providentially about healing. John heals a man who has been disabled for 38 years, demonstrating his power over the physical world. In light of the current worldwide pandemic, Jesus challenges us to ask ourselves, what is it that we are truly leaning on for healing? For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week, in our very first virtual edition of the Sunday sermon, Pastor Justin preached about "Jesus the Evangelist" from John 4:27-54. We'll see how Jesus approached three different groups of people and the methods he used to share the good news of the gospel with them. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
We wrapped up the second major section of John this week by looking at the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. John juxtaposes the way that Jesus interacted with Nicodemus, a powerful Jewish man with this marginalized outcast in a remarkable way. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
John the Baptist makes his final appearance in this week's passage and he leaves us a challenging message about ambition. Basically, it's poison and our pursuit of it is hurting our lives and actually making our work less effective. Work is good, but ambition is sin. Find out why! For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
John 3 is a remarkable recounting of Jesus' conversation with the religious leader Nicodemus. It's remarkable in its candor and its insight as Jesus sees Nicodemus' apparent flattery as an attempt to gain leverage and an ally. Jesus completely flips the conversation by stripping Nicodemus of all his power and influence, explaining to him that Jesus has done everything necessary and that Nicodemus has nothing to add. He then bids him to come into the light, to be seen and known by the God of the Universe and be saved. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week's sermon comes from John 3, one of the most famous passages in all of scripture. In it, Jesus has a long conversation with a powerful Jewish leader named Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Sanhedrin. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night to confess his belief only to be challenged by Jesus to rethink everything he knows about power, influence and the Kingdom of God. This is the first of a two part mini-series covering this conversation. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week's message forms the second half of a two part series that the Gospel of John uses to frame the character and mission of Jesus. Last week we looked at Jesus' miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana. This week, John tells us the story of Jesus entering the temple, being disgusted by the buying and selling of animals for ritual sacrifices that he saw and, as a result, driving them out with a whip. These two stories, taken together, form a tension in Jesus and his ministry between his gratuitous grace and the seriousness with which he deals with sin. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week in the John series is the first half of a two part mini-series that looks at the tension between Jesus's Gratuitous Grace and his Seriousness about Sin. Both of these ideas are held in tension with each other in Jesus' life and teaching and well illustrated in the stories of John 2. The Wedding at Cana is up first, in which Jesus turns water into wine, lavishing grace and provision on a newly married couple. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 3 the John series takes us to Jesus' first words in this gospel. He asks two of John's disciples who have begun following him, "what are you seeking". John uses this moment to ask the reader this same question. Why are we here? What has taken us to Jesus, to this church, to this faith, or this podcast? What do we want from Jesus? For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 2 of our John series takes us back to chapter 1 and a reintroduction of John the Baptist. Emissaries of the Pharisees question John, asking him, "who are you?" This simple question is the existential one that all of us have to answer. See how John's answer doesn't only tell us who he is but can help us answer that question for ourselves. For more information, go to iconchurch.org.
This week kicked off our official Gospel of John series, 'Witness to the Light.' Pastor Justin preached from John 20:30-31, which serves as a thesis statement for the entire book. In it, John says that he wrote his gospel so that people would believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that by believing people would have life in his name. This is the frame through which John sees the life of Jesus and retells his story. For more information, go to iconchurch.org.
This week, we kicked off 2020 with a Vision Sunday. Pastor Justin took time to look back at all God has done at Icon in 2019 and then looked forward to what God might have for us in 2020. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
We finished our advent series this week by looking at the theme of Joy from John 1:14-18. Joy is different from happiness because it is rooted in truths that are constant, like the redemptive pursuit of God, the bottomless well of grace and the simplicity of faith in Jesus. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 3 of our advent series was about Love. How do you know someone loves you? How do you know God loves you? Our lives are filled with both promises and distractions, how can we sift through them all to get to the heart of what matters most? John answers these questions and challenges us to simply believe. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Week 2 of our advent series was about the kind of Peace that can come from knowing who you are and what you were made for. John the Baptist served as a great example of someone who was secure in who he was and what God had sent him to do, which meant that he wasn't striving for something more. He wasn't trying to control the future or reaching for more control. He was confident and content to be who God made him to be. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
Our Advent series kicked off this week by looking at the theme of Hope from John 1:1-5. Pastor Justin challenged the congregation to consider what it is they hope for and what do they depend on to bring about that hope. John 1 teaches us that life in Christ is our greatest hope and that Jesus, the Light for the world is the only means by which we can realize that truest hope. Find more information at iconchurch.org.
This sermon wraps up the Confronting Genesis series by looking at Genesis 12:1-3, the calling of Abram. This calling is a pivot point for the book of Genesis and God's redemptive plan. It is also paradigmatic of how God calls all of us to "Go" and trust him along the way. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
In the penultimate sermon in our Confronting Genesis series, Pastor Justin explored the topic of Diversity through the lens of the story of the Tower of Babel. Contrary to what some of us learned in Sunday school, the story of Babel is about a people who didn’t want to explore God’s diverse world, but instead decided to protect themselves from that world by building a city. God’s response was to confuse their language in order to get them back on the mission that he had given to them in the Cultural Mandate. For more information, visit iconchurch.org
This week at Icon, Pastor Justin continued in our Confronting Genesis series by looking at the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4. We used that story as a jumping off point for a larger conversation about Judgment and Hell. While certainly not anyone's favorite subject, it is a necessary warning that we need to hear and an opportunity to talk about the saving work of Christ. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week’s message picked up where last week’s left off. Last week we talked about the nature and cause of evil and suffering. This week, Pastor Justin laid out a plan for enduring suffering as a Christian. God has given us tools to thrive, even in the midst of great pain and suffering. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
This week's message explored the question, "why do bad things happen to good people?" In it, Pastor Justin encouraged people to think hard about what the real questions are. Do we really struggle with the idea as an idea or have we experienced personal pain that is actually the source of our discomfort? Second, we looked at Genesis 3 to see how the pattern of sin began and has been perpetuated for generations, constructing the broken world we see around us. For more information, visit iconchurch.org.
For many in our culture, “rest” is a four letter word. When we do allow ourselves to rest, it quickly turns into a self-absorbed pampering session. God’s vision for rest is neither self-absorbed nor a suggestion for the weak. Justin Anderson explores Genesis 2 to distinguish the kind of rest God commands of us and why it is so necessary. Find more information about Icon Church at iconchurch.org.
Are you working for the weekend? Just trying to make a buck? Or are you a workaholic, driven to take over the world? Whichever way, you're doing it wrong. The Bible has a really clear and meaningful vision for our work – in this episode Justin Anderson teaches on God's first command he gives to human. Find more information about Icon Church at iconchurch.org.
Why should we fight for human rights? Can inherent human dignity exist apart from being made in the Image of God? Justin Anderson teaches on how the Bible provides a framework for human dignity, the call to fight for those without what we call human rights, and what makes Christianity so morally and naturally countercultural. Find more information about Icon Church at iconchurch.org.
Christianity and science are mutually exclusive, right? In this teaching, Justin Anderson explores the relationship between Christianity and science, arguing that Christianity and science both support one another and that they need each other. Find more information about Icon Church at iconchurch.org.
In Icon Church's first Intersect event centered around faith and culture, we hear from Rebecca McLaughlin, author of 'Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World's Largest Religion,' on the complexity of the common question, aren't we better off without religion? Rebecca McLaughlin holds a PhD in renaissance literature from Cambridge University and a theology degree from Oak Hill College. Following her lecture, Dr. McLaughlin responds to some of the questions sent in from attendees of the event.
Please note: poor sound quality due to venue constraints.
Our Gospel Formed Freedom series looks at 1 Cor 11, the covering of heads and submission. You might be pleasantly surprised by what you hear.
First Corinthians is one of the longest and most important descriptions of the early Christian church, and it’s not pretty. The early Christians were far from an idyllic group of honest Christ-followers. They were tribal and divisive, struggled with sexuality and marriage, cultural liberalism and petty church squabbles.
The good news about Jesus Christ doesn’t just form our Sunday worship, but also every aspect of our lives. Join us each week at Icon for our series through 1 Corinthians entitled, The Gospel-formed Church.