Downtown Church: Recent Episodes
Downtown Church
“If you grew up in the church, you likely heard some of the ‘classic’ Old Testament stories. Stories filled with memorable moments where God demonstrated His faithfulness to His people. Embedded in those stories are truths we can still cling to today in light of our faith in Jesus. Join us this week as we celebrate the faithfulness of God and what that means in our “fiery furnace” moments of life."
“In the same way the weather is an indicator of the changing seasons, there are times our world can feel a bit different. Many today are hurting, scared, or overwhelmed—more-so than usual. In a familiar text, we find the solid footing our souls are truly longing for. Join us as we learn of the message of hope we have in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
“Commitment may be a word our culture often avoids, but for the Christian it is exactly what we are called to. Join us as we explore some tangible ways that followers of Jesus can express their commitment to Christ and to His church.”
“As we read the Old Testament we catch glimpses of stories that sound eerily similar to things we find ourselves going through. The book of Exodus contains one of those stories. Join us as we learn what we can do when we encounter our own “Red Sea Situations”. As those who have faith in Jesus, we can have great hope as we face trials of various kinds. Let’s move Forward in Faith!”
“Have you ever wondered if your prayers were accomplishing anything? Or maybe you’ve wondered if you’re doing prayer all wrong? You’re not alone. A lot of Christians lack this confidence. Join us as we continue in our FORWARD series as we learn the vital role that prayer plays in a church moving forward on mission together.”
“Many Christians approach church with a consumer mindset—asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’ But Jesus calls us to something greater. As we move FORWARD together as a church family, we’ll hear His words reminding us of the joy and blessing found in serving one another. Join us this week as we consider how God’s favor is poured out when His people embrace this call to serve.”
“The idea of a Christian that’s not connected to a local church body with other Christians is a foreign concept in the New Testament. In light of that, we dive in to this important topic of church membership, and we also consider the role that God would have each of us play in the context of our church body. Join us as we move “FORWARD” together!”
"God’s people are never called to stand still—we’re called to move Forward. In this new series, we’ll learn some intentional steps we can take together as a church family. This week, Paul’s words will challenge us to move Forward on Mission together. We hope you’ll join us!"
As we conclude our "Life of David" series, we’ll reflect on the lasting legacy David left behind—a legacy made possible only through the power of God at work in his life. Join us as we’re challenged to consider: What kind of legacy might God desire to leave through us?
“Sometimes the greatest gift God can give His children is a moment of correction. That’s what we see play out in David’s life as God sends the prophet Nathan to confront David in his sin. Join us as we learn how to offer correction with grace and to receive it with humility.”
"God not only knows everything we do wrong, but He doesn't forget it until we make it right."
"How do we respond when a situation is not going as we expected it would and as we think it should?"
“Life is filled with both highs and lows, gains and losses. This played out in David’s life as well. In this week’s message, we explore how God uses both the gains as well as the losses in our lives for His glory. May we be encouraged to know that God is at work, even as we experience ‘loss’ in this life.”
“In the story of David and Goliath, we see an incredible victory. For the follower of Jesus, we have the opportunity to view this story through the lens of what Christ has done for us. Join us as we consider both how we can face difficult trials as well as how we can rest in the victory of what Christ has accomplished on our behalf.”
“We often feel like we don’t measure up, or that we’re not ‘good enough’ to be used by God. Our first installment of our new series, “The Life of David”, speaks to this practical matter of life. Join us as we dive into God’s Word together and give Him praise for His working in our lives.”
“In the midst of a broken world, it’s good to encourage our souls with comforting truths. A comforting truth for Christians is we have a future resurrection hope through Christ our Lord. Join us as we learn about the eventual glorification of our physical bodies.”
“We all have questions about important topics such as the resurrection of Jesus, and the early church was no exception. Join us as we tackle some questions the church had about baptism and whether or not a life devoted to Christ is truly “worth it”.”
"The Garden of Gethsemane was necessary because of what happened in the Garden of Eden."
“In the final hours leading up to the crucifixion of Christ, Jesus endured much. In this week’s message, we look at two familiar stories—one of betrayal, the other of denial. Regardless of how bad we mess up, there is opportunity for God’s grace and forgiveness through the gospel of Jesus.”
“Feelings of Guilt & Shame act much like barriers for us. They keep us from experiencing the fullness of joy found in Christ. Join us as we’re both challenged and encouraged by God’s Word as we take intentional steps to rid ourselves of these oppressive feelings.”
"The realm of ‘sexual lust’ can be overwhelming and many Christians feel defeated in this arena. Join us as we delve into the words of Jesus, where we find great hope as we ”give up” this sin—by His grace."
"What is it that gives me a sense of security, and makes me feel like the future is okay?"
“A common reason many seem to be done with church, is the fact that they have experienced hurt in a church body. Join us as we glean from the Scriptures practical insights for how to navigate “Church Hurt”
A common reason many are “done with church”, is they question the reliability of the Scriptures. Join us as we walk through Scripture and see how science and history have verified that the Bible is indeed reliable.
“Many people are done with church because of hypocrisy. It was a problem in Jesus’ day, and it’s still prevalent in ours as well. Join us as we safeguard our public witness for Christ through His refining Word.”
“Followers of Jesus have been blessed with a light. While it’s powerful, there’s a degree of personal responsibility that needs to be considered. Join us as we learn how to faithfully hold the light of Christ in this life.”
“Christians are blessed with and called to experience a powerful and purposeful form of community. Join us as we cherish God’s Word along these lines.”
“In our church culture, we often find ourselves doing good, religious things. The Advent Season is a reminder that we’re called to more than religious motions. Join us as we begin our annual celebration of the Light of Christ coming into our world.”
“Spiritual growth is a clear sign of revival. God makes growth possible, but we have to do our part.”
"You can be convinced of who Jesus Christ is without an authentic commitment to the person of Jesus Christ."
"I'm not to worry about what I'm going to have to eat tomorrow if I've got something to eat today."
"It is not enough for us to carry the Bible in their hands; we must let the Holy Spirit write it on our hearts."
"When you thank God before He comes through, it's Faith. When you thank God after He comes through, it's Gratitude."
"The words that you speak will have a huge impact on the direction of your life, and on the direction of the lives around you."
"The more we find our value and completeness in Him, the less we need to look for it in powerful people."
"When the Lord calls you to follow Him, He's not inviting you to a FUNERAL. He's not inviting you to a FAMINE. He's inviting you to a FEAST."
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters."
"If God does something spectacular in your life it will be on HIS timetable...not yours."
"When you give something to God and He gives it back to you, He changes it for His glory and His purpose."
"If you're a Christian, and if you don't want to be stagnant, you have to Encounter God."
"Gospel is History told in such a way to emphasize a theological point and persuade the reader to believe."
Love is the foundation of any real friendship, but loyalty is the glue that holds it together.
"It's really important to know who you are. And it's also important to know where you are."
Christ's followers are new creatures, but they're also given a purpose. Join us as we consider a label given James & John that was in keeping with their calling.
"Without Jesus we can be painful people to be around. We are the salt of the earth, but it's NOT just being in church that makes us that salt. It's being with Jesus, and loving Jesus.
"Stop focusing on the cause and start thinking about the purpose. Stop trying to figure out the past, and start looking toward the future."
"Your faith doesn’t have to be perfect in order to push yourself off. You just need enough faith to take a step."
"We often leave miracles inside of scripture while we forget that God's conduit of miracles is us."
"Jesus came to offer something that religion can never offer; and something that even the best things in this world can't offer."
The Christian life is a matter of stewardship, whether we're talking about relationships or our work/life balance. Join us as we learn more about stewarding our days with wisdom.
"The world's ranking system is based on achievement; God's ranking system is based on grace."
"If we want to experience gain in Christ, we must first lose our version of ourselves."
"Repentance is saying to God, ''You're right. I'm wrong. Forgive me. I'll surrender to your leadership in my life.''
"Those who are born once will die twice, and those who are born twice will only die once."
"Revival is for those who have wandered from the Lord and need to be brought back into the fullness of a relationship and fellowship with Him."
"The kingdom of Jesus, and the way of Jesus, is very different from the way of the world."
All marriages face conflict. What we don't always recognize is that conflict can be the very thing that helps our marriages reach a precious stage of depth. Join us as we learn more!
"When selfishness replaces love, intimacy becomes impossible and enmity becomes inevitable."
How did the early church grow so rapidly? What can we learn from how they spread the message of Christ? Join us as we study an excerpt from Paul's writings along these lines.
What did the average church member in the early church look like? Join us as we learn more.
God did a work through the early church, and He wants to do a work in us today. Join us as we prayerfully consider what that might be.
"If you really want to flourish, you’re never going to get there without the pruning shears."
"One of the strategies of hell, especially in this generation, is to bring confusion into our understanding of identity."
"God’s intention from the beginning was for He and Adam together to fill, fashion, and rule the earth as Father and son."
"We have to believe what the Bible says about Jesus, otherwise we're following the wrong Jesus."
"Don't wait on the trouble that is going to come. Wait on the Lord who will deliver you through it."
"When you are controlled by the Spirit of God you will be consumed with the love of God."
“Humility doesn't mean thinking less of yourself; it just means you think of yourself less."
"Our greatest freedom is not found in our independence, it is found in our dependence on God."
"Don't buy in to the lie that it's the big moments that are supposed to define your life."
Despite the fact that justice is not always done on earth, a day is coming in which God will judge both the righteous and the wicked.
“What about prayers for the dead? Are out-of-body experiences real? Will there be marriage in heaven? What is the role of angels in heaven? Will there be pets or animals in Heaven?”
“Those who do the most in this life do so, because they think most about the life to come!” - C. S. Lewis
“Today, men walk on God and worship gold. In Heaven, we will walk on gold and worship God!”
“The cradle is the start of our faith; the cross is the symbol of our faith, but the empty tomb is the source of our faith!”
It’s God’s design that we would BELONG to a local church; which is not the same thing as GOING to church.
It is the ministry of the Holy Spirit to magnify, to exalt, to lift up, and to glorify Jesus Christ.
“Only when we’ve been awestruck by His majesty can we overwhelmed by His love.” - Drew Dyck
It’s not the amount of faith that matters, it’s the object of faith that makes all the difference. Weak faith in a strong object matters more than strong faith in a weak object.
God wants you to have a MINISTRY in the church, but He also wants you to have a MISSION in the world.
“If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our bodies. If they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees. Let no one go there unwarned and unprayed for.”
- Charles Spurgeon
"Wisdom: The God-given ability to make decision from a divine and eternal perspective."
Our commitments show what we love.
Our commitments reveal our values.
Our commitments determine our destiny.
Happiness is based on conditions. The joy of the Lord comes from the overflow of the Holy Spirit no matter the conditions
CHRISTMAS MEANS “FEAR NOT”. In the Christmas story, again and again, we hear the phrase, “Fear not!" Listen as Pastor Alan shares the importance of this phrase in week one of our ADVENT series.
Confess, even when it is painful. Listen, even when it is confusing. Obey, even when it is difficult.
"Hospitality isn’t filling our homes to the brim each night with people; it’s filling our hearts and homes so full of God’s love that when He is ready for us to open our doors, all that love pours out and envelops each person who enters."
“Revival will occur when confession replaces criticism and compassion replaces condemnation.”
"The church is not a place to avoid life’s difficulties; it’s a place that provides the strength and courage to meet them!"
THE TRUE FORCE is the faith that is empowered by God, enabled by the Spirit, and experienced in your life.