SHIFT church Stand Alone Sermons: Recent Episodes
Various
Between sermon series or on Pastor Alan’s Sunday’s off, there are various stand alone sermons taught by different people. This is the podcast for those specific sermons. For more sermons and main series, visit our website at www.theshiftchurch.com
DATE: June 15, 2025THEME: Unspiritual AtheistsGUEST: Sam BradburyMany people today do not come from a Christian background, and many have but they have had a very negative experience with the institutional Church in some way, shape, or form. How do we approach people who either don't have any faith experience or who have grown hostile to faith in God? Tune in as we have a conversation with Sam who went away from faith into atheism and has come back to love and faith in Jesus Christ.
DATE: June 8, 2025THEME: Other/World ReligionsGUEST: Daniel FowlieMany of us came to Jesus from other faiths or faith teachings and traditions. How do we share the good news of Jesus with people who already have a false belief structure so that they can change their minds and belief the truth of Jesus Christ and the historical account of this world and reality itself recorded in the Christian Bible?
DATE: June 1, 2025THEME: Who is Jesus to me? - Spiritual PagansGUEST: Shiloh SmithWe live in a physical world, but don't realize that we also live in a spiritual world. There is a spiritual realm that is real and that is powerful. Many people are steeped in beliefs and methods of connecting to the spiritual world that they think bring life, but their true end is bondage, darkness, and death. Jesus LOVES to deliver people from the power of darkness and into His marvelous LIGHT! Listen in as we hear from Shiloh about her experience in New Age and witchcraft and how the HOLY SPIRIT delivered her, saved her, and FREED her to new life!
DATE: May 25, 2025THEME: Who is Jesus for Agnostics?GUEST: Mindy EspinosaSharing our faith can be difficult, but how do we contextualize the gospel, the good news of JESUS, for people from different contexts and life experiences with faith, spirituality, and belief? Join with Mindy, to hear her story and how to share your faith with someone who is from a posture of apathetic agnosticism (the belief that "there's probably a God, but I don't care to do anything about it").
DATE: April 20, 2025THEME: The Empty Tomb Empties the Power of Fear, Frustration, and FunkSCRIPTURE: Romans 6:1-14; 8:1-4, & 2 Timothy 1:5-10HE IS RISEN!! Now...why that does matter? The cross accomplished the forgiveness of sins...but...What did Jesus RISING from the dead actually accomplish? VICTORY! It emptied the power of fear, frustration, and funk from our lives to live new lives IN Jesus in this life with the promise of new life WITH Jesus in eternity.
DATE: February 9, 2025THEME: Learnin' to Listen to the Whisperin'SCRIPTURE: John 10:1-15What would happen in our lives if we learned how to listen well? Jesus invited us to listen and live.
DATE: January 26, 2025THEME: Surender is for the FeastVISION DAYAs we worship today and celebrate the end of our 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer, God is casting His vision for this next season over us today as we worship Him and pray. "My house will be called a house of prayer."
DATE: January 19, 2025THEME: Fasting FORSCRIPTURE: Exodus 16:12-21; Numbers 11:4-9; Joshua 5:10-12; Deuteronomy 8:2-3Each season we all have a purpose for fasting. In this season of fasting and this Sunday morning, we are pursuing Fasting FOR Surrender. Surrender is emptying ourselves of distractions, corruptions, so that we can learn to focus on, trust, and be fully surrendered to God. The Israelites learned this same lesson when they were in the wilderness following God. God was teaching them to trust in, and be fully surrendered to, God.
DATE: January 12, 2025 THEME: Fasting TO SCRIPTURE: Colossians 2:20-3:5a & Proverbs 16 We don't just fast FROM things, we fast intentionally, purposefully in order to worship, devote our lives, and germinate transformation in our lives.
DATE: January 5, 2025THEME: Fasting FROMSCRIPTURE: Colossians 3:1-17Fasting - what is it, why do we do it, and how do we do it? This week we discuss what fasting is and also why we fast and pray personally, as well as together. We come with great expectation of what God desires to do in our lives and in our region.
DATE: December 29, 2024THEME: Faith that WalksGUEST SPEAKER: Mindy EspinosaMindy provides a powerful message about faith as we live and walk it out, being and doing the works of our Christian faith that God has given us and entrusted us to accomplish.
DATE: December 24, 2024THEME: Jesus Christ is LordSCRIPTURE: Luke 2:8-12Jesus Christ is both His identity and His purpose. This is a great and powerful reminder to those who believe and an invitation to those Jesus desires all to come to the knowledge and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
DATE: December 22, 2024THEME: Love Is ConnectionSCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:43-45; 1 John 4:7-19Love connects us, God with us, us with God, us with one another, and others to God. It is how we experience God’s presence and blessing. It is powerful to change us. God’s desire is for us to learn how to “love-trigger” each other as a way to draw us closer to one another, because Love is connection.
DATE: December 15, 2024THEME: Holy Night - JoySCRIPTURE: Luke 1:26-38, 2:8-20What motivates you? What drives your life forward through the good and bad? The shepherds were motivated by JOY when they heard the word from the angels. They encountered the glory of God and it changed them, it shifted their plans, it transfigured them! Joy is transfiguration!
DATE: December 8, 2024THEME: Holy Night 2 - PeaceSCRIPTURE: Luke 2:1-7Circumstances and People try and take our peace. If we’re not aware and diligent, we often become catalysts for the same taking of peace in others’ lives as well. The account of the incarnation God in human form in Jesus reminds us of God’s great desire to bring “peace on earth and goodwill to those whom He favors.” We are reminded that God is where true and lasting peace is found. Live through God’s peace and nothing can take you peace.
DATE: December 1, 2024THEME: HopeSCRIPTURE: Isaiah 9:1-7; Micah 5:1-4This is the first sermon in a series inspired by “The Chosen” TV series, called “Holy Night.” On this first Sunday of the month of celebrating the Christmas season, we look into the Hope of Christ for us today as He was the fulfillment of all the hopes of Israel upon His birth. The key take away from this message is that to HAVE hope, but must Remember to have Hope. We must remind ourselves TO hope, and to remind ourselves in WHOM our true hope is found; in God.
DATE: September 29, 2024THEME: Living WaterSCRIPTURE: John 4:7-14 & 7:37-39Living water is a beautiful picture of who the Holy Spirit is and what He does in our lives as Jesus prophesied He would be. He indeed does “spring up in him/her for eternal life” and “streams of living water flowing from deep within him/her.” This illustration of believers having this beautiful and power source of living water flowing from deep within us, also shows us that we what we fill our lives with is what will pour out of us. During this family style gathering, we see the visual of the different water bowls and us as the sponge to see this illustration.
DATE: September 8, 2024THEME: DisciplineshipSCRIPTURE: Hebrews 12:1-13How we live our lives is an expression of how we have learned to fill our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls with what we believe to be the right way to think and do. Discipleship, as a word, doesn’t exist in scripture, but the verbal expression of what it means to make and form a disciple into maturity is the word “discipline.” The process of submitting ourselves to the Lord and others to grow to live lives that flourish and bring flourishing and joy to our lives as well as the lives of all we come in contact with us is “discipline.” This is the root of the “self-discipline” aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. It’s because of this that “Disciplineship” leads to flourishing and joy.
DATE: September 1, 2024THEME: Rest As ResistanceSCRIPTURE: Matthew 6:31-34Sabbath rest is so foreign to our culture that to practice it faithfully, prioritize it, and protect it is now an act of resistance. It not only gives us rest, but it also sets us against the two characteristics we battle against in our culture “Time & Money”, “Hurry & Materialism.” Our main tools against stumbling on these is a calendar & a budget, and our main weapons against getting caught up in worldly thinking in these is Sabbath & Generosity.
DATE: August 25, 2024THEME: How We SabbathSCRIPTURE: Genesis 2:3, etc…HOW to sabbath/rest has been a point of conversation for millennia, and one even back 2000 years ago, Jesus was combating. God, however, has been sabbathing since the beginning of time itself, so we ought to take out cues from Him. Here is an informative and practical take on HOW to sabbath/rest once a week in the midst of a hurry and frenetically paced American society .
DATE: August 18, 2024THEME: Why We Sabbath/RestSCRIPTURE: Exodus 20:8-11One of the 10 Commandments was to remember the sabbath and keep it holy. It is has the longest description of any of the commandments. God was inviting His people into His rest, His peace, His health, His presence. The Church is invited into God’s rest, into the observation and devotion to “Sabbath”, to take a weekly day off from work and the world. We sabbath to rest in God, enjoy one another, and live a healthy life.
DATE: August 11, 2024THEME: Why We RetreatSCRIPTURE: Luke 6:12 & 22:39Christians have been going to church camps and retreats for decades and decades, well over 100 years. But why? How did Jesus model going into the mountains and the wilderness for us, His disciples, to follow? We retreat, like Jesus, to pursue the presence of God, refresh our souls, and connect with one another.
DATE: August 4, 2024THEME: VALOR (Biblical Masculinity) SCRIPTURE: Judges 6-7We have many problems with masculinity in our culture today and these problems have infiltrated the Church in America. What the Church needs to have is a biblical understanding of manhood and masculinity, and how to cultivate it in our men and boys, so that God’s people can flourish.
DATE: June 9, 2024THEME: IdentityGUEST SPEAKER: Michael BergmanOur creator gave us an identity. This identity is powerful and beautiful and exceedingly valuable….this is why the enemy is trying to distort and destroy people’s identities. Michael shares with us his story of how God firmly established his identity in Christ through the struggles he went through, and navigates us through scripture an inspires us to have the foundation of our own identities be found in Christ and what HE says about us.
DATE: April 28, 2024THEME: Not An OptionSPECIAL GUEST: Paul BonillaEngaging in relationships and service within the Church is what we sign up for when we come to faith. It is the essence of who we are as fellow disciples, brothers and sisters in Christ.
DATE: March 31, 2024THEME: Hope is AliveSCRIPTURE: 1 Peter 1:3-9One of the main characteristics of the Christian faith is hope. The question is…”what is hope?” And if the main aspect of our faith is the resurrection, how does the resurrection give us hope? In a world where hope seems to be dwindling by the minute, the Church has an incredible opportunity to both experience hope and share the hope of the resurrection with people in desperate need of not just “hope” but REAL hope. Hope is Alive because Jesus is Alive!
REAL is really powerful! When we over mystify and fantasize the incarnation of Jesus Christ, it can lose its meaning, powerful, and impact on our lives. It becomes safe to keep Jesus at arms length. But when we see it for what it is, the breaking in of the Kingdom of Heaven onto earth, God Himself taking on flesh and walking/dwelling among us, it asks something of us; it demands a response. This Christmas, let Jesus and the power of the gospel, the incarnation, be real and therefore be really powerful in our lives.
DATE: August 20, 2023 THEME: Sexy Church Special Guest: Bryce Maurer
We welcome special guest, Bryce Maurer, pastor at Crossings Community Church in Livingston, MT.
We welcome special guest preacher, Phillip Smith, as he brings the Word of the LORD to us.
DATE: May 21, 2023SCRIPTURE: Luke 24:13-36THEME: Close Encounters with Jesus can Change EVERYTHINGGuest Speaker: Mindy EspinosaThe two disciples' encounter with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus reveals to us that when WE encounter Jesus through listening and inviting Jesus to work and speak into our lives, He will transform everything and draw us into a greater life and existence.
DATE: April 9, 2023THEME: All Hail King JesusSCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 15:12-28; Colossians 1:15-20; Romans 6:3-11Jesus is the fulfillment of ALL of the Jewish Festivals! He is the powerful fulfillment of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits all wrapped up in His death, burial, and resurrection. Our faith is in Jesus Christ and we glorify and enjoy Him forever!
DATE: October 30, 2022 THEME: Call Upon the Name of the LORD SCRIPTURE: Romans 10:13; etc...
What's in a name? Everything! Especially when it comes to the LORD and our faith in Him. He calls us by name, we believe upon the name, we call upon His name, and we pray and heal in the name of the LORD Jesus Christ.
DATE: September 25, 2022 THEME: Power, Love, and Gumption SCRIPTURE: 2 Timothy 1:7 & Romans 8:15
In the midst of the difficulties, anxieties, persecutions, sufferings, fears, frustrations, and uncontrollable chaos in the world around us, the LORD has not given us a spirit of fear or slavery leaving back to fear, but of POWER, of LOVE, and GUMPTION (sound mind/judgement), His Spirit in our hearts crying out "Abba, Father!" He reminds us whose we are, who we are, and where we are, so that we know that no matter what comes, no matter what happens, we can endure because it is His Spirit who empowers us.
DATE: August 21, 2022THEME: What is the Church?
Brett Desper from Yellowstone Theological Institute teaches on the definition of "What is the Church?" In this teaching, he goes into deeper descriptions of the identity and mission of the local church is.
DATE: November 22, 2020 THEME:: Give You, Give Christ SCRIPTURE: Acts 3:1-10; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Isaiah 35:1-6
When we understand the true nature of generosity, the living waters of God’s explosive power will flood out from our spirits bubbling up and pouring out His eternal life to those around us, causing them to jump up, leaping and praising God, thus transforming their very identity from lame, begging slaves to healed and restored children and heirs of the kingdom of God.
DATE: November 15, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith TOPIC: Waking Up SCRIPTURE: Romans 8
When you/we wake up to your/our true identity, you/we walk in God's Complete Victory! We are children of God and fully empowered by His Spirit to handle any situation. So when we face trials, we cry out to God individually and collectively and Endure & Persevere all things!
DATE: November 8, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith TOPIC: Mankind was made for Communion, Communion was made for Mankind. SCRIPTURE: 1 Corinthians 10:14-17, 11:23-26; Genesis 26:24, 28:15; Exodus 3:12; Matthew 28:20; Acts 18:10; John 20:21-22; 1 John 1:7; Isaiah 41:10; Revelation 21:1-8.
What do you do when life is so overwhelming, confusing, frustrating, and it feels like everything is threatening your life & joy? Come explore the gift of communion with God and one another through...communion.
DATE: November 1, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith THEME:: Level Up! SCRIPTURE: Eph. 2:1-13; 1 Corinthians 15:21-58; Hebrews 12:1-2; Romans 8:30-38
The simplest form of our faith as the Church is one of healing, being brought from death to life and made whole. God's desire at every point in our faith journey is to "Level Up!" To discover more of our identity in Christ, and live to the fullness of Christ, into whose image we have been created. God's enemies have been defeated - fear, anger, depression, lust, politics, ethnic hatred, pride, division, faction, despair, etc - and we walk in His victorious life!
DATE: October 25, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith THEME: Live and GIVE Like No One Else SCRIPTURE: Malachi 3:10-12; Phil 4:18; Prov 3:9; Acts 20:35; Matt 6:33; 2 Cor. 9:6-11; 1 Cor 9:4-14
What do people think about God when they think of the way you use your money? Giving is nuanced and multi-layered. During this teaching about giving, we look at the 5 beliefs we have here at SHIFT church for giving to the local church specifically. We give, because we believe we are a part of something greater! And we give because we want to live the vision God has given us, His Church.
DATE: October 18, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith THEME: Faith in God Brings Financial Flourishing SCRIPTURE: Deut. 8:17-18; 1 Timothy 6:10; Matthew 6:19-21; Proverbs 3:5-10, 22:7.
Does God care about my money and what I do or don't do with my finances? This week we dive right in to explore the JOY and FREEDOM God desires for us. The key to financial freedom is where mind rests. When your mind dwells in eternity, it shifts what you do in the temporary.
DATE: October 11, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith THEME: His Story His Glory SCRIPTURE: Acts 22:1-22*FEATURING: New Life Drama Company
This Sunday, we welcomed the New Life Drama Company as they ministered to us through skits alongside Alan as he preached about the Simplicity of our faith through understanding our place in God's story and how God not only loves stories, but also loves to REDEEM our stories.
DATE: October 4, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith THEME: Our God is a God with a Good Plan SCRIPTURE: Jeremiah 29:11-14; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:8-10, 4:11-12, 5:1-2; John 17:20; Philippians 2:2.
When God's people forget His plans, things don't go well for them. When we forget the plan, we spiral into mediocrity. We need to Remember the Plan, Understand the Plan, and Teach the Plan in order to avoid the R.U.T.
DATE: September 27, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith THEME: Wield the Sword SCRIPTURE: Ephesians 6:10-17; 2 Timothy 3-4:5; Hebrews 4:12; Revelation 1:16, 19:11-16
Jesus, the Word of God, is the most powerful sword in existence! And He calls us to wield the sword of the Spirit to defeat our/His enemies - the principalities, rulers, and authorities in the unseen realm (not humans; not the captives, but their captors!) - and to bring healing, restoration, and victory to His Church to the glory of God.
DATE: September 20, 2020 SERIES: The Simple Faith THEME: When Everything is Stripped Away SCRIPTURE: Hebrews 10:10-14; 18-25; Eph 4:11-12; Acts 4:32-35
Imagine everything being stripped away in a second...every modern convenience & technology taken away, so that we're LITERALLY back in biblical times...or at least the 1800's. We need to change out minds from thinking the way of consumerism to cultivation. Have you cultivated meaningful relationships that would help each other if the lights really went out? We need each other in the Church like we hopefully will never have to fully understand.