Harbor Church: Recent Episodes
Harbor Church
Harbor Church is located in downtown Olympia, the capital city of Washington state. We exist to lead people into a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ that transforms every area and aspect of life. We are passionate about seeing faith take root, watching love abound, and leading lives towards the eternal trajectory of our hope in the new kingdom of God.
In times of distress, we can confidently trust the Lord because He alone gives us peace.
Jesus, your Good Shepherd, died and rose to secure your eternal life. And because of who He is, nothing can snatch you from His hand.
It's one of the most beloved stories in the Gospels, yet most modern Bibles flag it with a note: "the earliest manuscripts don't include John 7:53-8:11." So does the story of the woman caught in adultery belong in John? Should it be preached on a Sunday morning? In this video teaching, Pastor Cean explains inspiration, textual criticism, and why we can trust our Bibles, then shows how that leads us to handle this passage in our John sermon series.
Because Jesus speaks with divine authority, His invitation to come and drink is one you cannot ignore.
Only the Bread of Life truly fills — eat and find eternal life, or reject Him and stay empty forever.
Believe in Jesus, the resurrection and the life, and He will bring you from death to life.
You stand condemned in the flesh unless you are born of the Spirit and believe in the lifted-up Son.
Pastors Cean and Jonathan sit down to discuss some of the ideas concerning missions, the mission of the church, and the direction Harbor Church is moving regarding our engagement in the mission of the Church for the glory of God and the good of our world.
Christians are sent by the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the nations.
God created us as image-bearing priest-kings to join Him in His mission to bless the nations with His presence for His glory.
A church fit for purpose will live today in light of that day... with their hope in God awaiting the treasure to come.
The sorrow of many will be consoled through the Holy Spirit by the person and work of Jesus Christ.
We live with an eager expectation knowing that through the Spirit, God fulfills all his promises in Christ.
The true church is empowered by the Holy Spirit to pray fervently and frequently for the Kingdom of Christ to advance - for a harvest of souls.
To keep the ninth commandment we must speak the truth in love to and about our neighbor.
We are to honor our earthly parents, just as Jesus honors God, so that we may receive the blessings of our Father.
To keep the third commandment we must hallow the Name of the Lord with our lips and with our lives.
Our cynicism about the world is restrained by the hope of the gospel which assures us that Christ will one day make all things new.
How are we to live knowing that the end is near? Peter has shown how we are to be living in the end for the eternal glory of God.
We can trust God and enjoy life now because God endures forever, and He has made everything beautiful in its time.
We can suffer for doing good because Jesus proclaims victory in death and reigns victorious in resurrected life.
We can live righteously, even in suffering, because Christ the righteous suffered to bring us God.
Jesus came not merely to be a king, but He came as THE KING who suffered for His Kingdom.
We submit to earthly kings because we submit to the King of Kings, doing good and honoring all.
Live as exiles in this world, fighting the flesh and doing good, so that all will glorify God.
It is only in knowing who Jesus is - and who Jesus is to you - that you can know who you are and what you are to do.
The people of God are to passionately follow Jesus by realizing His presence acin our lives.
Jesus has shown us what love looks like and has empowered every believer to share the love that we have been shown. Rather than abandon our first love, we must make room for His love.
We can live as faithful exiles by living a life obedient to God, by faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone.
Our God is able to deliver, and will deliver, and even if He doesn't, we still bow to Him alone.
When in hard places, faithful exiles turn to God in reflexive prayer because they trust in His divine plan.
Live as exiles while in Babylon, seeking the shalom of the city as you hope in the coming restoration.
Because of the perfect and complete work of Christ, we can honor and serve the Lord in our work as He created us to.
Our speech is a window into our hearts. We can speak wise words because Christ has redeemed our hearts and desires, so that our speech will be a reflection of our desire to honor Christ in all of life.
Wisdom from God is better than anything that we could possibly own, because it's the tree of life for those who lay hold to her. To place our confidence in the all-wise God is to be blessed.
For the believer, the Fear of the Lord is a relational response to the God who has revealed himself to us and reconciled himself to us, through the person and work of Jesus Christ.
Christ died on a cross to save sinners who could not save themselves. What is your response to Christ? Are you still among the mockers -- or will you humble yourself, repent of your sins, and accept Christ's glorious gift of salvation?
We can trust that God will judge sin and justice will go forth perfectly, even when we don't understand it.
Those who hope in Christ are sealed with the Holy Spirit, the guarantee of our redemption, to the glory of God.
Embrace your identity and live as saints who have received the grace of God through belief in Christ.
Who is God? God is the God of fulfillment who, through Jesus, is faithful to his promise to lead his people into his place for the purpose of blessing the world through them.
Who is God? The God of fellowship who. through Jesus, gives us a new identity and forms us into a new community for His own possession.
Who is God? The God who, through Jesus, redeemed us from slavery to sin to make us servants of God.
Who is God? He is the God who makes Himself known, most clearly in and through Jesus Christ.
Since Jesus is the exalted King who rules and the eternal High Priest who reconciles, we live with assurance and hope.
We have a future hope guaranteed by the death and resurrection of Christ. In Him is fullness of joy; in Him are pleasures forevermore.
We are to live every area and aspect of our lives in submission to Christ, for his kingdom and glory.
Because of Jesus' incarnation and exaltation, our place in God's creation is to be exalted with Him.
Jesus died and rose again, atoning for the sins of mankind. Who do you say that Jesus is? Will you follow him in the Way of the Kingdom?
The Son of God was forsaken so that you could be forgiven through faith as you follow Him.
Jesus was proven innocent in his exaltation. We are proven guilty in his crucifixion. Therefore, we must repent and believe in Him.
Just as Jesus surrendered his will in perfect obedience, so we too must say, “not my will, but thy will be done.”
For those who believe, remember the ultimate redemption, unbreakable unity, and eternity with Him that comes through the body and blood of the Lamb.
The way of Christ is an all-encompassing whole-person love for God which necessarily results in a love for those around you.
Jesus's authority comes from God, therefore we submit to Him, not merely because He demands it but because He deserves it.
The temple was destroyed in 70 AD. The greater temple of Jesus’s body was destroyed for us on the cross. Now we, the community of redeemed believers, are the temple of God’s spirit as a community of faith, prayer, and forgiveness.
Because nothing is impossible with Jesus, we may enter into the kingdom, not trusting in worldly works or wealth, but receiving the gift of grace.
Just as the man who was one a demoniac was sent by Jesus to tell his friends what the Lord had done for him, so too we are sent as missionaries to our homes, neighborhoods, and communities to share the good news of Jesus Christ with all.
God's agenda for your marriage:
1) To live together in a covenantal relationship for life.
2) To live together in a "one flesh" relationship.
3) To reflect the relational nature of the triune God and to represent tot he world His redemptive plan.
Through belief in Jesus we're delivered from doubts, demons and death, and therefore we must grow in our faith in Him.
As Christians, we must pursue the glory of God while following Jesus in the way of the cross.
The way of the Kingdom is the way of the cross, and those who would come into the Kingdom must pick up their cross and follow Jesus.
Because Jesus offers pure bread from heaven, we must accept it in faith and forsake the bread corrupted by the world's leaven.
No one is exempt from the consequences of sin, but in the sufficiency of God's mercy and grace, He doesn't leave us dead in it.
Amos’ warning to Israel ought to remind us as those saved by Christ to be cautious how we live our lives.
Jesus Christ is God and Lord over the natural and the supernatural. He is Lord over all that he has created and therefore Jesus is completely in control. And since Jesus is completely in control we have nothing to fear but God alone.
There is a tension between the kingdom of Christ as a light that penetrates the darkness, and the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit in growing the kingdom of Christ.
The Kingdom of God–the King’s power overthe King’s people in the King’s place filled with the King’s presence–is like a mustard seed; it begins in seeming insignificance but results in something magnificent.
Because God will judge the nations, we must turn from our evil ways and take refuge in him.
The secret of the kingdom is the Incarnate Word (who is Jesus Christ) and it can only be heard with the ears of faith.
Our duty before the living God is to teach our children about who God is and what he has done, and to establish the testimony of God in our homes.
There are two types of people: those who oppose Jesus who are part of the kingdom of Satan, and those who obey Jesus who are a part of his true family.
Jesus creates a new community of disciples, called by him, to be with him, to do like him.
Jesus is the Son of Man, the Lord of the Sabbath; the king of everlasting dominion in whose kingdom we find our ultimate Sabbath rest.
Jesus has come to initiate a new covenant, a covenant entirely focused on His atoning sacrifice cleansing us from all sin and His righteous works attributed to us transforming us from sinners to saints. We cannot cling to the old if we want to experience what He has made new.
Jesus not only calls Levi, a tax collector of ill repute, to follow him but then shares table fellowship with a house filled with tax collectors and other people of ill repute in their culture and community. Why does Jesus do this? Because it’s not the healthy who need a doctor, it’s the sick and Jesus is the Great Physician.
The friends of the paralytic go above and beyond to bring him to Jesus, believing that He is the only one who can supernaturally heal him. How are we going above and beyond to bring the good news of Jesus to our friends and loved ones around us?
Your sin, like leprosy, has made you numb to its deadly reality. But praise be to God that there is no sinful reality, no matter how dark or how degrading, that is beyond the scope of the salvation and cleansing of Jesus.
The demons knew Jesus yet were in rebellion against him and the people were amazed at his teaching and astonished at his healings yet didn’t desire to know him as Savior and Lord. Do we truly know Jesus and desire to have a vibrant and growing relationship with Him?
The call of Jesus to follow him comes with the cost of total allegiance to him. He is not a part-time master and lord, but one who compels every area and aspect of our lives to come under his authority and transformation.
Jesus faces three key moments in this passage of Scripture: his affirmation by the Father, his temptation by Satan, and his vocation empowered by the Spirit. As followers of Jesus, we will experience the same.
God's purpose with John's baptism was to point out the need for cleansing. God's purpose with Jesus' life, death and resurrection was to make cleansing a reality. Who's baptism are you resting in today - Man's or God's?
Being a true disciple of Jesus comes at an exceedingly high cost. But not following Him is infinitely higher and it will cost you eternity.
Being a true disciple of Jesus comes at an exceedingly high cost. But not following Him is infinitely higher and it will cost you eternity.
Have you found what you have been looking for this Christmas Eve? Look no more friends - behold Christ, your savior, your God. See God’s plan for your salvation and look to him to find your deepest satisfaction.
God's promise of redemption is certain to come to pass. This is why we as the people of God look forward to Christ's return with anticipation.
Christ preserves us by the power of the Spirit and yet, perseverance is our response to the gift of faith. The mark of a true believer is growth and maturation in holiness and righteousness.
The gift of God's grace in salvation is irresistible because the Spirit of God saves all the Father has elected and the Spirit is unable to fail.
We know, because the Bible is clear, that every human will not spend eternity with Jesus in the new heaven and new earth. In this sermon by Pastor Seth Winterhalter, we learn about the concept of "Limited Atonement" and the humbling, glorious truth of our overwhelming rescue by Jesus.
Unconditional election is how God chooses to draw his people to himself - not based on any human merit or action, but by his sovereign will alone.
Total depravity is the reality of every human being born through Adam and Eve is hopelessly sinful apart from the work of God. Yet we don’t hold to this doctrine to pity in ourselves; we hold to this doctrine to understand why God does all the work and receives all the glory in our salvation.
The center and apex of the five solas is soli Deo gloria (to the Glory of God alone) and this truth should be the center and apex of all that we think and all that we do, in every area and aspect of life.
In this sermon titled "To Mask or Not to Mask?" we see why this is probably not even the right question to be asking. Instead, we learn that we need to look broadly at Scripture to see how to apply good theology to everyday situations in our lives.
In Christ our starting point for knowledge and wisdom–for understanding the meaning of life–is God and his revelation. In Christ everything matters.
"It's all about Jesus" is a motto of ours at Harbor Church. In this sermon by Pastor Seth Winterhalter, we learn about the reformation cry of "Sola Christus" or "Christ Alone." What does "Christ Alone" mean for your life? Do you know who Jesus is? What he has done? And what he is doing today? May our lives be all about Jesus.
The Bible tells us that faith alone is what saves us and justifies us before a holy God and that this faith is by grace alone, the unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor of God.
‘Justification by Faith Alone’ is to believe that your faith in Jesus Christ, which was a gift you received from the Spirit of God, is the only source for your forgiveness of sin and right standing before God the Father as a redeemed and reconciled child of God. No works of your own can be added to the completed works of Jesus Christ. To think so or act so is to make a mockery of the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and to toil in vain with no hope or assurance of your salvation.
The Bible is the foundation of truth, specifically for salvation and Christian living. All other wisdom such as human reason, tradition, or experience sits on top of this foundation and must therefore be filtered through its truth.
When Jesus saves us by the power of the Holy Spirit, He makes us witnesses of the truth and transformation of the Gospel. The entire book of Acts is a picture of what the life of Jesus’ church looks like living as witnesses.
In the midst of storms and shipwreck, Paul's Godly character and practice shine through. Paul's character was formed in places of hardship and comfort. His character shaped his practice, which prepared him for hardship. How is your character? How is your practice?
What sets the Christian apart from an unbelieving world? For Paul, it was his hope in Jesus. Without the life transformation that Jesus gives to us in the free gift of salvation, our hope will be set on worldly things that will falter and fail. Is your hope in Jesus, and is that hope evident in your life?
Christians can be a confident and cheerful witnesses to the gospel by placing their hope in the perfect living hope that is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As you faithfully bear witness to the truth of the gospel, take heart and be courageous for the Spirit of Christ is with you.
It is the joy of following Jesus, no matter what may come, that empowers a Christian to say, “let the will of the Lord be done.”
We are to follow Christ through Paul’s example of dying to ourselves and the things of this world and living for Christ and the inheritance of the kingdom that is coming. When we live this way, our lives will be an example for Christ’s glory to those around us.
Are you living a life on mission? As we trace the journeys of Paul and the disciple through the book of Acts, we continue to see men and women whose priority is being a witness to the good news of Jesus Christ. We are not just saved from our sin, we are saved to be living on mission in every area and aspect of life. Paul was on mission wherever he went. Where has God placed you? Who has God placed you with? What has God given you to do?
A Christian on mission should expect opposition, but the Word of the Lord will prevail.
• Are you a Christian? • Are you on mission? • Do you experience opposition? • Is the Word of the Lord prevailing in and through your life?
The complete gospel expresses itself in a humble teachable spirit, in grace and discipleship of fellow believers, and in confidence in the power and authority of the gospel of Christ.
We are sent to share the gospel so that idolaters can become worshippers of the one true God.
Are you an idolater? Can you contextualize? Will you worship? Will you witness?
Believers of Christ must know the word of God and share the word of God even though persecution may be a result.
What is keeping you from eagerly knowing the word of God daily for the nourishment of your own soul?
What is keeping you from eagerly sharing the word of God with those who do not believe?
In Acts 16:16-40 we see a powerful God who is in control over Satan and demon, suffering, and all of our circumstances. God is in control. Does your life reflect that reality?
We have the responsibility, privilege, and joy of being participants in the advance of the Gospel into the world, but it's the Holy Spirit who empowers and grows the Kingdom of Christ.
Is there anything holding you back from participating in the mission of Christ? Are you finding rest and joy in the reality that your salvation and other's salvation is the work of God along? Are you listening to and obeying the Spirit of Christ? Are you saturating yourself in the word of Christ so that you can distinguish between the Spirit of Christ and the Spirit of the Age?
Great leaders go astray, and people fail, and people’s plans change, but God is faithful, and he never fails, and God’s plans remain the same. Our hope is not in man but in God.
What are you hoping in?
Where might you be hoping in your own faithfulness instead of God's faithfulness?
There are four things we should learn from the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ: 1. God is in control 2. Man is not in control 3. Tribulation is here and happening and has been for 2,000 years 4. Jesus is coming and Christians should live like it
If you want absolute confidence in your salvation and eternal security, ask yourself how much you long for Jesus to return and bring you into his eternal presence.
The empire of man beckons us to stay here, to eat of its delights and pleasures and securities and comforts.
The empire of self beckons Jesus to tarry, revealing the things of this world are more central than Jesus is.
Jesus is coming soon, and when he comes, he brings his rewards with him.
God will make all things new (renewed) and He will be at the center of it all.
Is God at the center of your life right now?
Is every area and aspect of your life lived in an attitude of worship?
If God isn't at the center now, what is?
If Jesus has risen, then death is conquered and the gift God gives is eternal life in his glorious presence.
The enduring kingdom of Christ removes the prospect of defeat from our lives and allows us to live in the assurance of victory.
Three Questions for reflection:
• Are you choosing the short-lived benefits of the empire of man or the enduring benefits of the kingdom of Christ?
• Are you representing the reign of Christ by living for Christ, by speaking the Word of Christ, and by being willing to die for Christ?
• Are you living with the prospect of defeat, or are you living with the assurance of victory?
Everyone is following something. You will either follow Satan and the empire of man or Jesus and the Kingdom of God.
Three takeaways from Revelation 17-19: 1. The Beasts and the Prostitute (worldly pawns of Satan) will be destroyed and all who follow them will suffer and mourn 2. Jesus will conquer; He is called Faithful and True 3. The followers of Jesus will sing hallelujah
God is not nice. God is "merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin but who will by no means clear the guilty" (Exodus 34:6-7). Nice is humanity’s way of creating God in their desired image. God is compassionate and has brought salvation, redemption, and reconciliation for those who desire it. Yet for those who do not, he has brought his justice.
The Church is called to bear witness to the salvation and glory of God, even unto death.
God’s intention for allowing tribulation is for the repentance of sinners and the sanctification and mission of His church.
The Church will endure through the Great Tribulation not by its might nor by its wisdom but by the seal of the Holy Spirit who empowers it to patiently endure.
Jesus Christ, the Lion-like Lamb, stands victorious over sin by his death and resurrection. Therefore, He alone is worthy of the worship of the world.