Twenty-Somethings: Recent Episodes
Caleb Eissler
Sermons, panels, and more from Twenty-Somethings are meant to help people fall deeper in love with Jesus.
What does culture tell us about heaven? Will pain and suffering in fact be no more? Scripture says Christians will reign with Jesus forever and ever, are we living in a way worthy of this calling? Join us as Caleb teaches about the hope found in Jesus Christ and the infinite joy waiting for us in heaven!
What do we as christians have to look forward to at Christ's return? How will God reward his faithful people? Join us as Caleb teaches about the new heaven and new earth described in Revelation 21!
Join us as Caleb teaches about the realities of Hell and the Hope found in Jesus Christ.
How does the mighty Babylon fall? How does God call us to be pure in an impure world? Join us as we discuss the differences between the Prostitute of Babylon and the Bride of Christ.
How should you manage loans? What math do you use to figure out how much you actually pay? Once you pay off a loan what should you do with the extra money? Join us as Stana teaches us about understanding car loans.
Who is the Lord of your life? What are you going to do about who Jesus is? Listen in as Andy Lee teaches about God's Wrath and the hope found in Jesus Christ!
In what ways does the world ask you to compromise aspects of your faith? Why is it important to stay faithful in the little things? Join us as Caleb preaches from Revelation 13 & 14 about the arrival of the beasts and the mark of the beast.
How can Christians best fight Satan and his demons? Can you recognize when he attacks? Join us as Caleb teaches from Revelation 12 about Satan's waged war against God's people.
How do we as Christians offer a message of reconciliation that may turn into a message of judgment? Join us as Caleb answers this question and many more!
What should you do during God's punishment? What does it mean to repent? Join us as Caleb teaches about the 7 trumpets and God's judgement for the world.
What if, contrary to our modern sensibilities, the judgment of God is a good thing? What if God can only be a God of love if He is also a God of justice? Who are the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse? What can the Old Testament teach us about Revelation? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers all of these questions and more!
How can Jesus make hopelessness impossible for Christians? How can we have a relationship with the transcendent God? How does Jesus fulfill all of Scripture and God's promises? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers all of these questions and more from Revelation 5.
God is greater than we could ever possibly imagine and He deserves all of our reverence and praise. Yet so often, we treat God casually and therefore don't take His commands seriously as we often put ourselves at the center on the throne that belongs to God alone. How can we put God at the center of our lives? How can we have a holy sense of fear and trembling towards God? How can a bigger view of God enhance our view of the Gospel? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more in this installment of our Revelation sermon series.
Listen in as Andy Lee Recaps the 7 churches in this next installment of our Revelation message series!
How can you tell if a church or person is spiritually alive or spiritually dead? What are signs of spiritual maturity? How can we take next steps in our faith journey? What are signs that we care more about our spiritual reputation than our spiritual reality? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more!
What does it mean to stand for truth? How are the values of our culture different than the values of Scripture? How does our culture misconstrue tolerance? Is truth important enough to die for? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more as he guides us through Jesus' letter to the church at Thyatira.
Tonight's message was different than normal in the best kind of way. We began by talking about the letter to Pergamum and how the church had compromised. But for the second half of the message, we did an activity where those in attendance wrote a letter as if Jesus was writing a letter to Twenty-Somethings. We talked about what Jesus would praise the ministry for, how we might have compromised and need to get back on the right track, and how we can support each other to keep the ministry faithful.
How can we have courage in all things? How can we remain faithful to Jesus in the midst of persecution? What hope do we have in Jesus in hard things? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more in this next installment in our Revelation series!
What can we learn from the letter to the church in Ephesus? How can we tell if we love Jesus more than anything else in this world? What can we do to ensure we love Jesus more than anything else? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more!
How can we endure persecution? How can we withstand cultural pressures from the world around us? What does it mean to fear the Lord? How can the fear of the Lord lead to greater love for Jesus? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more from Revelation 1:9-20!
Listen in as Caleb Eissler kicks off our sermon series in Revelation by helping us learn the context and genres of Revelation so we can understand this incredible book. Revelation is a book of Gospel-hope meant to help Christians trust in Jesus no matter what comes. Caleb shows this theme throughout the message. To close, he share 5 observations from Revelation 1:1-8 that help us understand the purpose and theme of the book.
To close out our relationships series, the Twenty-Somethings Advisory Team (Caleb Eissler, Jay Minnick, Jane Minnick, Kelly Broadway, and Nick Monroe) led an ask anything panel to answer live audience questions related to the message series. Topics ranged from things like finances in marriage, to emotional boundaries, to dating advice, to divorce, to sex, and more. Listen in as we close out our summer-long relationships series!
This message has one simple and important goal: to show the world the Bible's positive, joyful, passionate, sensual, and sacred view of sex between one man and one woman in the context of marriage. Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows how the world's broken and tiny view of sex is nothing compared to the Bible's glorious view. During the message, Caleb tries to remove some of the confusion or mystery surrounding the Song of Songs as he seeks to show that it is a profound book about God's good gift of sex. Caleb primarily walks through Genesis, 1 Corinthians, Proverbs, Song of Songs, and Ephesians to show us the goodness of sex and how it relates to the glory of God and the Gospel. Ultimately, Caleb shows us that the good gift of sex, like all good gifts, is meant to point us back to our greatest joy of all: God Himself.
Few topics are more difficult and personal than divorce and remarriage. Yet, few topics are less preached on. At Twenty-Somethings, we don't believe in avoiding tough topics. We believe God's Word is our ultimate guide for life and doctrine. In tonight's message, Caleb Eissler addresses these topics by answering questions such as the following: What is the purpose of marriage according to the Bible? Is divorce ever permissible? Is remarriage ever permissible? How does divorce differ from the Bible's vision of marriage? How does abuse relate to this conversation? What Gospel-hope do we in the midst of divorce? Caleb closed the message with some live Q&A to help bring the content home.
After talking about the Bible's theology of marriage last week, we thought it would be important to talk about the practical side of marriage. What is marriage really like? What are some myths about marriage? What are the joys of marriage? What should a Christian marriage look like? Listen in as Jay and Jane Minnick walk us through a practical teaching on marriage. After this teaching, the Minnicks host a panel of two newly married couples from Twenty-Somethings: Eli and Paige Gaitley plus Lake and Ellie McGinty.
What does the Bible teach about marriage? How does the Bible's teaching differ from our modern, Western, secular view of marriage? How does the Gospel relate to marriage? How can our marriages be a picture of the Gospel? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers all of these questions and more in this next installment in our Relationships message series.
What wisdom does the Bible have about dating? Is dating even a biblical concept? How should the Gospel inform our views of dating? What is the end goal of dating? What are some practical bits of biblical advice about dating? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more in this next message in our Relationships series.
While the modern, Western Church can often times exalt marriage and children above all else while minimizing the value of singleness, the Bible's radical vision for singleness stands in stark contrast to what we typically see in our churches today. Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us the Bible's incredible vision for singleness from the Old Testament to the New in this next installment in our Relationships series.
Listen in as Caleb Eissler kicks off our summer message series on relationships! In this message, Caleb explains that we cannot understand or flourish in our relationships until we see God as the foundation and example in them all. Our relationships flourish best when God is at the center.
What is your purpose in life? What does it mean that God pursues His own glory? How does this relate to God's love for us? What does it mean that we are made in the image of God? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more from Isaiah 48:9-11.
In response to the horrific mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville on March 27th, we took time to pray together as a ministry and then Caleb Eissler led us through a pastoral prayer related to many facets of the tragedy.
How does God comfort His people? Can I really trust Him with my pains and sorrows? What does it look like to trust the comfort of God? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more from Isaiah 40-43.
Are you really trusting in God or are you trusting in something else in your big decisions? How can you know you're trusting in God? Is God really trustworthy? What next step is God calling you to trust Him in right now? Listen in as Caleb Eissler helps us think through these questions and more from Isaiah 36-37.
Why are the ways of the world so seductive to us? How can we remain faithful to God in the midst of the temptations of the world? What end awaits those who reject God? Is it really worth it to follow God? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more as he preaches from Isaiah 24-27 for our Isaiah message series.
Where does our true trust lie? How can understanding the shape of Scripture's narrative help us understand the teachings of Scripture? How can understanding the story of Scripture help us learn to trust God more? Listen in as Nick Monroe answers these questions and more through Isaiah 21-23 in this next installment in our Gospel According to Isaiah message series.
With so much craziness going on in our world today, is God actually in control? Can He use tough circumstances for good? What does this all mean for your life? Listen in as Brad Bartlett answers these questions and more as he teaches through Isaiah 10-12.
What is God like? How does He relate to us? How can we feel His presence and hear His voice? Listen in as Austin Hey answers these questions and more from Isaiah 7-9.
What does it look like to encounter God? What is the holiness of God? What should our response be to encountering God? How can we tell if we had a genuine encounter with God? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers all of these questions and more from Isaiah 6.
What do we need to live a life of godliness? How has God provided? How does God deal with our pride as we follow Him? What can we learn from God's people in Isaiah? Listen in as Jay Minnick answers these questions and more in this next installment in our message series in Isaiah.
How can you know if your worship of God is true or false? What does it look like to live your whole life as an act of worship? What if going to church and reading your bible wasn't true worship? Listen in to have these questions and more answered as Caleb Eissler kicks off our spring semester message series in Isaiah by focusing on Isaiah 1.
What if suffering was a way we could showcase our hope in God? How should we respond when we are persecuted and bullied for our faith? Listen in as Andy Lee provides a wealth of counter-cultural wisdom in this next installment in our 1 Peter message series.
Slavery and wives submitting to their husbands are two of the most difficult biblical topics in our modern context. But when Peter brings them up in his pastoral letter, he does so for incredibly redemptive and instructional purposes. Listen in as Caleb Eissler helps us navigate these tough topics in 1 Peter 2:18-3:7 to see how they apply in profound ways to our lives today.
How should Christians engage in politics? How should we navigate the intense political tensions of our day? How should we represent Jesus in the public square? How can we know if we are falling into political idolatry ourselves? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more as we continue on in our 1 Peter message series.
What does it mean that we have new identities in Christ? Despite all that the world might label us as, how might our outlook on our lives change if we realized that God calls us Beloved? Listen in as Stana Martin helps us see how to have resilient and hope-filled faith despite painful experiences and sins as we continue on in our 1 Peter message series this fall.
Listen in as Caleb Eissler kicks off our sermon series in the book of 1 Peter. In this message, Caleb breaks down 1 Peter 1:1-12 by looking at it from 2 primary angles: 1.) this broken world is not our home, and 2.) our heavenly home is greater than we could imagine. Within those two angles, Caleb talks about how to endure in this fallen world, how to live with hope, how to prepare for heaven, and how to live meaningfully in this life when we're not in our heavenly home yet.
Originally preached on Thursday, September 1st, 2022 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church for Twenty-Somethings
How should we respond when a pastor falls into grievous sin? Does their sin make our faith untrue? How should we handle the doubts we encounter in the aftermath? What is the role of a pastor in the first place? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more in the final message of our Resilient sermon series.
Originally preached on Thursday, August 11th, 2022 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Is authority good or bad in a fallen world? How do we make sense of pastors and leaders who abuse their authority? How do we navigate abusive authority? How do we find solace in the midst of abuse? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more as we look at the last words of David in 2 Samuel 23:1-4.
How do you find out who you are? What is your identity? What does the world say versus what the Word says? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more during week 2 of our series on deconstruction called Resilient. This week we're spending time in Colossians 3:1-17.
Originally Preached on Thursday, July 28th, 2022 for Twenty-Somethings
What is Deconstruction? How do we navigate faith in a world of church hurt and abuse? How do we make sense of Christ when Christians around us put politics, notoriety, and other things before Him? Listen in as Caleb Eissler kicks off our 4-week series called "Resilient" on navigating faith in our day. This week's message asks tough questions and takes us to 1 Corinthians 15 to look at the core of what we actually believe.
Originally preached on Thursday, July 21st, 2022
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH AND THE SPIRIT OF ERROR
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.
4 You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world. Therefore what they say is from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God. Anyone who knows God listens to us; anyone who is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception.
KNOWING GOD THROUGH LOVE
7 Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. 10 Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11 Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God. If we love one another, God remains in us and his love is made complete in us. 13 This is how we know that we remain in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and we testify that the Father has sent his Son as the world’s Savior. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God — God remains in him and he in God. 16 And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.
God is love, and the one who remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love; instead, perfect love drives out fear, because fear involves punishment. So the one who fears is not complete in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and yet hates his brother or sister, he is a liar. For the person who does not love his brother or sister whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And we have this command from him: The one who loves God must also love his brother and sister. -- 1 John 4:1-21 (CSB)
3 See what great love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children—and we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it didn’t know him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself just as he is pure.
4 Everyone who commits sin practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness. 5 You know that he was revealed so that he might take away sins,, and there is no sin in him. 6 Everyone who remains in him does not sin;, everyone who sins has not seen him or known him.
7 Little children, let no one deceive you. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who commits sin is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the devil’s works. 9 Everyone who has been born of God does not sin, because his seed remains in him; he is not able to sin, because he has been born of God. 10 This is how God’s children and the devil’s children become obvious. Whoever does not do what is right is not of God, especially the one who does not love his brother or sister.
LOVE IN ACTION
11 For this is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another, 12 unlike Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous.
13 Do not be surprised, brothers and sisters, if the world hates you. 14 We know that we have passed from death to life because we love our brothers and sisters. The one who does not love remains in death. 15 Everyone who hates his brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. 16 This is how we have come to know love: He laid down his life for us. We should also lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. 17 If anyone has this world’s goods and sees a fellow believer in need but withholds compassion from him—how does God’s love reside in him? 18 Little children, let us not love in word or speech, but in action and in truth.
19 This is how we will know that we belong to the truth and will reassure our hearts before him 20 whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows all things.
21 Dear friends, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have confidence before God 22 and receive whatever we ask from him because we keep his commands and do what is pleasing in his sight. 23 Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us. 24 The one who keeps his commands remains in him, and he in him. And the way we know that he remains in us is from the Spirit he has given us.
If you thought you were about to die, what would be the final message you would want to tell your loved ones? We address that question and more in this message. Listen in as Caleb Eissler kicks off our series in 1 John and explains the weight and beauty of John's message in 1 John 1.
Originally preached on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 at Twenty-Somethings
For years, churches across denominations and ages have delivered pastoral prayers to ask for God's help and love in the wake of issues facing the world and the church. Twenty-Somethings has delivered pastoral prayers in response to important occasions over the years. In light of recent mass shootings in Buffalo and Uvalde (among many others) and the recent report surrounding the Southern Baptist Convention's (SBC) sex abuse scandal, Caleb Eissler delivered a pastoral prayer to address these tragic issues.
Originally delivered on Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 at Twenty-Somethings
THE GREAT COMMISSION
16 The eleven disciples traveled to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had directed them. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped, but some doubted. 18 Jesus came near and said to them,“All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” -- Matthew 28:16-20 (CSB)
8 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy: 9 You are to labor six days and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. You must not do any work — you, your son or daughter, your male or female servant, your livestock, or the resident alien who is within your city gates. 11 For the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them in six days; then he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and declared it holy. -- Exodus 20:8-11 (CSB)
Psalm 42
LONGING FOR GOD
For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah.
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so I long for you, God.
2 I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I come and appear before God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night,
while all day long people say to me,
“Where is your God?”
4 I remember this as I pour out my heart:
how I walked with many,
leading the festive procession to the house of God,
with joyful and thankful shouts.
5 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.
6 I am deeply depressed;
therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan
and the peaks of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your breakers and your billows have swept over me.
8 The Lord will send his faithful love by day;
his song will be with me in the night—
a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I will say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about in sorrow
because of the enemy’s oppression?”
10 My adversaries taunt me,
as if crushing my bones,
while all day long they say to me,
“Where is your God?”
11 Why, my soul, are you so dejected?
Why are you in such turmoil?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him,
my Savior and my God.
THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SON
11 He also said, “A man had two sons. 12 The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. 13 Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. 14 After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. 15 Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to eat his fill from the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one would give him anything. 17 When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. 19 I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired workers.” ’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. 21 The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’
22 “But the father told his servants, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, 24 because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found! ’ So they began to celebrate.
25 “Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he summoned one of the servants, questioning what these things meant. 27 ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’
28 “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him. 29 But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’
31 “ ‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ ” -- Luke 15:11-32 (CSB)
THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SHEEP
All the tax collectors and sinners were approaching to listen to him.
2 And the Pharisees and scribes were complaining, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
3 So he told them this parable: 4 “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it? 5 When he has found it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, 6 and coming home, he calls his friends and neighbors together, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my lost sheep! ’ 7 I tell you, in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who don’t need repentance.
THE PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN
8 “Or what woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9 When she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found the silver coin I lost! ’ 10 I tell you, in the same way, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels over one sinner who repents.” -- Luke 15:1-10 (CSB)
THE PARABLE OF THE SOWER
On that day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea.
2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat down, while the whole crowd stood on the shore.
3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying, “Consider the sower who went out to sow. 4 As he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn’t have much soil, and it grew up quickly since the soil wasn’t deep. 6 But when the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it. 8 Still other seed fell on good ground and produced fruit: some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times what was sown. 9 Let anyone who has ears listen.”
WHY JESUS USED PARABLES
10 Then the disciples came up and asked him, “Why are you speaking to them in parables? ”
11 He answered, “Because the secrets of the kingdom of heaven have been given for you to know, but it has not been given to them. 12 For whoever has, more will be given to him, and he will have more than enough; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 That is why I speak to them in parables, because looking they do not see, and hearing they do not listen or understand. 14 Isaiah’s prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:
You will listen and listen,
but never understand;
you will look and look,
but never perceive.
15 For this people’s heart has grown callous;
their ears are hard of hearing,
and they have shut their eyes;
otherwise they might see with their eyes,
and hear with their ears, and
understand with their hearts,
and turn back —
and I would heal them.
16 “Blessed are your eyes because they do see, and your ears because they do hear. 17 For truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see the things you see but didn’t see them, to hear the things you hear but didn’t hear them. -- Matthew 13:1-17 (CSB)
THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE
6 And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree that was planted in his vineyard. He came looking for fruit on it and found none. 7 He told the vineyard worker, ‘Listen, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it even waste the soil? ’
8 “But he replied to him, ‘Sir, leave it this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9 Perhaps it will produce fruit next year, but if not, you can cut it down.’ ” -- Luke 13:6-9 (CSB)
THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS
14 “For it is just like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey. Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’
21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’
22 “The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’
23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’
24 “The man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a harsh man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant! If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and I would have received my money back with interest when I returned.
28 “ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 30 And throw this good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ -- Matthew 25:14-30 (CSB)
LOVE: THE SUPERIOR WAY
If I speak human or angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.
2 If I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 And if I give away all my possessions, and if I give over my body in order to boast but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, 5 is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. 6 Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end. 9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will come to an end. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put aside childish things. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. 13 Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love — but the greatest of these is love. -- 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 (CSB)
2 Timothy 1:8-14 (CSB) Not Ashamed of the Gospel 8So don’t be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, or of me his prisoner. Instead, share in suffering for the gospel, relying on the power of God. 9He has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began. 10This has now been made evident through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who has abolished death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. 11For this gospel I was appointed a herald, apostle, and teacher, 12and that is why I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to guard what has been entrusted to me[c] until that day.
Be Loyal to the Faith 13Hold on to the pattern of sound teaching that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14Guard the good deposit through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
In Christ, you are gifted. In this weeks message we take a birds eye look at Spiritual Gifts and the purpose of our giftings. Join us in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11!
DIVERSITY OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
Now concerning spiritual gifts: brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware.
2 You know that when you were pagans, you used to be enticed and led astray by mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are different gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 There are different ministries, but the same Lord. 6 And there are different activities, but the same God works all of them in each person. 7 A manifestation of the Spirit is given to each person for the common good: 8 to one is given a message of wisdom through the Spirit, to another, a message of knowledge by the same Spirit, 9 to another, faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another, the performing of miracles, to another, prophecy, to another, distinguishing between spirits, to another, different kinds of tongues, to another, interpretation of tongues. 11 One and the same Spirit is active in all these, distributing to each person as he wills.
1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (CSB)
Listen in to this final installment in our Promises of God sermon series as Kendra LeeAnne shows us the incredible truth that all of God's promises are "Yes" and "Amen" in Jesus!
We've talked a lot this summer about God's great promises for us, but how do we respond when the fulfilment of God's promises don't seem to come as we expected? Listen in as Cassidy Williams shows us the glories of Psalm 42 and helps us see how to cling to God when it's hard to see the fulfilment of His promises.
What if this famous verse means something even greater than its popular interpretation communicates? Listen in as Ryan Long shows us the glories of God's amazing promise in Philippians 4:13.
Listen in as Lake McGinty shows us God's promise to us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 and how we can use this promise to fight temptation.
Note: Due to technical difficulties, only half of the message was successfully recorded. Nevertheless, we believe the available audio is still immensely helpful.
This famous verse is often misused, but Austin Hey helps us see just how wonderful the promise it contains really is when we understand what it actually means!
What does it mean to delight in God? What does it mean that God will give us the desires of our heart? Listen in to this first installment in our summer series on the promises of God as Caleb Eissler shows us how to find true and ultimate satisfaction in God not just now, but forever.
We talk about the church all of the time, but do we actually know what the church is? What does the Bible have to say about the church? What does it mean to be a member of a local church? Listen in to this next installment of our Foundations sermon series as Caleb Eissler helps us see what the Bible actually says about the church and what that means for our lives.
What is the Lord's Supper? What does is symbolize? How does it work? Why are the different beliefs about the Lord's Supper Important? Listen in to this next message in our Foundations sermon series as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more! May this message help you see the depth and beauty of the Lord's Supper!
Continuing on in our Malachi sermon series, Adam Kuntz shows us the importance of generosity in our Christian lives!
Listen in to the next message in our Malachi series as Austin Hey shows us the importance of God's justice and how the Lord works in our hearts to bring about justice in the world.
What does it mean to be faithful to God? How can we knowingly or unknowingly fall into unfaithfulness? Listen in as Andy Lee helps us see what we can learn about our own faithfulness to Jesus from the unfaithfulness of God's people long ago in Malachi 2:10-16.
What happens when even the priests of God fall short? How does a 3,000 year old book point forward to the solution to our sin? Listen in as Kendra LeeAnne shows us the weight of sin and the glory of Jesus from Malachi 2:1-9.
How can I have assurance of my salvation? Can I lose my salvation? How can I press on in the faith? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and more in the first installment of our Foundations Sermon Series about the basic beliefs of the faith.
This sermon was originally preached on Thursday, January 28th, 2021 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
What does it mean to give God the honor He is due? How can we strive to do this ourselves and test if we're pressing towards that goal? What are signs that we aren't giving God the glory He deserves? Listen in as Adam Kuntz answers these questions and more in a powerful sermon about what it means to truly worship the Lord.
When the world is crashing down around us and we're struggling to see affirmation of God's love, how can we be assured that God actually loves us? Listen in as Caleb Eissler kicks off our new sermon series "The End of the Beginning" by showing us the glory of God's covenant love for His people from the book of Malachi.
This sermon was originally preached on January 14th, 2021 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
In our world, our understanding of government and politics is often informed more by what hear on cable news and social media rather than what read in the Bible. This message is meant to change that. Preached just two days after the 2020 presidential election (we still did not which candidate had won yet), Caleb Eissler aimed to help us see what the Bible has to say about the government. Trying to cut through the fierce division and political rhetoric in a divided nation, Caleb seeks to help us frame the issues from the Bible's perspective by focusing on the most political statement ever made.
Originally preached by Mat Karger on August 27th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Originally preached by Cory Scheer on August 20th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Originally preached by Ryan Long on August 13th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Originally preached by Kendra LeeAnne on July 30th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Loving others can be hard. We all struggle to love different people. So how can we love like Jesus? Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us how and why we are called to love the unlovable because Jesus loved the unlovable in us.
How do we endure trial? How can we call ourselves blessed in the midst of pain? Listen in as Kendra LeeAnne delivers a powerful message from deep personal experience of how God works for our joy and His glory in the midst of pain.
Many of us hear and study God's Word often. But do we live it out? How can we grow in applying and practicing the very truths God calls for in His Word? Listen in to this incredibly practical sermon from Caleb Eissler as he helps us think through what it means to practice pure religion, in other words, how to live out God's Word.
What does wisdom have to do with joy and enduring trials? What if the way to everlasting power and life was actually by giving up your power and life? What if the very wisdom we need is the very wisdom the world rejects? Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us the glory in the wisdom of the cross as we continue on in our series in the book of James.
How can we endure trials? What hope does the Bible give us when we encounter excruciating and unexpected hardship in life? In our first meeting back after the COVID-19 quarantine, Caleb Eissler shows us why and how we can "count it all joy" (James 1:2) no matter what comes because of the hope Jesus gives.
How can we have an unshakable confidence now matter what comes? How is it that we can have indestructible joy? How can we endure hardship through Jesus? Listen in as Caleb Eissler helps us see the glory of all that is bound up in Jesus' famous statement, "I have overcome the world."
What is the thread that ties together some of the most famous stories in the Gospel of John? What is the unexpected path to peace and glory? What quality about Jesus separated him from the other kings in His day and is meant to be a defining factor of the Christian life? The answer to these questions is simple: humility. Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us how humility is the key to living out the Christian life as he walks us through 3 stories of humility from Jesus and his followers in John 12-13.
Originally preached on Thursday, March 26th, 2020
What hope can we have during the COVID-19 crisis? How can we keep our gaze fixed on Jesus during this pandemic? What does a 2000 year old story about a shepherd have to do with our current moment? Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us the hope of Christ from John 10-11 for our tumultuous times.
Originally preached on Thursday, March 19th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
In light of all of the buzz surrounding COVID-19 (Coronavirus), we took time to pray to God as a ministry. This is the audio from the pastoral prayer delivered by Caleb Eissler meant to address reality frankly, but with hope. May this prayer offer hope in a time of confusion and chaos.
This prayer was originally delivered on Thursday, March 12th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
What if there was another angle to one of the most famous and scandalous stories in all of Scripture? What if grace is more amazing that we think? Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us a different perspective of one of the most well-known stories from the Bible, helping us see the wonder of Jesus along the way. Be ready to be amazed by grace!
Originally preached on Thursday, February 27th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Do you believe in the Jesus of the Bible or the Jesus of your imagination? What do our reactions to and expectations of Jesus in prayer, taking next steps of faith, worship, the spiritual disciplines, and more tell us about our true view of Jesus? Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us three views of Jesus from individuals in the stories in John 4:46-5:47 and what they can tell us about our view of Jesus.
Originally preached on Thursday, February 6th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Where did Jesus come from? Where did we come from? What is our origin story? What does origin have to do do with our sin and worship? Listen in as Caleb Eissler kicks off our Spring semester series in the Gospel of John by helping us see how origin helps inform our worship, hope, and witness.
Originally preached on Thursday, January 16th, 2020 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
What is it that can overcome pain, suffering, depression, anxiety, heartbreak, trial, tribulation, rejection, death, and more? The glorious answer from Romans 8 is this: the love of Christ. Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us how through Christ we can be more than conquerors in all things so that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:28 may be the most misunderstood verse in all of Scripture. And when it is misunderstood people get hurt, walk away from their faith, and give up hope. The difference between feeling abandoned by God versus having an unshakable peace and joy when pain and hardships comes comes down to whether or not we actually understand God's Word. Listen in as Caleb Eissler helps us see the glorious truth of Romans 8:28, the greatest verse ever misunderstood.
Originally preached on Thursday, December 6th, 2019 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
We all have deep longings and desires. And we all wrestle with the existence of pain and suffering in the world. Will those longings ever be fulfilled? How do we make sense of the pain in the world? Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us from Romans 8 how the the answers to those questions are the same. If you want hope and a sense of awe at Jesus, you won't want to miss this message!
Originally preached on Thursday, November 14th at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Mental Health is a vital topic that is rarely discussed in churches. After walking through a 5 week sermon series on mental health titled "The Struggle is Real," we sat down with several pastors and licensed professional counselors to talk about questions from the series and how to apply the Gospel to our mental health. We discussed issues ranging from self-care, walking alongside those struggling, medicine, suicide, prayer, and more. Listen in as our panelists seek to help us have hope and wisdom in the area of the intersection of mental health and the Gospel!
Panelists
Robbie Sullivan- Licensed Professional Counselor
Merle Mees- Lead Pastor
Karen Mees- Licensed Professional Counselor
John Newsom- Care Pastor and Army Chaplain
Brad Daniel- Student Pastor
Caleb Eissler- Moderator
This panel originally took place on Tuesday, October 15th at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
What if the reason we struggle with sharing the Gospel and fighting sin is because we've not fully understood just how great the Gospel really is? Listen in as Caleb Eissler helps us see Paul's wisdom for how to pursue holiness and see the Gospel as more glorious than we could ever imagine. Want to be encouraged in your faith? Tune in and see why "No condemnation" is the greatest declaration ever proclaimed.
Originally preached on Thursday, November 7th at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Why is prayer so hard? How can we deepen our prayer lives? How can we experience the love of Jesus more fully? How do we mature as Christians? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and lays out a powerful reality for our spiritual journeys: when we know who God is and what He has done for us, it changes the content of our prayers.
Originally preached on Thursday, October 3rd at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
What does the Bible actually have to say about singleness? In a modern Christian culture that can often imply that you are not whole unless you are married with children, are our churches' assumptions actually biblical? How do you live out your singleness well, whether it's permanent or temporary? How can I faithfully desire marriage while living out my singleness well while I have it? Listen in as Caleb Eissler answers these questions and helps us see the Bible's radical and beautiful vision for singleness.
Originally preached on Thursday, September 26th, at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church
Trusting God can be hard. It's not easy to trust that God is faithful or that He will provide when life gets hard. How can we bolster our belief that God gives us everything we need? Is our trust in the Lord or are we seeking our satisfaction, contentment, peace, security, and delight in other things? Listen in as Caleb Eissler shows us how a prophet from 3000 years ago gives us astonishing hope to believe God is faithful and will provide for His people.
Originally preached on Thursday, August 15th, 2019 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.
Mental Health is a vital, yet often neglected, element of the Christian life. We face a crisis of mental health issues today, but we often fail to speak about them or address them with clarity. On August 1st, 2019, PV Twenty-Somethings hosted a public panel to bring clarity and truth to the conversation surrounding the intersection of mental health and the Gospel. Panelists include Licensed Professional Counselors Karen Mees and Robie Sullivan, Lead Pastor Merle Mees, Care Pastor and Army Chaplain John Newsom, and Student Pastor Brad Daniel. The panelists addressed a whole host of topics including medication, spiritual warfare, tactics to improve and sustain mental health, how to care for others who encounter mental illness, the hope that the Gospel brings, and so much more!
Have you ever continually cried out to God in prayer only to receive silence in return? In those moments we can't help but ask questions like: "Why won't God answer my prayers?" "Does God even hear my prayers?" "Does God even love me if He doesn't answer my prayers?" "How can I actually hear God's voice?" What does it mean when it seems like God isn't answering our prayers? How should we respond? Listen in as Caleb Eissler helps us make sense of our unanswered prayers, shows us how to hear God's voice, and helps us see the wonders that God is working in the midst of the silence. Originally preached on Thursday, May 30th, 2019 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.
In our tribalized and volatile age, how can Christians intelligently and respectfully engage in politics? Listen in as PV pastors and church members discuss how the Gospel relates to topics such as nationalism, abortion, race, fake news, social media, history, the Republican and Democratic parties, poverty, immigration, social justice, and more.
Panelists: Caleb Eissler (Moderator), Kevin Smith, Brad Daniel, Tim Overby, Jeff Sheets, and Lindy Sheets