Emmanuel Community Church Sermon Podcast: Recent Episodes
Emmanuel Community Church - Fort Wayne, IN
This weekend, we'll work through our fourth core value at Emmanuel, being RELATIONAL. We'll see that seeking to build healthy relationships - as messy and challenging as they can be - is central to what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.
We will be focusing on our third core value of authentic living. We strive to be open and honest about ourselves, taking off the masks we might be used to wearing.
In this message, we will heat up our second core value - that Emmanuel always strives to be Biblical. We'll spend most of our time exploring 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and see how it describes the way the Bible gives us traction for life.
This weekend, we will explore our first core value in Colossians 1:13-20 and recognize that first and foremost Emmanuel is Christ-centered.
We will kick off our series, "This is Us" with a look at our purpose as a church. We'll explore some of the key passages that have informed our purpose from the beginning. And we’ll see what's behind our overarching theme, "His Word, Our Walk."
Hebrews 12:1-2 is the point in the book where the writer transitions from a lot of deep teaching (His Word) to an extended conversation about how to apply that teaching (Our Walk). It’s a short text but packed with helpful direction on how to move beyond a resolution and into a life of endurance in our walk with Jesus.
In our last message of 2024, we will walk you through Psalm 139. We invited you to gather with friends or family, where in the message you will be set up well to use materials provided in the sermon notes to do some self-examination together focused on the year you just lived out. The goal is to invite the Lord and fellow believers to help you consider how you will approach the new year the Lord has blessed you with.NOTE - This service is ONLINE only and is pre-recorded. There are only completed notes for this service.
As we move closer to Christmas, we will step back into Zechariah's story in Luke chapter one. When his pain had skewed him toward doubt, God gave him the severe mercy of silence. But God's mercy didn't stop there. As we consider what happened next for Zechariah, we will get a good look at how we can follow God's mercy out of our doubt and into a faith that leads us to peace in Christ.
We will follow Mary from her first moment of submission to the Lord through her next faithful steps. We'll get a chance to learn from the behavior of someone who is capable of deep and courageous faith.
We continue our series, The Path of Peace," by following the gospel of Luke into the story of Mary, the mother of Jesus. Just as Zechariah's path of peace began with an angelic visit, we'll see Mary challenged with her own journey by a direct intervention from the Lord.
We will step into a new series called, "The Path of Peace." We'll work through Luke 1 and 2 as it walks us up to and through the gospel account of the birth of Jesus. We'll begin with the account of a Jewish priest named Zechariah, who finds himself face-to-face with an angel. But where we might expect a devout servant of God to respond with humble faith, he actually demonstrates doubt and takes the angel to task. We'll see that familiarity really can breed contempt. But that's not where the story ends.
It’s hard to know how to sufficiently say “Thank you” for the roles ECC people play in the church and community. But anything we do pales in comparison to a day that is coming. I’m calling it Thanksgiving Upside Down. Instead of us expressing our thanks to God, this is a day of reversal in which the Lord has chosen to express thanksgiving to us! Is that surprising to you? How does it work? Join us this weekend as we investigate this upcoming day.
We conclude our conversation about forgiveness in Colossians 2:13-14. It's a short text, but it's packed with meaning and value for us as we seek to get a better handle on such a critical aspect of Christianity. We're called to be people who forgive from the heart, and the best way to get a handle on that is to understand the way that God has forgiven us.
This message will revisit and continue a series we started and stepped away from months ago called, "How to Make Peace." We had unpacked Matthew 18:15-20, and the four stages Jesus gave us for working through reconciliation with someone who has sinned against us. But there's one critical piece to peacemaking that we still need to unpack together. And that's the issue of forgiveness. So, we'll turn our attention to Matthew 18:21-35 and explore how forgiveness works, and why it's fundamental to being a Christian.
This message will conclude our series called “Even If…” In Daniel chapter six we’ll look at a story that is typically called “Daniel and the Lions’ Den.” What we’ll find though, is that it’s not about the lions at all. It’s a story about deliverance that will answer a key question for this series and for the times of adversity that we’re navigating as a culture. And the question is, “What’s it all about?”
This message will lead us into Daniel chapter five and will walk us through the Lord's interaction with another Babylonian king who had a big lesson to learn. We'll see that the lessons the Lord offers us are not for trivia or entertainment. They're for our instruction to help us yield to the Lord and find life in Him.
This message will continue with Daniel chapter 4 and a run-in between King Nebuchadnezzar and the Lord. The question this story will ask and answer is this: “Who holds the power?” It’s an important question for us to ask as it relates to our own influence, but even more so as we relate to the powers we find ourselves under.
This weekend we will look at Daniel 3 together. We'll see Daniel's friends display uncommon calm in the face of certain death at the hands of a raging king. More importantly, we'll get a look at where that courage comes from, and how we can take steps toward experiencing that same calm courage in our own lives.
We will continue our study of Daniel chapter 2. We'll watch as God directly challenges King Nebuchadnezzar's perspective on himself and the world. As Nebuchadnezzar the king is confronted with the fact that he has a King, we'll be confronted with the question, "Who's on the throne?"
This message will go deeper into the story of Daniel's experience as God's emissary to the nation of Babylon. As we step into Daniel Chapter 2, we will see a godly person model what it looks like to turn to the Lord in the face of intense struggles.
This message begins our study of Daniel 1-6. We will be introduced not only to Daniel himself but to the core elements of what sustains and drives God's people when they are in exile in a hostile land.
This message frames our study of Daniel 1-6 by looking at God's word to Daniel and his fellow exiles in Jeremiah 29:1-14. Where we might be tempted to give in to our own ideas of how we should relate to the world around us, God has a clear message for His people when they find themselves up against the wall in their culture.
In this stand-alone message, we'll take a look at Luke 22 and dig into the meaning embedded in the Lord's Supper. There is a lot to learn about this critical element of our life together as a church, and how it provides a regular opportunity to refresh and refocus in the middle of our busy and ever-changing situations.
This weekend Sam Ward will be sharing a stand-alone message, "Who Said That to You?" We will be diving into Genesis and taking a look into when "advice" may be deceit in disguise.
This weekend, we will step into a psalm of praise. Psalm 145 will guide us as we process the harvest of sovereign love and grace we saw the Lord work out in Naomi's life in Ruth chapter 4. If we have turned to the same God Naomi turned to, then we have a lot to praise Him for.
This weekend, we see how the story of Naomi in the Book of Ruth ends. We've walked with her through her famine, her waiting, and her growing; and now we get to see the harvest God had in store for her the whole time.
We'll begin our study of Ruth chapter four as the book moves toward its conclusion. While Naomi and Ruth wait for God's redemption, Boaz snaps into action. We'll follow along as he reflects God's heart and fights for the security and future of those who have sought refuge in the Lord.
This weekend, we’ll take another moment to reflect on the stories of Naomi and Ruth, exploring their journeys. We will also reflect on our own experiences, examining them through the insightful lens of Psalm 107.
We continue in Ruth chapter 3 and find Ruth, Boaz, and Naomi navigating a complicated and high-stakes plot twist that threatens the redemption they've been hoping for. The question is whether they will give in to false narratives and slide into bitterness, or allow God to lead them to the truth.
We begin Ruth 3 in our summer series, “Growing, the book of Ruth”. In this chapter, the “waiting” time is over. God is prompting action that will change the lives of Naomi, Ruth and Boaz forever.
We will do our second message in "Gleaning, the book of Psalms" in which we reflect on the lessons learned in our summer series, “Growing, the book of Ruth”. In Ruth 2, Naomi has begun thinking that maybe, just maybe she can hope again. We will spend time in Psalm 121, a psalm of hope.
We will continue our journey through chapter two of the book of Ruth. We'll see how God used the kindness of Boaz to stir up hope in the heart of a woman who was completely shut down in bitterness. And in that story, we'll experience an invitation to cultivate our hope as we walk through our own challenges.
We'll step back into our study of the Book of Ruth. We'll begin unpacking chapter two and follow along as Naomi and Ruth discover together whether their return to God and His people was worth it. Naomi left Israel with one narrative about God that has left her bitter and frustrated. As she revisits her old stomping grounds and her old narratives from a new vantage point, we'll see that God has some surprises in store.
We will hit pause on our summer series, "Growing, the book of Ruth", and shift to our first message in "Gleaning, the book of Psalms". We will spend time in Psalm 142, a psalm of lament.
We will begin digging into Ruth Chapter 1 in our series called "Growing." We'll get some critical background on the main character of the story. And we'll understand what we need to do whenever we find ourselves estranged from God in our times of suffering.
We will start our summer series in the book of Ruth with an introduction and overview. You'll be equipped with important context for the book and see how you can get the most out of our study together.
This weekend we’ll be hearing from a familiar voice, Frank Y., who is the Executive Director of U.B. Global. His powerful voice is for our call to bring the gospel to people who have never heard it before. Our commitment to global missions is core to who we are as a church, and we’re grateful for people like Frank who help us keep that value in focus.
We'll finish up our series in 2 Timothy called Courageous Shepherds. We'll listen in as Paul pulls all the major themes of his letter together into one clear charge to Timothy. But we'll also see how Paul gives us his own keys to success in our calling to be courageous shepherds.
We will continue our series in 2 Timothy, called Courageous Shepherds. In 2 Timothy 3 we'll listen in as Paul reminds Timothy that he needs to resist the world's pressure to orient himself around his own way of seeing things. We'll explore Paul's life or death charge to cling to God's Word as our North Star - the only true reference point for our lives.
We continue our series, Courageous Shepherds by moving into chapter two of 2 Timothy. It is here that Paul will begin to unpack some of the challenges we will all face in our call to be disciples who make disciples.
This week, we'll be starting a four-week series in the book of 2 Timothy. In a time of leadership transition at Emmanuel, we'll see that Paul had a lot to say to Timothy about their own leadership transition. But the first thing Paul established was a strong reminder about the gospel.
We study the last verses of Romans 16 to see Paul’s “watch out,” a few more greetings, and a benediction. It is a wonderful closing to a beautiful letter. I will also have the opportunity to “hand the baton” to Pastor Josh, and we will pray together for him and his family and ministry!
We began our study of Romans on October 9, 2022. This weekend, we begin the last series. We will break Romans 16 into two parts and learn about the leaders and workers in the church in Rome and then read Paul’s farewell and benediction. It is a chapter that is often overlooked because it contains so many names — but there is still much we can learn and apply.
We will return to our series through Romans 12-15, called The Law of Love. We'll close out this series with a look at Paul's call to heat up our value of participating in God's global mission.
We conclude this short series on THE ROAD TO . . . by looking at the Road to Glory where Jesus suddenly appeared to two of His followers on that first Easter. It is an amazing story because of what these two followers had missed — all of their lives — and how Jesus was able to teach them “along the road.”
We step into a Holy Week series called The Road to Salvation. On Palm Sunday, we remember the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We will follow Jesus' Road to Kingship through Luke 18 and 19 as He moved through Jericho to Jerusalem while navigating both the confusion and the praise of His followers. We will explore His deep and durable love for us and prepare our hearts for Good Friday as we look ahead to the celebration of Resurrection Sunday.
This week, we wrap up our series, How to Make Peace. We spent two of our three weeks focused on the first step God gives us in Matthew 18:15-17 because it's the most important step. Now it's time to touch on the remaining three steps of peacemaking as we learn to "widen the circle."
We'll continue into our second week of a short series called "How to Make Peace." Matthew 18:15-17 gives us a four-step model for addressing someone who has sinned against us. But step one is so important, we'll be spending another weekend unpacking it together before we move on to the rest of the steps next week.
We'll begin a short series called "How to Make Peace" and begin working through Matthew 18:15-17 to discover some simple functions that lead to an uncommon peace.
We will take the posture of a younger sibling as we listen to Paul's personal account of his experience as a minister of the gospel. We'll learn about how we can view ourselves as ministers, how we can measure our success, and how we can fuel our passion as followers of Jesus as we live out the gospel.
We finish the “mini-series” on the weaker brother and learn how important it is to be a true brother or sister in Christ and watch out for one another.
Although it is a common concept throughout the New Testament, it is spelled out in Romans 14 like nowhere else in Scripture. It is the idea that we have freedom in anything as long as we put other believers above our own needs and wants. The world thinks it’s CRAZY! Paul says it’s essential.
We continue our series on The Law of Love by looking at a weaker and stronger brother in the faith. And you might be a bit surprised as to which one of these two you really are. The Apostle Paul spends a whole chapter explaining this issue to us, and we will study the first half of the church this week.
This weekend we'll step into the fourth week of our series, The Law of Love. It's in Romans 13:8-14 that Paul anchors our whole series around this idea of what it takes to be truly healthy and fully alive in Christ.
This weekend we will continue our series, The Law of Love by following Paul as he explores the way the gospel informs our relationship to governing authorities. It's a conversation that will challenge our ideas about submission and reframe our approach to civil authorities. That's a big deal at any time, but even more so as we move into an election year.
We continue our study of Isaiah 53 this weekend by looking at verses 4-6. This is considered the peak and the very heart of the entire study of Isaiah 52 and 53. This is a special and fascinating passage, one that should be put to memorization!
We continue our series on THE FIFTH GOSPEL and we see that the Messiah is considered repulsive by many. The reason for that is He is considered of no importance. In fact, He is viewed as a “sucker plant” that is only good for destruction. It is hard to imagine that this “worthless” person could change the world. But He did!
We begin a 5-part series on ISAIAH 53. It is the most detailed and fascinating prophecy in the Old Testament. This week we look at the three verses that open this section and we learn about God’s perfect Servant.
We celebrate our living Lord as we conclude the Gospel of Mark and look at BOTH His death and resurrection. Mark combines the two stories nicely. We will see how His burial and His empty tomb must be understood as a whole.
This Good Friday service will be an opportunity to sense sorrow (in a smaller way) like those first disciples must have sensed.
We go back to Mark 11 and study the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We want to understand why this parade of people marks the beginning of Holy Week and what really happened. The people wanted to proclaim Jesus King, but they didn’t understand His Kingdom.
We look at Mark’s explanation of the crucifixion. He doesn’t deal with the details of how Jesus died or His wounds as much as he shares the reaction of the people around Jesus. And he shares one unique detail not found in the other Gospels.
We continue our series called DEAD OR ALIVE by examining the events that take place immediately before Jesus is placed on the cross. Mark shares this “ briefly and clearly ” — but it is no less powerful. In all of it, we realize Who was really controlling the scenario.
We continue our series Dead or Alive, and we move further into the early morning hours of the day Christ will be crucified. We’ll see two important parts of the story are happening at the same time. Jesus is going through His trial in front of the religious establishment, and Peter is going through his “trial” trying to remain incognito in the courtyard nearby. One remains strong and the other had to face his weakness.
This weekend, we continue our series Dead or Alive, and we move into the early morning hours of the day Christ will be crucified. Mark allows us to see the stress and turmoil that the Son of God was feeling as He prays in the garden. As He poured out His concerns to His Father, He eventually released himself into the Father’s care and moved forward to face what felt like an overwhelming situation. When you face a stress-filled situation, remember that you have a great High Priest who understands what you are going through. (Hebrews 4:14-16).
We continue our series DEAD OR ALIVE as we move into the final 24 hours before Christ goes to the cross. Mark allows us to see the joy and sorrow mixed into his last supper with his closest friends. In this time, he initiates a perpetual reminder of the cross, Holy Communion, which we celebrate as a church family this weekend.
We begin the DEAD OR ALIVE series as we experience the last few days of Jesus’ ministry. This first study reminds us of Judas and the reason for his betrayal. It is another Mark “sandwich”, and it is fascinating how he presents it.
We finish the short PROPHECY series from Mark 13 as we see the second sign of the second coming. In his typical style, Mark takes a difficult issue and simplifies it for our benefit.
We begin a 2-part series on the PROPHECY. The disciples asked two questions that people are still asking today. Jesus answered very clearly but it seems many people have not paid much attention to His answers. We will break those down over the next two weeks and hopefully have a more clear understanding of how the end will take place.
We conclude our series on TOUGH QUESTIONS as we see Jesus ask a final question and then teach a powerful lesson. It is a passage of Scripture that demands context to really understand it. And Jesus doesn’t pull any punches as He talks about the religious leaders.
This weekend we continue our series "Tough Questions" from Mark chapter 12. In this weekend's passage, Jesus is asked to articulate which of the 613 commandments was the most important. We will be inspired and challenged as we take a close look at His answer and the interaction He has with a teacher of the Law.
We continue our series on TOUGH QUESTIONS by looking at a question about marriage in heaven. We’ll see this question is a smokescreen for a much deeper question. The answer that Jesus gave again left his audience astonished and leaves us with some decisions about our response.
We continue our series on TOUGH QUESTIONS by looking at a question about paying taxes. The answer that Jesus gave even impressed His detractors. When you take time to really understand it — it is amazing!
We begin a new series from Mark 12 called TOUGH QUESTIONS. In this study, we see five questions that are asked and answered. It is another “Mark sandwich” and it has some fascinating lessons. In this first section, verses 1-12, we hear Jesus tell a parable, then ask a question, and give an answer. His answer teaches about the powerful concept of a CORNERSTONE.
We conclude our CAROLS OF CHRISTMAS series by looking at a song that we usually sing just once a year, AULD LANG SYNE. We are going to focus on relationships as we look backward at 2021 and forwards into 2022 and beyond. My goal is to give you some practical suggestions on attitudes for the new year!
On December 25-26, the online ONLY service will focus on the oldest carol that we sing, O COME, O COME EMMANUEL. There will be no notes for this service.
AWAY IN A MANGER will be our Christmas carol for Christmas Eve. We will look at the simple, prayerful lyrics, but we will also talk about the importance of the MANGER in the story of Christmas.
We study one of the top recorded singles of all time — SILENT NIGHT. We will learn that the lyrics are fine but what makes this carol special is the mood or feel that it provides. The intent is to place the listener back in the moment of that first Christmas Eve. And the song does have some amazing lyrics as well — particularly the third stanza.
We continue our series on Christmas Carols and learn about the story of O LITTLE TOWN OF BETHLEHEM and the meaning behind the lyrics. We will find some very interesting new lessons about the place where Jesus was born. And, I think we will appreciate the song much more in the future as we sing it.
We look at the second carol in our series, Angels from The Realms of Glory. Some consider this carol one of the greatest hymns ever written. It tells the story of Christmas from different perspectives but also calls for a response. It is one that all Christians should have in their Christmas playlist.
We begin our Christmas series by looking at THE CAROLS OF CHRISTMAS. This series will remind us to think about the music of the season and to be worshipful. This first carol that we will study is COME THOU LONG EXPECTED JESUS by Charles Wesley. It was written nearly 200 years ago but is still one of the most wonderful songs of the season.
We conclude our study on CONTRASTS by looking at a fruit tree that has no fruit and a mountain that moves. We also see Jesus out-thinking the most powerful and intellectual people in the land. This is a classic account that gives us much to chew on.
We look at three accounts that are lumped together in the Gospel of Mark. In all of these, we see "blind people” but in one, we see a blind man that can see better than anyone else. It is our continuing study of the CONTRASTS.
THIS WEEKEND We meet a young leader who is concerned about his eternity. The problem for him is that he wants to have multiple gods — and that doesn’t work. Jesus’ answer to this man’s very important question is wonderful to study and has multiple components. We will unpack that answer together.
We begin a new 4-part series on CONTRASTS. The purpose of this section is to help us to think like the LORD, not like the WORLD. In this first study, we will talk about the sanctity of marriage and the faith of a child.
THIS WEEKEND... We learned last week that God’s plan for reaching the world rested on a group of flawed individuals learning the lessons they needed to hear and putting them into practice. This weekend, we’ll look back at how this all got started by God intentionally blessing one man, Abraham, how that blessing has been passed down through the generations, and ECC’s opportunity to continue to pass the blessing in 2021.
Today, we conclude our series on THE WAY OF THE CROSS and “listen in” as Jesus teaches His disciples on two serious topics He wants them to understand and implement.
Martha vs. Mary. Whose focus wins? Of the three passages in Luke 10, today’s story most clearly directs believers to stay focused on ‘the most important thing.’ Jesus will not ask Mary to surrender the best for the good. He also wants us to learn to choose the best over the pull of what is good.
Today we begin our Christmas series and it might be a bit unusual. Instead of studying the traditional Christmas story, we will learn about the events that led to that first Christmas night. In this first text, we learn of Mary’s wonder and God’s Word.