Ridgeland Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ridgeland Church
We want to see our vision of, "in our neighborhoods as it is in heaven," to come about through loving our neighborhoods as Jesus does by being present, being love, and being all-in.
Here you will find our weekly messages and conversations from our Sunday morning worship gatherings as we push ourselves to see our vision come true.
This week Pastor Jared continues our conversation on trust by talking about Truth, asking the question “What is Truth?” Here are some questions to think about as you follow along: The truths that we believe hold POWER in our lives- Based off of things you do or ways you live your life, can you see […]
We continue our “Constructing Trust” series this week, talking about how trusting God has to start with trusting God’s Character. Think about these questions as you listen! Has anyone ever said they would do something, then done something completely different? How did that impact your trust in them? Do you find it easy or difficult […]
This week we kick off a brand new teaching series called “Constructing Trust”- all about why trust is so impactful in our lives and important to our faith journey. Here are some questions to ponder as you listen! What do you regularly put your trust in throughout your day to day life? Your family? Your […]
This week, Pastor Jacob spoke about our communal identity as a “multitude” of believers. Here are some questions to reflect on or discuss with a friend this week! The church is meant to be a symbol of unity and fellowship- has this been your experience of church? Why or why not? God’s plan is to […]
This week Pastor Cammi brings us a message from 1 Corinthians 1, all about our beloved identity as saints in God’s family of believers. Here are some questions to reflect on as you listen! If “Holiness is a community project” as we love and shine light into one another’s lives, what is one way you […]
This week opens our new series called “Beloved” talking all about different parts of our identity as the Church. Here are some reflection questions to think about as you listen! Pastor Jacob mentioned that one word used for Beloved in the Bible is “divinely loved ones.” Do you feel Beloved by God today? Why or […]
Since the beginning, a core struggle for humanity has been rooted in generosity so, threaded throughout the history of God’s people has been a call to be a People of Generosity. Our default as humans says that there is not enough and that in order to preserve our lives we need to live in a […]
This week we wrap up our “Be Filled” series by talking about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit and what they look like throughout Scripture. Reflect on these questions throughout this week as you spend time in God’s Presence. What is one gift or talent you feel God has given you? How can you use […]
This week Pastor Jared talks about the Fruit of the Spirit and how we can lean in to these gifts of God’s grace. Take some time to reflect on these questions as you listen! Do you ever find yourself wishing you had a gift or talent someone else has? Which of the fruits of the […]
This week Pastor Jared spoke about the different characteristics of the Holy Spirit as an Advocate, Comforter, and Guide. Here are some reflection questions to ponder as you listen and go about your week! Of the ways Pastor Jared described the Holy Spirit (Advocate, Comforter, Guide), which resonates with you the most today? Have you […]
This week we kicked off our new series, “Be Filled” talking about what a life filled with the Holy Spirit looks like. Here are some questions to reflect on and ask yourself as you listen! How have you thought about the Holy Spirit before now? Did you learn anything new from the message? Have you […]
This week Pastor Jared thinks about what Belonging should look like in a church community and what we can do to cultivate a culture of belonging. Here are some questions to ponder as you listen! What was a time in your life that you really felt like you belonged? What made you feel that way? […]
This week Pastor Jared wraps up our “Life with God” series by teaching us about Pentecost and the birth of the church through the movement of the Holy Spirit among Jesus’ disciples. Reflect on these questions as you listen! What does Pentecost mean to you? If you’ve spent time in church before, do you have […]
This Sunday, Pastor Jared preached from the story of Acts 1:1-11, about Jesus' Ascension and what it means for us as the church. Below are some questions to reflect on as you listen!
- How do you think the disciples felt when Jesus told them that the restoration of the kingdom of Israel was, essentially, “none of your business”? Do you find yourself struggling with this idea or wanting to worry about the restoration or success of certain entities that are smaller than the Kingdom of God?
- Pastor Jared says that we are the one who give evidence that the Kingdom of God exists. What do you think it looks like in your life to live as evidence of the Kingdom of God in the world?
- What do you think the power of the Holy Spirit means in your life? What would it mean for this church? For your community? Take a moment and dream about what things might change in your life if you chose to live as if the Kingdom has already come. Dream big!
- Now, take some time to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you in how to live your life in the truth of the inbreaking Kingdom of God this week.
This week Pastor Jared unpacks the story of the "Great Commission" Jesus spoke to his disciples in Matthew 28:16-20 and what it means for us today. Here are some questions to think about as you listen!
- What does it look like to have all authority on heaven and earth? Stop for a moment and imagine the vastness of the universe in your mind, then imagine someone who could create all of that with a word.
- If you had this kind of power and authority, what would you want to do with it? How does that compare to what Jesus chooses to do with it?
- Why do you think Jesus chose to trust a ragtag bunch of disciples to carry his message throughout the world, rather than bringing about the entire rule and reign of his Kingdom right then?
- The Greek of the command “Go” in Matthew 28:19 is more literally translated, “as you go” or “as you are going.” How does that affect how you understand the passage?
- What is one practical way you can work for the sake of Jesus' Kingdom in your life this week?
- How can you work to stay connected to the presence of Jesus in your life?
This week Pastor Jared compares the stories of the women at the tomb and how they were the first to witness the most incredible miracle in human history! Here are some reflection questions and prayer prompts to think about as you listen:
- Why do you think the women went to the tomb?
- The women's encounter with the resurrection is mentioned in ALL of the 4 Gospels- why do you think that is? What stood out to you in the 4 accounts that Pastor read (Matt. 21, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20)?
- Because the women showed up and lingered, they were able to witness the most incredible event in human history. What does it look like for us to “show up” for God?
- How can we “linger” in God's Presence and be faithful like the women?
- Where can you see God at work right now in your life?
- Pray and ask God to help you to be faithful, and ask for eyes to be able to see God at work.
This week in Life with God, Pastor Jared talks about Peter's encounter with Jesus after the resurrection. Here are some questions to reflect on as you listen:Have you ever gotten that “pit in your stomach” feeling when you have to face someone you let down or betrayed? What happened?Have you ever had someone let you down? How did you feel going into it?What is your experience of forgiveness? Do you find it difficult to forgive others when they ask for forgiveness?Which is more difficult for you: giving forgiveness or working for restoration?Where can you work for restoration in your own life?
This week we continue our "Life With God" series by talking about Thomas in John 20:24-29. Here are some questions to reflect on as you listen!What do you do when you have doubts? Do you try to hide them or push them down, or do you find a way to voice them?Have you ever voiced a doubt or question and felt it was not welcome? How did you react?Is there anyone in your life that you know is experiencing doubt? How can you be a safe place for them in this time?
This week we start a new teaching series called "Life With God," thinking about what a life with Jesus looks like after the truth of the resurrection. Here are some reflection questions to think about as you listen:What is one question you would like to ask Jesus?If you were a person in ancient Israel, how would you feel if you realized that the Messiah wasn’t going to immediately rescue you from the Roman Empire?Have you ever wanted Jesus to do something immediately, but it took a long time to happen instead?Why do you think God doesn’t just accomplish all his purposes or promises all at once? Why doesn’t God just give us all the answers right away?Do you gravitate more toward learning about God on your own or with others? Why?
On Good Friday, we reflect on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us on the cross. Pastor Jared takes us through the story of the crucifixion and death of Jesus and helps us prayerfully find ourselves in this story of grief and sacrifice.
This week Pastor Jared gives a snapshot of Palm Sunday and what the triumphal entry was all about. Here are some reflection questions for you to think about as you listen!Read John 12:12-19. The people were welcoming Jesus into Jerusalem because they believed he might be the King to overthrow the Romans, but only days later, many of those people were calling for his death when Jesus didn't fit their expectations. Have you ever thought of Jesus as one way, but then realized Jesus was completely different?Pastor Jared talks about how the Kingdom of God is not just for the future, but is constantly breaking into the present. How is God calling you to partner with him to bring about the Kingdom of God now? Spend some time in prayer, asking God to reveal the real Jesus to you and listening to where God wants to call you to embody the goodness of the Kingdom now.
This week Pastor Jared talks us through the story of Lazarus in John 11- here are some questions to reflect on as you listen!Have you ever felt like you were in the depths of despair?Do you tend to seek Jesus more when things are going well or when you are struggling? Why?Read John 11:1-44 and try to imagine yourself in the story. Who do you most empathize with in the story? Are you grieving in despair with Lazarus's sisters? Are you confused with the disciples? Do you perhaps hear Jesus calling you to wake up and walk out of a tomb?What does this story teach you about Jesus? Do you believe what it has to say about Jesus?
Seeking Jesus comes with a cost- this week Pastor Jared explores what it means to "count the cost" of following Jesus and asks the question: "Is following Jesus worth it?" Here are some questions to reflect on as you listen!The rich young ruler had followed all the rules and checked all the boxes, yet he still went away sad. Do you ever feel like you’re going through all the motions but you’re missing the point?Is there anything you find yourself trusting in instead of God, or “just in case” God doesn’t come through?Is following Jesus “worth it” to you?How can we continually "count the cost" in our lives?
This Sunday Pastor Jared talked about the man on the mat in Luke 5, and how he was brought by his friends to Jesus. As you listen, here are some questions to reflect on!How is your soul with the Lord?How can you ask this question to friends and neighbors around you as you walk alongside them in relationships?Read Luke 5:17-26 and take a few minutes to reflect on the story. Who do you relate to most? Someone in the crowd, so focused on Jesus’ teaching that you’re unaware of the people behind you trying to get to Jesus? The man on the mat, feeling helpless and unable to get to Jesus on your own? The friends who are determined to make a way for the man to see Jesus?Who are you bringing with you to help you encourage and walk alongside others who need Jesus?
This week Pastor Jared walks through the story of Mark 5:21-43, looking at who seeks Jesus in this story and what they find. Here are some reflection questions as you listen!How is your soul with the Lord (on a scale of 1-10)?Read Mark 5:21-43. Who do you identify with the most in this story? Why?What do you hear Jesus saying in this story?Where do you feel like you need to be challenged or transformed?Pray about your responses to these questions, and spend some time listening in God's Presence.
As we continue our "Seek Jesus" series, we look at the stories of Nicodemus and Zacchaeus in the Gospels, how they are similar and different, and what we can learn from their curiosity as they sought after Jesus! Here are some reflection questions to consider as you listen:What makes you curious as you seek Jesus?Do you tend to seek Jesus more like Nicodemus, or like Zacchaeus?Have you ever felt "stumped" by Jesus? How did you handle it?How comfortable are you with Jesus seeing your "mess"?
What do we find when we Seek Jesus? Pastor Jared leads us through the first week of our new series: "Seek Jesus" to examine the answer! In this first week, we look at the life of a Nazarene minister in the American South during the Civil Rights movement, and what he found when he sought Jesus.
Prayer is powerful. To wrap up our "Devoted" series, Pastor Jared teaches what scripture has to say about prayer and its significance in our lives.
For the third part of our "Devoted" teaching series, Pastor Jared talked about what it means to devote ourselves to the "breaking of bread" with one another, in our homes, in our communities, and in our churches.
This week, Pastor Jared dives into what it meant to be a part of the fellowship of believers in the early church, and what it might look like in the church today!
This week our "Devoted" teaching series focuses on our call to devote ourselves to the apostles' teaching, examining what the apostles' teaching really is and how we can follow it in our lives.
This Sunday we gathered together for our annual meeting! Join us as we celebrate what God has done here over the past year and look forward to the year ahead!
Join us for the second week of our "Begin" series as Pastor Jared teaches on our call to forgive one another and what that looks like!
Ridgeland Church is kicking off the New Year with a two-week series on forgiveness! This week Pastor Jared taught about what it looks like to live in the light of God's forgiveness.
This week we explored the story of the wise men, or "magi" who came from afar to visit baby Jesus! Pastor Jared leads us through what we can learn from their journey.
This week we celebrate and learn about the joy of the shepherds as we cheer on our kids in their Christmas program!
Our Behold series continues with the story of Joseph and how we can learn from his trust of God throughout the Christmas story!
As we start the Advent season, Pastor Jared kicks off the “Behold” series by exploring Mary’s role in the Christmas story.
This week Mitchell Yaksh provides insight into what it looks like to navigate ourselves and our families through crisis.
This week Pastor Jared spoke about keeping ourselves and our families on a solid foundation when it comes to social issues, while still being open to listening and learning!
This week Pastor Jared talked about what it looks like to navigate families through faith conversations and what a biblical view of wisdom looks like.
This week we kick off our “Solid Ground” series with Family Sunday! Our Ridgeland Kids helped to lead us in worship this morning and Pastor Mitchell talked about the ways in which we learn as we grow.
This week Pastor Jared and our Family Care Director, Mitchell Yaksh, have a conversation to recap the last three weeks of our Mental Health and Faith series and discuss what it looks like for us to move forward!
This Sunday, Rev. Betsy Scott joined us to discuss her experience with trauma therapy, the science behind trauma, and how we can create safe spaces for growth in community with one another!
This week we welcome Dr. Jeff Stark into our conversation on Mental Health and Faith as he shares his stories and perspective!
This week we kick off our 4 week series, “On Mental Health and Faith” by talking about how our mental health and faith connect and how Jesus desires a life of wholeness and abundance for us.
This week we wrap up our “Learn to Do Good” series by welcoming Molly from Reclaim 13 to tell us about the good they are doing in the world through fighting human trafficking.
This week Pastor Jared talked about what it looks like to stand up for the cause of the oppressed in our everyday lives.
This week we welcomed the team from Almost Home Chicago to talk about the good they are doing in the community and how we can be a part of it!
This week Pastor Jared spoke about the church’s call to care for the homeless and impoverished in our communities.
This week we welcomed Jacob Gouge from Safe Families to share with us the work that Safe Families is doing in our communities! We are so grateful for the opportunity to partner with Jacob and this amazing organization to help support families with the vision of keeping kids safe and seeing kids return home.
This week Pastor Jared continues our “Learn to do Good” series and helps us examine how to care for one another by creating margin and space in our lives.
This week we are starting a new sermon series called “Learn to do Good.” This week Pastor Jared is talking about doing good by caring for one another.
This Sunday our Ridgeland Kids helped lead us in worship as Mitchell taught the story of the Good Samaritan.
This week Pastor Jared finishes up our “Faith+” sermon series, talking about building our faith as we grow and living a godly life.
This week Pastor Jared continues our Faith+ series, talking about adding to our faith mutual affection and love for one another.
This Sunday we take a break from our Faith+ series to look at the early church of Acts, learning about how they lived with everything in common.
This Sunday Pastor Jared discusses ways to build our faith through self-control, perseverance, and what it means to truly have godliness.
This week Pastor Jared talks about goodness and knowledge and how they work together and contribute to our faith as we live a godly life!
This week Pastor Jared kicked off our new 6 week series by reflecting on the question: “Is faith really enough to live a godly life?”
This week we celebrated with our Little Lights Academy families with a graduation celebration!
This week Pastor Jared wraps up our two week series called “Be My Neighbor,” giving us several practical first steps to getting to know our neighbors.
This week we begin a new two-week series called “Be My Neighbor” during which Pastor Jared is talking about practical ways to include hospitality in our everyday lives.
This week Pastor Jared wrapped up our “Next Door” series by talking about Being All-In through Growing in our relationships with others.
This week we continued our “Next Door” series with Pastor Jared speaking about how to be “all-in” with the Gospel and what it looks like in our everyday lives.
This week Pastor Jared continues our 12 week series on Neighboring, talking about being “all-in” by remaining in Christ and what that looks like in our faith.
Join us this week as we continue our neighboring series! This week, Pastor Jared, Faith, and Mitchell discuss what it looks like to be love in practical situations in our everyday life.
This week we continue our series on being a neighbor as Pastor Jared talks about being love through serving.
Happy Easter! This week Pastor Jared teaches about being love through no condemnation, just as Jesus did that very first Easter.
This week Pastor Jared, Mitchell, and Faith discuss what the practices of being present with others look like in our everyday lives.
This week Pastor Jared continues asking what it means to be a neighbor by speaking on being present through awareness.
This week Pastor Jared continues to unpack what it means to be a neighbor, talking about being present with compassion.
This week Pastor Jared continues our series on Neighboring, talking about Being Present by Intentionally Going.
This week kicks off a 12 week series that will be working through our Common Life as a church and what it means to be a neighbor by starting right next door.
This week Mitchell talks about prayer as a conversation with God, touching on why we pray and how we pray.
This week, Pastor Jared discusses the upcoming vision for our church as we move towards relaunch!
This week Pastor Jared jumps into some core principles of what we believe as the Church of the Nazarene.
This week Pastor Jared walks through Christian history, touching on the origins of the Church of the Nazarene.