All Souls Presbyterian Church: Recent Episodes
All Souls PCA
Weekly sermons from All Souls Presbyterian Church proclaim the good news of God's grace toward sinners through the loving sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Luke Herche is the pastor of All Souls Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Champaign-Urbana, IL.
Pastor Luke Herche preaches on Colossians 1:24–2:5, showing us that Christ is the heart of the Christian message, Christ is the heart of Christian maturity, Christ is the heart of the Christian manner, so therefore, don’t let anyone lead you from Christ.
Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on Psalm 44, helping us to answer the questions: What is shame? What is the experience of shame? How do we respond to shame? And where do we go with our shame?
Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on Colossians 1:21–23, showing us that the hope of the gospel enables us to persevere in faith because it changes our identity, not just the rules; it gives us confidence in Christ, not our circumstances; and it calls us to holiness, not complacency.
Many people have a small view of Christ. Some are skeptical of his existence, while others believe he was merely a good person, a religious leader, or a prophet. Even some Christians who believe in Jesus as Savior and Lord, but go no deeper, have a conception of Jesus that is too small. In Colossians 1:15–20 the apostle Paul calls us to meditate on the deep things of God, on the deep structure of reality—to meditate on Christ. In a passage where every phrase is bursting with significance, Pastor Luke Herche summarizes what we see under three declarations about the glory of God:
Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on Colossians 1:9–14, addressing three questions: How can you walk in a manner worthy of the Lord? What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord? And who can walk in a manner worthy of the Lord?
In the spring, it is amazing to see the world teeming with new life. There is something about fruitfulness and beauty and growth that draws out a human heart. Paul has this focus in the book of Colossians. In his introductory verses, Paul overflows with thanksgiving and prayer. We see his joy at the fruit of the gospel evident in the lives of the Colossians—the fruit of faith in Christ Jesus and of love for all the saints. Listen as Pastor Josué Pernillo preaches on Colossians 1:1–8, showing us that because of our hope in the truth we can bear the fruit of faith and love.
Pastor Luke Herche preaches on Psalm 32, teaching us that forgiveness brings joy, silence brings misery, honesty brings forgiveness, and that now is the time for honesty.
Pastor Luke Herche gives an introduction to the book of Colossians, focusing on Colossians 1:24–28, 2:2–3, 6 and addressing three questions: What is spiritual maturity? How do we (wrongly) pursue it? And where is it found?
What is the relationship between your faith and your imagination? In this sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:35–58, Pastor Luke Herche encourages us to strengthen our faith by feeding our imagination. Listen as Pastor Luke helps us to consider the future that God has in mind for us--and to see how that helps us to live in the present--via three points: the body will be raised, death will be defeated, and your labor is not in vain.
Sometimes we want what God does not give. Often we desire, and sometimes demand, an exhaustive, experiential understanding of our own lives and everybody else’s. But there is a humility in accepting what God has given, in accepting what he has said––which means we first accept God as God. Following Jesus means not demanding what God has not given, but humbly receiving what he has. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on John 21:18–25, the final verses of John’s gospel, calling us to believe the apostolic testimony, stick to what is written, and follow Jesus where you are.– – – – – – – –Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:What are some things you would like to know that Scripture doesn’t say? Why do you think God doesn’t tell us those things?How does Scripture not saying those things shape your discipleship?Why do you think Peter asked about John? What does it look like to have an unhealthy interest in what happens in another believer’s life?What will it look like for you to follow Jesus even when you don’t have the answers to all your questions?-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
In this Easter Sunday sermon on 1 Corinthians 15:12–23, Pastor Luke Herche preaches on the implications of the resurrection in three points:If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not raised.If there is no resurrection of Christ, then Christianity is empty.But in fact Christ has been raised, so we will rise with him.From Sunday Worship, April 20, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:Why do you think it is hard for people to believe in resurrection? Is it harder or easier than 20, 50, or 100 years ago? Why do you think that?Explain Paul’s chain of logic: If no resurrection, then no resurrection of Christ. And if no resurrection of Christ, then your faith is futile. Why is this so?How does Christ’s resurrection imply the resurrection of those who belong to him?Why is our future resurrection so important? How does the weight of the future resurrection give weight to our present, even in this passing age?-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
By the end of John chapter 19, Jesus has been falsely accused, wrongly condemned, beaten, mocked, and nailed to a tree. After hours of suffering he finally cried out “It is finished,” bowed his head, and gave up his spirit. This was no cry of resignation, but rather a cry of victory. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on this final proclamation of Jesus on the cross, asking three questions: What does it mean? Why does it matter? And how should we respond?Good Friday | April 18, 2025.-------------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
Preaching on Psalm 88, a weighty psalm that famously ends with the words “darkness is my closest friend,” Pastor Luke Herche teaches us to be honest, feel the tension, and cry out for help.Part of a series, Praying through the Psalms.From Sunday Evening Worship, April 13, 2025.allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
In this sermon on John 21:1–19, in which Jesus meets his disciples on the shore following his resurrection, Pastor Josué Pernillo shows us that Jesus meets the disciples where they are and he confronts and restores them directly.Part of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, April 13, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:What do you notice about the disciples and their interaction with Jesus?How do you see Jesus meeting the disciples where they are? What do you learn from their reaction? How has God met you where you are in your life?What do you notice about the way in which Jesus challenges Peter? What do we learn about Jesus from this? Where is a place that you need to be challenged by the word of truth?-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
Do you struggle to believe? Whether big or small, everyone has doubts. But what do you do with them? Where do you go with them? And when you get to the bottom, on what is your faith grounded? In John 20:24–31 we read the account of the apostle often dubbed “doubting Thomas” first disbelieving the resurrection and then personally encountering the risen Christ. Listen as Pastor Luke Herche preaches on this passage, highlighting the doubts we have, the grace Jesus shows, and the way of true faith.Part of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, April 6, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:Describe the story of Thomas. Why did Thomas doubt? How was Jesus patient?What doubts do you have? What makes it hard to believe what the Bible says about these things?Why do we think seeing is believing? Is that true? How might we qualify that “truism”?In what ways do we and will we see Jesus according to Scripture? (Consider 2 Corinthians 3:18 in context; Galatians 3:1; 1 John 1:1–3; Acts 1:10–11; and Revelation 1:7.) How is that enough? What can we do if we are struggling with doubts in the meantime? -----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
Think of a person who seems least likely to come to faith in Jesus—perhaps someone from another faith, or someone habitually lukewarm toward God—and then think of what it would look like for God’s grace to break into their story. In Acts chapter 9 we see God’s grace breaking in to the life of a man who is a religious terrorist. Saul of Tarsus used his power and influence to enact violence against Christians. He hated Jesus and hated his people. So what happens when a man like that encounters Christ? In this sermon on Saul on the road to Damascus from Acts 9:1–19, RUF Campus Minister Ethan Brown helps us to discover, along with Saul, a Jesus who is bigger and better and stronger and sweeter than we often allow ourselves to hope, and that the answer for our sin and sadness if found in the holiness of Jesus Christ. Listen as Pastor Ethan shows us three facets of Christ’s holiness: Jesus takes your suffering personally, Jesus takes his mission seriously, and Jesus can change you completely.From Sunday Worship, March 30, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:When you think of the holiness of Christ, what other words, images, or ideas come to mind? In what ways did the sermon help you to think differently about the holiness of Christ?“There is no one who is so good to be beyond the need of God’s grace; and there is no one so bad to be beyond the reach of God’s grace.” Which part of this statement do you find yourself slower to believe? What difference would it make in your life this week if you lived in light of this truth? Try to be specific.What are you typically anxious about or focused on when you wake up in the morning or have a quiet moment to yourself? How do you hope Jesus will transform your preoccupations this week? Spend some time asking Jesus to do just that. Not everyone has a “Damascus Road experience” like Saul did. But can you remember a time when God’s grace broke in and began a new trajectory in your life? Consider sharing about that moment with a family member or friend this week. -----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
Pastor Luke Herche preaches on John 20:19–23, John's account of the resurrection of Jesus, showing that fear keeps us locked up and hidden away...but, Christ is risen from the dead. Because of this we can know his peace, receive his power, and proclaim forgiveness in his name.Part of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, March 23, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:Reread John 20:19–23. What are some things that you/people are afraid of?What are some ways people generally respond to fear? What are some ways it hinders us from living the life God calls us to?How does the resurrection meet us in our fear? How does it undermine the very idea of fear? How does the resurrection enable us to move out in love even when we are afraid?What can you do with your fear now, in light of the resurrection?-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
Pastor Luke Herche preaches on the death and resurrection of Jesus from John 19:38–20:18, focusing on three perspectives:The Perspective of Death: ResignationThe Perspective from the Empty Tomb: ConfusionThe Perspective of Resurrection Life: HopePart of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, March 16, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:This is a hard question, but worth contemplating: Where have you experienced death in your own life? In what ways have you or others around you responded to that? Why do we respond the way we do?How does John begin to show us that Jesus was victorious over death? What things in the story bear witness to that reality?How does living from the perspective of death shape the way one thinks about the world around them? What would it look like to view life and death from the perspective of the resurrection? How does this text enable you to do that?Who do you know who needs the hope of the resurrection right now? Spend time praying for them, that God would meet them where they are and perhaps even use you to bring them that hope.-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
People are often shocked by the raw honesty of the psalms. The psalmists regularly give voice to their emotions: fear, sadness, anger, joy, hope, guilt, shame, doubt, gratitude—the Bible doesn’t hold back, but encourages a faith-full honesty. The psalms show us that such emotion, in itself, is not sin. Psalm 137, a psalm dealing with the deep pain of loss, often poses a challenge to interpreters, but Pastor Luke Herche argues that even this psalm presents a godly, because god-ward, response to loss. Preaching on this psalm, Pastor Luke shows that when we face loss we should lament what is, long for what will be, and love like Jesus in the meantime.Part of a series, Praying through the Psalms.From Sunday Evening Worship, March 9, 2025.allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
Springtime in the midwest often brings with it storms. If you miss the storm and just see the aftermath, the downed trees, the risen water, you might find yourself wondering, “What happened here?” Reading the accounts of the crucifixion of Jesus might cause you to ask something similar: What happened here? What’s going on? What do we see? In John’s account we discover many details not found in the other three gospels because John is the gospel written by a friend, by someone who saw these things happen, who stood by the foot of the cross. In this sermon from John 19, Pastor Josué Pernillo helps us investigate what is happening and why, via the details and the facts given to us by the Apostle John, as we behold the power of the cross, the glory of the cross, the love of the cross, and the purpose of the cross.Part of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, March 9, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:Read through the sermon passage again: What are the things that stick out to you? What are some things you notice after reading it again?How do we see the power of God in the cross of Christ? How does this compare to the way that our culture regards power?How do we see the interaction between glory and shame in the passage? What is the significance of this in light of Genesis 3:7–10?If a neighbor who is unfamiliar with Christianity asked you to summarize the purpose of the cross in your own words, how would you explain it?-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls (Urbana, IL) is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
The Bible is full of irony: the appearance of a thing is often contradictory to the reality. In this sermon on John 18:28–19:16, in which we find Jesus on trial before Pontius Pilate, Pastor Luke Herche brings out three broad ironies found within the passage: the irony of unbelief, the irony of gospel, and the ironies of faith.Part of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, March 2, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:Walk through the story slowly (perhaps read it out loud). What are the most interesting ironies of Jesus’ trial? How does irony confront even as it persuades?What part of this story feel most tragic to you? Why? What aspect of Jesus’ person and work described here—his being the spotless passover lamb, the God-man accused of blasphemy, or the king of truth rejected as a fraud—feels most triumphant to you? How does the resurrection transform what would otherwise be tragic in this story?Of the three aspects of walking by faith mentioned—looking to what is unseen, relying on power through weakness, waiting for the kingdom which has come—which do you find most difficult and why? How does Jesus’ work free and motivate you to do these things?-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
The principle of worldly power is, “Destroy your enemies to gain life.” Everyone has their own vision for what “the good life” is and are often willing to fight over it. But this is because we do not understand God’s Kingdom. In this sermon on John 18:12–27, wherein Jesus is brought to trial before Annas and Caiaphas, the high priest, Pastor Luke Herche shows that Jesus came not to destroy his enemies to gain life, but to die for his enemies to give life. And because of this, we are now free to rest in Jesus to find life and free to love our enemies to give it. Part of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, February 23, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:In what way were Peter and the religious leaders alike? How did that play out in this story?What is your vision of the good life? How have you co-opted Jesus to bolster that vision? In what ways do you see Jesus as a threat to it?What are you willing to “fight” for? In what ways can only Jesus provide the deep things we fight for? How does that free us to stop fighting?Consider those in your life who are either a disappointment or a threat. What would it look like to love them this week? Take time to pray for opportunities to do just that.-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.
When you face difficult things, how do you respond? Sometimes we run, sometimes we blame others, sometimes we fight, sometimes we look for distractions. We do these things because we are afraid—afraid of what is to come, of dealing with our guilt, of facing God’s call, of life not working out. In this sermon on John 18:1–11, in which Jesus is betrayed and arrested in the garden of Gethsemane, Pastor Luke Herche shows us that while our own temptation is to hide and blame and save ourselves, Jesus stepped up to protect his people by giving his life, which means we don’t have to be afraid. We can rest secure in Jesus, own our sin, and be bold to face hard things in life.Part of a series on The Gospel of John.From Sunday Worship, February 16, 2025.-------------------------------Want to go deeper? Take some time to reflect on the sermon with the following questions:How does Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane compare to Adam in the garden of Eden? What is similar? What is different? What feels ironic?What do you/people tend to do when faced with hard things? Why do you/people respond in that way?How does Jesus’ work in the cross and resurrection free us and encourage us to face hard things (whether those hard things have to do with dealing with our own sin, facing trials, or stepping out into God’s call on our lives)?Who do you know who needs to hear about Jesus’ work in facing the cross for us that we might be able to face the hard things that come our way? Take some time to pray that God would give you an opportunity to speak to that person about Jesus and his work.-----------------------------allsoulspca.orgAll Souls is a part of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a Christian, Reformed denomination with historic and theological roots in the Protestant Reformation.