Sunday Morning Sermons- MRCC: Recent Episodes
Memorial Road Church of Christ
Join us as we dive into Biblical truths that will help us live out our faith and draw closer to God.
Phil will finish up our Like Stars in the Sky series with a message called Unstuck. In this message, Phil will return to the instruction from Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount to love our enemies and offer three questions that can help us get unstuck when we find ourselves in longstanding conflict with others.
Phil will continue our Like Stars in the Sky sermon series with a message entitled Grow with Interest. In Philippians 2, Paul paints a picture of what a mature disciple of Jesus looks like, and one of the key features is the ability to show and sustain interest in another person’s interest. Far from being a matter of low importance, for Paul, this kind of practice is tied directly to the heart and ministry of Jesus.
Phil will continue our Like Stars in the Sky series with a message called The Story Behind the Stance. He will explore Saul’s conversion in Acts 9 and the critical role Barnabas played in vouching for Saul when many others had written him off. Saul was not simply a man with abstract ideas detached from reality, he was a human being with a story and benefited from someone else taking the time to listen. We should follow suit.
Phil continued our Like Stars in the Sky series with a message called Confronting Contempt. Phil will argue that contempt is the root of much of the sin, evil, and violence we see in the world today. He will explore an important parable of Jesus in Luke 18 that confronts our propensity to take the spiritual elitist position towards others.
When Jesus tells us to love our enemies, what does He expect us to do? In this sermon, Mitch will explore two enemies from the first book of the Bible who happened to be brothers. Listen and find out how to find God near your enemies, especially when they're family.
Phil continued our Like Stars in the Sky series with a sermon called “Seven Pledges.” In this message, Phil talked about the importance of committing to principles before times of testing come. He then outlined seven pledges that we can make that will help us maintain our distinct identity as Christ followers, even as we engage in important issues facing the country over the next few months.
Phil delivered our second message within the Like Stars in the Sky series. This message, based on the division of Israel in 1 Kings 12, focused on the impact of outside parties in our lives that make us prone to unnecessary conflict. The path to peace begins with identifying these “conflict entrepreneurs” and distancing ourselves from their negative effects.
Sunday, Phil officially kicked off our Love One Another school year theme by introducing the first series, which will be called, Like Stars in the Sky. In this series, Phil will encourage us not to dread the upcoming political season in our country, which is likely to be fraught with hatred and discord, but rather to view it as an opportunity for the church to shine. This is the stance Paul takes in Philippians 2 when he encourages his readers to not complain or argue, and in doing so, they will shine like stars in the universe.
Sunday we celebrated with those who have been baptized since last July in our annual Celebration of Salvation. Phil preached on baptism out of Romans 6. At the end of service, we invited those who have been baptized to come to the stage for a special prayer.
We were excited to have James Waugh, minister of the Lakehoma Church of Christ, bringing our message Sunday. James helped us explore who God intends for us to be in a lesson entitled Identity.
Sunday, Corey Baird preached a sermon called Restoration & Redemption. Through the Bible, and today, people feel burdened by their sin. Through the words of Isaiah, we will find God is a restorer and cleaner of mess. There is hope when we put our trust in God!
Phil preached a sermon called Discipleship in the Desert. Using John 6 as a starting point, Phil explored the dry seasons of faith. Where do they come from, what do they feel like, and what do we do while we’re in one?
MISSIONS SUNDAY! Phil concluded our series, A Church in Harmony, with a lesson entitled One Voice. The music metaphor is used several times to describe kingdom living. In Romans 15:6, Paul admonishes the church, “with one voice glorify God.” As we partner with churches around the world, our prayer is that God will use our diverse gifts and we will be united in once voice to bring glory to Him and His kingdom.
Phil will continued our series leading up to Missions Sunday called “Church in Harmony.” In this message, Phil looked at a passage in Romans to explore how Paul thought about prayer. For him, it was not a last minute resort but a first line of defense in kingdom advancement. Prayer can be a powerful way to connect with others around the world.
Phil began our Missions Sunday series called A Church in Harmony. In this first of three messages, Phil explored why harmony is pleasing to the ear and what missional harmony looks like between various partners in God’s kingdom.
We often focus on our failures, but we serve a faithful God who sees our goodness. Josh Kingcade brought a message of hope that God’s faithfulness is greater than our failures.
Phil preached a stand-alone sermon called A Strange Relationship. In this message, Phil reflected on Jesus’ understanding of death in John 11 and how this chapter can help us as we struggle with the passing of our loved ones.
The death and resurrection of Jesus fulfilled many prophecies in the Old Testament.
Fifty days later, another crucial prophecy was fulfilled.
Join us as Mitch tells us about the promise God made and how He made it come true.
Nobody likes to wait, even when we can honestly accept that waiting has its benefits. The issue might not be that we don’t see the benefits of waiting, but rather, we don’t see the beauty of waiting. Sunday, Daniel showed us the spiritual practice of waiting provides space for us to sit and delight in the presence of God as we learn to trust Him.
Sunday, Phil preached on the Great Commission. He talked about how this central passage shares key insights into Jesus’ purpose as well as our participation in it. He explored why it is challenging to carry out this vocation and give some practical ways to get started.
Phil continued our sub-series The Mission of Jesus with a sermon from John 10 on the abundant life. Here Jesus states that one of the reasons he came was so that his followers might have life, and life to the full. Phil put forth some key principles of what an abundant life looks like based on the shepherding language used in this chapter.
Phil continued our sub-series, The Mission of Jesus. In this sermon, Phil took a careful look at one of the most important texts in scripture on why Jesus came, Romans 8:1-4. This tightly packed passage reveals how Christ’s work on the cross dealt with the power of sin and paved the way for the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Phil preached about resurrection from Ephesians 1, where Paul talked about resurrection as a present power available to believers who open their eyes to it.
Phil continued our series on The Mission of Jesus, exploring Jesus' speech in Luke 4. In this address, Jesus makes it clear that one of the reasons he has arrived is to lift up the downtrodden and marginalized in the world, and he expects his followers to do the same. Phil explored this important theme of justice, not through our modern-day political lens but through the rich tradition of Old Testament prophets.
Sunday, Phil started the third main section of our school year theme, Follow Me. Our first section was Adopt His Rhythms; our second was Practice His Teaching, and our third will be Share His Mission. Part of discipleship is understanding the goals and aims of Jesus. What did he seek to do while on earth? How did the writers of the New Testament interpret his vocation? How do we today learn to share these same goals? Phil will begin an exploration of these questions by taking a look at 1 John 3:8, which speaks of Jesus’ battle with the devil.
This week, Phil did a stand-alone sermon called Prodigal Hope. In this message, Phil talked about some good news concerning the dechurched. The largest study ever conducted on this demographic in the country has revealed that many of them are willing to come back. Phil will use Luke 24 as a springboard to talk about how God is still at work on people who walk away.
Phil concluded our Sermon on the Mount series with a message from the section, “Do not worry.” In this message, Phil explored how Jesus himself modeled this non-anxious way of life and why it is something that we can learn today.
Phil taught a message called Yes and No, which took a look at the section of the Sermon on the Mount on oaths.
Phil continued our series, The Sermon, with a message from Matthew 7 on false prophets. Jesus instructed his followers to be on the lookout for eloquence without character. Phil offered some criteria for discernment for us today as we evaluate our own content intake.
Phil continued our series on The Sermon by looking at one of the most popular but often misunderstood statements in Jesus’ teaching, “Do not judge.” What did Jesus mean when he spoke these words? How have we misinterpreted them today? Phil explored the difference between making moral discernments and pronouncing condemnation on others, as well as the importance of self-examination and confession.
Phil continued our series on The Sermon on the Mount with a focus on Jesus’ teaching about loving our enemies. He explored what enemy love is, how we practice it, and why we practice it.
Ken Jones, Oklahoma Christian President, continued our new series on The Sermon on the Mount. Dr. Jones challenged us look at his teachings and to live out their radical calling.
In this message, Phil will started our new series called "The Sermon." In this series, Phil will explore Jesus profound teachings in The Sermon on the Mount. His first message emphasized that the sermon was meant to be practiced, not just heard.
In this message, Phil continued our series Deep Calls to Deep with a focus on the ideas of attention and action. In the story of Jesus’ birth, we notice that the people who were most ready for the coming of the Messiah were those who were actively looking for him. Their worship flowed from their attention. This can be the same for us today.
In this message, Phil presented his second lesson in the series Deep Calls to Deep. This message is entitled Sing Through, and he spoke about how music can carry us through the difficult times in our lives. Phil looked at the songs in the nativity story and showed how they help carry the characters through the twists and turns of the story. He also used the back story of one of the most famous Christmas songs to drive home the idea that we are called to Sing Through.
In this message, Phil will started a new series called Deep Calls to Deep. In this series, Phil will explore the wondrous world of worship. In this first message he reflected on Jesus’ famous statement to the Samaritan woman in John 4.
In this message, Phil presented a lesson called Better Treasure. He explored Jesus' instructions on money in the Sermon on the Mount, pointing out the relationship between the sections on treasure, light, and masters.
Phil continues our mini-series "Surrendering Self." In this final sermon, Phil will explore the concept of freedom in Galatians 5. Every kind of freedom carries with it certain limitations; no one is free in the sense of having absolutely no constraints or boundaries. We choose our limitations whether they be desires on the inside or rules on the outside. Paul puts forth the Holy Spirit as a compelling version of freedom for the disciple.
Phil continues our new series, "Surrendering Self." In this message, Phil will explore the foundations of Christian ethics. What makes a behavior harmful or helpful? What are we to make of the popular mantra, “Do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone?” Phil will explore 1 Corinthians 6 and point out some of the reasons Paul urges his readers to honor God with their bodies.
Phil began a new series called Surrendering Self. This series will be the first of several geared toward our second section of the year, "Practice His Teaching." As a reminder, we are studying our overall theme Follow Me through three angles – Adopt His Rhythms, Practice His Teaching, and Share His Mission. In this series, Phil will explore Jesus’ call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow him. He will highlight the radical contrast between what Jesus asks us to do with ourselves, versus what our culture asks us to do with ourselves, and emphasize the point that self-denial is the pathway to living out the will of God.
Andy Lashley concludes our "Pray Like Jesus" series. In John 17, just before his arrest, Jesus prays a remarkable prayer for what is to come. Not merely for what he will soon endure, but for what it means for the world. He prays for all who will hear his story and come to believe that Jesus is the way to eternal life, and he prays for those he is sending out to deliver that message. It is a prayer of harvest, delivered on the cusp of history’s most important event. In this message, we’ll consider our own prayer lives and how they might better align with the matters and the mission most pressing to our Savior.
Phil continued our mini-series “Pray Like Jesus.” In this message, Phil focused on Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. He explored the role prayer plays within God’s overall purposes in the world, and how Jesus’ submission to the will of God can be a model for us all.
Phil kicked off our next practice of Jesus with a lesson called "Pray Like Jesus: Ground Rules." Prayer was one of the most important rhythms of Jesus’ life. Jesus’ prayers empowered his ministry, gave him wisdom, and kept him anchored in God’s call on his life. Phil explored how Jesus prayed and give us practical ways to follow his example.
Phil finished off our subseries on Pace with a sermon titled Healthy Work, Healthy Rest. He talked about the relationship between these two important biblical concepts. Resting shouldn’t preclude us from working, and working shouldn’t preclude us from resting. Both activities find their origin in the heart of God and can be practiced in everyday life.
Phil presented a lesson called "The Illusion of More." He talked about Jesus’ temptation scene, specifically when the devil tempts him with the authority and splendor of the kingdoms of the world. Phil talked about what this temptation is, how it played out in the story of Israel, and what it looks like in our lives today. The allure for extravagance is still a powerful tool of Satan against God’s people, and Jesus offers us a pattern of resistance.
Phil looked at a new angle in our study of Jesus’ daily rhythms. Phil explored the themes of hurry and busyness as they relate to our culture today and Jesus’ example in scripture.
Phil continued our sub series “Adopt His Rhythms” with a message out of Philippians 2 about conversation. Paul has a great deal to say about how we talk and listen to each other, and he roots these relational practices in the story of Jesus. Phil explored why good conversation is hard to come by these days and how the way of Jesus can pave the way for new ground in this area.
Phil continued our sub series “Adopt His Rhythms” with a message out of Philippians 2 about conversation. Paul has a great deal to say about how we talk and listen to each other, and he roots these relational practices in the story of Jesus. Phil explored why good conversation is hard to come by these days and how the way of Jesus can pave the way for new ground in this area.
Phil kicked off our school year theme “Follow Me.” In this opening message, Phil talked about the high call to commitment that these two words required when Jesus first used them two thousand years ago. To follow Jesus back then was a call to reorient the entire life – heart, will, finances, relationships, vocation – towards the example of Jesus. Phil will give an overview of the three broad parts to our year of following Jesus: Adopt His Rhythms, Practice His Teaching and Share His Mission.
In this lesson, Phil will encourage us to "Be The Church You Want To Attend." He will talk about how important it is to practice ministry in the body of Christ week-in and I week-out.
In this lesson, we’re addressing what might be called “baptism skepticism.” Does baptism really work? What does it really do?
This sermon is about how God has always changed His people with water, starting in the Old Testament. You may find out how God can change you with water, too.
The Story Continues as Phil looks at the theme of survival. Paul narrates an interesting episode at the beginning of 2 Corinthians, an event which produced great despair and nearly cost Paul his life. Paul, however, is able to think and speak about that story in a way that brings him closer to God. Phil will reflect on how Paul might have done this and encourage us to find stories of survival in our own lives.
Phil began our 2023 Missions Sunday lesson series, “The Story Continues.” In this first message he will talk about The Story of Sacrifice and how it is often repeated in the pages of scripture as well as on the mission field, and then ask us to examine where sacrifice is present or absent in our own lives.
In this message, Phil examines the various points of view from the characters in the story, and explains that none of these people understood the ultimate purposes of God. They—like all of us—were called not to fully understand, but to fully trust.
In this three-part series, Phil will use the story of Esther as a springboard
to discover what courage looks like today. In his first message, Phil will share what we can learn about God in the first few chapters of the book, even though His name is not mentioned. A key attribute emerges in the heart of God, one with great potential to minister to us today.
Phil reviewed some of the key takeaways from this past year’s “Listen To My Voice” theme, and made a plea from James 1 to not merely listen to the word, but do what it says.
Phil continued our series Listen to my Voice with a message called Heavenly Cartography. In this lesson, Phil will reflect on some important questions concerning heaven. Where is it? When is it? Who goes there? He will survey a wide range of scripture to reflect upon these important questions.
Phil continued our year-long series Listen To My Voice with a message focused on heaven. He explored Revelation 21 and talked about the beautiful new world promised to those who belong in Christ.
In this lesson, Phil continued our series "Listen To My Voice," transitioning to the final chapter of the biblical story and focusing on judgment and the second coming of Christ.
The good news of the gospel is all about reconciliation, both on an individual and communal level, but also on a missional level. For those who have experienced the transforming power of the gospel, the love of Christ should compel us to help reconcile the world to God, through Christ. In this message we discuss how the church must represent Christ to the world and live as peacemakers.
Phil continued our Listen to My Voice series with a message about unity. He explored what Jesus meant in John 17 when He spoke of believers being one, and how the practice of this value has far-reaching implications for the church’s witness to the world.
Nathan Mellor continued our series on the Church. This week our focus is on the church as the “pillar and foundation of the truth.” This description, which is taken from I Timothy 3:15, was written to a young minister who had been called to lead in a church facing numerous challenges. Discover how Timothy stayed committed to God and his fellow Christians while ministering to a church that struggled with issues that are very similar to what many churches are facing today.
(Easter Sunday 2023) Phil focused on why the resurrection of Jesus is the most plausible explanation for the presence and prominence of love in so many spheres of the world today. Phil also spoke to the present power of the resurrection to mobilize believers towards good deeds.
Phil gave a lesson entitled “Body Language.” In this message, Phil looked at 1 Corinthians 12 and explained how Paul envisions the church working as a body. Just as the body has different parts to help it function well, so the church has diversity to help it accomplish its goal.
Phil launched into the next phase in the biblical journey, the story of The Church. Finding its origin in the death and resurrection of Jesus, the church in its fullness is to represent the ongoing ministry of Jesus to the world. Phil presented some individual and corporate practices for representing the fullness of Jesus to the world.
Phil continued our sub-series focused on the life of Jesus. In this sermon, Phil looks at the most neglected chapter of Jesus’s story – the Ascension. What do the various passages that talk about this subject reveal? Why does it matter that Jesus ascended, and what does Jesus do now in this state? The present reign of Christ is critical in understanding our place in His world.
Harold Shank delivered our second message on the resurrection with a message entitled, "I Pine Away." This lesson, taken from Isaiah, looked to the ancient response to hopelessness which comes to full flower in the resurrection of Jesus.
Phil continued our Listen to my Voice series with a look at the resurrection. The day Jesus rose from the dead is the center point of human history and gives us immense hope as we contemplate our own mortality. Phil spoke about this event through the perspective of Mary Magdalene.
Phil spent a second week exploring the theology of the cross. In this message, we explored what scripture has to say about sin in its various forms, and what it means that Jesus died “for our sins.” Understanding the thought-world of the New Testament helps us better understand the triumph of the cross.
Phil delves into the next big chapter in the life of Jesus, which is his death. This will be one of two sermons Phil will present on this topic. This first lesson we explore the relationship between the crucifixion and cosmic suffering. Scripture uses a number of metaphors to describe the crucifixion and its significance – ransom, sacrifice, redemption, victory to name a few. Phil will talk about several of these and go into most detail about the motif of sacrifice.
Phil continued our Listen to My Voice series with a message called “The Kingdom of Heaven is Like...” In this lesson, Phil explained what “kingdom” meant in New Testament times and how Jesus used this word in His teaching. Jesus’s message of the kingdom was good news when He first declared it, and it’s still good news to us today.
This lesson centered on our Family Blessing, where we celebrate the new births and adoptions that have added to our church family in the past year. Phil’s sermon will focused on the most historic birth of all, the birth of Jesus.
Phil continued our Listen to my Voice series with a message out of Jonah. In this sermon, Phil explored what kept Jonah from following God’s commands, and how Jonah’s blind spot is a cautionary tale to blind spots that we might carry as well.
With this message, we enter the second half of our series Listen To My Voice, immersing ourselves in the voice of God. There are multiple ways to hear the voice of God, but we need to put that message to work. Phil gave us a challenge that is designed to help us encounter God and leave us changed from that encounter.
Momentum is a funny thing. As a physical phenomenon, it’s pretty straightforward. But momentum for a team, an organization, a church, can be elusive. In this lesson, we’ll look at this idea of momentum. Memorial Road seems to be experiencing that forward movement right now, so what does the Bible have to say on the topic? Are there things we can do to spark or ensure momentum? How does it apply to our individual spiritual lives? Join us as we celebrate a year of blessings, hear from leaders about how their ministries are moving forward into 2023, and examine how we can keep the ball rolling.
In this message, Phil talked about how the book of Hosea gives a glimpse into how heartbreaking our sins are to God and how breathtaking His love is for us. (This lesson has some adult themes associated with the book of Hosea that may be hard for young listeners to understand and may also be difficult for persons of trauma listen to.)
What makes some leaders successful and why do some leaders fall? Phil looked at the lives of David and Solomon and examined what makes their legacies different and gave us two virtues that are necessary when it comes to protecting the long term integrity of a leader.
One critical theme for understanding scripture is how we can reclaim God's presence. This lesson will walk through Leviticus and Deuteronomy to see how God desires to be just as real, palpable, and close to us as he was in The Garden.
In what ways are you participating in God’s narrative of justice? When you put your ear to the ground in your world, where do you hear groaning? The single mom. The lonely friend. The grieving widow. The wandering stranger. The orphaned child. The anxious friend. The addicted neighbor. The suffering prisoner. Where’s the groaning? The vocation of a Christian is to flock to the groaning of the world. Join us this morning as Phil speaks to us from the epic tale of the Exodus, a story that helps us understand the need for both love and justice.
This lesson takes the next step in our journey through Scripture, focusing on the covenant ceremony in Genesis 15. In this chapter we see the faith of Abraham, the faithfulness of God, and a very odd ritual. Phil will explore the theme of belief as it relates to these elements.
What would it look like to connect with a God on the move? In this lesson we jumped into Genesis 12 to take a look at God breathing new life into his creation. If you are feeling stuck in life, this same God can also breathe new life into you!
The God who created the world in all of its goodness, gave us incredible gifts. But here’s the thing, while these gifts and abilities should be blessings as we walk alongside God and grow closer to him, sadly there are moments when it is these very gifts and blessings that lead us further away from God, they build pride in our hearts, and cause us to believe the lie that life is about us and we don’t really need God. In this lesson, Daniel gives us 3 warnings to recognize and combat this lie.
Josh Kingcade delivered a sermon called Punishment and Promise: The Flood. Several generations after creation we see a world scripture refers to as “corrupt and full of violence.” We even read, “The Lord regretted that he had made humans.” In a shocking turn of events God destroys almost all living things in a flood. Only Noah, his family, and a boat filled with animals is saved. Often, we too feel we have disappointed our creator. Does that mean we are destined for punishment? Josh will give us hope by showing us the God who punishes is also the God who promises.
Satan’s primary tactic in the Garden with Adam and Eve was lying. His primary tactic when he tempted Jesus was lying. What do you think his primary tactic will be with you - lying. What lies has the enemy planted in your mind? Watch or listen to this lesson and Phil will give you practical methods to identify how Satan tries to pull us from the truth.
Phil continued our Listen to My Voice series with a sermon centered in Genesis 1. We are partners with God to bring order, structure, harmony, and life to the world. Phil gave us insight into how we are influenced by our time and culture and motivated us to tend our relational garden.
The Bible is one grand narrative telling the story of how God is rescuing the world through Jesus. Phil shared 6 acts of the Bible to help us understand the story of scripture along with several items to help us remember them.
Phil preached another introductory lesson about how to read and interpret the Bible. This one dealt specifically with how to best think about Genesis 1 and 2 in relation to modern day science. How can these two areas be in dialogue instead of conflict? What is each contributing to the world? Phil tackled some of these difficult questions and give us some helpful ways to be well informed thinkers on these matters. We also officially launched our church-wide memory verse challenge.
Phil delivered a message entitled “Word Meets World.” He talked about how significant the words of Jesus are, especially when the world seems like it’s falling apart. This is precisely the situation Jesus speaks into in his speech in Luke 21. Nations war, families divide, the heavenly bodies shake, but “my words will never pass away” (33). This passage set up our presentation of our much-anticipated multi-year vision World Meets World: A Six Year Journey with Jesus.
We celebrated those who gave their lives to Jesus in baptism this past year and reflected on baptism and how it leads us to a deeper place of resonance with God.
Phil gave our second message in the series Homecoming. In this sermon, he highlighted the next verse in Ephesians 2, which talks about us being created in Christ Jesus to do good works. When we do what we were made to do, we will find it easier to know and be known by God. Phil will also look at Peter’s reinstatement scene at the end of John in relation to this theme.
Phil kicked off a new series that will lead us to Missions Sunday. The series is called Homecoming, and in this first message, entitled “Where I’m From,” Phil will remind us that we are all products of the story of grace.
Paul offers the following counsel: "Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor" (Romans 13:7). Taking our cues from the apostle, this Sunday we wll give honor to a special group of people at Memorial Road, those who have been married 50 years or more. We feel this tradition is an important way to celebrate commitment and fidelity in a time when these virtues are increasingly rare. And, while it is true that many people long for this kind of relationship but have not had the chance, and many others mourn the loss of the person with whom they had hoped to reach this milestone, this kind of achievement is still worthy of our collective commendation. For those of you who have made this journey, we thank you for your faithfulness and example of the unconditional love of God.
We wrapped up our Everyday Idolatry series talking about how our culture views sports - everything from little league to fantasy football. We looked at a few different verses but mostly camp out in Exodus 32 and look at how the people began resembling what they revered.
Phil presented our next message in the series Everyday Idolatry. This message focused on the idol of romance and sex. Phil explained some of the factors that have led to the current cultural obsession with sex, and how 1 Corinthians 6 can be a guide for Christians to think about this difficult subject.
Phil continued our Everyday Idolatry series with a message called "Mammon." This sermon explored the idol of money and how we can push against its seductive powers.
Phil brought an Easter message out of 2 Corinthians 4 celebrating the resurrection of Jesus and how this event shapes our ability to handle adversity.
Phil concluded our iWitness series with a message out of Acts 17 called “When Gospel Meets Philosophy.” Phil took a deep dive into this interesting part of the story, where Paul goes toe to toe with the leading philosophers of the day. Phil made some observations about how these ancient philosophies compare with modern agnosticism.
Phil continued our iWitness series with a message called “Bridge Building.” This sermon highlighted two simple practices we find in the book of Acts: hospitality and invitation. These two historic Christian activities still bear remarkable fruit today. Phil will offered a church-wide invitation challenge leading up to Easter on April 17, 2022.
Phil continued our iWitness series with a message entitled "Cornelius’s Secret." This lesson explored an often overlooked part of this vital conversion story in the book of Acts.
This lesson centers on our annual Family Blessing, asking God and our church to walk with our new parents of babies and adoptions that have occurred in the last year.
Phil continued our series Road to Recovery with a sermon called “Long Term Burden.” In this message, Phil dealt with issues that don’t have a clear ending date: chronic pain, certain kinds of anxiety or depression, long term grief. What does scripture have to say to people for whom “recovery” isn’t a reasonable option. Phil took a deep dive into one of the most remarkable chapters in the Bible on this subject, 2 Corinthians 12.
Phil continued our series Road to Recovery with a message about forgiveness. Phil reminded us of the story of the late Desmond Tutu and how he practiced radical forgiveness in the aftermath of the Apartheid’s oppression in South Africa. Phil also explored one of the more confusing passages about forgiveness, found in John 20:22-23, “And with that he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.”
Phil continued the Road to Recovery series with a message entitled “Unfiltered.” Phil talked about the importance of vulnerability when it comes to overcoming our struggles, sins, and fears.
Phil continued our Road to Recovery series with a message entitled “Power Up.” Phil talked about the limitations of will-power and how, when we solely rely on our own strength to overcome our problems, it doesn’t normally go well. One of the fundamental beliefs necessary to grow in our faith and overcome our struggles is that there truly is a God outside of us from whom we can draw our strength and power. Phil encouraged us to not only have faith in God, but also in His power.
Phil began a new series called Road to Recovery. This series will highlight some of the key principles of spiritual transformation. Most of us can identify some area of life that needs some attention, whether that be an old grudge, a bad habit, an apathetic spirit, or an outright addiction. In this first sermon, Phil will open up Isaiah 57 to explore the main reason why Israel could not right the ship of their self-destruction and how we might learn from their mistake. This series will also serve to promote and highlight our ministry Celebrate Recovery.
This was a special service celebrating being debt free. We called it “A Million Reasons to Celebrate.” There were several unique elements in our worship service. First, we highlighted all the projects over the years from which we incurred debt - everything from our first land purchase and auditorium build to our recent acquisition of the land for Heritage Church of Christ. We commemorated this moment with a mortgage burning ceremony. Secondly, we watched a video highlighting all the ministry initiatives that came out of our imagine campaign. Finally, we had a first fruits offering in which we took the first part of our new budget dollars and gave it away to bless our community.
Phil preached a sermon called “Intercepting Entropy.” He talked about why our goal setting often comes up short and encouraged us to explore a different kind of motivation that might help us along the way.
John deSteiguer brought our lesson. John has preached several times over the past few years and does a great job encouraging us from God’s word. John delivered a message entitled, “The Oklahoma Standard.” The lesson centered on service, honor, and kindness.
With our holidays full of travel, planning, unique family dynamics, and all kinds of stress- it provides a perfect context to study the birth of Jesus, which itself was full of chaos. The serene images we sometimes conjure of a quiet town on a silent night are not exactly what the authors of scripture describe when it comes to this world-changing event. It wasn’t just swaddling cloths wrapped around Jesus at his birth, but immense political, economic, and social chaos. Phil gave us two practical tips based on Luke’s account of the birth of Jesus that we can use to find God’s presence.
We concluded our series Near and Far with a focus on our church plants. Phil gave some background information on these plants, and then we were privileged to hear two ten-minute sermons from our ministers at Heritage and Midtown, Travis Akins and Corey Baird. Walter Castro led our communion thoughts, and we saw a powerful video about how God has been moving in our church plants the last few years.
On Sunday morning, Phil will begin a new series called Near and Far. In this series, he helps us think about what it means to share God’s love on a global scale. The church in Antioch will be the primary subject of study, and we will look at the kind of impact they made in the world, and how they did it. This series will lead us up to Missions Sunday on October 24.
Phil continued our "All In" series by looking at the powerful prayer from the early disciples in Acts 4. When faced with imprisonment and persecution, these courageous followers of Jesus did not pray for safety but for boldness. Phil will explore how we might apply this today when we come face to face with our own fears and problems.
Phil continued our series "All In" by taking a look at another unique feature of the early church: generosity. From the very beginning, the early followers of Jesus excelled in this practice. Their open-handed charity did not come from guilt or obligation, but from the fact that they’d experienced the powerful grace of God. Phil will explore the unique relationship between these two concepts, grace and generosity, and offer ways that the church today can not only be saved by grace but moved by it as well.
Who is God? How can we know Him? In this lesson, Phil will explore a fundamental anchor in our collective experience of connecting with God...prayer.
Personal ownership to a task produces a robust faith. How will you serve, how will you be all in?
We began a new series entitled All In: More than Mediocre. In this series, we’re exploring one simple, fundamental question. What would your life look like if you made a decision to go all-in on your faith? Like, if you utterly and completely submitted every single part of your life to him, what would that actually look like and feel like on a given day? How would it impact your time, your thoughts, your conversations, your spending? If you and I really went all in, it would change everything.
Phil concluded our On Purpose series with a sermon speaking directly to the heart of the series. How do we actually find our purpose? Phil explained that our personal purpose must flow out of first, the cosmic purpose of God to put the whole world back together under Christ; and second, the moral purpose of God, which in Ephesians are described as the kinds of behaviors descriptive of missional people. God’s ethics flow from God’s plan, and our purpose must be an outgrowth of these two crucial factors.
We continued our On Purpose series from Ephesians, arriving at chapter 6:10-18, which serves as a culmination of Paul’s teaching to this point. Having laid out God’s divine purpose, the kingship of Jesus, the call to unity in the church, and instructions for living to a higher calling, Paul now reminds us of what stands in the way. The description of God’s armor is familiar to many and serves as a rousing coda to this powerful letter. When we are mindful of our true enemy and spiritually equipped to face him, God’s might enables us to stand up to any attack.
Phil continued our On Purpose series with a message out of Ephesians 5 on worship. In this chapter, Paul instructs the church to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymn, and spiritual songs.” Phil talked about how songs stay in our minds more than sermons, and bringing the right attitude into our worship is key to making the most out of it.
Phil continued our series On Purpose by looking at Paul’s instructions on work. Work takes up a large chunk of time over the course of our lives, whether that is paid work, yard work, or home work. What would it look like if we worked “wholeheartedly" as if you were serving the Lord?”
Josh Kingcade continued our “On Purpose” series with a sermon entitled “The Power of Love,” focusing on Ephesians 3:14-21. He talked about the unlimited nature of God’s love – for us, and for others.
Phil continued the series On Purpose with a lesson called Cosmic Community. Phil laid out Paul’s teaching in various points in the book of Ephesians on how evil manifests itself in the world. We observe evil on a cosmic level, an institutional level, and a personal level. Phil expounded upon what Paul teaches as the driving force against evil – the church.
On Sunday Phil continued the series On Purpose. In this message, he dealt with the powerful passage in the latter part of Ephesians 2. Here Paul describes the accomplishment of the cross in sociological language. Through the cross, groups of people that otherwise despised each other came together in unity. This was a remarkable achievement of Jesus’ death, and yet in our world today it would be easy to assume this victory has not fully been realized. How are we as Christians to live the reality which Jesus died to create?
On Sunday, June 6, we hosted our first annual Beyond The Building Sunday. This special parking lot service commemorated the difficult but unforgettable 2020, in which we spent many Sundays singing on the asphalt. The service included several special elements, including a church-wide group picture, a special prayer for the incoming sixth graders as they join the youth group, a time for us to discuss in groups as a church family how we saw the church work outside the building this past year, and a special benevolence presentation initiated by one of our Bible classes.
Phil continued our On Purpose series with a sermon on the famous text in Ephesians 2:1-10. In this passage, Paul talks about the story of the gospel, and how sin and grace and purpose work themselves out through the story of the cross. Phil specifically talked about why the doctrine of sin itself is actually very important to reclaim in how we think and talk and live.
Dwayne Case continued our study of Ephesians, with a sermon called "Praying On Purpose." He highlighted three elements of proactively praying, and how doing so can affect our own lives and the lives of others.
Phil started a new series called On Purpose. This series will be a study of the book of Ephesians. In this first sermon, Phil will look at Paul’s dense paragraph in 1:3-14 which lists the many blessings we have in Christ. Phil gave us a helpful framework for how to make these blessings more real in our everyday lives.
This lesson was on Mother’s Day, and Phil preached a sermon about a mom from Mark 5. Here we find the story about Jairus, his dying daughter, and a bleeding woman. Indeed, these three characters take center stage in this heart-pounding scriptural drama. Yet, hidden behind the scenes is a woman who barely gets one line in the story: the dying girl’s mother. Though she is in the background of the story, she’s at the forefront of Jesus’ mind, as He offers her a special invitation to the miracle in her living room. Phil will explain how Jesus understands the heart of a parent, and how we can follow His example in learning to love mothers more fully.
This was our Senior Sunday, celebrating our high school seniors. Phil continued his fearLESS sermon series with a message right at the heart of what many of these graduates face – the fear of the unknown. Phil explored the Holy Spirit’s role in mitigating this particular fear.
Phil continued our Fearless series with a message called Storm School. He will talked about what we learn about fear from the story of Jesus calming the storm, and how the church can play a key role in helping us overcome our fears.
Lamentations tells us the mercies of God are “new every morning.” That is good news. But the bad news is that right alongside those daily mercies is a daily unwelcomed guest. FEAR. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of dying. Fear that whatever I did yesterday made no difference in the world. Fear of my spouse leaving me. Fear of not being enough. Fear of what’s next. Fear of the world falling apart. For the next few weeks, we will engage in an important series called "fearLESS." Jesus talks about the subject a great deal, precisely because there is quite a bit to learn. Each week we will look at a particular fear and talk about practical ways to deal with it.
Phil presented our final lesson in the series "Make a Comeback." This sermon focused on the importance of outreach in God’s mission to reach the world. In the middle of Ezra, Israel is forced to stop work on the temple for 14 years. For many, this meant they were pretty out of practice when they finally started swinging hammers again. The sad reality is, many of our members are out of practice when it comes to our call to “be ambassadors." But Phil will help us realize that the pandemic did not alter this vocation. We still have this calling from God, and we must reclaim it for the sake of the kingdom.
Phil delivered the next installment in the "Make a Comeback" series. In this message, Phil explored an extraordinary action taken by Ezra in chapter 9. Ezra repents. This action normally wouldn’t be too remarkable, as it represents the typical response to those who sin in the Bible. What makes this repentance unique is that Ezra hadn’t committed any of the sins he was repenting for. His repentance came from grief over grief over the transgressions of his people, not himself. This message highlighted the value of corporate lament over the pain and transgressions of our world, regardless of our personal culpability within it.
Brian Plumb looked at Ezra 3 and an interesting moment where there was both crying and rejoicing. We will also look at Haggai 2 and the message he had for that group of people. The reminder is to take courage, get to work, and remind our world that His Love Endures Forever.
This sermon focused on why strategic thinking isn’t enough for a comeback. There was plenty of strategy in Ezra’s story, but it was something else that set them going in the right direction, something that we must adopt in our own church family if we want to see our comeback succeed.
Phil started a new series called Make a Comeback: Ezra’s Playbook for Returning Exiles. Ezra’s story of bringing Israel out of Babylonian exile is a remarkable part of scripture that has poignant implications for our current moment as we try to make our own comeback out of a difficult year. In this first sermon, Phil focused on God’s role within Israel’s return. He is the primary instigator of the return, and he will also play that role in our return. We must choose a posture of trust rather than a posture of control.
Phil preached a stand-alone sermon called El Roi. This is the name for God used in Genesis 16 and means, “The God Who Sees Me.” We all have moments where we wish someone would simply notice us – how hard we’ve worked, how long we’ve suffered, how much we’ve accomplished. But sadly, in a world designed to steal our attention, there is often very little attention left to give one another. This is why the promise of El Roi is so vital for us to claim today. God assures us in his word that even when the rest of the world passes us by, he doesn’t. Phil will help us understand that even in those days when we feel all alone, we can know that we have been caught in the gaze of a God with infinite attention and infinite love.
Phil continued our Refresh series with a message about the habit of intentional blessing. Several of the habits thus far have centered on personal disciplines or friendship. This habit begins two weeks of outward-focused habits. Phil talked about Jonathan and David, as well as Mary’s offering of perfume to Jesus as examples of creating unforgettable moments for other people. Phil also interviewed Josh Kingcade, who is particularly gifted in this area.
Phil continued our Refresh series with a message entitled “A Triune Conversation.” This lesson delved into what Jesus said about Himself, His Father, and the Spirit in John chapters 14-17. This rich portion of John’s gospel gives us a glimpse into the relationship God has within His own nature. Phil uses this idea as a springboard for another habit, which is all about friendship and conversation.
Phil continued our Refresh series with a message called “Word of God Speak.” Phil talked about the all important habit of Bible reading, offering a mindset and a method which can help us get off high center when it comes to this practice. At the beginning of the year, many of us have started new Bible reading habits, whether that be a chronological Bible or a reading plan or just a new commitment to read every day. Phil’s message and the habit he will introduce won’t compete with anything you’re already trying, but will simply enhance the way you encounter God’s word.
December 27th, Daniel Roberts wrapped up our “God With Us” series looking at one of the final and most intimate moments in the life of Jesus. Through Jesus’ reminder to his disciples, we too can find encouragement in the fact that God isn’t just with us, He lives within us through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we are now Immanuel people.