Citylight South: Recent Episodes
Citylight South
Every day, we hear countless voices telling us what to believe, what to fear, where to find our worth, and how to live. In 1 Samuel 3, Israel finds itself in a season of spiritual darkness, yet God speaks to a young Samuel and calls him to listen. Samuel’s response, “Speak, LORD, for your servant is listening,” shows us what it looks like to approach God with humility, readiness, and obedience. As Samuel learns to recognize and faithfully proclaim God’s voice, God uses him to bring His Word and hope back to His people. This passage challenges us to ask: Which voice are we trusting, and is God’s Word truly shaping the way we live?
This week's message from 1 Samuel 2 exposes the scandal at Shiloh, where Eli's sons abused their authority through entitlement, while Eli's passivity allowed their sin to continue unchecked. The passage challenges us to examine our own hearts, asking where we choose comfort, self-preservation, or personal desires over obedience to God. While Samuel stands as a faithful contrast, the sermon reminds us that even he is only a sign pointing to someone greater. Our true hope is found in Jesus Christ—the perfect and eternal High Priest who doesn't take from His people but gives Himself for them, offering forgiveness, and the power to live faithfully for God.
Hannah's prayer in 1 Samuel 2 reminds us that true worship is rooted not in our circumstances, but in the unchanging character of God. Whether we are waiting for answered prayers or surrendering the blessings God has given us, our greatest need is not changed circumstances but a clearer vision of who He is. This message explores three truths from Hannah's song: there is no one like our God, no one who acts like our God, and no one more worthy of our trust. Ultimately, Hannah's prayer points beyond her own story to Jesus Christ, the greatest reversal in history, through whom sinners are made saints and the dead are made alive. No matter what season you're in, you can rejoice because there is no one like our God.
This week we begin our journey through 1 Samuel by looking at the life of Hannah, a woman whose years of pain and unanswered prayers became the starting point of God's greater plan. In a world where everyone did what was right in their own eyes, Hannah shows us what it looks like to bring our deepest burdens to the Lord in humble dependence and surrender. Her story reminds us that God never wastes our suffering—He often uses it to shape our hearts and accomplish purposes far bigger than we can see. Ultimately, Hannah's life points beyond Samuel to Jesus, the true King who bears our grief, carries our sorrows, and is worthy of our complete trust.
In Galatians 6:11-18, Paul closes his letter to the Galatians in his own handwriting, driving home a warning against those pushing circumcision just to avoid persecution and to boast in outward religious performance. He contrasts that hollow boasting with his own only boast: the cross of Christ. This message explores the main message of the book of Galatians. The Gospel has freed us, therefore our only boast is in the cross of Christ. Because of Jesus, we are saved and set free to live a transformed life.
In Galatians 6:1–10, Paul teaches that every believer is sowing something—either to the flesh or to the Spirit. This message explores what it means to bear one another's burdens, restore those who have fallen with gentleness, and faithfully continue doing good even when it feels exhausting. Most importantly, we see that Jesus first carried our greatest burden on the cross, empowering us to live lives that reflect His love. Join us as we discover how sowing to the Spirit produces an eternal harvest and transforms both our hearts and our church community.
We all long for the abundant life Jesus promised, yet many of us still find ourselves exhausted, anxious, and striving. In Galatians 5:16–26, Paul teaches that our greatest struggle isn’t simply with sinful behavior—it’s with the competing desires of our hearts. This message explores how lasting transformation doesn’t come through willpower or trying harder, but through abiding in Christ and walking by the Spirit. As the Gospel moves from our minds into our hearts, God begins to reshape our desires and produce the fruit of the Spirit in us. Discover how true freedom is found not in striving, but in resting in the love of God and allowing Him to transform you from the inside out.
What if the exhaustion you feel isn’t because you’re failing—but because you’re trying to earn something Christ has already given? In Galatians 5:1–15, Paul reminds us that true freedom is not the ability to do whatever we want, but the freedom to rest in who God says we are. This message explores how performance, comparison, and self-protection leave us empty—and how the gospel invites us into a different way of living. Jesus gave up His freedom to secure ours, freeing us from striving and empowering us to love others from a place of grace. Discover what it means to stand firm in the freedom Christ has already won for you.
What happens when we stop trusting God’s promises and start trying to take matters into our own hands? In Galatians 4:21–31, Paul points to Abraham, Sarah, Hagar, Isaac, and Ishmael to show the difference between living by faith and living by human effort. This message explores how striving to earn God’s approval only leads to slavery, while trusting in Christ brings true freedom. Through Jesus, we are not children of performance—we are children of promise. The Gospel reminds us that salvation isn’t something we achieve; it’s something God has already accomplished.
In Galatians 4:8–20, Paul pauses his theological argument to reveal the heart of a pastor who deeply loves his people. He grieves that the Galatians, who once tasted the freedom of God's grace, are turning back to a form of spiritual slavery rooted in performance and religious effort. Paul reminds them that they are known by God and that true freedom is found not in earning God's approval, but in resting in Christ. His willingness to speak hard truths comes from a genuine love that desires their good, not their admiration. Like a parent laboring for a child, Paul longs to see Christ fully formed in them because that is where lasting freedom is found.
In Galatians 3:27–4:7, Paul reminds us that through faith in Christ we are no longer slaves striving to earn God's approval, but sons and daughters who have already received it. Jesus entered our slavery—born under the law—to redeem us and bring us into God's family through adoption. Because we are united with Christ, we are clothed in His righteousness, filled with His Spirit, and made heirs according to the promise. The Christian life is not about performing for a status we hope to gain; it's about living from the security of a status we've already been given. Stop living like a slave—in Christ, you are a son.
In Galatians 3:15–29, Paul reminds us that God’s promise of salvation was never based on human performance, but on faith. Long before the law was given, God made a covenant with Abraham and declared him righteous because he believed. The Judaizers were teaching that people needed Jesus plus obedience to the law to truly belong to God’s family, but Paul makes it clear that we are accepted by grace through faith in Christ alone. God is not constantly changing the terms of His love, and we cannot add to the finished work of Jesus.
Paul also explains that the law was given to reveal our sin, not to save us. Like a mirror, it exposes the problem but cannot fix it. Only Jesus could fulfill the law perfectly and make a way for sinners to be brought into God’s family. Through faith in Christ, we are forgiven, adopted, and made heirs according to the promise. The gospel tears down barriers and unites us as one family in Jesus.
In Galatians 3:10–14, Paul reminds us that salvation cannot be earned through good works or religious performance. The law exposes our sin and shows that none of us can perfectly live up to God’s standard. On our own, we live under the curse of sin and separation from God.
But the gospel is that Jesus became the curse for us. Through his death on the cross, Christ took our sin, shame, and judgment so that by faith we could receive the blessing promised to Abraham. Salvation is not achieved through striving—it is received through trusting in Jesus.
Because of Christ, we are no longer enslaved to proving ourselves through success, security, or approval. Through faith, God gives us his Spirit and brings us near to himself. Jesus became the curse so we could live by faith.
In Galatians 3:1–9, Paul confronts the Galatians for drifting back into a works-based faith after beginning by faith in Christ. If righteousness could be earned through the law, then Jesus died for nothing. From the beginning, God’s plan was never salvation through human effort, but through faith—just as Abraham was counted righteous because he believed God. The gospel is not just how we begin the Christian life; it’s how we continue walking with Jesus every day. If we don’t intentionally return to the gospel, we will unintentionally drift away from it.
In Galatians 2:11–21, Paul defends the beauty and freedom of the gospel—our justification comes through faith in Christ alone, not by works. Even the slightest reliance on our own effort is a departure from the grace of Jesus. We are not made right with God by what we do, but by what Christ has already done on the cross. Through faith, His perfect righteousness is credited to us, so that God no longer sees our sin, but the perfection of His Son. This is the good news: we are fully accepted, not because of our performance, but because of Jesus.
We don’t bring anything to the table—and we don’t have to. Galatians 2:1–10 points us back to a simple truth: the gospel is enough, and God meets us in grace every time. His mercy is new today.
In Mark 15:1–15, we see the injustice of Jesus’ trial as Pilate gives in to the pressure of the crowd and releases Barabbas—a clearly guilty man—while condemning the innocent Son of God. Though no legitimate charges are found against Him, Jesus is handed over to be crucified. In a stunning exchange, the guilty go free while the innocent takes their place. Barabbas walks away with his life because Jesus willingly steps toward the cross. This moment reminds us that we are more like Barabbas than we’d like to admit—set free only because of Jesus’ faithfulness unto death.
In Mark 14:53–72, Jesus endures a sham trial—held in the dead of night with false accusations and no real charges—yet remains silent, fulfilling prophecy. When He finally speaks, it is not in self-defense, but to boldly declare the truth of who He is, even though it leads to His condemnation. As He is mocked and struck by the very people He came to save, Peter simultaneously denies even knowing Him. While Peter fails, Jesus remains faithful. Even then, Jesus does not abandon Peter, but calls him back by name—reminding us that His faithfulness endures, even when ours does not.
In Mark 14:43–52, an unlikely alliance of Roman soldiers and religious leaders gathers to arrest Jesus, while Judas betrays Him with a kiss and Peter tries to take control with a sword. Yet no one takes Jesus’ life from Him—He steps forward willingly, submitting to the Father’s plan to save betrayers, sinners, and doubters like us. In the end, every person will bow before Him; the only question is whether we bow now in surrender or later in judgment.
Jesus walked in perfect obedience, surrendering fully to the Father’s plan—to bear the wrath of God and rise again in victory. Even as He faced betrayal from His closest friends, He urged them: watch and pray. But they were overconfident in their own strength. How often are we the same—trusting in our flesh instead of the One who alone has victory over sin and death?
The passover meal reminds us not only of the story of God's past faithfulness, but it also points us forward to God's promise of a future table where we will be fully restored in communion with Him. We are made new by the transformative work of Jesus's sacrifice. The good news of the gospel is that His blood was poured out for many—the broken, the messy, and the lost. Praise God for his faithfulness!
In Mark 14:1–11, we see a striking contrast between calculated betrayal and wholehearted devotion. While others measure what Jesus is worth to them, Mary pours out her most valuable possession in worship, showing that Christ’s worth isn’t relative—it’s objective. Is our worship cautious and measured, or surrendered in response to His infinite worth?
Jesus warns His followers to stay alert. Why? Because there will be deception, events that stir panic and fear, and even persecution for their faith. But instead of fear, believers are called to confidence in God’s sovereign plan and peace rooted in His unchanging character. We trust the One who foretold His death and rose three days later—and who promises to return in power and glory (Mark 13:26). The question is not whether He is faithful, but whether we will be ready.
In Mark 12:35–44, Jesus reveals that the way we see Him shapes the way we follow Him. The crowd expected a smaller Messiah—just a descendant of David—but missed that He is the Son of God and Savior, worthy of full surrender. A low view of Jesus produces a shallow, self-centered faith that treats God as useful rather than beautiful. In contrast, the widow’s sacrificial offering shows what deeper worship looks like: trusting Jesus more than circumstances and giving because, in Him, we have already been given everything.
In Mark 12:28–34, Jesus cuts through the noise of life and reveals what matters most: loving God wholeheartedly and loving others faithfully. This command isn’t a checklist to complete but a relationship to live from. Though we fall short of loving perfectly, Jesus fulfilled this command on our behalf. As we walk closely with Him, love for God and neighbor becomes the natural outflow of His grace at work in us.
Jesus reminds us that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Resurrection hope isn’t just for the future—it changes how we live right now.
While earthly governments have a legitimate place, Jesus makes clear that everything bearing God’s image—our lives, loyalties, and hearts—belongs to Him. As the true image of the invisible God and King over all creation, Jesus calls us to give God what is rightfully His, offering not partial devotion but full allegiance. Following Christ means living as citizens of God’s Kingdom, honoring earthly authorities while ultimately submitting every part of our lives to Jesus as Lord.
In Mark 11:27–12:12, Jesus confronts the question of authority, revealing that everyone lives under something that ultimately guides their life. Through the parable of the tenants, our actions expose who or what we truly answer to, while God’s actions reveal His patient, pursuing love. The vineyard owner’s care points to the scandalous mercy of God, who went so far as to send His own Son to rescue us. Who holds authority in your life? How you respond reveals what truly guides you.
In Mark 11:1–25, Jesus enters Jerusalem as the promised King, but reveals that true deliverance is not found in rituals or expectations shaped by circumstance, but in faith and relationship with Him. Jesus offers a better deliverance—one rooted in grace, not works, and calls us to seek God alone and trust Him fully.
When we lose sight of the finish line, we drift toward complacency—but the resurrection of Christ calls us to endurance and hope. To fully enjoy God, we must be fully transformed by Him, and that transformation will come in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at Christ’s return. Death does not have the final word in our stories because Jesus has defeated sin and the grave through His resurrection. Because Christ has overcome death, our labor is not in vain. We live and work with confidence, knowing we will be changed through Christ and raised to everlasting life with Him.
Money is a good gift, but it makes a terrible god. Matthew 6:24 tells us we cannot serve both God and money. Solomon—who had immense wealth— testifies that it only left him wanting for more. Only Jesus, the giver of all good gifts, can truly satisfy. May we find our true contentment in Him.
Work is a gift—but it makes a terrible god. This week in Prepare Him Room, we reflected on how achievement and productivity can quietly replace Jesus as the source of our worth. Ecclesiastes reminds us that true joy isn’t found in what we build, but in who we trust. Only Christ can restore our work to what it was meant to be.
We’re all chasing something to make life feel full, but Ecclesiastes 2 reminds us that pleasure makes a terrible god. Solomon tested every form of enjoyment, success, comfort, and indulgence to see if anything under the sun could hold the weight of his soul. None of it delivered. Our culture keeps selling us the next experience, the next purchase, the next escape, yet the more we consume, the more restless we become. The ache we feel isn’t for more pleasure; it’s for something eternal. Advent invites us to prepare room for the only One who can truly satisfy. Jesus meets us in our emptiness with real joy, real beauty, and real life. He is the gift our hearts were made for.
Ecclesiastes 1:12–18 reminds us that even the greatest wisdom and knowledge can’t satisfy the deepest longings of our hearts. Solomon discovered that chasing understanding apart from God only leads to frustration, pride, and grief. This Advent, we’re invited to lay down the idol of intellect—our desire to find fulfillment in information, insight, or being “right”—and prepare room for Christ, the true source of wisdom. Only in Him are our questions anchored, our desires met, and our purpose restored. As we put away the lesser things that distract us, we make space to behold the wisdom of God in Jesus and to find the joy that worldly knowledge can never give.
Bartimaeus may have been physically blind, but he saw Jesus more clearly than anyone else. In Mark 10:46–52, he cries out for mercy, Jesus stops for him, heals him, and he immediately follows. Spiritual blindness creeps in when we cling to pride, comfort, or old identities. Jesus invites us to admit our need, cast off what holds us back, and follow Him with a clear heart and open hands.
Jesus shows that true greatness isn’t found in status but in service. In Mark 10:32–45, He leads His disciples toward the cross and teaches that the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve—and to give His life as a ransom for many.
In Mark 10, Jesus teaches that only those who receive the kingdom of God like a child will enter it. The rich young man reveals how self-righteousness and self-reliance keep us from fully depending on God, while the disciples show us the beauty of humble, childlike trust. True faith means releasing control, resting in God’s promises, and following Jesus wherever He leads—believing that His way is always best. For in His kingdom, the first will be last, and the last will be first.
In Mark 10:1–12, Jesus lifts our eyes to see marriage the way God intended—from a man-centered contract to a God-ordained covenant. While the Pharisees treated marriage and divorce casually, Jesus points back to creation, reminding us that God Himself joins husband and wife together as one flesh. Sin and hardness of heart may break what God designed to be whole, but the good news is that Jesus—the perfect Bridegroom—redeems and restores what’s been fractured. In Him, we find forgiveness, renewal, and the hope of a love that never fails.
In light of what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we’re called to orient our lives around Him. That means choosing serving over status, Christ over credit, and exchanging pride for purpose. The greatest human to ever walk the earth became the lowest—for you. The economy of God looks radically different from the world’s. How are you living in light of the truth of the gospel?
As we continued our series in Mark this week, we were reminded that God is with us both in the mountain-top moments of life and in seasons of deep grief and desperation. May we remember to stay near to the Father in both seasons and find fullness of joy in His presence.
Even as believers, we’re prone to spiritual amnesia. When we forget Jesus’ past faithfulness, it can distort how we see His character—especially when life feels out of control. That’s why one of the most repeated commands in Scripture is to remember: remember who He is and all He’s done. Spiritual growth happens as Jesus comes into clearer focus when we pursue Him, trusting that He is always faithful. So what might be blocking or distorting your view of Jesus today?
This week, College Ministry Resident Trent Marshall continued our series in the Gospel of Mark, teaching from Mark 8:1–26. In this passage, we see Jesus heal a little girl oppressed by a demon, reminding us that our deepest needs are His highest concerns. Trent pointed us to the Person of our faith, the Power of faith, and the Picture of faith, showing that when we bring our needs to Jesus, He responds with compassion and authority.
In Mark 7:1–23, Jesus exposes the futility of man-made religion. The Pharisees clung to rituals, believing they could make them clean, but Jesus makes clear the true problem isn’t dirty hands—it’s a defiled heart. No amount of scrubbing, no tradition or rule, can wash away the sin that flows from within us. But the good news is this: what religion cannot reach, Jesus restores. Through His sacrifice on the cross, He took our filth upon Himself and shed His blood to purify us, giving us a new heart and Spirit. Where our rituals only mask, His redemption makes us truly clean. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sin, and nothing but His grace can make us whole.
In Mark 6:30–56, Jesus feeds thousands with just five loaves and two fish and later walks on water, revealing Himself as the great “I AM.” The disciples had nothing close to enough, but Jesus took what little they offered and multiplied it until all were satisfied. We often feel the same—weak, unprepared, inadequate—but Jesus invites us to bring Him what we have and trust Him with it. A little in His hands is more than enough, for He is the Bread of Life who alone can satisfy our deepest need.
This past weekend, Alex Leyva continued our sermon series in the Gospel of Mark. Sharing the good news can sometimes feel overwhelming, or like something we’re not qualified to do. But we were reminded that the gospel is more powerful than our past or our qualifications. God invites us into the work of His Kingdom, and by sealing us with His Spirit, He moves powerfully through us as we allow Him to use us to reach people for Jesus.
On the final week of our Core Values series, Doug Johnston walked us through our value of Out. We were reminded that God's call to join Him in spreading the good news of the gospel isn’t just a divine invitation—it’s imperative. God didn’t rescue us from sin so we could sit on the sidelines. He filled us with His Spirit so that we might join Him in His mission and help others come to know Him.
This week we explored our core value of In. As God's chosen people, we are made to live in gospel community that flows out of our identity in Christ. But what does that look like? It looks a lot like Jesus—showing compassion, walking in humility, considering others more highly than ourselves, and sticking with one another for the long haul. It means faithfully serving each other in love and spurring one another on toward godliness. May we be reminded and encouraged that the Church—through its love and unity—demonstrates the transforming power of the gospel to the world.
This past Sunday, Alex Leyva continued our Core Values series by focusing on our value of Up: Spiritual Formation. So what exactly does spiritual formation mean? At its heart, it’s the transforming truth of the gospel that changes us and allows us to walk in freedom with Christ.
A Spirit-led life is a spiritually formed life. As we walk daily with Jesus, He shapes us into people who reflect Himself. The sweet truth of the gospel is that God meets us in our mess—but loves us too much to leave us there.
This past weekend, Ricky kicked off our Core Values sermon series. This series takes a look at our core values of Down, Up, In and Out as a church. We looked at the core value of Down and how God pours into our lives. The foundation of our life in Christ is based on His forgiveness of us while we were still dead in our sin. We are reminded and grateful for God stepping into our mess to make us alive together with Him. What love!
When life gets hard, who will you cling to? When it feels like he delays to answer a desperate prayer, how do you respond? We are reminded that God's delays are by divine design—they are never careless! Jesus is near to the broken hearted. There is no better healer, no greater hope, no safer hands than Jesus!
Not only does Jesus have authority over darkness and the things that chain us, He has the power to redeem those stories into beautiful testimonies of His power and goodness. Evil is strong, but Jesus is stronger. 🙌
This week, Elder Jason Hietbrink continued our series in the Gospel of Mark by looking at the disciples’ response to Jesus sleeping in the boat during a fierce storm. Like them, we can easily lose sight of who’s with us when life feels out of control. But this passage reminds us that the sovereign, powerful God of the universe is not only present in our storms—He cares deeply and personally as we walk through them. What a comfort to know we’re never alone in the boat.
Are we humbly and eagerly listening to God's word? Are we patiently and confidently sharing the Word of God? These are some of the questions Elder Eric Knoll asked as continued through our series in the Gospel of Mark. We are so encouraged and blessed to be invited into the work of the Kingdom of God!
Just as the sun that melts wax can harden clay, everyone responds to Jesus differently. This week in Mark, Ricky walked us through the parable of the sower, where the seed—God’s Word—falls on different types of soil. Some hearts are hard, some distracted, some receptive and fruitful. And yet, Jesus sows the seed generously for all to hear. The question is: are we truly listening, and are we receiving His Word like our lives depend on it?
As we continue in Mark chapter 3, we take a look at various groups of people and their different responses to Jesus. Some are curious, others are critical, and some completely closed off. The committed few sit at His feet just to be close to Him. One thing is clear—none of them are neutral. How are you responding to Jesus, lately?
As we continued our series in the gospel of Mark, Matt reminds us that seeking true fellowship with Jesus is more important than keeping up tradition or checking off a spiritual to-do list. We are not here to earn God's love—we already have it! Enjoy Him; He is so good!
Does your faith move you to tear through roofs? Do you carry the same urgency for your friends to meet Jesus? This week in Mark, Ricky reminded us that we’re all like the paralytic on the mat—needing more than a miracle. While we may come to Jesus hoping for circumstantial change, He offers something far deeper: the healing of our souls through forgiveness.
This week, Trent Marshall continued our series in Mark by taking a closer look at Jesus’ gospel ministry in Galilee. Jesus is the King who pursues people, proves His power, and proclaims the good news. And we’re invited to participate in His Kingdom—one that pushes back darkness then and now.
This week, Pastor Ricky kicked off our new series in Mark by diving into chapter 1, where we’re introduced to Jesus—the Good News… the best news!
As we finish our series in Zechariah, Matt reminded us that our King is coming in triumphant victory to restore all that is broken. The question is: are you ready for His return?
This Sunday, Pastor Alex Leyva continued our series in Zechariah with a message from chapter 13, reminding us that God’s judgment doesn’t just punish—it purifies. On the day of His cleansing, evil is exposed, idols are cast down, and God begins the refining work of making us holy. Our trials draw us nearer to Jesus and restore us to who we were created to be. In His kindness, God is not just removing sin—He’s renewing us in His image, making us faithful.
As we continued in Zechariah this week, Kids Ministry Director Doug Johnston reminded us of a hope that holds. The same God who formed the earth and breathed life into us is still stretching the sky and sustaining our every breath. He is not passive Creator—He's a warrior that steps into battle with us and fights for us, even to the point of death on the cross. May His goodness move us to mourn our sin that sent Him there and walk in newness of life offered to us in Christ.
We’re all being shepherded by something—so the question is, who or what are we following? As Pastor Ricky continued in Zechariah, we saw a vivid illustration: though God is the Good Shepherd, His people continued to reject Him. Like the Israelites, we often resist His leadership. And yet, in His mercy, we don’t receive what we deserve. Instead, we’re given blessing and the gift of new life in Jesus. May we learn to recognize the voice of our True Shepherd, taste and see that He is good, and follow Him into all that is truly good.
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva continued our series in Zechariah with a message from chapters 9–11, reminding us of God's faithfulness to His word. In chapter 9, we see that God promised to judge the proud—and He did. He stands against what is evil and calls us to worship Him alone as our true King. But God also promised to send His King—and He did. Jesus entered not with force, but in humility, riding on a donkey, pouring out His blood to set us free. And God has promised to restore His people—and He will. Chapter 10 points us to a God who does the work of restoration, shaping His people by truth, not falsehood. May we be a people who put away what is empty and cling to the only One who satisfies.
This Easter Sunday, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy reminded us just how powerful the resurrection is for our lives today.
Walking through the first part of Romans 6, we were reminded that through Jesus’ death and burial, our sin has been forgiven. As Christ was buried, so was our old self—and through His resurrection, we’ve been raised to new life in Him. Because His righteousness is gifted to us through salvation, we are no longer slaves to sin or fear of death.
Christ has the victory—and through His gift, so do we!
On Good Friday, Kids Ministry Director Doug Johnston led us through Genesis 3—the journey from the garden to the cross. We were created for perfect union with the Father, but the birth of sin in Genesis 3 left humanity searching for the kind of fulfillment only Jesus can satisfy.
Yet even in that moment of brokenness, God began making a way. In verse 15, we see the first promise of redemption—a foreshadowing of the cross, where restoration would come through Christ.
Praise God for His deep, pursuing love that never gave up on us!
Co-lead pastor Alex Leyva continued our series in Zechariah with a look at the condition of the Israelites’ hearts—and God’s response.
We began in chapter 7, where the Israelites were going through the motions of religion with hollow rituals that left them far from the Lord and unable to hear His voice. But God’s response to their hardened hearts wasn’t rejection—it was a promise. A promise to rebuild the city and restore them to flourishing. Not just as a city, but as a people redeemed to the Lord and rooted in meaningful relationship with Him.
God’s restoration of the Israelites led to a transformation so profound that people around them began to long for the hope they had. In the same way, the Gospel shows us that we don’t move from hollow religion to true relationship by our own strength—it’s Jesus who redeems us from the curse of sin and gives us new hearts that pursue Him.
Our city and our world are hungry for something that truly satisfies. May we be a people so deeply rooted in Jesus that He draws others to Himself through how we live.
This week, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva continues our series through Zechariah looking at the prophetic vision of the Branch. In this passage, God promises a coming leader who will unite the roles of Priest and King—something no one else in Israel’s history could do. This Branch is Jesus, who brings us to God through His perfect sacrifice and will one day reign in glory over all creation.
God is building His temple—not of stone, but of people—through the finished work of Christ. He invites us to come alongside Him in that sacred, Kingdom-building work. Even when we fail or grow weary, God pursues, restores, and reminds us that He is the one who establishes His kingdom by grace. Jesus is both our intercessor and our King, and He invites us to trust in Him as the one who will reign forever.
This week, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy walked us through Zechariah 4:1-14—the Vision of a Golden Lampstand. In this passage, God promises Zerubbabel that He will equip him to rebuild the temple, even after 17 years of stalled progress. What seemed like an impossible task would be accomplished—not by human strength, but by God’s power.
Like Zerubbabel, we each have a God-given purpose that cannot be fulfilled in our own strength, but only through Christ in us. Even in the small things, God is at work—pursuing, refining, and equipping us. Are we daily relying on the power of the Holy Spirit to live the life He has called us to?
Just as Zerubbabel could not complete the temple on his own, we cannot save ourselves through our own efforts. Salvation comes only through Jesus and the power of His Spirit. This passage reminds us of God’s goodness and His faithful provision.
Throughout Zechariah's visions, we've seen how God continues to pursue the Israelites with a heart of restoration motivated by a deep, abiding love for his people. This week, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy, walked us through Zechariah's sixth and seventh visions about how God will ultimately deal with our sin.
In order to restore the people back to Himself, God—being perfectly holy and just—must reveal and remove the sin that entangles us, as it's not meant for our good or His glory. For us, God removes sin through the person of Jesus—His life, death and resurrection. Psalm 103:12 reminds us that our sin is as far removed as the East is from the West.
Because of our Risen Savior’s sacrifice, we are made clean in Him and can rest in the gift of His salvation.
This week we continued on in Zechariah 3 with his fourth vision. In this vision, the high priest, Joshua, stands before the Angel of the Lord and Satan in what is depicted as a heavenly courtroom. Joshua is standing before the Lord in filthy clothing as Satan stands ready to accuse him. We know that for a high priest at this point in history to stand before God and this holy counsel would have been embarrassing, to say the least. It would have been a disgrace to show up in a position of high leadership unclean.
Joshua was guilty. He was dirty and unclean. But God, rich in mercy, doesn't condemn Joshua or send him away. He rebukes Satan. He gives Joshua clean clothing and a turban that declares the holiness of the Lord.
We are encouraged that, like Joshua, we all have stains and sins we can't scrub away or clean up on our own. Only through the work of Jesus does he offer us brand new clothing—a new identity in Christ that we could never earn on our own.
This week, we continued our sermon series in Zechariah by diving into his first three visions. College Ministry Resident Trent Marshall helped us unlock the meaning behind these visions and what they reveal about God's character. As the Israelites returned from exile, the nations had acted wickedly toward them. Yet, out of His great love and jealousy for His people, God returned to Jerusalem with mercy, relentlessly pursuing them back to Himself.
We are reminded that from the very beginning, God has always desired to walk with His people. From the Garden of Eden to the Tabernacle to Jesus, He has continually made a way to dwell with us. Ultimately, God's love moves Him so deeply that Jesus, the perfecter and finisher of our faith, died to deliver us from the ultimate enemy—sin—that separates us from Him.
This week, we began our new sermon series in the book of Zechariah. Co-lead pastor, Alex Leyva, walked through Zechariah 1:1-6, setting the historical context of Israel's return from exile. God reminds the Israelites not to repeat the sins of their ancestors who had ignored the prophets' warnings. Through Zechariah, God issues both a warning about the consequences of continued disobedience and an invitation to return to Him.
We are reminded that God patiently pursues us—even in our sin. We are grateful that Jesus ultimately dealt with our sin once and for all on the cross. We are encouraged that, like the Israelites, we're invited to learn from past mistakes, repent of our sin, and return to a God who desires to restore us to relationship with Him.
This week, we wrapped up our series on prayer by studying 1 Kings 18:17-46. In this passage, we saw the incredible power of God as Elijah called on Him to reveal His might and defeat the prophets of Baal. Because of Elijah’s bold faith in God’s power, many came to know and proclaim that the Lord is God.
This challenged us to pray with conviction, asking God to break our hearts for what breaks His. We want to be so moved for our neighbors, city, and friends to know Jesus that we pray with that same boldness, believing that God can move in powerful ways in our world.
This week, Brett Monge from Citylight North Lincoln led us through Psalms 42 and 43. Many of us go through seasons when God feels distant—so how should we respond? We were encouraged to bring our emotions to Him honestly, pouring out our hearts when our souls are weary and longing for Him. He is a God who hears us and cares about our hurt. We are also called to remember His past faithfulness, assuring us of His goodness. Ultimately, the good news of the gospel is our sure and certain hope.
This week, Ricky preached from David's Prayer in the Assembly. When we Praise God for who He is and what He has done, and we set our lives on enjoying Him, that's what brings ultimate fulfillment. Our praise of who God is completes our joy and moves us toward a richer understanding of His holiness, our need and repentance. We are reminded and encouraged that God alone deeply satisfies through our praise and thanksgiving.
This Sunday, Ricky preached about our need for prayer and walked through three perspectives of our need. In looking at the Pharisee and the tax collector, we discovered that we can, like the Pharisee, often be blind to our own need for God. We overestimate what we bring to the table and underestimate our deep need for Him. Even in our desperate need of God, He longs to answer us—even when we're unsure and wobbly. He just wants us to come to him honestly. Ultimately, the fruit of our need is growth in our relationship with Christ. A strong Christian prays more not because they are stronger, but because they realize how much they need God.
Pastor Ricky continued our series on Praying in Light of God this Sunday teaching from Luke 11:5-13. Ricky taught us that prayer deeply matters to God, that He delights in answering our prayers, and that, just as a father delights in giving good gifts to his children, so God truly delights in giving to us as a response to prayer.
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy preached Exodus 33-34:9 on the purpose of prayer. Ricky taught us that without God, we have nothing. Prayer is to know God; we must see God as beautiful, not useful in our prayer lives. We were encouraged that prayer is a delight, not a duty. What a gift it is to know God and be in relationship with him!
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva started our 8 week series on prayer. Through studying Hebrews 4:14-16, Alex taught us that we are privileged to have a high priest who gives us his attention whenever we want and is happy to do so. What a great privilege it is to have direct access to God! Alex implored us to take advantage of this access. We are privileged to pray boldly and believe that God answers prayers!
This Sunday, Resident Doug Johnston preached a stand alone sermon on Luke 2:21-38. Doug taught us that seeking the Savior requires principle, patience, right perspective, and proclamation. May we all see Jesus as Simeon did; as the Truth and the means by which we sinners can be reconciled to a Holy God! Let us all proclaim the lifesaving truth of Jesus Christ!
This Sunday we heard from Youth Ministry Resident Matt Reed on Isaiah 61. Matt encouraged us that the Messiah's mission is to bring good news to the poor! Christ reverses sin's results, and Christ reverses our role. Matt told us that those who God sets free, he puts to work! God receives the recognition, as the Messiah gives us a permanent, eternal covenant rooted in God's character.
Co-lead pastor Alex Leyva taught from Isaiah 49:1-13 this Sunday. Alex encouraged us that God is working his redemptive plan, even if we cannot see the whole picture and the world may look chaotic, incomplete, and dark. Jesus was sent as a servant to the world to be its compassionate savior. Just as Jesus was commissioned to us, we also have been commissioned to be light to the world. God is sustaining us and providing for us. Jesus is at work bringing redemption and God will make all things new. Remember God's promises!
On Sunday morning we heard from our co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy on Isaiah 11:1-10. Even though things seemed bleak for the Jews at the time, Isaiah gave them hope that Jesus is coming. Ricky encouraged us that God's promises are not dead; we have a perfect King who is good, wise, and understanding. We can also wait expectantly for Jesus' return where He will bring ultimate peace to all creation and the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Praise God for the peace Jesus brings!
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva taught from Isaiah 9:1-7. Alex showed us that Jesus brings the world from darkness to light, sorrow to joy, and oppression to victory. Because of this, we can hope in the future for Jesus' second coming. Alex encouraged us that we can be Christ's light in the dark places in our lives now. Jesus is the good king, our wonderful counselor, mighty God, eternal Father, and Prince of Peace. Praise God!
This Sunday we heard from our Youth Ministry Resident, Matt Reed, about the third letter of John. Matt taught us that you promote what you are passionate about, and John is passionate about his children walking in the truth. We should be co-working in the truth with our brothers and sisters in Christ, asking ourselves: what are my gifts and what can I give? Matt encouraged us to welcome the truth and be more concerned with building God's kingdom and not our own. When we see the truth and witness the truth, our lives are transformed and we no longer have to live for our own name, but get to live for the name of Christ. Praise God!
This week, guest preacher Kyle Dellevoet joined us to preach 2 John. Kyle taught us that John is calling us to a faith that reflects the character of Jesus; a faith that is both grounded in truth and overflowing with love! John calls us to be rooted in truth, resolute in love, and relentless against deception.
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy led us through 1 John 5:13-21. Ricky encouraged us that believers can know they have eternal life because of what Jesus did, not because of anything we do. God hears us, and that assurance should change us. If we are in Christ, we can be confident in prayer and know that God hears us. If you believe in Jesus, no one can take eternal life away from you! Praise God!
Co-lead pastor Alex Leyva taught from 1 John 5:1-13 this Sunday, assuring us we have freedom in Christ, his burden is light, and we can live in Jesus' victory over sin. The good news of what God did is true, and those who believe in Jesus Christ experience eternal life right now! We have Jesus and are free to live out our new lives in Him. Praise God!
Co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy led us through 1 John 4:13-21 and taught us about God's love. God's love gives us our identity; when God abides in us and we abide in Him we become fundamentally different people. God's love gives us confidence because His perfect love casts out fear. God's love also produces loving people. We love because He first loved us. Praise God for the gift of His love!
Co-lead pastor Alex Leyva continued our sermon series in 1 John this Sunday with chapter 4 verses 7-12. He taught us that God's love is the greatest love that we can receive and impart. The source of love is God because God is love. God's love is self sacrificing, action oriented, and done for the betterment of others. Jesus is the expression of God's love, and we are called to reflect God's love to others because we have received it ourselves.
This week, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy preached through 1 John 4: 1-6 as a part of our series in 1 John. False teaching that sounds good but is unbiblical can easily slip into the church. That was a danger for the churches John was writing to as much as it is today. Ricky helps us see how these false teachings can sneak in an conform us to the world (Romans 12: 1-2) but then helps us see the truth that overcomes! We pray you'll be blessed by this teaching as well as sharpened so you can successfully discern truth from the deceptiveness of false doctrine.
This week, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva preached through 1 John 3:11-24 as a part of our series in 1 John. He told us that we need to look to Jesus to love like Jesus. Alex also walked us through the results of hate and the results of love in our lives. Our confidence is in what Jesus has done for us and there is no condemnation for those in Christ! Praise God!
Co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy continued our series in 1 John this Sunday with 2:28 - 3:10. He encouraged us that our confidence is in Christ, and we are changed by the future, past, and present work of Jesus. Praise God we have been given a new nature and identity in Christ!
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy continued our series in 1 John with chapter 2 verses 12 - 17. He encouraged us not to forget what we know: that our sins are forgiven and we can know God intimately. Do not love what does not last, rather seek to love Christ in every area of your life.
Praise God we can know him intimately and are forgiven for his name's sake!
This week, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva continued our series in 1 John with 1 John 2:3-11. Alex encouraged us with the message that we can be confident in our salvation, and it is not about attaining perfection in our walk with Jesus, but rather which direction we are headed. We were asked the question, where is the love of Christ moving you to greater obedience today?
Praise God we can have a personal relationship with him and be transformed to be more like Jesus through our obedience!
Join us as we hear from our Ministry Resident, Trent Marshall, as we continue on in our sermon series through 1 John. Praise God for his grace in forgiving us of our sin and being able to walk in fellowship with him and others!
Join us this week as Pastor Ricky stars our new sermon series in 1 John. Praise God that we know the real Jesus and because of him we can have fellowship with God!
This week, we finished our sermon series in Esther with Esther 9:20-10:3. Co-lead pastor Alex Leyva asked the question: What does God say is the most important thing for us to remember? In these verses, we see Mordecai recount the Jewish victory in Persia and orders the Jewish people to celebrate Purim in memory. The Jewish people then commit themselves to remembering.
Praise God! We have even more reason to remember: we have reason for joy in remembering God's deliverance from our sin through Jesus! What does it look like for you to remember God daily? When we forget what God has done, we begin to doubt his character. Instead, build daily rhythms in your life—through journaling, prayer, reading Scripture, community—for remembering God's deliverance.
This week, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy continued in our Esther sermon series with Esther 9:1-19. In these verses, the new edict from Mordecai allows the Jews to defend themselves against their enemies, and God's people triumph over them. Queen Esther even asks for the fighting to continue on a second day. This event leads to the Jewish celebration of Purim.
The question we ask in these verses is: Are you certain that God is at work in your life? No matter who you are, someone is following you—where are you leading them? The Bible shares with us dark moments of people's sin—even Israel's leaders. But we don't look to any of these people for ultimate guidance; we look to God. And even in God's supposed silence (like in the book of Esther), we can know that he is working in the backgroound.
This Sunday, we continued our sermon series in Esther with chapter 8:1-17. These verses also helped set the framework for our Baptism Sunday! Co-lead pastor Alex walked through chapter 8 as he helped prepare our hearts to celebrate people's salvations within our church family.
In the book of Esther, we read that it wasn't enough for Haman to receive justice for his actions, but there needed to be a complete reversal of King Ahasuerus's original edict against the Jews. Mordecai and Esther work together to write a competing edict that would allow the Jews to defend themselves if someone attacked. Then, we see a complete reversal of roles: power shifts to God's people and Esther acts as a radical intercessor.
We see Jesus in the Old Testmanent because he himself is our radical intercessor. We also have received a royal reversal: not only did we not receive the punishment we deserved, but we have been crowned with glory through Jesus's sacrifice on the cross. Praise God! He made a way for us to be with him!
This week, co-lead pastor Ricky continued our series through Esther with Esther 7:1-10. In these verses, Esther finally discloses her Jewish identity to King Ahasuerus and identifies Haman as the culprit. In his rage, King Ahasuerus then sentences Haman to death on the very gallows that he intended for Mordecai.
As we consider these verses, we ask ourselves: do we face any discomfort/risk/inconvenience for the purposes of God's Kingdom? We respond in prayer about where God wants to use us and take comfort in God's ultimate justice. He knows all of the evil in the world, and uses his church to move against it. While King Ahasuerus has a small sense of justice, our King has a perfect sense of justice and satisfied his wrath through Jesus's death on the cross. Praise God! Though Haman got the penalty he deserved, Jesus took the penalty he didn't deserve, for our sake.
This week, Pastor Tom Rempel joined us to preach on Esther 6:1-14, where we read that—unbeknownst to Haman—Mordecai was honored by King Ahasuerus. In these verses, we learn that unrequited deeds of kindness will not go unrewarded, and the journey to honor will often lead us through paths of humble service. But praise God—from there, we get to behold the hiddenness of the unseen hand of God!
Throughout the book of Esther, we learn how Christ set a better example; hosts a better feast; grants a better grace; keeps a better promise; loves a better bride; reigns as a better king and rewards with a better honor. Thank you, Lord, that you are present in every passage of Scripture!
This week, we continued in the book of Esther as co-lead pastor Ricky preached on Esther 5:1-17. We learned about Esther's wisdom as she planned and prepared to make her request to the king. Esther prays and asks God to move, but then moves in that direction with him. When we pray for God's purposes, we are also called to participate with him.
Then, we see that despite all of Haman's success, he doesn't have the one thing he thinks he needs: Mordecai's respect. What is the one thing you think you need that determines how you live your life? Is it money, marriage, kids, a specific job, a certain identity, etc.? Praise God—he has placed us in community so that we may have accountability in our lives to point out those idols, just like Haman's idolization of power.
This week, we heard from lay elder Eric Knoll as he spoke on Esther 3:1-15. In these verses, we read about how King Ahaseurus honored Haman the Agagite, but Mordecai refused to bow down and worship him. In response, Haman decided to destroy all of the Jews throughout Ahaseurus's kingdom. With King Ahaseurus's blessing, a decree was issued that all Jewish people would be annihilated.
Though this story is narrative, we can still see roots of application for us today. Mordecai knew he was a child of God and claimed that identity—do we also know we are children of God? Do you know you have eternal life? Each of us face pivotal decisions that will impact the rest of our lives. If you know you're a Christ follower, you can be prepared to share with others, tell your story and live in a relationship with Jesus, not religion.
This week, we heard from our Youth Ministry Resident, Matt Reed, as he continued our sermon series in Esther. We learned that despite our dire circumstances or our misaligned motives, God uses the unexpected for his purposes. In these verses, Esther is brought in and made queen by King Ahasuerus.
Despite no mention of God in the book of Esther, we see his presence throughout the story. We see God making preparations as he places Esther in a specific place for his purposes; we see Esther being patient in God's placing; and, we see our encouragement in God's purposes. Praise him! When we experience temporal trials, we are reminded of our eternal God.
This week, we kicked off our new sermon series in the book of Esther! Co-lead pastor Alex Leyva walked through Esther 1:1-22. In these verses, we see King Ahasuerus throw multiple banquets to celebrate his power, then exile his Queen Vashti because she refused to come when he demanded to show her off. While God isn't mentioned in the book of Esther, we see symbols pointing back to him throughout the book, particularly in the compare and contrast between him and King Ahasuerus.
We compare the way they reign, the feasts they celebrate, the treatment of their brides and their execution of law and justice. In every context, we learn that King Ahasuerus is a poor imitation of the real God. Praise God! Only a perfect king is worthy of absolute power, and we worship the perfect King.
This week, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva finished our sermon series on Colossians with Colossians 4:7-18. In these verses, Paul lists a number of people who participated in furthering the Gospel with him. What a privilege that our church is a piece of what God is continuing to do in this world!
In these verses, we learn that it takes all of us to do the work of the Gospel together; we continue to live life together because the Gospel brings everyone together in Jesus; and, we continue the mission at all costs. Let us not grow comfortable in our current situation, but continue to pursue multiplication of disciples and churches. Amen!
This week, guest preacher Daniel Bidne from Providence Church taught on Colossians 4:2-6. In these verses, we learn that because Christ is supreme, we are to respond both personally and missionally. We look up and pray, staying devoted to prayer and alert with thanksgiving. What do we thank God for? First and foremost, we thank God daily for the mystery of the Gospel.
Then, we look around and proclaim the Gospel to those around us. The Gospel doesn't go forth with our actions—it goes forth with proclamation. While our actions reflect what we believe, they don't ultimately save people. We are sovereignly placed by God exactly where we're at in order to live evangelically on mission for his Gospel! Praise God!
This week, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva continued our series on Colossians with verses 3:18-4:1. Throughout the first 17 verses of chapter 3, we learned about the individual's transformation through the Gospel. Now, we see how Jesus transforms our relationships with other people. We learn that our international transformation is the building blocks for how we live among others.
These verses speak to three different relationships of people: husbands/wives, children/parents and slaves/masters. Paul addresses each person in these relationships with an overarching instruction of humility and working as to the Lord. Thank you, Lord, that your Word is perfect, and that you shape every area of our lives!
This week, co-lead pastor Ricky walked through Colossians 3:1-17, as we learned about the new life we experience in Christ. Praise God—the Gospel in Jesus changes us! We discovered the life we have in Christ, the life we put to death (our sin) and the life we put on. To put on the new self, we don't look down ourselves, but look up to him. Amen!
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva continued our sermon series in Colossians with verses 2:16-23. Why does it matter that we're able to tell what is real versus what is not real? Because what is not real has no value. As believers, we devote ourselves to the true Gospel, so we can identify false teachings.
In these verses, we learn about Legalistic Larry, Hyper-spiritual Hank and Mystic Mary: all false teachings plaguing the church of Colossae that can also affect us today. How do we avoid these heresies? By testing the substance, testing the growth and devoting ourselves to the true Gospel. Praise God! We don't need to add anything to Jesus to be saved—it is only by faith in him.
This week, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy preached on Colossians 2:6-15—the fullness of life in Jesus. We learned that what will lead you the wrong way in life is if you have a misperception of who Jesus is. In these verses, we see the path to walk is walking in Christ Jesus our Lord. The problem to walk it is deceptive false teachings that seem reasonable but lead us astray.
But, we also have the provision to walk it! Christ is our ultimate fulfillment! By walking in Christ, we receive circumcision of the heart through the power of the Spirit. Praise God—our old self is dead, and we are made newly alive in Christ!
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva walked us through Colossians 1:24-2:5. In these verses, the main takeaway is that we would labor for God to be known in our lives and in the lives of others. Paul writes to the church at Colossae, rejoicing in his suffering and labor for the hope of glory, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He also labors for wisdom and knowledge, for the church to be mature in Christ.
Therefore, love and encouragement come from a deep-rooted understanding of the Gospel of Christ. Maturing in Christ matters because we are able to distinguish from seemingly reasonable false teachings. How do we grow in our maturity? Through spiritual disciples! We labor to spend time with God and grow with him.
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Alex continued in our sermon series on Colossians with Colossians 1:15-23. We learned that it is fundamental to our faith to know who Jesus is and declare this truth. Christ is over all things and reconciles all things.
In these verses, we see six ways Christ is supreme: (1) He's the image of the invisible God; (2) He's the firstborn in all creation; (3) He's creator over all things; (4) Christ is the linchpin of all creation; (5) He's the head of the body and (6) He's the fullness of God. Praise God! The supreme Jesus Christ came to restore and reconcile the world to our Father God.
This Sunday, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy kicked off our new sermon series in Colossians with Colossians 1:1-14. In these verses, author Paul starts his letter to the church of Colossae to thank God for them and even pray for them.
We see how Paul thanks God for the work he has done in Colossae, and learn how thanking God for others changes your own perspective. Then, Paul (and we) continues to pray for the work God will do to change us moving forward. The book of Colossians focuses on the supremacy of Christ, but it begins with Paul's prayer to put Jesus at the forefront of everything. Praise God!
This week, we were excited to welcome Bryan Clark, the Senior Pastor Emeritus of Lincoln Berean Church, to speak. Bryan preached on Genesis 1:26-28, 31; 2:7-9 and 18-25 for his stand alone sermon on our view of God. In these verses, we learn about the first family—Adam and Eve—and how God created them to be a taste of the trinitarian relational love within himself. The purpose of family is to perpetuate the kingdom of God for generations.
But, unfortunately our families often fall far short of God's perfect love, and can negatively influence how we view our Father God. Instead, we must unpack our hidden insecurities and doubts that originated with our families of origin, in order to see God for who he truly is: perfect love that we can fully trust. Praise God!
This Easter Sunday, we gathered to celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection from the grave! Co-lead pastor Alex walked us through 1 Peter 1:3-12, where we learn about the hope we have in Christ through his resurrection. This hope is guarded by God himself, refined through suffering and fulfilled by Jesus on the throne in Heaven.
Our inheritance in Christ is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. Praise God! Christ isn't just alive on Easter—he is alive every day! And our resurrected hope is fully established in him in Heaven. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of relationship with you through faith in your Son!
This Holy Week, we gathered on Good Friday to remember and reflect on the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Co-lead pastor Ricky walked through Mark 14:32-42, when Jesus calls out to his Father and asks that the cup of God's wrath be taken from him if possible. But, there was no other way for us to have atonement for sin and right relationship with God.
Because of Jesus's sacrifice, the curtain separating us from the Holy Place of God is torn in two! We now have full access to God the Father. May we reflect on our sin in appreciation of Jesus and not in shame. Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice on the cross for us!
This Palm Sunday, co-lead pastor Ricky started our Easter celebrations by walking through Matthew 21:1-11. Here, we see Jesus's triumphal entry into the city of Jerusalem. But, we know that just 7 days later, Jesus will have been crucified and resurrected. What happened? In these verses, we learn of the King we need to see. Jesus intentionally arranges the triumphal entry as the humble king, who comes with the authority of the Son of Man.
We're presented with the question we need to answer: Who is this? Jesus confronts Jerusalem with the issue of who he is: The Messiah! In the same way, he confronts our lives and asks us to answer the question: Is Jesus the King of my life? Praise God for Jesus's triumphal entry and his upcoming death, resurrection and atonement on the cross!
This week, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva closed our sermon series on "Follow Me: What It Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus" with the passage Luke 9:18-27. Whenever we make decisions, we way the cost of what it means. But do we count the cost in what it means to follow Jesus? In this passage, we see that Jesus asks his followers to confess Christ, who is the Messiah. But, Jesus isn't only the Messiah—he's also the Son of Man (Dan. 7:14) and the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53). Knowing and believing in who Christ is, we can then carry our cross to follow after him.
Jesus gives his followers three challenges: (1) deny self, (2) lose life and (3) forfeit everything. When we do this, we find full freedom in Jesus. Following Jesus could cost your pride, control, finances, or any number of things you cling to. But praise God—he is WORTH the cost!
This Sunday, we continued our sermon series on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus with Ephesians 4:1-16. Co-lead pastor Ricky walked through what it looks like to live out the family of Christ. When we are saved from sin, Jesus doesn't just save us into eternal life with him—but into eternal life with his God's communal people! In these verses, we learned the foundation of family in Christ, the fight for family and walking in humility and the fruit of family as we grow into spiritual maturity.
Praise God! We are not designed to live alone as we pursue Jesus, but to pursue him in beautiful unity with the body of Christ. Thank you, Lord, for the incredible family of believers you put around us.
This week, we celebrated our fourth birthday as a church family! Praise God! We rejoiced by baptizing eight new believers into the family of God. Co-lead pastor Ricky spoke on Acts 21:40-22:46. In these verses, we learned that Jesus wrote Paul's story and washed away both his physical and spiritual blindness. Jesus saves both the lawless and the legalistic!
Now, we see that Jesus is writing our story. He's writing our story as a church, and he's writing your story in your life. Praise God! Jesus is continuing to transform and change lives throughout all of history.
In this week's sermon, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy continues through our series "Follow Me: What it Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus" with his sermon on Matthew 28:16-20. In these verses, we learn what the most valuable component of following Jesus: making disciples of others. First, we see Jesus's authority and realize that the Great Commission rests firmly on the authority of Jesus Christ, not on our own authority.
Then, we see the assignment Jesus gives his followers: the Great Commission is a command, not a suggestion. Finally, we feel the assurance Jesus provides. We don't go forward and make disciples on our own, but remember that Jesus is with us always, for all time. Praise God! We get to join him in his mission to share the joy of the Gospel with the entire world!
In this week's sermon on 1 Corinthians 9:19-23, we welcomed guest pastor Nate Morgan from Citylight North Lincoln. Nate continued our series "Follow Me" by teaching on our mission to get the Gospel OUT. We learned why we witness and how we witness. We witness to others because we live gospel-centered lives, and the purpose of these lives is to share God's message with every tribe, tongue and nation.
How we witness is by putting aside our personal preferences in order to remove any obstacles people might have towards the Gospel. If people reject Jesus, we don't want it to be because of a secondary issue that we made primary. Praise God—he has brought us into his mission to share the Gospel, and we are his ideal representatives!
This week, we continued our series on what it looks like to follow Jesus with servanthood. Youth ministry resident Matt Reed walked us through John 13:1-17: The Joy to Serve. We learned that followers of Jesus lay aside their worldly standing in order to put on godly servanthood. In his last few moments on earth, Jesus took on the form of a slave to wash his disciples' feet.
In the same way, Jesus commands his disciples to serve others. While there are many reasons we try to avoid serving, we should serve (and do so with the right heart) because Christ first served us. Praise God for his sacrificial service!
In this week's sermon on Luke 12:13-34, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy walked through our next component of what it means to follow Jesus: stewardship. We learned five principles of stewardship: (1) money is powerful; (2) everything we own actually belongs to God; (3) our money & possessions should be used for God's purposes; (4) worldly wealth is fleeting; heavenly wealth is eternal; and (5) giving generously breaks the power of money.
While the world will tell us that money is awkward, money shouldn't be discussed, money is ours to use as we see fit, money should be what we strive for, etc., Jesus talks openly about money and urges us not to find our identity or security in it. Instead, seek first the kingdom of God! For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
In this week's sermon on Ephesians 5:1-21, co-lead pastor Ricky Kennedy continues our series on following Jesus: what it means to be a disciple. He asked the question: "Who are you becoming?" We are all becoming like someone, and as disciples of Jesus, our goal is to become more like him. We learned about the purpose of life: to imitate God and become more like him.
Then, we walked through the path of life, which is sanctification. Sanctification involves beholding Jesus, loving and believing him and then obeying and following him. Praise God! We are sanctified by the power of the Holy Spirit, which enables us to live in gratitude towards God, practice holy habits and live in community.
This week, co-lead pastor Alex preached the next sermon in our series called Follow me: What it means to be a disciple of Jesus. He walked us through John 15:1-17 where we see the famous instructions of Jesus to remain in him, the True Vine. From these versus we first unpacked what it actually means to remain or abide in Jesus; using the words of A. W. Tozer as a helpful guide, "habitual, conscious communion with God." Then we talked about the beauty of remaining with God, which is that we actually get to personally KNOW the living God! What an amazing reality! Lastly, remaining in Jesus affords us the privilege of bearing fruit according to our passage! What a joy it is to know that our God, despite our weakness and shortcomings has given us a way to know him intimately and become like him increasingly through the power of the Holy Spirit.
This week, co-lead pastor Ricky continued our sermon series called: Follow me: What it means to be a disciple of Jesus. He took us through Exodus 20:1-5 where we see God's commandment to worship Him and Him alone. It's through this passage that brought us to our second core identity as a disciple of Jesus: a worshiper! In these verses we saw first what it means to worship as God designed it but also the way we can skew worship and worship things that will never leave us satisfied. We see that the only place our worship is rightly placed is in our savior, Jesus Christ! Lastly, we will grow in worship when we see God, love and believe Him, and obey Him. Praise Jesus, that we have something, or rather Someone, that will not leave us unsatisfied and searching in our worship but who is completely worthy of it all!
This week, co-lead pastor Alex launched our new sermon series called Follow Me: What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus? He walked through Mark 1:16-20 as Jesus invited his disciples to drop their nets and follow him in discipleship. In these verses, we learn that first and foremost discipleship of Jesus starts with Jesus himself. He calls us, not the other way around.
Then, we follow Jesus by being around him, looking like him and doing what he did. Discipleship is apprenticeship of how he lived his life. Praise God! Even when we fail, he is the one who continually draws us back into discipleship.
This week, Youth Ministry Resident Matt Reed walked through Exodus 37:1-9 and discussed "the seat we sit under." In these verses, we see how the ark of the covenant is built, and learn about God's desire and effort to be in relationship with his people. Praise God! He does not sit on a seat of judgment or fear, but one of mercy. This mercy was ultimately lavished on us through the death, resurrection and atonement of God's Son, Jesus Christ. We sit under his perfect, merciful seat, from now through eternity.
In this week's sermon on Luke 2:1-20, we celebrated Christmas Eve by listening to co-lead pastor Alex speak on our savior's birth! In these verses, we see that Jesus Christ is the light of the world. Christ's birth brings good news, great joy and is for all people. Praise God! Jesus Christ has been born into the world, so that we may believe in him by the power of the Spirit and have right relationship with God the Father!
What makes a great gift? In this week's sermon on John 3:16-17, co-lead pastor Ricky walks through these well-known verses word by word, to discuss the greatest gift we have ever received: God's love. We learn that God (the awesome and almighty) so loved the world (the mightiest motive), that he gave his one and only begotten Son (the greatest gift), that whoever (the widest welcome) believes in him (the path to provision) will not perish (the divine deliverance), but have eternal life (the priceless possession). In this season of Advent, sit and celebrate the fact that GOD LOVES YOU. And he reveals his love to you by sending his Son. Amen!
In this week's sermon, we continued our season of Advent with JOY. Lay elder Dakoda Kilzer preached through Habakkuk 3:16-19, and taught how we find joy in the God of our salvation. In these verses, we learn that joy is found in God, not in circumstances, and rejoicing in God gives us strength.
Though the prophet Habakkuk was facing horrible conditions through the rise of the Babylonian empire, he placed his foundation in the God of deliverance. Praise God—we have full deliverance through Jesus Christ, and can place our joy in his salvation!
How do we deal with anxiety? In this week's sermon on Philippians 4:6-9, lay elder Eric Knoll answered this question by continuing our series of Advent with PEACE. In these verses, we see four steps of casting our anxieties on the Lord: (1) prayer with a worshipful heart; (2) supplication with a humble posture to our Father; (3) thanksgiving, not complaining; (4) request by revealing our hearts to God.
What, then, is the result of casting? Peace. We apply casting by being in Christian community, praying in fellowship with the Father and dwelling on the truth of God's Word. Praise God! In him we have eternal peace with Christ Jesus our Lord!
In this week's sermon on Psalm 33:16-22, our Ministry Resident Trent Marshall kicked off our Advent series with HOPE. We learned how the season of Advent is designed to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ. What is hope? In today's culture, we use hope interchangeably with words like want or wish, but Biblical hope is significantly different.
In these verses, we see that your hope is only as secure as what it rests upon—and we have the most secure hope in the world in Christ. While everything else over promises and under delivers, God promises and delivers. Praise God—we have hope in the incarnate Christ!
This week, co-lead pastor Alex Leyva finished our series on Nehemiah with 13:1-31. After returning to Jerusalem, rebuilding the wall and attempting to rededicate their lives to God, the Israelites once again fall away from the Lord. In these verses, we learn that only God's internal restoration leads to a true rebuilt people.
How do we be a people like this, seeking after the Lord? By cherishing responsibility, fighting for a content rest and pursuing set apart relationships. After the book of Nehemiah, there are 400 years of silence... but then, Jesus! Praise God that even when we fall short, Jesus Christ is the perfect fulfillment of God's people.
In this week's sermon through Nehemiah 11:1-12:47, Pastor Ricky asks the question: "What do want the culture of our people to be like?" After the wall surrounding Jerusalem was rebuilt, this was the question that God's people asked themselves.
In these verses, we learn that God has a mission, so we move; God moves in us, and leads us to worship; and God gives, so we give. Ultimately, we find that for us to be this kind of people, it must first be an individual change. When we live out God's desire for his people, the world will see the difference.
In this week's sermon on Nehemiah 9:38-10:39, guest Pastor Joe Julian from Citylight Omaha walked through Israel's vow of faithfulness to the Lord. In these verses, we learn that God's covenant with us requires a response of trust from us. We can trust God with all of our priorities, allegiances and generosity. Paise God! His new covenant requires nothing but our trust because Jesus fulfills everything through his humanity.
In this week's sermon on Nehemiah 9:1-37, Ricky walks through the Israelites' prayer and national confession of sin. In these verses, they remember Israel's history and how God has consistently been faithful to them, despite their failings.
Through this, we remember God's power, pursuit, presence, provision and payment. We learn that no matter our sin, God never tires of us coming to him in genuine repentance for his forgiveness.
In this week's sermon, pastor Alex walks through Nehemiah 8:1-18, and discusses how God's power is revealed through the Scriptures. Do we treat the reading of God's Word with the same reverence that we view cultural moments? God's Power is revealed through the understanding of His Word, giving us an attentive Spirit, our physical response in worship, responding in obedience and through the Word sustaining us. Praise God for His Scripture! May we treat it with the proper love, respect and power it deserves.
This week, Ricky walked through the passage on Nehemiah 7:1-73. In these verses, we see the list of God's exiled people who are being restored to the newly rebuilt city of Jerusalem. But God's goal in the book of Nehemiah isn't just rebuilding the wall; it's rebuilding his people. In these verses, we learn that God's dedication leads us to being a distinct and devoted people. Praise God! This passage is not just a list of names; they are specific people God used for his purposes, just like he uses us today.
In this week's sermon on Nehemiah 6:1-19, pastor Alex walks through the enemy's attempts to discourage and intimidate Nehemiah and the builders as they worked on the wall. We learn that we live in a world full of both good and bad distractions, and opposition will come when we pursue God's mission.
But, when we face intimidation, we can continue God's important work, stand on God's Word and be confident in God's wins. Praise God! The temple wall is now built, but God's mission is still coming to fruition.
In this week's sermon on Nehemiah 5:1-19, pastor Ricky walks through the social injustice Nehemiah faces among the Jews at the building of the wall. In times poverty and famine, some Jews were charging outrageous interest to their poor brothers and sisters, to the point of enslaving their children.
Through these verses, we learn that the mission of God is compromised when it has to compete with our mission; but, it will move forward with repentance and generosity. We see the importance of generosity, and learn that repentance from sin incorporates both confession and action to turn away and turn towards God.
In this week's sermon on Nehemiah 4:1-23, Nehemiah and the Jewish builders face opposition from surrounding people as they continue rebuilding the Jerusalem wall. Pastor Alex walks us through how we can face similar opposition in life, either from internal sin or external forces. From the text, we learn how to respond to opposition with prayer, perseverance (in the form of guarding, strengthening weak points and encouraging) and partnership. Praise God that in the face of opposition, we are not alone—our God fights for us!
In this week's sermon, we continue our time in Nehemiah as Pastor Ricky walks through 3:1-32, as Nehemiah and his fellow Israelites began rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Even today, these verses still have meaning and application in our lives. We learn how God moves us from being broken down to built up when you take your spot on the wall; when you become more about His purposes than your preferences; and when you minister where you are at.
This week, Pastor Alex continued our sermon series with Nehemiah 2:1-20. We saw how Nehemiah felt the Lord's burden for His people, the Israelites, and was moved to bold action because of his faith in God's provision. He approached King Artaxerxes with confidence, and traveled to Jerusalem to rebuild the wall. We learned that we can depend on God for courage and boldness, then commit to God's call.
This week, we started our new sermon series on Nehemiah! Pastor Ricky started it off by preaching through Nehemiah 1:1-11. In these verses, we walked through Israel's history leading up to this point Scripture, and the critical role that Nehemiah played as King Artaxerxes's cupbearer. We see Nehemiah's burden for his people and how he prays to God in his despair. In his prayer, we learn how to pray with adoration, humble confession, clinging to God's promises and dependence on God. Thank you, Lord, for the book of Nehemiah!
Yesterday was the last sermon of our series on Citylight South's Core Values! We focused on the value of "Out," or living "out" on mission to share the Gospel with every tribe and tongue. Pastor Alex walked through the whole story of Scripture, focusing on Genesis 12:1-3, Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8 and Revelation 21:3. We learned about God's mission to the nations, our participation and our investment. We also spent time in prayer praising God for his story and asking him to use us in even more ways to glorify him!
In this week's sermon on Romans 12:3-13, pastor Ricky walks through our core value of "In," as in being in community with our fellow believers. He asks the question: what would it look like for the people of God to live in light of the transforming work of the Gospel? It changes how we view ourselves, changes who we belong to, changes us from consumers to contributors and changes us to be a countercultural people. May we all be so in love with the Lord, that it pushes us to love his people even more deeply!
This Sunday, we started our three-week series on our church's Core Values! Pastor Alex walked through our first two core values: down and up—the Gospel and spiritual formations. Jesus came down to live the perfect life as fully man and fully God, then died and rose again to fulfill atonement for our sins on the cross. Because of this, we respond with spiritual formations and disciplines in order to know and love God more fully. He summed it up nicely: Because of what God has done, we keep looking at Him.
In this week's sermon, we close out our series on Psalm 1 with Psalm 1:5-6, from guest pastor Tom Remple. Tom speaks on choosing life and staying rooted in God's Word. We see two fruits: the enduring tree and the forgotten chaff; two destinies: forever separation and forever blessing; and two responses: a life invested and a life wasted. May we flee from the gradual creep of sin's normalcy and choose the path of life!
Do we treat the Christian life as something that's just a "little different" than life without God? As co-lead pastor Ricky continues through Psalm 1:3-4 this Sunday, we learn that the blessed life and the wicked life are as contradicting as a tree planted next to water and chaff in the wind. Because Christ is in our lives, our position, what we produce and our perseverance are all changed. Don't be fooled that life in God is just a subtle difference—it is the ultimate difference.
This week, our church family dives into studying Psalm One! For the next three weeks, we're encouraging the people of Citylight South Church to memorize Psalm 1:1-6 together. Every week, we will recite the Scripture together and study the Psalm in depth.
Yesterday, pastor Alex looked at Psalm 1:1-2: "The Blessed Life." We learn that the blessed life is the one that dwells with God. May we delight in the Lord and delight to spend time with him by meditating on his Word! When hardship strikes, what does your mind automatically go to? By focusing on the Lord, our hearts can delight in returning to him.
In this week's sermon on Matthew 28:16-20, Youth Resident Matt Reed finishes out the past 2 years that Citylight South Church has been preaching through the book of Matthew! We culminate on Jesus's final command to his disciples: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations..."
Through these last verses of the book of Matthew, we learn that Christ's actions lead to the disciples' assurance; Christ's authority leads to our action; and Christ's presence is our peace. By recognizing Christ as King and his authority over our lives, we are compelled to live life for him and glorify him by sharing the Gospel. Praise God!
In yesterday's sermon on Matthew 28:1-15, pastor Alex walks through the story of the resurrection. The women go to the tomb and find Jesus alive from the dead, just as he said! Afterwards, the chief priests bribe the Roman guards to lie and say Jesus's body was stolen. In these verses, we learn the truth of Jesus's resurrection that we can see in Scripture; we also recognize some of the lies we hear to try and denounce Jesus. But praise God for his truth: Jesus is alive today!
In this week's sermon on Matthew 27:45-66, pastor Alex walks through the passage on Jesus's death and burial process. In this, we read Jesus's last words: "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" As a man, Jesus felt the full weight of sin, so that we wouldn't have to. We learn that Jesus's sacrifice on the cross, we have full access granted to a relationship with God! Praise God—the veil is torn!
In this week's sermon on Matthew 27:11-44, Ricky walks through Jesus's trial before Pilate. The crowd chooses to release Barabbas the criminal, and Jesus is handed over to be flogged and crucified. Through these verses, we see Pilate, the Self-Serving; the Religious Leaders/Crowd, the Swayed/Cruel; and Barabbas, the Spared. We learn that Jesus didn't just die for me, but he died instead of me. Praise God for Jesus's sacrifice on the cross!
This week, Citylight Youth Ministry Resident Matt Reed spoke on Matthew 26:47—27:10, when Jesus is arrested and brought to trial before the Sanhedrin. Peter then denies Jesus, and Judas dies in grief over his betrayal. Through these verses, we learn that because God is always in control, then we can have certainty in our circumstances. While God's plans aren't always our preferences, they are for our good and His glory. Like Peter, we can come to him in repentance and be welcomed!
In this week's sermon, Ricky teaches on Matthew 26:31-46: Jesus predicts Peter's denial, then prays in the Garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. Ricky walks through the agony of Jesus, the aloneness of Jesus and finally the answer of Jesus. Through these verses, we see Jesus prepare for his upcoming death and resurrection for our sins.
In his sermon this week on Matthew 26:17-30, pastor Alex walks through the passage of betrayal during the Passover. We learn about the significance of the Jewish Passover and its representation of the Old Covenant, how Judas betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees and how Jesus fulfills the New Covenant for us. Most importantly, we learn that by Jesus's sacrifice on the cross, we are offered the the ultimate forgiveness for our sins under the New Covenant of his body and blood.
In this week's sermon on Matthew 26:1-13, Ricky walks through the beginning narrative leading up to Jesus's crucifixion and resurrection. While in Bethany, Mary—the sister of Lazarus—anoints Jesus's head with oil to prepare him for his impending death. Ricky shares how she did this by pouring out everything she had, because she perceived the true value of Jesus and positioned herself at his feet. We are challenged by the question: does my worship of Jesus match his true worth?
In this week's sermon on Matthew 25:31-46, pastor Alex walks through Jesus's parable of the sheep and the goats. We learn how God's preparation of His kingdom leads to our participation in His body. Jesus separates the sheep and the goats as people who know him and cared for his body, or people who never really knew him. Alex teaches that we are made for a heavenly kingdom, therefore we should see sure signs of our citizenship while here on earth.
In his sermon this week on Matthew 25:14-30, pastor Ricky walks through Jesus's parable of the talents, when the master calls his servants to him and gives them each a number of talents to use wisely while he is away. Ricky challenges us to recognize what you've been entrusted with, redefine success and recognize the master. God has given abundantly to each of us, and it is our responsibility and goal to use what he has given us to glorify him.
In his sermon on Matthew 25:1-13, pastor Alex walks us through Jesus's parable of the ten virgins. Five of the virgins were wise in their preparation for the groom, while five were foolish. Alex discusses how this lack of preparation can apply to believers and unbelievers alike, by masking our activity, a lack of urgency, unhealthy codependency and misunderstanding our assurance. He asks the question: are you prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ?
In his sermon this week on Matthew 24, Alex walks through Jesus's prediction of the destruction of the temple, as well as signs of the end of the age. As believers, we don't shy away from these difficult passages; we lean into them as we wrestle with God's Word. While there are different schools of thought on what the end times will look like, we can be confident in the chaos. The world will pass away, Jesus Christ will return, and we are called to be His people in the midst of it all.
In his sermon this week on Matthew 23:13-39, pastor Ricky walks through Jesus's sermon of woes against the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. Ricky challenges us and asks how we often behave like the Pharisees by hindering others, justifying ourselves and fooling others and ourselves. But praise God! When we trust in Jesus Christ, his grace covers our pride and hypocrisy.
To celebrate Resurrection Sunday, pastor Ricky walks us through the passage of Luke 24:1-12 and 36-49. We learn that yes, really! The resurrection really did happen and you really can have a relationship with Jesus! Pastor Ricky explains how the resurrection is real, we are forgiven and made new, there is a hope and a future and Jesus is personal. Praise God! Jesus is alive!
For our Good Friday gathering, elder board member Dakoda Kilzer walks us through the passage on Luke 23:32-43, as Jesus is crucified for our sins. Through Jesus's interactions with those around him, we learn that Jesus is merciful, Jesus is meek and Jesus is the one who saves. Jesus suffered and died on our behalf, but praise God that Resurrection Sunday is just around the corner!
In his most recent sermon, Alex continues our series in Matthew with 23:1-12, when Jesus denounces the hypocrisy of the religious Pharisees. Through this, Jesus addresses the hypocrisy in our own hearts and asks where we seek praise or affirmation from outside of Christ. Alex shares Christ's call for us to be humble servants, rather than exalted leaders. Where do you exalt yourself for your own glory, rather than humbly seeking the glory of God?
This week, we continue our series in Matthew with Ricky's sermon on 22:34-46. The Pharisees try to test Jesus by asking him which command of the law is the greatest, and Jesus answers with two exhortations: Love the Lord your God, and love your neighbor as yourself. We learn that these commands don't completely usurp the Law, but rather fulfill it. Ricky walks through the content of the Law, the motivation of the Law and ultimately, the Christ of the Law.
In his sermon on Matthew 22:23-33, Matt Reed walks through Jesus's conversation with the Sadducees regarding the Resurrection. Through this interaction, we learn that the Living God resurrects believers into an eternal relationship with Him. The resurrection is real and it will be different from the life we currently live. Praise God, that in Jesus Christ we have a guarantee of a resurrection to eternal life! Therefore, we must live with an eternal perspective now.
In this week's passage from Matthew 22:15-22, Jesus is tested by the Pharisees and the Herodians to pick a side between the Jews and the Romans. But, Jesus chooses to submit His life to God alone. Alex preaches on Jesus's words to give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and give to God what is God's, by reminding us that we are first and foremost God's image bearers, before we are any opinion, group or party.
Last week, we reflected on the past 3 years God has given us as a church body. In his sermon this week on Philippians 1, Ricky walks through how we are to respond by moving forward. We reject complacency, we embrace discomfort, we cling to Christ and we cultivate community. We pray to continue responding as a church body, because God is not done yet!
Happy third birthday, Citylight South! In his sermon on Acts 16:11-40 and Philippians 1:3-5, Alex celebrates the life of Citylight South Church and everything God has done through our family in the last three years. We share stories of how Christ has changed lives, and answer the questions of why we planted and what God has done. And of course, we proclaim new lives brought to Christ through baptisms! Praise God!
In his sermon on Matthew 22:1-14, Alex walks us through the parable of the wedding banquet. Jesus shares the joy and truth of the Gospel—despite the times that we are apathetic or even reject God, He still invites us to respond and receive His kingdom.
In this week's sermon on Matthew 21:33-46, Ricky walks through Jesus's parable of the vineyard owner. Jesus challenges our view of self: how do we behave as the entitled farmers? We reach for control despite God's authority; we refuse to listen; we fail to produce fruit in our faith. Jesus was the stone the builders rejected, and yet he became the cornerstone we build out faith upon.
In his sermon on Matthew 21:18-32, Ricky walks through a passage when the priests challenge Jesus' authority, and Jesus shares his parable of the two sons. This challenges us and asks the question if we truly live out our faith, or if we're just presenting false advertising. What do you need to repent from and turn to the Lord with?
Join us as our Youth Ministry Resident, Matt, walks us through Isaiah's prophecy pointing to God's chosen servant.
Join us as we continue our Advent series as Pastor Alex takes us through Isaiah 9:6-7 to see that Jesus is the Prince of Peace
Join us as Pastor Alex continues our series in Advent and we read how the Scriptures points us to see that Christians can have Joy in all circumstances.
Join us as our guest preacher, Nathan Northcutt continues our series of Advent as we study God's love for us in 1 John 4:9-10.
Join us as we start the season of Advent. Pastor Alex begins our series with pointing us to our confident Hope that we can have in Jesus.
Join us as we continue in our series through the Gospel of Matthew. Pastor Ricky encourages us on how God's design is better than our desire.
Pastor Alex continues in our series in the Gospel of Matthew as Jesus walks the disciples through handling relationships with one another to demonstrate how Kingdom people act like the King.
Pastor Ricky continues our series in the Gospel of Matthew as we study together what Jesus defines as true greatness.
Alex continues our series in Matthew. Today Jesus discusses topics that everyone loves to talk about - faith, death, and taxes.
In this week's sermon, Ricky walks through Matthew 17:1-13, when Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James and John. Moses and Elijah appear next to Jesus, representing his fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets from the Old Testament. While Moses and Elijah reflected the glory of God, Jesus is the exact expression of God's glory! God's glory came down and touched mankind, therefore we respond by listening and looking to him for our lives.
In this week's sermon on Matthew 16:13-28, elder board member Eric Knoll walks through Peter's confession of the Messiah, Jesus's death and resurrection predicted and how we must take up our cross to follow Jesus. Jesus is the Son of the Living God—the key of spiritual birth, faith, salvation and forgiveness—with whom we can have a relationship. Our relationship with him looks like a hunger for God's Word, a hatred of sin and a love for others. Who do you say Jesus is?
In this week's sermon on Matthew 16:1-12, Ricky walks through Jesus's conversation with the Pharisees and the Sadducees when they demand a sign to prove himself. Jesus shows the Pharisees and Sadducees that they don't need a sign; they need a Savior. Then, he teaches his disciples to beware of false teachings. Your life is a sign that points to something—what does it show that you believe about Jesus?
This week, we returned to our series on Matthew with Ricky's sermon on Matthew 15:1-20. Ricky walks through Jesus's conversation with the Pharisees as he challenges their cultural influences on God's law. Jesus teaches that it is not what goes into our mouths that defiles us, but what comes out of our mouths, because out of the mouth comes the truth of our hearts. How do we allow culture to influence our beliefs more than God's Word? The answer is not to try and "spray paint" our lives, but to allow God's Holy Spirit to transform our hearts.
In this week's sermon from the "At the Table" series, Ricky walks through Luke 14 and asks the question: "Do we think about the Christian life as a cruise ship, or an expedition?" Jesus shares the parable about the large banquet, when the master invites the poor, maimed, blind and lame to his table. Ricky applies this to our own lives. Do we view our table as an opportunity for our own selfish gain, or do we view it as a means to invite someone new to God's table?
In this week's sermon from the "At the Table" series, Ricky walks us through John 21:1-17, in one of the scenes where Jesus reunites with his disciples after his resurrection. Jesus shows Peter (and us) that there is no shame or condemnation in a relationship with him. Jesus doesn't want our right actions; he wants a restored relationship with our hearts.
In this week's sermon, Alex continues our "At the Table" series with Mark 14:12-26. He also references Exodus 11—13:16 and 1 Corinthians 11:25-34. In Mark, Jesus shares the first Communion meal with His disciples. Alex walks through the significance behind the Passover, Judas's betrayal and what the Lord's Supper means for us as believers now.
In this week's sermon on Acts 2:42-47, Ricky continues with the second week of our "At the Table" series. Ricky walks through how the early church of Acts devoted themselves to meeting together at the table, in order to build community and discipleship. They didn't just follow a set of rules that Jesus left behind; they responded to the grace he showed them through love for one another.
In this week's sermon on Matthew 14:22-36, our guest speaker Kent Sovine shares the story of Peter walking on water. Kent challenges us to ask the question: do we look at Jesus as just a provider of experiences, or do we truly worship him as the Son of God? Do we seek Jesus because we have FOMO, or do we fall at his feet in awe and worship? As we read the story of Peter walking on water, we learn that following Jesus is about more than just seeking blessings from him.
In this week's sermon on Matthew 14:13-21, Ricky walks us through Jesus's feeding of the five thousand and the miraculous meal he provided, not just for their physical bodies, but for their spiritual.
In this week's section of Matthew 14:1-12, Alex walks through the difficult passage where we read about John the Baptist's death at the hands of Herod the tetrarch and his mistress, Herodias. We learn about two main forms of fear that Herod demonstrates in these verses: (1) fear of man and fear of exposure. What sins or darkness do you have in your life that you're afraid of being exposed? Through Jesus, we have unmerited grace to not be afraid, and allow His light to expose the darkness in our lives.
In this teaching from Matthew 13:44-52, Alex asks the question, "What do you treasure most in life?" Do you place all of your treasure in the Kingdom of Heaven, because the Kingdom of Heaven is worth selling everything for. He walks through how Jesus's parables about treasure, pearls and fish demonstrate where we place our treasure, and if we are actually 100% sold out for the Kingdom of God.
Take a listen to guest preacher Jon Randall, church planter for Salt Church in Greely, Co as he shares about Jesus' call to further understand what it means to follow Him.
In his sermon on Mathew 12:22-37, Pastor Ricky walks through with a lot of conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. Take some time to listen to what Jesus had to say!
In his sermon on Mathew 13:24-43, guest PastorTom Remple walks through three important parables Jesus shares in the book of Matthew: the parable of the wheat and the weeds, and the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven. How does Jesus interpret these parables, and how does his use of parables fulfill Old Testament prophecy?
In this section of Matthew 13:1-23, Ricky walks through Jesus's famous parable of the sower and the different soils he spreads seed in. Ricky discusses the four different types of soil we can be, and asks us to prayerfully consider our hearts in their response towards the Word of God.
Pastor Alex continues to walk us through Matthew's account, starting in chapter 12, verses 15-21. The Jews were told about a Messiah who was going to come and save them, but in their minds, they were picturing something completely different than who Jesus actually is. They started to impose their own view of what the Messiah was going to be like, and this leads us to see that their view of the King was all wrong. But Jesus is actually what they needed, what the Messiah was supposed to be, and what we need today: a healing King, and a victorious Servant King.
Pastor Alex preaches from Matthew 11:25-30. What did Jesus mean when he said "My yoke is easy and my burden is light?" Often times we see rest and peace as temporary. While that is basically true about all of our lives Alex shows us how Jesus's offer of rest found in God is different from our idea of rest.
Ricky preaches from Matthew 11:1-24, and walks us through the doubts that John the Baptist had as he heard about Jesus from prison. While we aren't John the Baptist, most of us have asked that same question. Is Jesus the one? The answer...He is!
Pastor Alex walks us through Matthew 10:16-42. And shows us that Jesus is worthy of all worship, Jesus is worthy of all mission. The price of persecution, the cost of our comfort, the sacrifice we may make are nothing compared to the reward that we have in Jesus. He is worthy.
Pastor Alex preaches to us from 1st Corinthians 15 and reminds us of the hope that we have through Jesus because of the Resurrection! Praise God the tomb is empty!!!
Dakoda Kizer shows what's good about Good Friday through John 19:28-30! Christ died to pay the price that we deserved for sin! He has done it all! It is finished!
Pastor Ricky walks us through Matthew 9:35-10:4. In this passage we see that Jesus isn't just a solo act. He has called us all to participate in the work of His Kingdom!
Wherein Alex walks us through the end of Matthew Chapter 9, and shows us that Jesus came for the desperate, the poor in spirit, and the broken! He came for all of us, and that is VERY. GOOD. NEWS. because we are all broken!
Ricky is continuing our series in Matthew; today Jesus breaks the categories of religion and what it means to worship God, both for those who are trying to find salvation in being good people and for those who feel they're too far off to be accepted by the Lord.
Brett, a guest pastor, continues our series in Matthew by showing us both the power and peace that Jesus holds in His hands. We'll walk through the end of Matthew 8 and the beginning of 9 where we'll beg the question "what kind of man is this?" and see how Jesus answers that very question for Himself.
David continues our series in Matthew by asking us the question: Are You In? The story of two disciples who want to follow Jesus, but have some reorienting to do as far as what that would look like. Jesus addresses them, and now he's still addressing us.
Elder, Jason Banks, continues our series in Matthew. We jump past the sermon on the mount (since we covered that just a few months ago) and pick up in some incredible stories of Jesus healing in ways that reveal His authority, and expose the world to what His Kingdom truly looks like.
It's not always about what is said, but who said it. In this passage we see that Jesus is beginning His kingdom movement by calling disciples to Himself with the authority of the King of the world! If He spoke that way then, He's still speaking with that authority to us today, how will we respond?
Ricky opens us up to a familiar story but calls on us to hear it with fresh ears. What's Jesus' temptation really all about, how can we make sense of our own struggle with sin in light of it, and how does Jesus affect all that?
Alex opens to the very beginning of Jesus' public ministry according to Matthew. In this story, Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist and then something absolutely amazing happens, something that defines everything that will come next; something that defines us still today. Thanks for listening!
Ricky opens up Matthew 3 where John the Baptist steps on the scene to pave the way for Jesus' public ministry. John asks his audience to adjust their lives to the coming Messiah, and we have to ask ourselves if we're ready to adjust as well. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Mark shares about his experience as a CMA missionary in the Philippines and walks through Matthew 28, sharing God's heart for us to go out to the world after we've stepped in to His great love for us.
Alex takes us to our fourth core value, out, by turning to 2 Corinthians where Paul is encouraging the church there to live in their new creation, to see people differently, and to represent Jesus to the nations. Thanks for listening!
Ricky opens up to Romans 12 and shows how the body of Christ has been gifted by God to be committed to one another in unique ways. That we’re interdependent on one another under our unity in Christ.
Alex continues our Core Values series by turning to Galatians 5, where the Holy Spirit is seen to be the One who transforms us and spiritually shapes us into the Image of Christ in response to what Jesus has done on the cross and in the resurrection.
Ricky starts off our series on the church's core values with down. Down is that Jesus came down to us as our savior, it's the gospel! It's what we're all about, so we're so thankful for you taking the time to watch!
Hayden opens us up to the shortest chapter in the Bible, where we find that God's loyal love and faithfulness isn't just for Israel, but for all people; no matter where you're from, who you are, or what you've done. Thanks for listening!
Alex has the pleasure of sharing the story of Jesus with us on Christmas Eve! We hope you'll listen and celebrate with us!
Ricky asks us a really important question "why did you come?" as he continues the story of Christmas; looking at the wise men, Herod, the scribes, and Jesus and answering that question for all of them." So let's listen and ask of ourselves today!
Eric, one of our elders, picks up the Christmas story where the action really starts. Mary learns that she will have a child, Joseph learns that Mary is pregnant, and the world begins to be transformed because the Messiah has come into the world. It is a moment in time that changed everything. Thanks for listening!
Alex begins a new series in Matthew 1:1! That's right we're reading the story of Jesus' birth and starting from the beginning. Wait, doesn't that mean this is going to be a story about a bunch of names? Not quite, don't skip this one just yet! Thanks for listening!
Hayden, our high school director, wraps up the sermon on the mount by taking us back to the top and walking us through the entire teaching. He reminds us that we should her, not just with amazement, but with an active response to the authority Jesus has in teaching us. Thanks for
Ricky closes Jesus' sermon with the big picture that Jesus is drawing his audience toward. In everything He's been saying He's been drawing His people into discernment and to actually make a decision. Thanks for listening!
Alex begins to wrap up the Sermon on the Mount in a section where Jesus encourages us to Ask, Seek, and Knock. But what are we asking for? Can we trust God that He's actually going to give us good gifts? Those are the questions we'll be examining today! Thanks for listening!
"Don't judge." We've heard it a lot. At one point it was the most quoted verse in the Bible! But what is Jesus actually saying? In this sermon Ricky unpacks this very popular section and helps direct us back to Jesus and His heart for us. Thanks for listening!
Alex takes us into a section of the sermon on the mount that hits home, addressing anxiousness and worry. We'll see how there is a needed perspective shift from our end that Jesus is trying to get our eyes to follow, so let's see how He does it! Thanks for listening!
Dakoda, one of our elders, carries us on in the sermon on the mount this week where Jesus is going to challenge our allegiance by asking us what we treasure. This passage is tough because it can come with a lot of baggage, but if we can set aside what we think is going on here, Jesus will challenge us to the very core with His words. Thanks for listening!
Ricky keeps us going into one of the most famous passages in the entire Bible, Matthew 6. It's one of the most famous because it contains the Lord's Prayer. So what is Jesus really trying to press into us in this section? Is this just a cool prayer to memorize and repeat here and there, or is there something we need to believe that Jesus is bringing out in this section? Thanks for listening!
Alex is getting us into a section of the sermon on the mount that we generally aren't super thrilled with reading, but need to hear because it does some demolition on our hearts. It's one of those sections where Jesus really exposes the depth of our sin, but praise be to God that He also provides grace and forgiveness! Thanks for listening!
Ricky continues our time in the sermon on the mount with one of the more confusing sections of the teaching. Jesus says that he fulfills the law, but then challenges people not to be lackadaisical in following the law. How does this make any sense? That's what Jesus has to say this morning. Thanks for listening!
Alex continues our series in Matthew by unpacking what it means to be the salt of the earth and light of the world. Does that mean more things that we need to be? Is this like a new personality test? Jesus is so wise in how he moves us toward Himself here, so thanks for listeng as we discover together!
Ricky moves into the first section of the sermon on the mount which we call the "beatitudes." This is a cool section of scripture because it's one of the first teachings that Jesus gives and it absolutely wrecks our preconceived notions about God and what He's come to do through Jesus. It'll make you go, "say what?" Thanks for listening!
Alex opens up our series on the Sermon on the Mount by narrowing in to just the first two verses of Matthew chapter 3. He shows how all of the old testament has been anticipating the arrival of the king who will sit on his mountain and rule with righteousness...enter Jesus. Thanks for listening!
Ricky closes our time in Acts by...not closing it? I'll let you figure out how that works. Thanks for listening!
In this weeks episode Alex preaches from Acts 28, unpacking Paul's continued Journey to Rome and the mishaps along the way. Sometimes these mishaps can feel like detours, and even in our own lives our best laid plans often go bad. Are the things that seem like detours to us really detours to our God?
This week Ricky opens up Acts 27 which is a long and detailed section all about a stormy and difficult journey to Rome. In all these details though, what's the point? Why not just tell us how it all turns out? Well, perhaps the details are causing us to slow down and consider where God is at and what He's doing in all of this. Thanks for listening!
Ricky picks up our series in Acts with chapter 25. Here we'll see that the three people in this section are driven by three different internal drives, preservation, profitability, and the promises of God. What are you driven by? Thanks for listening!
Alex continues the story of Acts into chapter 26 where Paul makes his defense before King Agrippa, begging him to listen. So, how do we interact with people, what do we say, and how do we respond when sharing the good news of Jesus? Those are the questions we'll be unpacking this week! Thanks for listening!
Pastor Kent Sovine is a guest preacher once again this week, continuing our series in Acts! He has a big section of scripture but opens it up to reveal that, what we read, is a time when Paul was in a "desert," but remained to devoted to Jesus none the less. What gave him the strength to live in such a way? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex takes us into a weird story that shows up in Acts 23, but as he unpacks it for us we'll see that the resurrection of Jesus is as center stage; driving our character, our beliefs, and bringing comfort. Thanks for listening!
Eric, an elder, walks us through the net part of our Acts series where Paul finally has made it to Jerusalem and is preparing to share his story, shares it before the people there, and continues to share even in the face of adversity. What does that mean for us today? Thanks for listening!
Hayden, our high school director, continues our series in Acts, picking up in chapter 21. Here we'll see that Paul isn't just someone who believes the right things about God, but that he has been raised to new life in Jesus and it is what moves him forward in everything he does. So, are we being transformed by the life and love of Jesus? Thanks for listening!
Ricky walks us through Acts 20:17-38 where we see Paul having a conversation with the Ephesian elders, letting them know that he is saddened to depart from them, but his purpose drives him forward and should be the thing that drives our lives as well. Thanks for listening!
This week Alex continues our series in Acts, showing us how this section tells the story of a church that was on mission for Jesus. What could our story be, will you hear it? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky picks up where we left off in Acts and follows Paul on his journey around Asia Minor. He's going to unpack the chapter and reveal the truth that God works in His ways and through ordinary people. Thanks for listening!
We close out our time in the letter to Titus with preaching from one of our elders, Jimmy Pelton. He wraps up the series by showing how the closing section draws in the rest of the letter and calls us to live out of a life that is changed by Jesus and focused on loving our neighbor. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky continues our sermon series in Titus by walking through verse 3:9-12, where Paul insists that Titus focus on the gospel, avoid foolishness, and reject divisiveness. In this we see the same question asked of our lives and of the life of the Church: will we waste it? Thanks for listening!
Elder Dakota Kilzer preaches from Titus 3:1-8 with the opportunity to call us to live distinctly before others, remember where we came from, and cling to the truths of the gospel. We're so thankful for Dakota's willingness to let the Spirit work through him and we hope you'll feel His work in your heart today. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex teaches over Titus 2:11-15 as we continue on in our series, A Renewed People. This week we really do begin to see the heart of the letter to Titus play out as Paul tells us how a renewed people live, and why we do so. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky walks us through the beginning of Titus chapter 2, and shows us how the callings on us as men and women of God are really for our benefit and vitality as Christians!! Thanks for listening!!
Pastor Alex preaches on Titus 1:10-16 and why false gospels must be opposed in the Church and in our own lives! Hold fast to the gospel of Christ Jesus! Thanks again for listening!!
Pastor Ricky helps us examine the need for Elders with a firm and upright character as presented by Paul in the first Chapter of Titus! As always, Thanks for listening!!
Alex unpacks the beginning four verses of the book of Titus and why Paul wrote it! Thanks again for listening!!
David walks us through the story of the cross in John 19:16-37, and unpacks the significance of what Christ did there! Thanks for listening!!
Alex continues our series on Acts by picking up with Paul's dialogue in the Areopogus; where he confronts Stoic and Epicurean philosophers about their gods, presenting the truth about God in Jesus and His resurrection. Thanks for listening!
This week, Pastor Ricky continued our series in Acts, picking up with Acts 17 that follows Paul and Silas as they continue in their second missionary journey. As they travel from town to town, we realize that people are receiving the message based on major reference points for their lives, and we tend to do the same. Thanks for listening!
Alex continues the story of Acts, talking about how Jesus delivers from all things; from religion, spiritual darkness, physical circumstances, and even death. Thanks so much for listening this week!
This week our high school director, Hayden, is continuing the story of Acts by transitioning us through Acts 15 and into 16. It's a weird and confusing passage, but hopefully you'll see how God is faithful in and through the tough stuff too! Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex unpacks the Jerusalem Council that took place in Acts 15 to discuss salvation, is it by grace alone or following the law? This is a major point of Church history that worked its way into our schedule on our 1st Birthday! So timely, thanks God! And we also get to celebrate three testimonies at the end of people who have lives transformed by Jesus and chose to be baptized in response! Thanks for listening!
Everybody lives for something. Everyone is after something and whatever that is, whether it is comfort and money, or politics or relationships, self-actualization and just being better you. Whatever that thing is that you are living for is ultimately what has mastery over you. That is why you have stress or anger or anxiety or disappointment. Because that is what your life is being built on. Your foundation. Thanks for listening!
David and Hayden take over the podcast this week to give a recap of week 7 and talk through some of our highlights, insights, and Jesus moments. Thanks for being diligent in walking through the word with us, and if you're just jumping in or catching up, this is a great place to be! Start right here and let's keep going forward together, thanks for listening!
Alex gets to give a sermon on a sermon this week from Acts 13. What could be easier than preaching a sermon that's already a sermon?! As it turns out, Paul had a lot to say and the story in Acts is compelling for us today too! This is the good news preached that has huge implications for the church then and us now, so thanks for listening!
We're back into Acts and starting again in Acts 13. Ricky is going to take us through the first section of this chapter and talk about the way God moves through His church to create a diversely unified family, moves in mission, and has saving power. It's an interesting story to pick back up on, so he'll give a recap of how we got here as well! Thanks for listening.
Alex and Hayden sit down again to talk through this week's reading plan which focuses heavily on the story of Joseph found in Genesis 39-50. Thanks for listening, this has been a fun thing for us and we're glad you're entering into it with us!
We wrap our series called Family Matters by hitting a bonus value: multiplication. We're called to be a family that multiplies out of the love of Jesus in every context, with disciples, communities, and churches! That's our hope and prayer that God would continue to use each one of us on that mission, and that He would be glorified in it. Thanks for listening!
What is God's heart for you? Have you ever wondered? Today Pastor Ricky is going to ask that question and talk about Jesus's heightening intensity when it comes to chasing after the lost in pure love, and how we as a Church should have His heart and love for the lost, chasing after them together as a family. Thanks for listening!
Hey church fam! As you hopefully know, we're reading the Bible together as a church and wanted to continue to equip y'all with resources and supplementary materials that will hopefully help your time in the word be illuminated more and more with God's love and light in your life; so we're going to record a podcast every other week just recapping the section, pulling out some themes and ideas that seem like key moments, and walking through the passages together! So today our High School Director Hayden is joining Pastor Alex, but next time maybe it will be you joining us?! That'd be cool. Either way, thanks for listening and we hope God will use this time to grow your love and affection for Him and His Word to us.
Pastor Alex continues our core values series discussing Colossians 1 and growing in maturity in Christ with the family we belong to. We're a family that labors with each other as we grow in Christ-likeness, but it takes dispelling a few lies about the church and reconstructing a few truths. So thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky continues our Family Matters series by answering the question "what do we mean when we say we're a 'family to belong to?'" Reading from Philippians 1:3-11 we'll see the kind of affection the family of Christ creates, the basis for belonging, and the actions produced in belonging. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky closes up our Light and Life series on Christmas Eve by talking through John 1 and what it means when it says Jesus gives us the right to be called children of God. Thanks for joining us over our Christmas celebration and thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex is kicking off our core values series that will walk us through what it means to be a family to belong to, a family to grow with, and a family to go with. So the first thing we need to know is, why be a family? Where does that come from? That's what we'll be talking through today! So grab a Bible and thanks for listening!
David Miller, our Middle School Director, is taking this week to walk us through Romans 5:6-11. He's giving the bad news first, but the bad news makes the good news so much more amazing! Who we were, and who we are in Christ, it's the simple gospel. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex walks us through the next section of John 1 which talks about John the Baptist and his calling to be a witness to the light, drawing out the beauty of the gospel through his life and his mission to point to Jesus, the true light, in everything he did. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky takes us through the next several verses in John 1, answering the question "who is Jesus?" And leading us to the questions, "are you alive?" And "if you are, are you experiencing His life?" Thanks for listening!
Guest Pastor Chuck from Citylight West Council Bluffs opens up our new series Light and Life which is going to be taking us through John 1:1-18. Chuck is inviting us to consider three things, who Jesus was, who He is, and if we will believe. Thanks so much for listening!
Pastor Ricky wraps up this portion of Acts by walking us through the story of Herod ( a god in his own mind) vs Peter's God (the actual all-powerful One). This is such a critical part of the story and really opens us up to some of the biggest questions we face as we encounter a sinful world, following a Holy God. How does God work in it all? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex brings us to a beautiful moment in Acts where the church explodes in Antioch...where the Church is called "Christians" for the first time. Why were they called Christians? And what was it that the gospel was producing for them that made them fit that description? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky gets to share the amazing story of Peter and Cornelius. It's a story of deep wrestling, but God demonstrates the faithfulness of the Gospel and how it overcomes even our deepest presumptions. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex picks up the story of Acts 9, talking over two amazing stories where Jesus heals people through Peter, even raising one from the dead. But what does that have to do with us? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky gets the special opportunity of sharing about how Jesus stepped in front of Paul on his way, persecuting the church, to save him to Himself. Jesus is doing the same thing to us today, poking and prodding for us to turn to Him. So thanks for listening!
"It's remembering the joy that we have in Christ that encourages us to go forward and share with others so that they might have the same joy we do." Pastor Alex brings us back to Acts as we pick up the story with Philip being moved by the Spirit to do something bold! Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky wraps up the series over work by, well, talking about rest actually. We're designed for a rhythm of work and rest, so how do we look to Jesus in our rest? That's what Ricky will walk us through as we close this chapter! Thanks for listening.
Pastor Ricky preaches about how the Word encourages us to see work as worship to God, but warns that work can be easily be made into an idol in our lives, something that takes God's place as the provider for our lives. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex brings us in to send us out in our work this week, proclaiming the truth that our work is not only worship to God, but a blessing to others when we give our whole heart to serve God in it. Thanks for listening!
Ricky will begin a new mini-series about that thing we spend almost all of our time doing...working. Is it a means to an end? Or is there something more sacred about what we do? Thanks for listening!
Ricky and Alex keep to casual attire and team-teach this final section of Acts 8 together over Zoom! Our church body really enjoyed this change of pace and we think you will too, so thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky launches us into the next section of Acts where we see the Church begin to scatter out from Jerusalem because of persecution Saul is bringing upon them after Stephen was put to death. But what is God up to in the midst of all of that, and how does this story help us see our own lives? Thanks for listening.
Guest Pastor Elvin from Citylight Benson takes a long, long, long section of Acts that includes the epic sermon Stephen gives before his martyrdom. So, what do we do with such a long section of scripture? We get a tutorial on how to lose friends and infuriate people...biblically. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky closes out this section of Acts by talking through a struggle the early church had that called the Disciples to act wisely and delegate some authority. What happens as a result? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex keeps us rollin' through Acts in chapter 5 by examining the way that Jesus forces people to count the cost of following Him. His unique way of breaking down this passage allows us to look at 4 reactions people have to Jesus, and begs the question for ourselves today. Thanks for listening!
Ricky opens us up to one of those strange stories of the Bible that picks up the story of Acts in chapter 5. But first, we'll finish chapter 4 and allow that to inform the story that follows; but not without setting the scene in the world of the upside down. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex opens us again this week with an overview of the story of Acts so far before picking up in Acts 4, the story of Peter and John's boldness that leads to a penalty, but then a prayer for even more boldness! It's a great story and we're so thankful you're here to listen to it again!
Guest Pastor Kent Sovine brings it this week as we get into chapter three of Acts. This epic story tells us so much about what it means to be a witness to Jesus in a broken world and Pastor Kent offers some great challenges to go along with this amazing text. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky wraps up Acts 2, where the church is seen sharing all things in common and devoting themselves to...well a few things. But it brings up the good question, should we be devoting ourselves to these same things? If so, do we still have the capacity to devote ourselves to anything in this non-committal age? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex opens up Acts chapter 2 where we dive into the public arrival of the Holy Spirit and, spoiler alert, when fire comes; it spreads. Alex leads us through the passage that explores the Spirit's experience, explanation, and effect. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky closes out Acts chapter 1, a strange passage where we see the disciples rolling the dice to choose a new apostle...or is that what they're doing? Can't wait to unpack this with you and learn more about our King and who we are in Him. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex opens up to the story of the Ascension from the book of Acts and reminds us what the angels reminded the apostles as they stood there with their heads in the clouds, "you have one job." Thanks for listening!
What's up new series?! We're launching into the book of Acts this week, starting right at the beginning. Pastor Ricky will open up the story for us by giving us some background and diving into the meaning of the phrase "what Jesus began to do and teach..." What's it all about? Find out now! Thanks for listening.
Pastor Alex talks through Psalm 2, which asks the question of us, what will we do with Jesus? Will we be in rebellion against him, or take refuge in his arms? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky preaches over Psalm 22, one of the most quoted Psalms in the New Testament and one that even Jesus proclaimed while dying on the cross. Listen as he walks us through the Psalm and opens up the scripture for us. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex continues our series in the Psalms with Psalm 34, asking us to taste and see that the Lord is good; describing what that looks like for us in practical ways. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex opens us up to Psalm 8, walking alongside David and the choirs of Israel as they sit in wonder before the Creator God who puts himself on display in all of creation and in us. Who do we put on display when we do something great? Let's work through this scripture together!
Pastor Ricky brings the Word from Psalm 51, setting the scene for David's desperate cry to God for mercy and grace. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex walks through Psalm 13, where an uncensored David cries out in desperation to God. Can we be honest with God, or does He want us to censor ourselves when we come before Him in prayer? Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky walks through Psalm 77 and continues our series "Songs of a Shepherd." The writer of this Psalm, Asaph, comes to God with no filters, expecting that his honesty will be heard by God and that God will be faithful to answer. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex begins a new series where we take some time to slow down and allow our Good Shepherd to lead us to a place of stillness before him. Whether we lie down in green pastures or walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we can be confident that the Lord is our Shepherd, just like David was confident in Him.
Pastor Ricky shares the greatest moment in history from the perspective of Luke! We have a certain salvation in Jesus Christ, in a world of complete uncertainty. Praise Jesus, and thanks for listening!
Pastor Brett brings the story of Jesus' sacrifice on the cross from the Gospel of Mark, reminding us what it means that the veil is torn and the cup has been fully emptied. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex wraps up our Core Values series and launches us into this Easter week by talking about what we are putting our hope in, Jesus' authority and power in our lives, and taking that with us as we go and make disciples! Thanks for listening!
Pastor Alex takes on Hebrews to talk about how Jesus has created a new family that we are called to be committed to; walking through life together. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky gets real. While walking through Romans 7, Ricky shares about the common struggle of the believer and how our vulnerability brings out the light in our common salvation in Jesus. Thanks for tuning in!
Pastor Alex | 3/15/2020 - Pastor Alex continues our Core Values series by going through Romans 12, talking about how we can be transformed by the renewal of our minds. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky continues our Core Values series with an honest and needed call for the church to notice what we give our attention to and turn it to Jesus. Where you set your attention, is who you'll become. Thanks for listening to this week's message from Citylight South!
First, we apologize for the poor sound quality, we expect this to be a one-week issue and we can get back to excellent sound quality next week!
This week we're beginning our Core Values series, orienting ourselves to the gospel of Jesus during this core team phase of our church's new life. Pastor Alex brings the word from Ephesians 2, reminding us about the true life we find in Jesus. Thanks for listening!
Pastor Ricky continues the story of Ruth, beginning to uncover the story of the loving redeemer working not only to Ruth through Boaz, but also to Naomi through Ruth. Ultimately, and sooo surprisingly, it all leads to the story of Jesus. Tune in to this week's sermon now!