SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
Pastor Moldovan continues his series on the Lord’s Prayer by focusing on the fifth petition: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” He begins by explaining the original Greek wording and why translations differ between “debts” and “trespasses.” Drawing on the work of translator William Tyndale, he shows that “debts” is the literal Greek term, emphasizing sin as a moral and spiritual debt to God, while Tyndale chose “trespasses” to help English readers understand that Jesus was speaking about moral offenses rather than financial ones. Pastor Moldovan highlights how the phrase “as also” in the literal Greek illustrates comparison and likeness—not that forgiving others earns God’s forgiveness, but that the spirit in which we forgive others should mirror the grace God extends to us. This connection reflects the two movements of the gospel, vertical (God forgiving us) and horizontal (we forgiving others), forming the shape of the cross.Pastor Moldovan then applies this petition to daily Christian living, offering four practical implications of forgiveness. First, forgiveness reminds us of our ongoing dependence on God, just as we depend on Him for daily bread. Second, forgiveness frees both the wounded and the offender, releasing us from emotional burdens that drain our peace. Third, forgiveness breaks the cycle of retaliation, fulfilling Jesus’ teachings on turning the other cheek, loving our enemies, and overcoming evil with good. Fourth, forgiveness mirrors the cross, where Jesus offered grace even to those who harmed Him. Pastor Moldovan closes by tying the message to Advent’s theme of peace, reminding the congregation that Christ came as the Prince of Peace, offering forgiveness that restores relationships and calms troubled hearts. He encourages believers to let go of lingering hurts—again and again if necessary—trusting the Holy Spirit to bring true healing and lasting peace.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
Pastor Moldovan’s sermon continues the series on the Lord’s Prayer by focusing on the fourth petition: “Give us this day our daily bread.” He explains that Jesus’ prayer is intentionally layered—speaking both of physical provision and spiritual nourishment. Drawing from Exodus 16, he highlights God’s daily gift of manna to Israel, teaching them not to hoard, fear, or worry about tomorrow, but to trust God for each day’s needs. Pastor Moldovan connects this truth to the present, reminding believers that God still supplies food, shelter, resources, and strength day by day. He urges the congregation not to let increasing possessions create increasing anxiety, but rather to trust God boldly, be generous, and remember that Christ is returning—freeing us from fear about the future.The sermon then shifts to spiritual bread, which is found in the Word of God and ultimately in Jesus Himself, the Bread of Life. Pastor Moldovan explains that Scripture nourishes the soul by answering life’s deepest questions and revealing God’s love and salvation through Christ. Jesus’ teaching in John 6 and His institution of the Lord’s Supper show that eternal life and spiritual sustenance come from Him alone. The sermon concludes by linking physical and spiritual provision to the mission of the church: Jesus ministered through both words and deeds, and the church must do the same. Acts of compassion open doors for the gospel. The congregation’s giving—over $100,000 to missions—helps spread this “daily bread” worldwide. A video from Uganda illustrates believers who trust God daily amid hardship, inspiring the congregation to embrace gratitude, simplicity, and the sufficiency of Jesus. The service ends with an invitation for worshippers to write thank-you notes to Christ as an act of Thanksgiving praise.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
Pastor Russel begins by celebrating the baptisms from the previous Sunday and connecting baptism to Christ’s Great Commission in Matthew 28. He explains that according to Scripture, baptism is a believer’s response to hearing, understanding, and accepting the gospel—something infants cannot yet do. Sharing his own story of being sprinkled as an infant and later choosing baptism after personally receiving Christ, he emphasizes that biblical baptism always follows personal faith, repentance, and a conscious decision to follow Jesus. He then introduces the idea that while infant baptism is not practiced at Blanchard Church of Christ, the church joyfully embraces baby dedication as an intentional, biblical practice that partners with parents to help children one day make their own decision to follow Christ.Pastor Russel then outlines the purpose and meaning behind baby dedication. Baby dedication is an act of praising God for the gift of a child, publicly committing to raise that child in the house of the Lord, pledging to nurture the child’s heart to love Jesus, and preparing the child for eternity. Using Hannah and Samuel, Mary and Joseph with Jesus, and Old Testament examples of consecration, he shows that dedicating children to God is solidly rooted in Scripture. He reminds parents that while they cannot make their children’s spiritual decisions for them, they can “stack the deck” by surrounding them with Christian community, godly teaching, and faithful example. The sermon concludes with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 18, calling all believers to enter God’s kingdom with childlike humility, trust, and dependence—just as children trust their parents.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
In this sermon from Pastor Russel Moldovan, the focus turns to the third and fourth petitions of the Lord’s Prayer: “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” After reviewing the earlier messages in the series, Pastor Moldovan explains that the “Kingdom of God” refers to God’s reign and rule over all creation—both the world He sustains and the hearts of those who follow Him. Though God’s reign is present, it is also limited by the free will He granted humanity, a gift that introduced the possibility of sin but made genuine relationship with Him possible. Jesus announced the arrival of this kingdom, inviting people to let God rule within their hearts, where they receive profound blessings: forgiveness, new identity, divine purpose, eternal life, and membership in God’s family. Pastor Moldovan also highlights two key truths: God’s kingdom is “not of this world,” operating by heaven’s values, and it is a “now but not yet” kingdom—spiritually present today, but one day fully revealed when Christ returns and renews all things.The sermon concludes with six practical commitments believers make whenever they pray “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.” Followers of Christ are declaring: “I will joyfully surrender to Your will,” trusting God’s plan even when circumstances are painful or unclear. They commit to seeking God’s priorities first, becoming ambassadors who reflect His character through humility, kindness, reconciliation, and integrity. They pray for God’s reign in the hearts of all people—from family members to national leaders—because God desires everyone to be saved. They cultivate hope for Christ’s return, when evil will be defeated and creation restored. And finally, they choose to trust God’s timing, believing that He uses seasons of waiting, suffering, and uncertainty to shape His people and draw others to Himself. Each time believers pray these simple words, they are pledging their lives to the advancement of God’s kingdom and the fulfillment of His will.
SPRAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
Pastor Russel Moldovan’s sermon “Hallowed Be Thy Name” focuses on the second phrase in the Lord’s Prayer, emphasizing the holiness and reverence due to God’s name. Building on last week’s message about “Our Father who art in heaven,” Pastor Moldovan explains that to “hallow” God’s name means to set it apart as sacred, treating it with awe and respect. He contrasts how modern names often hold little meaning with how ancient Hebrew names—especially those for God—revealed character and identity. He explores several key names for God from Scripture—"El Shaddai" (God Almighty), "El Elyon" (God Most High), "El Rohi" (God Who Sees), "El Olam" (Everlasting God), and "Emmanuel" (God With Us)—demonstrating how these names reveal both God’s transcendence (“High God”) and His nearness (“Nigh God”). The sermon culminates with God’s personal name revealed to Moses, **Yahweh**—“I Am Who I Am”—a sacred name so holy that it was not spoken aloud, later leading to the use of “LORD” in English Bibles.In the application section, Pastor Moldovan outlines "six ways believers can make God’s name holy" in their lives: through personal integrity, sincere worship, Christlike relationships, steadfast trust, bold witness, and faithful mission. He urges Christians to live in ways that reflect God’s holiness—honoring His name not only in words but in conduct, worship, and outreach. True worship, he notes, centers on God’s character rather than personal preferences, and believers are called to let their light shine so that others may glorify the Father. The message concludes by connecting the name "Yahweh" to "Jesus"—“Yahweh saves”—and emphasizing that salvation is found in no other name. Pastor Moldovan challenges the congregation to honor that holy name by sharing Christ with others and inviting them into the life and kingdom of God.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
This sermon, titled “Our Father Who Is in Heaven,” explores the opening invocation of the Lord’s Prayer, emphasizing how Jesus reveals both the intimacy and majesty of God. Pastor Moldovan explains that when Jesus taught His followers to pray “Our Father,” He introduced a radically personal relationship with God—one of love, closeness, and trust. Unlike the distant, formal concept of God found in much of the Old Testament or other world religions, Jesus invites believers to address God as “Abba,” or “Dad.” Yet the phrase “who is in heaven” reminds us that this same God is transcendent—omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, sovereign, eternal, unchanging, infinite, and holy. God is both “nigh” (near) and “high” (above), perfectly balancing His immanence and His majesty.In the second half of the sermon, Pastor Moldovan contrasts the Christian understanding of God with the beliefs found in other religions and New Age spirituality. He explains that while systems like Hinduism or modern spiritual movements teach that divinity lies within each person, Christianity alone reveals a God who is distinct from creation yet personally involved with His people. Truth is not discovered by looking inward but by looking to God’s revelation in Scripture. Salvation, too, is not achieved through self-enlightenment but received as a free gift of grace through faith in Jesus Christ. The sermon concludes with the reminder that true freedom and eternal life are found only in Christ, echoing John 8:36—“If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.”
SPECIAL SPEAKER: Jared Moore
The sermon “Who Are You?” centers on the theme of identity in Christ, using the stories of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego as vivid examples. The message begins with the declaration: “You can change my name. You can change my culture, but you can’t change my identity.” Through Daniel’s story, the speaker illustrates how the Babylonian empire sought to strip the Israelites of their identity by changing their names, education, and culture. Yet Daniel and his friends refused to defile themselves with the king’s food, showing their loyalty to God. Their integrity and faith in exile revealed that their true identity came not from their environment or the power of Babylon, but from their relationship with the living God. Even when threatened with death, they held firm, proclaiming that they would not bow down to false gods — demonstrating that identity grounded in God is unshakable, even under pressure.The second half of the sermon draws parallels between Daniel’s era and today’s world, describing how modern society faces an “identity crisis.” Christians are constantly pressured to conform to worldly values and redefine themselves apart from God. Using examples from pop culture — such as The Lion King, where Simba must “remember who you are” — the preacher calls believers to reflect on their spiritual identity and see their reflection in the image of their heavenly Father. The message concludes with a passionate appeal: worship is warfare, and what we worship shapes who we become. Believers must remember that “the battle is not yours, but God’s,” and that Christ has already overcome the world. The invitation closes with a heartfelt plea for listeners to embrace their true identity as children of God, declaring, “You can change my name, you can change my culture, but you can’t change who I am — I am God’s.”
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
This sermon introduces a new series on **the Lord’s Prayer**, explaining that Jesus offered this prayer as a model to teach His disciples how to pray. It is both **a personal and unifying prayer**, connecting Christians around the world every time it’s recited. The message highlights that the prayer begins with God—not our own needs—focusing first on His name, His kingdom, and His will before turning to human concerns. It also shows that prayer is meant to be **communal**, not just private. Jesus taught us to say “our” and “us,” reminding believers that faith thrives in fellowship and shared prayer, where we help one another resist temptation and stay close to God.The sermon also emphasizes that the Lord’s Prayer is **simple, sincere, and dependent on God**. It’s not about fancy words or long speeches, but about trust—asking God daily for provision, forgiveness, and protection from evil. The message warns that our own forgiveness from God is tied to our willingness to forgive others, reflecting Jesus’ own teaching. Finally, the sermon reminds us that prayer keeps us looking ahead to **God’s coming kingdom**, where all things will be made new and suffering will end. Until that day, believers are encouraged to keep praying, waiting, and walking together in faith, trusting God’s promises and finding peace in Christ.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
The sermon *“Foundations for Christian Success”* presents the Christian life as both a relationship and a race. First, it recalls Jesus’ command to love God and neighbor, framing faith through an interpersonal lens. Then, using Paul’s athletic imagery, it highlights the Christian walk as a disciplined race toward an eternal prize. Just like athletes, believers need training, focus, and perseverance. The church, described as “Team Jesus,” works from the same playbook—the Bible—and each member contributes with their unique gifts. This sets the stage for five “foundational plays” essential for Christian growth and success: obeying God’s Word, prayer, serving like Jesus, fellowship, and accountability.The sermon develops each of these five plays. Believers are called to anchor their lives in Scripture, which answers fundamental questions about origin, purpose, morality, and destiny. Prayer, structured throughout the day, realigns hearts to God’s will. Serving others, even sacrificially, follows Christ’s own example and blesses both the giver and receiver. Fellowship strengthens the church, encourages outreach, and demonstrates God’s love to the community. Finally, accountability—though challenging—is essential for growth, helping Christians stay faithful, overcome sin, and even reshape negative self-talk through faith. Together, these five practices form a winning strategy for running the race well and securing the eternal prize in Christ.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
The sermon titled Confronting Evil Interpersonally focuses on Jesus’ teaching in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37) and how believers are to engage with evil and injustice through an interpersonal, Christ-centered framework. It begins by reminding us of Jesus’ creed—loving God and loving others—and shows how this love must guide our responses in a world broken by sin. The story of the lawyer questioning Jesus illustrates how God calls us beyond religious knowledge into real, active compassion. The Good Samaritan becomes the model, showing mercy when others, bound by prejudice or indifference, turned away. The sermon explores the deep hostility between Jews and Samaritans, emphasizing how radical Jesus’ teaching was—that true neighborliness means crossing barriers, entering another’s suffering, and choosing compassion over self-interest.The message also confronts the reality of evil in our world—whether it comes from others’ sinful actions, our own choices, or simply from living in a fallen creation. Through examples such as the tragic loss of life and the dangers of celebrating others’ downfall, the preacher highlights that Christians must resist bitterness and instead embody a culture of life. The conclusion turns practical, pointing to incarnational ministry as the way forward: entering into people’s pain with Christlike presence through prayer, care, and tangible acts of love. Ultimately, the three attitudes of the parable are contrasted—the robbers (what’s yours is mine, I’ll take), the priest and Levite (what’s mine is mine, I’ll keep), and the Samaritan (what’s mine is yours, I’ll give). Followers of Christ are called to take on the Samaritan’s heart, reflecting the self-giving love of Jesus on the cross.
Speaker: Tim Jackson
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
The sermon titled “My Prayer Toolbox” continues the church’s series on Interpersonalism, emphasizing that Jesus’ ministry was rooted in relationships—loving God, loving others, and loving ourselves. The preacher explained that many people struggle to love others well because they don’t value themselves as God does. Drawing from Jesus’ own example of balance, rest, and prayer, a model for daily spiritual health was shared, with intentional times of prayer in the morning, mid-day, and evening. These routines—reflection, setting intentions, expressing gratitude, and Bible reading—help believers stay aligned with God’s agenda throughout the day and nurture both mental and spiritual health.From there, the sermon introduced the idea of a “Prayer Toolbox” filled with prayers that shape and sustain Christian life. These included the Serenity Prayer, the Lord’s Prayer, confessions from the Book of Common Prayer, the ancient Jesus Prayer, the Good Confession of Peter, the Gloria Patri, and the Apostles’ Creed. Each was shown to be deeply rooted in Scripture and church history, offering believers spiritual depth and strength in different circumstances. The message closed with a reminder from Jesus’ words in Mark 11:17—that God’s house is to be called a house of prayer, not because preaching, worship, service, or evangelism are unimportant, but because prayer is the foundation that empowers all of them.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
This sermon talks about how important it is to take care of ourselves the way God wants us to. Just like we sharpen a saw to make it work better, we also need to “sharpen” our bodies, minds, hearts, and spirits so we can live strong and healthy lives. That means eating good food, getting rest, exercising, reading, learning, building friendships, helping others, and spending time with God in prayer. When we take care of these four parts of our lives—physical, mental, social, and spiritual—we become more balanced and ready to face the hard things in life.The sermon also reminds us that we can’t control everything, but God can give us peace. That’s why it shares the Serenity Prayer, which asks God to help us accept what we can’t change, have courage to do what we can, and be wise enough to know the difference. If we trust God, He will guide us and help us live one day at a time with joy, even when life is tough. By doing this, we can be happy now and have even greater joy with God forever
SPEAKER: Assoc. Pastor Wa;;y Kocher
The sermon Button Pushers explores how God uses difficult people—those who know how to “push our buttons”—to shape our spiritual growth. Drawing from Daniel Miller’s book When Others Make Your Life Difficult, the message emphasizes that these challenging relationships are not interruptions but opportunities. The sermon focuses on three themes: Actions of Peace, Reciprocating Mercy, and Forgiveness. Peace is described not as the absence of conflict but the presence of Christ within it, requiring believers to take initiative in reconciliation, speak truth in love, and absorb wrongs without retaliation. Biblical examples such as Abraham, Joseph, and Jesus illustrate the power of peacemaking to bring healing and reflect God’s character.
The second half stresses mercy and forgiveness as essential marks of discipleship. Stories such as Corrie ten Boom’s forgiveness of a Nazi guard and Stephen’s prayer for his executioners highlight mercy and forgiveness that go beyond human strength. Forgiveness is shown not as excusing sin or erasing consequences but as releasing the debt and freeing ourselves from bitterness. The conclusion compares God’s refining work in relationships to gold tested in fire, urging listeners to embrace trials as invitations into deeper Christlikeness. Practical challenges are given: take one action of peace, extend one act of mercy, and take one step of forgiveness in the coming days.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
This sermon, part of the *Interpersonalism* series, explores anger as a powerful emotion that can either damage relationships or, when handled rightly, lead to restoration and love. It begins with Jesus’ teaching that life is about relationships—loving God and loving others—and emphasizes that anger, if uncontrolled, undermines those relationships. Scripture and psychology agree that anger clouds judgment, making us act foolishly. Using insights from Gary Chapman, the message explains that anger arises from God’s holiness and love—His intolerance of sin and His care for His people. Jesus Himself displayed righteous anger in response to injustice and hardened hearts. Since we are created in God’s image, we too feel anger when we see wrongs, but our sinfulness often twists this emotion into unhealthy expressions rooted in perceived offenses, unmet needs, or personal insecurities.To guide believers, the sermon offers Chapman’s five-step plan for handling anger biblically: acknowledge it honestly, restrain immediate reactions, identify its true source, analyze options (confront or overlook), and finally, take constructive, loving action. The goal is always restoration, never revenge, as modeled in Romans 12:14–21. The message also highlights practical applications for couples, parents teaching children, and even times when people feel angry at God. Ultimately, God’s purpose in anger is redemptive—calling His people back to Himself. By slowing down, forgiving, setting healthy boundaries, and leaning on Scripture, Christians can transform anger into a force that strengthens rather than destroys relationships.
Speaker: Pastor Russel Moldovan
This sermon is part of a series on relationships, focusing on how Jesus taught us to love God and others. It explains that the English word “love” can be confusing because it’s used for everything from food to people, but in the Bible’s original Greek, there are four words for love: Storge (family love), Philos (friendship), Eros (romantic love), and Agape (unconditional love). The first three are conditional and can fade, but Agape is the love God shows us—unchanging, selfless, and not based on what we do. This is the kind of love we are called to have for others, especially as followers of Christ.The sermon also highlights the “Five Love Languages,” a concept from Gary Chapman that explains how people feel loved in different ways: physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, and acts of service. Just as Jesus used all these ways to love others, we are encouraged to do the same—at home, in church, and in our communities. Miscommunication often happens when we show love in our own preferred way instead of how others best receive it. To build healthy relationships and a loving church, we must learn to speak all five love languages. The ultimate message is to love others with Agape love—the same way God loves us.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
This sermon, part of the Interpersonalism series, focuses on the “Five Languages of Appreciation” and how cultivating appreciation strengthens relationships, both in the workplace and in the church. Drawing from Gary Chapman’s research, the message emphasizes that most people leave jobs or organizations not because of pay, but because they feel undervalued. The same cycle—feeling unappreciated, developing negative attitudes, disconnecting from others, and ultimately leaving—often occurs within churches. Scripture urges believers to encourage one another daily (Hebrews 3:13) to prevent such disconnection. A culture of appreciation leads to better morale, reduced conflict, stronger relationships, and more effective ministry. Just as in a business, the church has a mission—to make and grow disciples—and appreciation plays a key role in creating an environment where that mission thrives.
The sermon also offers practical applications for both the church staff and congregation. The pastor encouraged staff to identify their personal “languages of appreciation” and assess how valued they feel, then challenged the congregation to consider whether those around them feel appreciated. Appreciation aligns with the church’s purpose: exalting Christ, evangelizing the lost, encouraging fellowship, edifying the body, and equipping the saints. It helps create an inviting atmosphere, strengthens unity, and builds each other up toward maturity (Proverbs 16:24; Proverbs 12:25). The message concludes with scriptural reminders (Romans 12:10; Hebrews 10:24–25; 1 Thessalonians 5:9–11) that encouragement is a form of appreciation, and that expressing it intentionally can stir one another toward love and good works.
SPEAKER: Pastor Russel Moldovan
This sermon, part of the “Interpersonalism” series, focuses on how our relationship with God grows through prayer, just as it does through reading His Word. The preacher begins by reminding us of Jesus’ great commandment to love God and love others, noting that while the series has mostly centered on relationships with people, this message highlights our direct relationship with God. Scripture teaches us that prayer is communication with God—both speaking and listening—and that a prayerful attitude makes the Bible come alive in our hearts. Prayer is mentioned hundreds of times in the Bible, showing its importance, but God does not always answer with a simple “yes.” Instead, His answers may be “no,” “not yet,” “if,” or even “instead,” always aligning with His perfect wisdom and timing. Even when we struggle to pray, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us.
The sermon then explores the ancient practice of fixed hours of prayer, rooted in Jewish tradition and continued by early Christians and monastic communities. From morning, noon, and evening prayers in the book of Acts to the Desert Fathers’ seven daily prayers and the Benedictine monks’ eight, believers have long paused throughout the day to reconnect with God. The pastor shares how he now sets alarms at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. to stop and pray, sometimes alone, sometimes with others, turning each moment into an opportunity for ministry. A story about a Brooklyn pastor who prayed daily for apartment residents illustrates how prayer can transform a church’s outreach. The message concludes with a challenge: may we be both a Bible-believing and prayerful church, confident that when we live this way, God will bring spiritual growth, breakthroughs, and victories in our lives and community.