This season's joy is not mere sentiment or seasonal cheer. It is the shock of recognition that goodness has entered the world in the person of Jesus Christ. In this message, we consider what the world would look like if Christ had never come—and why His birth still gives reason for lasting joy.
Scripture: Luke 2.8-14
(Additional Reading: Luke 1.41-44, 46-47; Luke 2.15-18; 2.28-32, 36-38; Matthew 2.10; Nehemiah 8.10)
Warm-Up:
What’s something good in your life right now that you rarely stop to give thanks for?
“True joy comes from a sense of God’s goodness.”
- Jonathan Edwards -
(The audio quality improves at 2:29)
What does the Bible really mean by “peace”? This message explores how Scripture defines peace not necessarily as the absence of chaos, but as God bringing wholeness, shalom, through disorder—seen most clearly in Mary’s surrendered “Let it be.” Rooted in Matthew 1 and the story of Jesus, the sermon invites us to receive true peace by trusting what God has already done for us in Christ.
Scripture: Matthew 1
(Additional Reading: Luke 2.8-14; Ephesians 2.13-16; John 14.27; Romans 5.1)
Warm-Up:
What situation in your life right now is begging for surrender?
“Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms. Laying down your arms, surrendering, saying you are sorry, realising that you have been on the wrong track and getting ready to start life over again from the ground floor ... is what Christians call repentance. Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means... undergoing a kind of death.”.”
- C.S. Lewis -
Before angels sang and shepherds rejoiced, God whispered a promise into a garden filled with loss: a child would come to crush the darkness. This sermon traces that ancient hope from Eve to Mary, showing how this season begins with longing. Join us as we rediscover the fierce, surprising hope that Christ brings.
Scripture: Genesis 3-4
(Additional Reading: Romans 8.18-25; Psalm 139.13-16; Galatians 4.4)
Warm-Up:
Where do you feel ache, and where are you longing for God to bring hope?
“Hope is expectation that is directed toward something outside ourselves; something we do not yet see, but which God has promised.”
- Fleming Rutledge -
On the road to Emmaus, two discouraged disciples walked beside Jesus without recognizing Him. In this sermon, we explore why our categories can blind us to Christ’s presence, how Scripture sets our hearts on fire, and how our eyes finally open at the table of grace. Join us as we discover the Jesus who walks with us long before we realize He’s there.
Scripture: Luke 24.13-35
(Additional Reading: Luke 24.44-48; Luke 2.41-52; Deuteronomy 18.15; Psalm 2.7; Genesis 3.7)
Warm-Up:
When have your expectations about how God “should work” kept you from seeing how he was actually working?
“I was linking up the words of the Torah with one another, and then the words of the prophets, and then the prophets with the writings, and the words rejoiced as on the day they were delivered from Sinai. And were they not originally delivered from Sinai in fire?”
- Simeon ben Azzai -
In Mark 5, a woman who has suffered for twelve years pushes through a crowd just to touch the fringe of Jesus’ garment. What looks like desperation is actually a bold confession of who she believes Jesus to be. In this message, we explore the courage it takes to reach for Jesus—and the grace of a Savior who refuses to let faith hide in the shadows.
Scripture: Mark 5.21-43
(Additional Reading: Luke 8.40-56; Leviticus 15.25-30; Numbers 15.37-41; Malachi 4.2)
Warm-Up:
What part of your life would Jesus shine his light on?
“The sun of righteousness will rise, with healing in its wings.”
- Malachi 4.2 -
When a desperate Gentile woman dares to ask Jesus for help, His response sounds shockingly harsh—until you realize what He’s doing. In this encounter, Jesus draws out the kind of faith that will not be denied, revealing a grace big enough for the outsider and crumbs that can feed the world.
Scripture: Mark 7.24-30
(Additional Reading: Matthew 15.21-28; Mark 6.52 & 8.17-21; John 1.9-13; Matthew 11.20-24; Psalm 87)
Warm-Up:
Who are the people you find hardest to believe God’s grace could reach?
“Faith is the hand of the beggar that takes alms from the King.”
- Augustine of Hippo -
In one of Jesus’ most famous stories, two very different sons both end up far from home—and one extravagant Father runs to meet them both. In this message, we’ll discover that rebellion and religion can both lead us away from God, but grace is what brings us home.
Scripture: Luke 15.11-32
(Additional Reading: Romans 6.23; Genesis 4.9; Hosea 11.1-4, 8-9; Jeremiah 31.20)
Warm-Up:
Have you ever run away from someone who loved you – only to discover they were waiting for you all along?
“There are two ways to be your own Savior and Lord. One is by breaking all the moral laws and setting your own course, and one is by keeping all the moral laws and being very, very good.”
- Timothy Keller -
This week we follow Jesus into a graveyard — the story of Legion, where darkness meets its match. In a world that no longer believes in the unseen, Mark 5 reminds us that evil is real, but not ultimate. Jesus crosses into enemy territory, speaks a word of power, and turns a monster into a missionary — proving that even the tomb can become a pulpit.
Scripture: Mark 5.1-20
(Additional Reading: Mark 1.21-28; Luke 11.14-23; Luke 13.16; 1 Peter 5.8; John 19.17-18)
Warm-Up:
When you think about “evil,” do you imagine something supernatural — or something more ordinary, like anger, addiction, or pride?
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils: one is to disbelieve in their existence, the other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.”
- The Screwtape Letters -
Filling in for Thailer this week, Grant Lyons reminds us that the Holy Spirit is not a distant force but the very presence of God within us. From creation to redemption, the Spirit breathes life, brings renewal, and empowers God’s people to live beyond their own strength. To walk by the Spirit is to live in step with God Himself, bearing His fruit, reflecting His holiness, and moving where He leads. True life is found in surrendering to the Spirit who dwells within.
In John 13, Jesus kneels to wash the feet of His disciples—even Judas’. This shocking act reveals not only the depth of His love but also the pattern He calls us to imitate. True greatness is found in kneeling love, the kind that serves even when it costs.
Scripture: John 13.1-30
(Additional Reading: Philippians 2.5-11; Luke 22.24-27; Psalm 41.9; Titus 3.5)
Warm-Up:
When was the last time someone surprised you with an act of humble love – did it change the way you looked at them?
For all God’s charge to His high angels may
Guard my foot better? Did I yesterday
Wash thy feet, my beloved, that they should run
Quick to deny me ‘neath the morning sun?
- Elizabeth Barret Browning -
One of the most beloved stories of Jesus is His encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4. At Jacob’s well, He speaks of a gift called ‘living water’—a gift that would change her life forever. This sermon explores what that living water means, and why her encounter with Jesus still matters for us today.
Scripture: John 4.1-42
(Additional Reading: John 5.14; Jeremiah 2.13; Isaiah 55.1-7; John 1.29, 34; John 3.16-21)
Warm-Up:
When has someone loved you enough to tell you a hard truth – and how did it change you?
“Love is something more stern and splendid than mere kindness.”
- C.S. Lewis -
When a leper knelt before Jesus, he didn’t question His power—only His willingness: “If you want to, you can make me clean.” Jesus’ reply, “I do want to. Be clean,” reveals the heart of God toward us. In this message, we’ll see how Christ’s touch overcomes uncleanness, how His willingness points to the cross, and how His forgiveness brings the deepest healing we need.
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Scripture: Mark 1.35-45
(Additional Reading: Mark 2.17; 2 Kings 5.7, 10; Numbers 12.13; Leviticus 13-14)
Warm-Up:
When you think about God, do you find it easier to believe in his power or his willingness? Why?
“Am I God, to forgive your sin and to cure you of your leprosy?”
- 2 Kings 5.7 -
Why is this tiny, personal letter from Paul included in the Bible at all? In this “biggest little letter,” we see the gospel at work — reshaping relationships, reconciling enemies, and planting seeds that would one day topple slavery itself. What looks like a private note becomes a living witness to the power of Christ to transform hearts, households, and history.
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Scripture: Philemon
(Additional Reading: Colossians 3.11; 2 Corinthians 10.3-5; Ephesians 6.12; John 18.36)
Warm-Up:
Have you ever had someone stand in the gap for you – helping to restore a broken relationship? What difference did it make?
“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either—but right through every human heart—and through all human hearts.”
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn -
In the final chapter of Colossians, Paul closes his letter by “name dropping” ten ordinary, messy, faithful, and sometimes flawed people. Their stories reveal how God moves the gospel forward through community — and how where we fix our attention shapes the kind of story our name will tell.
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Scripture: Colossians 4
(Additional Reading: Acts 13.13, 15.37-39; 2 Timothy 4.10-11; 1 John 2.19; Colossians 1.23)
Warm-Up:
Where does your mind go when you read a list of names in Scripture?
“No amount of falls will really undo us if we keep picking ourselves up each time. We shall of course be very muddy and tattered children by the time we reach home. But the bathrooms are all ready, the towels put out, and the clean clothes in the airing cupboard. The only fatal thing is to lose one’s temper and give up. It is when we notice the dirt that God is most present in us; it is the very sign of his presence.”
- C.S. Lewis -
Real transformation doesn’t happen by trying harder — it happens by becoming who you already are. In Christ, you’ve been given a new identity, but growing into it takes practice, patience, and Spirit-formed habits. This message explores how Christian virtue is cultivated when we learn to desire what God desires, even when it doesn’t feel natural at first.
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Scripture: Colossians 3
(Additional Reading: 2 Corinthians 3.18; Ephesians 5.18-19; Amos 2.7; Psalm 119.9-11)
Warm-Up:
What’s something that felt completely unnatural the first time you tried it, but eventually became second nature?
“Very often the only way to get a quality in reality is to start behaving as if you already had it.”
- C.S. Lewis -
In a season marked by deep loss, Psalm 46 invites us to find refuge in God when the ground beneath us feels unsteady. This sermon explores how God’s presence sustains us in the midst of grief and reminds us of His promise: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Even when the waters roar and the mountains tremble, He is with us.
Every soul holds immeasurable worth, carrying a value far beyond what the world often measures. Life choices, relationships, and priorities take on deeper meaning when viewed through the truth that each person is created with eternal significance. Recognizing this calls for compassion, grace, and a greater awareness of how we see ourselves and others, reminding us to treat people with care and to live with purpose shaped by what truly lasts.
In a world obsessed with new age spiritual upgrades and hidden knowledge, Colossians 2 reminds us that Christ is not a launchpad—He is the fullness of God Himself. This sermon explores how false teachings distort that fullness and how gratitude, humility, and love for God can anchor us in what we already have. Don't settle for "something extra" when you already have everything in Him.
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Scripture: Colossians 2
(Additional Reading: Acts 19.11-20; Matthew 22.36-38; Matthew 5.3; 1 Timothy 6.3-5)
Warm-Up:
What kinds of beliefs, habits, or influences are most likely to “take you captive” and pull your trust away from Christ alone?
“Jesus Christ is the conqueror;
by his resurrection he overcame death itself,
by his resurrection he overcame all things:
he overcame magic,
he overcame amulets and charms,
he overcame the darkness of demon-possession,
he overcame dread.
When we are with him, we also conquer."
- African Hymn -
What happens when Christ stops being the center of your life and becomes just another piece of it? In this sermon, we explore one of the earliest Christian hymns—a poetic declaration of Jesus as the one who holds all things together. Whether you’re spiritually distracted, emotionally tired, or simply going through the motions, Colossians calls us to re-center on the fullness of Christ. Because when you see Him for who He truly is, everything else—your purpose, your identity, even your struggles—finds its place.
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Scripture: Colossians 1.15-20
(Additional Reading: John 1.1-3; Hebrews 1.1-4; Galatians 1.11-16; Acts 9)
Warm-Up:
If Jesus really holds all things together, why do we keep searching for something else?
“A man can learn certain things by looking at the map of the world, but he can learn much more by staying at home. He may see great cities and strange islands; but the best kind of travel is to be found in the simple life of one's own village, in learning to love its familiar shapes and streets, to notice them more fully, and to marvel at them as if for the first time.”
G. K. Chesterton