Phil will return to our 2025-26 Believe in Me theme with the question, “What makes faith plausible?” Often, belief doesn’t begin with certainty or arguments, but with a change in perspective – an illumination. As we move toward Easter, we’ll explore this idea together: that faith grows not just from sermons, but from encounters with goodness that open our eyes and lead us to see differently.
Mitch East will share the promise of Isaiah 60 in his message, “The City of the Lord.” We will discover what it reveals about God’s plan for the family of Abraham. The good news is simple and stunning: to be blessed by God, you must belong to Abraham’s family—and in Jesus, you are invited in.
Stories filled with accounts of healing, protection, and uncanny “just-in-time” help still arise—stories that raise an ancient question: Could God be at work through angels even now?
In this message, we wrestle honestly with those stories and our reactions to them. We will explore what Scripture actually says about angels—their role in answered prayer, their service to the gospel, and how they point beyond themselves to the presence and purposes of God.
This is not an invitation to obsess over angels or to explain away suffering, but to open the eyes of our hearts to the unseen reality Scripture describes. When we become open to the unseen, God does not become more distant—He becomes more real. And we may just discover, as God’s people always have, that even in fear and uncertainty, the message still rings true: Do not be afraid. The Lord is with you.
We will explore what Scripture actually says about angels—their role in answered prayer, their service to the gospel, and how they point beyond themselves to the presence and purposes of God. When we become open to the unseen, God does not become more distant—He becomes more real.
Most Americans believe in angels; the problem isn’t disbelief… it’s ambivalence.
But the biblical authors saw angels very differently—aware of them, attentive to them, constantly acknowledging their presence and activity in God’s world. Angels weren’t side characters in Scripture; they were part of God’s work from Eden, to the life of Jesus, all the way to the new creation in Revelation.
So how do we bridge the gap between our modern ambivalence and the ancient, biblical awareness? By learning what Scripture actually teaches about them, and by training our spiritual awareness to watch for God’s work—seen and unseen. Because when we do, we’ll see Jesus more clearly, the One to whom they continually point and the One who is worthy of all worship.
Some of God’s greatest works begin with small acts of faithfulness. Here is a powerful truth: when we are faithful in the small things, God handles the big things. Just like Israel circling Jericho, just like the steady generosity of a church family—God uses our daily obedience to bring about miracles we could never manufacture on our own. When we do little things wholeheartedly, God will take care of the rest.
We’re tempted to conform to be liked. Children, teens, adults—we all adjust ourselves to fit the culture around us. Sometimes that helps us build bridges. Sometimes it dilutes who we’re meant to be.
But Scripture paints a different picture. Romans 12 calls us not to conform to the pattern of the world, but to be transformed. Paul urges believers to bless persecutors, honor others above themselves, and embrace the miraculous core of their faith without apology. Christians throughout history who held tightly to the supernatural—resurrection, incarnation, angels, miracles—became the ones who reshaped the world.
This message explores what it means to live, speak, treat others, and believe in ways that make the world pause—ways that make people notice Jesus. Ultimately, it invites us to join the angels of heaven in the only fitting response to a God who defies the spirit of every age: worship.
Christ’s word is meant to dwell richly in believers and to shape everything they say and do in Jesus’ name. Threaded through each command is gratitude. It isn’t an add-on for Paul; it is the engine of new life in Christ. Because we’ve been reconciled, because we possess Christ’s word, and because all of life falls under his name, we respond with thankfulness and live in ways that honor him. Gratitude forms right relationships, fuels vibrant worship, and sustains whole-life devotion. Practically, Paul calls believers to let Christ’s peace, Christ’s word, and every action be interpreted and energized by a thankful heart.
Gratitude also becomes an act of resistance against the old self and the negativity of our culture. Instead of absorbing the lies that deform us, gratitude roots us in the truth of God’s goodness and reshapes our behavior. This is why Paul urges the Colossians to “set your minds on things above” (Col. 3:1): whatever fills the mind eventually forms the life.
Suffering happens to everyone. Phil navigates for us a deeper, counter-cultural way of understanding suffering—not as something to frantically escape, but as a sacred place where the life like Christ’s is quietly born. From Paul’s hard-won wisdom, Jesus at Gethsemane, to the everyday pain carried in our bodies, this message explores the mysterious truth that carrying the death of Jesus is what unleashes His life in us. This truth from scripture will show us a path toward more freedom, less fear, and a love that grows even in the dark. We can learn to suffer with grace, to trust with courage, and to discover hope in the very places we normally would avoid.
One of the greatest challenges to belief in God is the existence of suffering. Every worldview must grapple with it—yet, early Christians saw suffering not as a threat to faith but as an honor, an opportunity to walk with the crucified Christ. Modern culture teaches us to avoid suffering, but not how to endure it.
The Christian story offers something different. Psalm 56:8 says, God sees our sorrow and collects each tear in a bottle. But suffering isn’t the end. Just as the resurrection followed the cross, redemption follows pain. While the world clings to happiness knowing sorrow awaits, Jesus embraces suffering knowing joy is coming. You can’t control suffering—but you can choose your response. And faith makes all the difference.
At Memorial Road, we’re a family of believers striving to honor Jesus by giving and serving others. As we enter the season of Holiday Giving, we’re reminded of Isaiah’s call to “do good, seek justice, and correct oppression.”
There are countless ways to live out our core values of Sacrificial Generosity and Restorative Justice, and we will highlight them Sunday morning. You don’t have to do it all—just pick one or two to help make a difference.
Let’s continue being a church for good—a church that rises above the noise and shines through service!
In a world quick to argue and slow to love, it is easy to lose sight of what we’re really called to be. In his letter to Titus, Paul reminds us that we are saved for a purpose—to devote ourselves to doing good. Goodness is at the very heart of the gospel and a compelling witness to the world.
Arguing wins few hearts; goodness changes lives.
As we continue our series, A Church for Good, we will see that when the people of God choose to embody the kindness and mercy that saved them, the world takes notice.
Each of us faces high-stakes moments—career crossroads, moral dilemmas, and life-altering diagnoses. How do we respond with strength, wisdom, and faith? Drawing from the rise and fall of King David and Paul’s call to spiritual training, Phil will explore how our response to challenges is shaped long before a crisis arrives. Discipline is the key. Our personal and spiritual victories are forged in our habits of preparation. Join us Sunday morning for a refresher on the importance of spiritual training.
At MRCC, justice is more than a word. It's one of our eight core values—not justice as it’s often misused today, but biblical justice: the kind rooted in love, humility, and righteousness. As Psalm 33:5 reminds us,
“The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of His unfailing love.”
Justice isn’t a trend. It’s a calling. It’s the visible expression of love. And it’s something our church family has long lived out through food pantries, tutoring, refugee care, and more. When we say we want our city to miss us if we were gone, this is what we mean - being Jesus to those who need it.
As we continue to dream about what deeper justice ministries could look like at MRCC, Mark Taylor will tag in with Phil to share more of that vision.
We’re taking a short break from our Believe in Me series to focus on something foundational—our mission as a church. Last year, we introduced a bold and simple mission: To Imitate Christ by Living Good Lives, Doing Good Works, and Sharing Good News. Over the next few weeks, we’ll dive deeper into the eight core values that support this mission, beginning with Godly Unity.
In a culture that often values being “right” over being “one,” we’re called to something deeper. It’s not just a feel-good idea—it’s at the heart of the gospel, modeled by Jesus himself, and rooted in the very nature of our God. So let’s ask: What would it look like for the world to see Christians as the leaders in unity—not just in doctrine, but in practice? Let’s find out together.
Every advance in technology extends our ability in one area but reduces it in another. As AI continues to advance, it is giving us the ability to do amazing things, but at what expense? Sunday morning we will dissect how to use AI without losing the very things that make us human. We were intentionally created - not by chance, but by a loving Creator. We were made to imagine, to build, to connect, and to thrive. Above all, we were made for more.
As AI continues to transform the world at an unprecedented pace, it’s vital for us to reflect on its ethical implications through the lens of faith. From its groundbreaking applications in medicine and technology to the darker side of deepfakes, the rapid growth of AI presents both incredible opportunities and significant risks. Phil invites us to ask critical questions: How should we, as disciples of Jesus, engage with AI? How can we discern its potential to either enhance or diminish humanity? Drawing on biblical principles and stories, this discussion offers a framework for navigating this technology with wisdom and discernment.
Phil will deliver a message entitled, The Meaning Crisis. In the last 200 years technology has shifted our view of God over all to a life made of matter and motion. We connect with people across the globe but are disconnected from the people in the same room as us, and now we are trying to make sense of who we are and find our story. Join us as we find the source who gives us meaning.
Phil will continue to look at the dynamics of science and faith. Theist and atheist alike look at the same data, but our perspective is what makes our conclusions unique. Our universe, to support life and exist, requires specific forces and exact numbers. We will look at these concepts and see how science and God fit in them.
Phil will continue our new series with a lesson on science and faith. There is often tension around this subject, as science and faith are frequently pitted against one another, but as we look into it, science is a value deeply embedded in the Christian movement. Phil will explore why these two don’t have to be at odds.