The Life and Way of Jesus: Defying Expectations

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, June 4, 2023

As we’ve just learned in our Emotionally Healthy Relationships series, unmet expectations are the root of all disappointment. And boy, were people ever disappointed with Jesus. This week, Ryan opens a new series in the book of Mark, which shows a Jesus who is a lot different from the warrior king that people expected in the first century – and also a lot different from how we think of Jesus today.

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Gospel Jesus Preached

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, June 18, 2023

Each of us probably has something slightly different come to mind when we hear the word gospel. What was the gospel according to Jesus? And what did He mean by the Kingdom of God? Ryan continues our series in Mark with an in-depth look at Jesus’ words as He began His ministry.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Discipleship According to Jesus

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, June 25, 2023

If you grew up in the church, the word “Christian” might mean something very simple to you – praying the Sinner’s Prayer, believing certain things, trying to be good most of the time, going to church now and again. But the word “Christian” is not used very often in Scripture, and never by Jesus; he didn’t have Christians. He had disciples. Today, from Mark 1-3, Ryan helps us understand what discipleship meant to Jesus.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Life in the Kingdom

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, July 2, 2023

From Mark 1:21-34, Ryan continues our series in Mark (The Life and Way of Jesus) with a look at what life in the Kingdom of God actually looks like.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Prayer and Leprosy

Bryan Cobley | Sunday, July 23, 2023

Bryan Cobley continues our series on The Life and Way of Jesus with a message on Mark 1:35-45.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Healing Authority

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, July 30, 2023

From Mark 2:1-12, it’s the story of the paralytic lowered through the roof to Jesus, and what it means to rest in Jesus’ healing authority.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Seeing Others Like Jesus Does

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, August 6, 2023

From Mark 2:13-17, it’s the story of the calling of Levi, how easy it us for us to see others through labels and groups, how Jesus saw people differently, and how we can too.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Embracing the Change Jesus Brings

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, August 13, 2023

In Mark’s gospel (2:18-22), Jesus explains why his disciples don’t fast, and then … launches into a series of metaphors about old and new things. What’s He talking about? Pastor Ryan explains.

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Problem with Spirtuality Drift

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, August 20, 2023

Today, the final two conflict stories between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day – and a prime example of what it looks like for a group of people to drift away from their original purpose. From Mark 2:23 - 3:6, Ryan continues our series The Life and Way of Jesus.

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Unforgivable Sin

Bryan Cobley | Sunday, September 3, 2023

Bryan continues our series on The Life and Way of Jesus with a message from Mark 3 about the one sin that Jesus said was unforgivable. What is it… and could we be guilty of it?

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Parable of the Sower

Scott Hetherington | Sunday, October 8, 2023

Scott brings us back to the book of Mark with a message resuming our series The Life and Way of Jesus. Today, from Mark 4, it’s the parable of the sower, and some tough questions about whether we’re letting Jesus tell us who He is … or just trying to recreate Him in our own image.

The Life and Way of Jesus: A Lamp, a Seed, a Grain of Mustard

Bryan Cobley | Sunday, October 15, 2023

Bryan Cobley continues our series The Life and Way of Jesus with a message from Mark 4 and a series of parables: a lamp under a basket, a seed growing, a single grain of mustard.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Autostereograms, Storms, and Jesus

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, October 22, 2023

The story of Jesus calming the storm is often thought of as a metaphor for the way He can calm storms in our lives. But, like a Magic Eye image, the details tell second story, too, bigger than the first. Ryan explains in today’s message on Mark 4.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Legion

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, October 29, 2023

This week, a story that couldn’t be better timed for Halloween, featuring a graveyard, chains, blood, a legion of demons, and a man who proves that absolutely no one is beyond Jesus’ redeeming power.

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Authority of Jesus

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, November 5, 2023

Today, the story of two incredible, and parallel, healings, and one question: if this Jesus is who He says He is, how then should I respond?

The Life and Way of Jesus: Trust in Jesus

Bryan Cobley | Sunday, November 19, 2023

To some Jesus is a stumbling stone; to others, He is the Cornerstone. Today Bryan Cobley continues our series The Life and Way of Jesus with a message from Mark 6 and asks the simple question: are you trusting Jesus?

The Life and Way of Jesus: Jesus Does a 5K

Alison Acone | Sunday, November 26, 2023

Alison continues our series The Life and Way of Jesus with a fresh take on the familiar story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 – the only miracle, other than the Resurrection, to be recorded in all 4 gospels.

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Trouble with Tunnel Vision

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, February 4, 2024

From Mark 6:45-52: the story of Jesus walking on water. If you’ve been going to church for a while, you’ve probably heard this story a thousand times. But … why did Jesus walk on water? And how did the disciples keep missing the point? And why do we? Ryan explains.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Jesus and the Law

Alison Acone | Sunday, February 11, 2024

Now when Jesus had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, “Are you so foolish? Don’t you understand that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him? […] What comes out of a person defiles him." – Mark 7:17-20

From Mark 7, Alison speaks about Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees, the Law, legalism, our hearts, our insides, our outsides, and (of course) Taylor Swift.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Gatekeeping

Bryan Cobley | Sunday, February 18, 2024

Today, Bryan challenges those of us who can be controlling, tells the story of how Jesus confronted some gatekeepers, and answers a very difficult question: did Jesus really call someone a dog?

The Life and Way of Jesus: Spiritual Deafness

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, February 25, 2024

In today’s message from Mark 7:31-37, obstacles are encountered, obstacles are surmounted, Ryan makes the mistake of flying on Spirit Airlines, and Jesus heals a deaf man.

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Importance of Seeing Reality Rightly

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, March 3, 2024

Today’s message, from Mark 8:1-21, is about how the disciples repeatedly failed to see reality as it really was, and why … sometimes … we do too.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Defying Expectations, Part 2

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, March 10, 2024

We opened the Life and Way of Jesus series with a message about Jesus’s tendency to defy everyone’s expectations. Today, Jesus is back at it… healing a blind man with some spit (and only … halfway healing him at first?!), saying Get behind me, Satan! to the man who had just made the most famous confession of faith in history, and telling everyone not to tell anyone who he really is.

The Life and Way of Jesus: Take Up Your Cross

Ryan Plantz | Sunday, March 17, 2024

Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel will save it."

– Mark 8:34

The Life and Way of Jesus: The Transfiguration

Alison Acone | Sunday, April 7, 2024

From Mark 9:2-13, Alison shares a fresh perspective on Moses and Elijah’s appearance at the Transfiguration, and how, in our deepest valleys, it can build our faith.