Beyond the Message
by Veritas Church, Cedar Rapids, IA
Join us each week for a casual conversation as we dive deeper into Sunday’s message. We explore key points, clarify questions, and discuss insights that didn’t make it to the stage. This podcast is designed to help you reflect, learn, and apply the truth shared during the sermon.
Episodes
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Ephesians 1:11-12
This week on Beyond the Message, Danny, Matt, and Sam discuss yesterday’s message as we continue our study through Ephesians, this week focusing on the unshakable hope Christians have through their inheritance in Christ and the sovereign purposes of God. How can we remain hopeful when our...
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Go 2026 - Blessed to be a Blessing
This week on Beyond the Message, Paul, Jake, and Sam discuss yesterday’s message from session one of Go 2026, focusing on God's heart for the nations and His purpose in blessing His people. What does it mean to be blessed so that we can be a blessing? And what keeps Christians from embracing…
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Ephesians 1:7-10
Ephesians 1:7-10 This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Matthew, and Danny discuss yesterday’s message as we continue our study through Ephesians, this week focusing on God's eternal plan and how understanding His purpose for everything helps us understand our own purpose in life. What is God...
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Ephesians 1:3-6
This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Michael, and Sam discuss yesterday’s message in the book of Ephesians, focusing on Paul’s teaching about God’s sovereign grace in choosing and predestining His people. How do God’s sovereignty and human responsibility fit together? And why does Paul tell us...
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Acts 19:21-41
This week on Beyond the Message, Ian, Jake, and Sam discuss yesterday’s message which was the final week of our look at the church in Ephesus in Acts before returning to the book of Ephesians, this week focusing on how Christian devotion causes gospel disruption. How can we recognize the idols...
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Acts 19:11-20
This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Matthew, and Sam discuss yesterday’s message as the next teaching in Part 1 of the Ephesians Series. In this message, we continued to look at Paul’s ministry in Ephesus before returning to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, this week focusing on spiritual...
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Acts 18:24-19:10
This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Ian, and Sam discuss the message from Acts 18:24-19:10 in Part 1 of the Ephesians Series. In this message, we looked at the establishment of the church in Ephesus, focusing on where the power for genuine Christian ministry comes from. What is the difference...
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Ephesians 1:1-2
This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Matt, and Sam discuss the first message of Part 1 of our new Ephesians Series, focusing on how grasping God’s sovereign grace produces unshakable peace. How does understanding God’s sovereignty in salvation change the way we worship, endure suffering, and…
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Make Disciples
This week on Beyond the Message, Danny, Ian, and Sam discuss the final message of our four-part Answering the Call series, this week focusing on Jesus’ call to make disciples. What does it actually mean to be a disciple of Jesus, and why is making disciples the central command of the Great...
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Seek First
This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Michael, and Sam discuss the third message of our four-part Answering the Call series, focusing on what it means to actually prioritize Jesus as Lord in every area of our lives. What does Jesus mean when He tells us to seek first His kingdom, love Him above...
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Take My Yoke
This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Matthew, and Sam discuss the second message of our four-part Answering the Call series, this week focusing on what it means to actually experience the rest Jesus offers by believing in the work of Jesus. What does Jesus mean when He promises rest for our…
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Follow Me
This week on Beyond the Message, Sam, Jake, and Michael discuss the first message of our four-part Answering the Call series, this week focusing on what it means to actually follow Jesus and how that should play out in our lives. There is a difference between simply professing faith in Christ and...
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The Trap of Money
This week on Beyond the Message, Matt and Ian discuss the final message of our four-part Families Built for War series, this week focusing on The Trap of Money. Scripture doesn't condemn wealth itself, but it repeatedly warns about the love of money and the false security it promises. Together…
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Gospel-Reflecting Marriages
This week on Beyond the Message, Matthew, Sam, and Ian discuss the second message of our four-part Families Built for War series, this week focusing on Gospel-Reflecting Marriages. In this message, we explored God's design for marriage. In a culture that often treats marriage as a contract built...
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The Importance of Parenting
This week on Beyond the Message, Matthew, Sam, and Ian discuss the second message of our four-part Families Built for War series, this week focusing on The Importance of Parenting. In this message, we examined the God-given mission of parenting. In a culture that often views children as...
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The Power of the Family
This week on Beyond the Message, Garrett, Sam, and Michael discuss the opening message of our four-part Families Built for War series on The Power of the Family. We unpack the sermon's main points and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into the text. Message Highlights: God's…
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Worship & Prayer
Sunday Worship & Prayer Service We gathered for a morning of church-wide Worship & Prayer centered on God's faithfulness, His saving grace, and His ongoing work of building His church. We spent an extended time in worship, Scripture reading, and guided prayer. We reflected on Ephesians 2:1–10,...
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1 John 5:18-21
1 John 5:18-21 In closing this letter, John reminds believers that confidence in the Christian life is not found in themselves but in Christ. In a world filled with uncertainty, deception, and shifting values, Christians can live with unwavering assurance because they are protected by Christ,...
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1 John 5:14-17
1 John 5:14-17 In 1 John 5:14-17, John encourages believers to approach God with confidence because of the assurance they have in Christ. Rather than treating prayer as a way to accomplish our own agendas, Christians are invited to trust God's will, intercede for fellow believers, and rest in the...
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1 John 5:6-13
In 1 John 5:6–13, John explains why believers can have complete confidence that Jesus truly is the Son of God and the only source of eternal life. By pointing to God's testimony through Jesus' life, death, and the Holy Spirit, John shows that Christianity is grounded in God's own witness, not...
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1 John 5:1-5
In 1 John 5:1–5, John pulls back the curtain on what God is doing beneath the surface of salvation. This passage shows how new birth leads to faith, faith produces love for God, love for God expresses itself through obedience, and obedience grows into a life that overcomes the world. Rather than...
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1 John 4:20-21
In 1 John 4:20–21, John gives one of the clearest tests of genuine faith in the entire letter: those who claim to love God must also love God’s people. This message explored the inseparable connection between love for God and love for the church, showing that a persistent refusal to love fellow...
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1 John 4:17-19
In 1 John 4:17-19, John addresses one of the deepest struggles many Christians carry: fear before God. The perfected love of God in Christ replaces fear of judgment with confidence, reminding believers that Jesus has already stood in judgment for their sin so they can live in peace, freedom, and...
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1 John 4:11-16
Message Highlights: God abides in His people by His Spirit. When God saves us, He does not merely forgive us; He comes to dwell in us. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God in believers, transforming us from the inside out. The Spirit produces transformative belief in Jesus. The Spirit does not...
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1 John 4:9-10
What does it mean to love one another and what is the ultimate example and reason of love? In 1 John 4:9-10, John shows us that love is not defined by the world, our feelings, or even our sacrifices, but by God’s sending of His Son. This message helped us see that God’s love is shown, proactive,...
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1 John 4:7-8
What is love—really? In a world that constantly redefines love around feelings, self-expression, and personal fulfillment, 1 John 4:7-8 brings us back to the source: God Himself. In this message, we explored the foundational truth that God is love—and why that changes everything about how we...
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1 John 4: 1-6 | Part 2
How do you actually discern false teaching without becoming cynical, arrogant, or fearful? In this message from 1 John 4:1-6, we continue John’s call to “test the spirits” by exploring three additional tests: the life test, the worldly test, and the Bible test. While false teaching is a real and...
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1 John 4:1-6 | Part 1
Why does John continue to warn those he is writing to? Because truth is under attack, and Christians are called to be discerning. In this message from 1 John 4:1-6, the church is urged not to believe everything it hears, but to test the spirits, because many false prophets have gone out into the...
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1 John 3: 19-24
How can a Christian have real assurance before God when their own heart keeps condemning them? In this message from 1 John 3:19-24, John does not ignore the reality of self-condemnation—he expects it. But he also shows that believers do not have to stay trapped there. Danny and Michael discuss...
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Easter Sunday
Easter Sunday | 1 Corinthians 15:17“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” (1 Corinthians 15:17) Jake, Matt, and Sam discuss yesterday’s Easter Sunday sermon. Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!
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1 John 3: 16-18
What does real Christian love actually look like? In this message from 1 John 3:16–18, we saw that love is not just something we feel or say—it’s something we do. Jake, Michael, and Sam discuss yesterday’s sermon, unpack the main points, and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into the...
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1 John 3: 11-15
What kind of love marks someone as a true child of God? In this message from 1 John 3:11–15, we saw that love is not just a nice Christian idea—it is an identifying mark of genuine spiritual life. Jake, Matthew, and Sam discuss yesterday’s sermon, unpack the main points, and go beyond yesterday...
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1 John 3: 4-10
What makes it obvious that someone truly belongs to God? In this message from 1 John 3:4–10, we are confronted with John’s sobering claim that it is evident who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil. That raises an uncomfortable but necessary question: if we say we belong…
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1 John 3:1-3
What helps Christians pursue holiness in a world full of distraction? In 1 John 3:1–3, we are called to “see” two life-changing realities: the Father’s love and the Son’s return. John reminds believers that we are not just forgiven sinners—we are beloved children of God right now. And though what...
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1 John 2:28-29
Ian, Jake, and Sam discuss the sermon on 1 John 2:28-29, which causes us to ask ourselves a powerful question: When Jesus returns, will you have confidence—or shrink back in shame? John reminds us that Christ’s return is not hypothetical; it is promised. The issue isn’t if He’s coming back, but...
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1 John 2 18-27
Ian, Jake, and Sam discuss the sermon on 1 John 2:18-27 where the alarm bell is ringing: deception isn’t accidental—it’s intentional. John says plainly, “I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you,” and that reality should wake us up. In the “last hour,” false teachers...
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1 John 2:15-17
This sermon lands on 1 John’s first explicit imperative: “Do not love the world.” John isn’t condemning God’s creation or people, but warning against worldliness—the seductive system of values that makes sin feel normal and holiness feel strange. This text presses a personal question: if the…
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1 John 2:12-14
In this episode, Michael, Jake, and Sam revisit yesterday’s message on 1 John 2:12-14, as Michael called it John’s “halftime speech”. After several weeks of weighty “tests” found in 1 John 1:1-2:11, (holiness, obedience, love), John pauses to strengthen weary saints who are tempted to quit,...
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1 John 2:7-11
In this episode Jake, Matt, and Sam dig deeper into 1 John 2:7-11 and the love test: the claim to “walk in the light” must be matched by a real, Christ-shaped love for others. But the tension is that both the Bible and the world talk about love—often with very different definitions. This episode...
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1 John 2:3-6
In this episode, Danny, Jake, and Sam dig deeper into 1 John 2:3-6 and how we can know we’re truly in Christ without slipping into pride, fear, or complacency. It is essential to know that there is a tension between confidence and humility in the Christian life. John calls believers toward...
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1 John 1:5-2:2
In this episode, Jake, Matthew, and Sam dig deeper into 1 John 1:5–2:1 and the uncomfortable-but-loving reality John addresses: there can be real Christians and self-deceived professing Christians sitting in the same room. John writes to strengthen true believers with confidence—and to unsettle...
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1 John 1:1-4
This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Ian, and Sam recap the kickoff to our 1 John series with verses 1-4 in chapter 1. John’s opening aim is surprisingly clear: joy. Writing as an aging apostle and “father” to the churches, John addresses real threats inside the church—false teaching, growing...
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Rhythms: Prayer
In the second week of our annual Rhythms series, we focus on prayer—not just as something Christians should do, but as a repeated practice that forms us into people who actually trust God. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray by re-centering on God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s...
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Rhythms: Bible
As we kick off our annual Rhythms series, we dug into why Bible reading isn’t just a churchy habit—it’s one of the primary ways God forms a church full of people who abide closely with Jesus. In John 6, the crowd wants Jesus for what He can give—but Jesus presses them to see who He is: the Bread…
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Advent: Love
This week on Beyond the Message, Michael Rhodes and Jake Each recap yesterday’s Advent message from John 3:16, which shows us God's love is evident, extravagant, extensive, exclusive, effective, and endearing. We unpack the sermon's main points and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into...
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Advent: Generosity
This week on Beyond the Message, Ian Crosby and Michael Rhodes recap yesterday’s message from Romans 8:32, which demonstrates that God always provides for his plan—God has already given us His greatest gift, his own Son. We unpack the sermon's main points and go beyond yesterday with additional...
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Advent: Humility
This week on Beyond the Message, Sam Anderson and Ian Crosby recap yesterday’s message from Philippians 2:3-11, exploring how the humility of Christ leads to the worship of Christ. We unpack the sermon's main points and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into the text. The humility of…
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Advent: Sovereignty
This week on Beyond the Message, Matthew Morken and Danny Daugherty dive into Matthew 1:1-17, where we see that God’s purposeful sovereignty over Jesus’ birth proves that we can trust God’s purposeful sovereignty over our lives. We unpack the sermon's main points and go beyond yesterday with...
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Daniel 11:2-12:13
In this episode, Sam and Jake discuss yesterday’s sermon from Daniel 11:2-12:13 — we are called to care about wisdom, purity, and to trust in the resurrection. We unpack the main points from the sermon and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into the text. As the book of Daniel closes…
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Daniel 10-11:1
In this episode, Sam and Jake discuss yesterday’s sermon from Daniel 10-11:1 — we saw in the text that we have to be in awe of God to be at peace in this world. We unpack the main points from the sermon and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into the text. Daniel expected the end of…
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About this show
Join us each week for a casual conversation as we dive deeper into Sunday’s message. We explore key points, clarify questions, and discuss insights that didn’t make it to the stage. This podcast is designed to help you reflect, learn, and apply the truth shared during the sermon.
Hosted by
Veritas Church, Cedar Rapids, IA
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