Christ Church Los Angeles Sermon Podcast

Belshazzar turned to gods of gold and silver which are comforting in the moment because he can hold them in his hands but they can’t see or hear him. If we look closely, we do the exact same thing. Daniel 5 shows us we can turn to the one who truly holds our lives in His hands.

Daniel 4 tells the story of Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful king in the world, whose pride blinded him to the God standing right above him. "I raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored" (Daniel 4:34). Whether you're worn out from looking down at everything you've built or everything you lack, Daniel 4 is the good news that the King of heaven came down so we could finally look up — and rest.

We live in chaotic times, but there is a peace that comes from God that cuts through it all.

In the story of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar built a massive golden statue, demanding everyone worship it. Those who didn’t faced dire consequences—being thrown into a blazing furnace. They stood their ground and trusted God's goodness even if God didn't save them from the fire.

When trouble comes, what do we tend to do? We often reach for a podcast, book, or show - the best that human hands have given us. Daniel shows us a different way. We are reminded that we are recipients of God’s kingdom, not the builders. That our first response to trouble should be humble prayer in God’s throne room which is more powerful and wise. We are subject to a kingdom that cannot be shaken or destroyed but only through Jesus Christ, not on our own strength or merit.

Daniel chapter 1 shows us that despite what we may think or feel, God is always with us and promises to never leave us. The God who gave his people over is the same God who gave his only son. God gives birth to all compassion. If you’ve been a Christian for years and you’re still trying to earn your favor with God, you are running without steam. God’s favor is not earned, it is given to you freely.

God equips everyone with a gift to serve--even if you don’t think you have any gifts at all. How might God be calling you to serve Him and his church?

As the disciples were surviving in the days following Jesus’ death, He appears to them and what does he give them? He proves that he is God by revealing his physical scars. He gives them peace. He gives them purpose by sending them out to share the gospel. He enables them to complete this job by giving them the Holy Spirit. Know that Jesus’ peace is available to us today just like it was to the disciples with Jesus standing in front of them.

The disciples had seen the risen Jesus twice — and still drifted back to old patterns. In this passage, Jesus meets them at real low point. His actions with them offer every one of us a completely new identity, grounded not in what we achieve but in what he already finished on the cross.[Sorry we had a technical difficulty with the video so there’s only an audio version of this sermon.]

Thomas wasn’t there when Jesus first appeared to the disciples and he needed proof to believe. Just like him, we often seek evidence in our faith. But Jesus doesn’t dismiss our doubts. Instead, He invites us to look at His wounds, showing us that He’s alive and that He loves us deeply.

We observe the physical and spiritual symbolism that is happening simultaneously through Christ’s pain and suffering on the cross. In the midst of his pain and suffering, Jesus shows his love and compassion for others. Jesus took on the full suffering and painful death so that we could walk free. He was thirsty so that we could have living water and never thirst again. Be encouraged, “It is finished.”

The way John frames the story of Jesus’ Roman trial before Pilate causes each of us to wrestle with the question “what is truth?” for ourselves. In the end we must decide what we believe about Jesus and either accept him as Lord and center our whole lives around him, or reject him entirely. There’s no middle ground.

The way John tells the story of Jesus' arrest reveals both the astounding person of Jesus and his astounding love.

Mary poured out a pint of pure nard on Jesus’ feet, an act that wasn’t just a gesture, it was a declaration of Him as King. But here’s the twist: this King came to serve, to love, and to sacrifice.

Guest Preacher, Leon Harris, shows us that the Kingdom of Jesus intentionally inverts the world's value systems, building its foundation on the poor in spirit, mourning and the weak. This "upside-down" community is then called to be a visible, transformative presence in the world.

For some to believe in Jesus they need him to teach them. For others, they need him to empathize with them. But all of us need one thing from Jesus--that’s what we see in John 11.

Though the story starts as one about a man born with physical blindness, it’s really about our spiritual blindness. Spiritual blindness is only removed when you see your need for Jesus.

In a world that often promotes the idea that answers lie within us, we can easily fall into the trap of self-centered thinking. But what if the real question is not about what we want, but rather what is God calling me to do? Paul Kim explores the stories of Esther, The Good Samaritan and Philip to help us see that God uses our circumstances to show us what he’s calling us to.

The New Testament uses 2 words for “life”. One simply refers to our biological existence. The other refers to the life that is truly life. When Jesus feeds the 5,000 he shows how to get the life that is truly life.

Ever feel like faith is just for the super believers? Think again! In this sermon, we explore how faith isn’t about having it all figured out. It’s about taking that first step, just like the royal official who journeyed to Jesus in desperation.

When Jesus clears the Temple we see the contrasting yet complementary aspects of His character. Jesus embodies both the joy of celebration and the challenge of disruption, offering a profound understanding of His role in our lives.

The first of the seven signs that Jesus gives to reveal that he is the Son of God who came to bring salvation is extremely personal. He is at a small family wedding in a small town. And yet this small and personal sign has massive significance.

Whenever a person approaches God they should feel out of place. If not, it means we either have too low a view of God or too high a view of ourselves. In John 1.14 we find the way we can approach God AND be accepted by him.

Surely we can all think of things more relevant than a 2000 year old baby to orient our entire lives around. And yet, everyone in Luke chapter 2 stops what they're doing and changes their whole life to orient it around this baby that has born. If it wasn’t absurd to them, should it be so absurd to us?

For anyone who has prayed and nothing changed. Guest speaker Ste Casey encourages us and challenges us to look at how God might be using our thorns to shape us into who he wants us to become.

The Prophet Anna is perhaps the best example in the Bible of someone who held out hope in God.

Almost every other institution we interact with in our culture is a consumer institution. But the church is the exact opposite. The church is much more like a pot luck dinner than a restaurant.

Last week we saw that each individual Christian is a temple of the Holy Spirit. This week we see that the church is also a temple--a dwelling place--of the Holy Spirit. And that has huge implications for our presence in society.

The Bible’s has a high view of our bodies because they are temples of the Holy Spirit.

God is a rejoicing God who throws a party when even one person comes to him.

We all will experience suffering of one kind or another. What is the Holy Spirit doing while we suffer? Has God abandoned us? Or is God at work in us in that very moment? Romans 5 shows us exactly what the Holy Spirit is doing while we’re suffering.

Romans 8 teaches us how the Holy Spirit helps us in our battle with sin.

A brief look at one of the most memorized and taught passages in the whole Bible.

In Galatians 5 and 6, Paul uses five metaphors to describe how we can cooperate with the Holy Spirit for our spiritual growth. In this sermon Ken encourages us to pick just one and meditate on it for several weeks to let it sink in.

What will we be like when the Holy Spirit has completed his work in us? The answer to that is found in 1 Corinthians 13 where we get a glimpse into heaven.

An introduction to the Holy Spirit from John 14.

In this passage, we learn that true wealth is not found in earthly riches but in the giving of ourselves to our neighbors. Jesus’ love requires the building up of community, he is our source of love and unity. We must remain loyal to Jesus regardless of the pressures of society.

At the Tower of Babel rather than lifting up God's name, man decides to make a name for himself. This is at the very center of pride and as long as we are prideful we can never really know God. Yet, God shows up once again to graciously redirect us towards himself.

Yes the Flood is a story about divine judgement, but more than that it's a story about salvation. And the covenant God makes with Noah points to the promise of ultimate salvation to come in Jesus Christ.

Genesis 4 & 5 reveal how God’s people always live in a city within a city, worshipers and non-worshipers living side by side. We see the pervasiveness of sin and how it can turn a city inward toward the self and countered with Seth and his family line who break this pattern of sin turning outward to God by calling upon the Lord and living faithfully.

The sensationalized part of the story is the murder. But the actually sensational part of the story is how God shows up in Cain's life before and after the murder to show mercy.

Creation cries out, Scripture cries out and we cry out to know our God. Psalm 19 walks us through our part in growing closer to God. We must acknowledge our need of a savior. We can know God through his creation, through His word, and through the confession of our sins.

In Genesis 3 we learn God desires to be near us and invites us into close relationship with him with gentleness and grace. To quote Nat’s sermon, ”If you take God out of the picture, you’ve once again fallen into the snare of the snake.” We must learn to trust him with every breath we take.

In Genesis chapter 2 we learn that God desires to walk with us in the same way that he walked in the garden with Adam & Eve.

The main emphasis of Genesis 1 is that God created humankind in His image. There are two major implications one for how we view others and one for how we view ourselves.

The main emphasis of Genesis 1 is that God created humankind in His image. There are two major implications one for how we view others and one for how we view ourselves.

The book of James teaches us to develop the practice of prayer in our normal everyday lives so that when life’s challenges come, it will be second nature for us to pray.

The book of James shows us that perseverance in the hardest times of life is possible if we have developed the wisdom of patience in the normal every day of life.

The book of James reveals the wisdom of praying for God's will to be done.

Listen in as we celebrate the new life offered through the resurrection of Christ.