Christ Presbyterian Church

Jesus warns us not to be distracted by what looks impressive, but instead to look for what is true, good, and real by examining the “fruit” a person’s life produces. Rather than pursuing success, influence, or the appearance of being a good Christian, God’s agenda is to transform us so that we increasingly become like Jesus and bear good fruit through loving and serving others. The good news is that we don’t produce this fruit through our own effort, it grows through trusting Jesus, surrendering our lives to him, and allowing his sacrificial love to transform us. 

The sermon explores Jesus’ teaching about the narrow and wide paths in Matthew 7, emphasizing that the narrow path is not about perfect behavior but about a transformed heart and a life rooted in Jesus. The wide path can be tempting because it promises fulfillment through success, possessions, relationships, comfort, and approval, but these things ultimately cannot provide the life and purpose we seek. Following Jesus may be harder and less traveled, but He is the way to true and abundant life, inviting us to trust Him and keep walking, even when the path is difficult or we lose our way. 

Jesus’ words to “ask, seek, and knock” are an invitation to persistent prayer; not a promise that God will give us everything we want, but an assurance that our loving Father will give what is good according to his wisdom, timing, and will. Through the Holy Spirit, God meets us in our weakness, confusion, and unanswered prayers, even when we feel distant or unable to find the right words. As we trust God’s care for us, we are also called to love others actively and empathetically, treating them as we would want to be treated. 

This sermon explores Jesus’ command in Matthew 7 not to judge others, clarifying that He is not rejecting moral discernment but warning against condemnation, pride, and contempt. We are called to examine the “plank” in our own eyes first, recognizing our need for God’s grace so that any wisdom or correction we offer others comes from compassion, humility, and relationship. Ultimately, Jesus shows us what this looks like: He does not excuse sin, but neither does He condemn us; instead, He enters into our brokenness to restore and make us right with God. 

Pastor Joe McDonald teaches that the antidote to worry is not simply becoming calmer, but learning to trust God by seeking His kingdom and righteousness first. Using his own story of unemployment, he shows that trust is built through a relationship with Jesus, recognizing God's faithfulness in both hardships and acts of generosity, and participating in God's work of justice, compassion, and love in the world. He concludes that Jesus is the perfect model of trust, calling believers to fix their eyes on Him, pursue God's kingdom above their own, and find true life and peace in Him.

James gets real about his own anxiety—like the time a surprise meeting invite from his boss sent him into a full doomsday spiral. Digging into Matthew 6:25-34, he explores why Jesus tells us not to worry, why that's easier said than done, and how anxiety might actually be a signal pointing us back to where we've stopped trusting God. Honest, funny, and genuinely hopeful—part of our summer series on the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus warns that wealth can become a dangerous rival to God, offering a false sense of security, fostering greed, and competing for our worship, while inviting us instead to find lasting security and abundance in God's kingdom. He teaches that practicing generosity and simplicity frees us from the grip of money, allowing our hearts to be shaped by God's love and to become a source of blessing for others. Ultimately, Jesus points to His own generosity on the cross as the foundation for true freedom, reminding us that because God has already given us everything in Christ, we can live with open hands and wholehearted trust in Him.

Pastor Carrie explains that spiritual practices require intentional, consistent practice, just as learning to play the piano does, and highlights fasting as a biblical discipline that helps believers depend more fully on God rather than on themselves. She emphasizes that fasting is not about earning God's approval or achieving specific results but about reorienting the heart, mind, and body toward Christ, exposing self-sufficiency, and deepening trust in God's provision. Along with prayer and giving, fasting is presented as a lifelong practice that shapes disciples into people who are increasingly transformed by God's presence and aligned with His kingdom. 

Jesus teaches that prayer is not about saying the perfect words but about approaching God as a loving Father, aligning our hearts with His kingdom and will, and honestly bringing Him our deepest needs. The Lord's Prayer reminds us that we are dependent on God for daily provision, forgiveness, strength against temptation, and transformation, while also calling us to extend forgiveness to others. Rather than treating prayer as a last resort, Jesus invites us into a daily, ongoing relationship with our Heavenly Father that changes both our hearts and our lives.

Jesus teaches that prayer is not a performance to impress others or a formula to manipulate God, but a relationship with a loving Father who already sees, knows, and cares for us. Pastor Emily challenges us to recognize that both performative prayer and the avoidance of prayer stem from the same misunderstanding of God's character, inviting them instead to trust His love and make space for honest, regular connection with Him. Ultimately, prayer becomes less about saying the right words and more about resting in God's presence, listening for His voice, and remembering that we are already fully known and loved.

This sermon explores the gap many people feel between who they are and who they think they should be, especially when it comes to living out their faith and inviting others to follow Jesus. Drawing from 1 Thessalonians, Pastor Jonathan emphasizes that the Gospel is not just a message to believe but a power that transforms lives through the work of the Holy Spirit, and that genuine invitation flows from experiencing that transformation personally.

Jesus teaches that His followers should reject retaliation and respond to wrongdoing with grace, generosity, and forgiveness. Emily emphasizes that this is only possible when we remember the abundant grace God has shown us. She challenges listeners to see the humanity in those who hurt them and seek their good rather than revenge.

This sermon teaches that Jesus’ kingdom calls believers to abandon retaliation and revenge, responding to wrongdoing with grace because they are living in the new reality of God’s kingdom. Through examples like turning the other cheek and going the extra mile, Jesus invites his followers to affirm both their own dignity and the humanity of those who harm them, refusing to answer evil with more evil. Ultimately, the sermon points to Jesus’ own death and resurrection as the foundation for this way of life, showing that God’s grace cancels our debts and makes restoration possible without seeking payback.

In this episode of Pastors Cut, Gabby Gustafson reflects on Jesus’ teaching about oaths and truthfulness in Matthew 5, exploring how both covenant commitments and everyday speech reveal the condition of our hearts. The conversation highlights the importance of honesty, integrity, and vulnerability, emphasizing that truthfulness leads to wholeness while dishonesty fragments us and damages trust.

This sermon challenges the tendency to create “loopholes” around truthfulness, comparing childhood “fingers crossed” promises to the subtle ways adults manipulate words to avoid discomfort, accountability, or commitment. Reflecting on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5, she explains that dishonesty fractures relationships, distorts our hearts, and damages our trust in God by leading us into hiding, suspicion, and self-protection. Through the example of Peter’s denial and restoration by Jesus, she emphasizes that the way of Jesus is not merely about avoiding lies, but becoming people transformed by grace who can live openly, honestly, and truthfully before God and one another.

Melissa Schaser and Carrie Gleason discuss Petey Crowder’s sermon on Jesus’ teaching about lust and adultery, emphasizing that sin and spiritual deformation happen gradually and begin in the heart long before outward actions occur. They explore how Christian sexual ethics apply across every stage of life — including singleness, dating, and marriage — and stress the importance of accountability, community, and learning to see others as image-bearers of God rather than objects. 

The sermon explores Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 that adultery and lust begin in the heart long before outward actions take place, comparing sin to Icarus flying too close to the sun, as the damage starts before the fall is visible. It challenges listeners to take sin seriously while recognizing that true change does not come from rules or self-control alone, but through surrendering to Jesus and allowing Him to transform the heart. The message ultimately offers hope, reminding people that no struggle is beyond Christ’s healing and that God desires to create lives and relationships marked by faithfulness, honesty, and restoration.

This sermon reflects on Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5 about reconciliation, emphasizing that because God sacrificed to reconcile humanity through Jesus, Christians are called to pursue reconciliation in their own relationships, even when it is painful or uncomfortable. Using personal stories about motherhood and conflict with her daughter, the pastor illustrates how pride, fear, justification, and shame often keep people from apologizing or taking the first step toward healing, while true reconciliation requires humility and ownership of one’s part. Ultimately, the sermon encourages listeners to trust the Holy Spirit, embrace the discomfort of difficult conversations, and pursue restored relationships as an expression of the grace and forgiveness they themselves have received from God.

This episode explores Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing that He came not to abolish the Old Testament law but to fulfill it, shifting the focus from rule-following to a transformed life rooted in trust in Him. The conversation highlights how Scripture is meant to shape and transform us relationally, not just serve as a checklist, producing righteousness over time as we grow in faith. 

This sermon emphasizes that while rules are good and necessary, they cannot transform our hearts—only a relationship with Jesus can truly change who we are. Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, shifting the focus from external rule-keeping to internal heart transformation and a life rooted in connection with Him. Ultimately, the Christian life is about receiving Christ’s righteousness and becoming more like Him, rather than trying to earn it through checking religious boxes.

This sermon contrasts the “way of the saint” with the pursuit of celebrity, emphasizing that Jesus calls his followers to live as “salt and light” by humbly depending on Him and drawing close to the needs of others. Using biblical imagery and examples, it explains that God’s people are meant to bring transformation and blessing to the world through faithful presence, not personal influence or success. Ultimately, the message highlights that Jesus Himself embodies this calling, and as believers rely on Him, His love and faithfulness flow through them to impact others.

This episode explores the final Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing that following Jesus may lead to suffering or persecution rather than earthly reward, but ultimately grounds believers in God’s kingdom. Petey Crowder explains that Christians often mistakenly expect comfort, success, or recognition, when in reality living out Jesus’ way—through humility, justice, and sacrifice—can put them at odds with the world and cost them approval or opportunity. The conversation concludes that true faith is often formed through weakness, discomfort, and everyday choices to live differently, where God’s presence and lasting transformation are found.

This sermon uses the image of hiking against a crowd to illustrate how following Jesus often puts believers at odds with the world, especially when living out the Beatitudes. It explains that persecution is not something to seek or exaggerate, but something that naturally comes when one faithfully lives in allegiance to Jesus rather than worldly values. Ultimately, while this way may cost approval and comfort, it anchors a person in God’s kingdom, where true blessing, purpose, and lasting security are found.

This episode introduces a new sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount, emphasizing the importance of slowly engaging Scripture and trusting God to transform people through His Word. The conversation explores how the Beatitudes are not a checklist for earning blessing, but an invitation to depend on Jesus—revealing both our need for Him and a way of life shaped by His presence and grace. Ultimately, the discussion highlights that a “blessed life” is not self-made, but formed by surrendering self-sufficiency and allowing God to work through both our lack and our abundance.

This sermon contrasts the world’s definition of a “blessed” life—success, status, and self-achievement—with Jesus’ teaching in the Beatitudes, where blessing means experiencing God’s presence, not perfect circumstances. A truly blessed life begins with recognizing our need for God and grows as His character overflows into others. Rather than striving to earn blessing, we are invited to release self-sufficiency, grieve misplaced pursuits, and receive a life with God, where blessing is found in His presence, not our performance.

This episode introduces a post-Easter conversation where Melissa Schaser interviews Petey Crowder about his Easter sermon, which focused on baptism and the call to leave behind old patterns of sin to embrace new life in Christ. They reflect on Holy Week traditions—such as Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Watch Night service—highlighting how each service prepares believers to understand Jesus’ death and resurrection more deeply.

This sermon emphasizes that people often search for fulfillment in places that ultimately leave them empty, like returning to a permanently closed store, rather than turning to Jesus. Through the resurrection story in Luke 24, it highlights that Jesus’ victory over death offers true, lasting life and freedom from old patterns of sin, shame, and dissatisfaction. Easter is presented not just as an inspiring story, but as an invitation to embrace a completely new life in Christ and live in the reality of that transformation.

Baptism is described as a sacrament that represents God’s saving work and initiating love, serving as an outward sign of an inward grace. This discussion highlights why both infants and adults are baptized, emphasizing that God’s claim on us comes before our response and is nurtured within a faith community. It also encourages believers to be baptized as a meaningful, physical expression of faith that marks identity in Christ and connects them to the church.

This sermon reflects on Jesus walking on water in Matthew 14, showing that true courage is not found in favorable circumstances or personal strength, but in trusting Jesus amid fear and uncertainty. Through Peter’s experience, it teaches that courage is a steady commitment to follow Jesus, even when faith falters, because Jesus comes to us, reveals Himself, calls us to be with Him, and saves us when we cry out. Ultimately, the message reminds believers that despite doubt and failure, Jesus never loses His grip on them, which is the true source of lasting courage.

This episode centers on Jesus’ baptism, emphasizing that God’s love comes before His call—Jesus is affirmed as beloved before beginning His ministry, showing we act from God’s love, not to earn it. The conversation explores how God’s love is relational and unconditional toward our identity, yet not the same as approving all our actions, highlighting the importance of repentance and ongoing forgiveness. It concludes by illustrating how weakness and need open us to experience God’s grace more deeply, allowing the Gospel to transform us and flow into others.

This sermon teaches that Jesus’ baptism was not about His need for cleansing, but about identifying with humanity so He could make all things right and bring us into His life. At that moment, God declares Jesus as His beloved Son before He does anything, showing that God’s love always comes before His call—a truth that defines our identity as well. The message invites believers to stop striving for approval and instead live from the secure, unchanging reality that they are already deeply loved by God.

This episode of Pastor’s Cut reflects on a sermon about Naaman’s healing in Second Kings, focusing on themes of humility, obedience, and the transformative power of simple spiritual practices. The discussion explores theological perspectives on physical and spiritual healing, emphasizing faithful trust in God’s work amid both miracles and suffering. 

This sermon reflects on the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5, emphasizing that even a powerful and successful person could not overcome his deepest need for healing on his own. His eventual willingness to humbly follow God’s simple instruction reveals that true healing comes through surrender, trust, and God’s grace rather than human achievement or status. The message ultimately points to Jesus and baptism as signs that God offers deeper healing for the soul, inviting people to stop striving for self-fixing and instead receive new life from Him.

This episode of Pastor’s Cut features a conversation about a sermon on Exodus 14, where God parts the sea to deliver the Israelites, illustrating how sin can both surround and pursue people like the sea and the Egyptian army. The pastors discuss how sin is not only personal wrongdoing but also a broken force in the world that pushes people toward needing God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ. They also connect the story to Baptism, describing it as a gift that marks believers as part of God’s covenant family and a reminder of God’s deliverance and grace.

Pastor Melissa Schaser preaches on the Israelites’ fear in Exodus 14 when they were trapped between the sea and Pharaoh’s army, illustrating how sin both blocks our path and pursues us. She explains that the Hebrew word "Yeshua" (deliverance) points forward to Jesus, who ultimately rescues humanity from the power of sin. Baptism is presented as a sign that believers belong to God and can trust that He will make a way even when they feel surrounded or stuck.

On Pastor’s Cut, Melissa Schaser interviews Petey Crowder about his sermon on Noah in the “Through the Waters” series at CPC, exploring how the flood story reveals a grieving yet faithful God who confronts sin and ultimately promises to bear judgment Himself through Jesus. They discuss the theology and historicity of Genesis, emphasizing that the story primarily reveals God’s character, covenant commitment, and the cleansing, renewing grace symbolized in baptism. 

This sermon explores the story of Noah and the flood in the Book of Genesis, emphasizing that it is not a children’s tale but a sobering account of a grieving God confronting the deep corruption of human sin. Rather than acting out of anger, God responds out of heartbreak, using the flood as both judgment and a means of purification, an “uncreation” that makes way for a new creation and covenant faithfulness. Ultimately, the story points forward to the greater rescue found and fulfilled through Jesus, where sin is decisively defeated not by another flood, but by grace that brings new life.

In this episode of Pastor’s Cut, Melissa interviews Emily Hamilton about the inspiration behind the “Through the Waters” sermon series at Christ Presbyterian Church, which traces major water stories throughout Scripture to highlight the unity of God’s redemptive story and the meaning of baptism. Emily explains the many gifts of baptism—reminding us that we are created and beloved by God, cleansed and raised to new life in Christ, and initiated into God’s family—while contrasting Genesis’ hopeful creation narrative with both ancient myths and modern cultural stories about identity and worth.

Pastor Emily describes baptism as a gift from God, like a beautifully wrapped package containing many smaller gifts that remind us we are seen, loved, and claimed by Him. Reflecting on Genesis 1, she highlights how God brings order and life out of chaotic waters, offering a hopeful counterstory both to ancient Babylonian myths and to today’s pressure to create and define ourselves. Baptism, she says, grounds our identity not in self-creation but in receiving the truth that we belong to a good Creator who continues to bring life out of chaos in us.

On the Pastors Cut podcast, Joe McDonald reflects on returning to staff and preaching the final message in the “Invited” series, centered on Revelation’s closing invitation, “Come, Lord Jesus.” He shares how a vision of a diverse multitude worshiping Christ and the concept of “spiritual martyrdom”—a humble surrender of self so Christ can live through us—shaped his message and challenged listeners to follow the Spirit’s daily nudges. 

Pastor Joe McDonald reflects on meaningful invitations in his life and connects them to the Bible’s final prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus,” in Revelation 22. He explains that Revelation offers hope and assurance of Jesus’ promised return, not a timeline to decode. The invitation “Come, Lord Jesus” is both a longing for Christ’s return and a call to live as his witnesses in the world now.

In this episode of Pastors Cut, Petey Crowder reflects on his sermon about Hebrews’ invitation to “come boldly to the throne of grace,” emphasizing Jesus as both our great High Priest and King, whose primary mission is to save and reconcile us to God. He discusses common misconceptions about Jesus—reducing him to a social service provider, political culture warrior, power confronter, or personal genie—and argues that these distortions distract from Christ’s central saving work.

This sermon centers on Hebrews 4:14–16, presenting Jesus as the great High Priest who fully understands human weakness and invites us to come boldly and honestly before God to receive grace and mercy. It challenges distorted views of Jesus by emphasizing that his primary work is healing human brokenness through his once-for-all sacrifice, not merely affirming us or fixing others.

This episode of Pastor’s Cut features host Melissa Schaser in conversation with Emily Hamilton, who reflects on her sermon from John 11 and Jesus raising Lazarus, emphasizing how Jesus is Lord over death and invites the community to participate in making space for new life. Emily and Melissa explore how spiritual growth often requires honest community, naming “grave clothes” that still bind us, and helping one another respond to Jesus’ call into life.