PODCAST · religion
Grace in Community
by Community Lutheran Church
The podcast of Community Lutheran Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, with weekly episodes every Monday featuring the sermons of Pastor Matthew Anderson. Join us in person at 9am Sundays! Find information about the church at clcrsm.org.
Episodes
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10-18-26 Bring Your Whole Self to the Party
Text: Matthew 22:15-22 Series: Joy in the Harvest! What are you bringing to the party? In today’s gospel, the Pharisees try to trap Jesus, and he tells them to give the emperor what belongs to him and to God what belongs to God. One of the meanings of Jesus' statement is that we ourselves belong…
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10-11-26 What Are You Bringing to the Party?
Texts: Matthew 22:1-14, Isaiah 25:4-9 Series: Joy in the Harvest! In almost every ancient culture, a community festival marked harvest time. Everyone came together to share from the blessings they had been given in celebration and thanksgiving. This year we're inviting everyone to bring in your...
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10-4-26 Heaven Will Go to the Dogs
Texts: Matthew 13:31-32, Isaiah 11:6-9, Romans 8:18-23 Did you know that your care for your pet is actually an expression of our ultimate human vocation? Here on Animal Blessing Sunday, Pastor Matt expands on the role human beings are called to play in the Community of Creation. Think of this as...
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9-27-26 The Virtue of Changing Your Mind
Texts: Matthew 21:23-32, Philippians 2:1-13 Series: Under Construction As our Under Construction theme draws to a close, Pastor Matt asks, "Does changing your mind mean you lack conviction?" In today's gospel reading Jesus seems to advocate for changing your mind! He tells the religious leaders...
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9-20-26 The Older Brother Syndrome
Texts: Matthew 20:1-16, Jonah 3:10-4:11, Luke 15:11-32 Series: Under Construction What is the "Older Brother Syndrome," you ask? The Bible continually displays God’s character as “gracious and merciful, abounding in steadfast love.” So gracious, in fact, that humans get mad about it. Like the…
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9-13-26: Under Construction: Relationship Edition
Text: Matthew 18:(15-)21-35 Series: Under Construction We've been talking about how we are always "Under Construction", never having fully arrived. This Sunday we turn that focus to relationships, and we hear THE MOST IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIP ADVICE EVER GIVEN! - and it applies to every type of...
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9-6-26 The Community of Creation
Texts: Genesis 2:4b-9,15-25; John 1:1-5 What is the proper relationship between human beings and the earth? Today we take a break from our Under Construction series to celebrate a brand new festival day in the church calendar, years in the making. It’s called Creation in Christ. On this day we...
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8-30-26 It's free...and costs you everything
Text: Matthew 16:21-28, Romans 12:9-21, Jeremiah 15:15-21 Series: Under Construction For the past couple weeks, we've seen a progression: we wrestle with God's truth, we wander - only to be found by Jesus. What then? We have said the questions and doubt can be good. But do they ever end? Do we…
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8-23-26 How's Your Foundation?
Text: Matthew 16:13-20 This sermon is a kind of part II of last week's, when we discovered that our questions, doubts, and wanderings can be a good thing, leading to deeper faith. Today we ask the question: in the midst of those questions and wanderings, is there anything that anchors us? Through…
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8-16-26 The Benefit of Doubt
Texts: Matthew 15:21-28, Isaiah 56:1-8, Rom 11:1-2a, 29-32 Series: Under Construction What if the questions and doubts you've been afraid to voice are actually the very heartbeat of faith? Pastor Matt unpacks a striking encounter where a bold Canaanite woman challenges Jesus himself—and her...
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7-26-26 Trust the Process
Texts: Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52; Romans 8:37-39 Series: Under Construction Just like our campus is in need of ongoing revitalization, so are our hearts. Sometimes God’s work in our lives comes after an unwelcome disruption, like the work in the corner of our Sanctuary earlier this year. Other…
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7-19-26 A New World is Being Born
Texts: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43; Rom 8:12-25 Series: Jesus the Great Disruptor Why are there mosquitos - and so many other bad things - in the world? Together with Romans 8, Jesus' parable of the wheat and weeds helps frame this question in the larger cosmic history of the world. God's project is…
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7-12-26 Disturbing the Soil
Texts: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23; Isaiah 55:10-13 Series: Jesus the Great Disruptor What if the hardest seasons of your life are actually preparing the ground for something extraordinary? Pastor Matt explores Jesus' parable of the sower with a fresh, disruptive lens—revealing that we're not just one...
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6-28-26 We're Supposed to Feel Inadequate
Texts: Matthew 10:31-42, Jeremiah 20:7-12 Series: Jesus the Great Disruptor We usually (and rightfully) place a strong emphasis on God’s grace and acceptance. But sometimes this can cause us to miss just how disruptive God’s word is. Jeremiah feels a deep disruption within him that forces him to...
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6-21-26 Living in Our Father's Care
Text: Matthew 10:24-31 What are you passing down? Here on Father's Day, lay member Keith Borgschatz preaches a special message proclaiming that faith isn't just something we believe; it's something we live. Keith reminds us that fatherhood, and discipleship itself, isn't about being in…
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6-7-26 Go and learn what this means
Texts: Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26; Hosea 5:15-6:6; Psalm 50:7-15 Series: Jump in the River! Jesus was often criticized for eating with tax collectors and sinners—the religiously nonobservant. In response, he routinely criticized self-righteousness. Hosea reminds us that steadfast love and mercy…
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5-31-26 Join in the Dance!
Texts: Matthew 28:16-20, Genesis 1:26-31, Psalm 8, Ezekiel 47:1-12 Series: Jump in the River! What if the secret to life isn't solving God's mysteries, but being swept up into them? Here on Trinity Sunday, Pastor Matt reveals that the Trinity isn't a theological puzzle to solve, but the early...
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5-24-26 Coming Back to the River
Text: John 7:37-39 Series: Jump in the River! On this special Sunday two of our youth were baptized, and four affirmed the promises God made to them in baptism, saying “Yes! I want to continue learning and growing as a disciple of Jesus.” When we affirm our place in God's family in baptism, we...
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5-17-26 Making the River Flow
Text: John 17:1-11 Series: Jump in the River! Last week we witnessed Jesus telling the disciples they will need to learn how to "adult." He was going away, but he would send them a helper - in this process: the Holy Spirit. Now he tells them of one vital ingredient for how to carry on his mission...
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5-10-26 God Our Mother?
Text: John 14:15-21, Acts 17:22-31 Series: Jump in the River! In this Mother's Day sermon, Pastor Matt asks the question, "Is it appropriate to refer to God as Mother, or as 'She'?" Engaging this interesting question leads us to see an important truth in Jesus' promise to the disciples of what…
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5-3-26 Is Jesus the Only Way?
Text: John 14:1-14 Series: Jump In the River! For the next couple weeks our texts open up some controversial questions. This week: should we still be saying that "Jesus is the only way?" Rather than backing down from this claim, Pastor Matt reveals how we've misunderstood its true meaning—Jesus...
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4-26-26 What Are Your Quiet Waters?
Text: John 10:1-10, Psalm 23 Series: Jump in the River! Life can be filled with chaos. What if you could hear one familiar voice that provided calm in the midst of it? In this touching reflection on Psalm 23 and John 10, Pastor Matt reveals how the Good Shepherd has already found us; all we need…
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4-19-26 What do we mean by God's Word?
Text: Luke 24:13-35 Series: Jump in the River! In Christian circles you often hear the phrase "God's Word" thrown around. But what exactly do we mean by it? Pastor Matt's answer in this sermon may surprise you, because as Lutherans we think of it a bit differently than some. As we reflect on the...
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4-12-26 Faith Beyond Belief
Text: John 20:19-31 In this week's special episode, Bishop Dave Nagler of our Pacifica Synod brings us a message based on the text that gives "Doubting" Thomas his unfortunate nickname. In doing so, Bishop Dave brings us an important message about what it really means to have faith. Listen and...
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4-5-26 Earth-Shaking Love (Easter Sunday)
Text: Matthew 20:1-10 When the women went to see Jesus’ tomb early on that first Easter morning, we read that “suddenly there was a great earthquake.” Not surprisingly, in the ancient world earthquakes were associated with divine action. God had certainly acted! It was the most important event in...
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Bonus Episode: Christ is Lower Still
Texts: John 18-19, Psalm 22, Hebrews 4:14-16 We spend a lot of time "lifting up" God in praise. But sometimes we need a God who is lower. A God for whom despair is not foreign. We need to know a God who is with us at our depths, in our suffering. That's the God we find in Good Friday. No matter…
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3-29-26 A King...on a donkey?
Texts: Luke 19:29-48, Zechariah 9:9-10, Psalm 118:1-2,19-29; Philippians 2:5-11 How is true peace achieved in a world bent on violence? On Palm Sunday we see Jesus triumphantly entering Jerusalem as King. Except, is it really very triumphant, on a donkey? And he’s not technically king either. It...
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3-22-26 Are You Lazarus?
Text: John 11:1-45 Series: Together By Grace Have you ever felt like God was absent when you needed Him most? In a powerful exploration of John 11, Pastor Matt delves into the story of Lazarus's resurrection, revealing it as the culminating miracle among seven signs in John's Gospel. Through the...
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3-15-26 Woman at the Well Pt. 2: God Wants Your Heart
Text: John 9:13-42 Series: Together By Grace In this episode we hear part two of join us for part two of the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Their conversation takes a surprising turn. Jesus' statement to her that the Father "is looking for those who will worship him in spirit and…
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3-8-26 Woman at the Well Pt. 1: Give me this water!
Text: John 4:5-15 Series: Together By Grace "Give me this water!" That's the Samaritan woman's reaction when Jesus tells her he has water that would quench her thirst permanently, so that she would never have to go back to the well again. Her desperation speaks to a universal human desire for...
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3-1-26 The Curious Case of Nic @ Night
Texts: John 3:1-17, Genesis 12:1-3 Series: Together By Grace God's promises are always bigger than we imagine. The story of Nicodemus in John's gospel begins with a humorous misunderstanding. But as his conversation with Jesus continues, we see Nic's preconceptions about God's mercy getting blown...
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2-22-26 The Grace of Limits
Text: Matthew 4:1-11 Series: Together by Grace We don't like limits. We often think they restrict our freedom. But what if boundaries actually enable us to thrive, and our relationships to flourish? This sermon explores how Jesus conquered the temptation humanity couldn't in Eden, showing us a...
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Bonus Episode: 2-18-26 The Idolatry of Self-Sufficiency
Text: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21 On Ash Wednesday, Pastor Matt introduces our theme for Lent this year, Together By Grace. In today's world we are conditioned to believe that being a good human being means being more efficient, less needy, more self-sufficient. Ash Wednesday barges in with a rude...
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2-15-26 Open Our Eyes...to your glory
Text: Matthew 17:1-9 Series: Open Our Eyes Have you ever craved recognition only to realize you're settling for less than what your soul truly seeks? In this week's message, Pastor Matt explores the Transfiguration, where disciples witnessed Jesus radiating divine glory—a sight so overwhelming…
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2-8-26 Open Our Eyes...to your light
Texts: Matthew 5:13-20, Isaiah 58:1-12, Micah 6:8, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5 Series: Open Our Eyes We all have standards we are evaluated by in different areas of our lives. In today's sermon we learn that Jesus' words about being salt and light, when read in context, were not just feel-good metaphors,...
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2-1-26 Open Our Eyes...to your wisdom
Text: Matthew 5:1-2, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Micah 6:6-8 Series: Open Our Eyes Politics in the pulpit! This is a common complaint heard in churches today. But what do we mean by it, exactly? How or when might it be appropriate? This week's sermon explores these questions in light of Jesus' words…
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1-25-26 Open Our Eyes...to see the Kingdom of Heaven
Text: Matthew 4:12-23 Series: Open Our Eyes If we are looking for glimpses of heaven, we might think we will find them in the places of greatest beauty, majesty, or calm. But the light of the Kingdom is known most profoundly in the cross, where God suffers with us. Through this lens we find that...
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1-18-26 Open our eyes...to see the heart of God
Text: John 1:29-42 Series: Open Our Eyes “Come and see,” Jesus beckons those who would become his disciples. What they didn't know is that in inviting them to follow him, he was inviting them into the very heart of God. Come and see God's heart as you listen to today's sermon.
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1-11-26 Open Our Eyes...to see we are loved
Text: Matthew 3:13-17 Series: Open Our Eyes This week we start a new theme for "Epiphanytide" (the season after the day of Epiphany). We are asking God to "open our eyes" - to see the heart of God, to see the kingdom, to see God's wisdom, God's righteousness, and ultimately, God's glory. Here on...
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1-4-26 In the Beginning was Love
Text: John 1:1-18 Series: Love Has Come The first sermon of 2026! In which Pastor Matt reveals the meaning of life. :)
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12-28-25 The Whisper of Love
Text: Matthew 2:13-23 Series: Love Has Come What a rude interruption to our celebration of Christmas! Today’s gospel tells the horrific story of the death of innocent children at the hands of Herod. This reminds us of a truth about Jesus’ birth: it does not remove power of evil from our world.…
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12-24-25 Are We Ever Ready?
Text: Luke 2:1-20 Series: Are You Ready? In this Christmas Eve sermon, Pastor Matt concludes our Advent theme by asking, "Does anything we do ever really make us ready to receive Jesus?" Jesus doesn't demand we have everything figured out first; instead, He invades our present reality with grace,...
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12-21-25 One Moment
Text: Matthew 1:18-25 Series: Are You Ready? What if one moment could change everything? The moment Mary said yes to bearing the Son of God. The moment Joseph obeyed God and took Mary as his wife instead of divorcing her quietly. The moments - many moments - that Jesus chose God's will and...
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12-14-25 From Fear to Care
Texts: Matthew 11:2-11, Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 1:46b-55 Series: Are You Ready? What happens when we set aside our fear and suspicion of those who are different or think differently than us? We become ready to receive Jesus' presence anew. In this sermon Pastor Matt introduces the third theme of...
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12-7-25 New Shoots
Texts: Isaiah 11:1-10, Matthew 3:1-12 Series: Are You Ready? Sometimes there are circumstances in our lives that feel like a stump - where new growth feels impossible, where our future feels like it has been chopped off. It is here that God speaks a new word: growth is possible. New life is...
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Bonus Episode: Advent Conversation
Text: Luke 2:1-20 Series: Advent Conversations In this first-of-its-kind episode, Pastor Matt is joined by Tinh Brodhagen and Becky Anderson for a conversation about what it means to truly be "ready" for Christmas. Through their personal stories and fresh insights on the Christmas story, you're...
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11-30-25 Game Time!
Texts: Matthew 24:36-44, Romans 13:11-14, Isaiah 2:1-5 Series: Are You Ready? What time is it? This powerful question echoes through Pastor Matt's sermon as he weaves together memories of his adolescent basketball career with the urgent message of Advent readiness. Drawing from Matthew's Gospel…
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11-23-25 Where His Heart Is
Text: Luke 23:33-43 Series: Where Your Heart Is For the past two weeks we’ve focused on “where the heart is.” We know where Jesus’ heart is – he has given it to us fully, in his death for us on the cross. Today on the final Sunday of the church year we celebrate that the one who reigns over us…
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11-16-25 Who Has Your Heart?
Text: Luke 20:45-21:4 Series: Where Your Heart Is With so many priorities in our lives, our loyalties often feel divided. Jesus points to a poor widow as a clear example of someone whose heart is in the right place. Like her, we are imperfect "clay jars," but we carry within us the transformative...
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11-9-25 Where is Your Heart?
Text: Luke 20:20-26 Series: Where Your Heart Is We all have a variety of roles and responsibilities in our lives, and sometimes they can get overwhelming. But where is your heart? This week we begin a three-part series around that question. What you put your heart into will give shape to…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
The podcast of Community Lutheran Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, with weekly episodes every Monday featuring the sermons of Pastor Matthew Anderson. Join us in person at 9am Sundays! Find information about the church at clcrsm.org.
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Community Lutheran Church
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How many episodes does Grace in Community have?
Grace in Community currently has 90 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Grace in Community about?
The podcast of Community Lutheran Church in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, with weekly episodes every Monday featuring the sermons of Pastor Matthew Anderson. Join us in person at 9am Sundays! Find information about the church at clcrsm.org.
How often does Grace in Community release new episodes?
Grace in Community has 90 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
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Who hosts Grace in Community?
Grace in Community is created and hosted by Community Lutheran Church.
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