McGregor Podcast

What happens when a godly man or woman sins in a devastating way? That is the honest question at the heart of Psalm 51, David's prayer of confession after the prophet Nathan exposed his sin with Bathsheba and the cover-up that followed. In this episode of Beyond the Notes, Pastor David Miller digs into the first two verses, where David makes three specific appeals to God, blot out my transgressions, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin, each paired with a different word for sin. The Hebrew behind those pairings shows how seriously God takes what we so often minimize. This one is for anyone who has wondered whether their failure is too far gone. Seeing the weight of our sin the way Scripture describes it is exactly what makes the work of Jesus on the cross so precious, and Psalm 51 points straight to Him. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Psalms - Songs of the King "In The Wake Of Sin" (Psalm 51) 2 Samuel 11 and 12 record King David's epic failure: lust, coveting, adultery, premeditated murder, and a deceptive cover-up. It wasn't until the prophet Nathan confronted him that conviction and repentance came. Out of that wreckage David wrote Psalm 51, a song for Israel's hymnbook about the mercy of God. In this message, Pastor David Miller traces David's cry, his confession, the cleansing only God can give, and the repentance God makes possible. Along the way he draws the line most of us would rather avoid: forgiveness is full and free in Christ, and it still does not erase the earthly consequences of our sin. What David reaches for is not his record or his crown, but the mercy of a God who creates a clean heart in the people who cannot clean their own. Sermon Notes September 13, 2026 David Miller • Membership and Missions Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

How much of what God is doing in your church family do you actually catch on a given Sunday? On this week's Around McGregor, hosts Pastor Mark Bricker, Tamar, and Christian Miller walk through a full week at the church: baptisms in all three services, parent-child dedication, the newcomer coffee out on Main Street, and the next member meeting after the last service. They also look ahead to the prayer and praise night on September 30, the student ministry Elevate weekend for grades 6 through 12, the Ministry Fair and Change the World collection on October 4, and three mission teams heading to Hungary, South Asia, and Zambia next month. Have a question or comment for Mark and Tamar? Text the show at (239) 232-3750. You walk away knowing exactly where to show up, how to get involved, and what to be praying for as a church family. If you want one simple way to stay connected to the life of this body of Christ, start here. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

I AM Seven Signs of the Savior "I Am the Resurrection and the Life" (John 11:1-44) In the last of the seven signs John records before the cross, Jesus arrives four days too late. Lazarus is dead, his sisters are grieving, and everyone is certain the window for help has closed. Standing at the grave, Jesus makes a claim that reaches far past this one funeral: "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live." This study walks through John 11 and the honest questions Mary and Martha bring to Jesus, the God who is sovereign even over what we do not understand, and the promise that for everyone who trusts Christ, death is not the end but the doorway. September 9, 2026 Russell Howard • Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

How can we be content when we feel like we do not have what we need? In this Beyond the Notes teaching, Pastor Peter Finch picks up where Sunday's study of Psalm 23 left off and turns to Paul's words in Philippians 4. He walks through three things contentment actually is: something we learn rather than achieve, something that does not erase the pain of hard seasons, and something that grows from the heart by the work of Christ's Spirit rather than from a change in circumstances. The takeaway is quietly freeing. Your contentment does not rest on what you have, but on who you have. If you have felt the pull of wanting more, or wondered whether Jesus is really enough in a lean season, Finch offers a biblical, unhurried way to rest in the Good Shepherd. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Psalms - Songs of the King "The God Who Shepherds" (Psalm 23) Almost everyone knows Psalm 23, but knowing the words is not the same as knowing what they mean. In this interlude in the Psalms, Pastor Peter Finch walks through the God who shepherds His people in three ways: as our Pastor who leads and feeds us, as our Protector who walks with us through the valley of the shadow of death, and as our Provider who prepares a table, anoints our head, and fills our cup to overflowing. The promise "I shall not want" does not depend on our circumstances changing. It rests on the Shepherd who is with us, whose goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our life, and who welcomes His sheep into the house of the Lord forever. Sermon Notes September 6, 2026 Peter Finch • Administrative Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

A full church calendar can look like a list of events, or it can look like a set of open doors. Pastor Mark Bricker and Christian Miller walk through the member meeting and Newcomers Coffee on Sunday, September 13, the middle school snowball fight on September 16, a Prayer and Praise Night on Wednesday, September 30 where the worship team introduces three songs they wrote themselves, and an October 4 Sunday that stacks the second annual Ministry Fair, the Change the World offering, and candy collection for the Fall Festival. Underneath the dates sits one hope, that every member finds a place to serve. Bricker also points to Elevate Weekend for grades six through twelve and three October mission trips, to Hungary, Southeast Asia, and Zambia. If you are new, or you have been here a while and still have not found your place, this one hands you a map. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com Interested in visiting? Learn what to expect at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What do you do with a question you are afraid to ask in front of other people? At every Hot Topic night, McGregor invites anonymous questions written just for this podcast. In this Q&A closing the series on the hard sayings of Jesus, Pastor Mark Bricker brings them to Pastor Russell Howard one at a time. Pearls before pigs in Matthew 7. Jesus in Gethsemane asking for the cup to pass. What it means to pray in Jesus' name. Predestination in Romans 8. Why Baptists ask believers to be baptized before taking the Lord's Supper. How the Holy Spirit can be a person and still dwell with your spirit. And a listener's own account of divorce and remarriage, answered directly and pastorally. Some of these questions have a clean answer. Some end in repentance and a fresh start. All of them are handled from Scripture. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

I AM Seven Signs of the Savior "I Am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11-30) Jesus makes his boldest claim yet: "I am the good Shepherd." In the fourth of the seven I AM sayings in John's Gospel, He steps into a role God had claimed for Himself centuries earlier. Ron Cook opens in John 10 and traces the promise back to Ezekiel 34, where God, fed up with leaders who fed themselves while the flock scattered, vowed to come and shepherd the sheep Himself. That is the backdrop for Jesus standing among the people and saying the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. This study walks through who the shepherd is, why He is good even when that good comes through hard circumstances, how His sheep come to know His voice, and the security of belonging to Him: no one can snatch them out of His hand. You walk away seeing that eternal life is not only a future home but knowing the One who came looking for you and refuses to lose even one. September 2, 2026 Ron Cook Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What do you hold onto when the night is long and your mind will not quiet down? In this Beyond the Notes, Pastor Russell Howard returns to Psalm 121, the psalm he preached as "The God of the Sleepless Night," to sit with one word the pilgrims could not stop repeating: keep. Six times the psalm says the Lord guards, preserves, and watches over His people. Russell traces six takeaways from that promise, from the truth that God's keeping does not depend on our own vigilance, to the reminder that our security rests on His grip on us rather than our grip on Him. This is for anyone walking an unfamiliar road and wondering who is watching over it. You will not walk away knowing what tomorrow holds, but you will walk away knowing the One who does. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Psalms - Songs of the King "The God Of The Sleepless Night" (Psalm 121) Some nights the thing you cannot fix only grows louder in the dark. Psalm 121 speaks straight into that hour. Pastor Russell Howard walks through this ancient psalm of ascent and the God it points to: a God who saves, who is strong enough to hold whatever you are carrying, who secures His people so they will not finally fall, and who never slumbers or sleeps. Drawing a striking contrast between a sleepless King Darius and a resting Daniel in the lion's den, this message is honest that following Jesus does not exempt us from hard seasons. It promises something better, a Keeper who guards our going out and our coming in, from this time forth and forevermore. You walk away able to hand the problem to the One who is awake anyway, and rest. Sermon Notes August 30, 2026 Russell Howard • Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com Interested in visiting? Learn what to expect at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What changes when you read Paul's letters in the city he wrote them to? Mark, Tamar, and Christian open the last Sunday of August with the Journeys of Paul trip to Greece and Turkey, running May 17 through 29, 2027 with Pastors Russell Howard and Cary Robinson. Around 25 have committed and there is still room. The 55 Plus office has brochures. From there they move through the fall. Parent and Child Dedication is Friday, September 11. Prayer and Praise night is Wednesday, September 30 at 6:30 PM, and many of the songs that night were written by McGregor members. Candy collection for the October 31 Fall Festival opens that night. Elevate Weekend for grades six through twelve is October 2 through 4. If you are trying to get the fall on your calendar, start here. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com Interested in visiting? Learn what to expect at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Jesus said "whoever is not against us is for us." He also said "whoever is not with me is against me." Which is it? In part two of this Hot Topic teaching from McGregor Baptist Church, Pastor Russell Howard shows that the two statements agree. There are two camps and no neutral ground, and he follows that straight into the question people ask most: what about those who never hear the gospel? His answer comes from Romans 1, and it explains why the urgency of missions rises or falls on this point. He closes with Luke 16, the parable of the dishonest manager, and the single punchline that makes sense of it. If parables have ever left you puzzled, or if you have wondered how a good God deals with those who never heard, this teaching gives you a framework to think it through. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com Interested in visiting? Learn what to expect at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

I AM: Seven Signs of the Savior "I Am the Door" (John 10:1-10) In John 10, Jesus makes a claim that both comforts and confronts: "I am the door of the sheep." Pastor Peter Finch teaches through the sheepfold imagery of the ancient Near East to show what Jesus meant, and why the religious leaders who first heard it were so unsettled. Jesus is the one door, and everyone who enters by Him is saved, kept secure, and satisfied, while false shepherds only come to take from the sheep. You walk away with a clear picture of who Jesus is as the door, and three honest questions to sit with: have you come through the door, are you trusting Him to lead you, and do you find your satisfaction in Him? August 26, 2026 Pastor Peter Finch • Administrative Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

We are taught to forgive. But what happens when we forgive and reconciliation still feels impossible? In this Beyond the Notes conversation, Pastor Omar Edwards returns to Sunday's teaching on childlike forgiveness and opens Romans 12:16-21, what many Bibles call the marks of a true Christian. He draws a careful line between forgiveness, a one-way choice to release anger and the desire for payback, and reconciliation, a two-way road that needs both people to change, rebuild trust, and come back to the table. He walks through what it means to pursue peace, check our pride, and keep loving someone even when the relationship cannot return to what it once was. If you are carrying a broken friendship, a strained family tie, or a wound you have released but cannot yet see healed, this teaching offers a biblical way to think clearly and hold onto hope in a God who still changes hearts. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Why would a loving church ever put someone out of its fellowship? On this Beyond the Notes episode, Pastor Russell Howard takes us past his Sunday notes on church discipline and into a real case history from the New Testament. Walking through 1 Corinthians 5 and 2 Corinthians 2, he traces how the church at Corinth confronted a man in serious, public, unrepentant sin, and how, about a year later, that same man repented and was restored. He connects it all to the steps Jesus laid out in Matthew 18. You will walk away seeing that church discipline is not about driving people away but about calling them home, for their good and the health of the whole church. For anyone who has wondered how grace and accountability fit together, this one brings clarity. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Matthew - The King has Come "Childlike Forgiveness" (Matthew 18:21-35) When Peter asked Jesus how many times he had to forgive, he thought seven was already generous. Jesus answered with a number meant to stop the counting for good, then told a story about a servant forgiven an unpayable debt who refused to forgive a small one. In this sermon closing out Matthew 18, Elder Omar Edwards traces the command to forgive continually, the parable of the merciful king, and the hardness of a heart that forgets its own rescue. Forgiveness at Christ's standard is beyond us on our own strength, which is exactly why it drives us back to the cross and the Holy Spirit's work in us. You walk away seeing your own blind spots more honestly, and freer to extend the same grace you have already been given. Sermon Notes August 23, 2026 Omar Edwards • Elder Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

When will we actually be back in the worship center?   Mark, Tamar, and Christian give the honest two part answer. A certificate of occupancy is one milestone. A room ready for a thousand people on a Sunday is another, and the audio, video, and lighting install is the biggest piece left. Best case is sometime in November.   From there the conversation turns to the fall calendar. GriefShare starts Sunday at 12:30 PM in Faith Building room 174. DivorceCare meets Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, and it is not too late to join. Parent and Child Dedication is Friday, September 11, and registration closes August 26. The Know The Word Conference is September 18 and 19 with Dr. Greg Lanier. Prayer and Praise night is Wednesday, September 30.   If you have been wondering what is next at McGregor, or you know someone carrying a loss, this one is worth twelve minutes.   Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What did Jesus mean when He told a crowd to eat His flesh, or told a crowd of would-be followers to hate their own father and mother?   Recorded at a Hot Topic night hosted by McGregor's Journey Together ministry, this teaching opens a short series on the hard sayings of Jesus. Pastor Russell Howard lays out three ground rules for reading them well, then works through the bread of life discourse in John 6, the call to discipleship in Luke 14, and Jesus' words about a sword and a divided household in Matthew 10.   The takeaway is straightforward. Jesus meant to be understood, and when a saying is hard, the difficulty usually sits with us rather than with Him. If you have ever read past a verse because it unsettled you, this teaching is worth your time.   Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

"I Am the Light of the World" (John 8:12) When Jesus stood in the temple and said, "I am the light of the world," He was not offering a nice idea. He was claiming to be God, reaching back to the name God gave Himself at the burning bush. Russell Howard walks through John 8 and 9, showing how Jesus made that claim in the brightest place in Jerusalem, why it enraged the religious leaders, and what His promise means for us: whoever follows Him will not walk in darkness. Along the way, Russell shows how walking in the light works in ordinary life, obeying what God has clearly said and trusting Him where He has not spoken, and how the healing of a man born blind puts the light of Christ on display. You walk away seeing why following Jesus, not just admiring Him, is the only way out of the dark. August 19, 2026 Russell Howard • Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com Interested in visiting? Learn what to expect at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Matthew: The King Has Come "Church Discipline" (Matthew 18:15-20) Jesus knows the church will include people who don't yet belong to Him, and He gives His people a way to respond that seeks restoration first. In Matthew 18:15-20, Pastor Russell Howard walks through the process Jesus lays out for confronting a brother or sister caught in sin: a private conversation, then a small group of witnesses, then the whole church, and only then removal from the congregation as a last resort. Every step aims at winning back a brother, not winning an argument, while also protecting what the church says about Jesus to a watching world. Whether you've been hurt by conflict in a church or you're unsure what to do when someone you love won't turn from sin, this teaching gives you a clear, gracious path forward. Sermon Notes August 16, 2026 Russell Howard • Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Fifteen babies born into one church family this year. A Wednesday night with tables overflowing. And a stack of deadlines that all land before the month is out. Mark, Tamar, and Christian start with a correction, the preschool and children's choirs meet at 5:30 and not 5:00, then recap the Journey Together kickoff and a first-time guest who nearly stayed home. From there: DivorceCare and DivorceCare for Kids begin Tuesday, August 18 at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, Beloved for young moms kicks off September 10 with a childcare deadline of August 27, and Parent and Child Dedication is Friday, September 11 with registration closing August 26. They also preview the Know The Word Conference on September 18 and 19 with Dr. Greg Lanier, and introduce Tayler Newberg, Administrative Assistant to Human Resources. If you want one place to keep up with what God is doing in this church family, start here. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com Interested in visiting? Learn what to expect at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What if the thing you keep reaching for was never meant to satisfy you? In the opening study of "I AM: Seven Signs of the Savior," David Miller begins in Exodus 3, where God reveals His name as I AM, then moves to John 6, where Jesus takes that same name for Himself. Miller walks through three marks of the bread of life: it is provisional, it is plain, and it is prescient. Along the way he traces the feeding of the 5,000, the crowd's demand for a bigger sign, and Jesus' clear claim in John 6:35. The one thing you carry out is this: God sustains us in the wilderness so that we will long for Him, the only bread that satisfies forever. This teaching is for anyone tired of trying to fill a hunger that food, success, or effort never touches. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Do Christians have a guardian angel individually assigned to watch over them, or is that more folklore than Scripture? Pastor Ryan Flint takes us Beyond the Notes from Sunday's study in Matthew 18, chasing a question the sermon intentionally set aside. He covers what Scripture confidently says about angels, who they are, what they do, and the guardrails for how believers should and should not think about them, working through Matthew 18:10, Hebrews 1:14, and Acts 12. Scripture never guarantees each believer a personally assigned angel, but it says far more about God's care for His people than that single question. Whether you're curious about angels or just want a clearer view of how much your Father sees and protects you, this episode gives you a steady, biblical answer. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Matthew: The King Has Come "Every Sheep Matters" (Matthew 18:10-14) When someone drifts away from church, it can be easy to assume they made their choice and move on. Matthew 18:10-14 shows a very different heart. Ryan Flint, McGregor's Worship Pastor, walks through the parable of the shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to go after the one sheep that wandered, and shows that this story is not about a stranger far from God but about a believer who has begun to drift. Along the way he draws out three simple truths: God values every believer, God pursues every wandering believer, and God calls His people to share that same restoring heart. You will walk away reminded that Jesus pursued you when you were wandering, and challenged to notice the empty seat and reach out to the one who is missing. Sermon Notes August 9, 2026 Ryan Flint • Worship Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

In this episode of Around McGregor, Mark, Tamar, and Christian catch you up on life at McGregor this week. They cover the Renew construction progress, this Wednesday's Big Kickoff with fellowship supper and a full slate of new discipleship classes, and a preview of an upcoming workshop with Dr. Greg Lanier, "Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up," built to sharpen discernment about what is taught about Christ today. They also flag a few deadlines worth knowing: the prospective member class, DivorceCare's fall semester, and Parent-Child Dedication registration. Whether you are new to McGregor or have been here for years, this episode keeps you in step with what God is doing in our church family. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? The disciples asked, and Jesus answered by pointing to a child. In this Beyond the Notes, Pastor Russell Howard returns to Matthew 18, the fourth of the five major discourses in Matthew, and traces a single thread through the whole chapter: the little ones. He makes the case that these little ones are not mainly toddlers but the less mature believers among us, and that the discourse is really about how growing believers care for those coming behind them, through welcome, correction, and forgiveness. The congregation is not an audience. If you have walked with God for a while, this teaching is a call to step into the lives of newer believers on purpose. It is for anyone who wants to see what humility, discipleship, and grace look like inside a real church family. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit  

Matthew - The King has Come "The Children Of The Kingdom" (Matthew 18:1-9) In this episode of the McGregor Podcast, Russell Howard unpacks Matthew 18:1-9, exploring Jesus as the Chosen Servant who embodies gentle grace and brings global glory. Discover how Jesus navigated conflict, extended compassion to the hurting, and sought to fulfill the Father’s will above all. Russell Howard challenges listeners to reflect Christ’s patience, faithfulness, and gentleness in their own lives. Tune in for practical applications and encouragement to trust God’s sovereign and gracious purposes, even in the midst of life’s trials. Sermon Notes August 2, 2026 Russell Howard • Lead Pastor   Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com

After a slow summer, how do you step back into the full rhythm of church life without feeling behind? In this episode of Around McGregor, hosts Mark, Tamar, and Christian catch the church family up on everything starting back this August. They cover Newcomer Coffee this Sunday, the renovation progress on the worship center, the return of Wednesday nights on August 12, the school year kickoff, and the fall electives and Divorce Care semester. Along the way they preview Wednesday's Hot Topic on the hard sayings of Jesus, taught by Pastor Russell, including a live Q&A. If you have been away for a season, or you are new and looking for a way in, this is your simple guide to what is happening and where you fit. Gathering is starting again, and there is a place for you in it. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

How to Handle Life's Interruptions "When God Delays What We Desperately Need" (Luke 8:40-56) What do you do when God takes too long with the thing you cannot wait for? In this closing Journey Together teaching, Pastor David Miller works through Luke 8 and three kinds of interruption: the shocking one, when a father's daughter is suddenly dying; the daily one, when a woman has bled for twelve years and every treatment has failed; and the permanent one, when the news arrives that the girl is already dead. Along the way he defines what a miracle actually is, shows why Jesus asked a question He already knew the answer to, and draws the line between presumption and bold faith. The study rests on one claim: the interruptions are not random and they are not pointless. God has not delayed what we most desperately need, because what we needed was never a what. It was a who. If you are praying for something that has not come, or grieving something that will not come back, this teaching is for you. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Does living faithfully for Jesus mean avoiding offense at all costs, or is some offense simply unavoidable? Pastor Cary Robinson goes beyond his notes from this past Sunday's sermon, digging into Matthew 17:24-27, where tax collectors confront Peter about the temple tax and Jesus responds by paying it anyway, despite being under no obligation to. Pastor Cary unpacks what that decision reveals about priorities, and works through the harder question underneath it: since the gospel itself is offensive, claiming that all people are sinful and cannot save themselves, how do we hold that truth without being needlessly harsh in how we say it? Listeners walk away with a clear distinction: the offense should come from the message, not the messenger. This episode is for anyone who has felt torn between keeping the peace and telling the truth, and wants a biblical framework for both. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Matthew: The King Has Come "Death And Taxes" (Matthew 17:22-27) Jesus tells his disciples plainly that he is about to die and be raised. Then he turns and pays a temple tax he owes nothing on. Pastor Cary Robinson walks through both moments in Matthew 17:22-27 and shows they carry one message: Jesus willingly laid down his life for us, and he calls us to lay down our own rights and freedoms for the sake of the gospel. Listeners walk away with a clearer picture of Jesus' purpose and a practical challenge to let the advancement of the gospel outweigh personal comfort. Sermon Notes July 26, 2026 Cary Robinson • Adults 55+ Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

How to Handle Life's Interruptions "When Fear Drowns Your Faith" (Matthew 14:22-33) Fear rarely announces itself. It shows up after a mountaintop moment, in the middle of obeying God, right when life feels most out of our hands. In this Midweek Bible Study, Pastor Peter Finch teaches from Matthew 14, where the disciples meet a storm and Peter steps out onto the water toward Jesus. Peter walks as long as his eyes stay on Christ, and begins to sink the moment he fixes them on the wind. Finch shows how fear undermines faith, leads to disobedience, isolation, and lost peace, and then points to how Scripture calls us to answer it: fix your eyes on Christ's presence, hold to His promises, cultivate a life of prayer and thanksgiving, and choose faith over fear. You walk away with the anchor of the whole study, that Jesus is stronger than the fiercest storm, and that His promise "I am with you" is reason enough not to be afraid. July 22, 2026 Peter Finch • Administrative Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What do you do when your faith feels too small to change anything? When the disciples could not heal a suffering boy, they pulled Jesus aside and asked why. Pastor Mark Bricker takes us Beyond the Notes from Sunday's message in Matthew 17:14-20 to focus on the answer Jesus gave, the part there was no time for on Sunday. He walks through what Jesus meant by faith like a grain of mustard seed: that the power is in the object of our faith, not its size; that real faith is a living thing meant to grow and bear fruit; and that "nothing will be impossible" is a promise that operates inside the will of God, not a blank check for our own desires. You walk away with two clear marks of genuine faith to test your own: faith that is steadily growing, and faith that is centered on God rather than on what you can do. This one is for anyone who has prayed "Lord, increase our faith" and wondered what that actually looks like. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Matthew, The King Has Come "What Genuine Faith Looks Like" (Matthew 17:14-20) When a desperate father brings his son to Jesus after the disciples could not heal him, Pastor Mark Bricker walks through what genuine faith actually looks like. It is not more effort or more belief. It is complete dependence on Christ. This teaching moves through the father's desperate need, the power of Christ to meet it, and the enduring truth that even small faith, held onto the right Savior, is never wasted. Listeners walk away with a clearer picture of where real faith rests, not in the size of our trust, but in the One we trust. Sermon Notes July 19, 2026 Mark Bricker • Discipleship Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Is your own experience with God more reliable than His Word? Pastor Russell Howard takes us Beyond the Notes from this week's sermon on the Transfiguration, unpacking Peter's account in 2 Peter 1 of standing on the mountain and witnessing Christ's glory firsthand. He walks through why Peter, despite that extraordinary experience, still pointed to Scripture as the more certain guide for what we believe and how we live. You'll walk away with a clear, biblical way to think about your own spiritual experiences: real, meaningful, but never the final authority. This episode is for anyone who has ever wondered how to weigh what they've felt or seen against what God has said. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Matthew - The King Has Come "The Glory Of Jesus" (Matthew 17:1-13) Six days after Jesus first told His disciples that He would suffer, die, and rise again, He led Peter, James, and John up a high mountain, and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, His clothes became white as light, and Moses and Elijah appeared beside Him. A voice from a bright cloud declared, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him." Pastor Russell Howard walks through this account of Christ's unveiled glory, the disciples' fear, and Jesus's own tender response to that fear, and closes with a clear answer to the question the disciples raised about Elijah. Listeners walk away with a fuller picture of who Jesus is: entirely human, and entirely the living God. Sermon Notes July 12, 2026 Russell Howard • Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What happens when your own sin is the reason your future got interrupted? In this episode of our Midweek Bible Study series, "How to Handle Life's Interruptions," Pastor Russell Howard turns to the story of Moses in Exodus 2. Moses was prepared and positioned for a great calling, yet one moment of sin nearly derailed everything. Pastor Russell traces how God preserved Moses' mission even after his failure, and what that means for anyone whose own mistakes have complicated their story. This teaching does not minimize sin, but it does not leave you there either. It points toward honest repentance, real trust in God, and the confidence to keep moving forward in faith, even after a self-inflicted setback. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

When was the last time a fellow believer sat down and told you that you were wrong? In this Beyond the Notes episode, Pastor David Miller goes deeper into Sunday's sermon on Matthew 16, exploring what it means to rebuke one another well. He walks through Jesus' teaching in Luke 17 and Luke 6, the call to humility in Galatians 6, and the danger of self-deception described in James 1 and 1 John 1. Listeners walk away with a clear, biblical picture of how to deliver a rebuke with humility and how to receive one with a heart that is quick to hear and slow to speak. This episode is for anyone who has wondered whether honest correction still has a place in the local church.   Do You Know How to Rebuke? | Desiring God By Marshall Segal   Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Matthew: The King Has Come "A Significant Shift" (Matthew 16:21-28) After two and a half years of public ministry, Jesus began preparing His disciples for what was ahead: His death, His resurrection, and what following Him would actually cost them. Pastor David Miller walks through Matthew 16:21-28, where Peter's attempt to talk Jesus out of the cross meets Jesus's clear response, and where Jesus tells His disciples what it means to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him for good. Listeners walk away with a clearer picture of what real life is, and what it isn't. Sermon Notes July 5, 2026 David Miller • Membership and Missions Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com Interested in visiting? Learn what to expect at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What does it actually mean to be thankful for your country without loving it more than you love the Kingdom of God? In this Journey Together Summer teaching, Pastor Russell Howard marks the nation's 250th birthday with four specific reasons for gratitude: God's sovereign hand over the rise and fall of nations, the principle of religious liberty born out of a Baptist conviction, America's unmatched missionary heritage, and the everyday common grace God has poured out on this country. He closes with a challenge from Philippians 3:20, that every citizenship a believer holds is layered, and the highest one never fades. Whether you find it easy to celebrate the Fourth of July or complicated, this teaching gives you a clear, biblical way to hold gratitude for your country and greater devotion to God's kingdom in the same hand. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What did the location of Peter's great confession reveal about what Jesus was claiming? In this Beyond the Notes episode, Pastor Russell Howard goes beyond his notes from Sunday's sermon on Matthew 16 to explore the geography and archaeology of Caesarea Philippi. He traces the city's history as a center of pagan worship, explains the significance of the cave known as the Gate of Hades, and unpacks the petros/petra distinction Jesus drew between Peter and the rock on which he would build his church. The geography does not complete the text. But for anyone who has ever read Matthew 16 and sensed there is more beneath the surface, this episode brings the setting into focus in a way that makes the confession of Christ land with full weight. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

The King Has Come "The Great Confession" (Matthew 16:13-20) The world is full of people who think well of Jesus. Every major religion has something generous to say about him. Most people in your neighborhood, given the chance, would call him a great teacher or a profound moral leader. But in Matthew 16, Jesus makes clear that a high opinion is not the same as the right answer. In this sermon, Pastor Russell Howard works through Matthew 16:13-20 from Caesarea Philippi, a city built for idolatry at the northern edge of Jesus's earthly ministry. There, surrounded by temples to false gods, Jesus asks his disciples the one question that cuts through every polite comparison: "Who do you say that I am?" Peter's answer, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God," is not something he reasoned his way to. Jesus is clear: the Father revealed it. That distinction matters for every believer. Faith in Christ is not a conclusion you earned. It is a grace you received. Pastor Howard also addresses one of the most misread verses in the Gospels: "on this rock I will build my church." He traces the difference between petros (the name given to Peter, a small stone) and petra (the bedrock of the confession itself), showing that the church stands on the truth that Jesus is the Christ, not on any man. From there, the sermon moves to the certainty Jesus gives his church: that she belongs to him, that the organized forces of darkness will not prevail against her, and that she carries the responsibility of faithfully reflecting the Kingdom in how she receives and releases members. Sermon Notes June 28, 2026 Pastor Russell Howard • Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

The moment you hear a sermon about handling life's interruptions is often the moment the interruption arrives. In this Around McGregor, Mark Bricker, Tamar Miller, and Christian Miller close out the first half of summer before the show's annual July break. They cover the July 1st celebration of God's faithfulness in Fellowship Hall (dinner at 5 p.m., program at 6:30), the summer Wednesday night series "How to Handle Life's Interruptions" returning July 8th with Pastor Russell Howard, the Faith and Fitness Retreat on July 18th, a family mission trip to Arizona, and the full July dinner calendar. They also introduce Sheila Ponds, McGregor's new Administrative Assistant for Student Ministries, whose story runs from Havana to Miami to Fort Myers through generations of faithful ministry. Anyone wanting to stay connected to the McGregor family this summer will leave this episode with dates, details, and a reason to show up. Around McGregor returns August 2nd. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What do you do when everything you counted on suddenly comes apart? In this opening Journey Together teaching, Pastor Russell Howard draws from the life of Joseph in Genesis 37, 39-41, and 50 to walk through the things every believer needs to learn in the light, before the dark arrives. He covers seven specific realities: the world is broken, people are fallen, your days are numbered, deserve is a dangerous word, a refining process is part of following Christ, you are not home yet, and on your best day and your worst, God is sovereign. Alongside each of these truths, he traces Joseph's biography from favored son to forgotten prisoner to prime minister of Egypt, showing how each disruption in Joseph's story was navigated not by good luck but by settled conviction. The episode lands on three takeaways from Joseph's perspective: obedience and faithfulness kept mattering through the ruin, bitterness feeds on the gap between expectation and reality, and the names of Joseph's sons (Manasseh and Ephraim, forgetful and fruitful) map the path from surviving a collapse to living beyond it. This teaching is for anyone facing an interruption they did not plan for, and for anyone wise enough to prepare while they still have the chance. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

The Pharisees and Sadducees look like a unified front in the four Gospels. They were not. In this Beyond the Notes episode, Pastor Russell Howard traces the distinct origins, beliefs, and social roles of these two first century Jewish parties. The Sadducees controlled the high priesthood under Roman favor but rejected the resurrection, angels, and miracles taught in the Old Testament. The Pharisees were the devout cultural anchor of Jewish life and held the trust of the common people. Their rivalry was deep enough that when the Apostle Paul exploited it in Acts 23, a formal council meeting turned violent. What unites groups that agree on nothing? Opposition to Jesus. Pastor Howard draws from Matthew 16 and Acts 23 to show that this pattern did not end in the first century and helps listeners read the Gospels with fresh eyes and a clearer framework. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

The King Has Come "Doubt and Discipleship" (Matthew 16:1-12) In this Sunday sermon, Pastor Russell Howard examines two contrasting responses to Jesus in Matthew 16. The Pharisees and Sadducees arrive demanding proof, but their problem is not a lack of evidence. It is a resolved commitment to protect the sin their doubt allows them to keep. Jesus gives them a single answer: the sign of Jonah, pointing to his death and resurrection as the only sign that will be given. Then the scene shifts. The disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee and realize they forgot to bring bread. When Jesus warns them about the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees, they assume he is talking about lunch. He is not. He points them back to the two miraculous feedings they witnessed firsthand and calls them to interpret their own experiences through what he has actually said, not the other way around. Pastor Russell walks through what the leaven of the Pharisees (adding to God's Word) and the leaven of the Sadducees (cutting from it) look like in the life of a believer today, and why the only stable ground is this: God's Word is authoritative, and God's Word is enough. Sermon Notes June 21, 2026 Russell Howard • Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com There's a place for you here. Plan your first Sunday at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

What does a full week of God at work actually look like? VBS just wrapped, a mission team is on the ground in Austria, and summer at McGregor is officially in motion. In this episode, Christian and Tamar recap VBS Rainforest Falls, including a peak nightly attendance of 433 children, 266 volunteers, and $6,569 raised for Go Tell Stories missions. They walk through the Journey Together Wednesday night series launching this week with Pastor Russell Howard, covering topics like fear, betrayal, failure, and delay. They also share details on the Faith and Fitness Retreat for women on July 18th, and end with a live call to Rosa Martinez, one month into her new role at the McGregor front desk. Whether you want to stay connected to what God is doing at McGregor this summer, or you're just getting to know the church, this episode covers the week in about twelve minutes. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Were the feeding of the 5,000 and the feeding of the 4,000 the same event? Some scholars say yes, and they use that claim to cast doubt on the reliability of the Gospels and the whole of Scripture. In this episode of Beyond the Notes, Elder Peter Finch walks through the specific differences between the two miracles: the location, the crowd, the season, the amount of food used, the length of time the people had been with Jesus, the Greek word for "basket," and the crowd's response afterward. He also examines Matthew 16, where Jesus himself references both feedings by name, and considers why Christ would repeat a miracle of this magnitude. The answer has less to do with the bread and more to do with who Jesus is feeding. His provision is not reserved for one people group, one season, or one kind of person. He is the bread of life for Jews and Gentiles, for the familiar and the stranger, for those who have come to church for years and those who have never walked through the door. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

The King Has Come "Thy Compassions, They Fail Not" (Matthew 15:29-39) In Matthew 15, Jesus moves through Gentile territory with the same compassion He showed Israel. He heals the lame, the blind, the crippled, and the mute, then feeds a crowd of 4,000 with seven loaves and a few small fish. Elder Peter Finch walks through both of these moments to show what compassion actually means. Not a polite feeling, but a God who sees pain, suffers alongside it, and acts to relieve it. He also addresses the disciples' tendency to forget what God has already done, a tendency that is easy to recognize because it is our own. The sermon closes with a direct call to anyone who has not yet come to Christ: God's patience toward you is itself an act of compassion, meant to draw you to repentance. Sermon Notes June 14, 2025 Elder Peter Finch Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit