NBCC Podcast

True Fulfillment by NBCC Podcast

In this message, we are reminded that the Jesus Way is not simply something we practice, it is the way in which we become more like Jesus. Part of that is engaging with people at the level of their story, practising empathy and kindness and demonstrating life-changing generosity. Jesus’ love is agape love, the highest form of love. Agape love is what we DO, not just what we say. Jesus loves us through people. We are also called to love others. Sometimes we have learnt to love from wounded people, so we have to unlearn false presentations of love and learn real love. Let us DO the same this week: demonstrate agape love and do life together the Jesus Way.

In this message, we celebrate fathers and look at how a generous heart is one of the greatest gifts a father can give his children. We look at the life of King David, who refused a free threshing floor and insisted on paying full price for his altar, declaring he would not offer God something that cost him nothing. Life-changing generosity happens when we give at a level that actually changes our hearts. Generosity is the truest expression of agape love — other-centered, self-sacrificing, unconditional, and redemptive. It begins with an open heart that takes responsibility without excuses, and grows into an open hand that prioritizes God first in our finances, our relationships, and our time and talent. Fathers teach their children about love by what they sacrifice. As we practice this kind of generosity, healing and transformation follow — for our families, our community, and our own hearts.

In this message, we celebrate graduates for enduring taking on new challenges to make it to graduation. We look at the life of Joseph to see how to acknowledge God through all transitions, joyous to difficult. Irrespective of the situation, God’s presence goes with us through the difficult times (the pit) and the good times (the palace). We go through ups and downs in life, often unable to see the bigger pictures. Remember that God’s plan is bigger than you. Hardship that Joseph experienced early in life led him on a path enabling him to provide for his family later in life. God is with us in the pit, the prison and the palace, even when we don’t know why we are going through things and what will come out of it. Joseph had a strong foundation of faith and that faith allowed him to acknowledge God in all circumstances. When things are hard, it changes our attitude towards life and people. Acknowledging God helps us to live out The Jesus Way. What are we experiencing that we can say “But God!” about today?

This message reminds us of Jesus' radical forgiveness, and how it restores our relationship with God and others. Using the life of Jesus and real-life examples, we learn how forgiveness is more than just letting go of pain. It also involves reframing memories, hearing the stories of others, restoring the humanity of people who caused us pain, bringing our questions to God with honesty, and remembering that God has been through everything that we experience, and that he has not abandoned us.

In this week's message, Reverend Liz Walker shares a compassionate and encouraging word for all those dealing with feelings of being overwhelmed during these anxious times. Between a global pandemic, political division, and the everyday weight of fear, grief, and shame, many of us are quietly struggling — and most of us aren't talking about it. Drawing from John 20, Reverend Walker reminds us that even the disciples found themselves locked behind closed doors, paralyzed by fear and forgetting who they were. But Jesus walked in anyway, met them right where they were, and breathed peace into the room. That same peace is available to us today — not by pretending everything is fine, but by learning to slow down, breathe, and listen with our hearts. Catching our breath, she teaches, is where healing begins.

In this message, we are encouraged to walk out in courageous integrity. Courageous integrity is critiquing your own tribe and holding them accountable, while actively looking for what is good, admirable, or true in those you disagree with. The reason why all of us struggle with integrity is that we need something that provides us with structure and allows us to feel good about our lives. The structure comes from the load-bearing beam or spec in our eyes. What are the load bearing beams that hold up your identity? Our load makes us fragmented in our lives. We are one way in our family life and a different way in our online life. This lacks integrity: being our whole, best self in every part of our life. The good news is that God can grow our integrity. Practice spending time in God’s presence, persevering on the maintenance of our integrity, and directly praying to God for strength to increase and maintain our integrity.

In this week's message, Pastor Hurmon continues our focus on the practices that help us live in the Jesus Way, breaking the power of labels by teaching us to see ourselves and others through grace, truth, story, and redemption. Inspired by the surprising biblical story of Mary Magdalene, we are asked to reflect on our own experience of the shameful labels that have affected our lives — and to remember that through Jesus' saving grace and love, those labels do not get the final word. The broken become restored, the unlovable become loved, the ashamed become forgiven, the invisible become seen, the rejected become chosen, and the failure becomes redeemed. When we practice seeing others the way Jesus sees them, we open the door for real transformation — in them, and in ourselves.

In this special Mother's Day message, we are encouraged to practice radical empathy. Radical empathy is learning to behold people in the full context of their story. Sometimes we feel that our mothers fall short. It is important to behold your mother in the full view of her struggle to live out her purpose, her unspeakable pain and her unfolding story. We must remember that Jesus did not allow his unimaginable pain to blind him to his mom’s pain. This week, let us pray to see and appreciate our mothers with fresh eyes.

In this message, we discuss the power of kindness in a world where being mean and retributive is becoming normalized and celebrated. In a world that increasingly sees kindness as weak, we see kindness shown through patience and radical forgiveness to others as a way to show strength. Kindness is something that we extend to those who are easy to love, but also to those who are difficult to love. In addition, we are called to show kindness through radical forgiveness and patience. When we engage people at the level of story, we practice the power of kindness and show the love of God. We take the time to know, love and value others, and we search for ways to practice it in our lives, living our own lives after the example Jesus showed of being a counterpoint to the darkness of his day.

In this message, we cover being a Jesus first church doing life together the Jesus Way, practicing agape love across our differences, beginning with the people closest to us. The journey of loving more deeply across our differences begins with listening and sharing our stories. If we can start by listening and sharing stories, we can harness the power that God gave us to redeem and repair broken relationships in our lives. Our lives are a composite of stories. They carry our dreams and nightmares, traumas and wounds and our failures and triumphs. God never loses sight of our stories. Let us practice the Jesus way by loving through listening and sharing our stories!

In a divided world, love is the most powerful force in the universe — and Jesus shows us exactly how to wield it. What if the way we love others started with how well we listen? In this message, Pastor Hurmon shows us how Jesus engaged people with compassion, intention, and truth — and invites us to do the same. As NBCC launches Jesus Way Groups, we discover that the journey of loving across our differences begins not with having the right answers, but with asking the right questions and truly hearing one another's stories. The shift is simple but profound: from arguments to listening, from opinions to understanding, from talking to loving. Whether you sign up to facilitate, join a group, or invite someone to come with you, choosing the Jesus Way starts with choosing to listen first.

In this message, we are called to love one another as a “Jesus First” church. This means our highest loyalty is to His command to love, rising above our political parties and cultural tribes. We can do this by engaging in both personal and interpersonal practices. Personally, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we develop the capacity to love, the character to endure, and the spiritual "muscle" to follow Jesus. Interpersonally, we treat the neighbor, the stranger, and the enemy with the love we have cultivated personally. Love actually "works”: it is effective, it heals, and it changes things where politics and coercion fail. But love is also "work”: it requires the interpersonal practices of the Jesus Way. Who will we choose to love at NBCC?

This message centers on Pilate’s question—“Which Jesus do you want?”—challenging us to examine the versions of Jesus we often create to fit our own desires, whether for power, success, comfort, or control. It reveals how, like the crowd, we can be influenced by self-interest and distorted faith, yet reminds us of the stunning truth: Jesus took our place in a great exchange of love, dying for us while we were still sinners and rising again so we could live transformed. In response, we’re invited to trust the real Jesus, receive His sacrificial love, and follow His way by choosing to love others beyond every divide.

Pastor Hurmon brings together the heart of everything we've been practicing these past 40 days — Sabbath, solitude, prayer, fasting, and scripture — with two powerful callings that complete the journey: community and witness. Using the simple yet profound invitation "Come and see for yourself," Pastor Hurmon reminds us that growing closer to Jesus isn't a solo journey. It happens in faithful, grace-filled communities where our stories — the messy, broken, and redeemed parts — are heard, honored, and woven into something greater. Whether you're a longtime follower or someone quietly asking "Who is Jesus, really?", this message is for you. Come and see for yourself.

This week’s message highlights the power of memorizing Scripture as a foundational practice for spiritual growth, showing how intentionally internalizing God’s Word—modeled by Jesus—transforms our minds, strengthens our faith, and equips us to navigate every moment with truth and clarity.

In this 4th message of our “Becoming” series, Pastor Hurmon helps us to deepen our understanding of the spiritual practice of fasting. This sermon explores how abstaining from food helps us to offer ourselves more fully to God. When we experience a deep hunger, we sharpen our spiritual discernment, increase our compassion, and create new space for the Holy Spirit to work in our lives. Whether you are seeking a deeper connection with Jesus or looking for a way to intensify your prayers with greater impact, this message offers powerful steps to increase your engagement with God and his rewards.

This message focusses on the practice of prayer in our lives. Prayer was a vital path of Jesus’ earthly life, demonstrating how we can navigate the most difficult moments of our lives. Prayer is possible because God is relational. Sometimes, we struggle to pray because we don't believe it will make a difference, we don’t feel worthy, or we don’t slow down long enough. But our prayers are always answered with either a yes, no, or wait. Always, but especially when we are stuck, we should ask God what to pray for. After listening, we can ask for help, give thanks, or open our eyes to the wonder of God so our hearts don’t grow numb. Consider taking 15 minutes to pray each day during this fasting season!

In this week's message, we discuss the importance of solitude as a way to come closer to God and find peace in a chaotic world. Following the example set by Jesus Christ, we learn that solitude is a habitual practice that requires creating a space and a place for God, where we block out the world and listen to His voice. Our solitude requires us to train ourselves to put our relationship with God first, create a special space for that relationship, to quiet our own internal voices and hear the voice of God, which provides guidance to us.

In this message, we are encouraged to practice taking a Sabbath Day and engaging in the delights of our lives on that day. In a world that won't stop, God has a strategy for pressured people, taking a day of rest. A Sabbath Day provides us with liberation to fill our souls with joy. Let us together take a Sabbath Day during this PF40 season!

In this final message in our Faith@Work series, Pastor Hurmon Hamilton invites us to think about how our faith shows up in our jobs and at home, not just at church or in holy places. He asks us important questions: How does your faith appear in your daily life? What does it really mean to let God guide us in the small moments—at work, during family meals, and in all we do? Today’s message illustrates how we can be distinguished by how we love and show our faith flowing through us in our everyday actions. When we remember that we serve a God that loves with grace, we demonstrate that it is not about being flawless; rather, it’s about being faithful. It’s about allowing others to catch glimpses of Jesus through our actions and decisions.

Special guest speaker, Kim Anthony, reminds us that no matter which circumstances we find ourselves in, God sees us and He has a plan for us. God does not make mistakes. We are of great value to the world: God created us on purpose for a purpose. We are also encouraged to forgive those we need to forgive in our lives. Forgiveness is the Christlike thing to do, setting us free from the past. Choose a life of purpose and embrace forgiveness today!

In this fourth message in the Faith@Work series, we use the story of Jesus' encounter with Zaccheus the tax collector to discuss God's radical acceptance for us and how that story models our call to be radically accepting of others. Following Jesus' example, the first step in radical acceptance is to understand that we are called to reach out to those who are flawed, and who may even find themselves unworthy of connection with God and others. In some cases, the first step is to see that, even in our flaws, we recognize our need for a relationship with God, and His calling on our lives. Our second step is to be with those people where they are, and our third step is to model what a better path forward might be. This calling models our own faith journeys: we are sinners, saved by God's grace, and not by our own works. However, our calling does not end with our salvation. We are influenced by that same grace to follow God's plan and to influence others on the same journey.

In this message, we are reminded that God always sees us, even when we struggle to see how He is constantly working in our lives. We all desire to be seen, heard and valued no matter what. We often forget that God sees us before we can even see What we receive from God becomes what we practice with others. Paying Attention to the words, feelings, and experiences of others is an act of LOVE. Let us follow Jesus' example and practice seeing others by noticing the invisible in others, stopping to engage with them and being a blessing to them through presence, encouragement, prayer, and help. Who can you practice seeing this week?

In this powerful MLK weekend message, Pastor Herman connects the biblical story of Gideon with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy, revealing how faith operates courageously in frightening times. Through Scripture and personal testimony, we explore three essential practices: being honest about our fears, being honest about our doubts, and practicing courageous integrity—being willing to look inward at our selves and our community, while also being able to celebrate the good in those we disagree with. Just as God used ordinary, oppressed people in the civil rights movement to change the world, He declares to each of us: "I'm sending you" to be agents of hope and healing in our spheres of influence.

In this message, we are reminded that we are not only human doings, but God made us human beings. Faith in Jesus is about both doing and being. God sees us and has a good purpose for our lives. We work in partnership with God in the formation of becoming, in order to be empowered by God in the act of doing. One of the hardest things to do is to wait on God to fulfil His promise, but we must remember that God can transform us in the middle of our mess. When we spend time with Jesus, our capacity to be kind, generous and compassionate increases. Victory sometimes requires us to work through the pain, and we need to be less afraid of going through it. Faith works in us, between us and through us to be better people to others. Let’s spend time with Jesus this week!

The Power of New by NBCC Podcast

In this message, Elder Jonathan Thomas reminded that trials are a part of our life and walk with the Lord. They are real and come in many shapes and forms, but they are also temporary. When going through trials, we must remember that they are necessary in shaping our faith, deepening our relationship with God. Going through trials reminds us that we have a living hope and that we have community, which means that we don’t have to go through trials ourselves. We should also remember that God has given each of us grace to support members of our community going through trials. Reach out to your community and share your grace that is compatible with their trials during this period.

Join Pastor Hurmon Hamilton for this powerful Christmas message that explores what it truly means to live with peace—not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of God's shalom in every aspect of our lives. Through the story of King Herod's disturbing response to the birth of Jesus, Pastor Hamilton challenges us to examine whether we are "peace disruptors" or people who bring peace to our homes, workplaces, and communities. Learn the transformative prayer: "Come Jesus, come. Heal me where I'm broken. Increase your peace in me." This isn't just a message about personal comfort—it's a call to justice, compassion, and representing Christ in a world that desperately needs His shalom. Whether you're struggling with anxiety, dealing with difficult relationships, or seeking to understand how Christmas speaks to today's challenges, watch now and discover how to live with God's peace flowing through you to others.

In this first message of the new “The Missing Peace” series, we are reminded of the light, the glory of the Lord that appeared to the shepherds, but also appears to us in our lives. Life, especially during this period can be dark, often because we feel we're invisible, alone or exposed and unsafe. The light however, reveals the truth that God exists, is with us, sees us and loves us. God is always there, but the awareness that comes with the light gives us biblical peace, security that He is always with us. This week, pray “Come, Lord Jesus, come!” When you need to be reminded of the security of the Lord!

Aim Your Life At What Matters Most by NBCC Podcast

Whether you're overflowing with gratitude or yearning to discover it, Pastor Hurmon Hamilton's "Forever ThankFULL" offers a transformative perspective on living with lasting thanksgiving. This final message in our "Crazy Gratitude" series, we explore what it means to be "Great Full"—discovering a type of gratitude that sustains you through both joyful and challenging seasons, shaping how you speak, connect with something greater than yourself, and reflect hope to the world. Join us to find encouragement that meets you exactly where you are and invites you into a life marked by enduring gratitude.

In this message, we are reminded to maintain our Crazy Gratitude and ensure it is God-centered gratitude. With God-centred gratitude we live with the awareness that all of life is a gift from God and filled with the grace of God. Maintaining a spirit of gratitude is difficult, but when gratitude disappears from our daily life, entitlement moves in. We should declare that we trust God even when we don't like or understand our circumstances. Let us practice God-centered gratitude by continuing our gratitude journal this week!

In this powerful message, Pastor Herman Hamilton invites you to discover something that can truly change your life - a special kind of thankfulness that doesn't make sense to the world but has the power to set you free from anger, hurt, and feeling stuck in disappointment. This isn't about pretending everything is okay when it's not - it's about refusing to let pain keep you trapped and unable to see the good things God is still doing in your life. Whether you're dealing with hurt from unfair situations, struggling to find joy when life is hard, or simply wanting to grow closer to God, this message offers simple, practical wisdom from the Bible that will help you find real joy again and become someone who spreads hope to others. Watch this message and catch this "good kind of contagious" gratitude that will not only transform your own life but bring healing and encouragement to everyone around you!

In this message, we are reminded that life is a gift of God's grace, so we should look at life through a lens of gratitude. Gratitude is a mindset, heart posture and worldview. We are encouraged to have crazy gratitude, being thankful for grace so deeply and consistently that it transforms how we see, think, and live. Crazy gratitude allows us to dance when life is painful, remember and celebrate God’s goodness and never stop praying. Let us renew our joy by practicing gratitude! Write down three things you are grateful for each day for the next 30 days.

Through the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Pastor Valerie Webb reminds us about how a relationship with God can allow us to survive hard times. We are all made for worship, and who we worship has an effect on how we experience life. When we worship God, we know that God is able to deliver, and is our shield and safe place, something that we cannot create for ourselves. The God we worship is worthy of our trust, and walks with us in the fire. Through trusting God when we are delivered, and when it feels like we aren't, we are able to find peace in even the hard times.

In this message, Pastor Hurmon urges us to stop waiting to become more before we do more. God does His greatest work through the strength we already have. We all have inadequacies, but our inadequacies give God an opportunity to be acknowledged for the work He does through them. Don't allow the presence of your inadequacies to deny you from your destiny. Sometimes we hide because we feel unworthy, are unable to face our own failures or are afraid to fail, but God comes looking for us not to condemn us, but to call us out of hiding. Go in the strength that I have and trust God to do the rest!

In a world filled with uncertainty and searching hearts, Pastor Hurmon Hamilton delivers a powerful message about the most life-changing decision you can make—discovering the unconditional love found only in Jesus Christ. This sermon reveals three revolutionary truths that set Christianity apart: God comes looking for you (rather than you searching for Him), God sacrifices first (demonstrating His love through Jesus' death on Calvary before you even know Him), and God measures down to meet you (becoming flesh to understand and heal your deepest wounds). Through compelling illustrations including the movie "Good Will Hunting," Pastor Hamilton shows how Jesus becomes our "secure attachment"—the source of real, eternal love that heals us from the inside out and transforms us through grace, not perfection. This message offers hope for anyone struggling with feelings of being unloved, questioning what makes Christianity different, or ready to experience the healing power of God's unconditional love.‍

In this last message of the “Be a Blessing” message series, we are reminded that after blessing us, Jesus wants to make us a blessing by blessing others through us. We can do this by being a friend to others, showing empathy and curiosity to others, and sharing our Jesus story. Whichever circumstance we are in, our purpose is to serve God by being a blessing to others. When we focus on this mindset, God will make us an instrument right where we are. We always have the possibility to be a blessing in our church. Remember that what God has called us to do, we can only accomplish together. Consider being a blessing to the church community by signing up to serve.

In this final message of the "Be a Blessing" series, Pastor Hurmon sums up what we have learned over the past few weeks about receiving and being blessings in the acronym B.L.E.S.S. (B) - Begin with prayer. Pray each day "Lord Make me a Blessing." (L) - Listen with Love. We must listen to God's calling on our lives and listen to other people around us by slowing down, giving others our full attention, reflecting what we hear back and asking clarifying questions. (E) - Encourage with kindness. The act of kindness that comes with encouragement is a real-life superpower. It means doing what we can with what we have, where we are, showing gratitude to those who serve us, acknowleding the work of others with our words and our presence, and seeing and engaging with those who feel unseen. (S) - Serve with generosity. The blessings that come to us are meant to flow through us. Generosity is the ability to see a need and act without conditions. In order to be generous, we look for practical ways to meet others' needs. (S) - Share your story to give hope. Finally, we should share the stories of our blessings to give to others hope. We practice sharing our stories with Christians, and we become comfortable sharing with others who do not know Jesus to give encouragement to them and us.

The Blessing Of Generosity by NBCC Podcast

In this powerful message from our Be A Blessing series, Pastor Ja'Mell Agustin reminds us that God invites us to be a blessing to others through faith in action, just as Paul and Silas demonstrated through their prayers and praise even in their darkest moments. Whether through prayer, acts of service, or words of encouragement, our faithful response to God's call can create ripples of blessing that impact lives for eternity. The time to act on your faith is now - don't wait to seize the opportunities God places before you to care for others and share His love, as even small acts of faithfulness can lead to profound spiritual transformation. This message will inspire you to trust God and step into His promises that offer saving grace to all who believe.

In this message, we are reminded that we are not called just to receive blessings, we are called to be a blessing. Jesus calls us to carry light, not despair. We are told to be light carriers by practising the Jesus Way. This includes critiquing our own tribe, celebrating each other, practising empathy and lamenting together. It’s okay to acknowledge feelings of fear, powerlessness, and grief. After you have acknowledged your feelings, reorient yourself. Remember that no follower of Jesus is hopeless or powerless. Ask God to make you a blessing to others every day this week!

this series, we learn to reframe our mindset so that we are not just living FOR blessings, but to BE blessings. Pastor Hurmon begins by introducing four reasons why we should live as blessings. First, if we live to be a blessing, we never miss out on being blessed ourselves. Second, being a blessing makes us better, healthier, and happier people for ourselves and those around us. Third, living to be a blessing allows us to endure suffering without giving up. Finally, being a blessing allows us to combat powerlessness by showing ourselves to be powerful against darkness in the world. Living to be a blessing does not require us to be wealthy, only to be willing. One of the ways we carry out being a blessing is to tell our stories of faith and how God works in our lives. Others learn about God's redeeming power through our stories. In addition, when we show God's love through our stories and lives, we show the many ways that God's grace is for all people. As a practical matter, we should share our stories, casually and authentically, and be honest about the ways God's plan is still a mystery in our stories. We should also extend prayer to others when they share their own stories with us, model Jesus through service, and invite others into our church communities as part of sharing our stories and being a blessing.

In this final sermon in our "What's in a Name?" series, Pastor Hurmon Hamilton reminds us that God works through our circumstances to bless and reach everyone. Jesus specializes in walking into seemingly hopeless situations and transforming them into places of hope and possibility, as shown through His encounters with those living in "graveyard circumstances" - whether physical, emotional, or spiritual. He sees you as precious and honored in His sight, no matter your current struggles or past, and invites you to run toward Him just as you are. Jesus wants not only to deliver you from what holds you back but also to transform you into a source of hope for others, using your story of redemption to show that his saving grace is available to all, even today.

In this final message of the ‘What’s In A Name?’ series, we learn about El Gibbor: The MIghty One who fights for us and Jehovah Shalom: The Lord is Peace. God’s strength is divine and He steps into our physical, emotional and spiritual battles. We don’t have to fight alone, the mighty God that we have fights for us and with us. God’s peace for us does not depend on our circumstances. That peace comes from us knowing that he is with us. We need to trust His power and walk in courage. Once we do, we’ll have peace in our hearts. Remember to trust in God’s power this week and feel the peace of God in your heart!

In this second message of our new series, "What's in a Name?", Associate Pastor Ezemdi Chikwendu shares how God reveals Himself as El Roi (the God who sees) and El Shaddai (God Almighty) through His faithful care for both the prominent and marginalized figures in Scripture. We hear that He intimately knows and provides for all His children. Through the story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar, we see how God's covenant promises extend across generations, ultimately pointing to Jesus Christ and including all who put their faith in Him. Just as Pastor Ezemdi experienced God's sovereign guidance and provision in his own journey, God invites each of us today to trust Him as our Lord, knowing that He sees us, understands our struggles, and stands ready to show Himself mighty on our behalf.

In this message, we kick off the “What’s In a Name” series, looking at Yahweh (I Am) and Jehovah Jireh (God will provide). There is depth, meaning and power in a name and that is no different with God. Throughout scripture, God is revealed through names that reflect His heart, power and care for us. Yahweh delivered His people from slavery and oppression. That is who he was, is and is to come. Yahweh hears your cries and sees your suffering. Call on Yahweh and he will act. God is a provider, and comes through for us in many life situations. God sees you, he hears your cry and has provided a way for us to be with Him. Reach out to God and He will provide!

Acts: Seeing the Big Picture by NBCC Podcast

In this message, special guest speaker, Rev. Dr. Horace W. Sheppard Jr. shared about the various dimensions of a miracle through the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000. We are reminded that God is doing something in our hearts and lives as the miracle is being performed, so the journey is as transformational as the miracle itself. When we wait on God for a miracle, we can limit ourselves to what we see with the human eye, but God can see so much more. God has to challenge our limited vision. When he's going to do a miracle, you need to expand your vision. Are we seeing an obstacle or an opportunity? New struggles can induce short-term memory, forgetting all that God has done for us up to this point. It's important to remember what God has done to believe in a new miracle. Watching and waiting on God can wear thin on our patience, but we should remember that God is the only one that can do something greater than impossible. Keep believing in God’s ability to perform miracles in your life!