Reach Community Church

This week our nation celebrates 250 years of freedom. For 250 years Americans have celebrated the blessings of liberty—the freedom to worship, speak, assemble, and pursue opportunity. Those are incredible gifts, and we should thank God for them. But this morning I want to ask a different question. What is real freedom? Most people think freedom means doing whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. But is that really freedom? Because even in one of the freest nations on earth, people are still imprisoned every day by guilt, shame, addiction, fear, anxiety, bitterness, and sin. You can live in a free country and still not be free.

Have you ever noticed how quickly people can change? One day you're the hero. The next day you're the villain. You get the promotion... everyone congratulates you. You make one mistake... everyone questions you. Social media can make you famous on Monday and cancel you by Friday. If your identity is built on the approval of people, you'll spend your life riding an emotional roller coaster. Acts 14 shows us a man who experienced both extremes in less than 24 hours. One crowd tried to worship Paul as a god. That same crowd later picked up stones to kill him. So what kept Paul going? His life wasn't built on the opinions of people. It was built on the mission of Jesus. And that's the question this passage asks every one of us: Whose approval are you living for?

Reach Community Church

Reach Community Church

We live in a culture that wants everything to be easy, convenient, and inexpensive. We want: Fast food, Fast internet, Fast results, and Convenient Christianity. Many people approach worship the same way. We want worship that fits our schedule. Worship that doesn't interrupt our plans. Worship that doesn't require sacrifice. Worship that costs us nothing. But throughout Scripture, worship has always involved sacrifice. When Abraham worshiped, it cost him a journey and his son. When the widow worshiped, it cost her last two mites. When Mary worshiped Jesus, it cost her an alabaster jar worth a year's wages. When Jesus worshiped the Father through obedience, it cost Him His life. And here in 2 Samuel 24, David teaches us a powerful truth: Worship that costs nothing is worth nothing.

As we close out this “Disciples Follow Jesus” series, I think it’s important to realize where Jesus has been taking us these last several weeks. We started with the simple invitation of Jesus: “Follow Me.” Because before disciples do anything for Jesus, they must first surrender to Jesus. Week 2 We talked about staying ready—living with urgency and faithfulness because Jesus is returning and disciples don’t drift through life asleep. Week 3 We learned that disciples forgive because forgiven people are called to walk in forgiveness toward others. Week 4 We saw that disciples do what Jesus says—even when it doesn’t make sense, even before they see the miracle, because obedience is part of following. Week 5 Then we came to the crossroads in John 6 where Jesus gave hard teachings and many walked away, reminding us that disciples don’t just follow Jesus when it’s easy—they stay when it’s costly because He alone has the words of life. Week 6 Last week we saw that disciples were never meant to follow Jesus in their own strength. The Spirit of God fills ordinary people with extraordinary power so they can live boldly and faithfully for Christ. And now we arrive at the natural conclusion of all of it: Disciples don’t just follow Jesus personally… disciples help other people follow Jesus too. Because real discipleship always moves outward. Jesus never intended for His disciples to simply gather information, attend church, and keep their faith private. He called us to live on mission. Because disciples follow Jesus…and disciples make disciples.

Most Christians believe in the Holy Spirit, but live like He doesn’t exist. We try to fight spiritual battles in human strength, overcome sin with willpower, and live the Christian life exhausted, frustrated, and empty. But Jesus never intended His disciples to follow Him powerless. The Christian life was never meant to be sustained by your strength, your discipline, or your effort alone. Acts 2 shows us what happens when ordinary people are filled with the Spirit of God. Fearful men become bold witnesses. Weak people become powerful instruments in the hands of God. And the same Spirit that filled the early Church is still available to empower disciples today.

At some point in everyone’s faith journey, you come to a fork in the road—a moment where you have to decide whether you are truly in or out. Following Jesus was never meant to be easy, comfortable, or free from difficulty. There will be moments when staying faithful will cost you something or cost you everything. And in todays passage, we see that Jesus is not afraid to create moments that force a decision. Some people spend their whole lives sitting at the fork, unwilling to choose a direction. But Jesus is not looking for crowds who follow Him when it’s easy—He’s looking for disciples who will follow Him no matter what He asks, no matter what it costs. Because in Him there is fullness of life.

Today is Mother's Day, and if you grew up with a good mom, there’s one thing you heard over and over: “Listen to me.” “Do what I told you.” And if you didn’t listen…you felt it. But here’s the truth: Some of the best things in your life happened because you listened to your mom. “Don’t go there.” “Stay away from that.” “Trust me on this.” And today, we’re going to see something powerful: A mother gives one simple instruction…and it becomes one of the clearest pictures of what it means to follow Jesus. “Do whatever He tells you.”

There are some things in life that are hard…But forgiving someone who hurt you deeply? That’s different. Because forgiveness isn’t just hard—it feels unfair. They said it. They did it. They caused the damage. And now… I’m supposed to forgive? Let me ask you: Who do you need to forgive right now? Not theoretically. Not someday. Right now. Because here’s the truth: You cannot follow Jesus fully while holding on to unforgiveness.

Reach Community Church

If you knew that Jesus was returning one week from today, what would change in your life over the next seven days? Would it change what you watch, what you say—or how you say it—or how you spend your time, your money, even what you drink? The list could go on. My guess is everyone in this room would change something, and some of us would change everything. So why is that? Why do we live like what we do and say doesn’t really matter? Why do we put off the very things we know we’re called to do? Because we tell ourselves, “I’ll deal with it later—I’m just too busy right now.” But one day we will all stand before the Father. In Matthew 12, Jesus confronts religious leaders and says, “You will be known by your fruit… and out of the overflow of your heart your mouth speaks,” meaning your words reveal your heart, and just a few verses later He says that on the day of judgment people will give an account for every careless word they speak—feel the weight of that. Because if you don’t feel the weight of your calling as a follower of God, you will drift, and when you drift, everyone around you feels it. Jesus spends a significant portion of His teaching talking about His return and judgment—why? Because He wants His people to be ready. So the question is, are you ready?

There’s a difference between being interested… and being all in. You can be interested in fitness and never go to the gym; interested in investing and never buy a stock; interested in eating healthy and still hit Chick-fil-A 4 times a week. We live in a world full of interested people. And the danger is—we’ve brought that into Christianity. We’ve created a version of faith where: you can believe in Jesus, agree with Jesus, even like Jesus…but never actually follow Him. And Jesus never invited people to just believe something about Him. He invited them to leave something for Him.That’s the tension: Have we reduced following Jesus down to just believing in Him?

There are moments in life when it feels like it’s too late. Too much has happened. Too many mistakes. Too far gone. You missed your chance.
You had your opportunity. And now… it’s over. And most people assume that’s how it works with God too. That at some point, the door closes. But what we’re about to see is this: As long as there is breath in your lungs… the invitation of Jesus is still open.

Have you ever known exactly what you should do…and still walked away from it? Not because you didn’t understand. Not because you didn’t have enough information. Not because you didn’t even believe it was right. But because doing it was going to cost you something you weren’t ready to give up. Maybe it was a relationship. Maybe it was a habit. Maybe it was control. Maybe it was something you had built your life around. And in that moment, everything became clear. You didn’t have a knowledge problem…
you had a heart problem. Because it’s one thing to know the right answer. It’s another thing to surrender what’s in the way. And that’s where following Jesus gets real. Not when it’s easy. Not when it fits your life. But when He puts His finger on the one thing you don’t want to let go of.

Think about the last time you were deciding who to invite to something. Maybe it was dinner. A party. A group text. And without even realizing it, you started making a list: “Yeah, I’ll invite them…” “Definitely not them…” “That might get awkward…” Because we all do this. We decide who belongs…and who doesn’t. Now here’s the question: Who would be on your “definitely not” list? Because in todays text. Jesus walks straight up to someone who would have been on everyone’s list……and invites him anyway.

Everyone knows what it feels like to want an invitation. An invitation to the party. An invitation onto the team. An invitation into the group. Because an invitation says something powerful: You belong here. And when we look at the ministry of Jesus, one thing becomes clear—He is constantly inviting people. Fishermen. Tax collectors. Sinners. Skeptics.
Even a criminal hanging on a cross. And the incredible thing is that the same invitation still exists today. Over the next four weeks, we’re going to see that invitation again and again in the life of Jesus. And my hope is that we won’t just see it in the text—we’ll actually hear the invitation that Jesus is still extending today: Come… follow me.

Reach Community Church

Today I want to convince you to talk to yourself. Now before you tune me out because that sounds crazy, let me remind you of something — you’re already doing it. Every single one of us is. All day, every day, there’s a voice running in the background of your life. You interpret events. You evaluate yourself. You replay conversations. You predict outcomes. You preach to yourself constantly. Paul David Tripp says, “No one is more influential in your life than you are, because no one talks to you more than you do.” That inner voice is shaping you — for good or for harm. The question isn’t whether you talk to yourself. The question is what you’re saying. Is it truth or fear? Grace or condemnation? Hope or despair? So today, I want to help you take back control of that conversation. I want to convince you to start preaching the gospel to yourself — again and again. And to show us how that’s done, we’re going to Psalm 42, where we meet a man who refuses to let his discouragement have the final word.

Reach Community Church

There’s a difference between visiting someone and moving in. You can help someone in a crisis. You can rescue someone from danger. You can provide for their needs. But when you choose to live with someone — that’s something deeper. The book of Exodus is not ultimately about escape from Egypt. It’s about something far more intimate. God didn’t just want Israel out of slavery. He wanted to dwell with them. And the question that hangs over the second half of Exodus is this: Can a holy God really live with a stubborn, sinful people? Exodus 40 answers that question.

Most of us expect that once God shows up in a big way, trusting Him should get easier. After the answer to prayer. After the breakthrough. After the victory. But Scripture is honest enough to show us something different. There are seasons when God doesn’t remove the hardship right away—not because He’s absent, but because He’s forming something deeper in us. And those seasons often come right after moments of great faith. Today’s passage reminds us that trusting God isn’t learned in the miracle itself. It’s learned on the road that follows it.

Most of us want God to change our situation. We pray for deliverance, clarity, breakthrough, relief. But in Scripture, God often works in a different order than we expect. Before He delivers, He reveals. Before He sends Moses to Pharaoh, He introduces Moses to Himself in a deeper way. Exodus 3 is not primarily about a burning bush—it’s about a revealing God.

Over the last three weeks, we’ve talked about repentance, abiding, and prayer. And if you’re anything like me, somewhere along the way you quietly thought… This should be fixing more than it is.” We repented, We turned back to God, We committed to His Word, We prayed more intentionally. And yet— some of the same struggles are still there. Some of the same temptations still show up. Some of the same patterns still fight for control. And that leads to a dangerous, discouraging question: “Did I do this wrong…or is something wrong with me?” Some of you came today feeling: Frustrated with yourself, Tired of starting over, Quietly ashamed that you’re not further along. So before we go any further, I want to say this clearly: The problem isn’t that you’re still broken. The problem is that you expected arrival. Somewhere along the way, we absorbed the idea that spiritual growth would feel like graduation. That maturity meant struggle would fade. That obedience would eventually eliminate weakness. But the gospel never promised arrival in this life. It promised grace. Today we close Begin Again with a freeing truth: You are still broken—and God is still working. That’s not failure. That’s Christianity.

I have good news for you this morning—God wants to hear from you. Today, we’re stepping into a spiritual discipline that most Christians will admit they want to grow in: prayer. And like I said last week, I’m not here to guilt you into religious activity. I’m here to remind you that life is found in these places. Prayer is not a ritual we perform for God; it is our one-on-one connection with the Father. It’s the place where our hearts are shaped to His will, where our fears are laid bare, and where His voice can be heard above the noise of everything else. And today, we’re going to approach prayer from an unlikely place in Scripture. We’re heading into the Old Testament. You’ve probably heard the phrase “digging for buried treasure.” Today, we’re going to look at prayer the same way—because sometimes the most life-giving things aren’t found on the surface. They’re found when we’re willing to dig.

Most of us don’t struggle because we don’t know what we should be doing as followers of Jesus. We struggle because we underestimate how necessary some of those things really are. We tell ourselves, “I’ll be fine. I’ll get to it eventually.” And yet we live with a quiet frustration—less peace, less clarity, less freedom—than Christ actually promised us. So for the next two weeks, we’re going to talk about two practices that aren’t optional add-ons to the Christian life… they are essential to living free in Christ. Today, we’re going to talk about what it means to abide in the Word of God. Next week, we’ll talk about prayer—not as a duty, but as a living connection that gives life. And I want you to hear this clearly—I’m not here to guilt you into religious activity. My goal is far better than that. I want to convince you that life with these practices isn’t heavier…it’s freer.

Happy New Year—welcome to 2026! Every new year carries with it a pinch of hope… that quiet thought in the back of our minds that maybe this could be the year. The year things change. The year habits break. The year healing begins. The year faith becomes real again. You can fill in that blank for yourself. But if we’re honest, hope alone isn’t enough. Without help—real help—we don’t get very far. We’ve all made the promises. We’ve all set the goals. And most of us know how quickly our good intentions fade. That’s the good news. We don’t have to do this on our own. Through Jesus, we have access to the greatest help we could ever receive—grace that restores, power that transforms, and mercy that meets us right where we are. Not condemnation. Not pressure. Help. So the real question as we step into 2026 isn’t what do you want to change? It’s will you lean in and allow Jesus to help you begin again? Because the truth is—we’re not very good at lasting change by ourselves. But with Jesus?….

Love is one of the most used words in our culture—and one of the most misunderstood. We say we love coffee. We say we love our kids. We say we love Christmas. But the love the Bible speaks of isn’t a preference, an emotion, or something that fades with circumstances. It isn’t something we fall into or out of. It’s something that moves, initiates, and costs. Advent doesn’t begin by asking how well we love. It begins by pointing us to the Love that came to us. And until we understand that, we won’t truly understand Christmas.

On the third Sunday of Advent, we light the pink—or rose-colored—candle. Traditionally called the Shepherds’ Candle, it represents joy. But just like Hope and Love in the earlier weeks of Advent, Joy also has many counterfeits. One of the most common substitutes is happiness. What’s the difference? Happiness is a state of well-being or contentment; it’s a pleasurable or satisfying experience. Joy, however, is a source or cause of great happiness—it is rooted in something (or Someone) that produces lasting delight. Here’s the question: Do you want an experience that fades… or a connection to the source that endures? Trying to find joy in the trappings and traditions of Christmas is like opening a beautifully wrapped present labeled “Joy Inside”—only to discover the box is empty. Our traditions don’t contain joy; they point to it. If we want the empty spaces in our hearts truly filled, we must look not merely at Christmas, but through Christmas—to the One in whom indestructible, unspeakable joy is found.

Reach Community Church

There are a lot of things competing for our attention during the Christmas season. But the next four Sundays are meant to slow us down and help us remember what is truly important. Through the birth of Jesus, we are given access to Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace. And this week, we begin with Hope. So what is hope? Webster’s defines it as “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” But the biblical definition goes deeper: hope is “confident expectation.” It’s not wishful thinking—it’s trust in a God who keeps His promises. Romans 8:24–25 says: “For in this hope we were saved… we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.” The tension we face during this season is the same struggle that follows us all year long: we are in the habit of putting our hope in other things. We may never say that out loud, but our hearts often drift there. Advent re-centers us. It reminds us that true hope is not found in circumstances, accomplishments, or holiday expectations. It is found in Christ alone.

Reach Community Church

Last week, we talked about the better covenant God made with us through our faith in Jesus. This week, we focus on the sacrifice that made that covenant possible. There was a payment in blood that had to be made. Hebrews 9:22 reminds us, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.” Sin is not just the problem of “those people”—it’s our problem. Romans tells us that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Jesus came to fix that problem once and for all. So the question this morning is: What sacrifice are you trusting in?

Everyone has some kind of agreement with God—spoken or unspoken. We think: “If I do better, God will bless me.” That’s covenant thinking. But Hebrews 8 reminds us: there’s a difference between the Old Covenant, which depended on our performance, and the New Covenant, which depends on God’s promise. Warren Wiersbe says“A covenant is not a contract we negotiate with God; it is a relationship established by His grace and guaranteed by His Son.” So the question becomes personal: Which covenant are you living under—your promises to God, or His promises to you?

If you’ve ever felt small — like your life barely registers against the size of this world — you’re not alone. David felt the same way when he looked up at the stars and asked, “What is man that You are mindful of him?” Hebrews 2 answers that question. It reminds us that the God who made the stars didn’t just notice us — He became one of us. He stepped into our weakness to rescue, restore, and reign on our behalf. This is the story of a Savior who dove into our brokenness so we could share His glory. So the writer says: “Don’t drift.” Don’t let distraction steal your attention or fear rob your confidence. Because the One who made you is also the One who came for you — and He’s not ashamed to call you family.

We live in a world that loves to hear from God—but not always to listen to Him. We want His comfort more than His correction, His blessing more than His direction. But when God speaks, it isn’t for our curiosity—it’s for our obedience. Every time God’s Word comes, it confronts a choice: Will I trust what I feel or obey what He says? Will I chase safety, or surrender to His will? Two stories—separated by centuries—reveal that difference. One ends in captivity. The other fuels the gospel. Because when God speaks, the outcome always depends on how we respond.

Every one of us has moments we wish we could erase—words we’ve said, choices we’ve made, people we’ve hurt. And yet, when we come face to face with those memories, there’s something incredible about realizing that Jesus already knew all of it—and still came for us. That’s the heart of the gospel: Jesus didn’t come to recruit the righteous; He came to rescue the rebellious. He didn’t wait for the world to clean itself up before stepping in—He entered it, fully, with mercy that overflows and patience that never runs out. For many, it’s easy to believe Jesus saves “sinners in general.” But it’s harder to believe He came for me—with all my pride, my failures, my hidden struggles. Yet that’s exactly what He did. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners… and He hasn’t stopped doing it.

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to start strong in your faith but lose focus along the way? Life gets noisy. Culture pulls hard. And before long, Jesus can move from the center of our lives to just another part of it—something we “add” rather than the One we build everything around. That’s exactly what was happening in the early church Paul writes to. So before giving any corrections, Paul begins with something powerful—a prayer. Not a prayer for comfort or blessing, but a prayer that they would grow deeper, stronger, and more fruitful in their walk with Christ. Because when the gospel takes root, it changes everything about how we live, think, and endure.

Reach Community Church

Reach Community Church

We live in a world that tells us to hold tight to what we have—save more, secure more, insure more. But Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 9 that God’s economy works differently. In God’s kingdom, open hands don’t lead to emptiness—they lead to fullness. Generosity is not about losing; it’s about sowing. And when we sow generously, God promises to supply all grace, meet every need, and multiply eternal fruit. Paul anchors this truth in Scripture itself, quoting Psalm 112 to remind us that the righteous have always been marked by open-handed giving. And at the very center of it all stands Christ, God’s inexpressible gift to us.

Our world feels like it’s spinning out of control. In just the last month, we’ve watched headlines filled with tragedy: school shootings, a woman stabbed to death on public transportation in Charlotte, and even the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk. The last two were so public that videos spread across the internet for the world to see. No matter where you stood on Charlie Kirk’s politics, one thing was undeniable: he was open about his faith in Jesus and unashamed to defend his beliefs. And yet here we are — watching more violence, more chaos, more confusion. I wish I could stand here today and explain exactly what God is doing in all of this, but I can’t. What I can tell you is this: God is still good. He is still in control. And He is working all things — even the things we don’t understand — for His glory. But that raises a hard question: How do we keep moving forward without losing heart in a world like this? How do we not give in to fear, despair, or bitterness? That’s where today’s text helps us. Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 5 that the way we endure is by fixing our eyes on eternity. This world is temporary. Our bodies are temporary. But our hope is eternal, our home is eternal, and our mission is eternal.

Everyone here carries some kind of weight—stress at work, family tension, health issues, unanswered prayers. Some of us hide it well, but deep down we know what it feels like to be stretched thin. The real question is, when life squeezes us, where do we turn for strength? Today we’re going to talk about a God who doesn’t leave us alone in our weakness.

Everyone has a filter through which they make decisions. For some, it’s comfort: “What makes me happy?” For others, it’s success: “What gets me ahead?” But Paul calls us to a different filter altogether—one that changes how we eat, drink, work, spend, post online, and even how we interact with people who don’t know Christ. The question isn’t first about what benefits me—it’s about what glorifies God and what helps others see Him more clearly.

People sacrifice years of training, large sums of money, and personal comfort for things that eventually fade—a career, a championship, a dream vacation. But what about the message that brings eternal life? Is it worth your reputation, your rights, even your daily comfort? The way we live, and what we are willing to give up for the sake of Christ, reveals how much we truly value the gospel. In today’s text from 1 Corinthians 9, Paul shows us how far he was willing to go so that others might hear the gospel and believe.

In just about every area of life, we’re told to follow what’s smart, proven, and sophisticated. We choose strategies that impress others, solutions that make sense to our logic, and leaders who look the part. But then comes the gospel—a message centered on a crucified carpenter from an obscure town—something the world has always called foolish. Yet here’s the paradox: that “foolish” message is the very power of God to save. The cross doesn’t fit the world’s categories of wisdom or strength, but it accomplishes what human wisdom never could—it rescues the sinner, redeems the lost, and humbles the proud. Today, Paul invites us to answer a question that cuts to the heart: Will you keep trusting in what the world calls wise, or will you embrace the “foolishness” that is powerful enough to save you?

What if I told you that there was a way to learn to discern in this chaotic and confusing world the will of the Father? Who wouldn’t want to know his will and purpose? Be honest with yourself for a few minutes. What would you be willing to do to know. You know it is not easy because if it were everyone would be doing it. So what’s it worth to you? Today we will unpack just two verses in Romans 12 that make this bold claim. So buckle up.

It's God's desire to see us saved. That's really where we start over, and start well. Our walk with God is like a race, but it's not a sprint, it's more like a marathon. How do we keep going, so we can finish well? Come join us at Reach Community Church this Sunday as we look at an example from scripture that we can learn what to do and not do, as we walk with our God.

It’s not easy to be grateful. We live in a culture that constantly breeds discontentment with the life we’ve been given and the stuff we have. There’s always something to complain about. But today, my hope is to help you do what feels impossible—to go against the grain of this world and your own internal dialogue, and to give thanks to the Lord. I believe that if you can learn to live this way, it will change your life. I’m not asking you to lie or fake it. I’m asking you to see the bigger story God is writing—one He has graciously invited you into—and to trust our sovereign God who is working all things for your good and His glory. God loves you and is calling you into a life that is full.

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