Sermons | Local Church in Wabash, Indiana | Bachelor Creek

In Week 2 of our Rhythms series, we’re discovering that prayer isn’t a performance to impress God, a transaction to get God to do what we want, or a formula we have to get exactly right. Prayer is a reorientation, turning back toward the Father who already knows us, loves us, and invites us to live with Him in the middle of real life.

What if the spiritual life isn't about trying harder, but learning to live differently? In Week 1 of our Rhythms series, "The Way of Life with God," we explore Jesus' invitation in Matthew 11:28–30 to come to Him, take His yoke, and find rest for our souls. The rhythms of prayer, Scripture, Sabbath, community, silence, and generosity aren't ways to earn God's love. They're pathways that help us stay close to Jesus and learn His way of life.

What will your life be remembered for? In Acts 20:17-38, Paul delivers an emotional farewell to the Ephesian elders, revealing that the greatest legacy isn't built through success, comfort, or recognition, but through a life faithfully poured out for Jesus and others. Join us this Sunday as we discover what it means to finish the race well and leave behind a legacy that truly lasts.

When the gospel came to Ephesus, it didn't just become one more religious option. It transformed lives, exposed idols, and even disrupted the city's economy. Join us this Sunday as we discover how the gospel doesn't just add something to our lives. It reorganizes everything.

This weekend we'll welcome guest speaker Terry Hinds for a timely message from Romans 15:30 titled "Why Pastors Need Prayer." Together we'll discover why spiritual leaders face unique accountability, spiritual opposition, and an ongoing need for the faithful prayers of God's people. Join us as we learn how one of the most powerful ways to strengthen the Church is by praying for those God has called to shepherd it.

Every conversation about Jesus is different because every person is different. In Acts 17, Paul shares the same gospel in three very different cities, showing us how to engage the world with both wisdom and courage. Join us as we learn how to stand firmly on God's truth while meeting people where they are.

Sometimes the most frustrating detours in life become the places where God does His greatest work. In Acts 16, Paul's plans are interrupted by closed doors, unexpected turns, and a prison cell, only to discover that God was leading him to people and opportunities he never could have planned himself. Join us this Sunday as we discover why God's redirections are often better than our original route.

What does it actually take to be saved? In Acts 15, the early church faced its biggest crisis yet, and the answer would shape Christianity forever. Join us this Sunday as we discover why the gospel of grace is the only foundation strong enough to hold people together, and why unity is worth fighting for when the truth of the gospel is at stake.

Hard roads are part of every journey, but they are never wasted in God's hands. This week in Summer Road Trip, we'll follow Paul and Barnabas through opposition, rejection, and hardship in Acts 14 and discover how God uses trials to strengthen our faith and deepen our roots. If you're walking through a difficult season, this message is for you.

What happens when the gospel collides with deception, religious pride, and hungry hearts? In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas discover that the message of Jesus always demands a response. Join us this Sunday as we explore how the same gospel that confronted people two thousand years ago still has the power to transform lives today.

Summer Road Trip starts this Sunday with “A Church That Sends” from Acts 13:1–4. Before Paul’s missionary journeys ever began, there was a church willing to worship, listen, and say yes when the Holy Spirit spoke. Join us as we discover how God uses ordinary people who are willing to go wherever He leads.

What causes someone to lay down their life for another person? This Memorial Day weekend, we’ll explore the words of Jesus in John 15 and discover the kind of love that sacrifices without counting the cost. Join us for a powerful message called “The Greatest Sacrifice” as we honor those who gave everything and look to the One who gave His life for us all.

What happens when you spend your whole life looking down… at work, success, control, and survival… and finally look up? In this week’s powerful conclusion to the What on Earth Am I Here For? series, we’ll walk through Ecclesiastes 11–12 and discover why the only lasting meaning in life is found in fearing God, trusting Jesus, and living fully present in the days we’ve been given.

We all like to think we’re in control… until life proves otherwise. In Ecclesiastes 9–10, we discover a freeing truth: while we can’t control what happens, we can choose how we live. Join us as we learn how to release control, live fully in the present, and trust the God who holds it all.

When life takes an unexpected turn, it can leave us asking, “How did we get here?” In this message, we explore Ecclesiastes 7 and the tension of living in moments that don’t make sense, discovering how God invites us to shift from asking “why” to asking “how” we can respond faithfully. Even in the mess, we’re reminded that God is present, shaping us in the middle of what we can’t fix.

We spend so much of life working, building, producing, and chasing the next level, yet many people still feel empty. In Ecclesiastes 4–5, we discover that work is a gift from God, but it was never meant to define our worth or satisfy our souls. Join us as we learn how to move from striving to peace, from comparison to contentment, and from identity in work to identity in Christ.

Life rarely unfolds according to our plans. In Ecclesiastes 3, we’re reminded that while we can’t control the seasons, we can trust the God who holds them all. This message invites us to release our grip, embrace the present, and rest in the One who makes everything beautiful in His time.

We live in a world full of options, success, and comfort, yet so many people still feel empty. In this opening message from Ecclesiastes, we uncover why chasing meaning apart from God always leaves us wanting more. If life has ever felt like it’s slipping through your fingers, this message will point you to the only place true purpose is found.

This Easter, discover the powerful meaning behind what Jesus left behind in the empty tomb. The grave clothes weren’t just evidence of resurrection, they were a declaration that sin, shame, and death no longer have the final word. Because He left them behind, you don’t have to carry yours anymore.

Acts 8 shows how God moves His church beyond comfort and into mission. Through persecution, cultural barriers, and a surprising encounter on a desert road, the gospel reaches people who were once far from God. When we follow the Spirit beyond what feels safe, we often discover that the person God wants to reach is waiting just beyond the edge of our comfort zone.

n Acts 6, we get a front-row seat to one of the first ever church conflicts. It is so subtle that we might miss it, but the implications of the conflict itself and how the first disciples handled it cannot be overlooked. The truth we see manifest in the obedient response of the apostles is conflict can result in Kingdom growth if we remain committed to the Way of Jesus.

In Acts 5, we encounter one of the most sobering moments in the early church. Ananias and Sapphira remind us that God is not building a movement on performance, but on honesty and holiness. When the gospel closes the gap between who we are and who we pretend to be, the church becomes a powerful, authentic witness to a watching world.

What makes a church powerful is not personality or programs, but unity shaped by grace. In Acts 2 and 4, we see a community devoted to truth, fellowship, prayer, and radical generosity, moving together as one. When grace grips a church, unity becomes its witness, and a church that moves together becomes a church that moves the world.

Boldness isn’t about personality. It’s about the presence of God. In Acts 3–4, we see ordinary people filled with the Spirit move toward brokenness, speak the name of Jesus without fear, and pray for even greater courage. When you’re filled with the Spirit, silence becomes impossible.

When the Holy Spirit moves, God’s people don’t stay stuck, they respond. In Acts 2, ordinary people receive extraordinary power, boldly proclaim the gospel, and move in immediate obedience through repentance and baptism. The same Spirit is moving today. Will you move?

After being raised from the dead, but before sending the first apostles out on mission, Jesus tells his friends to wait for the Promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. Waiting has always been an essential ingredient in God’s way of forming a people for Himself. Although waiting is absolutely despised by our modern society, our healing will come in the wilderness of our waiting as we learn dependence, trust, and devotion.

Two discouraged disciples walk away from hope, unaware that the risen Jesus is walking right beside them. In this message, Eyes Opened, we discover how Jesus meets us in disappointment, opens our hearts through Scripture, and sends us back on mission when our eyes are finally opened. If you’ve ever struggled to see what God is doing, this message is for you.

When you’re at the end of your rope and out of options, Jesus is still within reach. In this powerful encounter from Luke 8, we see how desperation becomes the doorway to healing, restored identity, and peace. Join us as we discover how one courageous reach of faith can change everything.

Jesus doesn’t demand perfection or full understanding. He simply invites us to discover. In Week 3 of Encounter, we explore how Jesus calls ordinary people through simple relationships with three powerful words: Come and see.

You are not invisible to God. In Genesis 16, Hagar encounters El Roi, the God who sees her in the wilderness. Discover how a personal encounter with a God who sees, knows, and cares can change everything.

God often meets us when we least expect it. In Week 1 of our ENCOUNTER series, we explore Moses’ burning bush moment and discover how a true encounter with God interrupts the ordinary, reveals His holiness, and invites us into His mission. Come ready to listen, respond, and say yes to what God may be calling you to do.

Join us we celebrate all God has done through Bachelor Creek in 2025!

The Wise Men remind us that finding Jesus requires intentional pursuit, real sacrifice, and wholehearted worship. They traveled far, gave their best, and left forever changed. This Christmas, the question is not what you know about Jesus, but what you are willing to give to truly encounter Him.

This week in The Characters of Christmas, we look at the shepherds and discover the radical grace of God. Jesus didn’t come for those who had it all together but for those the world overlooks. Their story reminds us that the gospel is for everyone… including you.

In week two of The Characters of Christmas, we look at Joseph: a man whose quiet, courageous obedience changed the course of history. When God disrupted his plans, Joseph chose trust over fear and faithfulness over comfort. His story invites us to release control, embrace God’s purpose, and follow Him even when the path ahead is unclear.

In this Family Worship Sunday message, we look at Mary—the ordinary teenage girl God used to do something extraordinary—and the very first “Christmas carol” found in Scripture. Through Mary’s faith, quiet obedience, and simple yes, we’re reminded that God prepares us in the quiet moments and calls ordinary people of every age to extraordinary Kingdom work. This sermon challenges all of us—from kids to adults—to consider where God is asking us to trust, obey, and say yes today.

In the Great Commission, Jesus didn’t just invite us to follow Him; He commanded us to make disciples. Through His authority and His presence, every believer is empowered to share their story and walk with others toward Christ. When we take this seriously, our neighborhoods become mission fields and everyday relationships become opportunities for eternity.

What if loving your neighbor isn’t optional, but the heartbeat of following Jesus? In “The Great Commandment” we’re challenged to move beyond good intentions and take simple, practical steps to love God and love people right where we live. When we do, everyday relationships can become the front lines of God’s transforming love.

This week in our First Things First series, we’re learning that putting God first changes everything. In “God First: The Blessing of Right Priorities,” we see how trusting God with our finances isn’t about losing control; it’s about gaining freedom. When we give God our first and best, we open the door to His faithfulness and blessing in every area of life.

This Sunday we launch our new series First Things First with a message titled God Last: The Cost of Wrong Priorities from Haggai 1:1–15. When God gets our leftovers, everyone suffers. Discover how misplaced priorities lead to frustration, and how putting God first brings purpose, peace, and blessing.

Many people today believe that all religions lead to the same destination—that sincerity is enough to reach God. But Jesus made a different claim: He is the way, the truth, and the life. This Sunday, we’ll discover why following Jesus isn’t narrow-minded; it’s the only road that leads home.

In this week’s Bad Advice message, we tackle the popular saying, “Don’t impose your beliefs on others.” Pastor Stan Kirtlan reminds us that while respect and grace matter, silence isn’t love. Using Paul’s example in Acts 17, we’re challenged to boldly share the truth of Jesus with gentleness, humility, and conviction—because Christianity is personal, but never private.

The world says, “Test it out first.” God says, “Trust Me first.” This week, we’ll look at why true love thrives not in trial runs but in covenant commitment.

In this message, Lee Coate contrasts worldly wisdom, which is driven by envy, selfish ambition, and appearances, with godly wisdom, which produces purity, peace, mercy, and sincerity as described in James 3. He emphasizes that wisdom is not about age or intellect but about humbly applying God’s truth through prayerful asking and intentional pursuit in daily life. Ultimately, he challenges believers to embrace what may look like “the foolishness of God”—living counter-culturally in faith, humility, and obedience, trusting that God’s way leads to true life and flourishing.

It’s easy to hear God’s Word and never let it change us. In James 1:22–25, we’re reminded that the Bible isn’t just for knowing; it’s for doing. Join us this Sunday as we discover how living the Word leads to true freedom and blessing.

Ever feel lost when you open the Bible? This Sunday we’ll discover how God’s Word is one story of redemption and how you can read it with confidence. Join us for week 1 of our new 2-part series, How to Read the Bible.

Life can feel overwhelming, but the end of God’s story is not ruin; it’s restoration. Join us as we look at Revelation 21–22 and celebrate the hope of new creation, where every tear will be wiped away and all things made new.

The New Testament letters remind us that the gospel is not just something we believe, it’s something we live. In Letters to the Church, we’ll see how the good news of Jesus transforms our identity, unites us in community, and gives us a mission worth living for.

How did a handful of ordinary Jesus followers ignite a movement that carried the Gospel to the ends of the earth? The book of Acts reveals the explosive moment when God’s Spirit, God’s people, and God’s Story collided—and nothing in history was ever the same.

Jesus didn’t come to start a new story. He came to fulfill the one God had been writing all along. In Week 11 of The Story So Far, we’ll see how every promise, every prophecy, and every purpose finds its “Yes” in Him, and how His life, death, and resurrection make sense of the whole story. Join us as we discover how Jesus is not only the fulfillment of God’s story, but the fulfillment of ours.