Topeka Bible Church Audio Archive

The Trinity is a great mystery, but a basic understanding of this doctrine gives us a clearer picture of what it means to belong to Christ. This week, Pastor Connor kicks off our new series on the Trinity with a look at God the Father. We look at five different roles that the Father has: Architect, Sender, Covenant Keeper, Judge, and King. In all of these roles, God the Father shows us that He wants the very best for all of creation, including us. He is deeply involved in our lives, and we can trust Him completely, just as Jesus did.

When we come to Christ, we become eternally rich, regardless of our earthly circumstances. Then, God‘s grace prompts us to build His kingdom by generously sharing our time, talent, and treasure. This week, Pastor Connor concludes our Keeping Score series with a look at what it means to follow Christ’s example of generosity. From 2 Corinthians, we examine what giving is — and isn’t — intended to look like. It must start with our hearts being moved in an overflow of gratitude to our Savior. We should establish principles, not scorekeeping, as we order our lives around generosity and give beyond what is convenient.

What does it look like to live a life that pleases God? For many of us, it may involve trying our hardest every day, only to fail in our best intentions. This week, Pastor Jim concludes our Keeping Score series by urging us to stop keeping count of our righteousness. He walks through Paul’s letter to the Galatians to remind us that we were made right with God by faith, not hard work; that we are sons, not slaves; and that Christ set us free so we could leave behind the yoke of slavery. To live a happier, simpler life, we need to move away from ourselves toward Christ, away from duty toward love, and away from slavery toward freedom.

When we belong to the kingdom of God, forgiveness becomes part of who we are. This week, Pastor Connor continues our sermon series, Keeping Score, with a dive into Jesus’s parable about the unforgiving servant. This servant was forgiven an unimaginably huge debt, but then turned around and failed to forgive his fellow servant. When we don’t forgive others, we miss God’s enormous grace in forgiving us. We close with a list of eight practical principles from Paul’s letter to the Romans.

Forgiveness is at the very heart of the good news of Jesus Christ. So when we don’t see forgiveness the way God does, that can be a real problem! This week, Pastor Connor kicks off our new series, Keeping Score, with a look at what the Bible tells us about forgiveness. The sacrifice of Jesus makes it possible for us to be forgiven, no matter how much we have rebelled against God. It delights Him when we accept His gift of forgiveness. He forgives us completely and permanently, and being forgiven changes us.

The account of the resurrection is one that we return to every year on Easter. But in spite of its familiarity — or maybe because of it — we can easily miss the resurrection’s implications for us. This week, Pastor Connor urges us to take another look at Easter. The women who found the tomb empty at sunrise were frightened and confused, but they encountered the risen Christ and realized that the impossible good news was true! Likewise, the apostles were doubtful when they heard of the resurrection, but Peter and John went to see it for themselves and experienced a change of heart. Until we have a personal encounter with Jesus, we can also miss the truth that’s right in front of us. But when we understand that Jesus has defeated death itself, our lives are changed and we receive a hope that can never die.

What does the blood of Jesus mean to you? In this Good Friday message, Pastor Connor asks us to consider that question. At the trial of Jesus, the angry crowd demanded crucifixion and said, “His blood be on us and our children!” In that moment, they were declaring their belief that Jesus was worthy of death. But their words actually spoke to a deeper truth: The blood of Jesus will be on each of us, one way or another. For those who reject Him, His blood declares them guilty and without hope before God’s righteous judgment. But for those who believe in Him, His blood covers their sin and makes them right with God.

When a nation leaves God’s good way, the consequences are terrible. This week, Pastor Connor concludes our series in Judges with a look at three stories of heartbreaking wickedness. When people do whatever is right in their own eyes, the vulnerable are oppressed, especially women and children. Justice is all but ignored. Sexual depravity and predatory behavior become normal. Social bonds dissolve, reducing us all to mere objects or victims. Religion lacks all repentance. By breaking the mold of God’s design for human flourishing, we ultimately break our own society and souls. Redemption and restoration can only come through our great king, Jesus Christ.

God made Himself knowable so we would come to know Him. He wants us to love and serve Him, but He also gives us specific instructions about the proper way to worship. This week, we continue our series in Judges with a message from Aaron Abramson, Executive Director and CEO of Jews for Jesus, on the danger of worship without God. In our passage, we meet a man named Micah who is very enthusiastic about spirituality. He makes his own religious artifacts and even hires his own private priest, hoping that all his efforts will earn him divine approval. We look at three dangers that this story warns us about: Approaching God our own way, allowing culture to shape our faith, and seeking God for our own gain.

Sometimes, the very lowest point of our life is a wake-up call. This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Judges with the conclusion of Samson’s life. Samson was given great strength, but often treated this gift like it didn’t matter, or used it just for his own benefit. He also disobeyed God in significant ways. Finally, Samson lost his girl, his hair, his strength, his sight, and his freedom all in a single day. He was brought lower than he’d ever been, but God was still at work in unseen ways. From Samson’s life, we can learn to steward our strength for God, let rock bottom refocus us, and remember that God never stops caring for and working on us.

God sometimes uses the unlikeliest people and situations to accomplish His purposes. This week, Pastor Jim continues our journey through Judges with a look at the rise of Samson, a judge chosen by God before birth. He was set apart and given great strength. But from the very beginning of his story, Samson proved himself to be unspiritual, disrespectful, and impetuous. He chased pretty foreign women instead of deliverance for his people. And God used Samson’s character flaws to spark a one-man war that would devastate the Philistine people. Pastor Jim leaves us with encouragement to obey God willingly, not in spite of ourselves, bringing the sweet honey of God’s truth with us everywhere we go.

It’s important to have knowledge about God and also have a love-centered relationship with Him. This week, we continue our series in Judges with a look at someone who obeyed God’s commands but had a tragic misunderstanding of God’s character. Jephthah was a mighty warrior and accomplished amazing things, but his bad theology had terrible consequences for him and his family. It is possible to be deeply and sincerely devoted to God, but also be completely wrong about what He wants from us. Our emotions can mislead us if we don’t subject them to the truth God has revealed about Himself. Diving deeper into Scripture can help us love Him more deeply and follow Him more passionately. 

When evil seems to win, and God feels silent, where is justice? In Judges 9, Abimelech murders his 69 brothers, gets crowned king, and rules for three years while his one surviving brother waits in exile. But God was working the entire time—through unexpected people, mysterious methods, and even the mess itself. This dark story reveals crucial truths about God's sovereignty and justice: He sees every evil, He will make all things right, but He does it in His timing and His way. When you're waiting for justice, remember—God is still in control.

Scripture gives us many examples of trusting God in times of struggle. But what does it mean to continue trusting Him in times of victory? This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Judges with the end of Gideon’s story. The Lord used Gideon to deliver Israel from the Midianites, but then Gideon wanted more. He pursued personal vengeance, lived a questionable moral life, and even led the nation astray with a homemade religious relic. In the end, he failed the test of victory. To avoid repeating Gideon’s mistakes, we need to have devotion beyond emotion, give God all the glory, and beware of creeping confidence in our own strength.

Can we trust the resurrection account? Discover the minimal facts most scholars accept about Jesus's death and resurrection, why alternative theories fail to explain the evidence, and how extraordinary claims require additional—not impossible—evidence. You'll see why the resurrection is the best explanation for what happened 2,000 years ago.

When God gives us clear instructions, how should we respond? This week, we continue our series on Judges with a look at how God called Gideon. God provided him with everything he needed in order to obey, but Gideon kept asking for evidence his eyes could see. Pastor Connor encourages us to respond differently. We shouldn’t wait to obey until we feel “ready,” we must tear down any false idols in our lives, and we ought to desire discernment, not delay. 

When God calls upon us, our response matters. Delay always costs us something. This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Judges with a look at Barak. Barak was called to fight the enemies of Israel. When he hesitated, God worked through someone else, and Barak missed out on part of his calling. Delayed faith can have eternal consequences if we don’t trust Jesus. It can also have serious personal consequences if we don’t follow the good plan God has for us.

Is "good enough" really good enough? Discover why Israel's 80-year deliverance under Ehud couldn't break the cycle, the danger of valuing results over faithfulness, and how to avoid settling for temporary relief. You'll learn three critical lessons about God's mercy versus approval and what true transformation requires.

Falling into sin often doesn’t look like one single event. Instead, it’s likely to be a cycle of failure, suffering, regret, and efforts to do better, followed by more failure. This week, as we continue our series on Judges, Pastor Connor discusses the way the Israelites fell into that cycle, as well as what it takes to break out of it. In times of victory, we need to recognize God publicly, remember we are stewards, not owners, and become experts in gratitude. In times of struggle, we need to examine our lives carefully, look for the lesson, and trust God’s timing.

At long last, the Israelites have made it to the promised land of Canaan! But they still have a lot of work to do. And sadly, they will fail in accomplishing that work. This week, Pastor Connor launches our series in Judges with a look at how the Israelites set themselves up for failure. They stopped short of obedience, coexisted with the enemies of God, and allowed idol worship to remain in the land. We can fall into the very same pitfalls. To follow God well, we need to tear down strongholds we've normalized, focus on true repentance instead of mere emotions, and respond to the Holy Spirit's conviction now, before the cycle deepens and things get worse.

Last week, Pastor Connor started our 2-week sermon series, “Streak,” with a look at spiritual disciplines and how they can help us to grow in our relationship with Christ. This week, Pastor Jason concludes the series by talking about ways we can continue our streak of small daily steps toward greater maturity. Consistency in our goals is more effective than intensity, so choosing one or two spiritual disciplines and faithfully following them is a good strategy for growth. And while last week’s message discussed individual spiritual disciplines, this week we look at ways to practice corporate disciplines, such as worship, fellowship, serving, evangelism, financial gifts, and celebration.

Have you felt like you want to grow closer to God, but you're not sure how? This week, Pastor Connor begins our mini-series, "Streak," with a look at some practical techniques for drawing near to God. He discusses several spiritual disciplines, including Bible reading, prayer, confession, silence, rest, and fasting. These practices have been used throughout the centuries by the Church with the goal of loving Christ more and allowing the Holy Spirit to make us more like Him. To get started, Pastor Connor gives some practical advice: choose one or two of these practices, start small, stack them together with other habits, and celebrate the growth God provides through them.

God has called each one of us to do battle in a vast war that our eyes can't see. This week, Pastor Connor concludes our series in Ephesians with a look at our struggle against the evil spiritual forces in the heavenly realms. Christ equips us to resist the devil and his kingdom of darkness by putting on the full armor of God: The belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes ready for the gospel of peace, shield of faith, and sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. To prepare for combat, we need to wake up to the real world of spiritual struggle, keep our eyes open for subtle attacks, intentionally put on our spiritual armor, and stay alert in prayer. Christ has already won the battle against Satan's kingdom of darkness, but until Jesus returns, we are called to keep resisting the evil one and his schemes. 

How should a follower of Jesus exercise authority and also submit to it? And why does it matter? Pastor Connor tackles these questions as we continue our series in Ephesians with a look at Paul’s instructions to children, fathers, slaves, and masters. Our relationship with our early father is one of the first places we learn what it means to respect and obey authority. It prepares us to love and follow our perfect Father in Heaven. That’s why it’s so important for parents, and especially fathers, to lead their families kindly and firmly, always aiming for their children’s good. Similarly, employers are called to create workplaces where their employees can thrive, always valuing people more than profits. On the flip side, children are called to obey and honor their parents in a way that shows they love God. Employees are called to do their very best to bring glory to God in their workplace.

Our culture’s ideas about marriage are often broken or corrupted, with stereotypes of bitter wives and cruel or unfaithful husbands. So how should a Christian marriage be different? This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Ephesians with a look at chapter 5. God intends for marriage to reflect the mysterious relationship between Christ and the church, so He calls husbands to love their wives sacrificially, like Christ loved the church and even laid down His life for us. Similarly, wives are to submit to their husbands’ leadership in the family, just as Christ submitted to His Father and the church ought to submit to Christ. For both husbands and wives, the goal is to follow Christ and become more like Him.

God calls us to walk like wise people, not foolish ones, making the most of our time. But what does a wise life look like? That’s the question Pastor Spencer tackles this week as we continue our series in Ephesians. A wise life is intentional, discerns God’s will, and is filled by the Holy Spirit. Wise believers pay attention to warning signs of spiritual unhealthiness, devoting themselves to fellowship and worship.

When we belong to God’s family, He calls us to live like children of light, not children of darkness. This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Ephesians with a look at the outward signs of the kingdom of darkness and how they contrast with Christ’s kingdom of light. When we come to Jesus, we leave behind our old, dead ways and awaken to the new life He offers. The message ends with some questions to help us evaluate our spiritual health: Do our actions show that we belong to God? Are we serious about renouncing the darkness of our former lives? What are we doing to cultivate the fruit of the Spirit in our lives.

When we belong to Jesus, God calls us to take off our old way of life like we would remove a filthy old set of clothes. But it doesn’t stop there. We are also called to put on a new way of living, one that replaces darkness with light. This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Ephesians with a look at taking off our former manner of life and putting on a life that pleases God. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to reject sinful desires and embrace legging practices. When we follow Him, God replaces our lies with truth, our greed with generosity, our tearing down with building up, and more.

What does it mean to walk in a manner worthy of our calling? This week, Pastor Connor looks at that question as we continue our series in Ephesians. Paul emphasizes the need to preserve the unity that we have in Christ, to use our gifts for building up the church, and to press on in maturity toward the fullness of Christ. We are no longer children, following our own whims and desires. Instead, each of us is a necessary part of Christ’s body, fitted and knit together by His love.

When you pray for others, how should you do it? This week, Pastor Jim continues our sermon series in Ephesians with a look at one of Paul's prayers that we can use as an example. When we pray, we join in God's building project (people) right now. We should ask for God to give those people strength to endure trials, faith to believe in Christ's life within them, a grasp of Calvary love, knowledge of God's mysterious love toward us, and completeness, being filled with the fullness of God. These prayers may seem really big, but we serve a God who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask or even imagine!

Our best-laid plans have a way of going sideways, leaving us disappointed and defeated. God’s plan, on the other hand, can never be defeated. Even better, He invites us to be part of it! This week, Pastor Connor continues our sermon series in Ephesians with a look at God’s undefeated plan that calls us not to worry, but to worship. In light of God’s plan, we ought to be bold, humble, and fearless, remembering that we shine brightest under persecution.

When division threatens to tear the church apart, what holds us together? This message from Ephesians 2:11-22 explores how Jesus creates unity among believers, why we all desperately need grace, and practical steps you can take to build peace in a church community today.

Are you alive? Pastor Connor continues our series in Ephesians with a look at chapter 2, where Paul writes that we all start out dead in our sins. Before Christ, we are stuck in slavery to Satan, the world, and our own desires, spiritually dead and headed for wrath. That’s the bad news. The good news is that God’s merciful love made a way for us to be raised from spiritual death and transferred to His kingdom of light and life! Pastor Connor talks about how this is a result of God’s work, not our own. Once we’re in His kingdom, though, he does have good work for us to do: work that He prepared a long time ago specifically for each of us. Join us to learn more about death, life, and God’s good work in us.

Jesus arose from the dead and has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. But what does that mean for the church today? This week, Pastor Connor continues our sermon series in Ephesians with a look at this question. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we don't fear physical death. We also have no need to pursue worldly power. God's power shines the brightest in our weakness, and He uses the small things of this world to accomplish great things for His kingdom. We can invite Christ to display His great strength in our weakness. We can also fight the darkness of the world by being faithful in the small things God has called us to do.

How should we pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ? In this week’s sermon, Pastor Jim continues our series in Ephesians with a look at how the Apostle Paul prayed. We can take lessons from Paul by praying constantly, thankfully, and telling people we’re praying for them. We should also pray that God will help them to know Him deeply and be able to see their burstingly full bank account in the heavenlies.

What does it mean to be “in Christ”? This week, Pastor Connor begins our new sermon series in Ephesians with a look at that question. Among other things, being in Christ means that we have access to many spiritual blessings. God the Father planned our journey with Christ before the beginning of the world, Jesus laid down His life to redeem us, and the Holy Spirit seals us as a down payment on the glory that we will inherit in eternity. 

For followers of Jesus, this world is not our home. We’re looking for a city not built with human hands, where Jesus has already prepared a place for us. In this week’s installment of our Onward series, Pastor Connor talks about our true heavenly home and what it looks like to live with our eyes set on things above instead of on earth. Because Jesus was crucified and raised from the dead, we go into his presence when we die, and we can also confidently hope in our own resurrection from the dead. 

Every successful space mission requires planning, people, and lots of preparation… but it won’t even get off the ground unless it has exactly the right kind of fuel. This week, Pastor Jason continues our Onward sermon series with a look at the importance of abiding in Christ. A close relationship to Jesus is the fuel we need accomplish the mission God has for us. We learn about bad fuel, which distracts us from our mission, and how to remove it from our lives. We also learn about good fuel: interacting with God each day through prayer and studying his word.

God’s kingdom isn’t grown by a small handful of elite Christians. Instead, it’s a team effort, empowered by the Holy Spirit’s gifts to each member of the church. This week, Pastor Connor continues our Onward sermon series with a look at the Apollo 11 moon landing. It couldn’t have happened without hard work from hundreds of thousands of people. Likewise, the Body of Christ has many members, and all of our gifts are needed in the work God wants to accomplish here on earth. Whether your gift is up front or behind the scenes, God gave it to you on purpose and wants you to use it for His glory and the good of your brothers and sisters.

When we work together, we’re able to go farther, faster, and deeper than we can alone. This week, Pastor Connor continues our “Onward” sermon series with a comparison between the International Space Station (ISS) and the local church. Like the builders of the ISS, we must be committed to cooperation, dedicate ourselves to the same mission, and desire to serve others with the work we do. Unlike the ISS, we require the power of the Holy Spirit to fulfill our calling. We dig into Acts 2 to find out how that looked for the early church, as well as for us today.