Walnut Creek Downtown
by Walnut Creek Church Downtown
Sermon audio and video from the downtown location of Walnut Creek Church in Des Moines, Iowa.Located in the heart of Des Moines' historic East Village, Walnut Creek Downtown is a thriving Christ-centered community. Our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who love and worship God drives everything we do.
Episodes
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Let the Plagues Begin
Have you ever wondered why the plagues? Did God just choose things at random that he thought would annoy Pharaoh? Exodus 7 kicks off the first of the plagues, water of the Nile to blood. Pastor Dan Rude helps us understand the purpose of the plagues by unpacking this sentence: Through the…
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Moses Meets with God
In Exodus 5 and 6, we see the first recorded time when Moses intentionally goes to God. Moses was transformed by meeting regularly with the Lord, and you will be too. Pastor Dan explains the benefits and the need to meet regularly with the Lord: to stay grounded in times of trouble, learn truths,...
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Confronting Pharaoh
Courage and boldness that can only come from an understanding of God’s authority and power allow Moses and Aaron to stand before Pharaoh, a man who considers himself a god. They did not deliver a message Pharaoh wanted to hear: “Let my people go!” However, this obedience did not lead to the…
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Moses Goes to Egypt
Moses hesitated. God called him to go to Egypt but he was overwhelmed by the task. Dan Rude explores how God responds to Moses's excuses and what we can learn about God's ability to call and equip His people.
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The Burning Bush
In Exodus 3, Moses encounters God in a powerful, mysterious, and clear way. Moses is given an impossible-sounding task, but with it comes a promise that Christians still have today: "Behold, I AM with you."
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A Savior is Born
In Exodus 2, we see the birth and early life of Moses, the most pivotal character in the entire book. Moses's birth and childhood deliverance from death foreshadow God's rescuing of His people. His rescue attempt, which turned to murder, points to his imperfection. His humbling in the wilderness...
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Israel in the Pit
When worldly powers demand compromise, where does your ultimate allegiance lie? In this opening message of our Exodus series, we look at Exodus 1:1–22 and the incredible courage of two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. Facing a paranoid Pharaoh determined to crush God’s people, these women…
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Rejecting Jesus
People don't reject Jesus just because of evidence. In John 12, we see why people reject Jesus. Pastor Luke talks about the reality of God hardening hearts, man's culpability, and the mystery of how the two interact. One thing we do know: there are consequences to rejecting Jesus. Topics /...
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Glorify Your Name
In John 12, Jesus enters Jerusalem, but it isn’t what the crowd expects! Instead of Jesus claiming an earthly throne, He enters knowing that He is going to die for the sins of His people and the world. Pastor Dan Rude explains what it means for Jesus to be glorified and how you can’t have your…
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True Worship
In John 12, we have Jesus right before the Passover gathering together for a secret dinner with some of His followers. Then Mary does something no one expected her to do. Through it, we see the heart of true worship. We see that true worship is costly, offering ourselves to God, Christ-centered,...
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The Nature of Unbelief
One would think that after witnessing Jesus raise someone from the dead, they would choose to believe Him. However, some people's response to this miracle was unbelief and total rejection of Jesus. Pastor Dan Rude explains the nature of unbelief, one of its roots, and how it can affect our lives…
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The End of Death
The shadow of death looms over the second half of John 11, where we see Jesus’ response to Mary and Martha’s grief. Yet death does not have the final word. Pastor Dan Rude explains what Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead means for us today. Message Notes: What to do with your guilt and doubts…
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To Glorify the Son of God
John 11 begins with a confusing situation: Jesus receives news of a friend, Lazarus, who is dying, but He does not immediately leave to go to him. In this message, Pastor Caleb Thompson looks at three interactions: the family's request, the disciples, and Martha's response. Showing us how this...
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Jesus' Appeal to Divinity
Because Jesus is a good shepherd, He leans into the opportunity to clarify who He is to the Jews. Making sure they have every opportunity to understand who He is. Topics / Questions Discussed in this Sermon: Jesus' Claim to be God Jesus and the Jews' relationship What is blasphemy? "You are gods"...
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The Divine Shepherd
A hostile question: if you are God, tell us plainly! After Jesus declares Himself a good shepherd (https://youtu.be/iFBh2e49KKs), the religious leaders approach Him with a question. In this message, we explore why this question is asked with hostility, why the Jews reject Jesus (both the human...
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The Good Shepherd
In a world full of competing voices promising comfort but delivering despair, Jesus stands alone as the perfect Good Shepherd. He doesn't run when danger approaches; instead, He willingly sacrifices His life to bring us true reconciliation, deep peace, and lasting contentment. By listening to His...
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I AM the Gate
We all want a good life. In John 10, we learn how Jesus is like a gate, but where does Jesus' way lead? To a life of abundance. In this message, Cody Smith unpacks Jesus’ ‘I AM’ statement and what an abundant life truly means.
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Spiritual Blindness or Spiritual Sight?
The aftermath of Jesus healing a man born blind reveals the reality that even though some could physically see, they were blind to who Jesus is. Pastor Luke Hukee explains the different interrogations in John 9, how fear affects us, what true conversion looks like, and the importance of humbly...
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The Man Born Blind
In John 9, we encounter another of Jesus' miracles: healing a man born blind. Dan Rude helps us understand what this miracle says about who Jesus is and what this teaches us about suffering.
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Jesus is God
To be a true Christian, you must believe that Jesus is God. As Jesus continues to state who He is, the Pharisees continue to reject Jesus by rejecting the nature of their sinful condition, relying on their religious heritage, offering insults, and finally deciding to silence Jesus at all costs....
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The Truth Will Set You Free
"The truth will set you free." - John 8:32, one of the Bible's most famous verses. Pastor Dan Rude explains what Jesus means and how he can offer such freedom. In this message, Pastor Dan will discuss the reality of false believers, the marks of true believers, what it means to be enslaved to…
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God Planned It for Good
Pastor Dan Rude answers two questions that arise from Genesis 50: “What do you do with guilt?” and “How do we forgive those who have deeply hurt us?” As Genesis comes to a close, Joseph’s brothers continue to struggle with the guilt of what they have done to him, while Joseph demonstrates his...
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Jacob Blesses His Sons
At the end of his life, Jacob gathers his 12 sons for a final family meeting. Pastor Dan uses three words to describe what is happening in Genesis 49: blessing, poetry, and prophecy.
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The Crossed Hands of God's Blessing
God's ways are not our ways, and this is clearly evident at the end of Genesis. In Genesis 48, we find Jacob at the end of his life giving a blessing to Joseph's sons. In this chapter, we see the first mention of God as a shepherd. Pastor Dan explains how this blessing reveals Jacob's view of God...
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Israel Moves to Egypt
In Genesis 46, Jacob makes the hard decision to leave the Promised Land and go to Egypt, where he will finally be reunited with his son Joseph. Pastor Dan Rude teaches how we follow the Lord when we are afraid and how God used the nation of Egypt to build up His people.
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Reconcile
Reveal, Reassure, Reconcile, Return, Revival. These are the 5 words that summarize Genesis 45 when Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. Pastor Luke Hukee delves into what forgiveness is, what reconciliation entails, and how, as Christians, we have reason to hope and be optimistic,...
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The Life-Altering Transformation
In Genesis 44, we see the fruit, the proof of Joseph’s brothers’ transformation. The longest recorded speech from Joseph's brother, Judah, and some say the most manly. Pastor Luke walks us through this chapter, highlighting how it reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice for us and the transformative power...
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The Cure for Envy
Envy is a darker side of coveting, born out of an obsession with what someone deserves. In Genesis 43, Joseph encounters his brothers again and has another test for them to reveal whether these envious men who threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery had changed. Pastor Dan Rude discusses the...
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The Grace of Guilt
Joseph encounters his brothers for the first time, and instead of choosing to forget about them. He chooses to try to get to know them, understand them, and create an opportunity to potentially seek reconciliation. Pastor Dan Rude explains how sin haunts, how forgiveness works, and how...
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Joyful Trembling
The experience of pain is different when there is hope. In this sermon, Pastor Dan Rude gives 5 facts from our passage that help us understand that the resurrection really did happen. He then reviews 3 implications Jesus' resurrection has for our lives. Understanding these realities produces in…
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Death on the Cross
Jesus experienced an extremely painful death because of you and for you. Pastor Luke Hukee explains what is physically happening on the cross and how this excruciating event was necessary for the results: Access to God.
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Overwhelmed Yet Faithful
Adam and Eve failed in the garden, and sin entered the world. In Mark, Jesus enters a garden to prepare to pay for the sins of the world. Pastor Dan Rude shares what Jesus faced, why He was distressed, and how He was faithful even under the pressure of what was about to happen to Him.
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The Anointing of Jesus
What does Jesus consider beautiful? In this section of Mark, we see a woman who goes to great lengths to show her love and devotion to Jesus. Her beliefs lead her to action, an action that, while not the most practical, communicates the reality that showing love isn't always practical. Pastor…
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From the Pit to the Palace
Last time we saw Joseph in Genesis 40, he was in prison (see last week's message: https://youtu.be/C1Sf_BDLOOU), but in the blink of an eye, so much changed for Joseph through the sovereign work of God. Pastor Luke Hukee explains Joseph's interaction with Pharaoh and how Joseph ultimately became...
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Joseph in the Pit
Joseph's life was marked by suffering. In Genesis 40, we find Joseph in prison for a crime he did not commit. Yet, he continues to identify with the people of God, leading himself in worshiping God and suffering well, trusting that the God of his fathers had not forgotten him. Pastor Dan Rude...
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Potiphar's Wife
In Joseph's story, we see a man who has set his heart to choose the Lord over sin. We see that conviction played out when Joseph is confronted with his master's wife. Pastor Dan Rude explains how the story of Joseph helps us understand what it looks like to live with sexual integrity.
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Judah and Tamar
The story of Judah and Tamar, when you read it, you may be left with a feeling of "What?!" Pastor Dan Rude explains how this story offers hope to a broken world.
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Sold Into Slavery
Genesis 37 starts off one of the most popular stories of Genesis - the story of Joseph and his brothers. Pastor Luke Hukee explains how jealousy and bitterness can destroy relationships.
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Esau Gains The World
The Bible often teaches us through contrast. In Genesis, we are presented with twin brothers, Jacob and Esau, who each become a nation, but what they choose to worship is drastically different. In Genesis 36, we see a record of all that Esau gained; he was given the world, but he lost his soul....
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Back to Bethel
In Genesis 35, Jacob returns to the place where God first met him: Bethel. This sermon traces Jacob's journey from spiritual compromise to renewed worship, highlighting the importance of exclusive devotion to the Lord.
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Dinah Defiled
In this Sermon on Genesis 34, Pastor Dan Rude unpacks one of the Bible's darkest chapters—a story filled with "bad and ugly" examples rather than heroes. When Dinah is defiled by Shechem, Jacob's passivity and failure to lead his family stand in stark contrast to the vengeful, murderous rage of…
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Jacob Meets Esau
Jacob returns to his homeland and meets his brother. Pastor Dan Rude explains this reunion and how the Lord faithfully continued to sanctify Jacob.
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God Wrestles Jacob
Jacob is heading back to his homeland after being gone for over 20 years, but he is returning to a potentially enraged brother, Esau. However, before he meets Esau, Jacob has a much greater encounter with the God who does not leave His people even when they mess up their own lives.
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Jacob Flees
After 21 years, Jacob is convinced it is time to return to the land God promised his family. This means he must flee from his uncle Laban. Pastor Dan Rude explains how this story connects Jacob to Abraham to leave the same land, how it anticipates the exodus from Egypt that follows, and…
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The Blessing and Speckled Herds
Jacob has received a blessing from the Lord, who has also provided wives and 12 sons. He now desires to return home with his wives and children after 14 years working for his Uncle Laban. In this part of the story, we will see how God's blessing continues to follow Jacob even when his Uncle Laban...
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The Savior of the World
In Matthew 2, we see 3 different responses to Jesus. These responses were true hundreds of years ago and today. Pastor Dan Rude explores these responses and how the wise men’s gifts point to this baby's, Jesus Christ’s, identity! He asks the question, "What will your response be?"
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The Son of David
In the great king's failure, we are shown the need for someone better. Pastor Dan Rude explains how David failed, the consequences, and how one verse in this whole messy situation points to the reason for Christmas.
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Man's First Disobedience
To understand the hope of Christmas, you have to understand why we need it. For that, you have to go back to the beginning when sin first entered the world through a garden. Pastor Dan Rude explains what happened and the promise that led to a hope carried over centuries.
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How Jacob Ended Up with 12 Sons
Jacob has two wives, one wanted and one unwanted (see how this happened here: https://youtu.be/T5afnPFFtUQ). Pastor Luke explains how, despite the dysfunction, chaos, and warring desires, God's promise will be fulfilled.
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The Deceiver Deceived
God disciplines those He loves. After the high of receiving an amazing promise from the Lord (see last week: https://youtu.be/RYE_RpM3O2A), Jacob encounters the woman he desires for a wife. However, in the process of making her his own, he experiences a taste of his own medicine. Pastor Luke...
About this show
Sermon audio and video from the downtown location of Walnut Creek Church in Des Moines, Iowa.Located in the heart of Des Moines' historic East Village, Walnut Creek Downtown is a thriving Christ-centered community. Our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ who love and worship God drives everything we do.
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Walnut Creek Church Downtown
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