PODCAST · religion
Zion • Clear Lake Podcast
by Zion • Clear Lake
Sermons from Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, IA
Episodes
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Why Christians Have Nothing to Be Arrogant About
You didn't start this story. You were invited into it. Romans 11 reminds Gentile believers that grace was never something we earned — and that changes everything.
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When You Wonder If God Is Finally Done With You
When life falls apart and God feels silent, it's easy to wonder if He's given up on you. Romans 11 says He hasn't. He's still working. He was never done with Israel — and He's not done with you.
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How Does Anyone Hear the Gospel? Romans 10 Answers
Someone had to go. Someone had to speak. That's how you heard about Jesus. Romans 10 says the Gospel moves through ordinary people — and that includes you.
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What If You're Running Hard in the Wrong Direction?
Passion and certainty don't guarantee you're headed the right way. Romans 10 says Israel had enormous zeal for God and still missed Him. Sound familiar?
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When Religion Replaces Actually Trusting God
Israel had every sign of belonging to God and still missed Him. Romans 9 asks the harder question: do you have the credentials, or do you actually trust Jesus with your life?
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Why God’s Mercy Isn’t Fair (And Why That’s Good)
Nobody deserves God’s mercy. That’s exactly the point. Romans 9 isn’t about who God picks. It’s about why anyone gets saved at all — and the answer is humbling.
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Are You Suffering for the Right Things? Romans 9
Paul's heart breaks for people who don't know Jesus. Romans 9 asks a harder question: what are you actually willing to suffer for? And is it worth it?
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Where Is God When You’re Suffering? Romans 8 Answers
Romans 8 doesn’t explain away pain or promise it will end soon. It promises something better: that you will never suffer alone, and nothing can separate you from God’s love.
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You Are Not Condemned: What Romans 8:1 Actually Means
That voice that says you're too far gone, too broken, too inconsistent? Romans 8:1 calls it what it is. The verdict has already been overturned. You are not condemned.
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You Were Set Free. So Why Does Sin Still Feel Like Home?
Most Christians know they’re forgiven. But a lot of us keep going back to the same sins, the same patterns, the same chains. Romans 7 isn’t giving you an excuse for that. It’s showing you the prison you’ve already been set free from. ——- In the waters of baptism… You are… • United with Jesus....
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What Baptism Actually Does (It's More Than a Symbol)
Paul says baptism isn't just a public declaration. Something happens in the water. Romans 6 makes the case that your old self actually died — and stayed dead.
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How to Stop Earning What Jesus Already Paid For
If you’re still wondering whether God is mad at you, Romans 5 has an answer. Jesus didn’t wait until you got it together. He moved toward you at your worst.
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Why Abraham's Failures Prove God's Faithfulness
Abraham lied, doubted, and took matters into his own hands. So why does God call him righteous? Romans 4 says it was never about his faith being strong enough.
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Two Ways to be Lost (and Neither One Looks Like it)
Most people assume they're either too far gone or good enough. Romans 3 says both are wrong. The Gospel starts when you realize you need it as much as anyone else.
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Why God’s Patience Isn’t the Same as His Approval
God’s kindness is real. But receiving it while refusing to change is its own kind of rejection. Romans 2 hits different when you realize it’s talking about you.
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What You Worship Is Quietly Shaping Your Life
When good things become ultimate things, everything starts to fall apart. Romans 1 shows what we're really exchanging — and the Gospel that can restore it.
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The Gospel's Power to Actually Change Your Life
What if you've been believing a gospel too small to transform you? Romans unpacks the Good News that has the power to heal, restore, and make you new.
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How to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say
When words fail and prayer feels empty, the Holy Spirit doesn’t. Learn how to pray with the Bible as your guide — even in your hardest moments.
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Why Your Prayers Feel Powerless — And What to Do
If prayer feels like it's going nowhere, you're not alone. There's a reason some prayers move mountains — and it's not about being good enough.
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The Power of Intercession
In Week 4 of our Knock series, Pastor Derek Crawford shifts our focus from the "how" of prayer to the "why." Using the High Priestly Prayer of Jesus, we explore why prayer is essential for our spiritual life and how it serves as the ultimate catalyst for unity in the Church. In this message, we...
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The Power of Travailing Prayer
What do you do when your heart is so heavy that words won't come? In Week 3 of our series Knock, Pastor Jason introduces us to "Travailing Prayer"—a type of prayer that isn't found in a textbook but is born in the depths of our most significant burdens. Using the powerful story of Hannah in 1...
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How to Pray in the Spirit
Welcome to Week 1 of our new series, Knock. Over the next six weeks, we are exploring the practice, the power, and the struggle of prayer. We’re launching this journey by looking at the primary helper Jesus left for us: the Holy Spirit. Pastor Jason dives into Ephesians 6:18 and Romans 8 to…
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The Final Stand: Prayer and the Armor of God
We have reached the end of our journey through Paul’s letter to the Ephesians. In this series finale of Battlegrounds, Pastor Jason brings us to the famous "Armor of God" passage in Ephesians 6:10-20. Throughout this series, we’ve learned that spiritual warfare isn't about looking for a fight…
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The Power of Mutual Submission: Marriage, Family, & Work
What if "submission" isn't about power or control, but about a radical, selfless love that puts others first? In Week 12 of our Battlegrounds series, Megan Dennis explores one of the most counter-cultural sections of Paul’s letter: Ephesians 5:21–6:9. Recorded on Palm Sunday, this message…
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The Power of Thinking Little: How to Walk Like God
What if the secret to a life that looks like Jesus isn’t found in "thinking big," but in "thinking little"? In Week 11 of our Battlegrounds series, Pastor Kyle explores the strategic climax of Ephesians 5, where Paul challenges us to be "imitators of God" by paying attention to the smallest…
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Changing Your Wardrobe: Living the New Life in Christ
The battle for your life is often fought in the mirror. In Week 10 of our Battlegrounds series, we dive into Ephesians 4:17-32. Paul gives us a practical guide for spiritual warfare that looks less like a sword fight and more like a wardrobe change: we are called to "Put Off" the old self and…
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Cruise Ship or Battleship? The Call to Spiritual Maturity
Are you a passenger or part of the crew? In Week 9 of our Battlegrounds series, Pastor Jason dives into Ephesians 4:7-16 to challenge our modern definition of "church." Too often, we treat the local church like a cruise ship—an institution designed to entertain us and cater to our preferences.…
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The Power of "Therefore": Walking Worthy of Your Calling
In Week 8 of our Battlegrounds series, we welcome Pastor Drew Shepp to unpack the massive shift that happens in Ephesians 4. Up until now, Paul has been telling us who we are; now, he begins to show us how to live. It all hinges on one word: Therefore. Because you are chosen, adopted, and…
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The Power of Prayer & The Four Dimensions of God’s Love
What happens when the love of God moves from being a "map" in your head to a reality in your heart? In Week 7 of our Battlegrounds series, Pastor Jason dives into Ephesians 3:14-21—one of the most profound prayers in all of Scripture. Paul takes us to our knees, showing us that the "Battleground"...
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The Church is the Mystery: Revealing God’s Manifold Wisdom
What if the Church is God’s primary strategy to prove the enemy wrong? In Week 6 of our series Battlegrounds, Pastor Jason explores the "Mystery of Christ" revealed in Ephesians 3:1-13—a plan hidden for ages but now unveiled to the entire cosmos. Too often, we view the church through the lens of...
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The End of "Us vs. Them"
Jesus didn't come to pick a side; He came to create a New Humanity. Discover how the enemy uses division as a strategy and how we can stand firm in the unity Jesus has already won. In this message, we unpack: • The Bible Hyperlink Map: Understanding the 63,000+ cross-references that prove the…
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But God: From Death to Life in Christ
If Ephesians 1 is about everything God brings to the table, Ephesians 2 is about what we bring—and the answer might surprise you. In Week 4 of our series, Battlegrounds: Paul’s Letter to Ephesus, Pastor Jason explores the most powerful "switcharoo" in Scripture. Paul lures us in with the…
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The Battle for Your Imagination: Having Eyes to See
One of the primary "Battlegrounds" the enemy attacks isn't just our behavior—it’s our imagination. How do you see the world? Your church? Your neighbors? Yourself? More importantly, how do you envision God’s Kingdom coming to earth right here and now? In Week 3 of our series Battlegrounds: Paul’s...
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The Battle for Identity: Believing What God Says About You
"Did God really say...?" It’s the oldest question in the book, and it’s the primary weapon the enemy uses on the Battleground of Identity. This week, Pastor Josh continues our series, Battlegrounds: Paul’s Letter to Ephesus, by diving into the "blessing-soaked" opening of Ephesians 1. Born just…
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The Battle for Your Identity: Starting the Ephesians Journey
Welcome to 2026 and the kickoff of our brand-new series, Battlegrounds: Paul’s Letter to Ephesus. In this opening message, Pastor Jason dives into one of the most powerful books of the Bible to reveal that the spiritual warfare we face is often a battle for our very identity in Christ. Too often,...
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I Can Do All Things? The Real Meaning of Philippians 4:13
Bring the year to a close with Pastor Derek as he concludes our journey through the book of Philippians! This message is a powerful reflection on 2025, shifting our focus from merely "surviving" the chaos of the holiday season to thriving through the secret of biblical contentment. Using Paul’s...
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Christmas Eve at the Surf: A New Vision of Beauty
Celebrate Christmas Eve 2025 with Zion • Clear Lake as we gather for a special "Church at the Surf" service! We all love the comfort of a Hallmark Christmas movie—the small-town charm, the predictable romance, and the "perfect" snowy ending. But as Pastor Jason explores in this message, we don't...
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Fireside Advent
ZCL staff share the heart of the Advent story through personal reflections and favorite Christmas memories. It’s a morning of warmth, connection and focusing on the beauty of Jesus.
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Why You Can't Do Faith Alone
Continuing our study in Philippians, Pastor Jason unpacks the powerful call to "press on" in our faith journey. This message explores the reality of sanctification —the lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus. We are reminded that, like the Apostle Paul, we are "all in process" , and true...
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Stop Trying to Earn It: Why Your Spiritual Resume Is Garbage
Do you struggle with performance anxiety, constantly feeling like you have to do more to prove your faith or impress God? You're not alone. In this message from our Whatever is Beautiful series, Pastor Jason dives into Philippians 3:1-11 to expose the danger of relying on a "spiritual resume"—our...
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Stop grumbling: how to ACTUALLY "Work Out Your Salvation" (Philippians 2:12-16)
Welcome back to Whatever is Beautiful, our series in the Book of Philippians from Zion • Clear Lake! In this message, Pastor Kyle dives into Philippians 2:12-16 to challenge our assumptions about faith and work. What does it really mean to "work out your salvation"? The Greek word Paul uses isn't...
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The Secret Sauce of Joy: Imitating Christ's Humility
Are joy and unity hard to find? Megan shares the "secret sauce" that allows Christians to thrive despite conflicts and challenges: Humility. In this message on Philippians 1:27-2:11, we discover that true humility is not self-doubt, but self-forgetfulness. Paul’s call for the church to be...
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To Live is Christ: Why Your Calling Remains in Every Circumstance
Are you searching for your calling? We often think our purpose is a lost item we need to find, but what if it's already rooted in who you are in Christ? In this powerful message from our Whatever Is Beautiful series, Pastor Derek dives into Philippians 1:12-26. Using the Apostle Paul’s dramatic...
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Joy & Partnership in the Gospel
Dive into the new series, Whatever is Beautiful, with this powerful first message from Philippians 1:1-11! Pastor Jason unpacks the dramatic story of the early church in Philippi, from Paul and Silas's imprisonment to the conversion of the jailer. In a world defined by outrage and division, the...
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Be Loved
Sermon notes, Bible references and small group guide have been discontinued for the time being. Please fill out our ZCL app survey so we know how to best build our app to our congregation.
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Become
Sermon notes, Bible references and small group guide have been discontinued for the time being. Please fill out our ZCL app survey so we know how to best build our app to our congregation.
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Believe
Sermon notes, Bible references and small group guide have been discontinued for the time being. Please fill out our ZCL app survey so we know how to best build our app to our congregation.
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Belong
Sermon notes, Bible references and small group guide have been discontinued for the time being. Please fill out our ZCL app survey so we know how to best build our app to our congregation.
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Acts Chapter 27-28
Sermon notes, Bible references and small group guide have been discontinued for the time being. Please fill out our ZCL app survey so we know how to best build our app to our congregation.
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Acts Chapter 26-27
Sermon notes, Bible references and small group guide have been discontinued for the time being. Please fill out our ZCL app survey so we know how to best build our app to our congregation.
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Sermons from Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, IA
HOSTED BY
Zion • Clear Lake
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Zion • Clear Lake Podcast currently has 307 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
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Sermons from Zion Lutheran Church, Clear Lake, IA
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Zion • Clear Lake Podcast publishes regularly with 307 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
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