Submerge Sermons

How do we live our lives in ways that make a real impact, leave a legacy, and leaves things behind that live on after we're gone? On this Sunday we learned from the life of Elijah (and from Jesus) two important ways to invest in & impact other people, so that God can create a real legacy through our lives--and have it change us in the process.

How do we keep from just "skimming" our lives, and ensure that we experience all that God has for us in life? It starts with developing practices of reflecting & meditating on our lives, ourselves, and who God is & what He's doing. On this Sunday, we learned from Elijah's life how to prioritize slowing & reflecting, and how God provides all we need in the midst of it...

One of the biggest regrets in life ends up being the risks / steps of faith that we don't take. What is it that holds us back? How do we develop the courage & faith to take the kinds of risks God is calling us to? In this message, we learn from the powerful (and fun!) story of Elijah, and how God honored his courage to take steps of faith--and how that shows practical ways to grow in our faith...

We all face trials & challenges of all shapes and sizes, and they can leave us feeling confused, alone, and even struggling with our faith. But God has a better way for us through them. On Sunday we discovered how to find a deep kind of joy & fresh perspectives & even growth, as we learn to navigate these challenging situations--with Him...(Guest Speaker: John Hughes)

Easter proves the depths of God's love for us, and the Resurrection proves that the worst thing in my life, never has to be the last word in my life. Learn with us how Jesus still brings hope & resurrected life into the things in our lives that feel "dead and buried"--and how we're meant to not just "commemorate" the Resurrection, but "participate" in Resurrection life!

Three things most humans are searching for: Where am I meant to go in life? How do I find real truth? How do I experience "the good life"? And Jesus answers all three of these in one "I Am" statement as He reveals to us more of who He really is and why He came for us! On Sunday we learned what it means to follow Him in as our way, our truth, and our life...and that leads us to "home."

We all have to walk through "dark valleys" in our lives, and that can test our faith more than anything. So how do we find God in the midst of that? On Sunday we learned ALL that it means for our lives when we're willing to follow Jesus as our "Good Shepherd"--and how we are called to help shepherd each other.

Jesus is up to something in our lives--He wants to produce a whole lot of fruit in us & through us--fruit that will last. And all we have to do is stay connected to Him. In this message we learned what it looks like to "remain" with Jesus in our daily lives, and what this fruit is all about...

As we all continue to search for "the good life" through all sorts of open doors & paths, Jesus tells us He is "the gate"--the open door to salvation, to freedom, and to the full, abundant life. On Sunday, we learned from the beautiful (and fun) story of Zacchaeus, to see how Jesus can be "the gate" in our daily lives, how to "walk through it", and how we are meant to be a gate (instead of a locked door or fence) to others finding God.

When the world, or our lives, feel dark, finally finding light can give us hope, guidance, and freedom. On Sunday we learned how to experience Jesus as "light of the world" in our daily lives--and how to let His light reflect off of us to a world that needs it.

What we're feeding on in our lives, is shaping who we're becoming. And when we rely on Jesus to sustain us, we find our "hunger" satisfied, and end up being shaped into the best versions of ourselves, the ones that look most like Him! Learn with us why Jesus being "the Bread of Life" is meant to shape our faith, shape our church, and help us feed others...

It can be so hard to find any sense of happiness when so much is going on in our world & our lives. But God offers the path toward deep joy, if we will choose to follow it...(Guest speaker: Pastor Terry Miller)

It turns out we can't possibly experience a deeper life & faith if we’re always burned out--we must learn to practice God's rhythms of rest. Learn with us why Sabbath is all about freedom, rebellion, and reminding us who we are--and practical ways to live the healthier life rhythms God calls us to!

One of the biggest keys to living a deeper faith & life is learning how the practice of self-reflection with God--it helps us discover how God is at work in our daily lives & what He's trying to do with us. Learn with us some practical ways to do this, including using the beautiful & powerful Prayer of Examen from St. Ignatius...

Jesus was right--the key to finding the deeper life we're seeking (full of meaning, purpose, joy) centers on loving others...and show them God's love & changes the world in the process! Learn with us from Jesus' timeless story about the Samaritan who helped unexpectedly...

One of the key ways we can submerge into a deeper faith & life is by discovering how God wired us up, and why, so we can live out our callings in life, find our purpose, and help spread God's love & message! Learn with us how to discover your spiritual gifts & strengths, and some ways to practice them...

Did you know God designed us to live in community, and we can experience a deeper faith & life as we learn to deepen our relationships? On Sunday we learned practical ways to live out Jesus' "new kind" of love with each other, and why that's so important for us, for others, and for unbelievers to get a glimpse of Jesus' love.

What if God is calling us not just to a better year… but to a deeper year? To lead to a deeper life? For our first service of the year, we learned from Jesus' parable about "the four soils" about how to deepen the roots of our lives into Him, and we heard lots of practical ideas for deepening our faith, no matter where we're currently at...

In our last service of the year, we learned from one verse that sums up Jesus growing-up-years about how we can be intentional in the new year to grow in all the ways Jesus did: relationally, physically, mentally, & spiritually. And we learned that it's all about direction--not perfection.

The power of the Christmas story isn't just that it happened once--it's that it STILL happens. Christmas shows us God is still born into our lives to be "God with us", to invite us into His story, and to do unexpected miracles in our lives...

We're stuck doing so much waiting in our lives, in big ways & small ways, and definitely when it comes to waiting to for miracles from God. So how do we learn to "wait train" and not "waste the wait"? What if what God does in you while you're waiting is just as important as what you're waiting for? Learn with us from the inspiring (and untold) Christmas story of Simeon & Anna!

God is always trying to communicate to us in lots of way, including "signs"--but how do we learn to notice them? And understand them? And follow them? On this Sunday we learned from the "wise men" in the Christmas story (Matthew 2) about how to get better at all of that, so we can see & experience more of God's miracles happening in our lives.

What miracle would you most want to see happen this Christmas season? Does God still do stuff like that? On Sunday we kicked off Advent season by learning that God wants to hear our longings & that He is still a God who performs miracles in our lives. Learn with us how to ask & watch for God's miraculous work in our lives...

What will be the trademark of your life? We wrestled with this question as we wrapped up our series on the life of David. Your life can be remembered for whatever you choose--and it starts being formed with how you live today. Learn with us how to make our lives about the things of God--which will lead to the most fulfilling life & biggest legacy we can imagine...

David's failures, regrets, & sins did NOT have the last word in his life--and they don't have to for us either! Learn with us how to navigate temptations of all shapes & sizes in our lives how to always find the way out. And experience with us God's grace & forgiveness for the times we have fallen--it's a core power of the beauty of following Jesus!

One of the greatest thing about David's heart (from the Old Testament) is his authenticity with God--raw honest emotions in whatever he was facing, that we get to see in the Psalms. It can help us in our own struggles with faith & life. On Sunday we learned from two Psalms (and from two different Submergers as guest speakers) about wrestling with faith, anger, serendipity, loneliness, and grace.

How do we respond when our plans don't work how we hoped? How do our plans fit in with God's plans & timings? What if God's "no's" are actually leading to far bigger "yes's" in our lives? Learn with us from an inspiring story in David's life, on how to trust & follow God's plans and learn to see the bigger picture!

Integrity is so hard to find these days--but it forms the roots of the heart & character God is trying to develop in us--and it leads to the kind of life we really want! Learn with us from a fascinating little-known story of David's life about what real integrity looks like, and how we can deepen ours...

It's hard these days to remember what real friendship is like--and to find it. But God's model for our closest relationships is still worth finding & working towards, and this Sunday we learned from one of the most beautiful friendships in the entire Bible--David & Jonathan. Learn with us lots of practical skills & mindsets to build our closest relationships around...

We all face fears & obstacles in our lives--but how does that fit in with our faith? Learn with us from David's most famous story (facing Goliath) on how we can change our perspective, our approach, and our faith when we're facing the giant challenges that come after us in our lives...

It's easy to feel overlooked in life: by others & by God. So it's foundational to a relationship with God to understand that He has chosen you, and has a calling for your life! Learn with us how to recognize that, believe it, and live it out, even in the current season of life we're in...

We all face suffering of all kinds constantly in our personal lives, and see it everywhere in our world. How does all this pain & suffering fit in with our understanding of God and faith? And is there any way to find any sense of joy in the midst of it all? Learn with us some "theology of suffering" and some real ways to respond that make sure it is never "wasted", and can even lead to finding joy...

We all face opposition in our lives from all sorts of fronts, and it's one of the biggest things that can rob our joy. On this Sunday we learned from people like Jesus & Apostle Paul, who faced a whole lot of opposition, how to still find purpose and God's radical joy in the face of it all, and how to respond in healthy ways that lead us to know Jesus better...

So many things that happen in our world & our lives to rob our joy are out of our control. But there are some things that we can control, and ways we can choose joy--and God wants to help us in do that! Learn with us some inspiring & practical lessons on choosing joy...

It's exhausting to keep pursuing happiness, when it depends entirely on what's happening in our lives. So God offers us something deeper--a joy, that can go beyond circumstances. And one unexpected place we can find joy is through humility--God's humility in becoming human because of HIs deep love for us, and our humility in serving others. Discover this joy with us!

The most frequent thing Jesus ever talked about was "the Kingdom of God"--but what is it, how do we become a part of it, what does it mean for the church & for our lives personally? Explore these questions with us and hear why bringing God's Kingdom "here as it is in heaven" is more important these days than ever, and how it reminds us we're part of something bigger...

“Within every apple lies the potential for an entire orchard.” Did you know that because God placed His Spirit & the seeds of the Gospel in us, He can bring an entire orchard through us? And when we do that, it adds all new purpose to our daily lives! And it makes the church "more than a place"--but a community of people that brings value to their local neighborhood...just as God intended!

God wired each of us with skills, gifts & talents, and He calls us to use those together to "be the church" in our world. Everyone gets to play in God's Kingdom! Learn with us how to discover your gifts & explore ways to use them inside & outside the church...

What did God really intend for "the church" to be? Join us as we learn about God's calling to us as a people, "beyond the fish bowl", beyond buildings & events, to people who are set apart for a purpose. And we learned that the more we embrace that calling, it changes how we view "church", why we go, and how we live the rest of the week...

We wrapped our prayers series by learning about a type of prayer that's often misunderstood & under-valued, but is vital to us staying close to God, and is a powerful antidote to all the guilt & shame we often face--prayers of confession & forgiveness. Learn with us the why & how of these, and how to forgive yourself!

In our world that feels as divisive as ever, it's encouraging to know that the one thing Jesus prayed for all of us was unity. But how do we find it, especially with those we disagree with? Learn with us what unity is NOT, what it looks like even in diversity, and how God wants to help us find more of it...

How do we learn to pray for more of God in our lives? Is asking for His blessing too selfish? What would it look like for Him to expand His influence through us? Learn with us from the little-known Old Testament story of Jabez--a guy familiar with pain but committed to prayer--who experienced a whole lot of God!

The next step deeper in our prayer lives involves moving from just talking to God--to actually listening. This involves making space for silence in our lives, and tuning into all the various ways God likes to speak to us (there's more than you think).

Do you know what the antidote is to complaining? To criticism? To entitlement? To discontentment? Gratitude. Not only do prayers of gratitude help us spiritually and help our persective on God--they're incredibly valuable to our mental health too! On Sunday we learned why & how to deepen into these prayers and learned that gratitude doesn't just have to be a feeling to wait for--it can become an intentional rhythm in our lives...  

Prayers of Blessing are one of the most under-utilized spiritual practices we have available to us--they can be so impactful on us and others! In this service we kicked off our new series on deepening our prayer life by learning from Genesis through Jesus about the power of prayers of blessings (and some creative ways to practice it)...and you can get a "blessing prayer" prayed over you!

We wrapped up our series on Jesus' powerful story about a dad & his two sons, by learning what "prodigal" really means, and how it describes the heart of the father, the heart of God, and the kind of heart He wants us to have toward the lost...

The longer we follow Jesus, how do we avoid drifting toward having the heart of "the older brother" in Jesus' famous parable--a heart of bitterness, resentment, and judgment? This Sunday we learned together how to find the heart of "the Father" instead, and practical ways to live out grace, even toward the people that are the hardest for us...

On Sunday we kicked off our series submerging deep into a story that many scholars consider the greatest story ever told--Jesus' story of the prodigal son. We learned what it really means to choose our "bottom" & decide to turn around and come back home to God--and what's awaiting us there...

We're all dealt different cards in life--how will you play your hand? It's your choice, and God wants to help you! On Sunday we finished our series for May (Mental Health Awareness Month) by learning from the story of Job, about how to partner with God to navigate all that we face in life, and even find a full abundant life in the midst of it all.

What are most of your thoughts focused on lately? On Sunday in our series for May (Mental Health Awareness Month) we got super practical in learning how to partner with God to change our thought life--which overflows into all other areas of our lives! Learn with us wisdom from God's Word (and how psychology backs it up) to avoid the unhealthy thought patterns & learn to re-fcous our thoughts in helpful directions...