Episodi

  • Whose Voice Has Authority in Your Life? | Mark 12:13-27 | Austin Glenn

    Whose Voice Has Authority in Your Life? | Mark 12:13-27 | Austin Glenn
    Oct 2 2026
    We live in a culture saturated with voices and expert opinions readily at our fingertips, but the question is whether we regard Jesus as the most authoritative voice in our lives. This week, Pastor Austin took us through Mark 12, where we find Jesus in the final week of His life, facing off against some of the sharpest religious and political minds of His day. The Pharisees and Herodians, two groups who could not stand each other, unite in an attempt to trap Him with a loaded question about paying taxes to Rome. What unfolds is one of the most brilliantly layered responses in all of Scripture. Jesus exposes their hypocrisy by asking them to produce a coin: "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" Using their own logic against them, He responds, "Render to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God the things that are God's"—subtly revealing that while Caesar could have his cheap metal back, our very souls belong entirely to God. The sermon draws a parallel between the image of Caesar on the coin and humanity being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Over and over in Scripture, we see that we are made in His likeness and belong to Him. What does it practically mean for you to live as someone who belongs fully to God rather than to any earthly system, identity, or authority? Saul's partial obedience in 1 Samuel 15 cost him God's anointing. Is there an area of your life where you're surrendering 99% to God but quietly holding back the remaining 1%? What might that partial surrender be costing you spiritually? Dallas Willard described Jesus as "the smartest person who ever lived." How does viewing Jesus as supremely intelligent and competent—not merely morally good—change the way you approach Him for guidance in everyday decisions? And if Jesus truly has authority over every corner of our lives—including our work, finances, relationships, and decisions—where might there be a gap between what we say we believe and how we actually live? The sermon says, "The voices that inform us become the voices that form us." What voices are shaping you right now—and is the voice of Jesus truly the one carrying the most authority? — Mark 12:13-27 Paying Taxes to Caesar 13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances,but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" 15 But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." 17 Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at him. The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection 18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." 24 Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong."
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    47 min
  • Jesus' authority challenged | Mark 11:27-12:12 | Pastor Don Krafft

    Jesus' authority challenged | Mark 11:27-12:12 | Pastor Don Krafft
    Sep 25 2026
    A.W. Tozer once wrote, "What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us." That quote is worth sitting with for a moment. What do you really believe about God? And how has that understanding shaped the way you live each day? Are there distorted or warped views of God that may be keeping you from fully experiencing His love for you and the abundant life He so desires for you? In Mark 11 and 12, the religious authorities come to Jesus demanding, "By what authority are you doing these things?" Their question reveals something deeper about how they saw Jesus—and how easily our own view of God can become distorted from fear, shame, disappointment, or past experiences all shaping the way we see Him. When our view of God becomes warped, it can keep us from fully receiving the grace and love He so freely gives. Scripture gives us a clear picture of who God is. In Exodus 34, He reveals Himself as merciful, gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. If this is who He truly is, then the question isn't simply what we believe about Him, but whether He holds first place in our hearts and lives. As we journey through this passage of Scripture in Mark, our hope is that we wouldn't simply learn more about Jesus, but that we would see Him more clearly, know His heart more deeply, and grow in our trust of His love for us. As Pastor Don asks an important question "Is Jesus Supreme in Your life?" we need to ask ourselves, is His authority highest, or are we still trying to live life on our own terms—our way, our will, our agenda? — Mark 11:27-12:12 And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, "By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?" Jesus said to them, "I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me."And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?' But shall we say, 'From man'?"—they were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 12And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country. When the season came, he sent a servan to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
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    41 min
  • Leaves Without the Fruit | Mark 11:12-25 | Austin Glenn

    Leaves Without the Fruit | Mark 11:12-25 | Austin Glenn
    Sep 15 2026
    In Mark 11:12–25, we see two powerful moments that at first glance might seem completely unrelated. Jesus curses a barren fig tree, and then He walks into the temple and overturns the tables of the money changers. These two events are not random displays of Jesus' righteous anger, but they are deeply connected. Together, they invite us to think about what it means to have a faith that is more than outward appearance—a faith that is alive, rooted in God, and truly producing fruit. Throughout the Bible, the fig tree is often used as a picture of Israel. Hosea 9:10 Jesus refers to Israel's ancestors as "the early fruit on the fig tree". In this passage, that imagery helps us understand what Jesus is revealing about the temple. The temple was meant to be a place where heaven and earth met—a place where people could encounter and come near to God through prayer, worship, and experiencing His presence. But somewhere along the way, something beautiful had become complicated. What was meant to help people encounter God, had become entangled with commerce, performance, and religious systems. Jesus isn't simply pointing out what's wrong. He's showing the deeper reason of what God has always wanted for His people all along. He doesn't want us trapped in religious performance, constantly trying to strive, earn, or prove ourselves "worthy" for Him. He simply wants us to know Him. Mark 11:12-25 is deeply personal. It's an invitation to stop settling for the "leaves" of religion and instead bear the fruit of relationship by abiding in Him. We can all find ourselves going through the motions sometimes. We can become attached to the appearance of faith—the routines, the language, the traditions, even the feeling of being a "good Christian" while missing the invitation to simply remain close to Jesus. The question isn't, "am I doing enough?" The better question is, "am I staying connected to the One who gives me life?" Fruit doesn't come from trying harder to look alive. Fruit grows when something is actually alive and connected to its source. Jesus isn't simply a better version of the temple. He is the fulfillment of everything the temple was pointing toward. He is the true meeting place between God and humanity—the final sacrifice, the One who removes the distance between us and God, forgives our sin, and gives us new life. This passage isn't saying try harder in religion, rather it's a personal invitation of grace to come closer to Jesus. To let go of the pressure to perform. to trust that as we remain connected to Him, His life begins to produce fruit in us. — Mark 11:12-25: 12 On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13 And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard it. Jesus Cleanses the Temple 15 And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. 16 And he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17 And he was teaching them and saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers." 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard it and were seeking a way to destroy him, for they feared him, because all the crowd was astonished at his teaching. 19 And when evening came they went out of the city. The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree 20 As they passed by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21 And Peter remembered and said to him, "Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered." 22 And Jesus answered them, "Have faith in God. 23 Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and thrown into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses."
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    46 min
  • Confidence in What God is Doing Next | Philippians 1:1-11 | Brent Van Sickle

    Confidence in What God is Doing Next | Philippians 1:1-11 | Brent Van Sickle
    Sep 9 2026

    Goodbyes are hard, but Philippians 1:1–11 reminds us that while chapters may change, God isn't finished yet.

    In his letter, Paul looks back with gratitude for what God has done in the lives of the Philippians, while confidently looking ahead to what God will continue to do, saying, "He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion." Our confidence isn't in a pastor, a particular season, or even ourselves—it is in Christ.

    One of the themes of Philippians is that we were made for community. We were never designed to follow Jesus in isolation. We need one another. God gives each person different gifts, abilities, experiences, and passions to help grow one another, grow together, and live for something bigger than ourselves. So where do we find our identity? Is it in lesser things? Is our identity built upon our own accomplishments, our roles, our relationships, or our circumstances—or are we rooted in who we are in Christ?

    As one season comes to a close, we can look back with gratitude without losing sight of what God is doing next. Keep growing. Keep serving. Keep loving. Keep building one another up. As transitions happen and seasons change, the mission still remains the same. Christ is still at work. The same God who was faithful then is faithful now—and He is already at work in what comes next.

    —

    Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus,

    To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

    2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Thanksgiving and Prayer

    3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. 7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel. 8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
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    39 min
  • A King We Can Trust | Mark 11:1-11 | Austin Glenn

    A King We Can Trust | Mark 11:1-11 | Austin Glenn
    Sep 1 2026

    What does it look like when heaven collides with earth? In Mark 11:1-11, we find ourselves standing at one of the most carefully orchestrated moments in all of human history. Two processions entered Jerusalem on the same day from opposite sides of the city. One came from the west, a thundering display of Roman military power under Pontius Pilate, all leather and iron and intimidation. The other came from the east, a humble king on a borrowed donkey, surrounded by ordinary people waving branches and cloaks. The contrast is not accidental. It is the entire point. This passage invites us to wrestle with a deeply personal question: what kind of king do we actually want Jesus to be? We often cry out for salvation while secretly hoping God will answer us using the same tools of power and control that the world uses. But Jesus refuses to be that kind of king. He rides not on a war horse, but on a colt, fulfilling prophecies stretching back two thousand years through Jacob, through Zechariah, through the Psalms, and through the promises made to David. Every detail of his entry was spoken of long before it happened, and that should do something profound to our faith. If God kept those promises across millennia with such precision, we can trust him with the promises he has made to us today, even when circumstances make those promises feel distant or forgotten.

    —

    Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King

    11 As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples, 2 saying to them, "Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. 3 If anyone asks you, 'Why are you doing this?' say, 'The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'"

    4 They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it, 5 some people standing there asked, "What are you doing, untying that colt?" 6 They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. 7 When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. 8 Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. 9 Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

    "Hosanna!"
    "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"
    10 "Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!"
    "Hosanna in the highest heaven!"

    11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
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    43 min
  • The Unexpected Path to Greatness | Mark 10:32-52 | Austin Glenn

    The Unexpected Path to Greatness | Mark 10:32-52 | Austin Glenn
    Aug 26 2026
    What does it really mean to be great? We spend so much of our lives chasing significance through achievement, approval, and performance—only to discover that none of it can satisfy us. Jesus offers a radically different path to greatness. In Mark 10, Jesus turns our definition of greatness upside down: "Whoever would be great among you must be your servant...For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." The ransom has already been paid. The work has already been done. The verdict has already been declared. The highest authority in the universe calls you His own. You have nothing left to prove. When you live from that place of security, greatness looks different. It looks like serving instead of striving. Sacrifice instead of self-promotion. Faithfulness instead of performance. In your marriage. In your home. At your workplace. In your church. Sacrifice isn't just for Sundays. It's the daily laying down of our preferences and picking up our cross to follow Jesus. It's humbly surrendering to His will and trusting that His plans are higher than our own. Like Bartimaeus, who cried out for mercy, we are invited to receive the unexpected payment and respond with unexpected posture. Jesus meets us where we are. We don't have to keep chasing what He has already given us. We can get up, follow Him, and walk free. You don't have to prove you're great. You're invited to follow the One who is. — Mark 10:32-52 (ESV) 32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." The Request of James and John 35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you." 36 And he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?" 37 And they said to him, "Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory." 38 Jesus said to them, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or to be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized?" 39 And they said to him, "We are able." And Jesus said to them, "The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized, 40 but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." 41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be indignant at James and John. 42 And Jesus called them to him and said to them, "You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus 46 And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. 47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" 48 And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!" 49 And Jesus stopped and said, "Call him." And they called the blind man, saying to him, "Take heart. Get up; he is calling you." 50 And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. 51 And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Rabbi, let me recover my sight." 52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he recovered his sight and followed him on the way.
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    44 min
  • Jesus Movement | Acts 2:36-47 | JR Vassar

    Jesus Movement | Acts 2:36-47 | JR Vassar
    Aug 19 2026

    What happens when God moves powerfully among His people? Acts 2 shows us a church devoted completely to Jesus—to His Word, prayer, fellowship, and one another. They had no buildings, platforms, or influence by worldly standards, yet their devotion produced awe, radical generosity, deep community, and lives transformed by the gospel. The question is simple: Are we that kind of people? God still moves among people who are fully surrendered to Jesus and willing to build their lives around His purposes.

    —

    Acts 2:36-47

    36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

    37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

    The Fellowship of the Believers

    42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
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    41 min
  • When the Wise See Their Foolishness | Psalm 14 | Josh Gardner | Psalms: The Songbook of Jesus

    When the Wise See Their Foolishness | Psalm 14 | Josh Gardner | Psalms: The Songbook of Jesus
    Aug 13 2026

    What does it truly mean to be a fool? Psalm 14 confronts us with a portrait of foolishness that goes far deeper than mere ignorance or lack of intelligence. The psalmist reveals that foolishness is not primarily an intellectual failure but a condition of the heart. This psalm invites us to ask a hard and honest question of ourselves: in what areas of our lives are we living as though God simply does not factor in? The fool's path leads to corruption, the exploitation of the vulnerable, and ultimately to terror when standing before the God who has seen everything. But the psalm does not leave us there. It closes with a cry of hope, pointing us toward a salvation that comes not from our own efforts or merit but from God alone. The message is both sobering and liberating: the beginning of true wisdom is recognizing our own foolishness and casting ourselves entirely on the grace of God.
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    46 min