Connecting Church

What happens when we’re drawn to the people who look the part but don't have the heart for God? This week, we explore the story of Saul’s rise as Israel’s first king—a man who seemed impressive on the outside and humble at first but ultimately missed what mattered most.   In this message, we’ll discover: -God looks past the hype and sees the heart. -God confirms His call through everyday, sov...

We’ve all been there—buying into something that promised to solve our problems but left us more frustrated than before. In this week’s message, we dive into 1 Samuel 8, where the people of Israel demand a human king to fix what only God can truly heal.   This sermon walks through four key truths: 1) Brokenness can stir the right desires—but lead us to wrong solutions. 2) Wanting to fit in makes us...

Is it possible to come back from spiritual dryness, distance, or defeat? In this message, Pastor Phil walks through 1 Samuel 7 and explores how God brings true spiritual renewal—not just a momentary emotional high, but lasting transformation. After 20 years of hardship and defeat, Israel begins to long for the Lord again… and what follows is a powerful picture of how revival takes root in a person...

Sermon Title: When God's Not In It Scripture: 1 Samuel 4 Series: Longing for the Better King What if we’re holding onto the things of religion but missing the person of God entirely? In this sermon from our series Longing for the Better King through 1 Samuel, Pastor Phil unpacks a sobering moment in Israel’s history where the people brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle—hoping for it wo...

Sermon Title: Hearing God's Call Scripture: 1 Samuel 3:1-21 Series: Longing for the Better King In this message, we look at a moment when God breaks through the silence and speaks to a young boy named Samuel. In a spiritually dark time, God’s voice returns—and everything begins to shift. Join us as we explore three key responses when it comes to hearing from God: Recognize the danger of spiri...

What happens when spiritual leaders stop honoring God and start serving themselves? Pastor Phil walked through one of the heaviest and most sobering chapters in 1 Samuel—where Eli’s sons, appointed as priests, abuse their power, dishonor God’s name, and hurt the very people they were called to serve. Passage: 1 Samuel 2:12–36 Series: Longing for the Better King In this message, we learned..... -Th...

Pastor Phil started off a new series, Longing for the Better King, by stepping into the powerful and emotional story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1–2. Before Israel ever had a king, there was a woman with a prayer. Hannah's deep longing, heartfelt surrender, and bold worship opened the door to a greater move of God than she ever imagined. In her story, we see that God meets us in our most personal p...

In this message, we walk through Romans 15:1–13 and discover how the gospel reshapes how we live in Christian community. From bearing with one another to building each other up, Paul calls the church to pursue unity, serve selflessly, and overflow with hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Whether you're feeling weak, disconnected, or in need of encouragement, this passage reminds us tha...

In this sermon from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Pastor Phil reminds us that connecting isn’t just a church name—it’s God's calling for every one of us. Disconnected from God, we’re like an unplugged extension cord—built for something greater but missing life and power. But through Jesus, we find new life, peace with God, and a mission to help others reconnect too. Are you connected to Jesus?  Are...

Is your walk with Jesus feeling more like a solo flight than a shared journey? In this powerful message from our Follow Me series, Pastor Phil explores how Acts 2:42–47 gives us a blueprint for discipleship in community—not in isolation. From this passage we learn that growth happen when we grow, worship, pray, and serve together. Learn how the early church practiced shared learning, witnessed God...

Do I expect the unexpected? That’s the question we’re unpacking in today’s message at Connecting Church. Life is full of twists, turns, and surprises—and so often, God shows up right in the middle of them. Whether you’re a planner who wants everything just right or someone who thrives on spontaneity, there’s one truth we all need to hold onto: God shows up in the unexpected. In today’s teaching, g...

Are You Building a Better You—or Building Others?   There can be a pull to a type of faith that looks polished and disciplined and spiritual…but it is lonely and forgets our call to help others. In this sermon, we explore what happens when we trade a self-focused spiritual life for the mission of Jesus to make more disciples. Using the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18–20, we unpack what it really...

What does real transformation look like in the life of a disciple? In this message from Romans 12:1–2, we explore how God shapes us—not just in dramatic moments, but through daily surrender, true worship, and a renewed mind. While we often want instant change, the transformation Jesus offers is deeper and more lasting, forming us into people who can live out His will in everyday life. Faithfulness...

Have you ever noticed how we pick up the habits, phrases, and even attitudes of the people we’re around? It’s funny (and sometimes terrifying) to see ourselves in our kids! But as disciples of Jesus, we’re called to adopt His posture—His humility, unity, and selflessness. In this message from Philippians 2:1-11, we unpack what it really means to live like Jesus—not just leaving our old ways behind...

What if the greatest thing you’re holding onto is actually holding you back? In this sermon we look at Mark 10:17-31, exploring the story of the rich young ruler, who had everything yet walked away from Jesus in sorrow because he valued his wealth more than God. Jesus challenges us to examine what we truly treasure—because what we worship determines what we’re willing to give up. The good news? Go...

In this sermon, we continued our teaching series "Follow Me" exploring what it means to follow Jesus as disciples. From Luke 14:25-33, Pastor Phil looked at the cost of discipleship. Following Jesus is a life-giving, joy-producing decision, but it is a weighty decision. It calls us to a commitment to Jesus that supersedes all other priorities in life. Being a his disciple is not a casual...

In this sermon, Pastor Phil continues our series "Follow Me" which looks at Jesus' call to be his disciple. In Luke 9:23-27, Jesus calls His followers to a radical redefinition of winning and losing. He teaches that true life isn’t found in a focuses on ourselves or personal gain but in denying ourselves, taking up our cross daily, and following Him. What the world sees as winning—p...

In this shorter sermon, Pastor Phil walks through a picture of how and why we plant churches from the model of Paul in Acts 14. This was part of a larger vision Sunday focus as we explored where we believe God is leading our church in 2025. This passage shows us the basics of how a church is started.    We learned that churches are planted when.... 1) We tell people about Jesus 2) We make disciple...

In this sermon video, Jordan walk through Romans 1:1-6 and our calling in the gospel. We see the importance of understanding our identity in Christ and the foundational truth of the Gospel, which drives our mission as believers. By examining Paul's life and mission, we see how we, too, are called to serve and spread the good news with confidence and purpose. We are called to discover our uniq...

In this Sunday sermon, we finished up our sermons series through the book of Colossians by looking at Paul's final personal greetings to this church. In his closing words, Paul shows us what a healthy Jesus family can look like.    We learned.... 1) A healthy family checks in with on another (7-9) 2) A healthy family comforts each other (10-11) 3) A healthy family wrestles in prayer for each...

This Sunday we went back into our series through the book of Colossians. We considered how to have a prayer driven life and church from Colossians 4:2-6. It was also a Sunday where we emphasized and promoted our small groups that meet throughout the week.    We learned.... 1) Prayer keeps us spiritually alert 2) Prayer opens doors for ministry opportunities 3) Prayer helps us act with wisdom We ar...

This first Sunday of 2025, we looked at what happens when church is done together as a team. From Ephesians 4:4-16, we saw how the church is both united, but also built up in the diversity of people with various gifts to do the work of the ministry.    We learned.... 1) Together, we are called into one local and universal family 2) Together, we receive unique gifts according to Jesus' grace 3...

This sermon takes place during our last church service of 2024 where Pastor Phil looked at Acts 19:11-20. We walk through key ideas on how to prepare for real Jesus transformation as we see God do a transformation in the city of Ephesus through Paul.    We learned.... 1) Ask God to do an extraordinary work 2) Prepare for spiritual conflict  3) Make sure Jesus is your reason and motivation  4) Long...

In this sermon video, we continue to celebrate Christmas and reflect on why the news of Jesus's birth is really good news. We focused this week on the personal joy we can experience from knowing the good news of the Christmas story. In Luke 1:39-55, Mary gives us a song of praise in response to the the news of Jesus. This teaches us about the work of God not only in her life, but in our lives...

In this sermon video, we continued our teaching series on why the news of Jesus' birth is really good news. We look at Micah 5:2 and how this verse gives us what to expect from Jesus' arrival.    We learned.... 1) Jesus came in an unexpected way 2) Jesus came at God's perfect timing 3) Jesus came to shepherd his people  4) Jesus came to bring a lasting peace   We are a church in Abi...