LYA Sermon Podcast

This week, Pastor AJ walked us through John 4 and the story of the woman at the well, reminding us that Jesus is more than enough to satisfy. While the things of this world will always leave us thirsty, Jesus alone offers the living water that truly fulfills. We were challenged to stop running back to empty wells and find our satisfaction in Christ alone. Join us in the LSM Building every Tuesday...

This week, Pastor Z from our Fairview Heights campus reminded us that we were created for a purpose greater than ourselves: to bring God glory. Through personal stories, Scripture, and the Gospel, we were challenged to remember that God is sovereign, present, and actively at work in our lives. Because Christ came, died, and rose again to save us, we now have the responsibility and privilege of mak...

This week, Pastor AJ spoke on the truth that our value does not come from our performance, our past, or the opinions of others, but from the fact that we were created in the image of God. Even though sin separated us from a holy God, Scripture reminds us that every person carries inherent worth as an image bearer of God and is deeply loved by Him. Pastor AJ challenged us to consider the power of o...

This week, Pastor AJ challenged us with one important question: “What are you known for?” In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul says he wanted to be known as a faithful servant of Christ, seeking the approval of God over the approval of people. We were reminded that heroes of the faith are not defined by platform or recognition, but by obedience. Just like Edward Kimball’s simple faithfulness led to a ripple e...

This week, Pastor John spoke on what it means to go all in in our relationship with God, challenging us to fully surrender every area of our lives. In Epistle to the Colossians chapter 4, we were reminded that it starts with prayer, real and honest conversation that builds intimacy with our Father. As we grow closer to Him, it should shape how we live, using our time wisely and speaking with grace...

This week, Pastor AJ spoke on what it means to live in light of our true identity in Christ. We were challenged with a bold truth: if we’ve been raised with Christ, then our old life is already dead and our lives should reflect that reality. Too often, our position is heaven, but our lifestyle still looks like earth. Pastor AJ reminded us that following Jesus means setting our minds on eternal thi...

This week, Pastor AJ walked through Colossians 2, showing us what it looks like to be rooted in Jesus and built up in Him. Following Christ isn’t just about a moment of faith, it’s about continuing in Him daily, allowing our lives to be shaped by His truth. When we’re not rooted in the right things, we can easily be led by what sounds good instead of what is true. But when our foundation is Jesus,...

This week, we kicked off our Colossians series by answering the most important question: who is Jesus, really? Walking through Colossians 1, we were reminded that Jesus is not just part of our lives, He is over everything. He is the image of the invisible God, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and the One who holds it all together. In a world full of subtle distortions and competing beliefs...

This week, Noah Higgins spoke on what it looks like to trust God in the middle of uncertainty. Walking through Scripture, we were reminded that following Jesus isn’t about having everything figured out; it’s about surrender. We often want clarity before we take a step, but God invites us to trust His character over our circumstances. Even when we can’t see what He’s doing, we can know that He’s go...

This week, we stepped into an honest conversation on depression with Pastor Doug and Caleb Palumbo, asking real questions about what it is, why it comes and goes, and where God is in the middle of it. We were reminded that joy isn’t just a feeling, but a knowing of who Christ is and who we are in Him. Even in confusion and in the valley, God is present and can bring hope and healing. No matter wha...

This week, Pastor Doug continued our Scars on the Soul series by addressing a question many of us quietly wrestle with: why do I keep going back to the same habits, even when I know they’re wrong? Looking at both the reality of how addiction works and the truth of the gospel, we were reminded that freedom isn’t found in trying harder or adding more rules, it’s found in grace. While the world tells...

This week we tackled a topic that so many people wrestle with: anxiety. Looking at Luke 10 and Luke 12, we explored how anxiety often grows from our desire to control what we can’t control and from believing the lie that we are what we do or how we feel. Through the story of Mary and Martha, Jesus reminds us that He didn’t come to watch us perform for Him—He came to spend time with us. Real freedo...

This week in our Love, Sex, & Dating series, we asked one defining question: what’s the goal? Looking at Philippians 3 and 1 Corinthians 7, we were reminded that marriage isn’t the goal. Singleness isn’t the goal. The goal is to be like Jesus and with Jesus. Culture tells us life begins when we find “the one,” but Paul shows us that both marriage and singleness are gifts meant to point us toward e...

This week in our Love, Sex, & Dating series, we stepped into a topic that was never meant to be casual and was never meant to carry shame. Looking at Genesis 2, we were reminded that God’s design for sex is good, intentional, deeply spiritual, and powerful. It was created to unite not just physically, but heart and soul. Within His design, it builds intimacy and covenant. Outside of it, that same...

In this episode of our Love, Sex, & Dating series, we dive into the topic of Dating, exploring how it has evolved over time and why much of today’s dating culture falls short of God’s design. We unpack the difference between dating for selfish connection and dating for covenant, reminding us that marriage is the goal and that God’s way leads to wisdom, clarity, and holiness. This message challenge...

In this episode of our Love, Sex, & Dating series, Love, Respect, & Holiness, we look at what biblical love really is—and what it isn’t. Walking through Ephesians 5, we’re reminded that God sets the standard for love, that who we align ourselves with matters, and that marriage is designed not for happiness but for holiness. This message challenges us to raise our expectations, pursue relationships...

This week at LYA, we began our Love, Sex, & Dating series by defining love through the lens of Scripture. Looking at 1 John 4, Genesis 1, Romans 5, and 1 Corinthians 13, we were reminded that God is love and He alone sets the standard for it. Rather than operating for love or chasing feelings, we were challenged to live from our God-given identity as image bearers who mirror His self-giving, agape...

This week at LYA, we explored a framework for when life doesn’t make sense and God feels silent. Through Isaiah 40 and Austin’s story of waiting, loss, and redemption, we learned that God’s mission is bigger than our circumstances, our mission is to glorify Him, and our Father can be trusted even when He doesn’t give explanations. God may not rescue us from every trial, but He promises to be with...

Pastor Corbett continues our Defining Worship series by reminding us that true worship isn’t just a song—it’s a lifestyle marked by obedience. Using Abraham’s costly obedience in Genesis 22 and the priests’ empty sacrifices in Malachi 1, he shows the difference between worship rooted in surrender and worship offered with a divided heart. Drawing from Colossians 1, he calls us to “walk in a manner...

This week at LYA, we look at John 4:10–26 and discover how Jesus invites us to drink from the living water that truly satisfies. Through His conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus reveals that true worship begins when we allow our desires to lead us to Him, confront the things that have left us empty, and learn to worship God on His terms. Because worship isn’t about preference, performance,...

This week, we explords what true worship really is through Romans 12:1–2. Worship isn’t just music — it’s offering our whole lives to God as a “living sacrifice.” Paul reminds us that we don’t worship to earn God’s mercy; we worship because we’ve already received it. True worship is surrender — moving from “I have to” into “I get to.” And as we continually allow God to renew our minds, we become a...

Why do we call Jesus “Lord,” yet still live our own way? In this message from the Questions from Jesus series, we look at Luke 6:46–49 and unpack what it really means to follow Him. Jesus shows us that genuine faith is marked by obedience, built on a firm foundation, and proven by lasting fruit. Because when He’s truly Lord — obedience becomes joy, storms can’t shake you, and your life begins to b...

Ever feel anxious about your future, finances, relationships—or even your anxiety itself? This week at LYA, we look at what Jesus says in Matthew 6:25–33 about worry and how true peace comes not from control, but from trust. We’ll unpack the biggest sources of anxiety facing young adults today and how Jesus offers a better way: to believe you’re deeply valued by Him and to seek His kingdom first....

Without a doubt, we all have questions for Jesus—but have you ever considered the questions He asks us? In the Gospels, Jesus asks over 300 questions, not to gain information but to reveal truth and invite us deeper into relationship with Him. In Matthew 16, He poses the most important one: “Who do you say that I am?” This question isn’t just for Peter—it’s for every one of us. Opinions about Jesu...

Kicking off our new series, Questions from Jesus, Pastor AJ dives into one of the most personal moments between Jesus and Peter in John 21. Jesus asks Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” It’s a question that echoes through time and lands in our own hearts today. For young adults navigating relationships, careers, and identity, the call of Jesus is clear: love Him above everything else and let...