Community Church - Sermons

In this message, Pastor Dave Klassen looks at one of Jesus’ most sobering parables: The Rich Man and Lazarus. Jesus tells the story of a rich man who lived in luxury while Lazarus, a poor and suffering beggar, lay at his gate. Both men eventually died, but their eternal circumstances were completely different. Through this story, Jesus confronts the danger of living for wealth and comfort while ig...

In Matthew 13:1–23, Jesus tells the Parable of the Sower and describes four different kinds of soil—each representing a different response to the Word of God. Frank Neudorf walks through each type of soil: the hardened path where the seed is quickly taken away, the rocky soil that receives the Word with joy but has no deep roots, the thorny soil where the cares and riches of this world choke out s...

Otto Weidt’s story opens with a man who risked his reputation, his money, and his life to save a few people when his whole country was doing evil. The Good Samaritan carries that same uncomfortable question: what does love look like when helping someone costs something? Luke places this parable after the disciples show that they still do not understand Jesus’ heart. Jesus sends them out, gives the...

Jesus’ picture of a mustard seed comes against Israel’s big expectations. The people expected a Messiah like Samson or Gideon, somebody ready to raise an army, fight Rome, and take back the land. Jesus came as the promised King, but not in the way they expected. His kingdom was not an earthly kingdom built through weapons and military power. His kingdom was spiritual, led by love and truth. Luke p...

What are you trusting in? In Luke 18:9–14, Jesus tells the parable of two men who go to the temple to pray—a Pharisee and a tax collector. From the outside, the Pharisee appeared to be the one who was closest to God. He was religious, disciplined, and respected. Yet his confidence was ultimately in himself and his own righteousness. The tax collector, on the other hand, came before God with humili...

In Luke 15:1–7, Jesus tells the parable of the lost sheep—a powerful picture of the heart of God for those who are far from Him. Pastor Dave Klassen reminds us that every single soul matters to God. The shepherd does not simply settle for the ninety-nine; he goes searching for the one that is lost until he finds it. And when that sheep is found, there is great rejoicing. This message challenges us...

Matthew 13 puts another parable before the hearer: the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. The good seed goes into the ground, but while the men are sleeping, the enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat and goes away. The weeds do not show themselves right away, because they look very similar to the wheat until the fruit starts to come. The fruit makes i...

Luke 15 opens with Jesus surrounded by two kinds of people, the ones pointing fingers and criticizing, and the sinners and tax collectors coming near to hear him. The question becomes, is a person with the crowd, or standing with Jesus at the cross? The crowd feels safer, because it agrees and does not cost much, but the cross calls a person to stand with Christ even when others look, cough, or cr...

The parable of the talents comes after Jesus has entered Jerusalem, cleared the temple, and spoken about the temple being destroyed. Jesus is answering the disciples’ question about his coming and the end of the age, but he does not give them a calendar. The disciples ask when it will happen, and Jesus shows what faithful servants should be doing while they wait. Jesus makes the point plain: the m...

As Paul concludes his first letter to the Thessalonian church, he leaves believers with a powerful reminder: God is faithful, and He will complete the work He has begun in His people. In this message, Pastor Dave Klassen explores Paul's final prayer and exhortations from 1 Thessalonians 5:23-28, encouraging us to pursue holiness in every part of our lives—body, soul, and spirit. We are reminded th...

First Thessalonians closes with Paul pressing very practical faith into everyday church life. Paul had only been with the Thessalonians for a short time, about three weeks, and yet God had made that young church rock solid in the middle of horrible persecution. The Thessalonian church had become a model church, not because life was easy, but because its eyes were not settled on this life alone. Et...

Readiness to meet Jesus presses harder than readiness to die. Readiness for Jesus does not mean a person wants to leave children, grandchildren, and life behind, but it does mean the call of Christ would find that person ready to go. Paul tells the Thessalonian brothers that times and seasons do not need more writing, because the Father keeps that in his own hand. Jesus answers the disciples the s...

This sermon continues the series through 1 Thessalonians, focusing on Paul's words of encouragement to believers who were grieving the loss of fellow Christians. The central message is that while Christians experience real grief, they grieve with hope because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the promise of His return. Pastor Johnny begins by reviewing the progression of Paul's letter. In ea...

What does it really mean to live a life that pleases God? In this message from 1 Thessalonians 4:1–12, Tommy Dyck reminds us that the Christian life isn't about putting on a religious appearance—it's about continual growth through the transforming work of Christ. Paul calls believers to pursue holiness, love one another deeply, and live faithful, steady lives that point others to Jesus. God isn't...

In this message, Pastor Diedrich Harms shares a biblical vision of the home and the important role fathers have in building a family that honors God. Drawing from Psalm 127, he reminds us that unless the Lord builds the house, our efforts are in vain. A strong home is not built merely through effort, rules, or traditions, but on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Pastor Harms encourages fathers to le...

Paul’s prayer in 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 keeps salvation from being treated like a finish line. The text names salvation as the starting point of a lifelong race, then asks God to keep a healthy church from settling. Paul thanks God for the visible grace at work in Thessalonica and treats every evidence of growth as God’s work, not self-improvement. His joy in their faith pushes against jealousy or...

Paul sets 1 Thessalonians 3 in front of the church as a window into costly discipleship. The text shows Paul leaving Athens short-handed to send Timothy back to Thessalonica, not to lighten the load but to “establish and encourage” faith so that no one is “shaken” by afflictions. The mission is clear: real faith must be rooted enough to stand when the winds hit, because “we are appointed to this.”...

Paul thanks God without ceasing because the Thessalonians received what they heard as the word of God, not the word of men, and that word is now working effectively in those who believe. The text presents Paul as a humble vessel. He does not lift himself up, but lifts up their reception of Scripture. Scripture itself stands as God-breathed and Spirit-moved, as Paul and Peter agree. The claim of in...

Luke’s closing scene lifts the eyes to the Ascension. Jesus raises his hands, blesses, and is carried into heaven, and worship breaks open into joy. Acts then lets Pentecost rush the room. The Spirit fills, rests on each, and gives utterance. Christ departs in order to draw near, so his people now live by his indwelling Spirit, not by his visible presence. That sets the frame for what Paul shows i...

We begin a series through First Thessalonians and we focus on what a healthy church looks like when the gospel takes root. We note the letter likely ranks among Pauls earliest and that a young congregation rose quickly under gospel influence. We describe three marks that reveal gospel vitality: faith that produces work, love that prompts labor, and hope that sustains endurance. These marks do not...

We celebrate mothers who fear the Lord and hold up a biblical portrait of motherhood that calls for responsibility, joy, and steady faith. We define fear of the Lord not as dread but as faithful awareness that God entrusts children to our care and calls us to raise them toward Him. We affirm that God created each mother fearfully and wonderfully, and that understanding this truth builds self-appre...

The apostle John emerges as a fisherman turned lifelong witness whose intimacy with Jesus shaped the church's theology and mission. His early attachment to John the Baptist brought him to Jesus, and three years at Jesus' side filled a lifetime of ministry that stretched nearly to a century. John preserved eyewitness detail of miracles, trials, and resurrection appearances, and he condensed his ref...

Peter emerges as an ordinary fisherman suddenly swept into extraordinary grace. A chance encounter on the shore leads to a miraculous haul of fish and a call to become a fisher of men, launching a life marked by bold faith, hasty words, public failure, and ultimate restoration. Peter steps out of the boat to walk on water, confesses Jesus as the Messiah, and later objects to Jesus' predicted suffe...

Paul's life emerges as a study in formation, mission, and theological clarity. Born in Tarsus as a Roman citizen, Paul carried legal privileges and cultural breadth that shaped his later ministry and mobility. Rigorous rabbinic training under Gamaliel grounded his scriptural knowledge and fueled his initial zeal against the early followers of Jesus. A violent conversion on the road to Damascus red...

Church life requires intentional participation: believers gather not for habit or personal gain but to spur one another toward love, good deeds, and deeper commitment to Christ. Regular fellowship provides mutual accountability, correction, and encouragement that guard against deception and spiritual drift. Scripture (Hebrews 10:24–25) grounds the assembly’s purpose in building up the body so that...