STF YA

What if the thing you’re trying to escape is the very thing God wants to use to grow you? In this episode, Michael kicks off our journey through the book of James by looking at James 1:1–18 and what it means to grow in spiritual maturity. James reminds us that trials are not meaningless. God can use the difficult seasons of our lives to develop our endurance, deepen our faith, and make us more lik...

What do you think of when it comes to marriage? Is it hurt, confusion, or a reminder of your broken family? Or is it something you long for and are excited for it to happen for you? No matter where you are when it comes to marriage, there are things for us to think about. In this weeks episode, Pastor JJ and his wife Sharon Johnson, step into the conversation of marriage, brokenness, and practical...

What if the point isn’t escaping the chase, but finally letting yourself be caught? In this week’s episode, Danny walks through Hosea 3:1–3 and the powerful picture of a God who relentlessly pursues people who have run from Him. As we continue our First Dates & Soul Mates series, we’ll talk about what it means to stop chasing relationships, approval, pleasure, or the life we think will finally sat...

Why is the bar for annoyance so low, yet our bar for experiencing happiness or joy is so high? If we have a bar that is set so high to experience joy then we are designing our lives to be miserable 99% of the time. In this week's episode, Danny shows how we have set good things as ultimate in our life. Many of us desire to get married, but what if it happens? Will all of your problems go away? Tun...

What do you do when you do not get what you want? Not getting what you desire does not mean you desire something wrong, but what does it mean? In this week's episode of the YA Podcast, Jay Mike shares about what we can do when we do not get what we want, especially when it comes to singleness, dating, & marriage. DO you live in Tampa? We would love to have you come check out STF YA. We meet every...

Did you know that a city can have its own personality? Our city (Tampa) has its own personality. It may not be your personality, but it could be if you assimilate fully to the culture of our city. Our Senior pastor, JJ, says all of the time that our city is "smooth on the outside, yet shattered on the inside." In this week's episode, Danny Hardy shares a message from Nehemiah 1-2. And he helps us...

Do you ever feel alone, yet you are able to connect to anyone, at any time, anywhere in the world? We were meant for meaningful relationships with one another. In this week's episode, Danny Hardy shares a message from Acts 2:42-47. And he helps us process and think through what true community looks like and how we can live that out daily, together. Do you live in Tampa? We would love for you to jo...

Everything in our life tends to cost us something. Whether it is our time, energy, or finances, there always seems to be a cost in everything we do. In this week's episode, Bryce Stamey, who is one of our STF Pastoral Residence, shares a message from Mark 8:34-38. And he helps us process and think through if we are counting the cost of following Jesus, or are we still? Do you live in Tampa? We wou...

In this week’s message, Danny walks through Romans 8:5–11 and shows us a sobering truth: we do not naturally drift toward life, we drift away from it. Left to ourselves, we move toward self, control, and spiritual emptiness. But through the Spirit, God redirects us toward life and peace. This sermon unpacks the two mindsets Paul describes—the flesh and the Spirit—and reveals how your inner directi...

Have you ever felt like something shifted between you and God after you messed up? Like you said something, did something, or went back to something, and now you’re not sure where you stand with Him? In this week’s message, Danny walks through Romans 8:1–4 and shows us a truth that most of us say we believe, but don’t actually live like: There is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Not...

This week, Danny Hardy closes out the Rotten Tomatoes series with a message that hits uncomfortably close to home: self-control. Why do we keep doing the very things we said we wouldn’t do again? Why is the gap between knowing what’s right and actually doing it so hard to close? And what does real self-control actually look like when life gets loud, emotional, and costly? In this final message, Da...

This week, Danny Hardy unpacks one of the most misunderstood traits in our culture—and one of the clearest marks of Jesus: gentleness. Why do we say things we instantly regret? Why do we feel the need to prove our point, even when it costs us the relationship? Why does being “right” still leave things broken? In this episode, Danny walks through a real, relatable moment in his own marriage to show...

This week, Michael Rivera steps in with a message that hits right where most of us live — the tension between who we want to be and what we actually produce. Why is it so easy to hide parts of our lives? Why do we keep going through the same cycles, even when we know better? And how do you stay faithful to God when your life doesn’t feel fruitful at all? In this message, Michael walks through the...

This week, our Communications Director Brie Fernandez teaches on one of the most misunderstood fruits of the Spirit: goodness. Most of us think goodness means staying on the “good side” of the line, avoiding obvious mistakes, not being the villain in the story. But in Galatians 5, Paul reframes the entire conversation. The Christian life isn’t about trying harder to avoid bad behavior; it’s about...

This week, Danny Hardy challenges one of the most common habits in our culture and even in the church: being nice. But what if niceness isn’t what Jesus actually called us to? Why are we so quick to say things like “let me know if you need anything” but rarely step in to help? Why do we keep relationships polite but shallow? And what’s the difference between being nice and living with real, Spirit...

This week, Danny Hardy takes us into one of the most overlooked but most necessary fruits of the Spirit: patience — not the “wait quietly” version, but the kind Scripture calls patient endurance . Why do the smallest delays wreck us? Why does waiting feel like suffering? Why does God grow some of the most important things in our lives slowly ? In this episode, Danny unpacks why our generation’s pa...

What if the thing you think you need… isn’t actually what you need? In this week’s episode, Christian Santos challenges our definition of peace. We say we need more time, less traffic, more money, better circumstances—but what if that’s just our need for control dressed up as “peace”? Teaching from Galatians 5 , Psalm 4 , and Matthew 26 , Christian walks us through the Garden of Gethsemane and sho...

What if joy isn’t something you feel after life calms down… but something God gives you right in the middle of your anxiety? This week in our series Rotten Tomatoes: Let the Fruit Speak, Danny teaches on the fruit of joy from Psalm 94:17-19 — showing why so many of us wake up overwhelmed, stressed, and already behind, and how God meets us with joy right there in the tension. We break down what “an...

What if the biggest threats to your spiritual growth aren’t out there… but in you? In this week’s episode, Danny unpacks the “fruit killers” Paul lists in Galatians 5:19–21 and connects them to Jesus’ teaching in John 15:1–8. Together, these passages reveal what chokes out spiritual fruit—and how remaining in Jesus leads to real transformation. If you want more information follow us on Instagram @...

What if the part of God you understand the least is actually the One you need the most? In this week’s episode, Danny walks us through who the Holy Spirit is not a vibe, not an energy, but the personal presence of God with us and in us. This message unpacks how the Bible describes the Holy Spirit, why He matters for everyday life, and what it means to actually know Him. If you want more informatio...

Book Recommendations: 1. Single, Dating, Engaged, Married: Navigating Life and Love in the Modern Age - https://a.co/d/33J7BND 2. Outdated - https://a.co/d/9fAyFRL 3. Mingling of Souls -  https://a.co/d/aPJ9PPD

Have you ever felt like life was moving way too fast… and you were missing something important? In this episode, Danny walks through a powerful story in Luke 8 where Jesus is interrupted — not once, but twice — and shows us that what we call a delay, God might be using as a divine assignment. Whether it's a conversation that lingers, a change of plans, or a moment that doesn’t seem productive, don...

We don’t need to be preachers to make an impact — just people who care enough to invite. In this week’s episode, Danny Hardy walks through the story of Jesus’ first followers and shows how powerful it can be when ordinary people extend a simple invitation. If you’ve ever felt unsure about sharing your faith or inviting someone to church, this is the encouragement you didn’t know you needed. Come a...

Have you ever found yourself distracted by the endless scroll or caught up in the noise of life? In this week’s episode, Danny dives into 1 Thessalonians 5 and looks at how Paul challenges us to stay alert, focused, and hopeful in a world that often distracts us from what really matters. How do we guard our hearts from the things that don’t deserve our attention? If you’ve been feeling spiritually...

Have you ever been with someone in deep pain… and had no idea what to say? Grief is something we all encounter, but few of us know how to handle—especially when it’s not tied to a funeral, but to a breakup, a lost dream, or a silent season of disappointment. In this week’s episode, Danny Hardy walks through what real grief, real hope, and real comfort look like from 1 Thessalonians 4. Whether you’...