The Sunday Sermon

In this message, Pastor Becca Detterman preaches from the Prophet Joel. We invite you to hear these words and remember that what God desires is not empty ritual, but authentic worship.

We hit pause this week for our first Checkpoint Sunday — a live Q&A where we tackled your biggest questions from our Bible reading plan. Is the God of the Old Testament different from the God of the New Testament? What do we do with passages where God strikes people dead? How should Christians understand Levitical laws? Do all Bible translations have an agenda? And how do we keep from reading “the...

What do we do with the intense language of Leviticus? How do we keep reading when the text feels repetitive or monotonous? In this episode of Companions, we explore Leviticus 20 through Numbers 13 and wrestle with the weighty warnings of Leviticus 26, the rhythms of festivals and census lists, and the purpose behind Israel’s wilderness storytelling. Along the way, we reflect on how the Psalms give...

What does it really mean to apply the Bible to our lives? In the final sermon of the How to Read the Bible series, Pastor Angelo turns to James 1:22–25 to explore the gap between hearing scripture and living it. This message reflects on why understanding the Bible is not the same as being formed by it, and offers three practical, faithful tools for application: locating ourselves honestly in the s...

Leviticus doesn’t ease us in—and neither does faith when God feels distant. In this episode of Companions, Angelo and Becca wrestle with offerings, holiness, purity laws, and atonement, asking what the law was really for and how Jesus fulfills it. From sacrifice and anointing oil to clean and unclean bodies, they explore how God makes a way back into relationship when closeness feels impossible—an...

What would Jesus do with a difficult passage of Scripture? In this week’s message from our How to Read the Bible series, we introduce the Jesus Filter—a way of reading the Bible that keeps Christ at the center. Drawing from John 5, where Jesus heals on the Sabbath and confronts the religious leaders, this sermon explores why Scripture points beyond itself to Jesus and how reading through his life,...

What do we do when Scripture feels heavy, repetitive, or even troubling? In this episode of Companions, Angelo and Becca reflect on Exodus 19–40 and the Psalms, naming resistance where it shows up—in the text, in the people, and in ourselves. From laws about bulls and bribes to the beauty of the tabernacle, from the Golden Calf to God’s self-revelation as merciful and faithful, this conversation e...

What is the context—and why does it matter? In this message, we take a deeper look at Jeremiah 29:1–14, one of the most quoted passages in Scripture, and discover what changes when we slow down and read beyond Jeremiah 29:11. Spoken to a people living in exile, this text offers a sturdier kind of hope—one rooted not in quick fixes, but in God’s faithful presence. This teaching-focused sermon invit...

In this episode of Companions, Angelo and Becca return to last week’s lingering question—what feels unresolved?—as they step into the book of Exodus. Together, they explore what happens after salvation: the freedom, the fear, the frustration, and the formation that follows. From Pharaoh’s grip to Israel’s constant complaining, from Sabbath before commandments to shared leadership through Jethro’s...

In this message from our How to Read the Bible series, Pastor Angelo slows down with one of the most beloved passages in Scripture—Psalm 23—to explore why understanding genre matters when we read the Bible. By looking closely at Psalm 23 as Hebrew poetry and contrasting it with other biblical genres like law, narrative, prophecy, letters, and apocalyptic literature, this sermon helps listeners hea...

Genesis doesn’t always give us clear heroes—and this episode leans into that discomfort. Angelo and Becca reflect on Jacob, Joseph, deception, power, and grace, asking what it means to read stories where God is present but the people are deeply flawed. Rather than offering easy answers, this conversation creates space for complexity, invites listeners to pay attention to their reactions, and remin...

When we open the Bible, one of the most important questions we can ask is also one of the simplest: Where are we in the story? In this second message of the How to Read the Bible series, Pastor Angelo zooms out to explore the big, unfolding narrative of Scripture—from creation to new creation—and shows how understanding the larger story helps us read individual passages with greater clarity, depth...

What do we do when Scripture feels confusing, uncomfortable, or even troubling? In this episode of Companions, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on the early chapters of Genesis and explore why the Bible’s complexity isn’t a flaw—it’s part of how Scripture forms us. From genealogies and altars to disturbing stories and honest questions, they talk about what we bring with us when we read, why there’...

What is the Bible? As our church begins reading scripture together, this sermon invites us to slow down and ask a foundational question that shapes everything else. Drawing from 2 Timothy 3:14–17, Pastor Angelo explores what it means to call the Bible “God-breathed,” why scripture exists, and how we are invited to read it—not just for information, but for formation and transformation. Whether you’...

A new year, a new season, and a shared journey begins. In this opening episode of Companions, Pastors Angelo and Becca introduce a refreshed podcast and invite listeners into a year-long practice of reading the Bible together using One Story That Leads to Jesus. With an encouraging and grace-filled tone, they talk about how long-form Scripture reading is different from close study, how to stay gro...

In this sermon, Pastor Becca teaches on the story of Simeon and Anna, and reminds us that Christmas is not something reserved for just one day (or 12 days) of the calendar year!

A special BONUS Christmas Episode! Today, we are talking about our favorite sermons and series from this past year, the words and themes that have held it all together, and previewing 2026! Listen now

In a world captivated by hero stories and larger-than-life solutions, Christmas offers a surprising kind of good news. In this Christmas Eve message from Luke 2:1–20, Pastor Angelo reflects on our longing for rescue and the unexpected way God responds—not with spectacle or power, but with presence. The birth of Jesus reveals a Savior who meets us in the ordinary rhythms of life and brings peace no...

In this Advent message, Pastor Angelo explores merciful love through the story of the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1:57–80. Drawing from Zechariah’s prophetic song, this sermon reflects on a God whose mercy moves toward us before we are ready—bringing forgiveness, light, and peace into the ordinary and often difficult places of our lives. As we prepare for the coming of Christ, we’re invited...

What happens when joy shows up where we least expect it—right in the middle of waiting, grief, or uncertainty? In this episode of Companions, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on the kind of joy that doesn’t ignore pain but meets us within it. Drawing from scripture, lived experience, and the realities of the Advent season, this conversation explores how joy can surprise us, sustain us, and gently...

Unexpected Joy (Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11) explores how long seasons of waiting can wear us down and make joy feel out of reach. In this sermon, Pastor Angelo reflects on Isaiah’s vision of restoration, the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, and Jesus’ declaration in Luke 4 that this promise is being fulfilled. Speaking to people living among ruins, Isaiah offers a hope rooted in God’s initiative—not our...

In this week’s episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca sit down with Rev. Julia Hayes to talk Advent peace, John the Baptist’s challenging call to prepare, and how real repentance makes room for joy. We also look ahead to Sunday’s theme of Unexpected Joy and the promise of Jubilee. Tune in and journey with us.

In this week’s message, Rev. Julia Hayes leads us deeper into Advent with a powerful word on Prophetic Peace from Matthew 3:1–12. John the Baptist calls us to prepare the way—and Julia helps us hear that call with fresh ears. What does real peace require of us? And how might God be inviting us to clear space in our hearts for Christ this season? Listen in as we journey toward the hope, peace, joy,...

Pastors Angelo and Becca dive into the heart of Advent—what it is, why it matters, and how this season invites us to slow down, tell the truth about our lives, and make room for Christ with honesty and hope. Join us for a grounded, thoughtful conversation on approaching Advent authentically this year.

This week on The Sunday Sermon, Pastor Angelo opens our Advent series, Will to Dream, with a message of hope from Isaiah 2:1–5. As we step into the season of waiting, we explore how God’s promised future shapes how we live today—how we walk toward peace, practice reconciliation, and take real steps toward the light of the Lord. Listen in and begin Advent with renewed hope.