Church at the Well Podcast

What if creation doesn't just point to the existence of a creator but to the Creator's character as well? In this sermon, Abby explores God's conversation with Job about creation (featuring ostriches) and offers three practical ways we can engage holy curiosity. The sermon closes with a guest musical appearance by our friend Lydia Koch. You can listen to her song "Nothing Is Too Small" here or whe...

In Mark 9, the disciples hesitated to ask questions when Jesus shared about his coming death and resurrection. What got in the way of their curiosity? What would it have cost them to be curious? This week, Jordan continues our series, "Curious," by sharing about what it really takes to be curious and what Jesus can do with our curiosity. 

Jesus answers a question about taxes by asking a question about identity: "Whose image is this?" Kayla explores this question, noting that until we learn to see ourselves and others God’s image-bearers, we'll keep settling for smaller identities that divide us rather than the deeper identity that unites us. 

What if curiosity isn't really about gathering information - but about making room? This week, Jordan explores the Emmaus Road encounter in Luke 24, where Jesus draws near to two grieving disciples and leads not with answers, but with a question. Turns out, that kind of curiosity is closer to hospitality than we might think.  

What if curiosity isn't just for kids? What if our God-given gift of curiosity is one of the defining postures of a life formed by Jesus? In this sermon, Abby kicks off a new series called "Curious" and explores the pivotal role curiosity plays in Jesus' call of two disciples at the Jordan River.

What does it look like to walk with the Spirit of the Living God - and what becomes possible when we do? This week, Jordan finishes our "Spirit of the Living God" series with a look at what the Spirit makes possible - seeing what God is up to right in front of us, and seeing the bigger story we're a part of.   

This week, Tracy helps us see that the Holy Spirit is always up to something good in our lives, as she shares a story from Acts 10 and a story from her journey of faith.

In Acts 3 and 4, Peter and John — ordinary people filled with God’s Spirit — encounter a man who has spent his life sitting outside of the temple, waiting and hoping for help. Through this story, we explore a simple but powerful truth: The Holy Spirit walks beside us, strengthens us, and transforms ordinary people into living reminders of Jesus’ presence in the world.

What does it actually look like to collaborate with the Holy Spirit? In week three of our series Spirit of the Living God, Jordan explores three roles of the Spirit drawn from John 14 — helper, counselor, and advocate — and what it means that the one called beside us is already at work in our lives.

In the story of Pentecost, God doesn't just show us his power, but his heart. In this sermon, Abby uncovers a primary way we see the Holy Spirit move at Pentecost and in the Book of Acts: breaking down barriers and creating belonging.

In the beginning of the book of Acts, the disciples were challenged with an "impossible" ask, carrying some heavy emotional weight, and facing great uncertainty. The resurrected Jesus responds with a promise - that the Spirit of the Living God would be with them. This week, Jordan starts our new sermon series by exploring what that promise might have meant to the disciples - and what it could mean...

The Healing of Peter's Heart In a simple breakfast conversation between Peter and the resurrected Jesus, much more is going on than first meets the eye. In this sermon, Abby uncovers three pieces of good news from that conversation--good news about what Jesus frees us from, what he invites us into, and how he heals our hearts.

The resurrected Jesus shows up to a "family reunion" of his close friends and followers. This week, we consider what that might mean for us as we celebrate Easter Sunday with a reflection on John 20. 

Palm Sunday has a lot to teach us about what Jesus is actually like. In this sermon (for a special Family Sunday), Jordan explores three clues hidden in Mark 11 — and finds surprisingly good news in a scavenger hunt, a cheering crowd, and a baby donkey.

What does Jesus do when we're disappointed with ourselves? This week, Kayla walks us through Peter's worst night, pausing at the moment Jesus turns and looks straight at him - and explores what it means to be fully known, and fully loved anyway.

Thomas was willing to follow Jesus to the end. What he wasn't prepared for was what came after. In this sermon, Jordan traces two movements in Thomas' story — from devotion to disappointment, and from disappointment to detachment — and explores the invitations those movements hold for Thomas, and for us.

Sifted as Wheat When Peter promises to suffer and die with Jesus, Jesus warns him that he is about to be sifted as wheat--but what does that mean? In this sermon, Abby explores how wheat was processed in ancient Israel and offers three pieces of good news for Peter and for us when it comes to facing hard things. ----more---- Note: Due to some technical difficulties during recording, this episode h...

This week, we reflect on Jesus' nighttime conversation with Nicodemus in John chapter 3. 

Have you ever noticed that our spiritual journey flows through a sequence of seasons, much like the seasons of nature? On this first week of Lent, Jordan shares a reflection from John 10 about how even in a spiritual "winter," we still belong to the Good Shepherd.

What do we do when what we have been working and praying for doesn’t come to pass? In this sermon, Vision Team member Tracy Centracchio weaves James’s directives for the early church with stories from her medical missions trips to Haiti, reminding us of the good news that God is writing a much larger story than we can imagine.

Whole-hearted Humility Quarrels, hedonism, and disparaging people with ugly words was taking place in the early church James wrote to. In this sermon, Abby explores these as symptoms of a soul condition for which James prescribes a surprising remedy. 

In chapter 3 of his letter, James warns his audience of the power that their words hold -power to direct and power to destroy. When silence might seem like the best response, James offers a different way. This week, we explore the invitations from both James and Jesus to live a life of congruence. 

How do we respond when we notice the “first-class seats” in our world—and in our hearts? We continue our exploring the book of James as Kayla explores favoritism, fear, and belonging in Biblical times and today.   

Sometimes we think we just need to press on, try harder, or push through. But that’s not a biblical way of thinking about perseverance. In this sermon, Abby explores God's invitation to us when it comes to perseverance and reveals the God of the Scriptures as One who perseveres.

In week two of our journey through the book of James, Jordan reminds us that God's Word is a mirror that reflects our great need for God and God's great love for us.