Citizens Weekly

We begin Advent with an introduction to the season and an exploration of how the child given to us in Isaiah 9, this Wonderful Counselor, is the same conquering King praised in Heaven as "the LORD God Almighty who was and is and is to come" (Revelation 4:8).

In this teaching, we dive into the life-changing message of Isaiah 61 and explore what it truly means to live as people anointed, restored, and empowered by God. Jesus declared this passage fulfilled when He announced that the Kingdom of God had arrived—not as a distant hope, but as a present reality breaking into the world through Him and now through us. We look at how the gospel is not merely an...

"…to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.  They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.  They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated…"

We could easily read Isaiah's message of hope as singularly directed to ourselves and our individual moment. However, gaining a clearer picture of how Isaiah offered his prophecies and how they may have been received broadens the possibility of our hope.

The Servant came to bring good news for the poor. Jesus came for the poor, the needy and the wanting and longs to use us to reach his lost sheep.

Nick dives deep into the reality of spiritual warfare—specifically the demonic strategies aimed at God’s people. Drawing from Luke 4, we see Jesus in the wilderness—hungry, tested, and targeted by the devil himself. Yet, He stands firm.

From 1 John 1 and 2, this sermon explores practical means and behaviors every believer can engage to keep satan and his forces at bay.

This week we explore what scripture has to say about evil, Satan and the demonic.

The Israelites had left Egypt, but now God wanted to get Egypt out of them. Like them, we are deeply shaped by the culture and environment around us. Scripture calls us not to conform to the patterns of this world—but how do we actually do that? What is the world trying to form in us? Why are so many Christians unknowingly influenced by it? And how do we remain unstained by the world without retre...

After defining the Kingdom of God and watching it unfold throughout Scripture, we would be wise to examine the ways we attempt--falsely and rightly--to advance God's Kingdom in our personal and shared domains. In 2025, let us not be enticed to rely on America's carnal weapons (ie. cultural or political fervors) to establish a Kingdom of "righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spi...

Scripture is clear about the role of spiritual conflict in our flesh. What encompasses our flesh and how do we win in the battle against ourselves?

Week 2 of our fall series, Kingdom Tensions, focuses in on the tension between spirit and flesh, with a focus on the spirit. The week, we answer three questions: 1. What is our spirit? 2. Why does it matter that we have one? 3. What do we do with it?

This series will lay the foundation for our upcoming exploration of Kingdom Tensions. Life in the Kingdom is full of tension—because when we say yes to Jesus, we step into conflict. We find ourselves in tension with our flesh, moving against the grain of the world, and standing opposed by the enemy himself. But tension isn’t always bad—in fact, it’s often what holds things together (like a shower...

There’s something powerful about hearing the Word read aloud together. No extra commentary, no distractions—just the simplicity of the gospel and the beauty of letting it stand on its own. This week, listen along as 13 people from our community read straight through Mark 14–16—the story of Jesus’ betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection. The simple gospel that still speaks today!

In this weeks sermon, we examine the contrast between the prideful teachers of the law and the humility and faithfulness of the poor widow in Mark 12

We can become easily distracted in Gospel narratives by topical issues. For instance, in Mark 10, a question posed to Jesus about divorce may draw our attention away from the story at hand towards theological issues. However, Mark did not write a theological treatises. He wrote stories about Jesus illuminating His identity as the Son of God. So what does Jesus' conversation with Pharisees abo...

For 8 chapters, Jesus has been doing and saying things that leave people asking the question of who he is. A unique encounter with a blind man helps set the stage for a major turning point in the life and ministry of Jesus and forces the crowds and his disciples to answer this question: Are we seeing Jesus clearly?

A posture of pride kept the Pharisees from experiencing Jesus for all He was. In Mark 7 and 8, we see humble faith allow strangers and friends to know the good authority He was and still is. May we be people of humble faith.

Mark 6 is packed with stories at the pinnacle of Jesus’ ministry. Embedded in each of those stories is a theme of doubt and unbelief. What we discover is that there are different degrees of doubt and with each, a different posture of God’s heart.

Mark 4:35-5:43 includes four familiar stories of Jesus. He calms the storm, restores a demon-possessed heals a woman, and raises a dead girl. This week, Kathryn walks through each of these stories with the hopes of reminding us that the Jesus we read on these pages is the same Jesus who we know today. You may see yourself in one of these people who encounters him- and if so, he wants to respond to...

Jesus repeats himself: listen! What gets in the way of us listening and receiving? Join as we walk through one of Jesus’ most important parables: the parable of the sower.

As we continue through the gospel of Mark chapter 2 through 3:6, we see Jesus responding with compassion and demonstrating authority. In opposition to the religious rulers of the time, where Jesus is, it seems he continually shows us that we need to make more room if we want all of Him. It takes us stretching and stepping towards Him in faith- and He always responds to the ones that know their nee...

Josh continues the Gospel of Mark summer sermon series with the start of Jesus' ministry. He first orients us on the gospel, both the Church's Gospel today and also the good news which Jesus taught at the start of his ministry. He then gives an overview of four types of Jewish groups and their strategy for dealing with the big problem of their day. Then he quickly treks through the remai...