City Church OTR Messages

This week, we began a new series called Scars: Every Scar Has a Story. Rob Groves opened with a message on shame—how it distorts our identity and isolates us from both God and others. Shame can leave us stuck, striving for perfection or paralyzed by our past. But Jesus doesn’t meet us with condemnation. He comes with grace, truth, and the power to restore.

This week Chris concluded our series The Throne Room by teaching on Revelation 7 and the seal God places on His people. He walked through different interpretations of who the 144,000 might be, and reminded us that we, too, are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

This week Chris continued our series The Throne Room by walking through the opening of the first four seals and the arrival of the Four Horsemen. We explored what they represent, why they come, and how their presence reveals something deeper about the way God’s Kingdom breaks in. At the center of it all is a powerful word spoken in heaven: “Come.” It’s a cry for Jesus to come and bring His Kingdom...

This week, Chris continued part three of our Revelation series, The Throne Room , by teaching on the scroll. He explored the three leading interpretations of what the scroll represents: The Bible, God’s last will and testament, or a land deed to the earth. Regardless of which view one holds, the key takeaway is the same—God is victorious. The scroll ultimately signifies God’s triumph, bringing wit...

This week, Chris continued our Revelation series with Part 3: The Throne Room . In John's vision, all is not as it seems. When told to “look,” he sees a Lamb that appears to have been slain. The Lamb is the only one worthy to open the scroll. Because of His death and blood, we are now made priests—and we are called to live out our priesthood.

This week, we began part 3 of our Revelation series, The Throne Room. Chris’s teaching was all about the throne at the center of heaven. The paradox of the throne is that the more we realize we are not at the center of everything, the more stress and fear begin to fall away. There is a strange relief in insignificance—because we’re not holding the universe together, and we were never meant to.

This week, guest speaker Clay Harrington from Vineyard Cincinnati concluded the 64 Series by teaching on the coming of the Holy Spirit and Pentecost. Pentecost marked the establishment of the Church—the moment the Holy Spirit was released from heaven to dwell with God’s people. Through the Spirit, we’re empowered with authority and equipped to be ambassadors for Christ.

This week, Dave Workman preached on "the in-between times"—the seasons of waiting where God's timing feels mysterious but is filled with purpose. The disciples found themselves in one of these in-between times, waiting between Jesus’s resurrection and Pentecost. In every period of waiting, we are invited to trust God in the process, believing that He is leading us into a greater dept...

This Easter, Chris shared that the resurrection is for everyone. We looked at the story of Peter—how he blew it in a big way, denying Jesus when it mattered most. And still, after rising from the dead, Jesus calls Peter out by name—not to shame him, but to restore him. If the resurrection can bring hope to someone like Peter, then it can bring hope to anyone .

This week, Chris spoke on the first Palm Sunday when Jesus was hailed King….but not the kind of King that He really was. We took a fresh, contextual look at Palm Sunday and answered the question, “How did they hail Him king one day and want to crucify Him the next?”

Beginning our new series 64, Chris taught on the story of Lazarus, focusing on how his resurrection wasn't just another one of Jesus' incredible miracles—it was the pivotal moment that triggered Jesus' crucifixion. This miracle foreshadowed the kind of faith required and the hope that is now available to all believers. It points to the resurrection power of Jesus, not just in a physica...

This week, as we wrapped up part two of our Revelation Series, The Letters , Chris read a letter to City Church OTR. Our church may not be one of the seven in Revelation, but God is writing a pretty unique story over us. We want to be amazed again at all God has brought us through and dream about what He might be doing in the future.

This week, Kristen taught from the letter Jesus wrote to the church in Laodicea. Jesus wants us to have effective faith full of passion, purpose and zeal. His challenge to the Laodiceans was that they compromised and diminished their faith while being self-reliant. They are spiritually sick and the only remedy for that is Jesus himself. He’s waiting for us to let Him into every aspect of our lives...

This week, Chris taught from Jesus' letter to the church in Philadelphia in Revelation, one of the two letters where Jesus offered no correction. Jesus commended their faithfulness, saying, "See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut." This "open door" symbolizes opportunities for service and spreading the Gospel. This challenges us to recognize and tak...

This week, Evan Doyle unpacked Jesus' letter to the city of Sardis in Revelation 3. Sardis had a reputation for being alive, but in reality, they were dead. Jesus calls them to wake up because His work in them isn’t finished. The same is true for us—it's easy to build a reputation while slowly letting small compromises creep in, dulling what was once pure. But Jesus invites us to walk clos...

This week , Chris taught on the letter written to the city of Thyatira. Jesus's critique of the Christians there wasnthat they were tolerating a woman leading them into compromise. Jesus isn’t just concerned with what we do, but also what we tolerate. Syncretism is the game of the day, where we merge religious systems. It’s what we are tempted towards, but it’s God OR something else, not God A...

This week, Dwight Young taught on the letter Jesus wrote through John to the church in Pergamum. Jesus calls out the false teaching that led the Christians there to drift from the truth. It’s a reminder for us today—how easy it is to compromise and lose focus with all the distractions this world throws at us. But we’re called to keep our eyes above and choose no compromise .

This week, Chris taught on Jesus’ letter to the church in Smyrna. In the letter, Jesus acknowledges the struggles of the Christians in Smyrna and calls them to stay faithful through trials, choosing faith over fear.

Jumping back into Revelation, we're starting Part 2, The Letters. Chris taught us through the letter to the church in Ephesus. In this letter, Jesus honors the steadfastness and firm foundation of Ephesus and encourages them. But like Jesus does with those He loves, He also calls them out of the rut they've fallen into - they've forgotten their first love and allowed the love of other...

This week, Dave Workman share with us about The Art of Becoming. What are the desires of your heart? Nothing can truly satisfy them like the Lord. Is your desire for Him deep enough?

Rob wrapped up our If series with a word on Repentance. Repentance is where your will and faith collide. The most important miracle you will ever witness is the miracle of change from the inside out. Churches across the world are desperate for a move of God. We want to see our cities radically transformed by His presence — His Kingdom come to earth. We believe that’s God’s desire too, and He gives...

This week, Chris spoke on the topic of Hunger. We can give the façade of obedience, or we can have hunger like Josiah, who smashed the high places—he didn’t just avoid them. What would it look like if we lived a Psalm 27 life? Even if an army is surrounding us and war is breaking out around us, the one thing we’re still thinking about is God’s presence and being with Him. Churches across the world...

This week, Chris taught on the biblical narrative of God inviting us to co-heir and reign with Him. When Jesus taught us to pray, he told us to pray that “THAT place would look like THIS place”. Prayer is our best tool to see earth look more like heaven. Churches across the world are desperate for a move of God. We want to see our cities radically transformed by His presence — His Kingdom come to...

This Sunday, Chris kicked off our "IF" series, highlighting the things God loves as described in 2 Chronicles 7:14—humility, prayer, hunger, and repentance. He also shared practical ways to fast biblically, outlining three primary reasons for our fast this January: to subdue sin, to long for more of God, and to seek His awakening in both us and our city. Churches across the world are desperate for...

This week, Rob wrapped up our Advent series, The King Has Come , focusing on the topic of Love. God is love and love changes things. Love cannot start with us. Love always starts with God. This season, we look back and remember when the King first came—a baby in a manger, born to redeem the world. As we reflect on that first coming, we’re reminded of our place in His story now: living in the tensi...