City Church OTR Messages

This week, Chris continued our Advent series, The King Has Come , focusing on the theme of Peace. Jesus is called the Prince of Peace, and He brings us both peace with God and the peace of God. Perfect peace is available to us, as long as our minds remain steadfast and trusting in Him. This season, we look back and remember when the King first came—a baby in a manger, born to redeem the world. As...

This week, Kristen continued our Advent series, The King Has Come , focusing on the topic of joy. As we see countless times in the Bible, hope is most needed in a season of waiting. We continue to hope by holding on to truth, knowing God's Word, surrendering to His heart for us, drawing near to Him, and inviting others into the journey with us. This season, we look back and remember when the King...

This week, Chris began our Advent series, The King Has Come. He taught on Joy. In Luke 2, the angels brought good news that would bring joy to all people. They told a story similar to one that had been told before but made the joy accessible to everyone and brought it first to the lowest of the low. This season, we look back and remember when the King first came—a baby in a manger, born to redeem...

This week, Chris taught on the topic of Women in the Church. He addressed some of the most debated questions on the subject and highlighted examples of women in leadership in the early church. The context of scripture is incredibly important and remains relevant to us in many ways today.

This week, one of our friends and favorite guest speakers, Beth Guckenberger from Back2Back Ministries, shared a powerful message about stories. She reminded us that stories and testimonies of faith serve as fuel for future generations. In moments of darkness or uncertainty, we can draw strength from the stories of those who came before us and from the accounts of the faithful found in God's Word.

This week, Chris wrapped up chapter one of Revelation with a focus on The Voice. The Voice is the central figure of Chapter one. What drowns out the voice for you? Are you putting Jesus at the center of your life? Revelation is one of the most read, and yet least understood books of the Bible. It wasn’t just for the early church, and it’s not just preparing us for what’s to come. This 5-part serie...

This week, Chris continued the Revelation series, The King , with a focus on John, the one whom Jesus loved. There is more historical and cultural context in the book of Revelation than is usually considered. After following faithfully for over 60 years, John was alone on an island when God gave him these visions, which he wrote as a call to a spiritual minority. Revelation is one of the most read...

This week, Chris continued our Revelation Series, focusing on The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The reason we are studying this book is because Jesus is being unveiled. What has been hidden, is finally being revealed! Revelation is one of the most read, and yet least understood books of the Bible. It wasn’t just for the early church, and it’s not just preparing us for what’s to come. This 5-part ser...

This week, Chris kicked off the first part of our five part series on Revelation, The King. He shared that Revelation is teaching us how to be faithful in the midst of Earth, not how do we escape Earth. The King is coming... So, how do we, in preparation, live as if his kingdom is colliding with this one? How do we be faithful until He arrives? Revelation is one of the most read, and yet least und...

This week, Dave Workman delivered an impactful message at City Church OTR about Mission and Power. He emphasized that the power of the kingdom of God fuels our mission. As a church, we are called to empower one another, working together to renew both our city and the world around us.

This week, Rob gave a message on how our witness is our purpose. Our witness serves as proof of the Kingdom, of which we can testify. As believers, we are called to be a representation of Christ on the earth.

This week, Chris taught on our final value, Formation. The church’s goal is our maturity, becoming more like Jesus together. Formation and presence are meant to move together, holding the tension between the Bible and the Spirit. When they drift apart, we miss out on who Jesus is shaping us to be. A blueprint shows us how a building is to be designed or constructed. Our desire is to cultivate the...

This week, Chris taught on our third value, Presence. He asked the question, "Are you open to God's presence changing the plan?" The mark of this church will be that pursues the presence of God. We will be a church that allows the plan to be changed for the sake of being in His presence. A blueprint shows us how a building is to be designed or constructed. Our desire is to cultivate...

This week, we celebrated 4 years of City Church OTR! God has brought us through some amazing and challenging seasons. In his message, Chris reminds us what it means to live on mission while holding the tension of our other three values: Family, Presence, and Formation. A blueprint shows us how a building is to be designed or constructed. Our desire is to cultivate the kind of family Jesus introduc...

This Sunday, we kicked off the Blueprint series, exploring the four core values of City Church OTR. Chris introduced our first value: Family. Family serves as the foundation where our other values—mission, presence, and formation—are lived out. As we pursue these, we aim to do so alongside people we love and trust. Imagine what it would look like if the City Church OTR family played a key role in...

This Sunday was our annual Sermon Slam at City Church OTR. We invited five members of our church family—Katherine Marlin, Linnea Buttrey, Jaren Groves, Annie Francis, and Evan Doyle—to each deliver a five-minute message inspired by one of our stained glass windows. Each other them brought a new and beautiful perspective of the Father's heart to the stage. Each Sunday, light shines through our...

This week, Michelle highlighted one of the stained-glass windows titled "The Road to Emmaus." This window, inspired by Luke 24, gives us a glimpse into who Jesus is. He wants to hear from us because He loves us! He knows us and what we need. Luke 24 also, in a way, foreshadows how the Holy Spirit was sent to walk with the children of God when Jesus returned to the Father in heaven Each Sunday, lig...

This week, Rob highlighted one of the stained-glass windows titled "Jesus Knocks at the Door." At City Church OTR, we want to be known as the church that's hungry, not stagnant. We need to stay in fellowship with Jesus and be ready to open the door when He knocks and know His voice. Each Sunday, light shines through our beautiful stained glass windows, telling the timeless stories of...

This week, Chris drew attention to one of the stained-glass windows titled "Mary and Martha." Both Mary and Martha serve as profound examples of Christian life, embodying the balance between listening and action. Holding the tension between listening and doing can be challenging, yet both Mary’s attentive listening and Martha’s active service stemmed from a deep reverence for Jesus. Each...

This week, we kicked off our new sermon series, Mosaic. Chris highlighted the window titled "Jesus at 12 Years Old." At just 12 years old, Jesus stayed behind at the temple courts, without His parents' knowledge, learning from and questioning the teachers there. As followers of Jesus, we should be about our Father's business. We want to be people that are like Jesus and Jesus was...

This week, City Church OTR delved into what it means to engage with the nations through missions. God's heart is for the nations, and it has always been in His plan to send His people to share the gospel. Chris and our dear friend and co-speaker, Richard Thompson, shared on what a heart for missions looks like and vision for how God is using City Church OTR in missions.

This week, Chris wrapped up our "Asking For A Friend (Again)" series by discussing friendship. Jesus teaches on friendship and called us to love each other and live in community. Friendships are difficult; they require a lot of our time, they are exclusive, and they require vulnerability, but they are entirely worth it. We need to do life together. One of the greatest risks to human flou...

This week, one of City Church's oldest and most trusted friends, Megan Baird, shared with us on the topic of marriage. Marriage is a human representation of God's love. In marriage, our relationship with God must come first so that our marriages can prosper and further the kingdom. The gift of marriage is offered to all of us by God, as He pursues us all. Will you say yes? One of the great...

This week, Chris, taught on the subject of singleness. For some, singleness is a season, while for others, it is a lifestyle. Singleness is a Biblically validated way of life. When Jesus came, he expanded the concept of family beyond traditional or nuclear family. Jesus knew the value that singleness bring into families and into the kingdom of God. One of the greatest risks to human flourishing is...

This week, Rob spoke about the impact of parent wounds and the challenges they create in parent/child relationships. The Bible instructs us to honor our parents, but wounds or orphan hearts can make this commandment difficult to follow. However, as followers of Jesus, we are called to represent him by honoring the people around us. One of the greatest risks to human flourishing is the epidemic of...