Dutilh Sermons Podcast

The story of Isaac and Rebekah teaches us that God is involved in the intimate details of our lives. When Abraham’s servant sets out to find a wife suitable for Isaac, he has no idea where to begin. But God works through the details of the stories and brings Isaac and Rebekah together. In this message, we reflect on God’s faithfulness to bring the right people, opportunities, and purposes together...

Sometimes God calls us to trust beyond our understanding. Such was the case when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. It is a moment when Abraham’s faith collides with his reason, and when his trust in God is stretched to the limit. In this message, we wrestle with one of the most difficult stories in the Bible, considering what impossible commands God may ask us to obey, and learning to...

Hagar and Ishmael were cast out into the wilderness – abandoned, thirsty, and hopeless. Their story paints a vivid picture of what it looks like to feel alone, forgotten, and in despair. Yet, because of God’s grace, despair never gets the final word. The same God who met Hagar in her wilderness meets us in ours. When life feels dry, when we cannot see a way forward, God’s presence and provision re...

God’s promise to Abraham seemed impossible. Although they were well past child-bearing years, they would have a son who would carry on their family name, the first of Abraham’s descendants, who would be as numerous as the stars. Such a promise seemed so unbelievable that Sarah laughed out loud at the thought. But in the end, God got the last laugh, delivering a miracle child named Isaac. In this m...

By Genesis 12, the good world that God made was on the brink of destruction. Human sin and brokenness spread across the globe, infecting everything with a sickness unto death. God’s plan to redeem the world begins with his gracious calling of a man named Abram. Abram’s willingness to obey by packing up his family and going to a new land is the beginning of the story of God’s saving grace. In this...

Today we celebrate graduate recognition and new members joining our church. Today's message reflects on the Great Commission! Discussion Guide

Today is Pentecost Sunday! Thank you for joining us to celebrate the birth of the church. Based on Acts 2: 1-8

As a Boy Scout, I learned a motto that has stuck with me through the years, “be prepared.” In life, it is important to prayerfully prepare for the variety of circumstances we may face. Peter knew the importance of spiritual preparation, especially in light of the hardships he knew he would encounter because of his faith in Jesus. Rather than react to hardships when they arrived, Peter prepared him...

The message for DSM Sunday will focus on God’s ultimate purpose for us who are followers in Christ – to be living stones, part of the spiritual house God is building as a testimony to Christ. As students are in the midst of discovering their personal identity and direction in life, they will reflect on what this passage says about our ultimate purpose. Based on 1 Peter 2:1-10 Against the Grain, We...

Too often, we see our sufferings as a sign that God is not on our side. Nothing could be further from the truth. God’s Word is clear that when we follow Jesus there will be times when we suffer, just as Christ suffered. While we do not wish for suffering, Peter teaches us to interpret our suffering as an opportunity to deepen our truth in Christ. In this message, we look at the suffering Jesus end...

When life presents us with challenges, it is important to remember that the world as we know it is not our permanent home. As followers of Jesus, we are awaiting the day of his return when he will establish the fullness of his Kingdom. We are citizens of heaven and not of this earth. Peter reminds us of these truths, call us to shine as though redeemed by Christ in a world that can sometimes pull...

Following Jesus is not a ticket to an easy life. Every Christian will face trials and struggles. 1 Peter is written to Christians experiencing hardships that are testing their faith. In the opening of the letter, Peter reminds them of the hope that is theirs in Jesus Christ. It is this hope that can energize them to move forward and press on amid trials and uncertainties. In this message, we are i...

This year’s Easter Sunday services will focus on the resurrection account in Matthew’s gospel. From the earthquake, to the fear of the disciples, to the angel’s assuring words, we will focus on the good news that Jesus is alive. Based on Matthew 28:1-10 Easter 2026: Discussion Guide

Our Good Friday service will be contemporary worship, with music from our praise band. The message will be a first-person monologue from the perspective of Simon of Cyrene, who was recruited by Jesus to carry the cross. The message will invite the congregation into a deep reflection on the meaning of Jesus’ death on the cross. Based on Mark 15:21-37

Our Maundy Thursday service will be a traditional service of worship, featuring music from our choir, the Holy Week version of the Great Thanksgiving with sung responses, and will conclude with the traditional stripping of the altar and departing in silence. The message will focus on the words of institution from 1 Corinthians, which are said at every communion service. We will talk about the last...

We typically think of Palm Sunday as happy parade in which Jesus is celebrated as king. Yet, as the gospel tells it, it was much more than a little parade. It was a statement about all that Jesus came to do and the kind of king he would be. In this message, we take a fresh look at the events of Palm Sunday. Based on Matthew 21:1-11 Palm Sunday: Discussion Guide

LASIK surgery is an amazing procedure that enables people who once needed glasses to see again with 20/20 vision. In John 9, Jesus healed a man born blind in order to demonstrate his ability to perform spiritual LASIK surgery in our hearts. In this message, we learn from the healing of the blind man how Jesus can remove the scales from our eyes and help us to clearly see God’s goodness and truth i...

The world loves to define people with labels. Rich, poor, popular, nerdy, black, white, Republican, Democrat. These are just a few of the labels we use. The Samaritan woman was certainly familiar with labels. Her ethnicity combined with her cadre of broken marriages labeled her as someone with whom Jesus should not associate. But Jesus always saw past the labels of this world. In encountering the...

Nicodemus spent his whole life studying the scriptures and learning the ways of God. He was convinced that he was seeing God clearly, until he met Jesus. Jesus made him do a double-take. On one hand, Jesus did things that only God could do, but on the other hand he spoke in ways that Nicodemus had never heard before. In this message, we trace Nicodemus’ famous encounter with Jesus and discover the...

When we see through the lenses of the world, the temptations of the devil are enticing to us. Self-gratification looks appealing when viewed from this perspective. And yet, as Jesus demonstrated when he was tempted, God’s Word is like a pair of corrective lenses. When we allow God’s Word to shape the way we see the world, we are given a whole new worldview – one that allows us to resist the devil’...

Ash Wednesday at Dutilh church!

We live in a land that aspires to provide justice for all. Justice means receiving what one is due. In the biblical view, justice means ensuring that all people have food to eat, clothes to wear, and a place to live. Everyone is due these things based on their value as a human being made in the image and likeness of God. As the prophet Isaiah teaches us, to be a servant means cultivating a heart o...

The prophet Micah presents us with a stark warning. If we are not careful, it is entirely possible to go to church, participate in the worship of God, and still lack a servant’s heart. Micah declares there is little benefit in undertaking religious practices if we don’t live a life marked by compassion, in which we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Based on Micah 6:1-8 A Servants H...

We live in a broken world, where there are darkness, mourning, and grief. Who of us wouldn’t agree that a new governing authority is needed – an authority that will bring true peace to all the world? Hundreds of years prior to his birth, Isaiah declared that Jesus would be this new authority. The shocking news is that he would come into the world as an innocent child. In his poor and modest life,...

Jesus declared that his mission was not to be served, but the serve. His life was defined by his willingness to put the interests of others ahead of his own. He truly had the heart of a servant. A series of poems God shared through the prophet Isaiah anticipated the kind of servant Jesus would be. In the message, we see that Jesus was willing to submit to God’s will, even when he was mistreated fo...