Hickory Ridge-cast

Never underestimate how God can change your whole life through making a small spiritual change! If you are ready to add simple, practical, spiritual habits to your life, this is the message for you. Pastor Justin shares how to begin adding things like prayer, fasting, or meditation to your life, in a way that you will stick with for good!

What kind of person am I? What kind of situation am I in? What does someone like me do in a situation like this? Psychologists have determined these three questions flash subconsciously through our minds right before we make any decision. So clearly, God designed us in such a way that our identity, our self-worth, and how we view ourselves is of extreme importance to our daily lives. In this messa...

Ever feel trapped in the same patterns? Do you want to be different, and experience growth and breakthrough, but feel trapped... stuck in the same old habits? In this message, Pastor Justin shares that real change requires character transformation. And that transformation cannot happen by our own strength, will, or power. But only when God works through us!

Mentioned in the same section of scripture as characters like Moses and Abraham is Rahab. This prostitute turned favored spy put her life on the line to help God's people, and saw with eyes of faith what others around her could not. She was blessed for her obedience, and eventually came to be part of the lineage of David and Jesus! There is a lot to learn from her story about how God can use us no...

We all want God's blessing... But how do we grab hold of it? And beyond that, what if our very idea and perspective of what "blessing" looks like is flawed? Often in the Bible, those who are blessed by God are also broken, and in in pain. That doesn't sound like a blessing! In this message, Pastor Justin looks at the topic of blessing, and shares how God’s blessing is not for us to be comfortable,...

Maybe you've been hurt, wounded, or abused by someone. What they did to you wasn't right, and it never should have had to happen. But it's also not God's best for you to carry bitterness and unforgiveness for the rest of your life. How can you expect to experience what God has next for you if you're stuck in the pain of your past? In this message, Pastor Aaron shares how when we take even a single...

When we feel lost, confused, or afraid, and the path we thought we were on falls apart, it's easy to want to rely on a plan. When tragedy strikes, we want to try and map out what went wrong and what to do next. We believe that if we just knew what was going to happen next, or had a five-step process to moving forward, we would feel better. But in reality, it's not a plan that brings us peace, but...

What if gratitude, and a thankful heart, are some of the main keys to growing closer to God? Many times the Bible calls us to enter into God's presence with praise and thanksgiving. But instead, we often begin our prayers by asking for something - rather than thanking God for what He has already done! In this message, Pastor Justin breaks down the topic of gratitude, and how we must each find ways...

Behind promises, miracles, and blessings is honor. We are told numerous times, and numerous ways throughout the Bible to be HONORING if we want things to go well with us. Honoring towards God, parents, spouses, those in authority, and spiritual leaders. But how do we walk out this ever-important important virtue? In this message, Pastor Justin explores the topic of honor, and shares how without ho...

Tired? Burned out? Ready to give up? We all have times in life where it feels like everything is going wrong, and we're never going to make it through. There are months that feel like years, and years that feel like decades... Times where everything in us wants to stop moving forward. Yet were made by a God who can give us strength to keep going, and to persevere even in difficulty!

In today's day and age, it seems like integrity is a thing of the past. But God has called each of us to be men and women of integrity! In this message, Pastor Justin looks at the biblical definition of integrity, and challenges us to ask God to search us, and guide us in every area of our lives, so we can truly walk in integrity!

John was a man called "greatest of all" by Jesus. John was Jesus' cousin, and he helped launch Jesus' ministry, and even baptized him. But when John was sent to prison, he waited for Jesus to send help, supplies, or a miracle, and Jesus didn't do any of those things. So John began to doubt in Jesus, and feel despair in his circumstances. Many of us have experienced those same feeling of doubt and...

When God hasn't answered your prayers, or fulfilled the promise He made to you months, years, or decades ago, it can shatter your faith. How do we learn to walk in peace, and in belief, when we're reaching the end of things, with no resolution in sight? In this message, Pastor Justin shares truth and encouragement for anyone who has ever felt like God has abandoned His bargain.

We all know life is full of difficulty. Those times when God seems far away - like He does not hear our cries and prayers for help. But we must remember that Jesus weeps with us even when we blame Him... and our circumstances are not indicative of God's absence. In this message, Pastor Justin shares the hope and peace that we can find, even when God seems absent.

Are you waiting for a promise to be kept? For the harvest to come from the seeds you've planted? For the prayers you've prayed, prayed, and prayed again to be answered? We know that God is faithful - but what should we do, or NOT do while waiting? In this message, Pastor Justin closes out our series on Galatians by exploring the idea of waiting on the Lord.

Our Children's Director, Carly Ogren, takes the stage this week to explore Galatians 5 and the truths found within! Join us as we look at the freedom we can find in Christ, and how by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live transformed lives!

People need to taste and see that the Lord is good. One of the biggest ways we can help people do that is by showing them how we love one another. But until we get to the point where we stop fighting, and stop seeing other people as the enemy, we can never unite and make a difference.

Many Christians fall into the trap of legalism. This has been a problem since people began to follow Jesus over 2,000 years ago. In fact, Paul addresses legalism in the second chapter of his letter to the church in Galatia. In this message, Pastor Justin explores Galatians chapter two, and shares why it's grace - not rules - that are most important in Christianity!

As Christians, we must not live for the likes and approval of others. But whether it's because of our own insecurity, or our own ego, we often gravitate towards living for just that very thing! As we begin this series on Galatians, let's look at how Paul reminds us to live for the approval of our Savior, not our spectators!

In this message, special guest speaker Ethan Mast shares from scripture and the story of Moses... exploring the idea of surrendering our future to God - even in the face of the unknown!

The church is a place. The church is a people. The church has a purpose. God made the church for so much more than our own enjoyment! In this message, Pastor Justin takes a look at the purpose for the church, and our place in it!

Ever wondered how God wants us to see ourselves? When it comes to our relationship with God, we most often think about our soul or spirit. We talk about our mind and thought life, too... but the Bible makes it clear that God cares about our physical bodies as well! In this message, Pastor Justin explores how we can learn to love the bodies God gave us, and honor God with them!

Every person God has ever used had past hurts. And while you cannot change your past, God can change your future, and His power is greater than your past hurts.