Hillside Community Church Podcast

As Jesus begins His ministry, there are several groups that follow Him.  There are His disciples, His committed followers, and the crowds.  This morning, we’ll see how Jesus gathers these folks and ask ourselves an important question: What kind of follower am I? Where do I fit? - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Faith Stults oversees an organization called Science with Faith , in which she partners with schools, churches, and nonprofits to help people experience science not as a threat to faith but as a powerful tool for knowing, worshiping, and serving God in the redemption of all creation. She believes it is best to remain humble, curious, and gracious as we explore this intersection and will focus on e...

Up to this point in the book of Matthew, we’ve been watching Jesus getting ready to begin His ministry time.  This morning, we’ll see Jesus start His work, and we’ll see when He starts, where He begins His ministry, and what His main message was. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Satan knows that Jesus has come to reclaim His Father’s world, and Satan is not happy about it.  He will do anything in his power to derail Jesus, to make Jesus unable to do what He came to do.  This morning, we’ll look at the attack that Satan makes on Jesus, tempting and enticing Jesus to disobey the Father. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

This morning we’re going to see John the Baptist being surprised.  His cousin Jesus, the Messiah Himself, shows up to get baptized.  John isn’t sure what to do.  Jesus doesn’t have any sins to confess.  Why does He need to get baptized?  And John feels like He is not good enough to baptize Jesus.  This morning we’ll see why Jesus needed to be baptized and what happened after He was. - Pastor Ron K...

Have you ever had someone stop by your house unexpectedly? If you have, maybe you thought to yourself, “I wish I had known. I would have put everything away. I would have cleaned up the house. I would have vacuumed and dusted!” This morning, we’ll hear John the Baptist tell us to get ready because we’ve got company on the way. And this visitor is the most important person ever! - Pastor Ron Kool S...

Pastor Arek O’Connell addresses the question, “Why would a loving God send someone to hell?” by breaking it into three parts—hell, a loving God, and “sending” someone—and stressing that people usually ask it from a place of pain. He explains biblical terms and common views of hell, then offers a simple, memorable line: heaven is where God is; hell is where God is not.  Pastor Arek argues that whil...

Christmas often brings us a warm feeling–peace on earth, goodwill to all. But not everyone felt that way on the first Christmas.  Matthew tells us that while Jesus came to save us, not everyone wants the salvation He brings.  For some, Jesus is not a gift, He is a threat.  And they will do whatever it takes to get rid of Him. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

By now, we're all pretty familiar with the classical manger Nativity scene. The baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Shepherds, and Wise Men. While the addition of the 'Wise Men' doesn't seem so odd or important to us today, to Matthew's audience, it would have been a radical proclamation that not only is this baby Jesus King of the Jews, but he is the King of the World. - Pastor...

Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Your name is an important part of your identity. It is the first bit of information others learn about you, and for some it is all they will ever know about you. In our story this Sunday, we see how Jesus received His name. And we'll discover how just the name of Jesus alone is good news to us, but more importantly, how the name Jesus is the hope of the World. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Sup...

We began looking at what Matthew is telling us about Jesus in his genealogy last week, and we’re going to continue that this week.  As Matthew continues to name ancestors, he continues to tell us who Jesus is and why He came. This week, we’ll look at some of the biggest failures and some of the quietest successes in the genealogy. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Matthew is going to tell us the amazing story of Jesus the Messiah, the King of kings and the Savior of the world.  He’s got so much to say. But he starts with a list of names—a genealogy.  It’s not something that many of us find very interesting. And yet Matthew has a powerful message for us in this list of names. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

In this second session on “How Can There Be One True Religion?” Pastor Ron Kool focuses on how Christians should respond when someone they love says, “I don’t believe what you believe anymore.” Instead of rushing into arguments, he urges us to pray first, pick a wise time and place, and be clear on our goals—whether that’s inviting them to rethink, clarifying our beliefs, or simply learning how to...

In the wonderful Christmas carol Joy to the World, we sing the words, “Let every heart prepare Him room.” We need to do that! This morning, we begin the season of Advent—a time when we prepare room in our hearts for Jesus to come to us.  Today, we begin by recognizing that, more than anything else, we need Jesus. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on the goodness of God in our daily lives, provisions, relationships, and in God's faithfulness. This Thanksgiving, Pastor Morné Marais will share on being thankful for hope. Support the show

We all have rhythms in our lives—patterns, certain times when we do certain things.  This morning, we’ll see that God knows we need some of those patterns in our lives, as we look at the rituals, celebrations, and offerings that God called upon Israel to practice.  And we’ll think about how those practices might impact our rhythms of life today. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Pastor Ron Kool opens by noting the enormous religious diversity in the world—over 11,000 religions—yet almost everyone falls into seven major groups, with Christianity and Islam comprising more than half of the global population. Using worldwide and North American statistics, he highlights the rapid rise of the religiously “non-affiliated” and the decline of Christianity in the West, which increa...

God's people are just about to head into the Promised Land, but are completely unaware of a threat behind the scenes. The prophet Balaam was hired to curse the Israelites and damage their relationship with the God of Israel. What we'll explore together this Sunday is how God can turn the intended curses of others into blessings, promises, and hope for our future. - Pastor Arek O'Con...

God’s people are on the move and the nations around them are getting extremely nervous.  They band together and call on a Prophet for Profit—Balaam.  Balaam knows God and knows he should obey God.  But, like us, sometimes it’s hard for Balaam to obey God when there is so much money on the line. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

In this session, Pastor Arek O'Connell explores the central Christian claim that Jesus is truly God. He begins by affirming that for Christians, the trustworthiness of Scripture matters deeply because so much rests on what it says about Jesus. He unpacks how the Gospels present Jesus claiming divinity—not only through his words, but through his miracles, forgiveness of sins, fulfillment of pr...

In one of the strangest and most memorable stories in the book of Numbers, God sends salvation to His people—but it’s a bronze snake on a pole! The people at the time didn’t know it, but that snake on a pole would become a great picture of Jesus. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

One of the lessons we’re learning about being in the wilderness with God is that the wilderness is a mixed bag.  There are extremely difficult moments followed by instances of amazing grace.  This morning, we’ll see that so clearly as we come to one of the saddest, most graceful chapters in the book of Numbers. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

What do we do when challenges to leadership arise from within? What should we cautiously consider before challenging our leaders? How do Godly leaders respond to challenges? How does the community caught up in the mess respond in a way that honors God? Regardless of the circumstances, all of us are called to submit to God's leadership. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the show

Kristin Hileman kicked off a practical session on “Can I trust the Bible?”—framing it as the foundation for the whole "Defending Your Faith" series. After a playful fact-or-fiction opener, she shared Sean McDowell’s story to underline this: if we ask people to stake their lives on an ancient book, we need reasons, not circular claims. She defined what Christians mean by “the Bible,” note...