Hillside Community Church Podcast

Perhaps the most difficult seasons of faith that we endure are seasons when we experience pain, suffering, and loss. Deep down we know that suffering is part of the deal when it comes to being a Christian, but when grief hits hardest, it can feel as if God has forgotten about us and our pain altogether. But there’s good news, even in my grief. The good news in my grief is the good news of the Gosp...

For the next three weeks we’re going to be looking at stories from the Gospel of John for some much needed good news in a world that has plenty bad to offer. The best news usually comes when we think there’s only bad news or no hope. But there is good news in all seasons, even in the times when we fall short and blow it. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the show

Did your parents always want to know who you were hanging out with? Were they constantly asking about your friends? If they were, then it’s probably because they were wise and they loved you.  The people we hang around with matter—a lot—and this morning we’ll look at what the Proverbs have to say about our friends. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Our tongues are relatively small—they only weigh about three ounces.  But they are powerful.  They can cause great damage in our lives and the lives of others.  They can also be the source of great blessing.  This morning we’ll look at what the Proverbs have to say about our tongues. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

At times we can all be fools. We make foolish choices. We say foolish things. We go foolish places. At times we can all be fools. And we need help. That’s where the book of Proverbs comes in. Proverbs is a book of God’s wisdom that can help us navigate life well.  This morning we’ll start a series on the book of Proverbs. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

As we come to the end of the book of Acts, we have several questions yet to be answered.  What will Paul do in Rome? What is going to happen when Paul appears before Caesar?  Will Paul ever get to Spain?  This morning we’ll see how Luke finishes the story he’s been telling us. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

It’s interesting to think about how we should think about ourselves. Should we look at ourselves as bad people? As good people? Should we be proud of ourselves or ashamed about who we are? This morning we’ll look at what Luke tells us about Paul and about how we should look at ourselves. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

This week at Hillside, our kids have been learning what it means to be a hero. We’ve been following the life of David and learned that hero’s have a pure heart, they face their fears, they trust in God and offer forgiveness. There’s one more story we’ll look at together as a church and see that what ultimately makes someone a hero in God’s eyes is devoting your whole heart to God and God alone. -...

One of the lessons new drivers need to learn is what it means to yield.  It’s not the same as stopping—but you may have to stop.  It’s not the same as going—though you may get to go.  Yielding can be hard to learn when driving.  But it can also be hard to learn when we’re following God.  This morning Pastor Jul Medenblik will teach us about being yielded to God. Support the show

Sometimes you know that there’s a crash of some sort coming.  Even with God’s help, sometimes we hit the rocks. Paul and his companions on the ship know that they are going to “run aground” (crash) on an island during a terrible storm. This morning, we’ll look at what they did to prepare for the rocks and what we can do. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

God has promised us some pretty amazing things—His presence and strength, a new earth where everything will be the way it is supposed to be, new bodies that will never get cancer or die.  Some days it’s easy to believe in God’s promises.  We just know they’re going to happen. But some days we wonder—is it really true?  Will God keep His promises? This morning we’ll look at a story that shows us th...

In his last recorded speech in the Bible, Paul stands and gives a defense before King Agrippa in preparation for his arrival to Rome and ultimately Caesar.  Paul makes a lengthy speech in his defense, and what is significant to notice about his speech is that Paul can’t talk about himself without talking about Jesus at the same time. For Paul, every day was an an opportunity to testify about Chris...

Sometimes we’re in situations where we’re not sure what we ought to do.  Does God want us to stay where we are and wait for Him to do something? Or does God want us to take matters into our own hands and do something ourselves?  This morning we’ll look at a situation in which Paul has to figure out whether he waits or whether he takes matters into his own hands. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Paul’s missionary journeys have placed him in stressful situations repeatedly. Wherever Paul seemed to tell people about Jesus, trouble followed. Living with a clear conscience when things are good is hard enough. How do we live with a clear conscience before God and man under pressure? We see in the example of Paul before Felix we can live with a clear conscience in any situation when we seek the...

As we’ve gone through the books of Acts, we’ve seen God do a number of miracles—healings and earthquakes and blindness and bright lights.  This morning we’re going to look at a passage in which God doesn’t do any of these kinds of miracles.  He’s behind the scenes, working through “natural” means and circumstances.  We’ll think about how God might be at work behind the scenes in our own lives. - P...

We live in a politically charged environment. Some of us have experienced broken relationships over political divisions.  In an election year, things might well get worse. How do we live in this?  How do we handle politically charged environments?  This morning we’ll take a look at Paul in a politically charged environment and see what we can learn about how to handle it.  - Pastor Ron Kool Suppor...

One of the opportunities we sometimes have is the opportunity to tell others about Jesus.  It can be an exciting thing to do, but it can also be scary.  This morning we’re going to take a look at one of the most effective ways we can share our faith—we’ll see how Paul simply tells the story of when he met Jesus.  As we look at Paul, we’ll all be challenged to think about our story and how we might...

Paul has been on his way to Jerusalem for quite a while and he’s finally arrived. He’s been looking forward to being in Jerusalem but he also knows that troubles are ahead of him.  This morning we’ll see what happens when Paul goes into the city. As too often happens, the first trouble comes from other Christians. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Sometimes Christians disagree.  One of the things Christians disagree about is the strategy we ought to pursue.  We might have the same goal, but we might have different ways of getting there.  What do we do then?  How do we decide? This morning we’ll look at a situation in which Paul and a lot of his friends disagree and we’ll watch as they figure out what to do. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the sho...

The site of an empty tomb on Easter morning is a symbol of victory. Death has been defeated, the bondage of sin has been overpowered by God’s power and love. But the first time people saw an empty tomb on Easter, they became so scared and confused that they ran off in a silent panic. What could possibly be scary and confusing about Easter + the empty tomb? Well, if Christ is risen and He is Lord,...

As we gather together this evening for worship, we’ll take time to follow Jesus from His arrest to when He died. It is a sad, painful journey. But it also is a journey that leads to life for us. In our meditation, we’ll take a look at the person at the cross who sees most clearly—a Roman Centurion. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but…Most of us know the rest—words will never hurt me.  It would be nice if it were true, but it’s not. Words and gestures do hurt us and Mark wants us to know that Jesus faced a tremendous amount of mockery, scorn and humiliation on His way to and while He was on the cross. We'll look at what this has to teach us this morning. Support the show

We move ahead to the day that Jesus was crucified.  In the early hours of the morning, we see Him at prayer, but this is a different kind of prayer than we have seen before. Jesus is in anguish.  He is struggling like never before.  And as we realize why Jesus is overwhelmed, we begin to see the pain and suffering He will endure for us. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

One of the things that was most difficult for the disciples to understand was why Jesus came.  They got that He came to save but they didn’t get HOW He would save and what the Kingdom of God would be like. They just didn’t get it.  This morning we’ll watch as once again Jesus tries to help them (and us) “get it.” - Pastor Ron Kool Support the show

Summary: We want to follow Jesus because at the end of the day we know that the best life, eternal life, can only be found in following Jesus! So if following Jesus offers us the best eternal destiny, why do we find it to be so difficult to follow Jesus as God’s Word tells us? Usually, it’s because we’re still holding onto something. However, new life in Christ and God’s love can only be found whe...