Iowa City Church Podcast

In a world filled with bad news, uncertainty, and endless distractions, the Gospel of Mark opens with the greatest news ever announced: Jesus Christ has come. In this message, we launch our summer series, Come Follow Me , by exploring the life-changing good news that stands at the center of the Christian faith. Discover why Jesus is the answer to our deepest needs for hope, forgiveness, purpose, a...

I was baptized as a baby—is that enough? In this message, we explore one of the most common and sensitive questions people ask about faith and baptism. Rather than relying on tradition or personal experience, we turn to Scripture to discover God's purpose and design for baptism. Join us as we examine what the Bible teaches, why baptism matters, and how understanding God's Word can bring greater co...

What happens when we die? It's one of life's biggest questions—and one that every person must eventually face. In this message from our Asking For a Friend series, we explore what the Bible teaches about life after death, why the resurrection of Jesus changes everything, and how the promise of eternity reshapes the way we live today. Discover the hope, confidence, and assurance that followers of J...

Many Christians wonder, "If I follow Jesus, why do I still struggle?" In this message from Luke 5, we discover that Jesus didn't come for people who have it all together—He came for people who know they need Him. Explore the difference between forgiveness and transformation, and find hope that God is patiently at work bringing healing and change to every area of our lives.

In this message from our Asking For A Friend series, we tackle one of the most difficult and emotional questions people wrestle with: Why would a loving God allow hell to exist? Looking closely at the teachings of Jesus, this sermon explores what hell is, why it exists, and how God's justice and love work together. Most importantly, this message points us to the hope of the gospel and the heart of...

Why does a good God allow evil and suffering? If God is all-powerful, couldn't He stop it? And if He loves us, why doesn't He? In Part 5 of our Asking For A Friend series, we wrestle with one of the most difficult and personal questions people ask about faith. This message explores what the Bible teaches about evil, suffering, free will, and the heart of God toward those who are hurting. Whether y...

In this sermon podcast we tackle one of the most important—and often misunderstood—questions of the Christian faith:  What's the deal with the Trinity?  In a culture where God is often reduced to a vague feeling or distant idea, the Bible reveals something far more personal and powerful. God is not just one being to believe in—He is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: one God in a perfect community of l...

In Part 3 of our Asking For a Friend series, we explore a question that continues to surface in conversations about faith: Don't all religions lead to God? It's an honest and important question—one that deserves thoughtful, biblical clarity. Whether you've wrestled with this personally or are engaging with others who are exploring what they believe, this message will help you better understand wha...

In this sermon podcast, we launch a brand new sermon series called Asking For a Friend —where we take on some of the toughest and most honest questions people are asking about life and faith. And we're starting with a big one: Can I trust the Bible? Whether you've wrestled with that question yourself or know someone who has, this is a conversation that really matters. We believe the Bible is God's...

What if the resurrection of Jesus isn't just something we celebrate once a year—but something that reshapes how we live every single day? In this message, we wrestle with a big and honest question: Can a rational, intellectually honest person really believe that Jesus rose from the dead? And if the answer is yes, then it leads to an even more personal question: What does that mean for my life? Tog...

Have you ever noticed how much space God takes up in the book of Exodus? After rescuing Israel from slavery, God gives detailed instructions for building the tabernacle—a sacred place where his presence would dwell among his people. From the garden of Eden, to the tabernacle, and ultimately to Jesus, the story of the Bible reveals something remarkable: God desires to live in relationship with us....

Well, that didn't take long. Just weeks after entering into a covenant with the God who rescued them from slavery, the Israelites turn away and bow down to a golden calf. It's easy to read that story and wonder how they could fall so quickly. But the deeper question is this: Is idolatry just an ancient problem—or do we still struggle with it today? In this message, we explore what the golden calf...

In this message from Exodus 19, we explore one of the most important moments in Israel's story—when God meets His people at Mount Sinai and clearly defines what a relationship with Him looks like. Before giving commands, God reminds Israel of His grace: He rescued them from slavery, carried them through the wilderness, and brought them to Himself. Then He invites them into a covenant relationship...

In this sermon we'll be walking through Exodus 15–17 and discovering an important truth:  the wilderness isn't about comfort—it's about becoming God's people.  After rescuing Israel from Egypt, God didn't lead them straight into ease. He led them into testing. Not to harm them, but to shape them. In the same way, God often uses seasons of difficulty in our lives to form our trust, deepen our depen...

In this sermon we continue our important series through the book of Exodus. When we read about something amazing in the Bible--like God parting the sea and leading former slaves to freedom--how should we respond? Is it mainly something that should make us feel good? Is it a hint that God wants to part the seas in our life--winning the battles we hope to win? As we walk through Exodus 14, we will l...

In this sermon we explore Exodus 11–12, a powerful story of God's rescue and mercy. In a moment of great fear and uncertainty, God made a way for His people to be saved and brought out of slavery. This passage reminds us that the Lord sees His people, knows their suffering, and faithfully provides deliverance when there seems to be no way forward. We'll also look to Jesus, the Lamb of God, whose b...

God's people often find themselves in moments that feel overwhelming and impossible. When Moses obeyed God and confronted Pharaoh, the result was not immediate freedom, but deeper hardship: the same number of bricks, now without straw. Many of us know what that feels like. What do we do when following God seems to make life harder, not easier? In this sermon, we'll look at how God meets His people...

In this sermon we are continuing our sermon series through  Exodus  with part two of the story. We'll look closely at Moses' reluctance to step into God's mission for his life—leading God's people out of slavery. Even after God promised to be with him and to work powerfully through him, Moses was convinced God had chosen the wrong person. His plea was simple and honest:  "Please send someone else....

As we step into a new year, we're asking an honest and important question:  What does it really mean to follow Jesus? In this sermon we'll look at Jesus' words to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3—a loving but challenging call to move beyond comfortable, halfway faith and into a life of full surrender. Whether 2025 was a year of joy, struggle, growth, or disappointment, this message speaks di...

In this sermon we're launching a brand-new Christmas series called  Seeing Christmas with Fresh Eyes , and we're kicking it off by looking at a story we think we already know—Mary's. We've heard the Christmas story so many times that we forget how shocking, unexpected, and downright messy it really was. But when we pause and look again with fresh eyes, we discover a God who writes stories differen...

Thanks for joining us as we continue our series  Our Church , exploring what it looks like to live as disciples of Jesus and make an eternal impact with our time, talents, and resources. In this sermon, we'll focus on the spiritual discipline of generosity—discovering how the way we use what God has given us reveals whose Kingdom we really belong to.

This week on the Iowa City Church sermon podcast, we continue our Our Church series with a message called "Shaped for a Purpose." In this sermon, we explore how God has uniquely designed each of us—through our Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, and Experiences—to live a life of meaningful service. When we discover our SHAPE, we begin to understand the specific calling God has placed o...

In this episode of the Iowa City Church Podcast, we continue our  Our Church series by focusing on one of the most vital yet often misunderstood spiritual disciplines— repentance . Repentance isn't just a one-time decision to follow Jesus; it's a daily practice of turning our hearts back to Him so that His Spirit can shape us into His likeness. As followers of Jesus, we're called to holiness—a lif...

Created to Worship Worship isn't just something we do on Sundays—it's a way of life that centers our hearts on God's greatness and reminds us who we are in Christ. In this message, Daniel McCoy helps us explore what it means to worship "in spirit and in truth" and how this rhythm of worship transforms our daily walk with Jesus. Whether you're a longtime believer or simply curious about following C...

Abiding in Prayer Life can sometimes feel like we're paddling hard against the wind—trying our best but getting nowhere. Yet God never intended for us to move through life on our own strength. In this message, Pastor Tom reminds us that prayer is how we lift the sails of our hearts to catch the power and direction of the Holy Spirit. Discover how to move from striving to abiding, and experience th...