Lakeside Church

Acts (The Church Gets Messy): Exiled by Religion, Embraced by God by Lakeside Church

When everything goes wrong, or everything falls apart, God still moves in the middle of the mess. In this message, Johanna Kelly walks us through the first verses of Acts 8 where we see how tragedy leads to transformation as the church is scattered and the gospel reaches new people. Even in conflict, division, and messy motivations, God is at work bringing healing, redemption, and hope. Discussion...

The early church didn’t just face pressure from empire - it also faced betrayal from within. Stephen wasn’t killed by outsiders, but by the religious elite who thought they were protecting God. In this message from Robyn Elliott, we explore what happens when faith gets twisted by power - and how defending religion can actually become a denial of the very God we claim to follow.

Ever tried cleaning while the kids are still in the house? That’s what it felt like in the early church - it was beautiful for a moment and then chaos crashed in. In this week’s message from Robyn Elliott, we see in Acts 6 how Jesus’ vision for ekklesia - a people, not a place - was always meant to be messy, diverse, and radically inclusive. The Spirit empowers us not for control, but for compassi...

Acts (The Church Unleashed): The Cost of Faithfulness by Lakeside Church

What kind of church did Jesus have in mind? In Acts 4, we see a radical community shaped by unity, generosity, and Sabbath economics—where “there were no needy among them.” This message from Robyn Elliott challenges us to reimagine abundance, resist over-consumption, and become a people who are the church, not just people who do church. Discussion Questions: 1. What story about 'enough' have you b...

Acts (The Church Unleashed): Ordinary People; Extraordinary Boldness by Lakeside Church

In Acts 3, Peter and John encounter a beggar at the temple gate — a moment that becomes a window into the power of God, even when they seemingly have “nothing” to offer. This message from Robyn Elliott explores what it means to see others with Spirit-filled eyes, to wrestle with the tension between miraculous healing and unanswered prayers, and to offer what we have — however small — in faith. Wha...

Acts (The Church Unleashed): From Waiting to Wildfire by Lakeside Church

In this message from Jack Ninaber, we explore the beginning of the book of Acts and Jesus’ promise that the Holy Spirit would come and empower his followers. In the second week of this new series, we’re reminded that the extraordinary work of God often begins in the ordinary moments of life—when we learn to wait, listen, and respond, and that God uses ordinary people for extraordinary purposes whe...

We’ve all had those “we had hoped” moments—when life takes a turn we never expected, and faith starts to feel distant. This message reminds us that Jesus meets us right where we are—in our doubts, in our questions, even in our walking away. He doesn’t wait for perfect faith; He steps into our confusion with quiet presence and steady love. In this message Pastor Robyn Elliott takes us on a walk thr...

In this message from Robyn Ellliott, we look at Easter morning, where the world carried on as grief crushed the disciples and Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb, carrying spices and despair. What she found was not death, but resurrection: a new third day, rich with life, where love wins and death doesn’t have the final word. We are Easter people in a Good Friday world, called to live out God’s lo...

As we approach Good Friday, we confront the ultimate collision of power and love at the cross. In a world where power often disguises itself as righteousness, Jesus reveals a different way, one not of coercion, but of sacrificial love. The cross strips away pretense, exposes injustice, and draws all people toward the God who would rather suffer violence than inflict it.

What does true generosity look like? In this message from Jeff Groenewald, we explore a powerful story from Mark 14, where a woman pours out an entire year’s wages in devotion to Jesus. While others criticize her, Jesus welcomes her generosity, challenging us to examine our own hearts—are we living with an abundance mindset like Jesus or are we holding back?

In this message from Jonathan Puddle, we explore the powerful moments in Jesus’ final days, from His triumphal entry to cleansing the temple, and how these events speak to us in times of political and social unrest. We reflect on the importance of love—loving God, loving ourselves, and loving others—above religious performance, and how surrendering to God’s love can transform our lives and the wor...

In this message, we dive into how Jesus challenged the corrupt religious and political systems of his time. While taxes today fund public services, in Jesus' time, they kept people poor and enriched religious leaders. Facing a trap over taxes, Jesus flipped the situation, showing that it’s not about money, but about where our allegiance lies—empire or God. His message wasn’t against wealth but abo...

In this message, we reflect on the powerful moment when Jesus overturned the tables in the temple, challenging the corrupt religious and economic systems that excluded the marginalized. Jesus’ deliberate act of disruption wasn't just about anger but about restoring justice—showing that justice is not only part of worship, but it is worship. As we examine our own lives, we are called to ask: where...

As we enter into this season of Lent, we reflect on Jesus' final week and what it reveals about his character. We explore his weeping over Jerusalem, his call for peace over power, and the crowd's misunderstanding of his kingship. We are challenged to examine our faith and ask ourselves, "What kind of king do we truly want?" and how this question can shape our journey during this season.

Jack Ninaber’s journey is one of faith, challenges, and transformation. Through loss, uncertainty, and bold leaps of faith, he discovered God’s purpose in unexpected ways. Even in his lowest moments, he saw God’s faithfulness, reminding us that no matter where we are, God is always at work.

Was the final line of the Lord’s Prayer always there? Scholars have found that 'For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory…' wasn’t in the earliest manuscripts of Matthew, but it became part of church tradition over time. So, is it scripture or not? In this message, we take a deep dive into this last line and discover what it means for how we understand God’s kingdom, power, and glory.

In this message, Pastor Robyn Elliott explores the concept of the Lord’s Prayer, particularly the demand, "deliver us from the evil," emphasizing the difference between tests that prove character and temptations that destroy it. It examines how evil manifests both personally and systemically, urging us, as Jesus followers, to consider our complicity in such forces and our role in addressing them a...

Forgiveness is not just a one-time act but an ongoing process that shapes our relationships and actions. In this message, Pastor Robyn Elliott highlights the tension between the call to forgive and the struggle we face with pain and injustice. The message encourages a deeper understanding of forgiveness, not as a transaction to "buy" God’s forgiveness, but as a transformative act that mirrors God'...

Give us this day our daily bread. In this message, Kevin Coghill (from Royal City Mission) highlights the powerful symbolism of bread as both a basic need and a call to community, urging Jesus followers to share life with those on the margins, just as Jesus did. It challenges us as individuals and as the church to move beyond fear of reputation and embrace the radical love of identifying with the...

Your kingdom come, your will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. In this message, Pastor Robyn Elliott explores these lines from the Lord’s Prayer and invites us into a vision of a new world order—one that demands deep personal and collective transformation. It calls us to reconsider our understanding of God’s will as freedom for all, subverting the political and economic systems that prioritize...

In this message from Joash Thomas, we focus on the line "Hallowed Be Your Name" from the Lord’s Prayer, exploring its deeper meaning beyond personal holiness. Rather than simply asking for personal requests, prayer is framed as a spiritual formation tool that aligns us with God's values, especially regarding justice and systemic sin. By praying for God's name to be honored as holy, we are invited...