LIFEchurch IA

If you have ever wondered where you fit in the church, this message is for you. In Week 2 of Transformed, Pastor Amy teaches from Romans 12:3-8 and shows how humility, spiritual gifts, authenticity, and connected community all flow from knowing who God is. This message explores what it means to think of yourself less without thinking less of yourself, why the body of Christ needs every part, and h...

Romans 12 teaches that spiritual transformation begins with surrender. In this message, Pastor Rich walks through what it means to offer your life as a living sacrifice, refuse the pattern of the world, and let God renew your mind. Rich also connects this passage to strongholds in our thinking and the practice of taking thoughts captive. If you are wrestling with anxiety, control, fear about the f...

Many of us have learned to live behind masks, agreements, and labels that were formed in pain. In this message, Pastor Chris shows how the enemy uses wounds to shape identity, how Jesus restores us without shame, and how the Father invites us to receive what is truer about us in Christ. Speaker: Chris Cary Message: Our True Name Scripture: Romans 8:15-16, John 10:10, 2 Corinthians 3:16, John 21, R...

Do your words reflect your relationship with Jesus? In Week 5 of Jesus + Nothing, Pastor Rich closes the series by teaching from Colossians 4 and reminding us that everything is spiritual, including the words we speak, text, post, pray, and use in difficult conversations. This message explores four ways our words can point people to Jesus: pray with your words because they connect you to God, enga...

What does it look like to honor Jesus in marriage, parenting, & work? In Week 4 of Jesus + Nothing, Pastor Rich teaches from Colossians 3:18-4:1, a passage that can feel uncomfortable in our culture. Rather than fast forwarding through difficult Scripture, this message invites us to ask what faithful obedience looks like in the roles God has given us. Rich walks through biblical submission, sa...

How do you make Jesus your priority when life is full of competing voices, habits, desires, and distractions? Rich Greene continues the Jesus + Nothing series with a message from Colossians 3. Paul moves from belief to behavior: since we have been raised to new life with Christ, we set our hearts on things above, put to death what belongs to the old life, and put on compassion, kindness, humility,...

How do you trust God when you are suffering and cannot make sense of what is happening? Pastor Rich continues the Jesus + Nothing series with a message from Colossians 1-2 on the mystery of Christ in us, the hope of glory. Paul writes about suffering while he himself is in prison, reminding us that struggle is not evidence that God has forgotten us. In Christ, suffering can become a place where we...

What do you really believe about Jesus? In Colossians, Paul reminds the church that the gospel is Jesus plus nothing. Jesus is not simply one part of the Christian life. He is supreme over all creation, the one who rescued us, the one who defines our identity, and the one who holds all things together. Pastor Rich teaches that we often treat faith like a buffet, choosing the parts we want while le...

What do you do when what you see is different from what God has said? In this message, Rich continues the Strength and Courage series by looking at Joshua, Jericho, and the kind of faith that pleases God. Faith is not just believing God exists, and it is not treating God like a genie who gives us whatever we want. Faith is trusting God's promise, obeying His plan, and continuing to walk even when...

The Holy Spirit is your friend, and He is not something to fear. In this message, Wayne teaches about the Holy Spirit, baptism in the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, and why many Christians feel nervous or confused about this topic. He explains that every Jesus follower has the Holy Spirit from the moment they give their life to Jesus, and that God invites believers to ask for more of His power by f...

Missionary guest speaker Joseph Gordon shares a powerful message from John 20 about what it means to be sent by Jesus. Through stories from his own life and decades of missionary work, Joseph reminds us that God doesn’t wait for us to feel qualified before inviting us into His mission. Jesus sends ordinary people with His peace, His Spirit, and His heart for the world.   Speaker: Joseph Gordon Ser...

Discouragement can feel normal when life stays uncertain, but this message reminds us where courage really comes from. In this sermon from Joshua 1 and Joshua 4, Pastor Rich shows how God meets us in the middle, re-anchors our confidence, and reminds us of His faithfulness when fear and discouragement try to take over. Speaker: Rich Greene Series: Strength & Courage Scripture: Joshua 1, Joshua...

If you’re trying to do the right thing and life still feels hard, this message is for you. Pastor Rich opens Numbers 13–14 to show how God gives us a new perspective so fear doesn’t have the final word. In this message, we look at Joshua and Caleb, the difference between fear and faith, and three questions that shape our perspective: What are you looking for? Who are you listening to? What words a...

What do you do when hope feels risky, faith feels tired, or something in your life seems too far gone to come back? In this Easter message, Rich Greene opens John 20 to show how Mary’s grief at the tomb becomes a picture of resurrection hope for all of us. If you’ve been carrying disappointment, cynicism, church hurt, or quiet despair, this message points to the risen Jesus who still calls people...

Palm Sunday is more than a parade story. In this message, Pastor Chris explores the tension surrounding Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, why the crowd misunderstood His mission, and how Palm Sunday still invites us to surrender control and receive the peace only Jesus can give.   Speaker: Chris Cary Series: Easter Series Date: March 29, 2026 Scripture: Matthew 21, Luke 19, Zechariah 9:9, Psalm 118, Da...

What do you do when you know something other than God has your heart? In this message from March 22, 2026, Pastor Rich walks through Psalm 115 and Psalm 42:1 to show that holy practices are not about earning God’s favor. They are a response to being loved, remembered, and pursued by God. If you have felt distracted, spiritually numb, or stuck in patterns that never truly satisfy, this message offe...

What keeps us spiritually stuck is not always lack of information. Sometimes it is the gap between hearing God’s Word and putting it into practice. In this message from Holy Practices, Pastor Rich walks through Psalm 1 and Matthew 7 to show how a life rooted in Jesus becomes steady, fruitful, and able to stand through the storm. Speaker: Rich Greene Series: Holy Practices Scripture: Psalm 1; Matth...

Prayer can feel intimidating, especially when life is heavy and you don’t know what to say. In this message from Rich Greene, we walk through James 5 and discover how prayer becomes our first response in emotional pain, physical exhaustion, and spiritual struggle. If you’ve ever wondered whether God really hears you, this message is for you.   Next steps: Connect / Prayer / Baptism / Salvation: ht...

Confession and repentance are central to spiritual renewal. In this message, we walk through Psalm 32, David’s story, and practical steps to move from hidden guilt to restored intimacy with God. If you’ve been going through spiritual motions, this message is for you. Speaker: Rich Greene Series: Holy Practices Weekend Date: 2026-03-01 Scripture: Psalm 32; 2 Samuel 11-12; James 5:16 Next steps: Con...

In this message, Amy Johnson teaches on biblical forgiveness and what it really means to forgive someone who has deeply hurt you. Through a personal story and a close look at Matthew 18 (the parable of the unforgiving servant), she explains that forgiveness is not pretending the hurt didn't happen, excusing sin, or instantly feeling healed. This message explores: - Why forgiveness matters to God -...

What does spiritual growth actually look like over time? In this message from guest speaker Paul Austin unpacks 1 John 2:12–14 and describes the journey of discipleship—from learning you’re forgiven and loved, to becoming strong in truth, to maturing into a spiritual “father/mother” who invests in others. Along the way, Paul shares stories from coaching 8U Little League that connect to Next Gen mi...

What does it really mean to “run and not grow weary” when life feels heavy and you’re just trying to hold it together? In this message, Paul Hurckman (Venture Missions) unpacks Isaiah 40:31—especially the idea of waiting on the Lord as active “holding on” (qavah (קָוָה))—and how God renews our strength as we keep showing up. You’ll also hear how Kingdom Builders generosity is supporting work in to...

When the news won’t let you breathe and everything feels divided, it’s easy to start seeing people as the enemy. But what if your peace isn’t found in “winning”—it’s found in where you fix your gaze? This message is a call back to Jesus: justice without tribalism, identity without fear, hope that outlasts the moment. --Connect With Us-- Need prayer, want to sign up for baptism or surrender your li...

What did Jesus really mean when He said, “Go and make disciples”? In this message, we look at Matthew 28 and Acts 1:8 to discover that disciple-making isn’t a program, a personality type, or something reserved for pastors and missionaries. It’s part of our identity as followers of Jesus. We are called to be witnesses—ordinary people who share what God has done in us. This message breaks down how d...

In Week 3 of our NEXT series, Pastor Rich unpacks what it really means to be a disciple—and why Jesus’ call is bigger than a one-time decision. We’re talking about three simple discipleship goals: Be with Jesus Become like Jesus Be on mission with Jesus. From there, we zoom in on the Great Commission (Matthew 28) and the phrase that changes everything: Jesus isn’t just giving us an activity—He’s c...