Messiah St. Charles Weekly Messages

It's a fact—you can't go through life without experiencing hurt. Sometimes there will be a lot of it. So how does God use our hurts to transform our lives for the better? That's the question that Pastor Jim teaches on using Johnny Cash's cover of "Hurt."

Got regrets? Sure, we all do. Sometimes we mess up so big that we pay a very public penalty. Most times, we're able to keep our sins hidden from the world. Johnny Cash had a lot of sympathy for those whose sins were exposed and scrutinized. He knew those outlaws and outcasts are just like us—sinners who need Jesus. The Gospel According to Johnny Cash continues with a teaching on "Folsom Prison Blu...

Even when we mess up, we are individuals God loves and made in His image. In His kindness, He offers us grace and forgiveness—and asks us to offer the same to others. It's kindness to others that demonstrates the love that Jesus has for the world. Johnny Cash's song "Give My Love to Rose" wasn't a big hit for him, but its grittiness reveals the Gospel as a message that is meant for everyone.

Johnny Cash sang "I walk the line" as a promise to his wife that he would be faithful to her when he was on the road. It was a promise he would have a hard time keeping. We, too, have a hard time keeping our promises — whether to each other or to God. We sin repeatedly in big and small ways. When we mess up, is it possible to out-sin God's grace? What does God think of us when we break our promise...

Johnny Cash never shied away from sharing his faults or his faith. Because of his raw honesty, we have a figure we can look up to when we feel far from God's grace. Be assured that you are never too far gone! Pastor Jim teaches from the song "Man in Black."

Our journey through Exodus ends at the Tabernacle. God has given His people very specific instructions on how they are to construct this tent, where they are to place certain items, and even what clothes the priests are to wear in it! So, what does this blueprint have to do with us? More importantly, where is Jesus in this "tent of meeting"? Pastor Chuck Schlie wraps it all up.

On Mount Sinai, the former captives in Egypt experience true freedom when God gives them a list of ten rules. That probably sounds backward to us. True freedom is being unyoked from rules, right? Not in God's Kingdom! We may not want to admit it, but we need perimeters. The Ten Commandments given to Moses are the keys to a good life.

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? That’s a question that people of faith have wrestled with for thousands of years. Pastor Jim explores this timeless topic in the context of the Exodus account of Moses leading God’s people across the Red Sea. Experience the freedom from past hurts that God wants for you!

Who’s the boss of you? Most of us like to think we’re in charge of ourselves, but that’s just not the reality for those who follow Jesus. We have a boss, and we have rules to follow and forgiveness to seek when we break those rules. God’s the boss of us — and that’s a good thing!

Chances are, God hasn’t appeared to you in a burning bush with instructions on freeing His people from captivity. If God came to you so dramatically with instructions so explicit, you’d surely take note and do as He commands, right? As it turns out, God does come to you and He has given you instructions. You have a calling, but barriers are keeping you from action. Hear from Pastor Chuck how you c...

When Pharaoh's daughter drew Moses from the Nile River, she provided hope in a hopeless situation. God can work the good in everything, even if we think we know best. He draws us towards Him to work with Him and follow Him from captivity to sin to find freedom in Jesus.

Exodus: Ash Wednesday 2022

God has been so good to us! On Jubilee Sunday, we have an opportunity to come together as a church family to thank Him.

Faith and generosity go hand-in-hand. Jesus said that you can't serve two masters, but often money plays that role in our lives. On Sunday, learn how you can give as God wants you to give. It's a tough exercise in faith, but the rewards are greater than you can imagine!

No, Messiah's not telling you to throw in the towel or resign yourself to failure. Hardly! Giving up for Jesus involves surrendering your life to His will ... and your earthly blessings to Him in thanksgiving. Yep, it's a money talk.

What's the faith of the next generation worth? If you've been around Messiah for awhile, you know the answer is "everything." Let's RAISE UP! our young Jesus-followers.

You don't need to serve others to get to heaven. Salvation is assured through faith in Jesus. But are you truly walking the talk if you don't use your gifts to serve God's church and other people? Pastor Chuck teaches on why service matters in God's Kingdom and how YOU can make a difference right here in your community.

Knowledge and religiosity are not the same as spiritual growth. You can acquire a lot of head knowledge, but it may not always help you “walk the talk.” In this message, Pastor Chuck Schlie gets into what it looks like to not just have faith in Jesus, but to have the faith of Jesus.

After the past two years of upheaval and loss, connection and community is more important than ever. We're learning how to effectively "walk the talk" in worship, and one way to do that is to find a group where you can connect relationally and grow spiritually. Find out more at MessiahStCharles.org/Groups

Do you worship regularly? As in, every Sunday of the month, all 12 months of the year? If your answer is "no," you're not alone. Is that good for our faith walk? If we only worship 1-2 Sundays a month, are we truly putting our faith into action? In this first message of our new series, Pastor Jim will get into why it's so important to "Show Up" on Sundays regularly.

A recent tradition has made its way into our holiday season – Elf on the Shelf. As Santa's spy, the elf is there to report on bad behavior. He sees what you're up to and judges you for it. Many people see God as similarly inclined to watch us and keep a list of our good and bad deeds. But is that really what God is all about?

It's Christmas FOR St. Charles

God gave us the best gift ever in Jesus, but do we truly appreciate His gift and understand the difference it makes for us and our world? In this message, Pastor Chuck Schlie teaches on the kind of gift-giver that God is and challenges us to be grateful receivers of His grace.

Can Jesus be found in all the busyness of the season? Since coming into our chaos is His mode of redemption, the answer is "YES!" You can find Jesus at a place as unlikely as a mall, and Pastor Chuck explains how in this message.

What does it mean to be a light to the nations? In this message, Pastor Jim will help you see your faith as a light of hope for your neighbor in the second week of Messiah's Christmas Traditions series.