Meta Church NYC

Have you ever found yourself in a situation you didn't expect to be in? A relationship (or lack of relationship)? A job or career? A city or a location? A stage of life? In those moments, we can't help but wonder what we are doing there and we become desperate to get out of it.

Why does suffering exist? What's the point of pain? If God is good, and He makes all things work together for good, then why does He allow bad things to happen? With things like cancer, illness, pandemics, natural disasters, violence and so much more – how do we reconcile there being a good God with the reality of suffering?

What happens when your dreams and longings to be a mom are completely dashed by tragic miscarriages, unexplained infertility diagnoses, and overwhelming sadness? How does someone deal with the paralyzing grief brought on by loss and pain? In this unique conversation on Mother's Day at Meta Church, Pastor Ricky Ortiz sits down with MaryEsther Caldwell and Krista Ortiz to discuss what it looks like...

Have you ever upset or frustrated when someone else gets the blessing you’ve been praying for? If you've ever experienced that, then you've probably felt like shouting, "God, this isn't fair!" But in this message from Pastor Ricky Ortiz, he shares why we actually don't want things to be fair...and that's because GRACE is not fair.

There are times where we question and wonder if keeping our faith is worth it. Is the personal discipline is worth it? Is the toil it takes is worth it? Is the financial sacrifice worth it? Are the results worth it? Is the pursuit of God worth it? 

Have you ever felt like God messed up? Like you did everything He asked you to do, but things just get worse? Almost as if you held your part, but God dropped the ball?

We often filter our thoughts, suppress our feelings, and pretend that everything is good. But that doesn't move us closer to God, nor does it allow us to build trust with God.

In recent years, there has been a rise of people who identify as non-religious. People have walked away from, or rejected, any form of faith. And many (former) Christians have left Jesus, the church, and Christianity altogether. But what if it didn't have to be that way? What if you walked away from something Jesus never initiated? Could it be that you ran away from something Jesus would have run...

What makes someone worthy of worship? In ancient days, kings were often heralded as divine incarnations of the gods, so they demanded and expected worship. Nowadays, most people wouldn't call themselves devout worshipers, but they still find something that appeals to their lives.   

Trust is an interesting thing...it can take years to build, and just a moment to lose. So what happens when trust has been breached? How does one respond? And is it possible for someone, through their response, to demonstrate that they are worthy of being trusted?

If everything Jesus said about Himself is true – that He's the Son of God, Messiah, and King – then He is absolutely worthy of being followed. 

In this final message from our DEVOTED series, Pastor Ricky Ortiz shares examples from the life of Paul to guide us toward being fully committed to God at every stage of life and in every season of life, and poses the question: Do you want it?

"More" is not always better. We live in a culture that values obtaining and getting more in every area of life, even if (or when) it doesn't make sense. This belief often permeates our relationships and ends up sabotaging our most intimate relationships.

Do you ever wonder if it's possible to feel, or be, close to God? Or what it would take to have true intimacy with God? So many people live their lives knowing about God, hanging around people who follow God, and even choose to give their lives to God yet they never experience real intimacy with God. 

This teaching was recorded as part of Meta Church's Vision Night on February 19th, 2023. In this talk, Pastor Ricky Ortiz shares how you are probably just 2 or 3 decisions away from being on track to fulfilling God's vision for your life and he outlines 5 steps you can take to begin fulfilling the vision God has for you.

We want more than just knowledge of God and we crave more than just His awareness. Most of us are seeking something that goes beyond Sunday services and worship...What we long for is INTIMACY with God.

We all know the best stories are stories of transformation. It's the stories where a person changes from one thing to another. And in this message, Pastor Ricky Ortiz shares 5 questions that lead to transformation. 

What would your life look like if you lived with legendary faith? We read of the heroes of the faith such as Abraham, David, Moses, Paul, Peter, and others and often think that type of faith is impossible for us to have. But what if it wasn't?

As Christians, we're taught that our lives should revolve around God. That God should be the center of our orbit. He is supposed to be at the center of who we are, what we do, and why we do it. This is what it means to "worship" God. And in this week's message, Pastor Ricky Ortiz shares three things every Christian ought to know about true worship.

Download the Prayer Checklist. Within each of us is a desire to connect with the Divine and reach out to a Power higher and bigger than ourselves. That's because God has created us with default settings and one of those default settings is the desire to pray.  Sadly, many of us have turned this setting off or we've allowed it to get crowded out by fear, worry, busyness, or pride.

Throughout the New Testament – and especially in the book of Acts – there is one thing above all else that seems to elevate the church and, in the process, completely overhaul the lives of those who engage it.

When we look back at 2022, we stand in awe of everything God did in and through our church! It's clear that God's hand was actively involved in restoring and reestablishing our church, which is why we're starting this new year by celebrating all that took place in the previous year. But at the same time, we know that God isn't finished! Nor are we supposed to stay put. It’s time for us to write th...

Did you know you have the power to bring life or death with your words? With your words, and the things you say, you have the ability to build someone up or tear them down.

Nobody likes a stingy person. Fortunately, Jesus was the opposite of stingy. His life and His actions were marked by generosity. In every situation and interaction, He opted to believe, do, and give the most generous thing possible. 

Have you ever felt incapable of living up to God's standards of righteousness? Or does it seem like it's impossible to measure up, even though you've been told that's exactly what a Christian should do?