Presence Church Teachings

Jesus’ invitation to “Come, follow me” was not a call to self-improvement, religious performance, or instant success, it was a call to reorient life around becoming his disciple. In this message, Pastor Ben examines the calling of Peter and Andrew to show how first-century discipleship reshapes identity, purpose, and direction. By exploring the cost of following Jesus and the mission that flows fr...

On this Christmas Eve message, Pastor Ben invites us to reflect on a simple but profound question: What is it about light that captivates us? From childhood wonder to the vast darkness of the universe, Scripture shows that God has always used light to reveal His presence, His promises, and His path for humanity. Tracing the story of light from the burning bush to the star over Bethlehem, this mess...

Christmas awakens a deep longing for home, but Scripture tells a bigger story about where that longing comes from and how God meets it. In this message from the Made His Dwelling series, Pastor Ben traces the biblical theme of “home” from Eden, to the tabernacle, to Jesus himself. Drawing from John 1:14 and the Old Testament story of God’s presence, this sermon shows how humanity’s restlessness is...

In this Advent message from the Made His Dwelling series, guest teacher Jared Nassiff explores John’s striking Christmas proclamation: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” Rather than beginning with shepherds or a manger, John anchors the incarnation in eternity—revealing Jesus as the eternal Word through whom all things were made, now choosing to dwell with humanity. Tracing Go...

Pastor Darren launches our Advent series Made His Dwelling by exploring the staggering claim at the center of Christianity: the eternal Word who spoke creation into being took on flesh and lived among us. John’s gospel links Jesus directly to Genesis, revealing a Christ who is not merely a messenger of God, but God Himself—of the same essence as the Father and the Spirit. This message traces how p...

Drawing from the long-running Harvard Study of Adult Development, Pastor Ben shows how decades of data uncovered an unexpected conclusion: what determines human flourishing isn’t intellect, class, or achievement, but love. Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 mirrors this discovery as he intercedes for the church to be strengthened in their inner being so they can grasp the width, length, height, and dept...

Pastor Ben explores Paul’s announcement of “the mystery of Christ”—that Gentiles are now full co-heirs with Israel and participants in God’s expanding family. Through the story of abolitionist Orange Scott and Paul’s own suffering for the sake of the Gentiles, this sermon traces how the gospel compels believers beyond tribal boundaries toward a new kind of humanity. Ephesians 3 reveals a cosmic pu...

Many people know the ache of feeling left out—socially, nationally, or even spiritually. In this sermon from Ephesians 2:11–22, Pastor Ben traces how Paul describes Gentiles as former outsiders to God’s covenant story: separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship, without hope and without God in the world. The message unpacks how the blood of Christ tears down the “dividing wall of hostility,”...

Before Jesus, humanity wasn’t just struggling—it was spiritually dead in transgressions, swept along by the world, the flesh, and the devil. In this message from Ephesians 2:1–10, Pastor Ben unpacks our desperate condition, the stunning “but God” of the gospel, and what it means to be saved by grace through faith. The sermon traces how God moves people from wrath to mercy, from death to life, and...

Continuing our Ephesians series, Pastor Patrick teaches Paul’s powerful prayer in Ephesians 1:15–23, a one-sentence plea that God would open the eyes of our hearts. In a world overflowing with content but starving for true spiritual depth, Paul doesn’t pray for better circumstances—he prays for revelation. He asks God to give His people wisdom, unveiling, and illumination so they can know Him, not...

In a moment when division in America is measurable—even by tools like the Vanderbilt Unity Index—Scripture reveals a very different story: God is moving history toward deep, lasting unity in Christ. Kicking off our Ephesians series, Pastor Ben walks through Ephesians 1:3–14 , Paul’s “cathedral of praise,” to show how God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing, chosen and adopted us,...

At our first-ever Church in the District gathering, Pastor Ben teaches from Luke 15:11–32 , sharing the story of the prodigal son alongside the redemption arc of Jean Valjean. In a culture where many feel far from God—stuck in shame, burnout, or self-reliance—Jesus reveals a Father who runs toward His kids with compassion, not condemnation. Whether you relate to the younger son who hit rock bottom...

In this concluding message following our Vision Series , Pastor Patrick casts a compelling picture of what it would look like for our city to reflect the heartbeat of Jesus— Ankeny as it is in heaven . Through the lens of agritainment, fruitfulness, and Eugene Peterson’s “long obedience in the same direction,” he shows how easy it is for churches and Christians to appear vibrant while quietly prod...

As we continue our Vision Series , Pastor Ben teaches what it means for the church to be a presence in our city —to live as Jesus’ ambassadors, carrying His light into the darkest places. From Matthew 4–5, we see Jesus establish His ministry in strategic Capernaum, bringing light to a weary world and calling His followers to do the same. We are named salt of the earth and light of the world —peopl...

In week two of our Vision Series , Pastor Ben teaches on our second priority as a church: Become Like Jesus Together. Drawing from Romans 8 and Romans 12, he explains that God’s will for every believer is not just forgiveness but transformation—being conformed into the image of Christ by the Spirit’s power. This is what the church has called spiritual formation : learning to resist the patterns of...

As we begin our Vision Series , Pastor Ben teaches on our first priority as a church: Seek God’s Presence . Using the image of tuning an old radio, he shows how God is always near, yet often unheard because of the noise in our lives. From the stories of 1 & 2 Chronicles to Paul’s words in Acts 17 and Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1, we learn that seeking God’s “face” means relational closeness, s...

Launch Sunday marks the beginning of Presence Church, and Pastor Ben opens with Acts 17 and Paul’s announcement in Athens that the God who created the world “is not far from any one of us.” Through the true story of six Tongan boys stranded on a remote island, we confront what it means to be genuinely lost—building a decent life on our own terms while remaining far from the God who gives us life,...