Rediscovering Faith

Send us your questions and reflections! Following Jesus was never meant to stop inside the locked room. In this episode of Rediscovering Faith, Pastor Evan Ryder explores how the Holy Spirit empowers believers to move beyond fear and participate in the mission of God. Drawing from John 20, Acts 1, and the Great Commission, this Pentecost reflection reminds us that the Spirit was not given merely f...

Send us your questions and reflections! Was the Church ever meant to be something we simply watch? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith, Pastor Evan Ryder explores Ephesians 4 and the calling of every believer to participate in the mission of God. Discover how the Holy Spirit forms builders—not just consumers of spiritual content. This conversation invites listeners into a deeper, more active li...

Send us your questions and reflections! Pentecost is not just about powerful spiritual moments—it is about ordinary people being empowered for the mission of God. In this episode of Rediscovering Faith, Pastor Evan Ryder explores Acts 2 and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples. Discover how God consistently works through unlikely, imperfect, and ordinary people to build His Kingdom...

Send us your questions and reflections! What does it mean when Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit”? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith, Pastor Evan Ryder explores the powerful connection between Genesis creation, Ezekiel’s valley of dry bones, and the Pentecost story of John 20. Discover how the Holy Spirit is not merely emotional inspiration, but the very breat...

Send us your questions and reflections! Fear has a way of locking us in. Fear of failure. Fear of rejection. Fear of uncertainty. In John 20, the disciples are hiding behind locked doors after the crucifixion—but Jesus enters the room anyway. In this episode of Rediscovering Faith, Pastor Evan Ryder explores how the Holy Spirit transforms fearful bystanders into courageous builders of God’s Kingdo...

Send us your questions and reflections! What if weakness is not the end of transformation—but the beginning of it? In the final episode of this Jacob arc in our “From Bystander to Builder” series, Pastor Evan Ryder explores the closing moments of Book of Genesis 32 as Jacob limps away from his encounter with God forever changed. Jacob entered the night striving for control, security, and blessing....

Send us your questions and reflections! Who gets to define your identity? In Episode 9 of our “From Bystander to Builder” series, Pastor Evan Ryder explores the powerful moment in Book of Genesis 32 when God changes Jacob’s name to Israel. After a lifetime of striving, grasping, and building a kingdom around himself, Jacob encounters a God who not only wrestles with him—but renames him. This episo...

Send us your questions and reflections! Why are we so afraid of silence? In Episode 8 of our “From Bystander to Builder” series, Pastor Evan Ryder explores one of the quietest—and most important—lines in Book of Genesis 32: “Jacob was left alone.” Before Jacob wrestled with God, he first had to face solitude. In a world filled with noise, distraction, entertainment, and endless activity, many of u...

Send us your questions and reflections! What kind of kingdom are you building with your life? In Episode 7 of our “From Bystander to Builder” series, Pastor Evan Ryder explores the early life of Jacob in Book of Genesis and uncovers how ambition, striving, and self-protection can slowly shape us into builders of our own kingdom rather than participants in the Kingdom of God. Jacob spent years gras...

Send us your questions and reflections! What are you really wrestling for? In Episode 6 of our “From Bystander to Builder” series, Pastor Evan Ryder explores Jacob’s life-changing encounter with God in Book of Genesis 32 and uncovers a challenging truth: everybody is building something with their life. Jacob spent years striving for blessing, identity, security, and control. He was ambitious, reso...

Send us your questions and reflections! What if the Church was meant to be more than a place we attend? In Episode 5 of From Bystander to Builder , Pastor Evan Ryder explores Ephesians 4:16 and Hebrews 10:24, reflecting on the beauty of Christian community and the way Christ strengthens His people through one another. In a culture marked by loneliness, isolation, and shallow connection, Scripture...

Send us your questions and reflections! What does spiritual maturity actually look like? In Episode 4 of From Bystander to Builder , Pastor Evan Ryder explores Luke 12:48 and Ephesians 4:13–15, reflecting on responsibility, stewardship, and the kind of faith that becomes deeply rooted in Christ. Jesus teaches that “to whom much was given, much will be required.” In a world full of distraction, out...

Send us your questions and reflections! What if the mission of the Church was never meant to be passive? In Episode 3 of From Bystander to Builder , Pastor Evan Ryder explores Matthew 28:19 and Ephesians 4:11–12, reflecting on Christ’s call to make disciples and the Church’s responsibility to help people grow into spiritual maturity. Jesus did not commission His followers to create spectators or r...

Send us your questions and reflections! What if spiritual gifts were never meant to make us feel important—but to help us strengthen one another? In Episode 2 of From Bystander to Builder , Pastor Evan Ryder explores Ephesians 4:7–10 and 1 Peter 4:10, reflecting on how Christ continually supplies grace to His people for the building up of the Body of Christ. Too often, conversations about “spiritu...

Send us your questions and reflections! Why do so many Christians feel spiritually stuck? In the first episode of our new series, From Bystander to Builder , we explore the difference between passive faith and active discipleship. Drawing from Ephesians 4:1–6 and James 1:22, Pastor Evan Ryder reflects on how spiritual maturity is formed—not through observation alone, but through walking daily with...

Send us your questions and reflections! How do you actually live out your faith in everyday life? In the final episode of our Joining Jesus series, Pastor Evan Ryder brings everything together with a simple but powerful truth: God is already at work—and we are invited to join Him. In John 5:19, Jesus reveals how He lived: “The Son can do nothing by himself, but only what he sees the Father doing…”...

Send us your questions and reflections! What is the Church really meant to be? For many of us, church has become something we attend—a weekly service, a building, or a set of programs. But in the New Testament, the Church is something far more powerful. In Episode 4 of our Joining Jesus series, Pastor Evan Ryder explores how the Church is not just a place we go, but a people we belong to—and the p...

Send us your questions and reflections! What did Jesus mean when He said: “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do…”  — John 14:12 In Episode 3 of our Joining Jesus series, we tackle one of the most challenging and misunderstood statements in the Gospel of John. If we’re honest, many of us hear this and feel the tension:  We believe in Jesus… but are we actually doing the works He...

Send us your questions and reflections! What does it mean to actually live with Christ ? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith , we continue our Joining Jesus series by exploring one of the most powerful and often overlooked truths in the New Testament: union with Christ . The Apostle Paul uses this language again and again—we are crucified with Christ , buried with Christ , raised with Christ ,...

Send us your questions and reflections! What does it actually mean to believe in Jesus? In John 14:12, Jesus makes a shocking statement: “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do…” But what if belief is more than agreement?  What if faith was never meant to be passive? In Episode 1 of our new Joining Jesus series, Pastor Evan Ryder explores the difference between simply believing ab...

Send us your questions and reflections! Is God still in control—even when the world feels broken? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith , Pastor Evan Ryder explores the beloved hymn “This Is My Father’s World” , written by Maltbie D. Babcock. With its simple yet powerful declaration, this hymn reminds us that even in the midst of chaos, beauty, and brokenness—this world still belongs to God. Draw...

Send us your questions and reflections! What is shaping the way you see your life? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith , Pastor Evan Ryder explores the ancient hymn “Be Thou My Vision” , a prayer that has been spoken by believers for over a thousand years. Rooted in early Irish Christianity and later translated by Mary Byrne, this hymn invites us to place God at the very center of our lives—not...

Send us your questions and reflections! What are you focusing on—and how is it shaping your life? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith , Pastor Evan Ryder explores the timeless hymn “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus” , written by Helen H. Lemmel. With its simple yet powerful message, this hymn invites us to re-center our attention on Christ and discover how that focus transforms everything else. In a w...

Send us your questions and reflections! What happens when the grace of God becomes more than an idea—and begins to transform your life? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith , Pastor Evan Ryder explores the powerful hymn “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing” , written by Charles Wesley during the early days of the Methodist revival. Born out of his personal conversion experience, this hymn captures...

Send us your questions and reflections! What does it really mean to trust God…when life doesn’t make sense? In this episode of Rediscovering Faith , Pastor Evan Ryder explores the beloved hymn “’Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus” and the powerful story behind it. Written by Louisa M. R. Stead after experiencing deep personal loss, this hymn is not rooted in comfort—but in a faith that endures through...