Refuge City Church

This message from Acts 9:10–31 gives the powerful moment when Ananias responds to God’s call with, “Here I am, Lord,” and how his simple obedience becomes part of Saul’s dramatic transformation into the apostle Paul. Through this passage, we see how God’s providence is at work in ordinary places, positioning His people for extraordinary purpose. The message challenges us to embrace courageous obed...

In Acts 9:1–11, we witness the dramatic conversion of Saul, a man breathing threats against the church, when the risen Jesus confronts him on the road to Damascus. Matthew talks through how God’s overpowering grace interrupts rebellion, exposes spiritual blindness, and reveals the glory of Christ. Saul’s story shows that conversion is not self-improvement, but a divine collision that turns enemies...

In “Outsiders and a Desert Road” from Acts 8, we see how God expands His mission by exposing false faith and pursuing unlikely people. From Simon the magician’s corrupted motives to an Ethiopian eunuch’s life-changing encounter with Jesus, this passage confronts our hearts and widens our vision. Pastor Matthew explains that through Philip’s obedience, God often works not just in crowds, but in qui...

In this message, Dan Busch walks through Acts 6 and explains how the early church faced its first growing pain over neglected widows. Greek-speaking believers complained that their widows were being overlooked in the daily food distribution. Rather than neglect prayer and the ministry of the Word, the apostles directed the church to choose seven men full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom to serve tabl...

This message from Acts 5 reveals the danger of “playing church” while hiding a dishonest heart. In this passage, Matthew talks through how the Holy Spirit is not a spiritual accessory but a holy, searching presence who guards the integrity of Christ’s bride. God sometimes exposes sin dramatically to protect His church, and He will not trade true holiness for outward success or image. You’ll unders...

In this message, "Costly Boldness", believers are called to a costly, Spirit-empowered boldness that refuses to go silent about Jesus, even when obedience draws fire. Tracing Peter and John’s arrest, trial, and Spirit-filled response, we see that opposition isn’t a sign God has left; it’s often evidence that He is powerfully at work. Pastor Matthew presses into how the early church prayed for bold...

In Acts 3:1–11, we see a man who spent his life begging at the gate encounter something far greater than silver or gold—the transforming power of Jesus Christ. In this message by Pastor Matthew, we look at what the church uniquely carries that the world cannot replicate: not just resources, but resurrection power that brings new life. Through Peter and John’s bold faith, we’re reminded that God us...

This Pentecost-powered sermon unpacks the first Christian message that ignited a movement and still transforms hearts today. Walking verse by verse through Acts 2, we see Peter boldly proclaim Jesus as the crucified, risen, and reigning King. This isn’t a safe or polished message—it’s a Spirit-filled declaration that confronts sin, exalts Christ, and calls for true repentance. Discover how God’s s...

Waiting seasons aren’t empty; they are where God does some of His deepest work in His people, just like He did with the 120 in the upper room in Acts 1:12–26. In this message by Pastor Matthew, “What to Do While You Wait,” we walk through how the early church responded between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost—fighting for unity, devoting themselves to prayer, and interpreting their pain through Scri...

Waiting seasons aren’t empty; they are where God does some of His deepest work in His people, just like He did with the 120 in the upper room in Acts 1:12–26. In this message by Pastor Matthew, “What to Do While You Wait,” we walk through how the early church responded between Jesus’ ascension and Pentecost—fighting for unity, devoting themselves to prayer, and interpreting their pain through Scri...

The first command the risen Jesus gives His disciples after forty days of resurrection appearances isn't "go." It's "wait." In this message from Acts 1:1-11, we sit in that tension and ask why the gap between what God has called us to and what we're currently experiencing often comes down to one word: power. From Luke's prologue to Theophilus, to the disciples asking the wrong question about Israe...

On the greatest day in history, two disciples walked away from Jerusalem convinced they had lost everything — and the risen Jesus quietly joined their road. In this Easter Sunday message, we journey through Luke 24 and discover that the resurrection is not just the promise of life after death, but the presence of a living King in the middle of your hardest seasons. If you've ever said "I had hoped...

On the cross, Jesus did not whisper a defeated goodbye; He cried out a clear word of victory, “It is finished.” In this message from John 19, we step onto Golgotha and listen as the Lord of Glory declares that the debt of our sin is fully and finally paid. We see why the cross was absolutely necessary, why our self effort can never cancel our guilt, and how "It is finished" means the work of salva...

“5 Years of Building on the Rock” is our 5-year anniversary message, a celebration of grace and a sobering look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:21–27. In this sermon, we explore why it is possible to be busy for Jesus and never actually belong to Him, and why only a life built on Christ will stand when the storms come. Pastor Matthew unpacks three piercing questions from Jesus: Do you know His name,...

This sermon from Matthew 7:13–20 explores Jesus’ sobering picture of two gates, two roads, and two eternal destinations. We confront the illusion of a safe middle lane and hear Christ’s uncompromising call to enter the narrow gate by grace through faith. We’ll also examine how to spot false prophets, test spiritual “fruit” in character and doctrine, and practice discernment in an age of platformed...

Matthew 7:1–12 shows Jesus pressing on four major heart issues: how we judge others, how we discern, how we pray, and how we treat people, all under one Kingdom “measure.” In this sermon we walk line by line through “Judge not…,” “do not throw your pearls before pigs,” “ask, seek, knock,” and the Golden Rule, to see how self‑examination, wise boundaries, bold prayer, and sacrificial love all flow...

Kingdom Calm Over Worldly Anxiety is a sermon from Matthew 6:25–34 about how Jesus confronts our age of anxiety with a better way to live. The message contrasts a world where one in three adults wrestle with anxiety and depression with the calm Jesus offers as we trust a Father who feeds the birds and clothes the lilies. The message shows that anxiety isn’t just emotional but deeply theological, s...

In this message, Pastor Matthew unpacks Matthew 6:19–24 and exposes the subtle but deadly danger of divided devotion. We see how our treasure, our vision, and our master are all connected, and how what we love most will always shape how we live. This passages causes us to examine our spending, our habits, and our heart to see who or what you are really serving. If you have ever felt the pull betwe...

In this message from Matthew 6, we walk through Jesus’ warning against “theatrical righteousness” and His invitation into a hidden, authentic life with God. We’ll look at giving, prayer, and fasting, how the same practices can either be a performance for people or an offering to the Father who “sees in secret.” At the center of the passage is the Lord’s Prayer. Far from being a religious script, i...

In this message from Matthew 5:33–48, Pastor Matthew walks us through Jesus’ radical call to a deeper righteousness—one that transforms our words, our response to wrongs, and even how we treat our enemies. Whether you’re wrestling with unforgiveness, struggling to tell the truth consistently, or exhausted by the cycle of outrage and payback, this message will challenge and encourage you to follow...

In this message, Pastor Matthew walks through Jesus’ hard but hope-filled words on lust, divorce, and the way we see other people and ourselves. In a culture saturated with sexualized images and built-in comparison, Jesus exposes more than outward behavior; He goes after the heart that turns image-bearers into objects and spouses into options. If you’re weary of secret battles, weighed down by sha...

Killing Anger is a message from Matthew 5:21–26 that explores how Jesus links anger, insults, and contempt to the same heart-root as murder and calls His people into urgent reconciliation instead of quiet resentment. In this sermon we look at explosive and suppressed anger, why dehumanizing others made in God’s image is so serious, how unresolved conflict slowly destroys relationships and church c...

Join us in our "Sermon on the Mount: Living the Way of Jesus" series as Pastor Matthew unpacks Matthew 5:17-20. In this message, "Jesus and The Word," discover how Jesus doesn't abolish the Old Testament but brings it to its glorious fulfillment, calling us to a deeper, heart-level righteousness that surpasses mere rule-keeping. In a culture bombarding us with messages to dismiss Scripture as outd...

In this powerful message from our series "Living the Way of Jesus," Pastor Matthew Thrower dives into Matthew 5:13-16 (ESV), where Jesus declares His followers as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Discover how we're called to preserve truth amid moral decay and illuminate grace in a darkening society—fulfilling God's redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. Drawing on cultural i...

Join us for the kickoff of our new 8-week series, "Living the Way of Jesus," as we dive into the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5-7 (ESV). In this first message, "The Beatitudes: A Kingdom Manifesto" (Matthew 5:1-12), we explore Jesus' upside-down blessings that shatter worldly expectations and call us to humble dependence on Christ. In a culture obsessed with self-sufficiency and success, Jesus...