Saints‘ Hill Church Podcast

This last Sunday we began a new series in which we intend to lay out a theological foundation for what baptism is, what it means, and what it accomplishes. In order to understand what baptism is, we first need a thorough examination of the gospel.  God made a world that needed human partnership in order to expand his kingdom physically and spiritually throughout the earth. The humans that were des...

All Christians believe that Jesus will return to remake the world someday, but how should we live as a result of this? In Luke 12v35-48, Jesus paints a picture of what it means to be ready for His return. We are called to live with a readiness that says no to greed, gluttony, and the pursuit of luxury. We are called to be obedient to God’s voice, stewarding our God-given earthly blessings well by...

This last Sunday, Laura Sharp taught us through Luke 12v22-34 and Jesus’ famous words on worry. If pride says I have enough, I don’t need to trust God; worry says, will I have enough? I’m afraid to trust God. No matter which way you spin it, worry is a trap. It lies to you about who God is and how He wants to care for you. In this passage we are invited into a lifestyle that kills worry - to consi...

What does it mean to be rich toward God? On Sunday, Jake Vigil taught us through Jesus’ words in Luke 12v13-21.  In this passage, Jesus tells a parable and warns against building up earthly treasure without being rich toward God. Some of the ways we get rich toward God are by crucifying the flesh, daily Bible reading, a lifestyle of prayer, fasting, generosity, and gratitude that leads to contentm...

This last Sunday Alex taught us through Luke 11v33-12v12, emphasizing the wisdom of prioritizing your inner world. In these passages, Jesus is giving a warning to anyone who chooses to build their life around the perception of others. He warns that this way of living will not produce the kingdom of God in you, but the fear of man. The fear of man says that God doesn’t see you, only people do. But...

We have placed a focus on this year in our church as a year of connection with God. Our desire is to become a consecrated place for the Lord to dwell, individually and as a family.  As Bria taught us further through Luke 11 on Sunday, we saw that this consecration does not happen by accident. If we are the house that God intends to dwell in, our love cannot be divided. We are for Him or against Hi...

At the beginning of every calendar year we take time to ask God how He wants to lead us in the coming months. On Sunday, Alex shared with us that 2024 will be the year of connection for Saints’ Hill. When we say connection what we mean is communication with God in reality, or what Jesus in Luke 11v1-13 calls prayer. Where there is connection in reality (prayer), trust is developed. Where trust is...

This last Sunday we closed out 2023 with a teaching from Ephesians 2 - what it means to have individual purpose and walk in the fear of the Lord. God made you and has a specific purpose for your life. Your gifts, interests, personality, limitations, and weaknesses, when they are channeled through and redeemed by submission to Christ, are designed to leave a mark. Receiving your identity in Christ...

In John chapter 1 we discover that Jesus came into the world re-create humans with light. According to the Scriptures, the problem with the world is spiritual blindness. There is no way to know God other than through the face of Christ. If you don’t look him in the face, you will live without light. To live without light is to live without hope, direction, and identity.  When we expose ourselves t...

In our third Sunday of Advent we examined the famous prophecy about Jesus in Isaiah 9v2-7.  Jesus came to get the principles and policies of heaven to become the standard of life you exist in. When you let Him set up His government in your heart, you get access to a Wonderful Counselor, a Mighty God, an Everlasting Father, and a Prince of Peace.  We rely on this internal government to produce God’...

Jesus’ incarnation liberated us from the gods.  According to the Scriptures, humans cohabit this world with gods who are lesser than Yahweh. The aim of these lesser gods is to un-do what God wants to do. Their goal is to un-create us by getting us to agree with demonic ways of seeing ourselves and God.  This is why Jesus’ advent is so meaningful. He comes to re-create humans. He gave us an example...

As we enter the season of Advent we ask ourselves the question, why did God become human? Alex proposed on Sunday that one of the reasons for the Incarnation was to teach us how to be human in this physical world. All the way back in Genesis 3 we see that humans have a problem with material. They desire to worship what they think it can offer them, outside of relationship with God. There was pride...

In Luke 10v38-42 we find a strikingly significant story in the life of Jesus.  In the story, Jesus explains that there is one thing that matters most - to sit at His feet. Mary’s actions teach us that success in life is a heart full of adoration, with eyes that stay gazing on Jesus.  There will indeed be many God-given things to get done in your life, but your chief purpose is to stay connected to...

In Luke 10v25-37 the good Samaritan demonstrates what God had been trying to do through the people of Israel for centuries.  How is it that this non-Jewish person in this story had more of a Jewish heart than the Jews themselves? God’s solution to what happened in the garden and the chaos that followed, was Abraham. A man who would be loyal to God alone, trust God when it didn’t make sense, obey G...

This last Sunday Alex continued our Luke Series in chapter 10v1-24. In this passage, Jesus teaches us a few really fundamental points of how to be a Christian. To be a Christian is to expect that there’s a harvest of people who desire to be united with their Creator. To be a Christian is to bless, fellowship, minister and proclaim. As a Christian, your metric of success is found in the joy of livi...

This last Sunday one of our elders, Austin Smith, taught on what it means to be great in the Kingdom.  In Luke 9v43-62 we get a glimpse into the hearts of Jesus’ disciples. While they have seen many miracles and walked with Jesus, they are still operating out of insecurity and pride. It’s a Genesis 3 problem - choosing to define greatness apart from God. And it’s why we still try to find significa...

Without vision, people live shamefully outside of design. Salvation reveals who you were designed to be and the purpose for your life, but you won’t do what you were made to do if you have lost vision for your life. Without vision you will begin to live in fantasy and you will become double-minded.  We get vision through a life of revelation and encounter - discovering the truth about God and expe...

On Sunday we closed out our Vision Series with a teaching from one of our leaders, Bria Wolter. She posed the question, “Is your joy complete?” Joy was never meant to be limited by our definition or circumstances. According to the authors of Scripture, joy complete is Jesus. Any definition of joy that is not found in Jesus Himself is lacking.  Our joy complete is to be found in Him. To hear His vo...

This last Sunday one of our elders, Andoni Montaño, taught us through the Scriptures a biblical definition of the will of God. - In summary, God’s will is heaven on earth (Matthew 6v9-10). As we look at the meta-narrative of Scripture and the life of Jesus we are called to trust in God’s intentions to bless humanity through Christ over and against the evil we see at work in the world.  Don’t settl...

If the job description of Saints’ Hill is primarily temple ministry, what does it mean to be apart of Saints’ Hill? It means you pioneer the path to His Presence. You go up the hill for yourself like Moses was unafraid to, and make the choice to know God personally. Never let a day go by without face-to-face connection with God. It’s what you were made for, it’s been God’s desire all along, and it...

What is Saints’ Hill? This is a question we’ve been asking as we’re turning the corner of five years as a church. We feel like God has given us an answer to this question that will mark Saints’ Hill for years to come: The people of Saints’ Hill will be a house where God lives, a gate between heaven and earth, a Presence-filled, leaking temple whose river refreshes all people. The greatest gift we...

This last Sunday, Jim Traut shared with us the importance of treasuring God’s word. The Bible is like a compass that always points us in the right direction. It always points us to what is true. It always points us to Jesus. Our human experience of life on earth is chaotic and ever changing, but God’s truth never changes. If you want to know what is actually true, you need to learn how to love rea...

On Sunday we began our annual vision series. Every year in the fall we take time to revisit and highlight our core values as a church to recenter and direct the year ahead.  We began in Luke 9 - where we see that the main thing that keeps Jesus followers from walking in the authority and the power they’ve been given is distraction that leads to wrong belief.  If we are constantly focused on what o...

This last Sunday we were joined by special guest, Teresa Dion from After the Rain Christian Counseling.   Teresa shared from her heart about what the ready bride of Christ looks like.   Throughout the Scriptures, the Church is referred to as the bride of Christ. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on the cross, was raised from the dead, and gave us the engagement ring of His Holy Spirit so that we wo...

This last Sunday Alex Rettmann walked us through Luke chapter 9. We were reminded that the most important question we must answer in this life is Who is Jesus?… Who do you say God is? And, what do you think He is like? - These questions are crucial in this day because if we don’t answer them for ourselves the crowds, friends, culture etc will answer it for you. A key to getting the right answer is...