Sermons on the Side

This is Part 4 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side .  In John chapter 21, Peter finds himself in what could have been one of the most painful conversations of his life. Face to face with Jesus, carrying the weight of past failure and deep shame, he’s asked a simple question - three different times: “Do you love me?”  There’s no shaming. No condemnation. Onl...

This is Part 3 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side .  In John chapter 21, Jesus invites the disciples to come ashore - and before a word is spoken, before anything is explained, breakfast is already waiting for them. There’s a fire. There’s food. And there’s something deeply intentional about that moment that can’t be rushed or overlooked.  It’s one of the...

This is Part 2 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side .  In John chapter 21, Jesus meets the disciples right where they are - out on the water, tired, frustrated, and coming up empty. He offers simple advice: try the other side of the boat. It’s a moment that echoes Peter’s very first encounter with Jesus years earlier, a reminder that the Lord is still pursui...

This is Part 1 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side .  In John chapter 21, we find Peter and the disciples in a moment of uncertainty. Jesus has risen. They’ve encountered Him before - but time has passed, direction feels unclear, and Peter defaults to what he knows best: “I’m going fishing.” Instead of trusting what’s next, he returns to what’s familiar.  T...

In this episode of Sermons on the Side , Richard and Brad revisit the 1998 animated classic The Prince of Egypt and reflect on why it continues to stand the test of time. From its stunning animation to its powerful retelling of the story of Moses and the Exodus, the film remains one of the most meaningful faith-based movies of our generation. We also look back at the cultural impact of its award-w...

In 2017, Evan Hinson suffered a sudden cardiac event that left doctors, friends, and family facing a very real and sobering possibility - we might lose him. For weeks, the outlook was bleak. And yet, through what can only be described as a miraculous physical recovery, Evan survived and eventually made a full return to health.  But as Evan shares in this powerful conversation, the true miracle did...

What started as a fun family trip to Great Wolf Lodge quickly turned into a terrifying moment when somebody got stuck on a giant waterslide… and fear took over. Tears. Panic. Trauma. And a vow to never ride that slide again.  But the story didn’t end there.  In this episode, we talk about what it looks like to face fear for a second time - not because the situation changed, but because love, encou...

What do you do when the season starts with loss, uncertainty, and a backup plan you never expected to need?  In 1999, the St. Louis Rams lost their starting quarterback before the season even began. A grocery-store-stockroom-turned-NFL-unknown named Kurt Warner stepped in. Alongside a roster of overlooked players, the Rams weren’t supposed to be anything special. Instead, they became The Greatest...

This week’s episode comes from a story Richard shared about an unexpected message from his seventh-grade son, Bryce. A simple school assignment, from a substitute teacher no less, required Bryce to reach out to someone and ask for a few paragraphs on why they matter. What began as a last-minute request before a late-night shift turned into a heartfelt, intentional message of encouragement from a f...

During a late-night binge over Christmas break, an unexpected Sermon on the Side moment emerged from an unlikely place: Stranger Things .  In a quiet but powerful exchange, Eleven wrestles with the belief that she’s a monster - haunted by her past and the things she’s done. Her father challenges her to do something difficult but necessary: to remember all of it - the good and the bad - because who...

We made it to Episode 50 — and we’re welcoming the New Year together.  In this special New Year’s Day episode of Sermons on the Side , Richard and Brad pause to celebrate 50 episodes of conversation, reflection, laughter, and grace. But in true Sermons on the Side fashion, the celebration gives way to a quieter, deeper story.  The Sermon on the Side comes from a New Year’s Eve in 2009, when Richar...

Merry Christmas! This week, we’re keeping things short and sweet so you can get back to what matters most - celebrating Christmas with family and loved ones.  In true Sermons on the Side fashion, we take a brief look back at some of our favorite moments from the past year, highlighting what we’re calling “Christmas sightings.” These are episodes that - whether we realized it at the time or not - c...

With just one week to go until Christmas, Richard and Brad kick off this holiday-themed episode of Sermons on the Side with playful banter about the countdown to Christmas, the excitement building in their homes, and the different Christmas Eve and Christmas Day traditions their families are looking forward to this year.  But as is often the case, a Sermon on the Side comes from an unexpected plac...

In Episode 47, Brad and Richard share a simple Advent moment that has stayed with Richard for years. At a monthly gathering of local pastors just a couple weeks before Christmas many years ago, Father Bill stood to pray before the meal and offered a line that quietly reshaped the room - and Richard’s understanding of Advent: “Help us to remember what Christmas teaches us,  that You will always com...

Coming off a week of Thanksgiving festivities - with crowded tables, family stories, and full hearts - we shift right into the Christmas season with the first of several holiday-themed episodes.  This week’s conversation centers on a very real, very recent story from Richard’s trip to Boston to visit his son, daughter-in-law, and new grandbaby. What should’ve been a simple car-rental experience tu...

Episode 45 took a wild turn after Brad accidentally deleted the original episode we recorded weeks in advance (yep… it finally happened). What was supposed to be a calm, prepped holiday episode turned into a real-time scramble and a surprisingly beautiful pivot.  In this special Thanksgiving edition, Brad and Richard walk you through the chaos of the week and invite you into an impromptu night of...

In this Thanksgiving-themed episode of Sermons on the Side , Richard takes us back to a beloved family tradition from when his kids were young: gathering around the TV to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. But for the Moore household, the parade wasn’t just fun entertainment - it marked the official start of Christmas.  Once that final float appeared, carrying Santa himself, and the announc...

In this week’s episode of Sermons on the Side , Richard reaches back into his early parenthood days to share a powerful story about his two sons, Bryce and Derrick… and a throwback classic: the Bionicle Lego toy. When Derrick secretly takes Bryce’s prized Bionicle to school and loses it, he returns home overwhelmed with guilt and fear of what his brother will say.  After a heartfelt father-son con...

In this episode of Sermons on the Side , Brad and Richard take inspiration from the incredible precision and purpose of the U.S. Navy Blue Angels. After watching a powerful behind-the-scenes documentary, Richard shares how one simple phrase from the pilots - “Glad to be here” - sparked a deeper reflection on faith, gratitude, and contentment.  Every time the Blue Angels meet, they pound the table,...

In this week’s episode of Sermons on the Side , Richard shares a surprising “aha” moment that hit him while watching Doctor Strange for the very first time. In the Marvel film, there’s a line that stirred something deep in him - when a man says, “I just took my miracle and went home.”' It’s a simple phrase, but it hit like a sermon.  How often do we do the same thing? God heals, forgives, red...

In our fourth Roundtable discussion, we’re joined by someone very special - Kyndal Nipper , Richard’s stepdaughter and a long time friend of Brad’s. From the earliest days of Sermons on the Side , Kyndal has been one of our biggest encouragers - a faithful listener, idea-sharer, and cheerleader behind the scenes.  Today, she steps to the mic to share a deeply personal story — a journey through los...

In this week’s episode of Sermons on the Side , we start with the spooky story of the Headless Horseman - and a man named Ichabod Crane - but end up somewhere far deeper. The name Ichabod appears long before Washington Irving ever wrote about Sleepy Hollow. In 1 Samuel , it’s the heartbreaking name given to a child born in tragedy - a name meaning “the glory has departed.”   Yet, through Samuel’s...

In episode 38 of Sermons on the Side , we trace a surprising thread between history, memory, and our own tendency to retreat into hiding places. Inspired by Candace Millard’s account of Winston Churchill’s daring escape during the Boer War, we reflect on a striking moment when Churchill, though technically free, still felt trapped by fear and uncertainty. She powerfully writes, "He could not...

What do you do when life backs you into a corner and the odds are stacked against you?  In this episode, Richard shares a powerful conversation he had with a pastor friend whose church was facing a make-or-break moment. The situation reminded him of one of the wildest plays in college football history - Arkansas vs. Ole Miss in 2015 - when, on fourth and twenty-five in overtime , a desperate heave...

In this week’s episode, we pause from our usual rhythm and spend time reflecting on the events of the past couple of weeks following the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. Together, we share how this moment has shaped us personally and spiritually, and why Dr. Ben Carson’s words at Charlie’s memorial - reminding us that a seed must die in order to grow - continue to resonate deeply.  From there...