Sermons on the Side

What happens when a simple trip to the store turns into a moment you never forget?  In this episode, Brad shares the now-legendary Bed, Bath & Beyond story - from a wedding with hundreds of people, to stacks of gift cards, to a checkout moment that didn’t make sense on paper… but made perfect sense in real life.  What started as a routine shopping trip with a plan quickly became something much...

What do you hold onto when the weight feels unbearable?  In this episode, Richard takes us back to the early days of his recovery journey - when everything felt raw, heavy, and uncertain. During that time, he was encouraged to come up with a mantra… but something about that language never quite fit.  Instead, through a perfectly timed Sunday morning and a single, powerful verse, he discovered some...

As Holy Week comes to a close, we arrive at Good Friday.  There’s no new concept here. No fresh perspective to uncover. Just the reality at the center of our faith -  A perfect Savior stepped into an imperfect world. The only sinless One took on the sin of all. Jesus willingly became the sacrifice. In this episode, we don’t rush past the cross. We sit in it. We reflect on the weight, the cost, and...

As Holy Week continues, we arrive at Maundy Thursday - the night of the Last Supper.  The word Maundy comes from the Latin mandatum , meaning “mandate.” And in this sacred moment around the table, Jesus gives exactly that - new commands for His followers. From loving one another, to remembering Him through the breaking of bread and the sharing of the cup.  What begins as a meal becomes something s...

As Holy Week continues, we step into one of the heaviest and most sobering moments in the story - Judas’ betrayal of Jesus.  For thirty pieces of silver, Judas trades relationship for control. Disappointed that Jesus didn’t meet his expectations of what the Messiah should be, he turns away - choosing his own path over trust.  It’s easy to judge. Easy to distance ourselves from the story. But if we...

As Holy Week continues, we step into one of the most intimate and powerful acts of worship found in the Gospels - Mary anointing the feet of Jesus.  With a jar of perfume worth nearly a year’s wages, Mary pours out everything she has in a moment of deep gratitude, humility, and love. It’s extravagant. It’s costly. And to some, it doesn’t make sense.  But when we remember what Jesus had just done -...

As Holy Week begins, we step into one of the most powerful and paradoxical moments in all of Scripture - the Triumphant Entry.  Jesus rides into Jerusalem not on a warhorse, but on a humble donkey. The crowds gather, laying down cloaks and palm branches, shouting “Hosanna!” - praise, celebration, expectation. It feels like a coronation… but it’s leading to a cross.  In this episode, we slow down a...

What does it really mean to surrender?  In this episode of Sermons on the Side , a simple but powerful moment sets the stage - Richard wakes up from a dream singing the timeless hymn “Have Thine Own Way.”   From that moment, a deeper conversation unfolds around surrender, trust, and what it looks like to truly place our lives in God’s hands.  We also share a story from our recent conversation with...

In this powerful and inspiring episode of Sermons on the Side , Brad and Richard sit down with missionary and ministry leader Jacques Van Bommel, founder and CEO of Reaching a Generation.  What started as a vision in South Africa has grown into a global movement - impacting more than 28 million children over the past 16+ years through public school outreach, AIDS prevention education, and strategi...

On construction sites, there’s a simple safety rule: always maintain three points of contact . Whether climbing a ladder or stepping onto heavy equipment, the idea is straightforward - stay anchored in three places so you remain stable and secure.  Recently, while serving as chaplain on a construction job site, Richard sat in on a safety briefing led by a friend responsible for the well-being of h...

After spending a weekend in Birmingham with his father, who is currently battling dementia, Richard had the opportunity to sit down for a simple Saturday morning breakfast with his dad and his cousin - someone they’ve always just called Uncle Damar. Around that table came story after story. Some were ones Richard had heard many times before. Others he hadn’t heard in years, and a few may have even...

We’re back to our regularly scheduled programming after an unforgettable birthday week - and first of all, thank you! The ratings, reviews, messages, coffee support, shares, encouragement… it meant more than we can possibly say. You all showed up in such a generous way, and we are deeply grateful. Now onto to YEAR 2!  Richard recently had a dream where he was the main character in a full-blown Mis...

This is Part 5 of a special 5-part bonus series celebrating one year of Sermons on the Side .  In the final moments of John chapter 21, after Peter has been restored and recommissioned, something subtle - but familiar - happens. Peter looks over at John and begins to compare his story to someone else’s. Even after a mountaintop encounter with Jesus, the comparison game creeps in - and just like th...

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...