Sherwood Oaks Christian Church Podcast

What if Jesus looked at you right now and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?" Matt unpacks a powerful moment in Luke 4 where desperate, hopeful, unashamed people flood Simon Peter's home seeking healing—and Jesus meets every one of them. Like blind Bartimaeus who shouted through the crowd until Jesus stopped, we're invited to bring our deepest needs without managing our...

What if the peace you're desperately searching for isn't found by getting your life together—but by simply talking to Jesus about the mess? Matt explores three powerful moments where Jesus tenderly asked his disciples, "Why are you afraid? Why are you crying? Why are you troubled?"—not to shame them, but to invite real conversation. Like Paul writing about supernatural peace fr...

What if the guilt you've been carrying was never yours to keep? On this Father's Day, Shawn tackles one of life's most universal burdens—guilt—and reveals why wallowing in it actually diminishes the grace Jesus purchased for you. Drawing from Romans 5:1-2, Shawn unpacks the life-changing truth of justification: that through faith in Jesus, you are made *just as if you'd never s...

What if the deepest longing in your heart—to truly belong—could be satisfied right where you are? Shawn reveals how Paul's radical vision in Romans 12 transforms isolated strangers into devoted family through gospel-shaped community. When Shawn moved during COVID lockdowns, he discovered the ache of isolation that we all carry, but found hope in Paul's call to "practice hospitality&...

What if the labels you've wrapped around yourself are just chapters in a story God is still writing? Shawn reveals how Michael Phelps, despite Olympic glory, asked "Who am I?" when swimming ended—proof that even our greatest achievements crumble when they become our identity. Through Jesus' call to "take up your cross and follow me," Shawn shows how surrendering our s...

What if the life you're chasing isn't leading where you think it will? Jesus announced revolutionary news: the kingdom of God—a life of peace, joy, and freedom—is accessible right now, not just after death. Matt reveals how repentance isn't religious oppression but a rescue word, like shouting "stop!" to prevent someone from walking into traffic. When Jesus said "the...

What if the secret to a meaningful life isn't found in your next achievement, but in surrendering control? After seven weeks searching for satisfaction in pleasure, wealth, and success, the Teacher in Ecclesiastes discovers everything earthly fades like vapor—except God's eternal Word. Shawn shares how our noisy culture promises fulfillment but leaves us empty, while true purpose comes f...

What if the very uncertainty that keeps you awake at night is God's invitation to deeper trust? Shawn reveals how our minds catastrophize everything—from failed sermons to strange pains that "must be terminal"—turning uncertainty into anxiety cocktails. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 11, he shows that everything meaningful requires risk: marriage, parenting, generosity all demand we step...

What if discomfort isn't your enemy but God's gentle chisel shaping something beautiful within you? Ecclesiastes 7 reveals wisdom's counterintuitive truth—sometimes we learn more at a funeral than a feast, and God whispers deepest truths through life's pressures. Shawn shares how his intentionally inefficient morning coffee ritual mirrors how meaningful transformation requires...

What if the grip you have on your money is actually keeping you from the joy God promises? Pastor Matt's twin brother, a millionaire, shares wisdom about distinguishing between wanting financial security and becoming a "lover of money"—a biblical warning that cuts across all income levels. Through Ecclesiastes, Matt reveals how our tight-fisted approach to wealth can rob us of the v...

What if the secret to contentment isn't getting more, but wanting less? Solomon discovered that all achievement springs from envy—that corrosive comparison poisoning our souls with "why them, not me?" Matt reveals how envy suffocates tranquility, sharing his own struggle when driving past a thriving church while his congregation dwindled to fifty people. But there's hope: Jesus...

What if you could have everything you ever wanted and still feel completely empty? Maggie vulnerably shares her own struggle with achievement addiction while walking us through Ecclesiastes 2, where the teacher discovers that building houses, amassing wealth, and denying himself nothing still left him "chasing after the wind." Through biblical stories of Mary and Martha, Gideon's ar...

What if the relentless noise drowning out your soul is actually protecting you from the very rest you're desperate to find? Shawn unpacks Ecclesiastes' brutal honesty—life's endless pursuits are just vapor, bubbles that pop, leaving us chasing meaningless achievements under the sun. Yet this ancient teacher's "last 5%" conversation isn't despair—it's an invi...

What if Easter's power could transform the overwhelmed places in your life right now? Shawn reveals how the disciples, hiding behind locked doors after Jesus' crucifixion, felt completely in over their heads—until the risen Christ appeared with "Peace be with you." Drawing from the 12-step principle "I can't, God can, so I think I'll let him," Shawn shows ho...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Luke joins us to read: Matthew 28:1-20 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 Psalm 16 Prayer: Lord, thank you for Jesus. Because of him, you have conquered death and brought life that never ends. Fill my heart with resurrec...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Karla joins us to read: Matthew 27:57-61 Lamentations 3:19-26 Romans 5:1-11 Psalm 130 Prayer: Lord, you are the God of hope. Meet me in the quiet places. When life feels uncertain and answers seem delayed, he...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Hannah joins us to read: John 19:16-30 Isaiah 53:3–9 Psalm 22 Prayer: Lord, I pause in the shadow of the cross. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for bearing sin, shame, and sorrow in my place. Help me to rest i...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Tim joins us to read: John 13:1-20 Luke 22:14-20 Psalm 116 Prayer: Lord, you loved by serving and gave by surrendering. Teach me to love like you. Free me from pride that keeps me from kneeling low. Give me e...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Haylee joins us to read: Matthew 26:1-16 Hebrews 3: 12-15 Psalm 51 Prayer: Lord, keep my heart tender toward You. Protect me from hidden compromise. If there is anything in me that pulls me away from you, rev...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Ryan joins us to read: Matthew 24: 45 - 5:28    Psalm 90 Prayer: Lord, help me stay spiritually awake. Guard me from drifting into apathy or distraction. Teach me to be faithful with what you have placed in m...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Eliot joins us to read:  Mark 11:12-25 Isaiah 56:6-7 Psalm 24 Prayer: Lord, you desire truth in my life. Search me and show me what does not belong. Clear out distractions that keep me from deep communion wit...

What if being fully known and still fully loved could transform your entire life? In a powerful encounter at a well, a Samaritan woman discovered this radical truth through Jesus—and couldn't help but share it. Pastor Shawn explores how this woman, caught in her shame, experienced such overwhelming grace that she ran to tell the very people she'd been avoiding. Through personal stories o...

Join us for a special podcast series leading up to Easter. Each day between Palm Sunday (March 29) and Easter Sunday (April 5), a member of our church will join you to read Scripture.  Today, Brian joins us to read:  Matthew 21:1-11 Zechariah 9:9 Psalm 118 Prayer: Lord, we give you thanks for the gift of your Son, Jesus, who came not as a conquering king, but as a humble servant. On this Palm Sund...

What if feeling close to Jesus was more than just checking religious boxes? Through a vulnerable story about his own marriage, Pastor Matt reveals how Jesus longs for genuine intimacy with us, not just religious routines. Drawing from John 15's powerful vine-and-branches metaphor, he shares practical ways to experience Jesus's transformative joy—even in life's hardest moments. Wheth...

What if the very thing holding you back is what God's asking you to release? Through the contrasting stories of two wealthy men—the rich young ruler who walked away sad and Zacchaeus who joyfully surrendered all—Shawn illuminates how authentic faith flows from childlike trust, not religious performance. Drawing from personal experience and biblical wisdom, he challenges us to identify our own...