Skycrest Community Church

Pastor Chris asks what happens when every disagreement becomes a deal breaker. Paul's answer in Romans 14 is to accept the person, even when we don't agree. Pastor Chris starts with the either-or icebreaker game and asks what happens when it turns into a deal breaker. In Romans 14, Paul tells us to accept the one whose faith is weak without quarreling over disputable matters. Pastor Chris says uni...

Pastor Chris says greed is the love of money, whether you have any or not. He quotes Dallas Willard, who wrote that bondage to wealth is no greater among the rich than among the poor. Just as skinny people can be gluttons, poor people can be greedy. Pastor Chris describes greed as an imbalance in the soul: in what we desire, in how we acquire, and in how we hold on to what we have. Then he gives t...

Pastor Chris opens with a childhood story about a first-grade spelling bee and a friendship that faded over politics. He says we disagree and drift apart all the time, with neighbors, coworkers, family, and even the church. But Jesus said our love for each other would show the world we're his disciples, and he prayed that we'd be unified. So do we need agreement to have unity? Pastor Chris says no...

Paul killed believers, then met Jesus. Could he really forget? Pastor Chris shows how Paul faced the memory that haunted him, and how we can turn our regrets into resolve. Pastor Chris wraps up the Regret series with a question: what do we do when regrets resurface after God has forgiven us? He explains that conviction from the Holy Spirit looks back at unconfessed sin and moves us forward, while...

Pastor Chris continues the series on the seven deadly sins with the fourth one: lust. He starts with the plain meaning of the word. In its purest form, lust is a desire to gratify our physical appetites, and Pastor Chris said that in itself isn't sin. It becomes a deadly sin when it turns excessive and seeks unrestrained gratification. Pastor Chris turns to James 1, where lust conceives and gives...

Regret isn't always a bad sign. Pastor Chris explains why some regret is a gift from the Holy Spirit, and how to tell it apart from the guilt the enemy uses to keep us stuck. Pastor Chris turns from preventing regret to a harder question: what do we do with the regrets we already have? He starts with a surprise. Regret isn't always bad. Pastor Chris says it can be a sign of a healthy conscience, t...

Is it possible we're hungering for something food can't satisfy? Pastor Chris says gluttony isn't about how much we eat but why we eat, and he points to how Jesus answered temptation in the wilderness. Pastor Chris starts with numbers. He cites the CDC saying 74% of Americans are overweight and 40.3% of adults are obese, then says obesity is a symptom, not the problem. Scripturally, the problem is...

Peter ate with the Gentiles until a certain group walked in, then he moved tables. Pastor Chris shows from Galatians why people pleasing leads to regret, and who we should be aiming to please instead. Pastor Chris closes the Regret series with its fifth question to ask before a big decision: who are we aiming to please? He says there are only two choices, God or people, and that a people pleaser l...

Pastor Chris continues the series on the seven deadly sins with the second one: envy. He opens with an ancient Greek story about an athlete who finished second. Night after night he chiseled at the base of the winner's statue, until it fell and killed him. Pastor Chris says he was dead long before the statue hit him, a victim of deep resentment at the good fortune of others. Pastor Chris turns to...

Pastor Chris continues the Regret series with the fourth question to ask before we decide anything: is there a grudge that won't budge? He starts in James 3, where James describes two kinds of wisdom, God's and man's. Then he compares a grudge to too much alcohol. Both distort our view of reality. In Mark 6, Herodias nursed a grudge against John the Baptist, and it ended with John's death. Levitic...

Pride was once seen as a fatal flaw. Today it's celebrated. Pastor Chris traces it back to the garden, names three forms it takes, and shows why it drains our spiritual life. Pastor Chris opens the series on the seven deadly sins with pride. He defines it as the desire to be something you're not. He takes us back to Genesis 3:5, where the serpent told Adam and Eve they could be like God. They bit,...

Regret rarely comes from bad luck — it comes from decisions made in a hurry. One question can stop it before it starts: what's the hurry? Continuing the Regret series, Pastor Chris presents a third question for avoiding regret before it happens: "What's the hurry?" Drawing on his grandmother's example, a Tony Campolo survey of 95-year-olds, and a 1960s Time Magazine report on leisure time, he argu...

Truth Worth Living is back this week with the second installment in our series on the seven deadly sins, and before we ever get to pride, envy, gluttony, lust, anger, greed, or sloth themselves, there's a question worth settling first: why call any sin "deadly" at all? This episode digs into where that label came from, what the Bible actually says about sin and death, and why these seven still mat...

Regret has a way of showing up uninvited. It sits quietly in the back of our minds, reminding us of the decision we wish we could take back, the words we wish we hadn't said, the year we wish we could live over. In week two of our series on regret, we look honestly at why we make the decisions we do, and we ask a question that might surprise you: what if chasing your own happiness is actually the...

Seven Deadly Sins | Truth Worth Living We don’t like talking about sin—but ignoring it doesn’t make it any less destructive. In this new season of Truth Worth Living, we’re beginning a study through the Seven Deadly Sins: Pride, Envy, Anger, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, and Lust. While this traditional list is not presented together in one passage of Scripture, each represents a very real spiritual dan...

Rain never stopped anyone from getting a good word today, and this one's worth every drop. Pastor kicked off the new series "Regret" by pointing at a scene most of us have replayed in our own lives, even if it never made SportsCenter: a coach who calls the wrong play at the worst possible moment. That was the story of Super Bowl 49, the goal-line interception, and the coach who stood at the podium...

One of a Kind Every pastor will tell you the same thing: nobody teaches you what to say when you're standing with a family in the valley of the shadow of death. It's the part of ministry we dread most and, oddly, the part that teaches us the most. The teacher in Ecclesiastes put it plainly: "It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting, for death is the destiny of ev...

The Story of Moses and the Message of the Cross In this week's sermon, we delved into the transformative conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus in John 3. This discussion is pivotal because it introduces essential Christian doctrines such as the incarnation, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the necessity of being born again. Jesus, in his dialogue, references the story of Moses lifting the snake...

Moses' Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day In this sermon, we explore the trials faced by Moses as described in Numbers 20. The narrative draws a parallel between Moses' challenges and the children's book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, emphasizing how cumulative adversities can lead to significant trials. The Context of Moses' Bad Day Moses, nearing the end of...

Moses and the Journey to the Promised Land Main Passage: Exodus 33 In this sermon, we explore a pivotal moment in the journey of the Israelites as they face a crucial decision: to enter the Promised Land without God's presence or to remain in the wilderness with Him. This decision highlights the importance of God's presence in our lives. Key Themes The Question of Identity: The sermon begins by pr...

Moses' Defining Moment: Lessons from Exodus 32 In this sermon, we delve into the pivotal moment in the life of Moses as described in Exodus 32. This chapter captures a defining moment for Moses and offers profound lessons on faith, leadership, and the nature of divine grace. The Context: A Burning Mountain The scene is set at the base of Mount Sinai, enveloped in the glory of God. The Israelites,...

Moses and the Journey of Faith In this sermon, we delve into the story of Moses and the Israelites as they journeyed from Egypt towards the Promised Land. This narrative, found in Exodus 15, provides profound lessons on faith, obedience, and the human condition. The Exodus Story The Israelites, led by Moses, had just experienced the miraculous parting of the Red Sea, a defining moment of triumph a...

The New Person: Embracing Transformation in Christ In a world filled with discouragement and trials, the message of becoming a new creation in Christ offers hope and purpose. Grounded in 2 Corinthians 5:17, this sermon explores the transformative power of faith and the journey towards living a life that reflects Christ's victory over sin and death. Key Themes 1. New Creation in Christ The cornerst...

Moses: A Journey of Faith and Liberation In this sermon, we delve into the compelling narrative of Moses and the liberation of the Hebrew people from Egyptian bondage, as recorded in the book of Exodus. This story is not just a historical account but a profound illustration of faith, obedience, and divine intervention. The Encounter at the Burning Bush Our journey begins with Moses' encounter with...

Moses and the Phases of Vision In the recent sermon titled "Moses - EP6 7.12.26," the story of Moses as depicted in Exodus 3 and Exodus 4 is used to explore the development of leadership and vision in the context of faith. The sermon emphasizes the idea that effective leadership is developed over time and through various phases, as explained by Dr. J. Robert Clinton in "The Making of a Leader." Th...