The Alley Church Podcast

(17) Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear. (18) for you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, (19) but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.   Intro: There are some things...

There are few things more beautiful than standing on a mountain ridge at sunrise. The valleys are still dark, the air is crisp, and as the first light begins to crest the horizon, the exhilaration of the first glimpse of the sun and its warmth soothes every cell of your being.  Peter is taking us to a high place spiritually. He wants to lift our eyes above our daily concerns in the dark valleys be...

We are in a series called: When Life Gets Hard and we are learning from the Apostle Peter, who was one of Jesus' closest disciples and he was one who knew suffering and experienced great persecution. He is writing to believers who had never seen Jesus, yet had a deep faith in Him, and He is encouraging them as they too were suffering and enduring trials. He is also including us here.  When I...

1 Peter 1:3–9 Series “When life gets hard” Last week, we saw that Peter was writing to believers who were suffering, scattered, and struggling to remain faithful in a hostile world. And that has not stopped. For us in this country the hostility is not so overt, but covert, it's subtle, and we don’t realize it because we are not beaten for our faith, or thrown in prison.  by drawing people&apo...

We are about to spend the next few months discovering…“How to stand firm and live faithfully for Jesus when life gets difficult.” I Peter 1:1-2  - right after James before 1 John which we did too. The letter was written around 64 AD, during the reign of Emperor Nero.  History: Written by Peter an apostle of Jesus Christ Originally named Simon  He addresses the letter as Peter, which means “rock”,...

“Prayer is not preparation for the battle; prayer is the battle.” 2 Cor 10:3-6 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every though...

Part one of two on prayer

Romans 12:17-19 Do not be wise in your own opinion. Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 1) Why does violence and war exist in the first place? W...

Fear of the Lord !

This morning's message will focus on the core biblical truth that every person is created in the image of God. Our goal is for you to leave with a deep understanding of your inherent importance and significance to God. And to worship him fully  for In him we live and move and have our being" (Acts 17:28)   To structure this discussion, we will answer six questions that have been submitte...

(16) Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. (17) When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. (18) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and (20)...

A young man asked an evangelist, “what must I do to be saved?” The evangelist said, “You are too late!” Alarmed, the young man said, “Do you mean that it’s too late for me to be saved?” “Is there nothing I can do?” “It’s already done!” “The only thing YOU can do is believe it & receive it”. That is it! We either believe it or we don’t. If we believe it, it will change your life. This of course...

This is Palm Sunday, where we commemorate the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. We briefly hit on this a few weeks ago, but just as a quick review—Matthew 21:1–11 tells us how the disciples fetched a donkey that had never been ridden. People spread their cloaks and palm branches, shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” as Jesus rode into Jerusalem. That word “Hosanna” comes from the Hebrew...

Matthew places four scenes before us: the plot to kill Jesus, the worship of a devoted woman, the betrayal of Judas, and the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Each one reveals something about the heart of humanity and the mission of Christ. The central truth is this: Jesus willingly gives Himself so that sinners can be forgiven and welcomed into God’s covenant family. Scene 1 Matthew 26:1-5 When J...

 Can you remember when you realized who Jesus really is? Today, we read about the 3 disciples who went from one of the most discouraging weeks they have experienced to a divine encounter with the Holy trinity of God.  The Disciples have had quite a week in the region of Caesarea Philippi.  First, Peter declares Jesus to be the Messiah, the Son of the living God. And gets the highest accolades of h...

Several years ago, a story circulated about a mountain rescue team sent to save stranded hikers after a sudden storm. The rescuers knew something the hikers did not: the only safe route down the mountain was not the scenic ridge they had climbed. That ridge was now unstable and deadly. The only way down was a narrow, steep, exposed descent that felt more dangerous than staying put. When rescuers r...

(14) “For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property. (15) To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. (16) He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. (17) So also he who had the two talents made two talents more...

We have finished Matthew’s accounts of the parables~ YAY We are take some time to flip back now in the book of Matthew to capture some of the major teachings of Jesus for two weeks, then we hit the last couple days of Jesus' life leading to the resurrection of Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday.(our superbowl sunday - April 5th)  Start praying about who you can invite now. (13) When Jesus c...

This is the third parable in a series that depicts people who refuse to respond properly to being invited into the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is about the joy of receiving an invitation to the grandest wedding of all time. Revelation calls it the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. WOW  This is the third parable in succession that deals with rejecting the Kingdom of heaven. And it forces every li...

Imagine renting a house where everything has been provided for you. The owner built it, maintains it, and trusts the tenants to live there responsibly and take care of things. But over time, something shifts. The tenants stop answering the owner’s calls. They decide what they owe the owner is optional. When a representative shows up, they send him away beat up & bleeding. Eventually, when the...

In the Bible, There are passages in Scripture that comfort us—and there are passages that confront us. This parable does both. (23) Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him. “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you this authority?” (24) Jesus replied, “I will also ask you one questio...

We are back in the parables of Jesus and when we finish the parables we will then teach on the major teachings of Jesus, which this begins with...  Jesus has just told His disciples how difficult it is for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God. So they asked who then can be saved?     (26) Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (27)...

Intro…Our desire for you is that you desire to make 2026 a great year because it’s rooted in God’s purpose and presence. Growth doesn't happen by accident—it happens through intentional faith, daily practice, and fixing our eyes on Jesus. Together, these will equip us to live boldly, purposefully, and victoriously in the year ahead. Defense YEAR - hard year - it was fine but wasn’t fulfilling...

The Ultimate Love Today is Week 4 of Advent, and this week we focus on love. As a quick reminder, Advent culminates this Wednesday with our Christmas Eve candlelight service at the Stone House. Advent is about preparing our hearts—not just to celebrate Christmas but to remember his sacrifice of love to come rescue us, but to receive the gift of Christ and be excited for his return. And when we tal...