The Beloved Church

This past Sunday we invited Evan Hoekzma to launch our new series in the book of Hosea by looking at God's relentless love for His people. Through Hosea's marriage, we see a powerful living picture of God's relationship with Israel—and ultimately with us. Even when we chase after other things for our hope, security, or satisfaction, God's love never stops pursuing us. We were reminded that spiritu...

This past Sunday, Sara Krieg from The Local Church walked us through the stories of Bartimaeus and Jesus in Gethsemane, reminding us what it looks like to come before God in prayer. Like Bartimaeus, we can boldly bring God our specific requests. And like Jesus in the garden, we can surrender our desires to the Father's perfect will. Prayer isn't about choosing between asking and surrendering—it's...

This week we explored why we keep praying when answers seem delayed. In Luke 18 and 1 Kings 18, we see that perseverance in prayer isn't about convincing God to act—it's about trusting the God who already promised He would. One of the most challenging questions from the message was: How do I make sure my perseverance in prayer isn't performance in prayer? The answer is found in God's character. We...

In this past Sunday's message we explored the vital connection Jesus makes between forgiveness and powerful, effective prayer. We invited people to reflect on where there might be un-forgiveness in their heart. Text: Mark 11:20-25 _______________________________________ Learn more about The Beloved Church: https://www.belovedgr.church/ Subscribe to The Beloved Church | https://www.youtube.com/@bel...

This past Sunday, we considered two ways of approaching God in prayer — as a customer versus as a child. While customers come to God transactionally, hiding their weakness and leaving when dissatisfied, children come with open arms, bringing their truest selves and trusting their Father's intentions even when they don't get what they want. In Luke 11, Jesus promises the Holy Spirit himself — who e...

Jesus’ approach to prayer as a certainty for life in his kingdom and as something that was necessary—like sleep. Why? Consider Matthew 6:6 “Christians often complain that their private prayer is not what it should be. They feel weak and sinful, and their hearts are cold and dark. It is as if they have no faith or joy in what little they have to pray about. They are discouraged and kept from prayer...

Somewhere between what Jesus promised and what we’ve experienced… there’s a gap. In the Gospel of Luke the disciples saw that gap too. They watched Jesus pray—and realized whatever He had with the Father, they didn’t have yet. So they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Not how to say words, but how to actually enter into it . Maybe the problem isn’t that Jesus overstated the power of prayer… may...

This week, we will look at the Festival of Tabernacles, in which the Israelites celebrated how Yahweh dwelled with them during their time in the wilderness, and provided them all that they needed as they journeyed towards their permanent home (The Promised Land). Now, from the inside of the Promised Land, the Jews would practice this feast to remember both God's Presence and Provision. Then Jesus...

We welcomed our guest speaker Dave McGovern with us on Sunday. Dave is a clinical mental health counselor and formerly the family pastor of our sending church TLC. Humans are shaped by stories. We are the only beings in all of creation who make meaning through stories of the past, present, and future. We are shaped by both external and internal stories. Every day, we are faced with the choice of l...

The Feast of Trumpets is a wake-up call. In this message, Austin Presnell unpacks how this biblical festival points to repentance, spiritual alertness, and the return of Jesus. It’s a reminder to stop drifting, get right with God, and live ready—because the trumpet will sound. _______________________________________ Learn more about The Beloved Church: https://www.belovedgr.church/ Subscribe to Th...

Atonement reminds us of something we don’t naturally live from—that we don’t have to carry the weight of our sin, our shame, or our striving to make things right. God has already made a way. Where we tend to hold onto guilt or feel the need to fix ourselves, atonement invites us to receive what Jesus has already finished. In our lives, this can look like actually letting go of the quiet pressure t...

Learn more about The Beloved Church: https://www.belovedgr.church/ Subscribe to The Beloved Church | https://www.youtube.com/@belovedgr.church Follow us on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thebelovedchrch Follow us on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thebelovedchurch Helping the next generation fall in love with Jesus. #TheBelovedChurch #AustinPresnell

Easter reminds us that God’s story has always been about new life. In Leviticus, the first of the harvest was brought to God—not as leftover, but as the first and best. It was an offering of trust, a declaration that more was coming. The firstfruits weren’t the full harvest, but they were the promise of it. And in 1 Corinthians 15, we see the fulfillment: Jesus is the firstfruits. His resurrection...

Palm Sunday reminds us that not all kings come the way we expect. As Jesus entered Jerusalem, He rode on a humble donkey—symbolizing peace, gentleness, and servanthood. At the same time, Pontius Pilate entered on a powerful stallion, representing authority, control, and worldly power. Two processions. Two kingdoms. Two very different kinds of kings. The crowd welcomed Jesus with praise, but many w...

On Sunday, our lead pastor Austin Presnell brought our Acts series to a close. He walked us back through Paul’s journey and highlighted how the book ends in a way that feels unfinished—leaving questions about what happened to others along the way. But that open ending is intentional. It invites us to step into the story ourselves and continue sharing the message of Jesus Christ. Paul’s message nev...

This past Sunday, our lead pastor Austin walked us through the ends of Acts. Paul’s ministry started and was sustained by obedience to God’s voice and vision, and dependence on his provision. Which are you needing the most? Obedience or dependence? _______________________________________ Learn more about The Beloved Church: https://www.belovedgr.church/ Subscribe to The Beloved Church | https://ww...

This Sunday, we had the honor of hearing from Trey Hardimon, our lead pastor Austin’s childhood friend and now Next Generation Pastor from Leclaire Christian Church. He brought us through Acts chapters 20-23, encouraging us and teaching us through Paul’s trials and tribulations. Trey reminded us that following the Call of the Spirit doesn’t always lead to comfort, and sometimes obedience to the Lo...

Our guest speaker, Evan joined us this Sunday morning to walk us through the transformation of what it looks like once you decide to follow Christ. God calls you to a higher purpose and to not fall to the idols of the world. _______________________________________ Learn more about The Beloved Church: https://www.belovedgr.church/ Subscribe to The Beloved Church | https://www.youtube.com/@belovedgr...

This Sunday, Pastor Austin Presnell opened the word with us as we were in Acts 18:24-28 , learning about Apollo's teachings in Ephesus. Apollo only knew of the baptism of John, and not of Jesus'. Austin guided us through a hands-on learning experience as we dove into what the difference between John's and Jesus' baptisms were, and the importance of the two. _______________________________________...

On Sunday our lead pastor Austin Presnell dove into Acts 17 _______________________________________ Learn more about The Beloved Church: https://www.belovedgr.church/ Subscribe to The Beloved Church | https://www.youtube.com/@belovedgr.church Follow us on Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/thebelovedchrch Follow us on Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/thebelovedchurch Helping the next generat...

On Sunday we were in Acts 16 with our lead pastor, Austin Presnell. Austin invited us to see our own lives as part of the ongoing story of the early church, where faith isn’t confined to Sunday but lived out on the frontlines of everyday decisions. The text challenged us to consider how obedience to the Holy Spirit often requires courage, especially when faith is tested by pressure, doubt, or oppo...

This past Sunday, Austin Presnell opened the Word and led us through a powerful teaching on the expectations we carry in our lives. He invited us to reflect on the many pressures we place on ourselves. Expectations shaped by our parents, our own internal standards, the demands of our workplace, or the voices of coworkers, partners, and society. Over time, these expectations can quietly pile up, we...

We had the honor of having Sara Krieg bring the word on Sunday, from The Local Church, our sending church. Sara reminded us the importance of community, how lone wolves die, and we are not meant to do life alone. From Acts 13 and 14, Sara reminds us that just as Paul was faced with trials and persecution for his faith, that he had to get up and keep going. And he couldn’t do that without his fello...

This morning, we continued into the story of the early church in the Book of Acts and explored how the first believers broke through cultural, social, and spiritual barriers to spread the Gospel. In this message, we looked at how God used ordinary people, radical obedience, and the power of the Holy Spirit to build a unified community in a divided world. As we unpacked these moments from Acts, we...

Yesterday we dove into our Acts Series: Part II with Austin Presnell at The Beloved Church Saul’s story reminds us that transformation doesn’t start with our past being erased, but with God’s voice being obeyed in our lives. In the middle of shame, brokenness, and the questions of others, Saul wasn’t defined by who he had been or what people assumed about him. He was defined by what God said to hi...