The Chapel Sermon Podcast

The journey of coming alive to God is not just a single moment of revelation but rather an ongoing experience of discovering and encountering him in new ways. We come alive to God in countless ways as we move from merely knowing truths about him to experiencing God as real and personal. Along the way, he continually invites us to take steps of faith and fully embrace the work he is doing in our li...

The journey of coming alive to God begins with the invitation in Revelation 3:20-21, where Jesus offers to enter our lives and transform them, giving us the ability to see from heaven’s perspective. This transformation unfolds through revelation, relationship, and revival—shifting from merely knowing about God to experiencing life with Him. The key is becoming a people who hear from God and respon...

Does the Christianity we choose to live out matter? This is the question we explored this week as we continued in our series, The Hope of Revival. In John 15:1-11, Jesus uses the metaphor of the vine and branches—where Jesus is the vine, his followers are the branches, and God the Father is the gardener—to emphasize the importance of abiding in him. Abiding requires us to live in a close relations...

In Genesis 32:22–32, we read about Jacob wrestling with God. This was more than just a physical battle—it was a deep spiritual struggle. Jacob realized that without God, he had no hope, and so he clung to him. After this encounter, God gave Jacob a new name—Israel, meaning "one who wrestles with God" or "one for whom God fights." This name change marked a significant transformation in Jacob's rela...

We’ve all experienced relationships in which we’re afraid to make mistakes, constantly worrying that one wrong move could lead to serious consequences. Whether we impose these expectations on others or have them placed on us, this performance-driven mindset—where we feel we must be perfect to gain approval—inevitably leads to relational disaster.  This week, we looked at the story of Abram and Sar...

This week, as we continued in our series, Some Assembly Required, we looked at the life of Israel’s last judge, Samson. In Judges 14, Samson was getting married. During the wedding feast, he posed a riddle to his guests, which led his wife to betray him by revealing the answer to the Philistines. Samson reacted violently, setting off cycles of vengeance and conflict in his life. This pattern conti...

Building strong, lasting relationships requires a solid foundation. Just as with anything well-built, relationships endure when built with care and intention. Last week, we explored the story of Ruth and how viewing others from God's perspective was key to forming deep connections. This week, we examined the story of Ruth's grandson, David, and the relationships between David, Saul (Israel’s first...

While good relationships are often seen as the cornerstone of a fulfilling life, navigating them has become increasingly challenging for many of us. Technology, rather than fostering genuine connection, often isolates us and distorts our understanding of community. We are constantly bombarded with curated images of others' seemingly perfect lives, leading us to desire an illusion rather than reali...

Are you living with the end in mind? As followers of Jesus, our future is secure—death holds no power over us. Embracing this truth transforms our lives, empowering us to make a difference in the world. Living with the end in mind frees us from fear and anxiety, allowing us to fully become who God created us to be. As we do this, we witness God's kingdom at work and realize that investing in world...

This week, Freddy continued in our series, Glory to Glory, looking at Acts 21-27, which highlights three key themes: Paul's unwavering dedication to spreading the gospel, God's steadfast faithfulness to Paul, and the persistent opposition Paul faced. Despite numerous trials, Paul’s commitment to God never wavered. He continued to share the gospel whether he was put on trial, driven from a city, or...

Hardship can come for various reasons—sometimes because we've made mistakes, sometimes because we've done the right thing as Christians, and sometimes simply because we live in a fallen world. When experiencing hardship instead of blessings, many people question their faith and wonder if God is still present, leading some to abandon their faith. Paul, however, did not view hardship as a sign of Go...

For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 This week, as we continue our series on the life of Paul, we look at Acts 19:11–16, where Paul is in Ephesus—a city deeply entrenched in darkness, with its economy and culture...

When we believe in Jesus, the gift of the Holy Spirit is given to us. However, sometimes we wait to receive it, postponing the opportunity for God to transform us. It is like having a gym membership but not working out, being enrolled in school but not taking classes, or even getting raises but never seeming to have any money. In Acts 19, Paul asked the people of Ephesus, “Did you receive the Holy...

If you don’t see something the right way, it will never work the way it is intended. This is particularly true with evangelism. The term evangelism is what we use to describe the process by which we lead people to Jesus or help others back to God. Repeatedly, when Paul goes from place to place sharing the good news of Jesus, he either gets beat up, thrown in jail, or thrown out of town. Unfortunat...

Denvil Lee

This week, we picked up the story of Paul in Acts 14, where Paul and Barnabas healed a crippled man and became instant celebrities, hailed as gods. Paul and Barnabas rejected this glorification, urging the people to worship the living God. As a result, Paul was stoned and left for dead. Despite this, Paul continued to preach, ultimately strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain fa...

This week, Freddy continued our series on the life of Paul in Acts 13. Ten years have passed since Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus. Paul and Barnabas are in Pisidian Antioch, where they enter the synagogue on the Sabbath and are invited to speak. Paul stands up and summarizes Israel's history, explaining how each step points to Jesus. He teaches that Jesus is the Messiah, but contra...

Happy Father’s Day, Chapel family! This week, Scott kicked off a new series on the life of Paul. Formerly known as Saul, Paul was a fierce persecutor of the early Christian church. Saul's life took a dramatic turn on his way to Damascus, where he was planning to arrest more believers. A light from heaven struck him, and he heard Jesus say, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?” Trembling and bl...

In Matthew 14:13-21, after hearing about John the Baptist's death, Jesus seeks solitude but is followed by a large crowd. Moved by compassion for the people, he heals their sick. As evening approaches, the disciples worry about feeding the crowd and suggest sending them away to buy food. Jesus instead instructs the disciples to feed the people. They bring Jesus all that they have—five loaves and t...

Have you ever felt stuck? Maybe you have been relationally stuck, caught in cycles of conflict where nothing seems to go right. Financially stuck, with debt growing beyond what you can afford, stripping away your freedom. Or emotionally stuck, haunted by past events, or trapped in cycles of anxiety, fear, self-doubt, or depression. In Mark 5:1-20, Jesus encounters a man who is profoundly stuck. In...

Whatever you behold, you become.  Beholding Jesus and how he lived his life is the first step toward being transformed into his likeness. This transformation happens when we go beyond simply studying who Jesus is and allowing his life to shape us. Jesus' life shows us that healing is possible and compels us to pray for healing and miracles. Praying for miracles can sometimes feel risky, especially...

This week, Jamie kicked off a new series, Behold. In this series, we will examine Jesus’s miracles and explore what they reveal about who God is, what he cares about, and what moves him to action. This week, we looked at John 8, where Jesus is confronted by the scribes and Pharisees with a woman caught in adultery. They try to trap Jesus by asking if she should be stoned according to the Law of Mo...