The College Church

What does it mean to be God's People?  What are God's People all about?  Who is included, and on what basis?  These are some of the questions that Israel wrestled with upon their return from exile.  They are the same questions the early church wrestled with, and we must wrestle with if we want to be be found faithful in our time.

God beckons us to come to His table and feast on the spiritual food that He provides, at no cost to us, to nourish and satisfy our souls.  In this sermon on Isaiah 55, Pastor Bill explores what this spiritual food consists of, and how we get to the table.

"Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And pretty much anything you worship besides God will eat you alive."  (David Foster Wallace) In this sermon on Isaiah 54, Pastor Bill explores the dynamics of idolatry, shame and alienation, and invite you to step into the unique freedom that the gospel makes possible.

Some have called Isaiah 52:13-53:12 the Mount Everest of Scripture passages because of how clearly it depicts Jesus and His work of redemption - even though it was written 700 years before His birth!  Listen to discover the surprising way that God accomplishes our salvation, and calls us to model our lives after the suffering servant.

This week Pastor Bill begins a new sermon series called "Songs of Redemption" based on Isaiah chapters 52-56.  In this sermon, we explore the source of salvation, the nature of salvation and the purpose of salvation.

God appears...and the soul feels its worth!  In this sermon on the Christmas Story from Luke's gospel, Pastor Bill explores the implications of God's unmerited favor and what it means treasure the gospel in our hearts, and share it with the world.

The Apostle Peter calls believers "living stones" who are being built together into a spiritual house.  It's a rich metaphor that gives depth and richness to our understanding of Jesus, His Church and our place in it.  In this sermon, Barbara Ruh explains how we're built up, what we're built on and what God's building for.

Why does God rescue His people on some occasions and not others?  What must God's People do if they want to bear fruit?  In this sermon on Psalm 80, Pastor Bill explores these questions and how they relate to the church in our cultural moment.

The first Advent lasted 400 years.  There is a lot of waiting in the Christian life.  Sometimes waiting can be deeply troubling and painful, or cause us to doubt God's presence.  In this sermon on Psalm 22, Pastor Bill explores how we can continue to pray when God feels absent, and reminds us that, while the darkness is real, it is temporary.

How can we be secure in an insecure world?  In this sermon on Psalm 16, Pastor Bill challenges us to break the cycle of trying to gain control over our lives, and instead follow David by looking out, looking up, looking around and looking back.

Psalm 2 is a Psalm that points to Jesus.  In this sermon Pastor Bill unpacks the reality that we have a True King, we hate the True King and we need a True King in order to flourish, and be who we were created to be.

Hear reports from two of our Gospel Partners. Louise Nagler oversees Bible translation into African languages at Wycliff Bible Translators.  Meg Given hosts United Nations diplomats at the Christian Embassy in NYC.

The Kingdom of God has already come, but it has not yet come in full.  In this sermon, Pastor Bill explores the nature of Christian hope, and what it looks like to live in this tension.

Is Christianity really in decline?  If it is, could that be a good thing?  How do Jesus' followers live as citizens of heaven, and citizens of earth, at the same time?  And where does the power to do that come from?  These are the questions Pastor Bill will try to answer in this sermon that calls the church to embrace its true identity.

What is the Kingdom Mission?  What on earth are we supposed to be doing, in the name of our King?  In this sermon (part II of II), Pastor Bill talks about our calling to demonstrate the gospel by doing justice and showing mercy.

What is the Kingdom Mission?  What on earth are we supposed to be doing, in the name of our King?  In this sermon (part I of II), Pastor Bill talks about our calling to proclaim the gospel and make disciples.  In part II, Pastor Bill talks about our calling to demonstrate the gospel by doing justice and showing mercy.

The Kingdom of God is God's rule, over God's people, in God's place.  The local church is the people in this equation.  In this sermon, Pastor Bill explores how the church is called to live out the Kingdom Story.

Come along as Jasmine Myers, our Artist in Residence, preaches on 2 Peter 1:3-8.

Jesus said, "anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”  In this sermon, Pastor Bill explores what Jesus means by this statement, why becoming like a little child is so difficult, and why it's ultimately worth it.

The Kingdom of God is an upside down Kingdom. In this sermon on Jesus' beatitudes, Pastor Bill shows how Jesus turns conventional wisdom on its head, obliterates social and cultural distinctions and makes it possible for anyone to receive God's blessing and participate in the life of His Kingdom.

Kingdoms are defined by their kings and Jesus is no ordinary king.  In this sermon, Pastor Bill explores some of the ways that Jesus fails to meet the expectations of both his contemporaries in 1st Century Palestine, and modern Westerners, both inside and outside of the church--and what makes Jesus a truly unique and matchless king.

The gospels record Jesus talking about the Kingdom of God more than anything else - over 100 times in the pages of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!  How then is it possible that so many Christians miss the central message of Jesus, and, in fact, the whole Bible?  In this sermon, Pastor Bill unpacks what the Kingdom of God is all about, and why it matters.

Everyone is experiencing this season differently.  Some are eager to re-engage and make up for lost time while others are exhausted, weary and in need of rest.  This sermon on Genesis 33:12-14 explores how we can navigate this season with wisdom, grace, patience and honesty.

In this sermon on Psalm 124, Pastor Bill explores what honest prayer looks like, as well as the role that praise plays in the life of faith.

What does it mean to be free?  How can we be free in a world filled with injustice and oppression?  Psalm 123 was written by an oppressed person.  Through his prayer, we discover a path to freedom and flourishing that transcends our circumstances.