The Garden Church // Sunday Teachings

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Paul calls the church a garden—God’s field—where every person plays a vital role, and only God gives the growth. In contrast to the consumer-driven church model that centers on charisma and control, we’re invited to build a community rooted in participation, diversity, and everyday faithfulness. God is calling us to join him in cultivating a church wh...

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: John 15:1-8 Jesus invites us into a life of lasting fruitfulness—not through striving, but by staying connected to Him. In John 15, we see that real impact in the Kingdom flows from abiding, not self-reliance. Pastor Josh helps us explore what it means to live Spirit-powered lives in the Garden of God.

Teacher: Mandi Paszek Text: Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:4-8, 15 In the garden is where it all began. We were made to co-create with God, cultivating beauty, goodness, and life in the world. Mandi Paszek kicks off our new series on  The Garden  with a compelling invitation to return to our God-given design and partner with Him to bring healing and flourishing wherever we go. What were  you  made for?

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Matthew 27:62–28:6 Even in the most locked-up, lifeless places, God brings resurrection. Easter reminds us that hope is never truly gone—Jesus is risen, and life finds a way. This Easter, Pastor Josh invites us to consider the evidence for Jesus' resurrection and what dead places in our own lives we can entrust to the God who still rolls stones away. 

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Luke 24:28-35 On the road to Emmaus, Jesus meets two heartbroken disciples in their confusion and pain. Rather than offering quick answers, He listens and gently helps them see their story through the lens of Scripture. Pastor Josh uses Jesus' example to invite us to slow down, pay attention, and practice this same kind of gospel hospitality. How might we create spac...

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Luke 7:36-50 Jesus models grace-filled hospitality in the messiest of situations—like at dinner with Simon the Pharisee. While Simon judges vulnerability, Jesus welcomes it, demonstrating that embracing our own mess and that of others is an integral part of true connection and healing. We are invited to practice this same kind of hospitality in our relationships, creatin...

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Luke 10:25-37 In this week's reflection on hospitality, Pastor Josh calls us to a hospitality that costs us something—like the Good Samaritan, who didn’t just feel compassion but took action, giving his time, resources, and ongoing care. Jesus shows us that true hospitality is messy and sacrificial. This kind of love isn’t passive, but moves toward need. The question...

Teacher: Mandi Paszek  Text: Luke 18:18-22 Jesus shows the Rich Young Ruler soul hospitality by lovingly inviting him into real transformation. In this sermon, Mandi Paszek invites us to practice the same soul hospitality by creating space for others to grow—not by fixing or performing, but by listening with curiosity, love, and attention. As we follow Jesus's example, we too can become people...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Luke 19:1-10 Despite Jesus' pressing plans, He stops to engage with Zacchaeus, demonstrating the powerful gift of presence. Pastor Josh challenges us to consider how anxiety and hurry prevent us from being present in this same way. He invites us instead to slow down and learn to make space to be fully present with ourselves and others as a transformative act of hosp...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Luke 14:1-6; 12-14 Pastor Josh begins a new series,  You Are Welcome Here , by reminding us that gospel hospitality begins with grace. In Luke 14, Jesus demonstrates that God’s own hospitality isn’t about our worthiness but about receiving His grace. We are called in the same way to receive grace with humility and to welcome others freely, not expecting anything in retu...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Acts 4:1-13 In Acts 4, Peter and John make a remarkable shift from fearful and self-preserving men to bold witnesses to the good news of Jesus, even in the face of persecution. What fueled their courage? Two things: the power of the Holy Spirit and the overwhelming love of Jesus. We are invited to step into that same boldness, not out of obligation, but because we have...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Mark 14:27–31 Peter's story is one of paradox—he is a man of bold faith who fails spectacularly. In this sermon, Pastor Josh explores Peter's lowest moment of denial and the way Jesus offers him a second chance. Through a powerful reenactment by the fire, Jesus invites Peter to rewrite his story, reminding us that our failures don't disqualify us from God&#3...

Teacher: Mandi Paszek Text: Matthew 9:9-13 In this sermon, Mandi explores Jesus' surprising and merciful call to Matthew, a tax collector who was generally despised by his community. Jesus' invitation challenged the Pharisees’ rigid, exclusionary mindset and challenges our own today. This story reveals three key themes of discipleship: admitting our own spiritual sickness, embracing God’s...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Mark 10:35-45 James and John ask Jesus for prestigious positions in His Kingdom, seeking power and status, but Jesus warns them that true greatness comes through serving and suffering. Jesus teaches that His followers must embrace humility, put aside ego-driven desires, and serve others, as true greatness in His Kingdom is found through selflessness and sacrifice.

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Matthew 9:35-10:8 Pastor Josh reflects on the true nature of discipleship, emphasizing that following Jesus is not about acquiring knowledge alone, but about actively imitating Jesus through observation and practice. Ultimately, discipleship is about transformation through action—living out the principles Jesus modeled and becoming people who are marked by forgiveness,...

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: John 1:35-42 Andrew was one of Jesus' first followers who had a quiet but impactful role in bringing others to Christ. Despite not being as prominent as other apostles, Andrew's greatest contribution was introducing people to Jesus. His discipleship is a model to us that ministry is not about expertise or achievements so much as it is about connecting people to C...

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Matthew 4:18-22 Pastor Josh reflects on the radical and life-altering invitation Jesus gives to His first disciples, asking them to follow Him and leave behind their livelihoods. It's an invitation to embrace risk and uncertainty for the sake of transformation, new purpose, and true life. The story challenges us to consider how we might respond to a similar invitatio...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Isaiah 43:16-21 In a New Years' reflection on Isaiah 43:16-21, Pastor Josh explains how pain from the past often hinders us from receiving the new things God has for us. Whether we're entering the new year feeling weary or full of energy, we are invited to remain present and open to God's work. God is the faithful initiator of new things; our role is to stay...

Teacher: Yucan Chiu  Text: Luke 2:22-40  On this last Sunday of Advent, guest preacher Yucan Chiu looks at the story of Simeon and Anna in Luke 2. Yucan reminds us that through the work of the Holy Spirit change is available and is in fact already happening, because of God's coming to earth in Jesus. In Simeon's song we find that Jesus is our comfort, our salvation, and our revelation. 

Teacher: Mandi Paszek Text: Luke 2:8-14 The angelic proclamation to the shepherds is a declaration of joy, both personal and universal. Jesus’ birth is good news for all people, breaking through the darkness with the light of salvation. Advent teaches us that joy is not circumstantial but rooted in the reality of God’s presence and work in our lives. This joy compels us to worship and share the go...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Luke 1:46-55 NIV  In this sermon, Pastor Josh reflects on Mary's Song (the Magnificat), highlighting how God's choice to reveal Himself through a humble, young woman like Mary challenges our expectations of power and privilege. He reminds us that God's kingdom often upends worldly norms, invites us to see God's work in unexpected places, and ultimately challenges us to...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Luke 1:67-79 NIV  We begin the season of Advent reflecting on the beauty and challenge of hope through the poetic words of Zechariah in Luke 1:67-79. Despite Zechariah’s doubt, God was faithful to fulfill His promises, reminding us that even in our darkest seasons of uncertainty, God is there. Pastor Josh invites us to return to hope even (or especially) when it feels v...

Teacher: Mandi Paszek  Text: Genesis 32:22-32 NIV  In the final sermon of our series on the life of Jacob, Mandi Paszek explores how Jacob’s life of striving and manipulation finally reaches a turning point when he wrestles with God in Genesis 32. Through this unexpected encounter, Jacob's struggle becomes a path to redemption; God redefines his identity, gives him a new name, and leaves him marke...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Genesis 27:41-44; 28:10-15  Pastor Josh continues our reflections on the story of Jacob, showcasing how God allowed Jacob to face the consequences of his actions, not as punishment, but as a means of growth and transformation. Through Jacob’s journey, we see God as the loving parent who shows his care for us through both grace and discipline.

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Genesis 27:19–33 NIV  What if we took each moment of anxiety as a prompt for prayer? Pastor Josh reflects on the story of Jacob in Genesis 27 to explore our own human temptation to act out of manipulation or deceit when under stress. Like Jacob, we too often try to rely on ourselves rather than putting our trust in God; we tend to “power up” or “shut down” in the face o...