The Garden Church // Sunday Teachings

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: 1 Corinthians 16:1-10 Pastor Josh wraps up our series in 1 Corinthians with a reflection on mutuality and interdependence in Christian community. He highlights how self-sufficiency can undermine true community and invites us instead to practice solidarity, care, and generosity as tangible ways to live out the values of God's kingdom. 

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: 1 Corinthians 14:26-33  The church at Corinth created chaos in worship by focusing on the self-expression of their spiritual gifts over building up the body of Christ. In this sermon, Pastor Josh invites us to reflect on how we use our own gifts—to seek personal validation or to contribute to the common good of our community? He calls for a balance between under-functio...

Teacher: Mandi Paszek  Text: 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a  Mandi Paszek explores the biblical definition of love and its central role in Christian community as written by Paul in 1 Corinthians 13. She contrasts our culture’s many varying definitions of love with Paul’s timeless teaching that true love is patient, kind, and rooted in God’s character. She invites us to embody this active, self-giving love...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: 1 Corinthians 12:7–12  Pastor Josh reflects on 1 Cor. 12 to emphasize how valuable each person’s unique spiritual gifts are in building up the church. He challenges us to avoid both arrogance and insecurity regarding our gifts, reminding us that our abilities come from God and are meant for the common good. He encourages us to step off the sidelines and contribute in ou...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: 1 Corinthians 11:17-22  Pastor Josh reflects on Paul’s exhortation to the Corinthian Church to stop excluding others during communion, and invites us to consider how we might foster radical inclusion in our community today. He emphasizes that true community in Christ is not just about finding friends we “vibe” with but about making space for everyone, especially those w...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: 1 Corinthians 6:1-8  Pastor Josh explores Paul’s exhortations against exploitation in 1 Corinthians 5 and 6, focusing on how selfishness and the pursuit of personal gain can damage relationships. Josh challenges us to reflect on how we might be taking advantage of others in our own lives, and urges us to use our freedom not for self-interest but to honor both God and th...

Text: 1 Corinthians 1-3  Teacher: Josh Wilson  Pastor Josh launches a new series, "Practices of Belonging," exploring how our actions can build or break community. Pointing to the divisions in the Corinthian church, Josh highlights the danger of holding our personal views and values with a pride that threatens community. Instead, Josh invites us to deepen our attachment to Christ and all...

Text: Psalm 37:1-6  Teacher: Josh Wilson  Psalm 37 teaches that we can trust in God’s wisdom even when his commands seem counterintuitive or difficult. Pastor Josh explains how our default response to rules is usually negative, viewing them as only restrictive and cumbersome. But God's law is the gift of a good and loving Father who cares for his children and is committed to our flourishing. 

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Psalm 51  Like David, we all have moments of failure that we instinctively want to conceal and hide, but Psalm 51 shows us that true healing and forgiveness begin when we bring our sins into the light. In this sermon, Pastor Josh invites us to trust in God's unfailing love and mercy, which are always available when we turn to Him in confession and repentance. A reflecti...

Text: Psalm 91  Teacher: Mandi Paszek  In this exploration of Psalm 91, Mandi Paszek delves into the imagery of God as both a nurturing protector and a fierce defender, offering comfort and safety amidst life's storms. Mandi encourages us to see God not just as a distant shelter but as an active, loving presence that can transform our experience of fear and anxiety. When we bring our worries to Go...

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Psalm 94  Pastor Josh continues our Summer in the Psalms series talking about God’s righteousness and justice as seen in Psalm 94. Josh reminds us that while we may feel powerless against pervasive injustices, we can trust God to be the ultimate judge who brings about justice. Instead of resorting to retaliation or despair, we are invited to channel our anger into advoc...

Teacher: Aly Wilson  Text: Psalm 13  Pastor Aly Wilson reflects on Psalm 13, highlighting the reality of unavoidable pain and the human instinct to avoid it. She emphasizes that lament, as demonstrated by David, is a vital spiritual practice allowing us to bring our deepest sorrows before God, who is intimately concerned with our pain. Despite the discomfort of lament, it opens a path to divine co...

Text: Psalm 89  Teacher: Josh Wilson  In this sermon on Psalm 89, Pastor Josh explores the theme of God's faithfulness amidst life's uncertainties. He highlights how the psalmist grapples with God's promises in the face of challenges and disappointments. Drawing on personal and Biblical examples, Josh encourages listeners to trust in God's faithfulness even when circumstances are difficult, emphas...

Text: Psalm 29  Teacher: Josh Wilson  Psalm 29 unveils the glory and majesty of God as depicted through a thunderstorm. Pastor Josh encourages us to recognize and ascribe to God the glory that is due. Josh underscores the importance of recovering a sense of wonder in God's presence, which brings transformation and peace amid life's challenges. Following the teaching, there is a guided imaginative...

Teacher: Mandi Paszek Text: Matthew 18:21-35 Mandi Paszek concludes our sermon series on the parables with a teaching on the Parable of the Unforgiving Servant, which issues a challenging call to both recognize that we need forgiveness and to extend forgiveness to others. Mandi invites us to reflect on the obstacles we face when it comes to forgiveness and the reality that forgiveness is at the ce...

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Matthew 25:14-30 NIV In this sermon, Pastor Josh delves into the Parable of the Bags of Gold from Matthew 25, emphasizing the importance of leveraging all that God has given us for His Kingdom. Drawing a parallel to Kodak's downfall due to playing it safe, Josh highlights three caution flags that can hinder our stewardship: forgetting our role as trustees, comparing...

Teacher: Rashad Clemons Text: Luke 18:9-14 Jesus' Parable of The Pharisee and The Tax Collector teaches us about the posture of heart that gets God's attention: humility. In this sermon, Rashad talks about the allure and danger of self-righteousness in the spiritual life, and God's invitation to come before him as we are, in need of His mercy and grace. 

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Luke 10:25–37 Who is my neighbor? Pastor Josh unpacks the story of the Good Samaritan, explaining why this is actually the wrong question to be asking. Instead, Jesus calls us to a total devotion to God which expresses itself in love for neighbor and asks the question: “Who can I neighbor?”

Text: Luke 16:1-15   Teacher: Josh Wilson Pastor Josh unpacks the Parable of the Shrewd Manager, explaining that we should steward our money shrewdly in light of eternity, just like the manager who strategically plans for his future after being fired. Josh emphasizes Jesus’ warning that we cannot serve two masters and challenges us to invest now for later. 

Teacher: Josh Wilson  Text: Matthew 25:1-13 Jesus’ Parable of the Ten Virgins in Matthew 25 challenges us to be prepared for Jesus' return. In this teaching, Pastor Josh unpacks the cultural context of Ancient Near Eastern weddings to highlight the gravity of the bridesmaids' lack of preparation, drawing parallels to how we should ready ourselves for Christ's return. Ultimately, the se...

Text: Luke 18:1-8 (NRSV) Teacher: Mandi Paszek Jesus tells the Parable of the Persistent Widow so that his disciples would “pray always and not… lose heart.” Mandi Paszek explores how our ability to persist in prayer is connected to how we view the character of God—and our willingness to let ourselves be reshaped by the experience of prayer.

Text: Matthew 22:1-14  Teacher: Josh Wilson 

Text: Matthew 13:1-23 Teacher: Josh Wilson Jesus’ Parable of the Soils invites us to consider the receptivity of our hearts. Pastor Josh explores how these soil types show up in our souls and exhorts us to cultivate hearts that are fertile places for the Kingdom of God to grow.

Text: Matthew 13:44-46  Teacher: Christine McEvoy, InterVarsity Christian Fellowship  Guest teacher Christine McEvoy uses Jesus' parables of The Hidden Treasure and The Pearl of Great Price to describe not only what the Kingdom of God is like—costly, precious, and deeply worthwhile—but also what kind of people are found in the Kingdom—those who have been captured by its goodness and respond wi...

Text: Matthew 13:31-33 Teacher: Josh Wilson The Kingdom of God is like… a mustard seed? Pastor Josh shows us that God uses unassuming things to generate unprecedented results and challenges us to grapple with the tendency to abandon our integrity in the effort to achieve our goals.