The Impact Church Podcast: Rockford Campus

Have you ever looked at your travel photos and realized your own face is blocking the beautiful scenery? In this message, Max shares some hilarious (and slightly embarrassing) vacation photo mishaps with his wife, Brianna, to reveal a deeper truth about our faith: Too often, we try to put ourselves in the frame instead of letting God be the main subject. Stepping away for a few weeks provides a cl...

Are you being set up? In this week of our series, "Encounters with Jesus," we dive into Matthew 4 to look at the infamous showdown between Jesus and the devil in the wilderness. Often, we think temptation is just about breaking rules—but it’s actually a calculated attack on our identity. When you are hungry, tired, and isolated, you become a sitting duck for the enemy. Through the three...

In this message, we dive into one of the most dramatic, publicly charged encounters in all of the Gospels: The Woman Caught in Adultery (John 8:1–11).When the self-righteous religious leaders tried to use a woman's shame as a weapon to trap Jesus, He flipped the script. Instead of throwing a stone, He stooped to her level, silenced her accusers, and offered her something completely unexpected:...

You can tell a lot about a leader by the way they treat children. In a culture that often views kids as a distraction or a "chore," Jesus did something radical: He stopped His mission, rebuked His disciples, and placed children at the very top of the social ladder. In this message, we dive into Mark 10 and Matthew 18 to discover why Jesus fiercely protected and cherished the next generat...

Have you ever looked at something modern and thought, "This is nothing like I remember it"? From the changing landscape of sports and culture to the way we experience community, things look vastly different than they used to. But what if Jesus looked at the modern Western church and said the exact same thing? In this message, we are stripping away the overproduced, auto-tuned, and filter...

What was it like to be the mother of the Messiah? In this special Mother’s Day message, we kick off our new series, "Encounters with Jesus," by looking at the four pivotal moments between Jesus and His mother, Mary. From the anxiety of losing a twelve-year-old in Jerusalem to the heartbreak at the foot of the cross, we explore how Mary had to constantly surrender her will to God’s greate...

We live in a world that screams at us to chase status, success, and "stuff"—but none of it stands the test of time. In this message, we look at the final moments of King David’s life. As he prepares to take his final breath, he doesn't give Solomon a list of political strategies; he gives him a charge for his soul. What are you passing on to the next generation? Is it something tempo...

Are you trusting in your "chariots and horses," or in the Name of the Lord? In this message, we dive into the final days of King David to look at a moment of profound failure: the census of Israel. Why was God so moved by David counting his men? Because whatever we look to for our security eventually becomes our authority. Drawing from Mike Foster's Seven Primal Questions, we explore...

"The waves of death swirled about me..."David wasn't just saying a polite grace before a meal; he was crying out for his life. If you feel overwhelmed, trapped, or like you're "underwater," this message is for you. We look at the vivid, powerful imagery of a God who parts the heavens, thunders from above, and reaches down into deep waters to rescue His children. Key Hig...

Are you so focused on what you’ve lost that you can’t see what you have left? In this message, "Fatal Fixations," we dive into the tragic final days of King David to see how a "tunnel-visioned" focus on one heartbreak can dismantle an entire life. We often talk about the wounds parents leave on children, but we rarely discuss the way a wayward child can wound a parent. David wa...

Some truths can’t be explained—they have to be experienced. We often think of Easter as a religious event or an explanation of ancient facts. But for a Roman Centurion standing at the foot of the cross, Easter wasn’t a holiday - it was a 6-hour encounter that shattered his armor and changed his allegiance forever. In this message, we look at the life of Levi Curler - a veteran, a police officer, a...

What if the most "lopsided trade" in history wasn't a sports deal or a land grab, but a courtroom exchange 2,000 years ago? We often look at the story of Barabbas as a historical footnote, but the truth is much more personal: We are Barabbas. In this message, we kick off our Easter series by looking at the "Great Exchange." We explore the notorious figure of Barabbas—a rebe...

Is it possible to win at work but lose at home? We often look at King David as the ultimate hero—the giant-slayer, the worshiper, and the great King of Israel. But in this message, we look "behind closed doors" at a side of David we rarely talk about: David the Dad. Through the tragic story of Amnon and Tamar in 2 Samuel 13, we discover a sobering truth: our public reputation means very...

The thing we try hardest to hide is the very thing God wants to use to set us free. In Week 10 of our "Rise and Fall" series, we look at one of the most dramatic confrontations in the Bible: the prophet Nathan confronting King David. We often think of conviction as a heavy, negative weight, but what if it’s actually the starting point for true joy? In this message, we explore:Mirror vs....

This powerful exploration of 2 Samuel 11 confronts us with one of Scripture's most sobering warnings about the danger of success and complacency. We journey through David's catastrophic fall from grace, witnessing how a man described as having an IQ of 135-145, a brilliant warrior, poet, and king who represented Christ's kindness in chapter 9, becomes unrecognizable in chapter 11. The...

This powerful message takes us into the heart of what it means to truly forgive, using David's stunning act of kindness toward Mephibosheth as our guide. In 2 Samuel 9, we witness something revolutionary: instead of eliminating potential rivals from Saul's household as any ancient king would do, David asks, 'Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness?&#...

This message from Max Spelstra invites us into a transformative understanding of worship that extends far beyond singing songs or attending services. At its heart is David's response in 2 Samuel 7 when God redirects his plans to build a temple. Instead of demanding explanations or pushing forward with his own agenda, David simply sits before the Lord. This profound act of sitting, of tarrying...

“How do you affair-proof your marriage?” It’s a question we all want a simple formula for, but the reality is much more sobering. An affair is rarely a sudden impulse; it is usually the final chapter of years of quiet neglect. Marriages don’t collapse overnight—they erode when wounds are ignored, needs are unmet, and hearts are left unattended. In today’s message, “Growing Tensions in Marriage,” w...

This message takes us on a journey through the Ark of the Covenant, revealing what happens when we approach God with enthusiasm but without reverence. We explore the tragic story of Uzzah in 2 Samuel 6, who reached out to steady the ark and died instantly—not because God is capricious, but because the Israelites had abandoned God's clear instructions about how His presence should be honored. T...

This powerful exploration of spiritual warfare pulls back the curtain on the invisible realm where angels and demons clash over our prayers, families, and daily battles. Through David's encounters with the Philistines in 2 Samuel 5, we discover a God who doesn't just bless our plans—He goes before us with armies of angels when we wait for His timing. The imagery is stunning: David waiting...

"What’s a question you’ve been asked that has changed your life?" One year ago, we launched the Rockford Campus with a simple yet terrifying question: "Will you follow me anywhere?" As we celebrate our first anniversary, we look back at the "nets" we’ve left behind—the security, the familiarity, and the comfort of the known—to embrace a mission that is entirely out of...

What happens when you lose everything? In week two of our Rise and Fall series, we look at the life of David in 1 Samuel 30. After a devastating raid on Ziklag, David and his men find themselves at a crossroads of faith and exhaustion. When the world takes from us, our natural human instinct is toward bitterness, greed, and "keeping score." But David shows us a different way—the way of t...

We encounter David at his absolute lowest point—returning to find his city burned, his family taken captive, and his own men ready to stone him. Yet in this moment of complete devastation, Scripture records something remarkable: 'David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.' This passage from 1 Samuel 30 reveals a profound spiritual discipline that separates those who merely survive crisi...

Have you ever moved into a new home but left the boxes unpacked for months (or years)? It’s one thing to occupy a space; it’s another thing entirely to "move in"—to paint the walls, build the furniture, and decide that this is home. In this message, we dive into Jeremiah 29 to discover a powerful word God gave His people while they were in exile. Instead of telling them to keep their bag...

The Treasures of Christmas | A King in a Stable We’ve all heard that "it’s more blessed to give than to receive," but have you ever stopped to consider the weight of the gifts given at the very first Christmas? It wasn't just about gold and incense; it was about the offering of lives, wills, and ultimately, the life of a Savior. In this message, we dive into the heart of the Christma...