The Ridge – Weekly Message

Luke 3 is the introduction of baptism to the Christian faith. So, what is baptism? Why is it done? What does it mean? We’ll address all these questions and take a closer look at the baptism of Jesus—what His experience reveals to us about God. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Luke 3:21–38 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week!  Sign up  to receive the...

As we begin to journey through the book of Luke, we are introduced to one of the central (yet most eccentric) characters in the gospels — John the Baptist. But how do his teachings, specifically on repentance, connect with us today in the 21st century? And how do we really go about living like Jesus in the way that he challenges his listeners? Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike V...

People packed their bags, left their homes and camped in the desert to hear John the Baptist teach this: There’s sin in your life, repent! Why would they go to all that trouble to hear that message? We’ll find out while discussing true repentance — what it looks like and how to do it. Hint: It’s not by willpower or grit. It’s something more. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Luke 3:1–...

Just under 2000 years ago the most pivotal weekend in history took place: Jesus died and rose again that we might know the beauty of relationship with God. Yet how does this historic event impact not only our future but also our present? Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore how the death and resurrection of Jesus centuries ago can have a profound impact on...

Easter. The most pivotal weekend in history: Jesus was crucified, died and rose again that we might know the beauty of relationship with God. This event took place just under 2,000 years ago, yet it still impacts our present and our future. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Luke 24:1–6   Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week!  Sign up  to receive the B...

There are 250 instances in Scripture where God implores His people to praise Him. Some in the past have accused the God of the Bible of being  prideful and egotistic for commanding this. So how do we respond? Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Marketing and Communication Manager Dayne Logan as they explore reasons why God's leading to worship Him is not only justified but also loving. Read th...

There are 250 instances in Scripture where God implores His people to praise Him and to declare who He is. Whether we acknowledge the truth about Him or not, it doesn’t change what is actually true. And if we don’t do it, the rest of creation will.   Message by Dayne Logan Scripture referenced: Luke 19:36–40 Read the  Beyond the Sermon devotionals :    Get the devotional each week!  Sign up  to re...

As followers of Jesus, we believe the Bible to be the authoritative word on truth. It informs how we see God and the world, and it shapes how we live. Yet for many of our friends, family, coworkers, etc., the Bible doesn't hold much authority at all. So how can we go about sharing the message of the gospel in a culture that doesn't acknowledge the validity of the Bible? Join BTS host Will...

During his visit to Athens, the leading intellectuals and brightest minds challenged Paul to see if Christianity had intellectual chops. Paul didn’t go to the Bible. He met them on common ground to show them that Christianity isn’t a blind leap of faith into the absurd, but there is credible, logical evidence to defend what we believe.   Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Acts 17:16–34...

Christians believe the Bible to be God's very words to humanity. It provides truth about who God is, who we are, and how we were made to live. But what reasons do we have to hold to the authenticity and authority of the Bible? Why should we base our whole lives on this ancient book? Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore answers to these questions while a...

As Christians, we believe the Bible is God’s very word to us. But how did what was written get in there? How do we know it’s true and accurate? And why should we base our whole lives on this ancient book? When we ready and study the Bible, we discover it’s not just a list of rules; it’s a story that not only tells us about God but reveals Him to us.   Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced:...

"Love your neighbor" is probably one of the most famous commandments of Jesus yet perhaps the least practiced. Let's face it, loving those who have hurt us or who we deeply disagree with is challenging and at times seemingly impossible. So how do we go about loving people like this? Join guest host Dayne Logan and Ridge Director of Discipleship Will Herron as they explore what it means to follow i...

It’s one commandment we all know: Love your neighbor as yourself. Loving some people is easy, particularly those we have much in common with and those who share similar viewpoints and opinions. But we’re also called to love those who challenge us—those we deeply disagree with and those we would do anything to avoid. How do we do that? What does it really mean to love all our neighbors well? Messag...

While it might not be the most obvious lesson from Acts 16:16-34, how we relate to money and others is a key underlying theme within the passage. Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss why the "Prosperity Gospel" ultimately proves to be unbiblical and a danger to our relationship with God. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week!...

Earthquake. Prison walls crumble, chains fall, doors open. Paul and Silas are free! But they stayed. They stayed because of the jailor. They were aware that their actions would affect his life. And they chose to offer love and grace despite his cruelty toward them. Radical love is counter intuitive, and it has power. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Acts16:16–34 Read the Beyond the S...

It doesn't seem like many people would turn down a direct line to God. If we needed to make a big decision in life, we could just call or text and receive an answer right back! While God at times has spoken in a direct manner over specific circumstances, more often than not it is through other less obvious means. Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore how God...

Content: It doesn't seem like many people would turn down a direct line to God. If we needed to make a big decision in life, we could just call or text and receive an answer right back! While God at times has spoken in a direct manner over specific circumstances, more often than not it is through other less obvious means. Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explor...

Description: Life hands us an endless string of decisions. Many of us want to follow God, but how do we know what He wants for us? Recognize that God isn’t trying to hide His will. He wants us to know His will. But to know that, we must know Him. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Acts16:6–10

A couple of times a year we take the opportunity as a church to hear stories of how God is working in and through people in our community. We call these, Encounter Sundays. This week on the podcast host Will Herron welcomes Ridge Production Director Jacob Clark to share of how God has used some difficult experiences in his life for good. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional...

It's Encounter Sunday, a day when we take a pause from our normal routine to hear from everyday people who - like the woman at the well - have been transformed by an encounter with Jesus. Stories feature Jacob Clark and Carole Harding. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox.

People respond to the gospel in different ways. Some are at first resistant (Apostle Paul). Others feel they have no need of a Savior and can earn their way to God through religious practice (the Pharisees). How then do we go about leading people like Paul and the Pharisees to Jesus? Join Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees and BTS host Will Herron as they discuss ways in which we can be part of peopl...

Rivals compete for our allegiance every day. McDonalds and Burger King. JIF and Skippy. Sometimes we swap brands. Acts calls it conversion. In chapter 16 we see the stories of four conversions. All had different stories. But what ultimately led them to move from secularism or some form of polytheism or Judaism to Jesus? And as His followers, what is our role in that process? Message by Mike Van Re...

If we are doing life with others, conflict is inevitable. At some point we'll have a disagreement on what is best/right. So how do we go about navigating these kinds of conflict? What does the Bible have to say about resolving relational tension? Join Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees and BTS host Will Herron as they seek answers to these questions in the disagreement of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 15...

Description: In Acts 15, Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark along. Paul adamantly did not. Who was right? Who was wrong? The Bible doesn’t clearly tell us. But maybe that’s the point. Maybe there is something better than winning and being right. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Acts15:36–41 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the...

Whether you look at more recent or ancient history, the church has never been a stranger to disagreement. Acts 15 gives us insight into one such disagreement that could have derailed the early church and prevented countless people from coming to faith. Join Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees and BTS Host Will Herron as they discover how this passage can help us navigate disagreements as well as avoid...