The Ridge – Weekly Message

Ever felt like you’re not good enough? Not worthy enough? Judah certainly wasn’t. Just look at Genesis 38. Judah had spiritual deficiencies, moral failures, fears, insecurities, inadequacies. He messed up. He sinned. Time and time again. But God didn’t discard or discount Judah. God didn't give up on him. And He doesn't give up on us. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Genesis 38 Read...

Passing the baton isn't something that just happens; it requires our intentional participation. But what does it look like practically to raise up younger generations? And what happens when we drop the baton ourselves? How can we get back in the race? Join Joey and Will as they discuss these questions and more on this week's BTS Podcast. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional...

There is a handoff going on — a passing of the baton — from one generation to the next. We are called to train the younger generation in wisdom and to share our walk with Jesus. Now is the time. To whom are you going to pass the baton? How do you plan to do it? Message by Joey Weber Scripture referenced: 2 Timothy 1:5, 2:1–2 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Si...

Parenting is one of the greatest responsibilities and privileges. God has entrusted our children to us to show them who He is and help guide them toward a life that He desires for them. If you don't have children of your own, the principle still applies — we can all have a positive influence on younger generations. So what does this look like practically? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss...

Parenting is hard. Just being an adult is hard. All of it comes with overwhelming responsibility. And sometimes we mess up. Like Jacob. To put it kindly, his parenting was lacking. The coat of many colors shows us that Jacob played favorites. Joseph’s bragging about dreams shows us that Jacob was passive in letting the sibling enmity grow. How are these parenting fails relevant to us today? It’s t...

The literal, physical resurrection of Jesus is central to the Christian faith. In the words of the Apostle Paul, if the resurrection didn't happen, "we are to be pitied more than all men" (1 Cor 15:19). Join Pastor Mike and Will Herron as they discuss evidence for the resurrection as well as some helpful practical steps beyond Easter. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional eac...

If you haven’t accepted the claims of Easter, why not? Do you believe them to be true? If you want to determine if Christianity is true or false, don’t look at Christians who have hurt you, things that disappoint you, or questions that baffle you. Look at Jesus. The reason people in the first century decided to follow Jesus wasn’t based on faith, it was based on evidence. It wasn’t an empty tomb t...

A donkey, palm branches, and a rapturous crowd. There is a lot going on in our passage this week. Yet it was all building up to the moment where Jesus would lay down His life for the sake of the world. Join Pastor Mike and Will Herron as they explore the miraculous, prepare for Easter weekend, and discuss why this rapturous crowd turned hostile in a matter of days. Click here to access the discuss...

What is God’s greatest miracle — the greatest of all time? Our answer may rest in the heart of the Easter season. Greater than speaking a world into existence, greater than holding the sun still in the sky, and greater than bringing the dead back to life, is the miracle of the cross. Jesus had the ability to stop His suffering. He had the power and the authority, but He did not use it. He stayed....

To both Jesus and the surrounding Jews, this Roman centurion had something different about him. His faith, humility, and genuine care stood out in the crowd. Yet he was still a leading member of the Roman army involved in the occupation of the Jews at that time. Join Julie Wiemann and Will Herron as they explore what it means to show God's mercy to others, even in the face of stark difference or p...

The Roman centurion. What can we learn from him? To look at the centurion, you would think he wouldn’t have any need for any sort of encounter with Jesus. But he did. In fact, he set aside economic and racial barriers to seek Jesus in his time of need. His story is where following Jesus moves from head to heart. Message by Julie Weimann Scripture referenced: Luke 7:1–10 Read the Beyond the Sermon...

While the title of Jesus's parable may be "The Prodigal Son," we can learn much from each of the three characters in this famous story. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore what Jesus teaches us about God, us, and what it looks like for us to to follow God out of love rather than duty. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Ser...

What if God’s goal for us isn’t for us to just believe in Him, obey Him, or even respect Him? What if His goal — the desire of His heart is simply to love Him? What would it take for you to love Him back? A miracle? The promise of a life without challenges or difficulties? Or witnessing His glory? All these things would help you believe in Him, sure, but would you love Him? Message by Mike Van Ree...

One only has to look at many of the major religions of the world to see that we as humans carry a sense of needing to earn our way to God/a higher power. Christianity, however, stands unique in teaching of our need of a remedy not from within but from without. Yet how do we avoid falling into the pitfall of relying on our own goodness to attain or sustain our relationship with God? Join Pastor Mik...

Luke 18 is an evangelistic encounter with Jesus. But Jesus doesn’t model an altar call or pray the sinner’s prayer. Rather, through this encounter, He tells us that no matter how good we think we are or how much we obey, give, or minister, the kingdom of heaven cannot be bought or earned. There’s just one thing we need, one thing that money and deeds often leave us lacking. Surrender. Choosing Him...

We live in a culture that thrives on purchasing and acquiring things. The explosion of online shopping in the last 15 years or so has only reinforced this trend. So how do we follow Jesus's direction to be "rich toward God" yet still live in a balanced way regarding our purchases and finances? This is just one of the questions Doug and Will explore in this week's discussion. Read the Beyond the Se...

We’re living in a world and in a culture that thrives on more. It’s counter to what Jesus tells and teaches us. He instructs us to beware of greed. He even warns us to guard ourselves against it. So, how do we do that? Maybe the better question to ask is: What are you putting your trust in? Message by Doug Applegate Scripture referenced: Luke 12:15–21 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get t...

It seems fitting that as we draw our Daniel series to a close, that our final chapter should focus in the end of the world. For many however, heaven and hell can be challenging to begin to grasp both on a practical and emotional level. What will heaven be like? How could a loving God allow anyone to go to hell? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore these challenges as well as the impact t...

We all want to know how the story ends, don’t we? Chapter 12 is the last chapter in the biblical book of Daniel. The book doesn’t end with the lion’s den or the fiery furnace, or the handwriting on the wall. Rather, it concludes with end times along with a glimpse of the resurrection. The book of Daniel ends with this truth: Death will come, but it will not win. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture...

In many ways we live in a culture "where there is a subconscious drive to eliminate mystery.” How many calories are in an M&M? Ask Siri. How far away is Mars? Ask Alexa. Yet how does this constant conditioning impact our interaction with a God who in many ways is both above and beyond our ability to understand or comprehend? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discover how key mystery is in...

Not knowing is uncomfortable. There’s a subconscious drive to have the answers and to eliminate mystery. Not knowing is not something we’re used to in our advanced Western culture. We can figure out and understand some things — a lot of things, in fact. But we can’t always do that with God. So, what are we supposed to do with that? Pastor Mike helps us make sense of living with the mysteries of Go...

For many, the animal sacrifices depicted in the Old Testament come across as unusual if not unsettling. Yet as we learned from Pastor Mike's message, life requires the sacrifice of life — it is a key part of our existence not only physically but spiritually. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore how the discipline of sacrifice plays out in our day-to-day relationship with God and others. Read...

The abomination that causes desolation mentioned in Daniel 11 is pivotal to understanding the chapter. But what is it? Remember that what was prophecy for Daniel is history for us. To topple Israel, Antiochus Epiphanes’s strategy was this: to abolish the daily sacrifice. Pastor Mike explains the meaning behind animal sacrifice, the importance of daily sacrifice, and why it’s so important that we l...

One of the many amazing aspects of the gospel is that we can experience deep transformation through the work of God's Spirit. Yet how does this change happen? And how can we know we are in the right place to encounter God in this transformative way? Join Will and Leadership and Ministry Director, Julie Wiemann as they discuss what exactly this supernatural work of God looks like in our daily lives...

As Pastor Mike mentioned, God's sovereignty can fill us with hope and encouragement from the past and for the future. And yet it can also raise some questions, particularly when things happen in our lives that are painful and challenging. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss how we navigate those seasons as well as ways in which we can grow in trust in God and His ways. Read the Beyond the Se...