The Valley Church Troy Podcast

You know that thing, the thing you know you should do, but you just keep putting off for one reason or another. It’s a good thing – maybe even a really important thing – but maybe it will be uncomfortable or mean giving something else up or cost you something you value. So we procrastinate, make excuses, hope that it fixes itself without our having to do anything. But what if you stopped saying no...

If your busy season doesn't seem to have an end in sight, it's not a season, it's your life. But Jesus offers you an alternative. Join Jayden as he guides us into the Scriptures and into the promises of Jesus to all those who are weary and burdened. Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15am or 11:00am (EST). Here are ways to connect with us! Text TODAY to 937-358-6565 to let us know y...

Has this year been a year of bad news? You know, despite the pretty cards and serene faces, Mary and Joseph faced a year of crazy. It might seem like the best news ever to hear you will be the parents of the Messiah, but Mary still had to go through 9 months of culturally shameful pregnancy because Joseph wasn't the father, followed by an 80 mile walk to Bethlehem at 9 months, and then no plac...

"O Holy Night" is one of the most beautiful Christmas carols, but have you stopped to really take in the words? "A thrill of hope" and "a weary world" -- these lines in the first verse remind us that while Christ's birth offers a thrill of hope, many of us still live in the weary world of hard and heartbreak. Listen in for a word of hope today. Each December, fami...

As we take a close look at the song "O Come All Ye Faithful", sometimes we wonder about the "feelings" of Christmas. The Shepherds were in awe of Jesus, the Magi brought gifts and worshipped Him, and Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. When was the last time you were in awe? Have you ever beheld glory? Maybe this Christmas you can experience it al...

Each December, familiar carols fill our homes, our cars, our churches and our playlists. We sing them once a year–but their truths were never meant to be seasonal.  In “A Christmas Playlist” we’ll explore four beloved Christmas songs and discover how their powerful messages of hope, peace, presence, and joy–still speak to us today.  Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15am or 11:00am (EST). Here...

As we begin the Advent season, on the first Sunday the Christian Church around the world often begins by talking about hope. Hope is the persistent trust that believes and acts as though the thing hoped for will happen. In the past, the Jewish people persisted in hope that the Messiah would come. He did come as Messiah Jesus. Today, Christians persist in hope that Jesus will come again to set not...

Jonah finally did the thing -- preached in Nineveh -- but then he stormed out of the city irate because the people were actually repenting! Finding a seat outside the city, Jonah waits for something to happen and ends up in a conversation with God about whether is anger is justified. But the real issue is that Jonah has come to despise the very qualities of God that make God the only Being worth w...

Ever been approached by a police officer before? When our mess-ups and mistakes catch up with us, we plead for mercy, right? "Please let me go with a warning and I will never do this again!" Yet how often do we do that thing again. True repentance is being sorry enough to stop, and this is the kind of repentance following God requires. Join us Jayden unpacks how oddly enough, the Ninevit...

Jonah wasn't afraid to obey God. He refused to obey. He had become bitter and resentful against his hated enemies, the Assyrians whose capital was Nineveh. There was no way Jonah was going to give the Ninevites a chance to repent and receive mercy. Ever felt that way? Bitterness does not satisfy or protect like it promises, though, and it has disastrous consequences for us and the people aroun...

Hearing God’s invitation to act is one thing. Receiving it and obeying is a whole 'nother kettle of fish. Jonah heard the voice of God, but it wasn’t something he wanted to hear, so he tried to run away from it. Have you ever done that? Some stories in the Bible have more to teach us about what not to do than what to do. The book of Jonah is one such story. This message sets the groundwork for...

We talk about baptism as an important next step in our faith, but what exactly does it mean? What is its significance? How does it connect to our salvation? These are just some of the questions surrounding this practice we call a sacrament, or sacred act. Listen in as Pastor Mark helps frame this for us, and then join us in celebrating the eleven baptisms! Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15a...

When you hear the word "evangelize", how do you react? Often we might feel our stomach drop, heart-rate increase, and maybe even experience temporary memory loss, lol. But what if being a person on mission for Jesus was actually far more relational and less bullhorn on the street corner? Check out this message! We tend to remember longer what we see than what we hear. Did you know that t...

Does your life feel out of balance? Maybe something just seems off, but you can't put your finger on it. Jesus modeled a life with balance between output and input, between time alone with The Father, quality time with His disciples, and authentic time with all the other people crowding around Him. We can capture this model with the Triangle, a strong shape when all three sides are equal. List...

Do you desire a better rhythm for your life? It is so easy to get caught up in the hamster wheel of productivity and busyness that we never take time to rest, or we feel that rest is a luxury we can't afford. But what if we told you that you you have it backwards, that God actually designed you work from a place of rest? Join us for a deep-dive using the semicircle. We tend to remember longer...

Last week we introduced circles as a helpful visual for some of Jesus's teachings. Circles have been used to symbolize concepts like inclusion or eternity, but we also believe they can teach us something about breakthrough! Join us as we circle back into how the circle can describe continuous breakthrough and how that gets to play out in your life! We tend to remember longer what we see than w...

Circles encompass many things (pun intended!). They have been used to symbolize concepts like inclusion or eternity, but what if we told you Jesus's words in Mark 1:14-15 could also be symbolized by a circle? Join us as we dive into how the circle can describe continuous breakthrough! We tend to remember longer what we see than what we hear. Did you know that the coolest thing is the principle...

We are going to cover some popular sayings from Jesus that get quoted from the Bible. There is only one problem— they aren’t actually words that Jesus uttered. When people misquote us, it creates misunderstanding and sometimes it hurts our reputation. Likewise, when Jesus is misquoted, people are led to believe things that aren’t true. Join us as we uncover and unpack what Jesus actually says. Joi...

We are going to cover some popular sayings from Jesus that get quoted from the Bible. There is only one problem— they aren’t actually words that Jesus uttered. When people misquote us, it creates misunderstanding and sometimes it hurts our reputation. Likewise, when Jesus is misquoted, people are led to believe things that aren’t true. Join us as we uncover and unpack what Jesus actually says. Joi...

Welcome! Glad you could join us for this All In Worship service! Join us for service every Sunday at 9:15am or 11:00am (EST). Here are ways to connect with us! Text TODAY to 937-358-6565 to let us know you decided to say 'Yes!' to Jesus leading your life. Text BAPTISM to 937-358-6565 to find out more about getting baptized as an expression of your new faith. Text SERVE to 937-358-6565 to f...

Have you ever blown it majorly? Like you made a promise with conviction that you'd see it through, but then the bottom fell out and you were left stunned. That did not go down like how you thought it would, how you dreamed and hoped it would. Peter gets it; he knows your pain. Listen in as Pastor Mark shares how Peter gets back on his feet in this sermon in our Meltdown series. Sometimes we mi...

When you get that news that rocks you, where do you turn? Hezekiah not only faced a terrifying military power knocking at his kingdom's door, but then he also received the diagnosis of a terminal illness. But even though it would be tempting to think God was against him, in fact King Hezekiah turned to God first through prayer. Join us for a conversation about prayer, hard times, and God's love. S...

Sometimes our breaking point comes upon us suddenly. We in the middle of an amazing experience one moment, and in the next we're drowning in a pit of darkness. Sometimes that darkness starts feel like it will never go away. Ever feel that way? Elijah did too. Listen in as Pastor Mark unpacks how God's compassionate response turned Elijah around and set him back in broad daylight again. Som...

You know what a meltdown is like. That last, often small, thing that just makes you snap. Moses knows too. The wandering Israelites were complaining - again - and Moses lost it. But he lost it in the best way. His example can help us too. Check it out! Sometimes we might think the people found in the Bible always had life figured out. Did they ever have struggles or tough times? What if we told yo...

As Jesus comes to the end of His teaching, He brings us to an important decision: are you in or out? Because there’s no in between. Half-hearted followers actually don’t exist. Jesus is looking for 100% all in disciples, not merely fans in the crowd. So which are you? Jesus stepped up on a mountainside and delivered the best sermon ever. But it was more than a sermon, it was a vision of what life...