Topeka Bible Church EXTRA

What enemy did King David describe as bone-rotting and strength-sapping? Unconfessed sin. In this first installment of “Getting Over It,” Pastor Connor talks about the importance of confessing our sins to God. We often shy away from confession, even though there is great joy in being forgiven. The challenge lies in coming to agreement with God about the destructiveness of our sin. Pastor Connor gi...

The Passover crowds were looking for a deliverer, a son of David who would rise up and throw off the shackles of Roman oppression. So imagine their disappointment when Jesus entered Jerusalem peacefully on the back of a gentle donkey. They didn’t recognize Him as the king they’d been waiting for. We can have the same problem they did: We look to Jesus for help or comfort without also recognizing H...

Like Moses, Joshua had reached the end of his journey with the people of God. And like Moses, Joshua left them with a life-defining choice. This week, Pastor Connor concludes our series on Joshua with the showdown at Shechem: Would the Israelites choose to serve Yahweh, or the false gods of Ur, Egypt, and Canaan? This choice had eternal consequences for the people of Joshua’s day, and it does for...

Last words are a big deal. This week, Pastor Connor looks at Joshua’s farewell address to the leaders of Israel. One particular message was so important that Joshua repeated it three times: God has kept His promises to you in amazing ways! But be careful; if you turn away from Him, you’ll experience the wrath He warned you of. This week, our hosts go deeper into Joshua, where we learn more about m...

Discover the beautiful balance of trusting God's promises while embracing obedience. Through Caleb's inspiring example and Israel's missteps, we learn how following God's path leads to the rich, fulfilling life He lovingly designed for us. This week, our hosts go deeper into Joshua where we talk more about Caleb, the Anakites, giants, and why the Israelites didn't always k...

God promised the children of Israel that they would have peace and rest in the Promised Land. This week, Pastor Connor talks about what that rest looked like. He also discusses the rest that we can have in Christ today, as well as the dangers of seeking temporary rest instead of the eternal rest God wants us to have. If you’ve ever felt weary and heavy-burdened, this message is for you! This week,...

Have you ever been in terrible trouble where escape seemed impossible? This week, Pastor Connor continues the story of the Gibeonites, the tricky tribe that scammed Joshua into forming an alliance. When the Gibeonites are attacked by their neighbors, God sends Joshua and the Israelites to rescue them. But don’t be fooled: God does most of the heavy lifting Himself. Join us for this message about k...

Joshua and the Israelites have entered the promised land. They’re ready to embark on a military campaign through the southern part of Israel. So why do they take a detour to the north? And why do they fall for a scam afterwards? Join Pastor Jim as he takes a journey into archeology, ancient curses, and what happens when we lean on our own understanding. This week, our hosts talk about how we all h...

Sometimes our greatest triumphs are followed by great defeats. That’s one theme of this week’s sermon from Joshua, where Pastor Jim tackles the story of the Israelites’ defeat at Ai. After seeing God’s power on full display at the battle of Jericho, Joshua faces a terrible setback because of one person’s disobedience. Yet, God can turn even our valleys of trouble into doorways of hope when we repe...

Through a study of the unconventional "battle" at Jericho, Connor explores the reality of spiritual warfare and why our daily struggles are often part of unseen forces at work in the spiritual realm around us. Learn how God has already secured victory over Satan and his forces and how you can fight life's battles with confidence, knowing the ultimate outcome is already determined. T...

The crossing of the Jordan introduced a new era for the people of Israel. This week, Pastor Connor continues our series in Joshua, discussing how God accomplished this miracle and how He instructed His people to memorialize it. We learn about the importance of expecting God to do great things, as well as some practical suggestions for reminding ourselves how far He’s brought us. This week, our hos...

Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be mastered by anything.” This was written to Christians in the first century, but what if we find ourselves with similar struggles today? This week, Pastor Jeremy talks about our culture’s unhealthy relationship with smart phones and social media. Too often...

The story of Rahab isn't just about a quick-thinking woman who hid two spies on her rooftop. In Joshua 2, we meet a pagan prostitute living inside Jericho's walls who risked everything to protect God's people. But what's remarkable isn't just her bravery – her powerful declaration of faith that reminds both the spies – and us – that God goes before us, preparing the way. A...

Have you ever felt like you were in an impossible situation? This week, we begin a new series on the book of Joshua, which starts with the people of Israel in the desert. They’ve just lost their great leader, Moses, and their promised land is full of strong, well-fortified enemies. But God tells Joshua to be strong and courageous. Join Pastor Connor as he discusses God’s calling, Joshua’s response...

The cross was offensive in the world of the Galatians. It was a shameful tool of execution, so some people tried to replace the cross with an emphasis on following Jewish traditions. In this final week of our Galatians series, Pastor Connor discusses Paul’s response to those people. Without the cross, there is no Christianity. Christ’s work on the cross provides a way of salvation and transforms u...

Ever wondered if your faith journey really matters? Pastor Connor Kraus offers an encouraging dive into how God sees and celebrates your everyday choices. Discover how living with purpose isn't about perfection but about walking closely with God and experiencing His incredible love and guidance. This week, our hosts dive deeper into the topic of what rewards will be received in heaven and the...

Last week we talked about living by the Spirit. But what does that look like? Pastor Jim walks us through four signs of a spiritual person from Galatians 6. If we are living by the Spirit, we will gently restore sinners, relieve the burdened, review our own lives, and remember those who devote themselves to teaching us. This week, our hosts share their personal experiences with keeping people acco...

Christ sets us free when we’re born into His family through faith. But that’s just the beginning! In this week’s message, Pastor Jim talks about how we can live free by walking in step with the Holy Spirit. When we walk by the Spirit, we avoid the trench of legalism on one side and the sewer of libertinism on the other. We are also free to grow the fruit of the Spirit instead of being enslaved by...

Who makes us free, and why? Pastor Jeremy tackles those questions this week. We may be tempted to think we can set ourselves free from sin by doing everything just right, or that  freedom means we can do anything we want, but both of these ideas are wrong. Instead, Christ is the one who sets us free, and He does it so that we can be free to love God and others. This week, our hosts dive deeper int...

This week, we look at the conclusion of Paul’s argument to the Galatians about what it means to be God’s children. Pastor Connor guides us through a tale of two sons: one enslaved and one free.  When we belong to God’s family, we are children of promise, free and righteous because of God’s grace through Christ. He delivers us from the hopeless slavery of trying to justify ourselves through works o...

We often talk about “God the Father” or being “a child of God,” but what does that actually mean? This week, Pastor Connor digs into Galatians to answer that question. He also talks about what it takes to become a child of God, as well as how it changes us to be part of God’s family. This week, our hosts go deeper into Galatians, baptism, and what it means to be a child of God and having a heavenl...

If the Law of Moses can’t make us right with God, then what good is it? That’s the question in this week’s passage from Galatians. Pastor Connor discusses how the Law was designed to make God’s people aware of their many sins, prepare them for the Messiah, and put everyone on equal footing before God. Then, he digs into how the promise made to Abraham beats the Law in every way. And most surprisin...

What can make us right with God? This week, Pastor Connor leads us through Paul’s scandalous answer to that question. Like most people today, the false teachers in Galatia said that righteousness comes from doing right things and avoiding wrong things. But in this week’s passage, Paul uses Old Testament scripture to show that only faith in Christ can justify us. When we trust in Jesus, we escape t...

Connor addresses the challenge of maintaining a strong and genuine faith and how we can unknowingly drift from our initial fervor, working for blessings already freely given through Christ. We must recognize God's role in sanctification and make sure our faith sprouts from conviction rather than convenience. Through self-reflection and a deepening relationship with Christ, we can avoid spirit...

How can we get right with God? The world would tell us our best hope lies in doing better than average: Avoiding bad things, doing good things, and generally trying really hard. That path is full of complexity and pain, and even worse, it doesn't work! This week, Pastor Jim tells us about the simpler way God offers: Faith in Jesus Christ. God the Son is the answer to being made right with God...