Valley Church

Sunday, July 5, 2026 In Luke 15, Jesus tells a trio of parables about The Lost Sheep, Coin, and Son, to reveal the heart of God toward sinners. While the Pharisees grumbled that tax collectors and sinners were drawing near to Jesus, heaven rejoiced over the lost being found. This message reminds us that the lost are deeply loved, pursued by God, forgiven when they repent, and joyfully celebrated w...

Sunday, June 28, 2026 This week, Pastor Jacob began our summer series on the Parables of Jesus with the Parable of the Sower. In this parable, Jesus teaches that the seed of the gospel is unchanging, but the condition of the human heart determines whether it is received and bears fruit. Some hearts are closed and need the Spirit to miraculously open them. Some are shallow and need deep roots to pe...

Sunday, June 21, 2026 In this week’s message, Caleb Whitten ( Director of Worship & Outreach ) leads us to look at the 10th and final commandment. "Do not covet" isn't about simply not desiring anything; it is wanting something in a way that says God’s provision is not enough. In Matthew 6, Jesus teaches us that true contentment cannot be found in money, possessions, or the anxio...

Sunday, June 14, 2026 In Exodus 20:16, God commands His people not to bear false witness against their neighbor. This message shows that honesty is more than avoiding lies; it is a way of honoring the LORD and loving the people He made in His image. Because God is the God of truth, His people are called to reflect His character with truthful lives. The 9th Commandment also protects justice for the...

Sunday, June 7, 2026 In this sermon on the 8th Commandment, “Do not steal,” Pastor Jacob shows that God’s command is about more than simply not taking someone else’s stuff. The command teaches us to love our neighbors, honor what belongs to others, and trust the LORD as our Provider. Stealing can happen by force, dishonesty, oppression, deception in business, or withholding payment. But beneath th...

Sunday, May 31, 2026 In this sermon, Pastor Jacob preaches from Exodus 20:14 and the 7th Commandment: “You shall not commit adultery.” Rather than treating this command as God stealing joy, Jacob shows that God is protecting what He designed to be good, beautiful, intimate, and life-giving. From Genesis 2, we see that God’s design for sexuality is covenant faithfulness: one man and one woman, in m...

Sunday, May 24, 2026 In this sermon from Exodus 20:13, Pastor Jacob preaches on the sixth commandment: “You shall not murder.” What is the value of a human life, and who gets to decide? Scripture teaches that every human life has worth because every person is made in the image of God. This command not only forbids the wrongful taking of life; it calls God’s people to protect the vulnerable, honor...

Sunday, May 17, 2026 In this sermon from Exodus 20:12, Pastor Jacob Ambrose teaches through the 5th Commandment: “Honor your father and your mother.” While many may assume this command is only for children, Scripture shows that honor is something we never outgrow. God designed the parent-child relationship to carry weight, calling adult children to honor aging parents, children to learn obedience,...

Sunday, May 10, 2026 In this sermon from Exodus 20:8–11, Pastor Jon Chasteen (from Redemption Hill Church, Medford, MA) shows that the Sabbath is far more than a rule about taking a day off. From creation to new creation, the Sabbath teaches restless people to order their lives around God’s story and find true rest in Jesus. God created us to enter and enjoy His rest, but sin has made us restless—...

Sunday, May 3, 2026 In this sermon from Exodus 20:7, Pastor Jacob preaches on the third commandment: “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.” Far more than a warning against careless language, this command calls God’s people to carry His holy name with reverence and integrity. God first reveals His covenant name, YHWH, to His people, showing that He is personal, self-existent, a...

Sunday, April 26, 2026 In this sermon from Exodus 20:4–6, Pastor Jacob continues our study through the Ten Commandments by unpacking the second commandment: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image.” God does not leave worship up to our imagination, preference, or creativity. He alone defines how He is to be approached and worshiped. Yet this command also points us to a greater hope. Humani...

Sunday, April 19, 2026 This week at Valley Church, Gary Merksamer continued our Ten Commandments series by looking at the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me.” In Exodus 20, God reminds His people that He is the One who rescued them from slavery before He ever gave them commands. We explored how our hearts still drift toward false gods—comfort, success, money, family, approv...

Sunday, April 12, 2026 Before we get to the Ten Commandments, we need to ask a deeper question:  How did we get here?  In this message from Exodus 19:1–9, Pastor Jacob walks through the events leading up to the giving of the law and shows that God’s commands were never meant to be a cold list of rules. Before the law, there was rescue—God delivered His people from slavery. Before the law, there wa...

Sunday, April 5, 2026 In this Easter message from Luke 24:13–33, Pastor Jacob walks through the story of two discouraged disciples on the road to Emmaus. As they wrestle with disappointment, doubt, and confusion, the risen Jesus draws near and walks with them—though they don’t yet recognize Him. Through this encounter, we see that Jesus pursues us in our lowest moments, reveals Himself through all...

Sunday, March 29, 2026 In this Palm Sunday message, Pastor Jacob walks through Luke 19:28–40, revealing Jesus as the true King of Peace. While the crowds welcomed Him with praise, they misunderstood the kind of King He came to be. Jesus didn’t come to bring military victory or political relief—He came to bring true peace with God through His life, death, and resurrection. Many today still wrestle...

Sunday, March 22, 2026 In this sermon from Ephesians 6:10–24, Pastor Jacob Ambrose closes out the book of Ephesians by reminding us that the Christian life is a spiritual battle. He unpacks how our struggle is not against people, but against Satan and the spiritual forces of evil, and calls us to recognize the enemy’s schemes in our everyday lives—distraction, deception, isolation, and more. Pasto...

Sunday, March 15, 2026 In this message, Pastor Jacob teaches from Ephesians 6:1–9 about how the gospel transforms the relationships closest to us. When the Holy Spirit fills our lives, He doesn’t just change what we believe—He changes how we live at home and at work. Children are called to honor their parents, and parents are called to disciple their children with patience and intentionality. In t...

Sunday, March 8, 2026 In this message from Ephesians 5:17–33, Pastor Jacob teaches what the Spirit-filled life looks like in everyday relationships. Paul commands believers to be filled with the Spirit, and the result is a transformed community marked by wisdom, worship, gratitude, and humility. A Spirit-filled church becomes a worshiping community where believers encourage one another and submit...

Sunday, March 1, 2026 This week at Valley Church, Pastor Jacob preached from Ephesians 5:1–16 in a message titled  “Like Father, Like Children.”  As beloved children of God, we are called to imitate our Father — walking in holiness and love in every area of life. Paul shows us what that looks like practically: Holy in what we Love (sexual purity and freedom from greed), Holy in what we Say (speech...

Sunday, February 22, 2026 In this message from Ephesians 4:17–32, Gary Merksamer walks us through what it means to face—and resolve—our identity crisis. He reminds us that before Christ, we weren’t just people who made mistakes; we were spiritually dead, separated from God, and hardened in heart. But through Jesus, we are given a completely new identity. Gary emphasizes that we don’t merely learn...

Sunday, February 15, 2026 In Ephesians 4:1–16, we discover how Christ grows His church. Just like a Winter Olympic team depends on every athlete doing his or her part, the church thrives when every believer participates. Paul calls us to walk together in unity, work together using our spiritual gifts, and grow together into maturity in Christ. Unity is something Christ has already secured through...

Sunday, February 8, 2026 In Ephesians 3:14–21, we hear Paul’s heartfelt prayer for the church—and it’s a prayer we need just as much today. As a diverse and growing church, we cannot become who God has called us to be through our strength alone. Paul prays that the church would be strengthened together by the Spirit, rooted and grounded in Christ’s infinite love, and filled with all the fullness o...

Sunday, February 1, 2026 In our message today from Pastor Jacob, Paul pauses mid-prayer to reflect on the calling God has given him—to steward the gospel faithfully among the Gentiles, even at great personal cost. In this message, we ask the searching question:  Am I a faithful steward of the gospel?   We learn several things about what faithfulness requires. First, faithful stewards have clarity...

Sunday, January 25, 2026 In Ephesians 2:11–22, Paul reminds us that before Christ, we were separated—separated from God and separated from one another. Divided by walls and hostility, the Gentiles lived far apart from the Jews, unable to approach God or truly belong together. But through the cross, Jesus brought those who were far off near. By His sacrifice, He fulfilled the law, tore down the div...

Sunday, January 18, 2026 In Ephesians 2:1–10, Pastor Jon Chasteen reminds of the true story of the gospel: we were not just struggling—we were spiritually dead. The Apostle Paul shows us in Ephesians 2 that real change doesn’t come through effort or self-improvement, but through resurrection. Because God was "rich in mercy and great in love," He made us alive together with Christ, by gra...