Ward Church Podcast

In this message from Psalm 33, Rev. Terence Gray invites us to examine where we place our confidence and security. Drawing on the psalmist’s contrast between earthly strength—armies, power, and resources—and the steadfast watchfulness of God, Pastor Terence reveals how easy it is to trust in what feels tangible and controllable. Yet Scripture consistently redirects our attention away from self-suf...

In this opening message of Psalms for Your Summer, Rev. Terence Gray invites us into Psalm 16 to rediscover the rare and resilient gift of contentment. Drawing from David’s honest prayer, this sermon reframes contentment not as passive acceptance but as a deep, active trust that God alone is our portion and our good. Pastor Terence exposes how easily we grow accustomed to God’s blessings—treating...

In this standalone message, Mark Ordus invites us to release our exhausting need to be the hero of every story and instead embrace our true calling as disciples of Jesus. Drawing from the lives of Saul and David in 1 Samuel alongside the call of Ephesians 5:1–2, the sermon reveals how our striving to fix, rescue, and control often mirrors Saul’s downfall—seeking glory apart from God’s direction. Y...

On the eve of Ward Church’s denomination’s annual gathering, Rev. Sean Carroll reflects on the heart of the EPC motto—“In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity”—through Romans 14. He clarifies the difference between core gospel convictions and faithful disagreements, grounding the church in the authority of Scripture while calling believers to humility in areas wher...

In this message from Hebrews 12:25–29, Mark Ordus invites us to hear both the warning and the promise at the heart of the gospel: do not refuse the voice of God, because everything that can be shaken will be shaken—but God’s kingdom will remain. Drawing on the contrast between the old covenant delivered through Moses and the new covenant established in Christ, this sermon reframes how we experienc...

On Ward Church’s 70th Anniversary Sunday, Rev. Terence Gray calls us to remain anchored in the unchanging promises of God, drawing from Hebrews 6:13–19. Reflecting on Abraham’s faith and the legacy of those who went before us, Pastor Terence reminds us that God’s character secures every promise—offering a hope that steadies our souls in uncertain times. As we celebrate God’s faithfulness over seve...

In Hebrews 12, we discover that God’s discipline is not a sign of rejection, but evidence of His unchanging love. In this message from the Anchored series, Mark Ordus explores how hardship and suffering can become tools of formation rather than reasons to lose heart. By fixing our eyes on Jesus—who endured opposition and suffering for our sake—we are invited to reframe discipline as the loving wor...

In this message from Hebrews 4:14–16, Rev. Terence Gray invites us to anchor our faith in the unchanging mercy of Jesus Christ, our great High Priest. In a world marked by instability, shifting expectations, and personal failure, this passage reminds us that we are not left without representation before God. Jesus has entered heaven itself on our behalf, fully understanding our weakness while rema...

In a world marked by constant change, distraction, and drift, Hebrews 2 calls us to pay careful attention to the great salvation we have received in Jesus Christ. In this message, Rev. Nicole Unice invites us to rediscover Jesus as the unchanging anchor for our souls—the One who entered fully into our humanity, suffered in love, and now holds us steady amid uncertainty. Drawing on the imagery of d...

In a world marked by constant change, shifting expectations, and personal storms, this opening message in the Anchored series centers our faith on the unchanging supremacy of Jesus Christ. Drawing from Hebrews 1, Rev. Terence Gray invites us to see Jesus not merely as a helper in difficult moments, but as the eternal Son who receives the honor, bears the names, shares the attributes, and performs...

Rev. Jacky Gatliff brings this message to Ward Church during a tender season of communal grief following the death of our senior pastor, Dr. Scott McKee. Drawing from John 11 and Jesus’ encounter with Martha and Mary after the death of Lazarus, she gives voice to the honest cry of “if only”—the questions, regrets, and deep longing that surface when loss disrupts faith and life. Rather than offerin...

In this Easter proclamation, Rev. Terence Gray invites us to encounter Jesus not merely as one who performs resurrections, but as the Resurrection and the Life. Rooted in John 11 and the story of Lazarus, this message holds together the deep reality of human grief with the unshakable hope of God’s power over death. Pastor Terence explores the tension of waiting, loss, and disappointment, naming th...

On this Palm Sunday, Rev. Terence Gray leads the church through Mark 12:1–12, reflecting on Jesus’ parable of the vineyard and the call to faithful stewardship under God’s authority. Preached in the shadow of grief following the death of longtime senior pastor Rev. Dr. Scott McKee earlier in the week, this message gently connects the biblical theme of entrusted responsibility with a life faithfull...

In this closing message of the Walk This Way series, Mark Ordus invites us to reconsider how following Jesus reshapes our everyday relationships. Drawing from the final chapters of Colossians, the sermon explores how Christian discipleship is lived out not just in belief, but in the ordinary spaces of marriage, family, work, and community. Paul’s repeated call to orient every word and action aroun...

Rev. Terence Gray explores Paul’s vision for a Jesus‑shaped community in Colossians 3, reminding us that Christian identity begins not with what separates us, but with the One who holds us together. In a world where differences easily feel overwhelming, Pastor Terence invites us to recover an “overview effect” of faith—learning to see ourselves and one another through the lens of Christ’s sufficie...

In this message, Pastor Micah Williams invites us into the heart of Colossians 3, where Paul calls believers to embrace the profound truth that spiritual life begins with a kind of death. Pastor Micah explores how dying to our earthly nature—our old habits, desires, and patterns of sin—is not a punitive demand but a pathway into deeper freedom in Christ. Rooted in the already‑but‑not‑yet tension o...

Legalism is subtle, appealing, and spiritually dangerous — and in this message, Dr. Scott McKee helps us see why. Teaching from Colossians 2, Pastor Scott explores how rule‑keeping, pride, and spiritual comparison can quietly replace a life rooted in Christ’s grace. He shows how legalism often begins with good intentions yet leads us toward false measures of maturity, misplaced confidence, and a f...

In this message, Dr. Scott McKee invites us to consider the depth and wonder of God’s grace as revealed in Colossians 2:8–15. Paul’s vivid images—of baptismal union with Christ, canceled debts nailed to the cross, and defeated powers stripped of their weapons—reveal a grace that does more than forgive. It brings us from death to life, from outsider to beloved family, and from self‑reliance to surr...

Christian maturity is not achieved by striving harder or adding spiritual extras to Jesus—it grows as we surrender every part of our lives to His loving reach and reign. In this message, Rev. Terence Gray guides us through Paul’s pastoral plea to the Colossian church, a community pulled toward influencers promising secret wisdom, higher knowledge, or spiritual shortcuts. Pastor Terence names the w...

In this message, Dr. Scott McKee invites us to confront a defining question of Christian faith: How big is your God? Teaching from Colossians 1:15–23, Pastor Scott lifts our eyes to the breathtaking supremacy of Christ—the One who reveals the invisible God, creates and sustains all things, and reconciles the world through His cross. When our view of Jesus shrinks, our lives shrink with it, leading...

In this message from Dr. Scott McKee, we’re invited to rediscover a hope strong enough to carry us through disappointment, delay, and hardship. Rooted in Colossians 1, Pastor Scott shows how Paul frames the Christian life around faith and love that spring from a deeper hope—one grounded not in circumstances or personal resilience, but in the gospel itself. Through the image of a “hope chest,” the...

Over the next two months in Walk This Way, Dr. Scott McKee invites us into Paul’s letter to the Colossians as a “U-turns are extremely legal” kind of journey—where real change is possible, and next steps matter. Setting the scene in Colossae (and neighboring Laodicea), he frames the letter as a passionate call away from lukewarm faith and toward full devotion, pointing to Paul’s own aim: to presen...

In this message from Rev. Nicole Unice, we’re invited to step back from the noise, discouragement, and uncertainty of our moment and rediscover who we are meant to be together as the Church. Drawing from Ephesians, Pastor Nicole challenges us to ask whether we are merely a collection of individuals or a congregation—a people gathered with purpose. Through vivid imagery and layered metaphors, she h...

In this message closing Ward’s two-part “Stuff” series, Dr. Scott McKee challenges us to move from passive good intentions to deliberate, joyful generosity. Building on last week’s key truth—God owns everything and we are stewards—Pastor Scott turns to Jesus’ difficult parable of the shrewd manager (Luke 16) to ask: What do we give, and what do we get? Jesus’ point isn’t to praise dishonesty, but...