Walnut Creek Downtown

Moses hesitated. God called him to go to Egypt but he was overwhelmed by the task. Dan Rude explores how God responds to Moses's excuses and what we can learn about God's ability to call and equip His people.

In Exodus 3, Moses encounters God in a powerful, mysterious, and clear way. Moses is given an impossible-sounding task, but with it comes a promise that Christians still have today: "Behold, I AM with you."

In Exodus 2, we see the birth and early life of Moses, the most pivotal character in the entire book. Moses's birth and childhood deliverance from death foreshadow God's rescuing of His people. His rescue attempt, which turned to murder, points to his imperfection. His humbling in the wilderness shows us how God uses ordinary, humble people to do extraordinary things.

When worldly powers demand compromise, where does your ultimate allegiance lie? In this opening message of our Exodus series, we look at Exodus 1:1–22 and the incredible courage of two Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. Facing a paranoid Pharaoh determined to crush God’s people, these women chose to fear God rather than man—taking a stand for the sanctity of human life and demonstrating what unco...

People don't reject Jesus just because of evidence. In John 12, we see why people reject Jesus. Pastor Luke talks about the reality of God hardening hearts, man's culpability, and the mystery of how the two interact. One thing we do know: there are consequences to rejecting Jesus. Topics / Questions Discussed: God's Sovereignty Rejecting Jesus Why People Reject Jesus Consequences to Rejecting Jesu...

In John 12, Jesus enters Jerusalem, but it isn’t what the crowd expects! Instead of Jesus claiming an earthly throne, He enters knowing that He is going to die for the sins of His people and the world. Pastor Dan Rude explains what it means for Jesus to be glorified and how you can’t have your old life and new life at the same time. Topics and Questions Discussed: Sin Must Die What does it mean fo...

In John 12, we have Jesus right before the Passover gathering together for a secret dinner with some of His followers. Then Mary does something no one expected her to do. Through it, we see the heart of true worship. We see that true worship is costly, offering ourselves to God, Christ-centered, and false worship hates it. Questions and topics discussed: Characteristics of True Worship What is tru...

One would think that after witnessing Jesus raise someone from the dead, they would choose to believe Him. However, some people's response to this miracle was unbelief and total rejection of Jesus. Pastor Dan Rude explains the nature of unbelief, one of its roots, and how it can affect our lives in practical ways. Questions / Topics Discussed: How is fear connected to unbelief Examining implicatio...

The shadow of death looms over the second half of John 11, where we see Jesus’ response to Mary and Martha’s grief. Yet death does not have the final word. Pastor Dan Rude explains what Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead means for us today. Message Notes: What to do with your guilt and doubts What grief can look like Why was Jesus troubled? Develop the habit of pouring out your heart How to defea...

John 11 begins with a confusing situation: Jesus receives news of a friend, Lazarus, who is dying, but He does not immediately leave to go to him. In this message, Pastor Caleb Thompson looks at three interactions: the family's request, the disciples, and Martha's response. Showing us how this situation is perfectly timed for us to see more clearly the awesome glory of God. Topics / Questions Disc...

Because Jesus is a good shepherd, He leans into the opportunity to clarify who He is to the Jews. Making sure they have every opportunity to understand who He is. Topics / Questions Discussed in this Sermon: Jesus' Claim to be God Jesus and the Jews' relationship What is blasphemy? "You are gods" quote - Psalm 82 reference

A hostile question: if you are God, tell us plainly! After Jesus declares Himself a good shepherd (https://youtu.be/iFBh2e49KKs), the religious leaders approach Him with a question. In this message, we explore why this question is asked with hostility, why the Jews reject Jesus (both the human reason and the divine reason), Jesus’ solution to this problem, and what our response to this solution is...

In a world full of competing voices promising comfort but delivering despair, Jesus stands alone as the perfect Good Shepherd. He doesn't run when danger approaches; instead, He willingly sacrifices His life to bring us true reconciliation, deep peace, and lasting contentment. By listening to His voice, we find safety and community where we are truly known. Pastor Luke Hukee helps us understand wh...

We all want a good life. In John 10, we learn how Jesus is like a gate, but where does Jesus' way lead? To a life of abundance. In this message, Cody Smith unpacks Jesus’ ‘I AM’ statement and what an abundant life truly means.

The aftermath of Jesus healing a man born blind reveals the reality that even though some could physically see, they were blind to who Jesus is. Pastor Luke Hukee explains the different interrogations in John 9, how fear affects us, what true conversion looks like, and the importance of humbly coming to Jesus to allow Him to open the eyes of our souls.

In John 9, we encounter another of Jesus' miracles: healing a man born blind. Dan Rude helps us understand what this miracle says about who Jesus is and what this teaches us about suffering.

To be a true Christian, you must believe that Jesus is God. As Jesus continues to state who He is, the Pharisees continue to reject Jesus by rejecting the nature of their sinful condition, relying on their religious heritage, offering insults, and finally deciding to silence Jesus at all costs. Pastor Dan Rude explains how Jesus proclaims He is God through his points against their claims, demonstr...

"The truth will set you free." - John 8:32, one of the Bible's most famous verses. Pastor Dan Rude explains what Jesus means and how he can offer such freedom. In this message, Pastor Dan will discuss the reality of false believers, the marks of true believers, what it means to be enslaved to sin, and how, in Christ, we are offered true freedom.

Pastor Dan Rude answers two questions that arise from Genesis 50: “What do you do with guilt?” and “How do we forgive those who have deeply hurt us?” As Genesis comes to a close, Joseph’s brothers continue to struggle with the guilt of what they have done to him, while Joseph demonstrates his established forgiveness through his words and actions toward them.

At the end of his life, Jacob gathers his 12 sons for a final family meeting. Pastor Dan uses three words to describe what is happening in Genesis 49: blessing, poetry, and prophecy.

God's ways are not our ways, and this is clearly evident at the end of Genesis. In Genesis 48, we find Jacob at the end of his life giving a blessing to Joseph's sons. In this chapter, we see the first mention of God as a shepherd. Pastor Dan explains how this blessing reveals Jacob's view of God and his obedience to Him. It also shows Joseph's immense faith in choosing to align his family with Is...

In Genesis 46, Jacob makes the hard decision to leave the Promised Land and go to Egypt, where he will finally be reunited with his son Joseph. Pastor Dan Rude teaches how we follow the Lord when we are afraid and how God used the nation of Egypt to build up His people.

Reveal, Reassure, Reconcile, Return, Revival. These are the 5 words that summarize Genesis 45 when Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers. Pastor Luke Hukee delves into what forgiveness is, what reconciliation entails, and how, as Christians, we have reason to hope and be optimistic, regardless of the circumstances.

In Genesis 44, we see the fruit, the proof of Joseph’s brothers’ transformation. The longest recorded speech from Joseph's brother, Judah, and some say the most manly. Pastor Luke walks us through this chapter, highlighting how it reminds us of Jesus’ sacrifice for us and the transformative power of God’s grace.

Envy is a darker side of coveting, born out of an obsession with what someone deserves. In Genesis 43, Joseph encounters his brothers again and has another test for them to reveal whether these envious men who threw him in a pit and sold him into slavery had changed. Pastor Dan Rude discusses the cure for envy and how it is illustrated in the story of Joseph.