Dive Into the Sermons
under each series, you will find recorded sermon messages with corresponding resources (notes and audio). The recordings that are posted under each series are of the sermon message only.
If you want to watch a recent live broadcast of the entire worship service (including music and stage presentations), click HERE.
Although it is a common concept throughout the New Testament, it is spelled out in Romans 14 like nowhere else in Scripture. It is the idea that we have freedom in anything as long as we put other believers above our own needs and wants. The world thinks it’s CRAZY! Paul says it’s essential.
We continue our series on The Law of Love by looking at a weaker and stronger brother in the faith. And you might be a bit surprised as to which one of these two you really are. The Apostle Paul spends a whole chapter explaining this issue to us, and we will study the first half of the church this week.
This weekend, we return to ROMANS and arrive at a passage that is perfect for a new year reset. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul gives us the answers on WHAT to do, HOW to do it, and WHY we should do it. If you want to improve yourself spiritually, this is the passage that will help!
We conclude our series on THE FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by looking at the Babe in the Genealogy. The genealogy of Matthew helps us understand how really special this Christ Child was!
*There are no fill-in-the-blank notes for this weekend's sermon*
We continue our series on THE FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS by looking at the THREE ERAS emphasized by the genealogy in Matthew. This is one of the most interesting studies when you begin to learn the “code” to unpacking Matthew’s message. This week we learn that God is the God of FOREVER!
This message will revisit and continue a series we started and stepped away from months ago called, "How to Make Peace." We had unpacked Matthew 18:15-20, and the four stages Jesus gave us for working through reconciliation with someone who has sinned against us. But there's one critical piece to peacemaking that we still need to unpack together. And that's the issue of forgiveness. So, we'll turn our attention to Matthew 18:21-35 and explore how forgiveness works, and why it's fundamental to being a Christian.
This message will conclude our series called “Even If…” In Daniel chapter six we’ll look at a story that is typically called “Daniel and the Lions’ Den.” What we’ll find though, is that it’s not about the lions at all. It’s a story about deliverance that will answer a key question for this series and for the times of adversity that we’re navigating as a culture. And the question is, “What’s it all about?”
This message will continue with Daniel chapter 4 and a run-in between King Nebuchadnezzar and the Lord. The question this story will ask and answer is this: “Who holds the power?” It’s an important question for us to ask as it relates to our own influence, but even more so as we relate to the powers we find ourselves under.
This weekend we will look at Daniel 3 together. We'll see Daniel's friends display uncommon calm in the face of certain death at the hands of a raging king. More importantly, we'll get a look at where that courage comes from, and how we can take steps toward experiencing that same calm courage in our own lives.
We will continue our study of Daniel chapter 2. We'll watch as God directly challenges King Nebuchadnezzar's perspective on himself and the world. As Nebuchadnezzar the king is confronted with the fact that he has a King, we'll be confronted with the question, "Who's on the throne?"
This weekend, as we begin Romans 4, we’ll see “the more things change, the more things remain the same.”
We look at a passage that helps us understand how important God’s people are to their city and their area. Our influence and our role are vital to God’s plan and can truly bring change to the lives of people around us. Thankfully, we have partners in this. Several of those partners will be represented this weekend at ECC: A Hope Center, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, International House, New Mercies Ministries, Phoenix Alliance, Place of Grace, Redemption House, The Rescue Mission, and Youth For Christ.
If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE
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We continue our series Dead or Alive, and we move further into the early morning hours of the day Christ will be crucified. We’ll see two important parts of the story are happening at the same time. Jesus is going through His trial in front of the religious establishment, and Peter is going through his “trial” trying to remain incognito in the courtyard nearby. One remains strong and the other had to face his weakness.
This weekend, we continue our series Dead or Alive, and we move into the early morning hours of the day Christ will be crucified. Mark allows us to see the stress and turmoil that the Son of God was feeling as He prays in the garden. As He poured out His concerns to His Father, He eventually released himself into the Father’s care and moved forward to face what felt like an overwhelming situation. When you face a stress-filled situation, remember that you have a great High Priest who understands what you are going through. (Hebrews 4:14-16).
This weekend Sam Ward will be sharing a stand-alone message, "Who Said That to You?" We will be diving into Genesis and taking a look into when "advice" may be deceit in disguise.
We will hit pause on our summer series, "Growing, the book of Ruth", and shift to our first message in "Gleaning, the book of Psalms". We will spend time in Psalm 142, a psalm of lament.
We are continuing our series called MY FAVORITE PSALM. Psalm 8 is a psalm of praise for God’s big creation and small humans. That includes you! Not only is it the first psalm of praise in the Bible, but it has a couple of connections to Jesus that might surprise you.
If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE
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A one‐man musical about DAVID, the giant killing, song writing, chosen king who wrote psalms still sung today. Starring Sam Ward, this 45 min piece is the second half of his one-man musical, "David".
A one‐man musical about DAVID, the giant killing, song writing, chosen king who wrote psalms still sung today. Starring Sam Ward, this 45 min piece is a preview of a full‐length musical to be performed downtown with all‐for‐One Productions in February.
We move back to the Gospel of Mark starting in chapter 6. Jesus had become so popular that pushback was beginning from His family, friends, and political leaders. Jesus left the crowds and returned home to continue His ministry.
This message looks at the relationship of being an employee. We will see that we are called to obey our employer in everything. In today’s text, we will look at four ways that can help us be obedient to our employer all the while keeping in mind that the Lord is our ultimate boss, who we are ultimately serving.
We begin a new 6-part series on great women of faith. Being Mother’s Day weekend, we will begin with the mother of the Jewish people (and, in a sense, the mom of all believers), SARAH. We will focus on the word FAITHFULNESS to describe Sarah and, of course, reflect on our own faithfulness.
This weekend we end our series on MY FAVORITE PSALM. In Psalm 19, we will read of the profound revelation of God through His creation and His Word. This Psalm is a reminder that God's revelation is in creation, and His Word is intended to guide us, transform us, and draw us closer to Him.
If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE
This weekend we end our series on MY FAVORITE PSALM. In Psalm 19, we will read of the profound revelation of God through His creation and His Word. This Psalm is a reminder that God's revelation is in creation, and His Word is intended to guide us, transform us, and draw us closer to Him.
If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE
We continue in The Women of Faith series as we learn about Abigail.
We continue in The Women of Faith series as we learn about Abigail.
This weekend, we’ll take another moment to reflect on the stories of Naomi and Ruth, exploring their journeys. We will also reflect on our own experiences, examining them through the insightful lens of Psalm 107.
We continue in The Women of Faith series as we learn about Abigail.
If asked, what would you say might be the three most important words to focus on in the upcoming year? Today we'll take a look at some that emerge from a short study of the book of Acts, and how those words might influence our life together.
We continue our series on MY FAVORITE PSALM, in which Psalm 95 is a song that will lead us through worship and then bring us to a challenge: What will I do if I hear the voice of God? Psalm 95 is the most talked about Old Testament passage in the New Testament (Hebrews 3-4) and has far-reaching implications. After the music and after the singing, where do we find the voice of the Lord?
If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE
We continue our study of Titus by looking at the connection between God’s grace and the way we live. As we have already been learning, the point of the whole text is to align our lives with the Word.
We continue with the ELISHA series by looking at the story of Naaman being healed from leprosy. Join us as we learn not only how Elisha healed him, but also the significance of their encounter.
We continue the series on MY FAVORITE PSALM as we look at Psalm 23, the most famous psalm and probably the most famous passage in the entire Scriptures. And there's a good reason it's so well-loved! So let's look at it together this weekend as we join together and allow the Good Shepherd to "restore our souls."
If you missed the live broadcast of the last sermon, click HERE
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We continue our series, "Praying the Psalms" this weekend. While last weekend focused on praise and thanksgiving, this weekend focuses on confession and lament. We will discover just how important confession is for us and just how much of a gift lament is for us. As we will see, this type of praying is just what we need in a world filled with so much tragedy and brokenness.
This weekend we will be taking a look at prayer. For a lot of Christians, prayer is a source of guilt because we feel we should do it better or more frequently. The good news is, wherever we may find ourselves in our prayer lives, God is inviting us to something special.
For a link to our video prayer guides click HERE.
This weekend we continue our series "Tough Questions" from Mark chapter 12. In this weekend's passage, Jesus is asked to articulate which of the 613 commandments was the most important. We will be inspired and challenged as we take a close look at His answer and the interaction He has with a teacher of the Law.
Last weekend, we studied an event that only happened once in human history – the transfiguration of Christ. This weekend, we get to explore what happened as soon as Jesus, Peter, James, and John came down from that amazing spiritual experience on the mountain top. As we explore the Word, we’ll see some of Jesus’ emotions emerge as He demonstrates His wondrous power in a high-stakes encounter with a desperate father. We will also gain some insights into prayer. I can’t wait to dig into the passage together!
This weekend we study, “The Mountain Goat and the Honeybee.” In this sermon, we explore key lessons from the story of Deborah in Judges 4-5.
The book of Titus is moving toward its climax as it builds on its repetitive theme of doing good. We are not just saved from! We are saved for! We are saved for doing good which will benefit all mankind. But most strikingly, this brings beauty before the eyes of the non-Christian.
We continue our series by watching the soldiers arrest Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and walk Him to Caiaphas’ house. Throughout the chaos, Jesus was under control... and in control. Peter, on the other hand, was controlled by fear. From the interactions between Jesus and Peter, we learn the good news that faith brings an end to fear.
This weekend we’ll be hearing from a familiar voice, Frank Y., who is the Executive Director of U.B. Global. His powerful voice is for our call to bring the gospel to people who have never heard it before. Our commitment to global missions is core to who we are as a church, and we’re grateful for people like Frank who help us keep that value in focus.
As Christians, we declare that Jesus is the Son of God and that we want to follow Him. But what does following Jesus really look like? We’ll explore what it means to deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him. Through God’s Word, we’ll see that it's not a call to simply do more or try harder, but to rest in His love and allow the Lord to empower us to live a victorious life!
This weekend, we wrap up this short series on the Parable of the Sower. We will examine each type of soil the seed was scattered upon. Our study will help us to understand what keeps people from following Jesus. It should also challenge us to consider how we can best align our hearts fully with the purposes of God’s will.
This week we will look at Matthew 13:1-17. We focus on the question the disciples asked Jesus, "Why do you teach in parables?" We will find that those who seek the Truth, live a privileged and abundant life.
We learn how friendship in the first century helps us understand that Philippians 4:10-23 is more than a thank you letter for a monetary gift. It is an expression of gospel-centered partnership which we are still designed to display today. Our joy is in taking our walk of faith together!
We consider how knowing Christ changes our thinking. Each of us has a mindset. This simply means that our thoughts are always centered somewhere. Paul shows us that in the pursuit of knowing Christ our minds are key to walking humbly through conflicts and anxious circumstances. Where we center our thoughts will determine our character and shape who we are becoming.
We learn that Paul pressed forward toward his greatest heart’s desire. Paul had declared, “I want to know Christ.” This is not a sentiment, it is Paul’s goal. We will learn that for all of us the pursuit of knowing Christ produces joy in us as we anticipate a future glory with Him!
Peter turns a corner this week in our passage moving from a description of salvation to what is required of each of us in response to this great gift. We find that this gift has an impact on each of our relationships! This weekend, in light of the gift of salvation given to us, what is the appropriate response to Him and to other people?
We will be encouraged to learn that God has given us a pathway to avoid failing in our Christian walk. None of us are special. We all are tempted by the same types of things. God has made us new, given us a legacy to live up to, and taught us to rely on Him for everything. God Himself provides us a way out of all temptation.
It is with great pleasure we welcome Dr. Daniel Henderson to ECC this weekend and pray that you also will find his encouragement for worship-based prayer a blessing!
Daniel Henderson is dedicating his full-time efforts to help congregations across the country experience renewal and turn-around as he speaks to thousands each year at conferences and prayer events. To learn more about Daniel's ministries visit his website: www.strategicrenewal.com
In our passage today, Jesus again focuses on the Kingdom of God.The challenge for both the Pharisees and the disciples is whether they can shift their point of view regarding the Kingdom. Our challenge will be the same. Will we live as if Jesus’ teaching is true: the Kingdom is here, in our midst?
This message teaches us that honoring parents was extremely important to God and still is. One of the ways that God intended for his people to be set apart and holy among the nations was how they treated their parents. In fact, their prosperity in the Promised Land was directly tied to their obedience in this area. We will also see how we can apply this Kingdom Rule today in our own lives.
This message continues in the series on Elisha, an amazing man with great faith in God. Along with faith, Elisha had a great compassion for people and God used him in a miraculous way to meet the needs of a poor widow and her sons. He was able to see past the widow’s problem to what God wanted to do in her life. We will learn that God’s power is limitless, that He wants to accomplish something BIGGER in our lives and that His blessings are “Good to the Last Drop”!
In our continuing quest to GET SMART-er, we're focusing on gaining wisdom in how we handle the resources entrusted to us. This message will be examining the skills, abilities and gifts which God has woven into us in order to see how effective we are at stewarding our TALENTS.
It's not that we're dumb, it's just that sometimes we're not as smart as we might like to think we are. In this series, we're focusing on gaining wisdom in how we handle the resources entrusted to us. This message will take some time to look at how we invest our time.
Last message we were challenged to consider who we can PLUG IN to making a global impact. But it’s way too easy to get focused “out there” and miss what’s happening right around us. Today we’ll take a look at how we’re equipped to share right here in our own little corner of the world.
This message continues our study in the Gospel of John as we continue to examine different “kings” that easily replace the King of Kings in our lives. Many Christians seek Jesus for salvation but don’t realize that He is also King. When we honor Him as King, our lives are blessed and He gets the glory. In this passage, we see a two men who worshipped safety.
This message will discuss our responsibility to step out in obedience to whatever God is calling us to do, in order to share his Truth with others. We'll be specifically talking about Biblical Worldview, Biblical Holism and Reconciliation of broken relationships.
This message teaches us about how Evangelism is “awkward” but sowing seed can be quite natural – if we let God do His part.
Impacting your world can seem pretty intimidating, perhaps even presumptuous. Yet Christ has called us to be a church that makes a global impact. This weekend we’ll consider how we get plugged into His power, purpose and our place of ministry in the world.
This message continues the series on an amazing man. We will see how his devotion and commitment, his dedication and calling led him to continue the great ministry of his mentor Elijah. We will learn the value of leaving a Godly legacy for those who follow in their walk of faith. We will see what can be accomplished if we invest ourselves in others and be challenged to pick up our Mantle, the one the God has for us, and “Pass It On” to others so that the message of God keeps going, and going and going!
Our focus is THANKSGIVING and we will learn to be more thankful for the many gifts our Lord has given.
There are no printed notes for this weekend.
This message is going to encourage you to take a look back, and a look forward in time. As we do, we are going to interact with a passage in which Jesus continued to teach His disciples what is going to be expected of them looking forward. In one verse, we will begin to see what a surrendered life looks like and what we can expect in
the process.
This weekend we're taking a look at Peter and John's interaction with a lame man in Acts 3. We'll be studying their responses in order to identify our responsibility in responding to people in situations of need.
This message focuses on Partnerships in Ministry. We will be looking at Paul's letter to the Philippians and identifying the common elements that unite us as a church with our local ministry partners.
We are again learning about Freedom in Christ, with a challenge about the "traps" the enemy so slyly tries to lure us into.
We continue the series that will focus our attention on intentional conversations that Jesus had with outsiders. In today’s study, we’ll look at a conversation Jesus had with Zacchaeus.
We will conclude our conversation series. We will focus on the conversation Jesus had with the woman at the well.
We will look at the recognition of what Christ accomplished in His death, burial, and resurrection as the demonstration of the relationship God established with us. The Father desires we have a relationship with His Son, and If we see Christ for what He has done, and fall in love with Him as God intends, we have opportunities to see His Kingdom come to the world. Destiny Rescue is one of those opportunities.
Today we will be exploring the symbolic meaning of the Jewish wedding in Biblical times and how it is a reality that symbolizes the relationship between the bridegroom (Christ) and his bride (the church).
We live in a society filled with conflict, division, and people demanding their “rights." As believers, we are called to live differently, but what does this look like and how do we do it? Today we will learn from Paul that being a follower of Christ involves living radically different lives. In order for us to truly stand out within our culture, we need to be willing to live selflessly, giving up everything we have in order to glorify God and build His Kingdom.