When someone wounds you deeply, how many times are you expected to forgive? Is there a limit to grace when the offense feels unforgivable? In this message, Pastor Andrew examines Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21–35, showing that those who have received immeasurable mercy must extend that same mercy to others. He confronts the instinct for retaliation and exposes how unforgiveness binds the heart, while forgiveness reflects the compassion of God. Grace, though unnatural to the flesh, is cultivated through dependence upon Christ. Listeners are challenged to release resentment, trust God’s justice, and practice forgiveness as an act of obedience, worship, and freedom.
Read MoreWhat happens when brokenness becomes normal and survival replaces vision? Many live with spiritual rubble, fractured relationships, or quiet defeat for so long that dysfunction feels permanent. In Nehemiah 2:9–20, Pastor Dorrell examines how Nehemiah surveyed the ruins, confronted the people’s distress, and called them to rise and build. The sermon shows that real rebuilding begins with prayer, honest evaluation, courageous encouragement, and confidence in the good hand of God. Change requires moving from passive acceptance to active agency, trusting that faith joined with God’s help can overcome inertia and opposition. Listeners are challenged to identify their own rubble, strengthen their hands for the work, and take the first faithful step toward restoration.
Read MoreWhy does injustice permeate every corner of human life, from corrupt courts and politics to personal relationships, leaving us disillusioned and protesting inwardly against the lack of fairness? Pastor Dorrell confronts this reality through Ecclesiastes 3:16-22, where Solomon observes that humans often behave like beasts, devoid of moral superiority, and justice systems fail to uphold righteousness. He argues that while earthly institutions mirror societal brokenness, God remains the ultimate judge who will reckon with every deed, offering a sovereign resolution beyond human comprehension. Listeners are challenged to guard their hearts against bitterness, look upward to God for strength, extend grace to the undeserving, and actively help the oppressed while embracing life’s daily gifts.
Read MoreHave you ever felt so far gone in rebellion, failure, or shame that returning to God—or to anyone—seems impossible, or wondered why the church sometimes feels like the last place offering true forgiveness? In Luke 15:11-32, Pastor Ben examines Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son, where a rebellious younger son squanders his inheritance in reckless living, hits rock bottom feeding pigs, and returns home expecting only servitude—yet encounters a father who runs to embrace him, restores him fully with robe, ring, and feast, declaring him alive and found. The sermon shows that God’s grace is unconditional love that neither increases with our performance nor decreases with our sin; it cost the Father everything at the cross and offers forgiveness freely to the undeserving. Recognize your own rebellion or self-righteous striving, receive God’s extravagant grace without earning it, and extend that same unmerited forgiveness and compassion to others who need it most.
Read MoreHave you ever gazed at the rubble of your life—broken dreams, strained relationships, or spiritual weariness—and wondered if restoration awaits? In Nehemiah 2:1-8, Pastor Dorrell highlights Nehemiah’s courageous petition to King Artaxerxes for rebuilding Jerusalem’s walls after four months of prayer, reversing an irrevocable decree. The message asserts God’s hand of favor rests on those who repent, pray persistently, and invest personally in restoration, as Nehemiah did. Be challenged to identify rubble in your life, seek God’s hand through prayer and action, and become an agent of rebuilding for others.
Read MoreWhy does life feel meaningless when we accumulate so much, yet lose everything in the end? Pastor Dorrell confronts Solomon's ancient struggle with futility and the human frustration with time's constraints. Through Ecclesiastes 3, he argues that God orchestrates every season of life—birth and death, joy and sorrow, building and breaking down—according to a divine plan we cannot fully comprehend. Rather than despair at life's transience, believers are called to trust God's sovereignty, release the illusion of control, and embrace the present moment with gratitude, recognizing that true meaning emerges not from what we accumulate but from how we receive each day as a gift from the Creator.
Read MoreWhen one person's absence or lack of commitment affects an entire community's capacity to accomplish its mission, how should we respond? Pastor Dorrell examines the account of Achan's violation of God's command regarding the spoils of Jericho to argue that individual participation is never inconsequential. Through this Old Testament narrative, he demonstrates that God designed His people to function as an interdependent body where each person's involvement directly multiplies collective capacity, while any withdrawal diminishes what could otherwise be achieved. Listeners are challenged to recognize their own indispensability and to commit fully to their local church's mission, understanding that their participation—in giving, serving, and presence—makes a measurable difference in what God accomplishes through the community.
Read MoreFor nearly a century, Jerusalem's remnant accepted brokenness as their permanent condition—surviving rather than thriving. How do we break free from normalized dysfunction and complacency in our own lives? Pastor Dorrell examines Nehemiah's response to his people's despair, arguing that external transformation begins with internal reformation of the heart. Through Nehemiah's four-month season of prayer and fasting, the sermon illuminates how positioning our hearts toward God's power and covenant faithfulness enables us to interrupt cycles of defeat and accomplish what seems impossible. You are challenged to identify the brokenness you've accepted as normal and, like Nehemiah, to pray, repent, and rise to rebuild what has been destroyed.
Read MoreDo you struggle to decrease so Christ can increase in your life? Keith Rash examines John the Baptist's profound statement—"He must increase, but I must decrease"—to reveal how human instinct naturally competes with Christ for centrality and control. Using the metaphor of a full cup and the parable of an overzealous best man, Rash argues that true spiritual maturity requires daily surrender of self, intentional redirection of attention toward Christ, and the recognition that our ministry exists to point others to Him, not to ourselves. The sermon challenges listeners to evaluate where Christ needs to increase in their work, home, and service, and to discover that genuine joy flows not from recognition but from alignment with God's purposes.
Read MoreWhat should remain after our lives have run their course, and how do our present choices shape what endures beyond us? In this sermon, the speaker examines David’s final public words in 1 Chronicles 29 to confront the tension between enjoying present blessings and investing in what lasts. By highlighting David’s generosity, gratitude, and God-centered purpose, the message stresses that true legacy is formed when God’s people willingly give beyond obligation for His glory. David’s preparation for a temple he would never see completed demonstrates a faith that looks past personal benefit to lasting impact. Listeners are challenged to consider how their giving today declares what they value and what they intend to leave behind.
Read MoreMany believers wrestle with giving when financial pressure, skepticism, or competing priorities shape the heart’s response. In this sermon, Pastor Dorrell examines Leviticus 27 to clarify the biblical distinction between offerings and the tithe, showing that the tithe is not an act of generosity but a holy return of what already belongs to God. By tracing the Old Testament pattern of stewardship, consecration, and worship, he demonstrates that withholding the tithe misunderstands God’s ownership and disrupts faithful obedience. The message challenges listeners to regard their resources as entrusted gifts and to practice worship through deliberate, joyful surrender of what God has declared sacred.
Read MoreWhen we receive grace freely through Christ's sacrifice, what do we owe in return? Pastor Dorrell examines two pivotal moments in David's life—first as a learner from Uriah's faithful refusal to abandon his brothers, and later as a practitioner of that same principle—to argue that Christian gratitude demands personal sacrifice and involvement. The sermon's central thesis is that believers cannot live off the spiritual and financial contributions of others; instead, we must echo Uriah's declaration: "I will not do that thing" which diminishes Christ's name or allows others to carry our weight. Pastor Dorrell challenges listeners to ask themselves honestly: Do you have skin in the game of your local church's mission?
Read MoreWe live in an age of unprecedented consumption, yet we are no happier than previous generations. Why does accumulating wealth, pleasure, and accomplishment leave us feeling empty? In this sermon, Pastor Dorrell examines Solomon's radical experiment in Ecclesiastes 2, where the wisest and richest man alive pursued every conceivable source of satisfaction—pleasure, wine, great works, and wisdom itself—only to declare it all vanity. Through Solomon's testimony, Pastor Dorrell argues that hedonism and material accumulation cannot satisfy the soul because they are fundamentally fleeting and superficial. Instead, true contentment emerges not from pursuing more, but from gratefully receiving and stewarding what God has already given. You are challenged to abandon the exhausting pursuit of "more" and find joy in the simple, everyday gifts of life that God places before you today.
Read MoreWhen fear and anxiety press in from all sides, how do we maintain confidence in God? Scott Kelsey examines Psalm 27 to reveal how King David navigated seasons of uncertainty without surrendering to despair. Through David's testimony, Kelsey argues that biblical confidence rests not in our own strength but in God's proven faithfulness—His discernment, deliverance, and defense. The sermon illuminates three ways God sustains us: by providing light for our path, refuge in His presence, and encouragement through His people. Kelsey challenges listeners to look back at God's faithfulness in their lives and, in the midst of present trials, to wait on the Lord with courage, trusting that He will strengthen their hearts.
Read MoreWhy do we hesitate to give our financial resources to God's work, even when we claim to trust Him? Pastor Dorrell confronts the defensive reactions many Christians experience toward tithing and giving by reframing money as "stored life"—the tangible representation of our time, energy, and effort. Through Romans 12:1-2, he argues that presenting ourselves as living sacrifices requires a transformed mind that recognizes giving not as obligation but as worship, a deliberate exchange of our earned resources that mirrors Christ's sacrifice. He challenges listeners to shift from conformity to worldly values toward kingdom thinking, viewing every dollar as an opportunity to invest eternally rather than temporally, and calls them to demonstrate their love for God through the concrete act of supporting His church and kingdom work.
Read MoreWhy do we pursue endless goals, accumulate endless possessions, and chase endless pleasures, only to find ourselves empty and dissatisfied? Pastor Dorrell examines Solomon's radical confession in Ecclesiastes 1, where the wisest, wealthiest man who ever lived declares that life apart from God is vanity—utterly meaningless. Through Solomon's testimony, Pastor Dorrell argues that the human heart cannot be satisfied by academic achievement, material wealth, professional success, or sensual pleasure; only a life intimately connected to God delivers genuine meaning and joy. Rather than waiting for the next circumstance, achievement, or possession to complete you, discover the liberating truth that God's presence today is sufficient for your happiness.
Read MoreHow do we honor God's faithfulness while securing a thriving future for the next generation? Pastor Dorrell examines 1 Chronicles 29 to argue that sacrificial giving—offerings beyond the tithe—represents both worship and stewardship. Drawing from David's vision for the temple and his call for the people to give generously, the sermon establishes that faithful investment in God's work today builds momentum for tomorrow. The central thesis challenges believers to recognize that generosity is not burden but privilege, and that strategic giving demonstrates faith in God's continued blessing. You are invited to participate in this legacy by prayerfully considering a two-percent financial commitment over two years, thereby positioning yourself as a faithful steward of God's provision and a builder of your church's future.
Read MoreWhat happens to a church when the pioneers who built it begin to pass the baton to younger generations? Pastor Dorrell confronts this critical question by examining Joshua's call to lead Israel into Canaan after Moses' death. Rather than abandoning the vision of the past, Joshua is commanded to continue and expand it—honoring what was built while propelling it forward. Dorrell argues that spiritual and institutional decline occurs not through dramatic failure but through complacency: when churches rest on the capital of previous generations' sacrifices and cease to invest their own energy, they inevitably die. He challenges the congregation to recognize that stewardship of the past demands active participation in the future, calling younger leaders to step up, older members to mentor, and all believers to refuse the comfort of spiritual stagnation.
Read MoreWe often desire change in our lives—whether spiritual transformation, better health, stronger relationships, or greater purpose—yet we resist the sacrifice required to achieve it. Pastor Dorrell examines 2 Corinthians 5:17 to argue that becoming a "new creature" in Christ demands intentional relinquishment of old patterns, habits, and even good activities that hinder spiritual growth. Drawing from Hebrews 12:1, Philippians 3:13-14, and the example of Martha in Luke 10, he illuminates the principle that progress requires exchange: something must die for something new to flourish. The sermon challenges listeners to audit their lives honestly and ask what they must release—whether sinful attitudes, anxious thoughts, or benign distractions—to pursue what God has called them to do.
Read MoreWe live as though we have unlimited time, yet every moment slips away irretrievably. How do we live with intention when time is our scarcest resource? Pastor Dorrell examines Galatians 6:9-10 to argue that time functions as a finite currency that demands deliberate stewardship. Drawing on Paul's exhortation to seize divine appointments (kairos moments) and live circumspectly, the sermon illuminates three essential practices: living selectively by prioritizing what matters eternally, living productively by investing in people and relationships, and living awarely by recognizing the seasons and opportunities God places before us. You are challenged to awaken to the preciousness of today and act intentionally to make your life count for eternity.
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