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The Apostle Paul urges us to allow God’s Spirit to change us by changing how we think about ourselves. How does this work, and what happens next? For what purpose does God make us into new people?

“After Transformation” by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Pastor Ryan began his sermon with this quote from New Testament scholar Douglas Moo:

Romans has the reputation – well deserved – of being one of the most theological books in the Bible. Unfortunately, this reputation has led many Christians and even some commentators to wonder why Paul bothers with all the practical stuff at the end of the letter. He has finished the theology section at the end of chapter 11. Why say any more? Such an attitude betrays a basic misunderstanding of theology and its significance. All theology is practical, and all practice, if it is truly Christian, is theological. Paul’s gospel is deeply theological, but it is also eminently practical. The good news of Jesus Christ is intended to transform a person’s life. Until individual Christians own and live out the theology, the gospel has not accomplished its purpose.

Romans 12:1-8 (NLT) ; 羅 馬 書 12:1-8 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by AARN GIRI on Unsplash

Quote from: Douglas J. Moo, Romans: From Biblical Text to Contemporary Life (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Zondervan, 2014), 393.

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Are we good and “Christian” on the outside only, or also in the inside? Pastor Ryan shares what Jesus said about this, and offers a few things we can do to check the status of our hearts.

“Lipstick on a Pig” by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Psalm 67 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 67 (CUVS)
Matthew 15:10-20 (NLT) ; 馬 太 福 音 15:10-20 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by NicoleLaurenPhotography on Unsplash
Lipstick Image by Królestwo_Nauki from Pixabay

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Sometimes, life does not feel fair. Pastor Ryan pulls out lessons from the story of Elijah to help us respond well when we feel hard done by as Christians. How do we approach God in these circumstances?

“When It’s Not Fair”, by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Psalm 85:8-13 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 85:8-13 (CUVS)
1 Kings 19:9-18 (NLT) ; 列 王 紀 上 19:9-18 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Tony Chen on Unsplash

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Guest preacher Jared LaCoste reminds us that Jesus said we are the light of the world! Light is not just something God gives; God IS light. Jesus IS the light of the world. If we focus on His light, darkness has no authority over us. We are to reflect the light, but we can only do this if we stay close to it.

Light is Christ’s mission, and it is our calling as Christians to shine that light in the darkness. People are looking for hope, and if we are present in their world, where they are, in whatever darkness is around them, we can offer that hope. The fruits of the spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control) are becoming less common in our world, and if we are full of this fruit in dark circumstances, people will notice it and wonder where it is from. Darkness has a purpose in the world. Without darkness, there is no need for light.

Even when we are focused on the light of Jesus, we are still required to walk by faith. God does not reveal the whole future to us – and that is probably a good thing. We only need to take the next step, knowing that He is the lamp for our feet and the light on our path.

We must remember that the light is not given to us so we can hold onto it and bask in it by ourselves. Jesus said to “go” and we are to do that. We are to come to church, receive light, and then take it out with us and carry it into our various communities. We can’t see the end of our efforts, but we trust that God is leading us into the right place. Pray that our light will grow, that we will stoke the flame so it can be seen, and that God will lead us to the people who are longing for the light.

“Light up the Night” by Pastor Jared LaCoste

Matthew 5:14-16 (NLT) ; 馬 太 福 音 5:14-16 (CUVS)
John 1:4-5 (NLT) ; 約 翰 福 音 1:4-5 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device.

Photo by Arthur Chauvineau on Unsplash

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Guest preacher Ron Philips reminds us of the full story of salvation and what it means for us to be part of it.

“Let Earth Receive her King” by Pastor Ron Philips

Isaiah 52:7-10 (NLT) ; 以 賽 亞 書 52:7-10 (CUVS)
1 Timothy 2:1-7 (NLT) ; 提 摩 太 前 書 2:1-7 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device.

Painting by Andreas Plousios (Russia, 1832-1883), uploaded from Wikipedia Commons with a Creative Commons License CC BY-SA 4.0

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Guest preacher Randy Chase takes us through the story of the woman who was healed by touching the hem of Jesus’ robe in the midst of a crowd, and reminds us that we can also come to Jesus in faith when we are exhausted by life.

“An Unwelcome Guest” by Pastor Randy Chase

Psalm 46 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 46 (CUVS)
2 Corinthians 12:1-9 (NLT) ; 歌 林 多 後 書 12:1-9 (CUVS)
Mark 5:24-34 (NIV) ; 馬 可 福 音 5:24-34 (CUVS)

Pastor Randy played this video during the service.

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device.

Photo by S. Laiba Ali on Unsplash

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two birds sitting on a rope. One appears to be scolding the other.

People in Jesus’ time had lots of different ideas about him. So do we. The question for us is, which of our ideas about Jesus (and God) are consistent with what the Bible says about Him?

“Conflicting Expectations” by Pastor Ryan Emmons

Psalm 145:8-14 (NLT) ; 詩 篇 145:8-14 (CUVS)
Matthew 11:16-19 (NLT) ; 馬 太 福 音 11:16-19 (CUVS)

You can set up a real-time transcript when you listen on your device. You can also read Pastor Ryan’s sermon notes (not a transcript).

Photo by Robert Ruggiero on Unsplash

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In spring and early summer of 2026, Pastor Ryan preached a sermon series based on what he teaches baptismal candidates about life as a Christian in the church.

May 10 – Why We Worship
May 17 – How We Worship
May 24 – The Outcome of Worship
May 31 – God’s Work in Us
June 7 – Doing our part
June 21 – Guiding Principles for Christian Living
June 28 – Guiding Principles for Decision Making

Photo by Nathanael Dunn on Unsplash