Awaken City Church

Jesus invites us to fish for people, and we do that by doing what Jesus did. Jesus proclaimed hope to the broken places of the world. Everything is not alright, but  hope for the world has dawned. That hope is found in the message of Repentance. Jesus went where the people are and he took them as He found them. He did not sit around and expect people to come to Him but the opposite: wherever people gathered, that's where He proclaimed Hope. These people were broken and sick. He healed their physical ailments but didn't stop there and announced the path of healing their deepest hurt, their sin-sickness. He took people with Him. He called 12 men into deeper relationship with Him and modeled for them how to make disciples. This is what Jesus invites us into. 

Jesus' Temptation in the Wilderness in Matthew 4:1-11 gives us a peek at Satan's playbook. Satan allures us with the desires of the flesh (I want to FEEL that), the desires of the eyes (I want to HAVE that), and the pride of life (I want to be KNOWN for that). This is how Satan tempted Jesus, and this is how the enemy attacks us. We respond by running to the cross in faith, knowing we belong to Jesus. 

Matthew 2:13-23 continues the story of the Wise Men from earlier the chapter. They find themselves in the middle of a political assassination plot as the king they visit allows fear and power to dictate his decisions. He decides to eliminate all of the two-year-old-boys in Bethlehem, the city where Jesus was born. While that story transpires, God is writing a different story. In the night, an angel appears to Joseph to take Jesus and Mary to Egypt. After some time, and after Herod dies, an angel appears to tell him to return to the region of Judea. However, in a dream, God warned him to not go back to Bethlehem or Jerusalem but to settle in Nazareth. At every movement, God protected His promise to save humanity through Jesus. Despite many attempts to thwart Him, God was victorious in keeping young Jesus alive so that through his life, eventual death, and resurrection, anyone who trusts in Him would be saved. God was in the middle of the mess, because not only did He protect His promise - He worked in mighty ways like this before. At every movement in Matthew 2, God was careful to confirm that He would lead His people from slavery to freedom. God is also careful to guide our stories to shape us and make us more like Him. 

Have you ever felt like your prayers hit against Heaven like a wall? This past Sunday, we looked at 9 reasons why we may be unavailable to hear from or speak to God. Often, we talk to God with our own selfish agenda, thinking we know better for our lives. Other times, we hold onto our sin. We can also ignore the needs of others and that diminishes our connection with God. There is hope for us when we trust in God's ways over our own. We must come to the place of acceptance of this attitude, turn from it, and seek to live honestly with God. Then, we will hear God and have a deep relationship with Him. 

In this message, we see through Lazarus, Paul's thorn, and even Jesus in Gethsemane that God's silence and delays are never indifference, but loving purposes meant to draw us closer and shape us more like Christ. This sermon invites us to trust a good Father who withholds lesser things to give us something greater—not just relief, but himself.Why does God sometimes feel silent, or answer our prayers with “no”? In this message, we see through Lazarus, Paul's thorn, and Jesus in Gethsemane that God's delays and “no's” are never indifference, but loving purposes aimed at something better. This sermon calls us to trust a good Father who may say “not yet” or “not that” because he is working for our greatest good, conforming us to Christ and giving us himself.

What do we do when God doesn't answer our prayers the way we hoped? This message reminds us that God is a good Father who only gives good gifts, and sometimes that means saying “no” or “not right now” out of love. We're invited to trust his wisdom, resist the lie that he's holding out on us, and believe that what he gives (or withholds) is always for our good.

Prayer isn't about saying the right words, it's about coming to a gracious Father through Jesus. This sermon explores what prayer really is, why God sometimes answers differently than we expect, and how God uses prayer to transform our hearts, not just our circumstances.

In the midst of confusion, fear, and uncertainty, God steps in. Matthew shows us that Jesus is not only the promised King, but Immanuel—God with us—who enters our broken reality to save, lead, and redeem.

Matthew begins with a genealogy to show that Jesus is the promised King, and that broken, unlikely people are welcomed into his family. Through Christ, we're not just ruled by the King; we're invited in.

In the final message of our Witness series, we turn to 1 John 1:1–4 to see what it truly means to share with others what we KNOW. John reminds us that our faith is rooted in real encounters with the living Jesus, what has been seen, heard, and experienced. This message challenges us to stop treating the gospel as theory and start living it as good news meant to be shared, inviting others into real fellowship, real joy, and real life in Christ.

In this message from our Witness series, we look at Jesus' encounter with the woman at the well in John 4 and discover that God meets us right where we are, whether we feel put-together like Nicodemus or broken like the Samaritan woman. No matter our past, Jesus offers living water that truly satisfies, and he invites us to share what we've seen and heard. This sermon reminds us that effective witness begins with understanding the good news we ourselves have received.

In this message, we launch our “Witness” series by looking at Acts 1:8 and John 9. Jesus doesn't call us to be experts, he calls us to be witnesses who simply share what we've seen Him do. Through the story of the man born blind, we're reminded that a genuine encounter with Jesus leads to a changed life and a desire to tell others. The Holy Spirit empowers us, our lives point to Jesus, and our words matter. As followers of Christ, if we've seen Him, we're called to share Him. Who is your one more this week?

When the storm hit, the disciples panicked, as waves crashed, the wind howled, and their faith was shaken. But through their fear, one truth remained: Jesus was in the boat. In this message, we're reminded that the presence of Christ doesn't always prevent the storm, but it promises peace within it. Even when it feels like he's asleep, he's still sovereign. The One who commands the wind and waves still reigns over every storm we face today.

As Joshua's life and leadership come to a close, he draws a line in the sand and calls Israel to make a decision: “Choose this day whom you will serve.” In this message, Pastor Derek unpacks Joshua 24 and challenges us to examine what (or who) truly sits on the throne of our hearts. From the faithfulness of God through generations to the idols that quietly capture our devotion, this final chapter in Joshua reminds us that every heart serves a master, and only one can truly satisfy.

In Joshua 22, God's people see something concerning, and instead of assuming the worst or staying silent, they go directly to their brothers, listen to their heart, and end up preserving the unity. This message reminds us that when we see another believer drifting, the most loving thing we can do is speak up with truth, grace, and a desire for reconciliation.

Even in the dividing of the land, God's faithfulness is seen in every detail. In Joshua 20, he provides cities of refuge, a place of safety for the guilty. In the same way, Jesus is our ultimate refuge, the only place we can run to and find mercy, forgiveness, and life.

In Joshua 10, Joshua faces an impossible battle and prays one of the boldest prayers in all of Scripture: “Sun, stand still.” God answers, and victory is given. This message unpacks what it means to pray big, persistent prayers in impossible situations. Whether you're facing a financial crisis, a struggling marriage, an addiction, or a burden for someone far from God, this passage reminds us that God delights in our prayers, fights for his people, and provides everything needed to accomplish what he's called us to, even if it takes a miracle.

After the miraculous victory at Jericho, Israel's joy is quickly shattered by unexpected defeat at Ai. The reason? Hidden sin in the camp. In Joshua 7, we are reminded that sin is never small, never private, and never without consequence. What Achan tried to bury beneath his tent was ultimately exposed by God—and it brought trouble on the entire nation. In this message, we'll see the seriousness of sin, the danger of concealing it, and the hope we find when we confess and trust the God who is enough.

Facing Jericho's locked gates, Israel learns that God's ways aren't ours, and obedience is the path to victory. As the ark leads and the people walk by faith, the walls fall, Rahab is rescued, and we're reminded that judgment is real but mercy is offered to all who trust him. Whatever you're up against today, know that nothing is impossible with God.

Pastor Jordan Travis reminds us that just like the Israelites in Joshua 5, God's people both trust & obey him.

In this sermon from Joshua 3, we explore what it looks like for us to step into all that God has for us, and it means living in total surrender, letting God lead while we follow, preparing our hearts & minds for God to move, and then stepping out in faith, trusting that God is with us every step of the way.

Joshua 2 shows us that no one is too far gone for God's grace. Through an unlikely act of faith and a scarlet cord, we see a picture of the greater salvation found in Christ.

God calls us to bold faith because He is faithful. Joshua 1 shows us how His promises and presence give us the courage to obey.

Pastor Derek wraps up our study through 1 Corinthians, teaching principles we can learn from Paul's explanation of his upcoming travels, desire to spend time with the Corinthians, and more.

Pastor Derek leads us through our next-to-last week in 1 Corinthians, looking at the biblical principles we can learn about giving from Paul's instructions to the church in Corinth.

Pastor Derek recaps what our kids learned during the week of Kids Camp which was themed around Psalm 34:3, “Magnify the Lord with me". See how we can praise the Lord and magnify Him at all times in our lives if we "taste and see" just how amazing He is!

Pastor Perry of FBC Powell, TN, graciously taught us from Matthew about who Jesus is, why it matters, and how we should respond!

Our Worship & Executive Pastor, Jonathan continues our study through 1 Corinthians by looking at the exciting news that Jesus has conquered both sin and death for us, and one day, He is coming back to make us and everything in all of creation new, do away with sin, and we get to live forever with Him!

Pastor Derek continues our study through 1 Corinthians with a closer look at what our resurrected bodies will actually be like and the hope we have in this life, not being the end or where our confidence lies.

Pastor Derek continues our study through 1 Corinthians by looking at Paul's encouragement of the hope we have in the resurrection, both Jesus' and our own, when Jesus returns!

Pastor Derek continues our journey through the book of 1 Corinthians as he teaches on Paul's encouragement to cling to the Gospel and trust in the resurrection.

Our Teaching Pastor Derek continues our study through 1 Corinthians and teaches that it's good to test all spirits, knowing that just because someone claims to have a "word from God" doesn't mean that they do, but we must also be careful not to "quench the Spirit" or ignore something that IS from God.  

Our Worship & Executive Pastor, Jonathan, continues our study through the book of 1 Corinthians, studying Paul's encouragement to the believers to seek the love that God gives through the Holy Spirit, more than seeking the Gifts of the Spirit.

In this message, we continue our study through 1 Corinthians by looking at how all believers are part of the Body of Christ, we need each other, and each gifting to each person has been given for the good of the whole body. You can't be encouraged and supported by other believers if you aren't connected to the Body!

In this message, we picked back up with our study through 1 Corinthians as our Teaching Pastor Derek taught about Spiritual Gifts and how the Gifts of the Spirit are meant to build up the church and be used for God's glory.

Our Teaching Pastor, Derek, finishes our Easter series of Words From the Cross by teaching the amazing importance of Jesus' declaration that "It is finished!" Derek says, "The cross was the payment for our sin debt, and the resurrection is the receipt to prove that the price has been paid and death has been defeated!"

We continue our study of the last moments of Jesus' life by studying the words He uttered from the cross as He was dying for the sins of the world. This week, Jonathan teaches through the phrase Jesus "cried out" of "My God, my God why have You forsaken me?!" 

In this message, we continue to study Jesus' last words from the cross, this time focusing in on His conversation with the criminal on the cross next to Him. A man that had previously mocked Jesus, had never read the Bible, gone to church, been baptized, or done any of the other religious 'works' we often think are necessary to be right with God. However, Jesus told this man that he would be with him in paradise that day, not because of this man had done, but because of Jesus did for him. 

Our Teaching Pastor Derek kicks off our Easter series called "Word from the Cross" where we'll be studying some of the statements Jesus made as He was dying on the cross for our sin.

Jonathan continues our series through 1 Corinthians by teaching Paul's instructions to the church in Corinth about how they should honor Christ through the observance of the Lord's Supper.

Derek continues our teaching through the book of 1 Corinthians by tackling a challenging passage where Paul deals with the topic of head coverings and the need for gender distinctions. 

We continue our study through 1 Corinthians, looking at Paul's instructions to the Corinthians to live for God's glory and not their own. 

Derek continues our study through 1 Corinthians, teaching through Paul's warnings against idolatry. 

Our study through 1 Corinthians continues with the teaching of being willing to do whatever it takes so that others might hear and believe the Gospel.

Derek continues our study through 1 Corinthians, this time looking at Paul's argument for his rights as an Apostle but then giving up those rights for the good of the Gospel. 

Derek continues our study through the book of 1 Corinthians, looking at chapter 8 as Paul encourages the believers in Corinth in the fact that the things going into our bodies don't determine our standing with God, however, we should be willing to give up our "rights" (freedom in Christ) for the good of our brothers and sisters in Christ.