Cities Church Exhortations

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann looks at the simple, true statement in Psalm 16:2 to encourage us to look at every good thing as a gift from our Father in Heaven.

In this exhortation, Will Stueve (Church Planting Resident) exhorts us from Romans 12:1 by asking: Where is God calling you to step out in faith in consecration to Him?

In this exhortation, Pastor Daniel Helstrom exhorts us with Jesus's words in Matthew 9:37-38 to pray for more laborers to be sent out into the harvest so that we might make disciples of all nations.

In this exhortation, Pastor Jonathan Parnell encourages us from the book of James to count trials as joy.

In this exhortation, Ryan Griffith exhorts us to heed Paul's exhortation to the Philippians when they were receiving opposition.

In this exhortation, Pastor David Mathis looks back at last Sunday's sermon and Jesus's prayer in John 17:5 and exhorts us to live our lives looking to the rewards God has promised to us.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann looks at the contrast between those who know God and those who do not know God that Paul proclaims in 1 Thessalonians 4 regarding our sanctification and our control over our bodies and sexual immorality.

In this special exhortation for Maundy Thursday, the night Jesus was betrayed, Pastor Jonathan Parnell asks: Are you afraid of being unimpressed by the love of God? The disciples had failures, and Peter in particular denied Jesus three times. What kind of love could love him now?

In this exhortation, Will Stueve looks to Romans 6 and gives an exhortation to both Christians who have yet to be baptized and to Christians who have been baptized and should now walk in accordance with their baptism.

In this exhortation, Kevin Kleiman warns against a modern day mantra of making this world your heaven with words from a CS Lewis wartime sermon and John's vision of King Jesus in the book of Revelation.

In this exhortation, Jon Hoglund exhorts us to relate to God as our Father by asking: Do we relate to God transactionally? Or do we come to God in confidence that he both knows what is best for us, and that he cares for us?

In this exhortation, Pastor Jonathan Parnell reminds us of one reality of our lives in Jesus Christ and calls us to live in that reality.

In this exhortation, Will Stueve (Church Planter) exhorts us from Psalm 130. God's forgiveness of us in Christ should absolutely astonish us.

In this exhortation, Pastor Daniel Helstrom asks how one can go from having a troubled heart to actually experiencing God's peace and favor in a way that makes us say we are blessed. Psalm 32 shows us the way to always acknowledging the state of our hearts before our Heavenly Father.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann encourages us to remember God and all that he provides each day.

In this exhortation, Will Stueve (Church Planting Resident) exhorts us from 1 Peter about how we should think about Jesus's return.

In this exhortation, Pastor Kenny Ortiz from Horizon City Church in Winter Garden, Florida returns to the Twin Cities for a visit and gives a word of encouragement to our church for the profound shaping he received during his years here.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann reads the beginning of the Lord's Prayer which teaches us what ought to be the center of our lives and really the reason our world exists.

In this exhortation, Tyler Morris reads the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:37-38. How do we live out this first and greatest commandment?

In this exhortation, Will Stueve (Church Planter) looks at Psalm 119:37 and asks: What are you looking at that is keeping you from seeing and savoring the glory of Christ?

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Polley shares his prayer for our church in this new year. May God have us become more thankful as a result of becoming more prayerful.

In this exhortation, Pastor David Mathis speaks of new year's resolutions pointing us to 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12. How can we make resolutions with resolve?

In this exhortation, Church Planter Will Stueve exhorts us – as we exit a time of waiting and enter a time of celebrating – to actually celebrate the wondrous truth of Christmas.

In this exhortation, Pastor Jonathan Parnell quotes C.S. Lewis on how each of our choices are changing us more into a heavenly creature or a hellish creature. We need to choose what we want most over what we want in the immediate in order to move closer to God.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann references the conclusion of The Lord's Prayer and highlights the wondrous invitation from the Son of God for us to ask our Father for help in fighting against sin and temptation.

In this exhortation, Pastor Marshall Segal introduces this Advent season with a call to wait well like the watchman in Psalm 130.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Polley exhorts us from the apostle Paul's words to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:19. Is there a sin in your life that you need to depart from? Is there a thought, attitude, or action that you have grown comfortable with despite knowing it is wrong?

In this exhortation, Jon Hoglund highlights how we can be tempted to hold off on trusting God's goodness until all of our questions have been answered. We've got the order reversed. So, how can we embrace the real glory of faith?

In this exhortation, Will Stueve (Church Planting Resident) focuses in on the good challenge for us found particularly at the end of Psalm 105:4. It's an invitation into the great joy of constant, conscious, communion with our Creator.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Polley reflects on the Helper that Jesus mentions in John 16:7 and how this is a greater gift even than the gift of Christian community.

In this exhortation, Ryan Griffith exhorts us to search ourselves for where worldliness has crept in. Where have we traded sola scriptura for sola cultura? What's really shaping what we desire or approve?

In this exhortation, Pastor Jonathan Parnell asks a series of questions that highlight the many reasons we have to hope in God.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann references a popular story's battle scene in which the two sides should have been at peace, but rather they were distracted from their true enemy by fighting one another. As Christians, let's follow Ephesians 6:12, and seek unity.

In this exhortation, Kevin Kleiman gives us the invitation of Psalm 46: to let go and be still. The gospel invites us to lay down our burdens, not be crushed by them; to let God be God.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Polley reminds us that we all have gone astray and Jesus came to bring us back to God. So, let Jesus lead you back.

In this exhortation, Will Stueve (Church Planting Resident) exhorts us from 1 John 3:8. How often do we ignore the demonic nature of practicing sin? Do we think of sin as we ought to?

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann looks at Mark 7 where Jesus provides “evil thoughts” as an example of a common sin for us. What is your thought life like? How would Jesus describe your common imaginations?

In this exhortation, Pastor Daniel Helstrom focuses in on the latter part of the Great Commission that tells us to do all that Jesus has commanded of us. How exactly are we supposed to do all that? Is it even realistic?

In this exhortation, Ryan Griffith recalls Jonathan Edwards' remark on the prevailing presence of a censorious spirit in places such as our polarized world today, including our churches and our own hearts. This is the opposite of a Christian spirit, so let's examine ourselves.

In this exhortation, Pastor David Mathis reflects on the blessing of meeting and ministering to other Christians in faraway places. Don't let our many modern day comforts keep you from meeting needs here at home and maybe in faraway places as well.

In this exhortation, Pastor Jonathan Parnell shares about the ancient practice of water baptism and why it is so important for believers to be baptized today. If you are a Christian and not yet baptized, you need to get baptized.

In this exhortation, Pastor Marshall Segal encourages us to sing! As Psalm 149:1 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song.”

In this exhortation, Pastor Jonathan Parnell reflects on his grandfather's stories of biblical faith seen through the many years at his local church. In a world where we often settle for a brand of Christianity requiring a minimum amount of faith, let's confess how we've surrendered our hearts to comfort, people-pleasing, or anything other than knowing God.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann reflects on the reality that we do not own our bodies for we were bought with a price – our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let's confess the ways we have used our bodies in ways that are not pleasing to God.

In this exhortation, Jon Hoglund remembers a story of some Christian men overseas being arrested for gathering together in prayer. If something similar happened among our communities, would we be more or less likely to make life group and community group meetings a priority next week?

In this exhortation, Ryan Griffith looks to Paul's teachings on the church body and its individual members which reminds us of our need for one another. Each follower of Jesus has an indispensable gift. Let's fully grow together as a holy community, as a field hospital for the hurting, as an outpost of kingdom-expanding mission.

In this exhortation, Pastor David Mathis addresses our 21st-century frustration with God's sense of timing and points us toward the instruction of 1 Peter 5:6.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Schumann encourages us to consider how we might respond if Jesus were to interrupt our pursuits by coming back right now.

In this exhortation, Pastor Jonathan Parnell asks how our theology compels us when it comes to multiplication.

In this exhortation, Pastor Mike Polley shares Proverbs 27:21 which speaks of the testing that is brought on by praise. It tests our hearts, but so can the absence of praise. Do you steadily take the absence of praise, with the same trust and gratitude toward God as the times when praise is present?

In this exhortation, Jon Hoglund reminds us of one of the short prayers we found in Psalm 86 last Sunday that calls us to pray beyond ourselves to God's wider purposes. Do you pray beyond the fenced in yard of your own needs toward God's glory?