Elevate Christian Church Podcast

In this inspiring and truth-filled message, our Lead Pastor, Kevin Barton, guides us through the profound meaning and purpose of baptism. Rooted in the Greek word βαπτίζω (baptizō)—meaning “to immerse” or “to baptize”—this sacred act represents far more than tradition; it is a transformative step of obedience and faith. As we walk through the book of Acts, we see baptism intricately woven into every story of salvation. It is not an optional ritual, but a vital response to the gospel—an outward declaration of an inward change. Join Pastor Kevin as he explores the rich dimensions of baptism, its biblical foundation, and its essential role in the journey of every believer. This message will challenge, equip, and inspire you to see baptism for what it truly is: a powerful testimony of surrender, renewal, and commitment to life in Christ.

Today, Elevate Christian Church is celebrating mothers. Motherhood is both a beautiful gift and one of life's greatest challenges. Our Lead Pastor, Kevin Baton, shares how moms consistently pour themselves out for the sake of others. Like devoted gardeners, they don't simply plant seeds and walk away—they spend a lifetime nurturing, watering, and tending to those in their care. To all the moms, we say thank you. We wish you a very Happy Mother's Day!

Today's message is truly out of this world, brought to us by Elevate Elder Todd Hindmon. Embracing all things "geeky," Todd draws inspiration from Star Trek—specifically the iconic idea: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few—or the one." His own prime directive is to show us how we can model our lives after Jesus Christ, who came to earth not to be served, but to serve all of humanity. Todd takes us on a "Trek" through the pages of Scripture, referencing how Jesus laid down His life for us and how, like the Good Shepherd, He leaves the ninety-nine to rescue the one. It's a message of sacrificial love, service, and the value of every individual soul.

We're so excited to welcome guest speaker Tim Smith to Elevate Christian Church today! Tim will be sharing a powerful message as we walk through Luke chapters 18 and 19 together, looking at the stories of the rich young ruler and Zacchaeus the tax collector. He'll help us see the striking difference in how each man responds when they meet Jesus. Every day, we all have a choice to make—will we follow the world's way, or God's way? Today, we're invited to choose change and follow Jesus!

On this Easter Sunday, we rejoice in the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! Lead Pastor Kevin Barton shares a powerful message about having a personal relationship with our living Savior—One who has risen from the grave. Pastor Kevin takes us through John chapter 20, where we witness Mary Magdalene searching for Jesus' body but encounters two angels instead. Weeping for her savior she doesn't see Him until Jesus speaks her name. Are you seeking the Risen Savior like Mary? Call to Him today and claim the salvation He died for you to have.

Today, our lead pastor, Kevin Barton, shares a deeply personal and powerful story from his own life, illustrating that no depth is too great for God to rescue us from the grip of depression. Kevin draws from Paul's teaching in 2 Corinthians, urging us to “take every thought captive” as we navigate this challenging emotion. He also presents three key points to remind us of God's active presence in our lives. Far from being an absent father, God loves us unconditionally and will never forsake us.

Today, Kevin Barton delves into the powerful story of the woman with the alabaster perfume in Luke 7, who washed the feet of Jesus in an extraordinary act of devotion. We explore the Greek word Proskuneo, which encapsulates the deep, personal worship she offered to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Through her actions, she vividly demonstrates a profound truth: those who are forgiven little, love little; but those who are forgiven much, love much.

Today, Lead Pastor Kevin Barton takes us through Genesis 32, where Jacob wrestles with God, an encounter that changes his name to Israel and leaves him with a symbolic limp. We also explore Paul's story, once Saul, who pleaded for God to remove his thorn in the flesh. God's response in 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) remains timeless: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Both stories remind us that our struggles and weaknesses are places where God's grace can transform us. Let us surrender our sins to Him, allowing His grace to work within us, bringing true healing and renewal.

Today's message, delivered by our Lead Preacher Kevin Baton, explores the transformative power of God's grace. Kevin illustrates how God has the ability to turn the bitterness accumulated through years of hardship, pain, and sorrow into a profound sweetness. He challenges us to rise above the limitations of our discontented spirit, urging us to shift our perspective when we lose sight of the bigger picture. Kevin calls us to celebrate God's abundant blessings and reflect on His enduring faithfulness in our lives, reminding us to find joy in His provisions and take solace in what He has accomplished for us.

Welcome to the Elevate Christian Church service for March 16th, 2025. Our Lead Preacher, Kevin Barton, continues to have us reflect on where we are storing our treasures. In todays message, Kevin teaches on the principle of the First Fruits and Bringing those back to God

In his message today, our Lead Preacher, Kevin Barton, challenges us to reflect on where we are storing our treasures. Drawing from the teachings of Jesus, he reminds us of the dangers of materialism and the importance of prioritizing our devotion to God over the pursuit of wealth.

In today's sermon our Lead Preacher Kevin Barton tackles the subject of Doubt. Is normal to doubt God? How do I trust in Him and what should I do if I find myself in a season of doubt.

Ecclesiastes 4:11 illustrates the practical and emotional benefits of being in fellowship with our spouses. We all desire to have a beloved, not just a roommate. Fellowship in marriage provides strength, safety, and a sense of belonging, helping individuals navigate challenges more effectively than they could alone.

The power of partnership in a marriage lies in the unity, mutual respect, and shared purpose that form the foundation of a successful and fulfilling relationship. Marriage is a covenant, not a contract.

The Scriptures are clear that we are all born spiritually lost, poor and without hope, but through Jesus we can be given new life. But how often do we stop and stand in awe of the change that we have experienced? Or, to go a step further, how often do we share our story of redemption with others in the hope that they will see their own need for salvation and believe? Colossians is a letter about Christ and His work of changing people. Paul dealt thoroughly with the redemption of believers in the first three chapters, but as he moves toward his conclusion, he encourages the reader to consider their own responsibility in sharing the Good News. In this short paragraph Paul speaks to three areas of life that we must consider if we are serious about sharing the Gospel: The way we pray, the way we live and the way we speak.

The church is doing life together with other Christians in a way that reflects the love of God to a watching world. In biblical community, we are to encourage each other, meet together, hold each other accountable, pray for each other, care for each other, speak life into each other, study God's Word together, and grow in faith together. The Apostle Paul wrote most of the New Testament. His writings consisted of letters to different churches during various times of their growth. In short, his letters were instructions on how to live and grow towards each other!

Sin is not something to linger in or play with. Sin is mortally dangerous to the soul. Christians must not rest or become complacent in the battle against sin. Rather, we are to make war against the deeds of the flesh. Paul wrote, “Therefore, put to death what belongs to your earthly nature” (Colossians 3:5). Just like Joseph fled from Potiphar's wife, Christians should run from temptation. Like David slayed Goliath, Christians should actively kill sin.

The concept of “keeping in step” suggests a formal dance, where the man often initiates, and the woman follows. Both dancers excel when they move in synchrony, meaning that the woman keeps in step with the man. Considering that the church is Christ's bride, this analogy seems fitting to illustrate what it means to keep in step with the Spirit. The Spirit initiates the “dance” by convicting sinners of their need for salvation through the gospel witness. He also regenerates our spirit in an act that Jesus calls being “born again”. We respond to the Spirit's conviction by having faith in the Person and sacrificial work of Christ. The “dance” is set in motion as we begin to live by the Spirit. Although Paul's instruction may sound abstract, it has practical implications for our daily lives.

Moving with God - Week 2 by Elevate Christian Church

Saul was the great enemy of the Church. He murdered Christians and was in his own words, “a violent man”. Saul was feared by the church. Then God moved! Saul came face to face with Jesus and everything changed, including his name. Paul the apostle became the Churches greatest champion. He did all this simply by moving with God. We can have that kind of movement in our lives as well.

Online Service 12/29/24 by Elevate Christian Church

The final tree that we will look at is the Cross of Jesus. Peter writes the following words: He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. During this message we will look at the redemptive work of Jesus on the cross. We will learn that everything lost from the tree of knowledge can be regained through the cross of Jesus. This is the tree that God celebrates! The cross is the tree that leads us back to the tree of life!

For centuries scholars have tried to answer the question: Why did God put that tree in the garden? Skeptics bring that question up frequently. During this message we will examine the tree of knowledge and see that God allowed it to be put there so that we would have a choice. Love is not love without a choice.

We see the tree of life in the Garden of Eden and then we see it again in “The New Creation” aka heaven. The tree of life teaches us that God came to give us life. In creation God made us to be eternal beings and God desires for us to be part of His New Creation where we will gather around the tree of life!

Sunday Morning Service 12/01/24 by Elevate Christian Church

Elisha the Prophet - Week 3 by Elevate Christian Church

This memorable story, far from being a moralistic tale about honoring elders or preachers, is a brief glimpse into the age-old war that began in a garden and ended at an empty tomb. Bears may play a significant role here, but the real animal in this overarching story is a serpent. His slithering and slandering tongue was inside the mouths of these mockers. The god whom they served, Baal, was just a mask for Satan. And their fate was a preview of the serpent's eventual fate. Except it wouldn't be a bear that mauled this serpent, but a lamb—the Lamb of God—who would take him down. That Lamb's victory is for Elisha, and for all of us, who live in his resurrection kingdom that will have no end.

In this story; Elisha asks God for a double portion of the blessing that He poured out on the Prophet Elijah. The idea of a double portion was not to ask for twice as much as Elijah had, but to ask for the portion that went to the firstborn son, as in Deuteronomy 21:17. Elisha asked for the right to be regarded as the successor of Elijah, as his firstborn son in regard to ministry. Yet Elisha had already been designated as Elijah's successor (1 Kings 19:19). This was a request for spiritual power to fulfill the calling he already received. Interestingly, Scripture records exactly twice as many miracles through Elisha (28 miracles) as took place through Elijah (14 miracles).

As believers in Jesus, we are ambassadors of heaven's kingdom. We are situated on the foreign soil of a fallen earth, but this compromised version of it is not our home. We are in the world, but we are not "of the world" John 17:14, 16). Instead of mixing in seamlessly with it, we must remain constantly aware that we are on assignment to represent the interests and ideals of the kingdom from which we've been sent. This means everywhere we go and in everything we do, we are ambassadors for Him. The assignment doesn't change depending on whatever else we are doing each day. We are always on mission. Everyone we meet, when they're around us for any length of time, should be able to tell who we are and what our assignment is, not because we're announcing it but because of the way we live out the ideals of our King and His kingdom. This is what ambassadors do.

During this message we will review the previous 5 weeks and learn that in order to leave our empire behind and to walk toward God's Kingdom we must practice obedience, generosity, steadfastness, selflessness, and preparation.

I love a good Airbnb. Clean, luxurious, and in a great location. Airbnb uses a five-star rating system. In John 14, Jesus tells us He is going to heaven to prepare a place for us with many rooms. It's the greatest Airbnb of all time. Jesus will meet us there. When we think about standing face to face with Jesus, are we prepared or panicked?

Synopsis-Jesus said, “On this rock I build my church.” Sometimes we try to make “his” church “our church”. We will examine what a healthy church should look like.

We all have monumental moments in life (towers). In our lives we build towers like families, port folios, businesses, careers, churches, retirements. The biggest tower we build is our faith. This message is about counting the cost of following Jesus. No one should build a tower without first counting the cost.

Walter Scott once said: “If a farmer fills his barn with grain, he gets mice.” We will examine the parable of the rich fool and ask the question: “Where are you storing your treasure?”

Our “house” is what embodies our minds, intellects, emotions, and our wills. Jesus teaches that the most solid fountain to build our house on is obedience.

Inspired by the BEMA podcast, we look at the competing narratives in the Bible: “empire” (the world's kingdoms) and “shalom” (God's kingdom).

Sunday Morning Service (9/8/24) by Elevate Christian Church

From Meaningless Motion to Mindful Movement by Elevate Christian Church

Accidental Pharisees - Week 7 by Elevate Christian Church

Accidental Pharisees - Week 6 by Elevate Christian Church

Accidental Pharisees - Week 5 by Elevate Christian Church

Accidental Pharisees - Week 4 by Elevate Christian Church

Accidental Pharisees - Week 3 by Elevate Christian Church

Accidental Pharisees - Week 2 by Elevate Christian Church

Accidental Pharisees - Week 1 by Elevate Christian Church

Know Who Leads - Week 2 by Elevate Christian Church

Know Who Leads - Week 1 by Elevate Christian Church

During this sermon, we will examine the prayer: Send me. Sample Prayer: God, I know You want to use me to show Your love in this world. Give me eyes to see needs of others and a heart that dares to get involved where You are working. God, my life is Yours. Whatever You want, wherever You lead—here I am, Lord, send me.

During this sermon, we will examine the prayer: Break Me. Sample Prayer: God, I know You give grace to the humble. So, I ask You, God, to do a deep work in my heart and break me. Break me of my pride. Break me of my selfishness. Break me of anything that keeps me from knowing You. As hard as it is to ask, God, do whatever it takes to break me.

During this sermon, we will examine the prayer: Search me. Sample Prayer: Heavenly Father, as hard as this is for me, I'm asking You to search me. Search me, God, and know my heart. God, test my motives. Reveal to me my anxious thoughts. Show me anything in me that offends You. God, I want to see in me what You see in me so I can become more like Jesus. God, I ask You to search me.

During this sermon we will address the issue of playing it safe with our prayer life. When we are comfortable, our prayers become safe. We don't want to upset the preverbal apple cart and mess up a good thing. We will learn that all throughout God's word, men and women prayed dangerous, life altering prayers. As God's church, we are called to do the same!