OCC Podcast

What is the difference between sharing parables and storytelling? What is the beauty behind God's unlimited grace? What happened to James' voice? How do foreknowledge and God's will work together? What is the best part about wrestling with scripture? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Rhetorical questions

What does it mean that God foreknew? How does predestination work? Why are we all of a sudden talking about skiing? What does it look like for us to be called? How are we justified? What does it mean to be glorified? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Do we want to learn the easy way or the hard way?

What was that story about James and his wife having a kid? How do answered prayers play a role in suffering? How to place more weight on God's glory over our own suffering? How can we prep and put in the work in suffering? What are good practical ways to view suffering through God's eyes? All this and more, on this week's episode. Enjoy!

God's glory is weightier than our suffering.

Why were the ruins ruined? Which is referenced more, Star Wars or Star Trek? Why is it important to have kids in the service? Why would God use David when his story is so chaotic? What is the middle of the week? How do OCC Kids work through the Bible? Can God use imperfect messages for His perfect purposes? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Loving son, devoted friend, God worshipper.

How can we suffer with Jesus? How can we be more glorified through Jesus? How do I know when to sacrifice primary callings? Is God running towards me or waiting for me? Self-made or God-permitted suffering? Why do we do the WB Show... or family services?

Do we suffer for the sake of Christ?

How would you win in a fight against a shark? Why is Paul all about victory? How do we yield to the Spirit, and what are the evidences that we are doing so? How does suffering give insight to Paul's words? How do wounds from our past shape, either in a good or bad way, our interpretation of scripture? How do we resist and see the truth of God in spite of that? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

The key to victory is fighting in the right realm!

What do James and Andrew soundlike unscripted? Why you all up in our bid-niss? What is the infamous 'e' word in ministry and why does it matter? What is the best-case scenario for OCC? What do we highlight as a church? Who gets the glory for the growth and success of the church? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Why does the church exist?

In this episode, James interviews his wife! As the organizer of the recent missions conference, James interviews Christina to discuss why missions matter, why this is such a passion for her, and her prayer requests as we look to host missions conferences more regularly. Enjoy!

Guest pastor and missionary Duncan Sprague preaches at OCC.

What is the difference between living by the Spirit of God versus by the Spirit of Flesh? What is the 'Roman's Road'? How do we make sure our story is shared with others? What do you do if your story isn't as 'good' as others? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

God is able to save us, and keeping the law never will.

Since Romans 8 is bookended by our identity in Christ, what does that mean for people in Christ? What does creation awaiting in anticipation mean? What is predestined? What is the missions conference about? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Overview of Chapter 8

How do you break down a passage? Did Adam really ruin it for us all? Is Brenton a Seahawks fan? How big a deal is it that scripture passages were edited or trimmed? What are Wesley and Brenton excited about in this ministry year? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Because Christ is uncondemnable, if we are found in Him, then so are we!

What does it look like for James to be on the other side of the table? Can discipleship be a New Year's resolution? But at what cost?! Why is servant leadership so important for all Christ followers? How do we live "Body Life"? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

End of the year sermon.

What even is figgy pudding? What songs make you hark? How are we the little drummer boy? What other promises can James make to increase Brenton's workload in 2026? What are the challenges of evangelism? If you knew your life was short, what would you change? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Listen up, because there's good news to be heard!

When would a pastor need to give out a business card? What is James and Wesley's favorite Christmas carol? Should we post giant pastor pictures on our website? How scriptural is O Come, O Come Emmanuel? What's the timeline of the book of Isaiah? What do you do if you have an itchy head? Does God rule over everything? Can you exegete a song? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Did you know this song has sooo much theology?

Who wrote that song? Does 'everybody' really mean... everybody? How should we conclude prayers? What happened to the shepherds after they worshiped Jesus? When did Jesus eat the bread and drink the wine? How do we break out of the fear of making money our idol? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Blessed are the feet of those who bring the good news.

Why this series about Christmas carols? What was left out of the sermon? Why "Joy to the World"? What was it about this song? What is the best Isaac Watts fact? Why is the incarnation such a big deal? What's next? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Let's examine the theology behind the song "Joy to the World" by Isaac Watts.

What is a diatribe? Why are family services so important to Orchard's Community Church? Why did Wesley and Brenton have to 'redo' the story of Zacchaeus? How can we change the culture of a church? What is the challenge of having kids in service? What can we do to help raise the next generation of Christ followers? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

We should not focus on the 'tiny' details about who Zacchaeus was and what he looked like. We should instead focus on the redemptive and restorative power of Christ.

What type of peanut butter is best? Why is it that we operate the church the way that we do? How important is it to preach book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse? What should be the only hard line drawn in the sand? What does it mean to 'be the one'? Why did John talk about love... a lot? Is service essential to the life of a believer? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Want to know how the sausage is made?

What are our pastors' last names? Why did we need a callback? How do we hand over our wretched bodies to the Holy Spirit? Is the battle a group effort? What is our role in others' sanctification? What is up for this next week? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Do we struggle...or do we submit to the Holy Spirit?

What was left out of the message? Why is PB&J the best sandwhich ever made? Are there any practical ways that we can know we are relying on the Holy Spirit? Why split the message in two? Is Paul writing from the perspective of a believer or as an unbeliever? Which peanut butter is best? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Sanctification is not an awareness of how good we are becoming!

Potatoes or tomatoes, generally speaking? Do you like pulp in your orange juice? Is sin a real person? Does Jesus conquer or supersede the law? What is the pink elephant syndrome? Can we say that sin is good? Can we slow down disciple-making by relying on our own efforts? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Jesus fulfills the law, but what does it do?

What do you call people who go to Orchards Community Church? How does belonging to a risen Savior differ from belonging to a dead one? How can Chair-4 people create accountability? Does being 'less of me' mean stepping out of leadership to let new Workers rise, even if they aren't as skilled? How do we test our work? What religious acts kill joy? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

The battles of legalism and limitations of the law

Why is the podcast room so warm? Why doesn't the Bible condemn slavery? Should we mandate behavior? When? How should we come alongside someone who is in the process of being sanctified? How do you speak to a person who is being caught up in sin? What does Romans 7 next week look like? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

As Christ followers our present and our future is eternal life in Jesus Christ

What did Brenton leave out? What is with the butterfly? Are analogies perfect? How do Christians become excited about growth? What is the best way to avoid habitual sin? Why does Brenton pick THOSE songs? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

The grace of God does not give us license to sin.

What is the tension in the gospel? What does wrestling with God look like? What is the difference between being under the law and under grace? Why if we are dead to sin do we still sin? What does present ourselves to God mean? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!

Sin has no dominance over Christ followers, because we are not under the law - we are under grace

Is there a time when shepherding the body requires bringing up recent events? What does powerless mean? Where is our spirit if it is with Christ? Why doesn't James follow the calendar he made? Why doesn't God give me what I want? Does sin originate in the body or in the mind? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!