Reverend Kenji

In First Corinthians, Paul talks about the foundations of our faith. He encourages to take a stand in the place of grace so we don’t drift out of hope.

Skip to 3:51 for the beginning of the message. God bless.

In the gospel of Luke, Jesus tells us he came to seek and save the lost. Being lost is part of the human condition. There are many times in life when we don’t know where to turn. There are always parts of our soul that keep wandering and drifting and leaving God. It’s good news, […]

There is a difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction is when the Holy Spirit tells you to reject a behavior. Condemnation is when Satan tells you that YOU are rejected as a person. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) Satan is the Accuser; Jesus is the Advocate. […]

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 I was having a conversation with a friend yesterday, and their anxiety and fear about the future were on full display. I […]

In Proverbs 2, we learn about the crucial importance of wisdom for our walk with God. Wisdom is being skilled at living a good life. Wisdom goes beyond mere knowledge or being smart. What does wisdom call for in this season? Facing the coronavirus pandemic, wisdom calls for faith in God, being healthy, practicing physical […]

I’ve changed my sermon series to a walk through 1 Peter in light of our social situation. This first sermon walks through 1 Peter 1:1-9 to view Christ as our living hope.

This week, we discuss the danger that pride poses to those who follow Jesus.

This week, we celebrate two things. First, I have a computer again so I can resume posting my sermons! Second, I started a new sermon series last Sunday! The new series is called The Seven Deadly Sins and it focuses on avoiding common spiritual dangers than can ruin your walk with God. This last Sunday, […]

This week, we discuss how essential being emotionally honest with God is for our spiritual growth. We use the Psalms as an example of such honesty.

The letter to the Romans is one of the most celebrated pieces of literature in the history of the world. Unfortunately, readers often hijack the original intent of Romans by reading it from a self-centered perspective. In this sermon, we explore the meaning of Romans for us while remembering what it meant to the original […]

In this sermon, I explore the suffering of Job. We move beyond simplistic answers to suffering and try to see how Jesus helps us find meaning in the midst of life’s storms.

In this message, I discuss what it really means to be pro-life. This isn’t a discussion of whether the pro-choice or the pro-life position is correct. That was the sermon I originally intended to preach. Instead, I assume my audience is pro-life (since I was preaching in a theologically conservative church) and then work out […]

In this sermon, I discuss various Christian perspectives on LGBT issues. I outline both the progressive and conservative views, and then present my own position.

In this sermon, I provide a pastoral response to an issue that is dividing our nation. I argue that we should be deep thinkers who recognize the complexity of the question without allowing the media or politicians manipulate us into shallow and simplistic reactions. We also explore what the Bible really says about this issue.

In this sermon, I discuss the importance of reading the Bible for yourself. This spiritual discipline is almost impossible to overestimate. I also give some practical tips on how to get into reading the Bible. The audio is above and the video is below.

In this sermon, I discuss the resurrection from Mark 16 and what it means for us today. There is power, hope, and meaning in Mark’s concluding story about Jesus.

I just got back from a few weeks off. We were at a conference in Florida and then we spent a couple of weeks in Wales and Ireland. In this sermon, I explore the complexities of the biblical narrative in Mark 14-15 and how Jesus’ crucifixion might make sense of our complicated world.

This week, we explore Jesus’ interaction with his disciples from the book of Mark and the true meaning of being a Christian.

Why church? Is church good or bad for people? What role should church play in our lives? What makes a good church? What is the role of the church leader? What is the origin of the phrase “kit and caboodle”? Pete and I talk about these questions today on the show. Pete Kopplin is a […]

It’s one thing to become a Christian, it’s another thing to remain one. In this conversation, I ask Dan about the reasons he still believes.

In this sermon, I discuss Jesus’ battles with spiritual forces of darkness to save his friends and an exiled man. We work from Mark chapters 4 and 5.

In this episode, Pete and I discuss music in church. We get into theology and practice, including the role of music in a church service and how to build a strong music ministry in your church. Pete Kopplin is the Founding Pastor of Downriver Church in Spokane, WA.

The lie that no one cares about us is believed by many and causes much suffering. In this sermon, I explore this lie and what we should believe instead.

In this episode, Erica and I discuss her experiences with God as a lesbian, how to be an awesome human being, and mean church people.

This week, we explored a few of Jesus’ parables from Mark 4.

This week, I start a new sermon series focusing on lies the world tells and the miseries those lies bring us. I begin with self-righteousness, pride, and humility from Luke 18.

This week, I talk about what being a church family really means from Mark 3.

In this awesome conversation we discuss an ongoing crisis of faith Jesse is currently going through. Jesse Weimer is a former pastor and church planter with a sense of humor who is in a spiritual gray area right now.

This week I discuss addiction and grace with Dan Sigler. Dan is a social worker who develops and manages a slew of recovery and re-entry programs in the Pacific Northwest.

In this sermon, I talk about God, loneliness, and grace. The sound booth had some technical issues so please forgive the quality of this one.

In this sermon, I discuss how God’s extraordinary grace works through ordinary Christians from Mark 3.

Sam Thomas has served in several capacities in the church world. He’s been a pastor, musician, and wanderer. Sam is also coming up on 2.5 years sober. In this episode, Sam and I discuss his spiritual journey and ponder the many meanings of addiction, grace, and faith.

Pete Kopplin is a church planter and founding pastor of Downriver Church in Spokane, WA. His full first name is not “Peter”. It actually says “Pete” on his birth certificate. I know it’s weird but it’s true. Today, Pete and I discuss emotional health in leadership and how young leaders become awesome.

In this sermon, Reverend Kenji discusses God’s timing from Mark 3:7-12. The beginning has some technical difficulties but the rest should be okay. Click the link to play the file and don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast. God bless.

Today my guest is Joel Malm. Joel is an entrepreneur, adventurer, personal development coach, and author of several books. Joel has traveled in over seventy countries on six continents and speaks three languages. He has degrees in political science and counseling. Today we talk about emotional health, especially as it relates to anger. We also […]

In this sermon, I discuss love, law, and Jesus’ healing from Mark 3. Click above to hear the sermon and don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast.

Dan is a former church planter and current social worker. He’s also a foster and adoptive dad and musician. Today, Dan and I mostly talk about organizational leadership in the local church. Who needs it? How much do we need? Has worldly philosophy entered the church through business acumen? How do we grow as leaders? […]

Today, we discuss preaching, entertainment in church, and volunteer staffing.

In this sermon, I discuss Jesus’ solitude from the book of Mark.

Dan Sigler is a social worker and organizational leader who has also spent several years in the ministry as a church planter, senior pastor, missionary to India and Nepal, musician, and interpretive dancer. He’s also a foster dad who has permanently adopted some great kids-now he has seven kids in total. Today we get to […]

In this sermon, I discuss the idea of holiness from Isaiah 6.

Pete Kopplin is the founding pastor of Downriver Church in Spokane, WA. He’s also a musician, artist, and has extensive experience serving churches in almost every role imaginable. His middle name is Gregor which I think is kind of a weird name. In this episode, we get to know Pete and discuss a bit about […]