The Porch

Do you need to escape the comfort culture? In the Christian life, there are times when we voluntarily take on considerable costs for a considerable purpose.This week, Kylen Perry leads us through 2 Timothy 2 to remind us that a consecrated life is one that is uncommonly devoted.

Is your repentance genuine? This week, Kylen Perry walks through 2 Corinthians 7 and challenges us to think through the difference between godly grief and worldly grief. There is no real repentance without a dramatic removal of our sin and that all starts with a brokenness over it.

Everything about our reality should shift when we're met by the King. In Matthew 21, we see Jesus clarify who He is and why that changes everything for us — if you let it.

A conversation usually marked by division and shame is brought to the stage as we welcomed author and modern theologian, Brenna Blain, along with Kylen Perry and Timothy "TA" Ateek, to discuss what it looks like to have a Biblical perspective on our sexuality.

Why do we keep inviting worry to the party when it never brings anything worth having? In Luke 12, we see Jesus offer not another Christian platitude telling us to stop stressing out, but a life-changing perspective on our anxious generation. Launch Retreat is BACK, and time might be relative, but consider your plans made for Labor Day weekend (8/30-9/1)

What if you went all in with Jesus? The world pulls you in a hundred different directions, promising that you'll finally find satisfaction, but we discover in Matthew 19 what happens when someone who has it all misses what matters most because he's been distracted by the temporary - which sounds pretty familiar.

The world gives a peace that is dependent on the perfect circumstances and quickly fades in the face of adversity. God gives us a peace that knows no bounds in situations that no one person could handle on their own. Last year at Launch Retreat, Granger Smith walks us through multiple passages in the Bible that all point to one truth — our only safe haven in the storms of life are found when we're saved by Jesus Christ.

What do you want more than the Lord? This week, Kylen Perry leads us through Isaiah 55 to remind us that pursuing anything less than the Lord will always leave us wanting more.

As a quiet revival ripples across this generation, we have to ask — are we seeing the same change happen in our own spiritual lives? This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Hosea 10:12 to show us that before we ask for widespread revival we have to experience an inner renewal.

Is it hard for you to believe God loves you? Are you living like He loves you? This week, Kylen Perry walks through Ephesians 3 to show us Paul's passionate plea for us to not just know God loves us, but for us to experience it.

You can't be the happiest version of yourself without God — so what is separating us from the happiness He provides? This week, Kylen Perry point to Psalm 32 to show us that through confession, honest sinners can have the happiest lives.

You are not disqualified from joy because of your suffering. This week, Tyler Moffett, our new Director of Discipleship, reminds us through James 1 that God can use the most broken circumstances to bring about even greater joy.

Where do you turn to in a time of need? This week, guest speaker Trip Lee walks us through John 6:1-15 to remind us the size of our problems doesn't change the source of our help.

In our world, joy seems to be a lost art — so where do we find it? This week, Kylen Perry leads us through the book of Philippians, where God gives us a roadmap to a life of excitement, joy, wonder, and delight.

God wants more for your life than occasional optimism. He wants you to have and experience true joy, because He that's who He innately is. This week, we kick off our aptly named "Joy" series as Kylen Perry points to a variety of Scriptures that all lead to one conclusion — the Joy you've been looking for came looking for you.

Has your jealousy turned everyone around you into the competition? This week, our lead pastor and elder, Timothy "TA" Ateek, leads us through 1 Samuel 18 to show us how different people dealt with the future king David's success, and what it means for us to celebrate the success of those in our lives who seem to turn everything they touch to gold.

How do we pick up and put back the pieces when we're suffering — and how do we reconcile that God allowed it to happen? This week, as we close out our "Deconstructed" series, Kylen Perry walks us through John 16 to remind us that God has made us a way through our suffering now and will one day remove it forever.

Two things can be true: Life can be hard and God can be good. This week, this idea is unpacked as Kylen Perry points to Matthew 11 to show us how God meets us in moments of disappointment and reminds us of His truth when we come to a crisis in our faith.

Rather than conforming our lives to the truth, we often try to conform the truth to fit our lives. This week, Kylen Perry walks us through John 18 as we see Jesus answer the question "What is truth?" — a question many of us might be asking ourselves.

Has your church experience felt like a bait and switch? As Kylen Perry picks back up in Matthew 23, we can be encouraged that no matter how big an issue we have with religious hypocrisy, Jesus has a bigger one — and that He has come to heal the hurt in His church.

Has your church experience felt like a bait and switch? As Kylen Perry picks back up in Matthew 23, we can be encouraged that no matter how big an issue we have with religious hypocrisy, Jesus has a bigger one — and that He has come to heal the hurt in His church.

This week, guest speaker and Lead pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church, Jonathan "JP" Pokluda leads us through Ephesians 6 as He reminds us that when it comes to spiritual warfare, we have to take up the armor of God and take a stand.

Sometimes what makes us doubt God's goodness is the lack of goodness we've seen in His people. So how do we overcome our hurt when it was caused by friendly fire? This week, Kylen Perry takes us through Matthew 23 to show how Jesus dealt with religious figures who leveraged their authority against the people Christ came to save.

What happens when you have doubts? This week, as we kick off our "Deconstructed" series, Kylen Perry walks us through Luke 24 to remind us that God doesn't want to build in us an unbreakable belief as much as He wants to build an unbreakable bond — and that through every doubt, we have an opportunity to love God more.

The Porch Returns this week to talk about what it means to depend on the Lord while navigating the new. Our Director, Kylen Perry, points to Numbers 13-14 to remind us of key truths from Scripture that should mark our decision-making and actions as believers.

Have you lost your wonder for the Christmas season? For our "Christmas At The Porch" message, Kylen Perry reminded us of Philippians 2:6-11, where we're told we can have peace, joy, and hope in every season because Jesus reigns over all.

Too often, we view salvation as essential and discipleship as optional — but in Scripture, we see that it's impossible to find Jesus and not follow Him. This week, Kylen Perry takes us to Matthew 28 to remind us of our God-given purpose and role in the Great Commission.

Have we grown disenchanted in our discipleship to Jesus? This week, Kylen Perry takes us to Revelation 2 to remind us that if we've lost our love for Jesus it may be time to be reacquainted with our Savior.

Believers are told we have the unmatched gift of Christ in us — so why do we act so underwhelmed by the God of the universe making His home in our hearts? This week, guest speaker Drew Worsham takes us through Colossians 1:24-29 to remind us of the mystery and majesty of our relationship with the Lord of our lives.

When we lack control in a situation it's easy to feel fearful, stressed, and overwhelmed. This week, our Lead Pastor and Elder Timothy "TA" Ateek points to Mark 4:35-41 to remind us that when we cast our cares upon the Prince of Peace, we can choose faith over fear.

Being a disciple of Jesus means we must seek His people — but who are His people? This week, Kylen Perry points to Luke 8:26-39 to show us that Jesus has always sought to give dignity to the defiled and extend salvation to those we may deem too far gone.

What did Jesus say is the greatest commandment? To love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. But how do we actually do that? This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Matthew 22:34-40 and gives us practical ways to live out what is most important.

Jesus has extended us the ultimate invitation — one where we can lay down our burdens and enjoy true rest in relationship with Him. This week, our Lead Pastor Timothy "TA" Ateek points to Matthew 11:28-30 to remind us that we shouldn't settle for anything less than full satisfaction through our Savior.

How do we respond when Jesus says, "Follow Me"? What does it even mean to follow him? This week, Kylen Perry dives into Luke 5:1-11 to show us the response we ought to have when we encounter Jesus. Following Jesus has a cost but nothing is worth keeping if it keeps us from Jesus.

How should we think about ourselves as children of God? True significance isn't found in who you are; it's found in who God is. This week, Kylen Perry refers to the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3 to remind us that we won't feel worthy until God enters our story.

Do we look for the path of least resistance when God is calling us to follow the path that leads to Him? This week, our guest speaker Nate Hilgenkamp, young adults and teaching pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church, takes us to 2 Samuel 15 & 18 to remind us that God doesn't promise easy, instead He's given us a Kingdom purpose in enemy territory.

This week, we welcomed John Cox, Watermark's executive pastor, and Caitlin Van Wagoner, Watermark's senior communications director, on stage with Kylen Perry to share Biblical truths and practical wisdom they've learned over the course of their careers.

Following Jesus isn't a solo sport, and we're called to pass the baton of faith on to those around us. But how do we do this well? This week, Josiah Jones walks through Hebrews 12 to show us lessons he's learned from Scripture and a life of ministry on how to live out the mission we've been called to.

We often want to find our purpose in our work, but God has already filled our jobs with purpose. This week, Kylen Perry refers to Ephesians 6 to show us that we've been instructed in how to work well in a world that wants us to work with an agenda.

The Bible uses a lot of “family” language, but what does it mean that we're a part of God's family? This week, Oren Martin, Watermark's Senior Director of Equipping, points to Mark 3:20-35 to show us how Jesus is making a new family of God on earth gathered around Himself — and he's doing it with outsiders.

How we relate to Jesus says a lot about how we'll relate to our spouse. This week, Kylen Perry and his wife, Brooke, walk us through the misconceptions of marriage and what scripture says marriage is - and isn't - truly about.

We spend a lot of time seeing if other people measure up to our ideal dating checklist — but have we stopped to evaluate ourselves first? This week, Kylen Perry points to 1 Timothy 4:12 and other passages to remind us that a meaningful connection to God is the source of a meaningful connection to others.

Why do we have friends — and more importantly how do we become good ones? As we kick off "The Relationship Series," Kylen Perry points to 1 Samuel 18 to show us the theology of friendship and how we can deepen the relationships that God gave us for our enjoyment.

What if you believe in God, but just don't feel Him right now? This week, guest speaker Tyler Moffett, points us to Isaiah 49 as we consider what it means to navigate trials and suffering while trusting in God's promises — and it all starts with a moment of surrender.

The world has repackaged the shackles of pornography as the symbol of sexual freedom — so how do we move forward? This week, Timothy "TA" Ateek points to Colossians 3:5 to remind us that we're called to put all sexual immorality - whether it's videos, books, thoughts - to death and live in the freedom that Christ offers.