United Pentecostal Church of Bourbon , IN

Pastor Matt Cottrill's message from Wednesday, September 16th 2026

What does it mean to leave something behind that truly matters? Pastor Matt Cottrill's message from Sunday, September 13th, 2026 takes us deep into one of the Bible's most overlooked figures, Methuselah, a man remembered almost entirely for his age. Genesis 5 records his 969 years of life and then simply says he died. No great speeches, no celebrated victories, just a life lived between two extraordinary men: his father Enoch, who walked so closely with God that death never touched him, and his grandson Noah, who found grace in the eyes of the Lord during one of history's most wicked generations. The central question this raises is profound: what did Methuselah carry from one generation to the next? Faith does not appear out of nowhere. It is taught, modeled, and transferred. Enoch did not merely talk about God; he walked with God, and that distinction makes all the difference. Walking implies consistency, direction, and daily commitment, not just emotional highs at special services, but a steady, unbroken relationship that continues even when life is hard, confusing, or painful. We are challenged to examine whether our own faith is that kind of faith, one that is deep enough to survive disappointment, strong enough to outlast cultural pressure, and visible enough that the people watching us want it for themselves.

What does it mean to truly influence someone? Bishop Mark Cottrill's message from Sunday, September 13th 2026 answers that question. In a world obsessed with social media metrics, follower counts, and viral moments, we are challenged to consider a far more powerful and lasting kind of influence — spiritual influence. There is a profound difference between a social influencer, who shapes what people do, and a spiritual influencer, who shapes what people become. Drawing on Psalm 78:1-7, we are reminded that God designed faith to be passed down from one generation to the next, and that every one of us carries a responsibility to tell the next generation about His faithfulness, His works, and His ways. The passage makes it clear that this is not optional — it is a divine mandate. When we share our testimonies, pray with our children and grandchildren, and live out our faith in front of them, we are doing something no social media algorithm can replicate. We are changing the trajectory of an entire family tree. The question worth sitting with is this: who are we influencing toward God right now, and what legacy of faith are we actively building for the generations that come after us?

What does it mean to truly possess the promises God has given us? This message by Dylan Cottrill on Sunday, September 9th 2026 takes us back to the very beginning, to a garden where everything was in place, the soil rich with potential, the environment perfectly prepared, yet something was missing: someone to work the ground. Drawing from Genesis chapter 2, we are reminded that God provides the promise, but He also calls us to participate in maintaining it. The condition of our hearts is the soil where those promises either take root and flourish or get choked out by weeds we never bothered to pull. Proverbs 4:23 calls us to guard our hearts with everything we have, and this message unpacks exactly why that daily discipline matters. What we allow to grow unchecked on the inside will eventually show up on the outside, in our words, our relationships, our witness, and our walk with God. This is not a passive faith. It is a faith that rolls up its sleeves.

Gene Smith's message from Wednesday September 2nd 2026

Jon Hudson's message from our final revival service on Sunday, August 30th 2026

Pastor Matt Cottrill's lesson from our first session on Sunday, August 30th 2026

Jon Hudson's message from our third night of revival on Friday, August 28th 2026

Jon Hudson's message from our second night of revival on Thursday, August 27th 2026

Jon Hudson's message from our first night of revival on Wednesday, August 26th 2026

Youth Led Service from Sunday, August 23rd 2026

Trace Schuh's message from Wednesday, August 19th 2026

What does it really take to experience a breakthrough? This message by Robert Moses on Sunday, August 16th 2026 digs into one of the most powerful dynamics in the life of faith: the relationship between diligence and the suddenly of God. We are reminded that the miraculous moments we celebrate rarely appear out of nowhere. Behind every suddenly is a long stretch of ordinary days filled with prayer, persistence, and faithfulness. Drawing on the stories of Joseph, Nehemiah, David, and the disciples who waited in the upper room, we see a consistent pattern woven through Scripture: those who stay the course, even through rejection, false accusation, and discouragement, are the ones who witness God move in extraordinary ways. The message challenges us to stop waiting for the feeling and start taking the next right step, because it is in those quiet, unglamorous acts of obedience that God is building something we cannot yet see. Whether we are believing for a prodigal to come home, a healing to manifest, or a community to be transformed, the call is the same: stay faithful, keep praying, and trust that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, as affirmed in Hebrews 11:6, which tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God, and that He rewards those who earnestly pursue Him.

Pastor Matt Cottrill's message from our first session on Sunday, August 16th 2026

What would it take for a rock to cry out in praise? That is the striking question at the heart of this message from Pastor Matt Cottrill on Sunday, August 9th 2026 drawn from Luke 19, where Jesus makes his triumphal entry into Jerusalem and declares that if his disciples held their peace, the stones beside the road would immediately cry out. We explore what makes that statement so arresting after two thousand years. Rocks are silent witnesses to history. They outlast kingdoms, generations, and civilizations. They have no choice but to exist exactly as their creator made them. Yet they have never known forgiveness. They have never felt the weight of sin lifted from their shoulders. They have never stood at an altar and experienced mercy. We have. That contrast is the heart of the message. Our praise is not automatic like the orbit of a planet or the rising of the sun. It is a daily, deliberate choice. And that choice is one of the greatest privileges ever entrusted to humanity. When we understand what we have been redeemed from and what we have been given, silence becomes not just a missed opportunity but a surrendered privilege. This message challenges us to ask honestly whether we are engaging our faith with the full weight of what Christ has done, or whether we have allowed familiarity, pride, or routine to quietly steal our wonder.

Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway's message from our first session on Sunday, August 9th 2026.

What if Pentecost is far bigger than we have ever allowed ourselves to imagine? This message from Pastor Matt Cottrill on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026 takes us on a sweeping journey through Scripture, from the foot of Mount Sinai to the upper room in Jerusalem, to reveal one breathtaking truth: God has always been moving closer to us. We trace the progression of His dwelling place, from a mountain surrounded by boundaries that no one could cross, to a tabernacle covered in rough animal skins but filled with gold and glory on the inside, to a temple so saturated with His presence that trained priests could not even stand to do their jobs. Each stop along the way was not the destination. Each was simply the next step in a story that was always building toward something more personal, more intimate, more transformative. The central insight here is that God never changed His desire, only His address. And the final address He chose was not a building made of stone or wood or gold. It was the human heart. First Corinthians 3:16 captures this staggering reality, reminding us that we ourselves are the temple of God and that His Spirit dwells within us. That changes everything about how we see ourselves, how we face our days, and how we carry His presence into every room we walk into. We are not ordinary people simply surviving. We are carriers of the living God.

Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway's message from our first session on Sunday, August 2nd, 2026

Tony Schuh's message from Wednesday, July 29th 2026

Gene Smith's message from our second session on Sunday, July 26th 2026

Dillon Meadway's message from our first session on Sunday, July 26th 2026

Bishop Mark Cottrill's message from Wednesday, July 22nd 2026

On Sunday, July 19th 2026, Dylan Cottrill's message centers on a truth that transforms how we view our spiritual stumbles: we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. Drawing from 1 John 2:1-2, we're reminded that while we should strive not to sin, when we do fall, we're not abandoned to shame and guilt. Our Savior serves as our defense attorney, and remarkably, He Himself was the sacrifice for our sins. The sermon beautifully illustrates this through the story of Joshua standing before God in filthy garments while Satan accuses him, only to have the Lord rebuke the accuser and clothe Joshua in clean robes. We discover that confession isn't about informing God of something He doesn't know—it's about agreeing with what He's been saying all along and turning away from what separates us from Him. The crimson worm symbolism is particularly striking: just as this creature willingly climbs a tree to die so its offspring can live, nourished by its crimson substance, Jesus willingly ascended Calvary so we could have new life through His blood. The prodigal son's story reminds us that when we 'come to ourselves' and take even one step toward the Father, He runs to meet us, removing our shame and restoring our position as His children. This isn't a message about staying down—it's about the courage to rise again, knowing we have an advocate who understands our struggles and fights for our souls.

This teaching by Pastor Matt Cottrill on Sunday, July 19th 2026 explores the transformative truth that God can turn our most confining circumstances into divine opportunities. Drawing from Acts 16, we journey with Paul and Silas through closed doors, redirected plans, and literal imprisonment to discover that our response in difficulty often becomes our greatest testimony. The core revelation here challenges us to recognize that not every good opportunity is God's opportunity for us, and sometimes He closes doors we desperately want to walk through because He sees the entire journey ahead. We learn that faith isn't about knowing every detail in advance—it's about obeying what God has shown us while trusting Him with what He hasn't revealed. The message confronts our tendency to create mental pictures of how God must fulfill His promises, reminding us that Lydia's salvation came when Paul was flexible enough to recognize that the vision was about Macedonia's need, not just the man in his dream. Most striking is the call to remain faithful in ordinary spiritual disciplines—prayer, worship, Bible reading—because extraordinary moments of ministry grow from consistent faithfulness in small things. When we find ourselves in our own midnight prisons, the question becomes: will we worship before the chains fall off, or will we wait until freedom comes to declare God's faithfulness?

What does it truly mean to be a fruit bearer in our Christian walk? This teaching by Steve Hoese on Wednesday, July 15th 2026 draws us into Galatians 5:22-23, challenging us to examine whether our lives display the authentic evidence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. While speaking in tongues is the initial physical evidence of receiving the Holy Ghost, the fruit of the Spirit represents the daily lifestyle evidence that transforms our character and witnesses to the world. The message uses a vivid illustration of branches connected to a tree—some alive and flourishing, others cut off and withering—to show us that we cannot manufacture spiritual fruit through our own efforts or willpower. Just as a branch must remain connected to the trunk to receive nutrients and produce fruit, we must stay connected to Christ through daily prayer, fasting, and communion with God. The teaching weaves through each fruit—love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance—showing how they are intricately woven together like a tapestry. When we pull one thread by failing in one area, the entire image of Christ we're meant to portray begins to unravel. This calls us to ask ourselves: if a stranger observed our lives without knowing we attend church, what clues would tell them we have the Holy Ghost? Our daily walk, not just our Sunday smile, reveals the authenticity of our faith.

On Sunday, July 12th, 2026, Pastor Matt Cottrill's message centers on Psalm 126, exploring the profound connection between remembrance and worship. The core spiritual lesson revolves around how easily we can lose our sense of wonder about what God has done in our lives. When Israel was in Babylonian captivity, they hung their harps on willow trees—not because the Babylonians destroyed their instruments, but because they chose to stop singing. This becomes a striking metaphor for our own spiritual journey. How many of us still possess the ability to praise God, yet we've allowed life's disappointments, responsibilities, and trials to silence our worship? The message challenges us to remember our first encounter with Jesus—the moment of repentance, water baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost. When we truly remember, not just intellectually but emotionally and spiritually, our joy naturally returns. The text beautifully illustrates that when God turned Israel's captivity, they were like people who dreamed—the breakthrough seemed too good to be true. Their response was spontaneous laughter and singing, so genuine that even the surrounding nations noticed and declared that the Lord had done great things for them. This teaches us that authentic praise isn't manufactured emotionalism; it's the natural overflow of gratitude for what God has accomplished in our lives. When we stop taking our salvation for granted and actively remember where God brought us from, the shout returns, joy returns, and our witness becomes undeniable to a watching world.

What happens when the very people who wrote our Bible couldn't agree on something? That's what Joe Lake explores on Sunday, July 5th, 2026. Acts 15 reveals a stunning truth: even the most Spirit-filled, miracle-working apostles had to sit down and work through conflict. This isn't a story about perfection—it's a story about unity through disagreement. The early church faced a critical question: Do Gentile believers need to follow Jewish law to be saved? The answer would shape Christianity forever. What's remarkable is how they resolved it—not through power plays or division, but through listening, citing Scripture, watching where the Spirit was moving, and submitting to recognized leadership. Peter pointed to the undeniable evidence: Gentiles were receiving the Holy Ghost just like the Jews did on Pentecost, without circumcision. James then connected this to Old Testament prophecy, showing God's plan had always included the nations. The resolution? Four simple instructions rooted in Leviticus—abstain from idol worship, sexual immorality, strangled things, and blood. These weren't arbitrary rules but boundaries that honored both God's holiness and the conscience of Jewish believers. The lesson for us is profound: we will have conflicts in the body of Christ because we're human, but we can remain family through it all. Our churches aren't meant to be perfect—they're meant to be real places where imperfect people work things out together under the Lordship of Jesus.

This message by Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway on Wednesday, July 8th 2026, draws us into a vivid illustration of two trees standing in vastly different conditions. One tree stands near a river, firmly planted with roots that drink continuously from flowing water, bearing fruit in season and maintaining vibrant leaves. The other tree stands just far enough away from the water source to appear alive on the outside, yet slowly hollowing out from within, surviving on occasional trickles but never truly thriving. This imagery from Psalm 1 becomes a mirror for our spiritual lives, challenging us to examine where we have planted ourselves. Are we rooted directly in God's Word, in His love, and in Christ Himself? Or have we drifted just far enough away that we maintain the appearance of spiritual life while slowly withering inside? The message confronts a sobering reality: we can attend church faithfully, maintain outward religious practices, and still find ourselves spiritually malnourished because we've rooted ourselves in self-focus, worldly pursuits, or comfortable distance from God's presence. The call here is urgent yet hopeful, reminding us that being rooted in the right place is not a burden but a privilege, and that God desires to see us flourish far more than we desire it ourselves.

On Sunday, July 5th 2026, Pastor Matt Cottrill's message draws a compelling parallel between America's Declaration of Independence and our need for spiritual independence from sin and bondage. While we celebrate 250 years of national freedom, we're challenged to examine whether we've become spiritually complacent despite our religious liberty. The sermon centers on Ephesians 6:10-13 and 2 Chronicles 7:14, reminding us that our battle is not against flesh and blood but against spiritual forces of darkness. The heart of the message lies in understanding that true freedom isn't the ability to do whatever we want, but the power to do what is right and serve God wholeheartedly. We're confronted with the uncomfortable truth that many Christians want Jesus as Savior but not as Lord, desiring blessings without obedience and heaven without holiness. The call to humble ourselves, pray, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways isn't just for the lost world—it begins with us, the church. This message challenges us to declare our own independence day from addiction, bitterness, fear, pride, and every chain that binds us, reminding us that the same God who delivered Israel from Egypt and raised Jesus from the dead can set us free today.

On Wednesday, July 1st 2026, Dylan Cottrill's message draws us into the sobering reflections of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes, where he looks back on a life of unprecedented wealth, wisdom, and worldly success only to declare it all meaningless—like chasing after the wind. We're confronted with a challenging truth: Solomon had everything the world could offer, yet he missed what mattered most. He built houses, planted vineyards, amassed wealth beyond measure, and denied himself no pleasure, but at the end of his days, he realized he had been chasing emptiness. The message uses a compelling illustration of unwrapping gift boxes—we climb over relationships, sacrifice prayer time, and bulldoze our spiritual foundations to reach what we think will satisfy us, only to find the box empty. Meanwhile, the gift God offers may not look as flashy, but it contains eternal treasures: joy in His presence, crowns of life for those who endure, and riches that moth and rust cannot destroy. We're reminded that our children are watching, learning from what we prioritize, and that we have a sacred responsibility to instill in them the truth that seeking first God's kingdom is the only pursuit that won't leave us empty-handed. The call is urgent: stop waiting until the sunset of our lives to learn what Solomon learned too late.

This powerful message from Bishop Mark Cottrill on Sunday, June 28th 2026 takes us into one of the most dramatic moments in King David's life, found in 1 Samuel 30, where he returns home to find his city burned, his families captured, and his own men ready to stone him. Yet in this darkest hour, God speaks three transformative words: pursue, overtake, and recover all. What's striking is that David only asked if he should pursue and overtake the enemy, but God's answer went further—He promised complete restoration. This reveals a profound truth about our spiritual walk: God's promises are always bigger than our prayers. Too often, we settle for merely acknowledging our problems or even confronting them, but we stop short of the full victory God intends for us. Whether we're struggling with broken relationships, lost joy, financial stress, or the need for salvation itself, we cannot afford to give up too easily. The message challenges us to move beyond victim mentality and remember our identity as children of the King of Kings. David didn't just sit in his burned city weeping—he encouraged himself in the Lord, prayed for direction, and then took action. The result? He recovered everything the enemy had stolen, plus the spoils of his enemies. Our recovery begins inwardly before it manifests outwardly, which is why David went to prayer before battle. This sermon calls us to complete obedience, to give God our full voice in worship and prayer, and to fight for the abundant life Jesus promised—not just survival, but total restoration.

This powerful exploration of Acts chapter 9 by Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway from Sunday, June 28th 2026 takes us on a journey through one of the most dramatic transformations in biblical history - the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. We're reminded that the same God who created the heavens and earth still works miracles today, and that no weapon formed against us shall prosper when we stand on the name of Jesus. The message challenges us to move beyond merely talking about surrender to actually living it out. Paul's encounter on the Damascus road wasn't just about believing - it was about complete transformation through baptism in Jesus' name and being filled with the Holy Ghost. We see that Ananias didn't offer Paul a simple prayer of salvation, but instead proclaimed the full gospel experience as demonstrated on the day of Pentecost. The critical insight here is that the power of the Holy Ghost is only as effective as the state of our surrender. We cannot hold onto our traditions, our comfort zones, or our own understanding if we truly want to experience the transformative power of God. This message calls us to examine whether our lives match our confessions, whether our actions align with our proclamations of faith, and whether we're willing to pay the price of true discipleship.

On Father's Day, Sunday, June 21st, 2026, Pastor Matt Cottrill explores of the Prodigal Son from Luke 15 and challenges us to examine the direction our feet are taking us—toward God's house or toward a far country of compromise and spiritual distance. The message unpacks the devastating reality that the far country always begins with a 'give me' mentality, where we seek God's benefits without truly desiring relationship with Him. We're reminded that sin is a terrible advertiser, showing us the party but hiding the pig pen, displaying pleasure while concealing emptiness. The transformative moment comes when we 'come to ourselves' and realize that even the lowest place in the Father's house is better than the greatest promise the world offers. The Father's response to our return isn't suspicion or coldness, but compassion—He runs toward us, embraces us in our filth, and restores our identity with a robe, ring, and shoes. Those shoes represent a critical question for every believer: where are our feet taking us? Are we walking toward holiness or drifting toward compromise? The call isn't just to feel bad about where we are, but to actually arise and walk home. True repentance means getting up and doing something about our spiritual condition, not just lamenting it. This Father's Day message extends beyond biological fathers to every person who needs to return home to the Father who is watching the road, waiting to celebrate our arrival.

On Sunday, June 14th 2026, Joe Lake takes us deep into the familiar story of David and Goliath, but with a transformative twist that challenges us to look beyond the giant in the valley. We discover that defeating external enemies is only the beginning of our spiritual journey. The real battle often continues long after the visible giant falls—in the wounds we carry, the relationships that hurt us, and ultimately in surrendering our own will to God. Drawing from 1 Samuel 17-30, we explore how David faced three distinct giants: the obvious enemy Goliath, the painful betrayal of King Saul who should have been his protector, and finally his own internal struggle when everything was stripped away. The message reveals that our private victories matter more than our public ones, and that daily communion with God prepares us for battles we don't yet see coming. We're reminded that hurt people hurt people, and unless we allow God to heal our wounds—especially those inflicted by other believers—we'll remain trapped in cycles of pain that prevent us from fulfilling our purpose. The challenge before us is clear: we must stop guarding our wounds from the very God who wants to heal them, and we must learn to hold onto Jesus alone, releasing our grip on everything else, even good things, so that He can truly be our shepherd.

This powerful message from Pastor Matt Cottrill on Sunday, June 14th 2026 centers on the timeless promise of the Holy Ghost and challenges us to examine whether we truly hunger for God's presence. Drawing from Acts 2:37-39, we're reminded that the same Spirit that fell on the Day of Pentecost is still available today—not as a relic of history, but as a living, active promise for every generation. The message confronts our tendency to treat the Book of Acts like a museum piece, admiring what God did in the past while missing what He wants to do right now in our lives. Through the compelling testimony of a cancer patient who spontaneously spoke in tongues while alone in prayer, we see that God doesn't require perfect circumstances or religious formulas—He simply responds to hungry hearts. The central question becomes: Are we willing to wait, like the 120 in the upper room, or will we be among the 400+ who witnessed the resurrection but walked away before the promise arrived? This message calls us to examine whether we love God more than our comfort, our careers, or the opinions of others, and whether we're willing to maintain a posture of expectant faith even when answers don't come on our timeline.

This message by Dylan Cottrill from Sunday, June 7th 2026 centers on God's unbreakable covenant of peace with His people, drawing from Isaiah 54:7-10 where God promises that His kindness will never depart from us. We're reminded that just as God made a covenant with Noah never to destroy the earth again, He has established an eternal covenant with us through Christ's blood. The sermon confronts the oppressive spirits of anxiety, depression, fear, and shame that plague our modern world through constant media bombardment and negativity. Yet we're called to remember that we have authority over these spirits through the Holy Ghost. The illustration of Stephen being stoned while looking up to see Jesus standing at the right hand of God becomes our model—instead of focusing on the chaos around us, we can look beyond the temporal to the eternal. The peace Christ offers isn't fragile or dependent on earthly circumstances like job security or financial stability. Rather, it's a supernatural peace that passes all understanding, one that meets us in impossible situations where logically we shouldn't have peace, yet we do. This covenant isn't something we signed but something sealed by Christ's blood, and it gives us the authority to evict every intruder—every oppressive spirit—that has tried to claim ownership of what belongs to God.

This powerful teaching by Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway on Sunday, June 7th 2026, from Acts 1:6-8 challenges us to examine what truly consumes our hearts and minds. We find the disciples still fixated on restoring Israel's physical kingdom, missing the greater spiritual mission Jesus was commissioning them for. The central question posed is profound: what subject could we talk about endlessly without preparation? For many of us, it might be our careers, hobbies, or families—but should it be the gospel? Through the story of Bridget, a finance counselor whose true passion was art, we discover a beautiful spiritual analogy. Just as her artistic gift permeated every aspect of her life, God's Spirit should saturate our entire being—our thoughts, emotions, actions, and relationships. The teaching confronts our tendency to be consumed by traditions, comfort, and fleshly desires rather than the Great Commission. We're reminded that God doesn't need our perfection or complete giftings; He needs our willingness, like the young boy with five loaves and two fish. When we bring what little we have to God and lay it at His feet, He multiplies it for kingdom purposes. The challenge is clear: are we consumed by restoring our own 'Israel'—our comfort zones, schedules, and personal kingdoms—or are we consumed by reaching the uttermost parts of the earth with the gospel?

This message from Gene Smith on Wednesday, June 3rd 2026 challenges us to do something many of us avoid: look honestly in the mirror of God's Word and examine our hearts. Drawing from Psalm 139:23-24 and 2 Corinthians 13:5, we're confronted with the uncomfortable truth that while we're quick to judge others, we often fail to examine ourselves. The sermon uses the metaphor of a mirror throughout, reminding us that just as a physical mirror reveals every imperfection, blemish, and unwanted hair, God's Word acts as a spiritual mirror that exposes our motives, intentions, pride, and hidden sin. The foundation metaphor is particularly striking: just as a building's foundation must be properly prepared and mixed, our spiritual foundation—our heart—must be right with God. We can look perfect on the outside, attend church, say the right things, and perform religious acts, yet if our hearts harbor bitterness, unforgiveness, or pride, we're spiritually bankrupt. The message calls us to move beyond surface-level Christianity and allow God to search us thoroughly, not to shame us but to transform us. When we get our hearts right, everything else—holiness, love, obedience—flows naturally. This isn't about forced compliance but about falling so deeply in love with Jesus that change becomes inevitable and authentic.

Bishop Mark Cottrill's message from Sunday, May 31st, 2026 centers on the transformative story of Jacob wrestling with an angel in Genesis 32, exploring how our struggles and wounds can become testimonies of victory rather than marks of defeat. We're confronted with a profound truth: everyone carries some kind of limp—whether physical, emotional, or psychological—from the battles we've fought in life. The sermon identifies ten major stressors that can create lifelong emotional damage, from death and divorce to addiction and betrayal, yet challenges us to choose between victim and victor mentality. Jacob's experience teaches us that our scars don't disqualify us from God's purpose; instead, they become evidence that we've wrestled through the night and emerged changed. The most compelling insight is Jacob's refusal to let go until he received a blessing, demonstrating the kind of tenacity we need in our own spiritual battles. This message reminds us that the strongest testimonies come not from those who never struggled, but from those who kept walking after the struggle, limping their way into victory. We're called to be examples for the next generation, showing them what perseverance looks like when we refuse to let hardship define us as victims but instead allow it to refine us as victors.

On Sunday, May 31st 2026, Assistant Pastor Dillon Meadway's message centers on a profound truth: we are not afterthoughts in God's plan, but intentional creations designed with purpose from before the foundation of the world. Beginning with the resurrection account in Matthew 28, we explore how the empty tomb wasn't God's backup plan but the culmination of His eternal purpose. The sermon brilliantly establishes that our intrinsic value doesn't come from our achievements or even our need for redemption, but from being made in the image of our Creator. Before sin ever entered the picture, we already had worth. This reframes everything about why God pursues us—not because we're broken projects He feels obligated to fix, but because we were precious before we ever fell. The resurrection becomes the ultimate proof of this intentionality, with hundreds of witnesses, fulfilled prophecies that no human could manipulate, and disciples willing to die for what they saw. We're challenged to see resurrection woven throughout all of Scripture—from the promise in Eden, to Abraham and Isaac, to Noah's new world, to Israel's deliverance from Egypt. Every feast, every pattern pointed forward to the day when death would be defeated. This isn't just ancient history; it's deeply personal. When we feel forgotten, overlooked, or like mistakes, this message reminds us that God never stopped thinking about us, just as He never forgot Joseph in the pit, in slavery, or in prison.

In this exploration of Luke 10:38-42 with Joe Lake from Wednesday May 27th 2026, we discover what it truly means to position ourselves at the feet of Jesus. Mary understood something profound that Martha missed in her busyness: there is one need and one need only. While Martha was distracted with serving, Mary chose to sit at the Master's feet, positioning herself in the place of humility and readiness to hear. This isn't just about choosing worship over work—it's about discerning the right time for the right action. The sermon challenges us to examine how well we're hearing God's voice in our daily lives. Are we so consumed with doing things for God that we've forgotten to be with God? The message traces the concept of faith through Hebrews 11, revealing that faith isn't merely intellectual belief but total reliance on God. From Abraham to Moses to the heroes of old, we see that faith means hearing God's voice, positioning ourselves to receive His instructions, and acting on them—even when we don't see the full picture. The challenge is clear: we must learn the spiritual discipline of meditation and listening, sitting quietly enough to let God speak. In our modern era of constant noise and instant access, we've lost the art of being still. Yet this is where transformation happens—at His feet, in the quiet, letting go of everything behind us and reaching forward to what God has promised.

This powerful message from Pastor Matt Cottrill on Pentecost Sunday, May 24th 2026, takes us into the heart of Pentecost, reminding us that God's desire has always been more than just dwelling with us or among us—He wants to dwell within us. Through Acts 2:1-4, we discover that the 120 people in the upper room weren't chosen because they were perfect or had everything figured out. They were ordinary people with backgrounds, issues, and questions, yet the fire of the Holy Ghost sat upon each of them. This reveals a profound truth: God doesn't require our perfection before He pours out His Spirit. What He seeks is hunger, willingness, and surrender. The message traces the theme of fire throughout Scripture—from Moses at the burning bush to the continual flame on the tabernacle altar to Elijah on Mount Carmel—showing us that fire represents God's presence, holiness, and transforming power. But here's the crucial point: while God provides the original fire, we have the responsibility to maintain it. Just as the priests had to tend the altar daily, we must be intentional about protecting our spiritual fire from the distractions, compromises, and noise of modern life. This isn't about legalism; it's about loving God's presence too much to allow anything that might dull our hunger for Him. When we truly walk in the Spirit, resisting sin becomes natural because we're consumed by something far greater than any temptation this world offers.

This teaching from Gene Smith on Wednesday, May 20th, 2026 takes us deep into Luke 6:27-36, where Jesus challenges us with one of the most radical commands in Scripture: give expecting nothing in return. At the heart of this message lies a profound truth about the human heart itself. Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us that the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, yet God promises in Ezekiel 36 to give us a new heart and a new spirit. This isn't about a heart transplant, but a heart transformation. The teaching explores how everything we say and do flows from the condition of our hearts, and how often we give with hidden strings attached, expecting recognition, repayment, or control. The ultimate example is found at Calvary, where Jesus gave His life for murderers, thieves, and liars without any conditions. He didn't negotiate with humanity or demand anything in return. When we allow God to search our hearts like David did in Psalm 139:23, He reveals areas we didn't even know needed healing. True kingdom living means loving our enemies, doing good to those who hurt us, and releasing everyone who never apologized. This isn't weakness; it's the strength that comes from reflecting God's own nature of unconditional love and grace.

This exploration of Luke 22:41-42 by Pastor Matt Cottrill on Sunday, May 17th 2026 takes us into the sacred ground of Gethsemane, where we witness something profoundly important: Jesus struggling in his humanity while surrendering to divine purpose. The garden setting is no coincidence—where the first Adam failed in a garden by reaching for his own will, the last Adam conquered in a garden by surrendering his will. This message challenges us to examine our own lives, acknowledging that we all live somewhere between being sinners and saints, between living for our humanity and living for salvation. What makes this lesson so relevant is the reminder that Jesus understands every pressure we face—depression, fear, grief, exhaustion—because he felt the weight of our infirmities himself. The most important part of Jesus' prayer wasn't his request for the cup to pass, but his surrender: 'Nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.' We're reminded that prayer isn't about informing God of what he doesn't know; it's about aligning our hearts with his purpose. The greatest spiritual maturity comes when we stop resisting God's process, understanding that purpose often passes through pressure before reaching fulfillment. This isn't just ancient history—it's a call to develop a lifestyle of prayer, to surrender our control, and to trust that even in our darkest moments, God is perfecting us for his glory.

Tony Schuh's message from Wednesday, May 13th 2026 confronts us with a sobering question: when Christ returns, will He find faith on the earth? Starting with the Tower of Babel, we're reminded that humanity's oldest temptation is to meet God on our own terms rather than His. Those ancient builders didn't want to escape a flood—they wanted to avoid being scattered, directly disobeying God's command to fill the earth. They built a temple at the top of their tower, declaring where and how God could meet them. How often do we do the same today, insisting that God accommodate our schedules, our preferences, our comfort zones? The contrast with Abraham is striking. When God called him to leave everything familiar, Abraham simply departed. His faith wasn't passive belief—it was active obedience. When asked to sacrifice Isaac, Abraham trusted that God would keep His promises, even if he couldn't see how. This is the faith that was counted as righteousness, the kind that moves mountains and changes history. As we face an increasingly deceptive world—one where AI can fabricate reality and signs and wonders may confuse even the elect—we must anchor ourselves to Scripture. The disciples died horrific deaths for what they witnessed. Countless believers throughout history endured torture rather than renounce a Christ they never physically saw. Their faith was based on testimony and the unchanging Word of God. That same Word, preserved with miraculous continuity across thousands of years and multiple authors who couldn't communicate with each other, is our foundation. The question isn't whether deception is coming—Scripture promises it is. The question is: will we have the faith to recognize truth from lies when everything around us seems convincing?

First Lady Brandie Cottrill's message from Mother's Day, Sunday, May 10th 2026

On Wednesday, May 6th, 2026 Matt Harvey's message takes us on a transformative journey from the suffocating grip of anxiety to the liberating embrace of divine peace. At its heart lies 1 Peter 5:7-9, which calls us to cast all our cares upon God because He cares for us personally and intimately. What makes this teaching particularly compelling is its honest acknowledgment that anxiety is not a sign of weak faith, but rather proof of our humanity. We see this truth reflected in the lives of biblical heroes like Elijah, who called down fire from heaven yet later hid under a tree asking God to end his life, and Peter, who walked on water but began to sink when fear took over. The message presents three practical steps that form a pathway from worry to peace: Release (casting our cares on God), Replace (praying with thanksgiving instead of worrying), and Renew (fixing our focus on God's faithfulness). The profound truth here is that God doesn't shame us in our lowest moments; instead, He meets us there with rest, provision, and restoration. This isn't about pretending everything is fine or waiting until we feel peaceful before we trust God. Rather, it's about choosing trust as the pathway to peace, recognizing that peace is not dependent on our circumstances changing, but on our connection to the One who never changes.