Podcasts about pastor matt

Refined through fire and waiting, Pastor Matt Cruz shows how God uses pressure to shape faith, build endurance, and anchor life in Christ.

In Week 7 of our Familiar Stranger series, Pastor Matt Piland addresses a vital question: How do we actually live out the life God has called us to? Many of us treat our faith like a car loan—believing Jesus made the "down payment" on the cross, but that it's now our job to sustain the monthly payments through sheer willpower and "trying harder." Drawing from Galatians 5, Pastor Matt breaks down the difference between legalism and true freedom in Christ. Following Jesus isn't about a factory-style production of "being good"; it's about a garden-style growth that comes through the Holy Spirit. If you've been feeling spiritually exhausted by your own human effort, this message is a call to stop trying to maintain in the flesh what was only ever meant to be completed by the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Matt continues the series about having unshakable marriages.

Listen as Pastor Matt walks through Genesis 17 and shows how Abraham longed for God to fulfill His promises through Abraham's own past efforts—efforts he had grown to trust and love—but which ultimately fell short of God's greater plan. This passage reminds us that the Christian life is not anchored in our past failures or successes, but in the future hope we have in Christ and the promises He alone fulfills.

Long before believers were called “Christians,” they were known as People of the Way—followers of Jesus whose lives reflected His movement in the world. This series walks through the book of Acts, exploring how the early church lived, served, and shared the gospel in a changing world. As we study their story, we're challenged to rediscover what it means to be the church today—faithful, united, and always on the move.

ONE: A Study On Ephesians (Part 2)The book of Ephesians reveals God's great plan. Through Jesus Christ's life, death, resurrection and ascension, God is saving a people for Himself. This community is saved by the grace of God and is called to live out a redeemed and restored life. God equips His people with every spiritual blessing so that they can live as a new humanity, shining the light of the gospel to the world. As we walk through this book, we will discover God's revealed will for our lives and our church and we can be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit.Pastor Matt Clausen preaches from the Prior Lake Campus.

February 22nd, 2026 | No Other Gospel | Galatians 1:6-9In this urgent message from our No Other Gospel series, Pastor Matt Darby takes us to Epistle to the Galatians 1:6–9 and delivers a clear warning for the church today: don't turn to a different gospel.Galatians reads like a spiritual tornado warning. Paul skips the pleasantries because something dangerous is brewing. The believers were drifting—not by rejecting Jesus outright, but by subtly adding to Him. And that's where the danger lies.At the heart of this message is a powerful truth:Hold fast to the true Gospel, and you hold fast to Jesus.Turn from the Gospel, and you turn from Him.There is no other Gospel because there is no other Savior.Pastor Matt reminds us that the Gospel is not merely information about Jesus—it is the announcement of what Jesus has done. The Gospel is historical, substitutionary, complete, and received as a gift. It is the good news that Jesus Christ lived the life we couldn't live, died in our place, rose in victory, and now offers full forgiveness and right standing with God by grace alone through faith alone.But the Galatians were being tempted by a “Jesus-plus” gospel—Jesus plus law, plus works, plus religious performance. And that same temptation still confronts us today.This episode exposes modern “Jesus-plus” distortions, including:Jesus + good worksJesus + church activityJesus + moral improvementJesus + personal effort to stay savedWhen we begin trusting our performance to secure or maintain our salvation, we drift from grace. And as Paul makes clear, to distort the Gospel is not a small theological tweak—it's spiritual disaster.With clarity and pastoral urgency, Pastor Matt explains why even apostles or angels are not the authority—the Gospel is. Any message that adds to Christ alone ultimately places us under condemnation rather than freedom.In the true Gospel, Jesus received the curse.In every false gospel, we remain under it.This message is both a warning and an invitation: stop trying to earn what God freely gives. Grace is not something you graduate from—it's something you go deeper into.Kingdom math is simple:Jesus + Nothing = EverythingJesus + Anything = NothingThere are only two options—life in Christ alone or condemnation in everything else. Hold fast to the true Gospel. Hold fast to Jesus.Do you know JESUS? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support through GIVING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

Watch as Pastor Matt preaches through Exodus. You can find out more about South Woods at www.southwoodsbc.org

2026-02-22: One of Jesus' most famous miracles begins with something simple: lunch. A hungry crowd shows up, and Jesus feeds them. But the bread was never the point. He wasn't just filling stomachs — He was exposing a deeper hunger and offering Himself as the only true sustenance. When we come just to take, we miss what He's really giving.

Do we even understand real persecution in these United States? How discouraged would we become if we suffered just a fraction of the trials facing the church in Thessalonica? - Thank you for joining us. Please submit any questions or requests to: Pastor Matt's email: mgrimm@cstoneepc.com Thadd's email: thadd@truth316.com Planted intro/outro: Straight Through by Groove Bakery | https://groovebakery.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ 

Pastor Matt Sturdivant explored John chapter 2, highlighting two key scenes that reveal Jesus' transformative mission. At the wedding in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine, demonstrating that He brings something entirely new rather than just improving what exists. Using the stone purification jars representing the old system, Jesus showed He offers heart transformation, not mere behavior modification. Many believers settle for "water level Christianity" that's safe and shallow, when Jesus offers a "good wine level life" full of joy, power, and Spirit-led living. Significantly, this first miracle happened at an ordinary celebration, showing Jesus cares about every part of our lives - family, work, stress, and even our messes. The second scene, Jesus cleansing the temple, revealed His confrontation with corrupted worship. What was meant to be a house of prayer had become a religious Marketplace exploiting worshipers. Jesus wasn't just cleaning a building but declaring a shift - He Himself would become the meeting place between God and humanity. After the cross, the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom, removing the barrier between God and people. Pastor Matt concluded with four applications: stop settling for water Christianity, invite Jesus into ordinary life, let Him flip tables in corrupted areas, and build life on the risen Jesus rather than religious systems. The extended podcast discussion clarified that John 2 doesn't license indulgence in alcohol or anger, but calls for submitting all freedoms to Christ's lordship.

In this episode, Jay and Chris share a couple of their life hacks before playing a recording from our Fall Small Group Leader Gathering where Pastor Matt and Jay share Life Hacks for Small Group Leaders. Listen in for the first time or for a reminder of some life hacks to make your group leadership more easy and effective.Send a textThanks for listening to the Great Groups Podcast. Please visit GreatGroups.org for a list of all our episodes.We'd love to hear from you! Click here for our contact form. Jay Gordon is the Small Groups Minister at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Alabama, USA. Chris Amaro is an IT professional and serves as a Small Group Leader and Elder at Brook Hills. Lifetime Show Notes Brook Hills Pages: The Church at Brook Hills, Birmingham, Alabama, USA Small Group Leader Resources Page Small Group Discipleship Resources Small Groups @ Brook Hills

A message from Pastor Matt!

We finished our Stretched But Strong series talking about being Stretched in Hope!

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Reading the Bible can be a daunting task if you don't know where to start. How do we approach the word of God? Tune in as Pastor Matt and Alyssa talk about how we can develop a rhythm of reading the Bible.

Part of the "God And Work" series. If you're new to King's, make sure to text "Kings" to 94000. We'd love to hear from you! Head to kings.news for upcoming events, sermon schedules, and current announcements! Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | kingschurchoh.com

February 15th, 2026 | No Other Gospel | Galatians 1:1-5In this opening message of our new series through Galatians, Pastor Matt Darby lays a critical foundation with a bold reminder: there is no other Gospel.In a world filled with competing messages—social media, politics, self-help, religion—everyone is preaching a version of “good news.” Each promises identity, fulfillment, improvement, or freedom through performance. But as the apostle Paul makes clear in Galatians 1, the moment you add anything to Jesus, you've created a different gospel altogether.Written around 48 A.D. to young churches being swayed by counterfeit teaching, Galatians is Paul's most urgent and direct letter. A group known as the Judaizers were insisting that salvation required Jesus plus religious rule-keeping. Paul's response? Christ alone.From Galatians 1:1–5, Pastor Matt unpacks three pillars of a Gospel foundation:Gospel Authority – The Gospel is not man-made. It comes from God, through Jesus Christ, validated by the resurrection. We don't edit it, soften it, or improve it—we receive it.Gospel Clarity – Jesus “gave Himself for our sins.” The heart of the Gospel is substitution. Christ didn't die as an example or moral inspiration—He died in our place.Gospel Liberty – The Gospel doesn't just forgive; it delivers. Jesus rescues us from slavery to both sin and religion. We are not saved by trying harder—we are set free by grace.This message calls us to examine our foundation. Are we trusting in Christ's finished work, or subtly drifting back into performance and self-effort? Because Jesus is our substitute, we don't have to strive for approval—we live from acceptance.You are forgiven. You are accepted. You are free. Not someday. Not hopefully. But right now in Christ.There is no other Gospel.Do you know JESUS? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support through GIVING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

Pastor Matt continued our series on Truth today, showing that intimacy belongs only within marriage between a husband and wife, making all other forms of such behavior sinful and contrary to His design. He also explored what it means for us to “speak the truth in love,” as it is only with the truth that people can be set free.

In this message, Pastor Matt explores the difference between happiness and true, lasting joy. While happiness depends on circumstances, joy is rooted in Jesus and produced by the Holy Spirit.If you've been feeling overwhelmed or discouraged, this teaching will remind you where real strength and joy are found.

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Even the most honorable church leaders will have their motives questioned by some congregants. How does Paul handle this very circumstance in Thessalonica?  - Thank you for joining us. Please submit any questions or requests to: Pastor Matt's email: mgrimm@cstoneepc.com Thadd's email: thadd@truth316.com Planted intro/outro: Straight Through by Groove Bakery | https://groovebakery.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ 

In this podcast episode from the sermon on John 1:35-51, titled "Come and See: Being Found by Jesus," the pastor examines the calling of Jesus's first disciples to illustrate how salvation works. The passage shows John the Baptist referring his own disciples to Jesus, which was unheard of in that culture, demonstrating God's initiative in salvation. When Jesus turns and asks the disciples, "What are you seeking?" it reveals that questions are often better than answers and that Jesus is always the initiator in our spiritual journey. The episode emphasizes that salvation is initiated by God, responded to by people, and applied through relationships. The life-changing invitation to "come and see" becomes a model for how believers should invite others into a relationship with Jesus. Pastor Matt explains that we find people using Andrew's immediate response to bring his brother Simon (later called Peter) to Jesus as an example. The message also touches on baptism as an act of obedience that follows salvation, not something that saves us, but rather evidence of our response to God's grace. The sermon concludes with practical applications about how believers can extend four types of invitations: to get to know someone better, to share burdens through prayer, to invite people to church, and ultimately to receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Pastor Matt begins a series that helps us to have unshakable marriages and relationships.

During Missions Week (2025), we had the privilege of having Pastor Matt Tyler from FBC Mount Pleasant, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, guest preach for us and sit down with Pastor Brian to record four interview sessions. This is part four of those interviews.

In this episode of NorthWoods Church Matters, Lexi sits down with Pastor Bobby, Pastor Matt and our new Communications Director, Jim Miller to discuss how NorthWoods Church chooses worship music and why transparency matters.  The four discuss how discernment and intentionality in song choices can: Prepare our hearts for God's word. Elevate our view of God. Advance the mission of NorthWoods Discover alternative resources for Worship Help us navigate when division is needed   Pastor Matt's Toolbox of References: Kevin Twit & Indelible Grace Mike Winger's 6 hour Expose on the Bethel Scandal Keith & Kristyn Getty - Getty Music Sing Conference Sovereign Grace Music City Alight   ____________________________________ Want to learn more about NorthWoods Church?  Contact us at https://www.northwoodschurch.org/ Follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/northwoodschurchevv  Watch our Live Sermons on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/@northwoodschurchevv

We continue in our Stretched But Strong series learning about how God calls us to live a life of sacrifice.

Pastor Matthew Grimm continues in Chapter 1 of 1st Thessalonians. Grab your Bible and notepad and join us on this adventure in the development of the early Church.  - Thank you for joining us. Please submit any questions or requests to: Pastor Matt's email: mgrimm@cstoneepc.com Thadd's email: thadd@truth316.com Planted intro/outro: Straight Through by Groove Bakery | https://groovebakery.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-ND 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/ 

A message from Pastor Matt!

In this message from John 1:35-51, Pastor Matt explored the big idea that salvation is initiated by God, responded to by people, and multiplied through relationship. He emphasized that while salvation is entirely God's work through grace, it demands a human response of repentance and faith in Christ. Pastor Matt highlighted the significance of Jesus's first recorded words in John's Gospel: "What are you seeking?" - calling this the mother of all questions that exposes the heart and leads to life's most important question: "Who is Jesus?" The sermon demonstrated how Jesus's simple invitation "come and see" created a multiplication effect throughout John 1:35-51. Andrew heard John the Baptist point to Jesus as the Lamb of God, followed Jesus, and immediately brought his brother Simon Peter. Philip was called by Jesus and then found Nathaniel with the same invitation: "come and see." Pastor Matt emphasized that God uses found people to find people, and challenged the congregation to be witnesses rather than attorneys - simply sharing their story rather than feeling they need all the answers. The message concluded with a focus on baptism as a public declaration of faith and first step of obedience, encouraging believers who haven't been baptized to take that step.

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Part of the "God And Work" series. If you're new to King's, make sure to text "Kings" to 94000. We'd love to hear from you! Head to kings.news for upcoming events, sermon schedules, and current announcements! Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | kingschurchoh.com

February 8th, 2026 | Encounter | John 14As we close out our Encounter series, Pastor Matt Darby takes us deep into John 14 with a sobering and powerful question: Are we ready if God answers our prayer?We often cry out for an outpouring of God's presence—but what happens when He actually comes? Scripture reveals a critical truth: when God comes down, He doesn't come as a guest… He comes to make His home with us.In this message, Pastor Matt unpacks Jesus' promise of the Holy Spirit—the Helper who dwells with us and will be in us forever. He explores the connection between love and obedience, the difference between God's omnipresence and His manifest presence, and what it truly means to surrender every room of our lives to His authority.God does not intend to rent space in your heart. He doesn't lease. He doesn't share ownership. Where He inhabits, He transforms.If we want His power, we must embrace His authority.If we want His presence, we must pursue His purity.If we want His blessing, we must honor His boundaries.This message is a heartfelt call to full surrender: unlocking the hidden rooms, tearing down idols, and welcoming the Holy Spirit not as a visitor—but as Lord of the house.Are we ready for Him to take ownership?Tune in and be challenged, encouraged, and invited into deeper surrender.Do you know JESUS? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support through GIVING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

Pastor Matt kicks off our new sermon series The Beatitudes.

Pastor Matt continued our sermon series on Truth today by teaching that real, objective truth comes from God, defines our identity as His image-bearers, and exposes modern confusion about 'gender' and 'self' as a spiritual rejection of His good design, with true freedom and joy found only by walking in Christ and His Word.

Long before believers were called “Christians,” they were known as People of the Way—followers of Jesus whose lives reflected His movement in the world. This series walks through the book of Acts, exploring how the early church lived, served, and shared the gospel in a changing world. As we study their story, we're challenged to rediscover what it means to be the church today—faithful, united, and always on the move.

Being a good person doesn't save us…Jesus does. God calls every believer to speak life, live prepared, and go preach the gospel. This message reminds us that our words have power and our faith must be lived out beyond the church walls. Pastor Matt encouraged us to get 1% better every day with our words and not to wait until tomorrow. Creating a habit of reading the Word of God daily. Change doesn't happen overnight, it takes time. Being a good steward over your relationship with God is key. 5 Things to Equip You!⬇️We Gosta Recognize the Power of Our Words Get 1% Better Every Day Be Prepared for the ConversationStart Where You Are PlantedGo Preach!

"It's Complicated" is our series at Fusion Christian Church on relationships. Everyone knows our relationships are messy, but not everyone knows how to navigate them. This series will provide godly, biblical principles for keeping your relationships much less complicated! In Part 3, Pastor Matt teaches about the right approach to parenting.We must equip our children rather than enable them.Often parents don't equip children to succeed in life, but enable them to misbehave. Instead of learning discipline, the children learn to do whatever they want. One day, the parents won't be able to keep their kids' lives on track anymore. When that happens, the kids will have to make their own choices. Then it will truly be revealed how well they were raised.Equip them with your Example.What kids learn from their parents is more "caught" than "taught." What this means is that they will learn more from your example than what you tell them. This means parents cannot be hypocrites! If you speak one way and live another, your kids will see right through it. This means we should focus on the example we set before anything else.Equip them with the Word.Learning the word of God is the most important education any person can receive. That means parents should make it a priority to keep their kids in the scriptures. This also means that parents should know the scriptures. It's hard to equip someone else with God's word when you are not equipped yourself.Equip them with Discipline.Children need discipline. This is an unpopular position in modern culture, but children are not perfect and need correction. Out of love, out of a desire for what's best, children must be given discipline. If parents refuse to discipline their children, their children will almost never grow up to live healthy lives.Equip them with with Grace.On the flip side of discipline, parents must also offer grace. God is perfect in justice, but also in mercy and grace. In the same way, parents need to try to strike a balance between discipline and grace. Your children need to see both of these modeled because it will affect the way they relate to God later. If you can strike a balance between the two extremes, you will be on your way to godly parenting.

Send us a textThis week on the DeRP, the host crew agrees that today's service was Pastor Matt's best work, Gianna affirms the idea of "husband-ish," the group is divided on the bone conducting lollipop, Amanda shares Matt's wife's aversion to loud crunching, and the hosts solve all the problems of the church in one podcast. 

Pastor Matt gives a message about how God can heal the broken parts of us.

During Missions Week (2025), we had the privilege of having Pastor Matt Tyler from FBC Mount Pleasant, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, guest preach for us and sit down with Pastor Brian to record four interview sessions. This is part three of those interviews.

Night of Prayer | Pastor Matt Engle | Wednesday, February 4, 2026

A message from Pastor Matt!

Sunday January 25th, 2026: During a winter freeze that kept us home and off campus, Pastor Matt went into his office and shared a special teaching session rooted in the ongoing Kadosh series.This message is not about striving harder, proving devotion, or building spiritual maturity through effort. It is an invitation to see transformation differently, not as self-improvement, but as discovery.Drawing from Scripture and the story of the widow at the gate in 1 Kings 17, this teaching explores how God often meets us in the ordinary rhythms of faithfulness, quiet obedience, and daily communion. Holiness is reframed not as separation from life, but as nearness to God. Not pressure, but presence. Not performance, but participation flowing from belonging.

Pastor Matt launched a 10-week journey through the Gospel of John, part of a larger series covering John, Acts, and Romans - three books he considers essential for understanding the Christian life. He explained that John's Gospel is 93% unique material that supplements the other Gospels, with the purpose stated in John 20:31: "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." The sermon focused on John 1:1-34, beginning with the prologue that establishes Jesus as the eternal Word who "was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Pastor Matt then examined John the Baptist's declaration of Jesus as "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29), connecting this title to Old Testament imagery of sacrificial lambs and the Day of Atonement. He explained how Jesus fulfills both the sacrificial goat (whose blood covers sin) and the scapegoat (who carries sin away), emphasizing that our greatest problem isn't our circumstances but our sin. Pastor Matt concluded by explaining that salvation is received as a gift through faith, not achieved through works, and called for honest self-reflection about one's relationship with Jesus.

Part of the "God And Work" series. If you're new to King's, make sure to text "Kings" to 94000. We'd love to hear from you! Head to kings.news for upcoming events, sermon schedules, and current announcements! Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | kingschurchoh.com

February 1st, 2026 | Encounter | Isaiah 64:1-4What does it look like to truly encounter God—not just study Him, but experience His living presence?In this message from the Encounter series, Pastor Matt Darby invites us into Isaiah's desperate prayer for revival: “Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down.” This sermon reminds us that the Christian life was never meant to be lived apart from the presence of God. Revival is not something we manufacture or manage—it is a sovereign outpouring of God's presence that brings life, power, and transformation to His people.Walking through Isaiah 64, Pastor Matt traces a biblical pattern seen in every genuine move of God: crisis, visitation, transformation, remembering, and longing. From the danger of functioning religiously without God's manifest presence, to the hope of divine visitation that shakes what seems immovable, this message calls the church to renewed hunger for God Himself.Using vivid imagery—from dry riverbeds suddenly flooded with rain to the stunning desert super bloom—listeners are challenged to stop settling for spiritual activity without God and to cultivate a deep longing for His presence once again.This is a call to wait, to thirst, and to cry out for more—because nothing else will do but Him.Do you know JESUS? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support through GIVING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

In this episode of Speak the Truth, Michael welcomes Pastor Matt MacCollin to discuss the biblical approach to responding to crisis situations in the church. Matt shares his personal testimony of overcoming a traumatic past, including substance abuse and a life-changing car accident, which ultimately led him to faith and his current role as pastor at Salem Heights Church. They delve into addressing crises such as tragic accidents, sickness, adultery, abuse, and addiction, emphasizing the importance of prayer, careful listening, and the application of Scripture in counseling. Practical advice and key biblical passages are highlighted to equip listeners in providing effective crisis care.00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction00:46 Matt MacCollin's Testimony03:31 Journey to Pastoral Ministry05:37 Responding to Crisis Situations08:25 Practical Steps for Crisis Counseling15:31 The Importance of Prayer and Wisdom in Counseling16:51 Guiding with Wisdom and Prayer17:09 The Importance of Slowing Down17:23 The Power of Prayer in Crisis18:34 Scriptural Guidance for Healing21:37 Addressing Addiction and False Worship22:10 Handling Adultery with Compassion24:18 Practical Applications in Counseling26:11 The Role of Theology in Crisis29:47 Concluding Thoughts and EncouragementEpisode Mentions 2026 National Called to Counsel Conference -  Register Now The Most Excellent Way - Victory Over Addiction