Podcasts about pastor rich

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

Josh Monday Christian and Conspiracy Podcast Ep. 352Pastor Rich Tidwell: instagram.com/richtidwellPastor Rich Tidwell You tube: @richtidwellHow to Support the ministry: $5.99 a monthpatreon.com/JoshMondayChristianandConspiracyPodcastJoin the Patreon here: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Joshmonday_podcastIf you want to donate to the Ministry CashAPP:https://cash.app/$JoshmondaymusicPaul and Crystals links: https://thetinfoilhatfactory.com/Youtube: ⁠@joshmondaymusicandpodcast ⁠ Tips for the show to Support our Ministry: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/joshmondayCoffee Mug Is Available email me your mailing address Joshmonday⁠@rocketmail.com ⁠ Please subscribe to our Spotify and You Tube Channel Joshmondaymusic and Podcast and help us grow so we can keep on spreading the good news. To all of our current and future subscribers thank you for your time, we appreciate you. Please do us a favor subscribe to our You Tube Channel, hit that bell, share, like and comment below on our You tube. Please leave us a 5-Star review on Apple and Spotify.Check out my new show Sunday Service and Wednesday Brought to you by Cult of Conspiracy Podcast. On Cult of Conspiracy Spotify, Patreon and Apple Podcast Channel.Join the study as I go deep into the Bible. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/josh-monday-christian-and-conspiracy-podcast--6611118/support.

Today's sermon is Gaining Strength by Rich Chaffin Find more teaching from Pastor Rich at www.cclc.org

In this Sunday message, Better or Bitter, Pastor Rich Whitter teaches from Philippians 1:1–8, exploring how the Apostle Paul maintained joy, gratitude, and confidence in Christ even while facing imprisonment and hardship. Paul's opening words to the church in Philippi reveal a heart anchored in eternal perspective rather than temporary circumstances.This message challenges believers to examine how they respond to trials. Do difficulties deepen our faith and refine our character, or do they produce resentment and spiritual stagnation? Through Paul's example, we are reminded that God uses every season — even suffering — to shape us for His purposes and to strengthen our partnership in the gospel.Be encouraged to trust God's work in your life and choose growth over bitterness.Scripture: Philippians 1:1–8Speaker: Pastor Rich WhitterLife Pointe Church

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

As we continue our series through the Gospel of Mark during this Lenten season, we reflect on Jesus' powerful teaching about what truly makes a person right with God. In a world focused on outward actions and appearances, Jesus directs our attention inward and toward the condition of our hands and our hearts. Scripture Referenced: Mark 7:1-23

Many Christians feel like their faith is meant to be lived out quietly, kept personal, shared sparingly, and expressed mostly on Sundays. But Acts 8 tells a different story. When persecution scattered the early church out of Jerusalem, it wasn't the apostles or professional ministers who spread the gospel—it was ordinary believers who couldn't stop talking about Jesus. In this message, we see that extraordinary change doesn't require extraordinary people. It requires ordinary Christians committed to two things: proclaiming good news and practicing good deeds. When those two things collide in everyday life. __The Bridge Church exists to join God in multiplying his kingdom in Wilmington and the world.For more information on The Bridge Church, please visit https://thebridgeilm.com/Next Steps: https://thebridgeilm.churchcenter.com/people/forms/302918If you feel led, give online by clicking here: https://www.thebridgeilm.com/giveSTAY CONNECTEDInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebridgeilm/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBridgeILMEvents Page: https://thebridgeilm.churchcenter.com/registrations/events

In this Sunday message, Pastor Rich Whitter teaches from Hebrews 13:7–25, calling believers to a steady, enduring faith rooted in sound doctrine, faithful leadership, and unwavering devotion to Christ. The closing chapter of Hebrews reminds us that worship is not confined to a moment or a melody, but expressed through obedience, gratitude, perseverance, and lives that honor God daily.Hebrews 13 challenges us to remember those who lead us in faith, reject unstable teachings, endure hardship with confidence, and continually offer a sacrifice of praise to God through Jesus Christ.This message will encourage you to move beyond occasional worship and embrace a lifestyle of faithful, continual praise.Scripture: Hebrews 13:7–25Speaker: Pastor Rich WhitterLife Pointe ChurchSubscribe for more biblical teaching and Sunday messages from Life Pointe Church.

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

Sunday Guest Speaker Pastor Rich Rose 2/8/2026

Pastor Scott, Pastor Rich, Heather Hedlund, Anthony Ballard and others gather with us for a Scripture study and open Q&A, as we wrestle together with how to respond to ICE raids, how to love the foreigners among us, and what it means to follow Jesus for such a time as this.

In the message “JESUS OR NOTHING,” Pastor Rich Whitter teaches from Hebrews 13:5–8, calling believers to a singular, unwavering trust in Christ alone. This passage reminds us that contentment is found not in possessions or circumstances, but in the unchanging presence of Jesus—the One who has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”Pastor Rich highlights the contrast between shifting worldly security and the steadfast faithfulness of Christ. As Hebrews declares that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever,” we are invited to anchor our lives in the One who never changes, even when everything else does.We hope this message encourages you to let go of false securities and live with bold confidence, choosing Jesus over everything—because when you have Him, you lack nothing.

Join us as Pastor Rich wraps up our series, The Turning Point. 

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

We continue our journey through the Gospel of Mark with a powerful, multilayered story of two people urgently seeking Jesus's help. As their stories intertwine, we'll discover the kind of faith that truly gets Jesus's attention—and what that means for our own walk with Him. Scripture Referenced: Mark 5:21-43

In the message “CONTEND FOR THE FAITH,” Pastor Rich Whitter walks through Jude 1:1–4, urging believers to actively defend and stand firm in the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. Jude writes with urgency, warning the church about subtle distortions of truth and calling God's people to remain grounded in what they have received.Pastor Rich emphasizes that contending for the faith is not about hostility or pride, but about faithfulness—knowing the truth, holding to it, and living it out with conviction and humility. In a culture where compromise is common, this passage reminds us that grace never excuses distortion, and love never abandons truth.We hope this message strengthens your resolve to stay rooted in the gospel, alert in your walk, and confident in the unchanging truth God has entrusted to His people.

Pastor Rich walks through James 1:1–8 to show how God uses trials not to crush us, but to shape us into fully surrendered followers of His. New to Echo Grace? We'd love to get to know you! Fill out a quick connect form at https://echograce.com/connect. Want to support our ministries & mission? Your generosity makes a difference. Give at https://echograce.com/give.

Join us as Pastor Rich continues our series, The Turning Point. 

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

In this powerful and deeply personal message, Pastor Rich shares his final sermon to the Crossroads family, centering on five life-shaping words he never wants the church to forget: Favor, Righteousness, Truth, Revelation, and Grace. Rooted in Scripture and decades of pastoral ministry, this message is a call to remain anchored in the grace of Jesus Christ—no matter the season, transition, or challenge ahead.

Introduction: 4 Things to Say To Yourself When You're Tempted: (1 Corinthians 6:12-20) I can't EXCUSE sin. (1 Cor 6:12-14) I am ONE with Christ. (1 Cor 6:15-17) God says to RUN from sexual sin. (1 Cor 6:18) My body BELONGS to God. (1 Cor 6:19-20) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! AUDIO TRANSCRIPT 00:43-00:45What kind of a church is this?00:46-00:48We are a church that sits on four pillars.00:50-00:53We proclaim the authority of God's Word without apology.00:55-00:58We lift high the name of Jesus in worship.00:59-01:01We believe firmly in the power of prayer.01:02-01:05And we share the good news of Jesus with boldness.01:09-01:19Speaking of that first pillar, we're going through a series here Corinthians, and we go where the text takes us.01:21-01:23And today we're going to talk about sexual immorality.01:26-01:28I'm going to be direct but not explicit.01:28-01:33The question comes up, "Should my child listen to this?" But parental discretion advised.01:33-01:36Again, direct but not explicit.01:37-01:44I would encourage you parents, whether you're sitting here or whether you're streaming somebody's going to be talking to your kids about this.01:44-01:54You should be, but they're going to be hearing a lot of different opinions regarding matters of marriage and sexuality.01:54-01:56I think it might do them good to hear God's opinion of it.01:58-02:10So I'm just going to ask you would please pray for me to be faithful to communicate God's word clearly, and I will pray for you to have your heart open to receive what He wants to tell us today.02:17-02:30Father in heaven, let this not just be another sermon sat through, but let Your Word transform our hearts and minds.02:30-02:36Father, give us the faith to believe and act upon what You have already pronounced to be true.02:39-02:41Let this be the day of repentance.02:42-02:52Let this be a day of joy and celebration and truly embracing Your gifts.02:53-02:55Your Word says every good and perfect gift comes from above.02:56-02:57Father, we believe that.03:01-03:04And I thank You, Father, ahead of time for the work that You're going to do.03:05-03:12We pray in Jesus' name and all of God's people said, "Amen." Amen.03:12-03:331 Corinthians chapter 6, we're in a series through 1 Corinthians called "Unified and Purified." Unified, that's the first four chapters, unified, where Paul says, "Church, collectively, get it together." Right?03:34-03:53In this next section that we're in, the church purified, Paul says, "Each of you, be who Jesus saved you to be." And today we are going to be talking about sexual immorality.03:54-04:14And those of you who have been going through this series with us might be saying at this point, "Oh, Pastor Jeff, maybe the cold is affecting your brain, but didn't we talk about that guy two weeks ago?" Oh, you think there was just one person in that church struggling with it.04:16-04:18Did you hurt your head when you fell off the turnip truck?04:19-04:19No.04:20-04:32There wasn't just one person at that church dealing with it, and I guarantee you there's There's not just one person in this church dealing with it.04:32-04:34Look down to verse 18.04:34-04:36This is the sermon.04:38-05:10Verse 18, Paul says, "Flee from sexual immorality." "Flee from sexual immorality." See, in Corinth, they were famous for their temple to Aphrodite, And their priestesses were actually prostitutes, and they would by those means help men worship according to their religion.05:12-05:14That was their context.05:16-05:20But the principles in this passage aren't limited to that.05:20-05:22And you have to get that.05:23-05:37You know, we don't want guys sitting here going, "Well, I'm doing pretty good because I've never been with a prostitute." Flea, sexual immorality, that word sexual immorality covers it all.05:38-05:54Whether it's an affair, or pornography, or one of these apps that allow you to meet up with people, it's anything outside of God's design for marriage and sexuality.05:55-05:59And look, there is nothing new under the sun.06:00-06:06The problem that this church had is the same problem that the church has today.06:06-06:07We touched on this a couple of weeks ago.06:08-06:08Here's the problem.06:09-06:13It's not viewing sex as sacred.06:14-06:14That's the problem.06:17-06:24We've turned this gift from God into some gross form of self-gratification.06:27-06:30So what is the purpose of sex?06:31-06:32What is it?06:33-06:38Well, what is the purpose of everything that God created?06:41-06:44The purpose of everything that God created is to glorify Him.06:46-06:48So what is the purpose of marital intimacy?06:50-06:51You're like, "Really?06:51-06:53To glorify God?" Yeah.06:54-06:54Yeah.06:55-07:01Need I remind you that the whole idea of marital intimacy was God's idea.07:01-07:08The whole idea that this was to be a pleasure shared between a married couple, that was God's plan.07:10-07:12He designed that, right?07:12-07:15Genesis tells us male and female, He created them.07:16-07:19The two shall become one flesh, Genesis 2.24.07:20-07:30That's the purpose of intimacy, but what's the objective of sex?07:30-07:33What's the objective of sexual relations?07:34-07:45Well, some would say, "Well, the objective is procreation, that's it." That's not the primary objective.07:47-07:55And for some, they would say, "It's pleasure." There's that, but that's not the primary objective of sex.07:56-07:59The primary objective is intimacy.08:03-08:05And you need to learn this statement from God's Word.08:08-08:10Intimacy is for those in the covenant.08:13-08:15Intimacy is for those in the covenant.08:18-08:26See under the new covenant, God desires the closest relationship possible that He can have with His people.08:26-08:27So what does He do?08:28-08:31He lives inside the heart of a believer.08:34-08:40And the Bible tells us that marriage and sex is a picture of the gospel.08:41-08:45The man representing Jesus, the woman representing the church.08:45-08:47Ephesians 5, you can read that later.08:48-08:49Same point though.08:51-08:54God's relationship with man, man's relationship with his wife.08:55-08:58Intimacy is for the covenant.09:01-09:05And sex is the physical manifestation.09:05-09:08It's the illustration of such intimacy.09:13-09:19Because in the covenant of marriage, the man representing Jesus is initiating a love relationship.09:20-09:28And the woman representing the church is receiving an intimacy that the two exclusively enjoy.09:29-09:39And the fact right now that people would hear something like that and start to snicker and start to giggle shows you the problem.09:41-09:43That the whole idea of sex has been perverted.09:45-09:47Like obviously, right?09:48-09:49Like how did that happen?09:52-09:56Well the Bible tells us when Adam and Eve sinned, they immediately noticed what?09:58-09:59They noticed that they were naked.10:00-10:01Isn't that strange?10:02-10:06Because up until that point, they only ever saw each other naked.10:07-10:15Now all of a sudden that sin is in the world, now they cast a whole new light on this.10:18-10:22But all of the sudden they had to cover themselves up.10:28-10:33There is a shame associated with sexuality because of sin.10:37-10:46God's wedding gift to men and women has been misused and abused and perverted.10:48-10:58And like the Corinthians, the world's profane, disgusting view of sex has been brought into the church.11:02-11:10And like them, there are many people here that are indulging in some form of sexual sin.11:15-11:18So what's it going to take to get you to break free?11:18-11:18What is it?11:21-11:23I've been doing this a long time.11:23-11:24I know how sermons work.11:24-11:27This is the part of the sermon where you get the stats, right?11:28-11:36You get the statistics on pornography and usage in the church and out the church.11:37-11:39That doesn't make a difference to people.11:41-11:49Or this is the part of the sermon where I can tell you the effect that pornography will have on your marriage and your relationships.11:49-12:05And I can get, you know, line graphs up there or quotes from brilliant scientists talking about the effect that it has on your marriage and the effect that it has on your brain, and that's not going to move anybody.12:07-12:11We could talk about the risk of sexually transmitted diseases.12:15-12:24I don't really think any of those things are very effective to get people on track with God's design for marital intimacy.12:25-12:27What we need is the power of the Holy Spirit.12:28-12:31What we need is the wisdom that comes from the Word of God.12:33-12:37So on your outline, that's what we're going after today.12:38-12:50That when you find yourself in a place of temptation, through this passage you're going to see, there's four things that you need to say to yourself when temptation shows up.12:52-12:52Alright?12:52-12:55Number one, break this down, I can't excuse sin.12:56-12:59I just can't excuse sin.13:04-13:12You see, the Corinthians, in their culture, they had some popular sayings that they used to excuse sin.13:12-13:14Look at your Bible, here's two of them.13:14-13:26Verse 12, "All things are lawful for me." Verse 13, "Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food." Stop there.13:26-13:32Those were two of the sayings of the culture, two of the, you know, secular proverbs, so to speak.13:33-13:39But when they wanted to excuse and justify their sexual sin, they would say one of those statements.13:39-13:44And what we have here in 1 Corinthians 6 is Paul systematically breaking them down.13:44-13:51He's like, "Your reasoning is really messed up here." So let's look at it.13:51-13:58First of all, verse 12, he says, "All things are lawful for me." Stop there.14:00-14:01Is that true?14:05-14:20Look, if you are a born-again believer in Christ, if you are truly regenerate, if you are truly saved, you have freedom in Christ.14:21-14:25Yes, nothing can separate you from the love of God.14:25-14:30No sin that you commit will disqualify you from being a child of God.14:30-14:31That is true.14:31-14:32All right?14:34-14:35But let's look at what Paul says.14:35-14:48He says, "All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful." Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.14:48-14:49This is Paul's first argument.14:51-14:54Just because you can do something doesn't mean you should.14:57-15:01Can I have gummy bears and cream soda for breakfast?15:04-15:07Aaron, can I have gummy bears and cream soda for breakfast?15:09-15:11Yes, I can.15:12-15:15And you were all witness that she nodded her head yes.15:16-15:19Look, God's not going to condemn me for that.15:22-15:23Is it very helpful though?15:24-15:26What about, can I play the lottery?15:27-15:29Can I play the...oh, Aaron says no on that one.15:31-15:35For purposes of illustration, can I play the lottery?15:37-15:38Sure I can.15:40-15:44God's not going to send me to hell if I buy a scratchy ticket, right?15:45-15:49If I buy a scratchy lottery, Pastor Taylor, God's not going to send me to hell for that.15:53-15:54But does that make it a good idea?15:57-15:58It's not helpful, is it?15:59-16:00It's not wise.16:00-16:03The lottery is just a tax on people who are bad at math.16:06-16:11Okay, now how about sleeping with someone you're not married to?16:12-16:17If you're a true Christian, that is not going to send you to hell.16:21-16:29Saying that it is not helpful is one of the biggest understatements of all time.16:32-16:33I think that's Paul's point.16:35-16:35It's not helpful.16:37-16:39Sleeping with someone you're not married to is not helpful.16:40-16:44It can result in an unwanted pregnancy.16:47-16:50If she's married, you're going to deal with an angry husband when he finds out.16:52-16:56You're going to deal with shame in your workplace, in your church, in your community.16:59-17:03Your testimony, if you're a Christian, certainly not going to help that.17:04-17:10Oh, and if she's married, now you've destroyed two families, yours and hers.17:11-17:15And if you're not married, you've done damage to future spouses, yours and hers.17:18-17:19There's consequences.17:20-17:21So that's where Paul starts.17:21-17:25He's like, "All things are lawful for me." He's like, "Bag that excuse.17:26-17:30Not all things are helpful." Let's look at the next one.17:31-18:12Back in verse 12, he says, "All things are lawful for me, but I will not be enslaved anything. Some translations, "I will not be dominated by anything." He goes, "Why would I mess around with something that could enslave me? Why would I do that?" It's just, it's foolishness, right? And sexual sin is addictive, right? Talk to the guy who struggled with looking at things on his computer that he shouldn't be looking at.18:13-18:14It's addictive.18:15-18:21Talk to the girl who's in that wrong relationship that she just keeps going back to.18:21-18:22It's addictive.18:25-18:31I mean, with any sin, one and done is bad enough.18:32-18:43But when you have a sin that just keeps drawing you back in, Paul says, "You really want to mess around with something that's going to consume your life?18:44-18:53I'm not going to be dominated by anything." He's like, "You can bag that excuse too." But there's another one.18:53-18:54Look at verse 13.18:55-18:59He says, "Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach for food.19:01-19:15And God, this is Paul's commentary on that saying, he goes, "And God will destroy both one and the other." The body's not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.19:19-19:21See that was the other excuse for sexual sin.19:21-19:24Food is meant for the stomach, and the stomach's for food.19:24-19:25You see that argument?19:26-19:37The argument is this, look, the act of physical intimacy, it's just biological, right?19:37-19:39It's just a biological thing.19:39-19:43I mean, you guys are a little too uptight about that.19:43-19:46It's just a biological function.19:47-19:49I mean, let me break it down for you.19:49-20:00and my tummy is hungry, and I see food, I'm like, well, I see a connection here.20:00-20:02You two were sort of made for each other.20:03-20:04Let's get this together, right?20:05-20:07It's obvious what needs to happen here.20:08-20:10The food needs to go in my tummy.20:15-20:18He applied that same logic to sex.20:20-20:28It's like, "Look, I have body parts and there is a woman, so it's obvious what needs to happen here.20:28-20:36These two were made for each other." You see, Paul shoots that one down, foolish thinking.20:36-20:40He goes, "Yeah, food and stomach, that's an appropriate match.20:41-20:46body doesn't match with sexual sin.20:48-20:52What body matches with is the Lord.20:53-20:58So your little analogy is fundamentally faulty.21:00-21:04And Paul says further, "More food for the stomach." That's a temporary thing.21:08-21:10That's just a temporary thing.21:10-21:12But your body is the Lord's.21:14-21:15That's an eternal thing.21:16-21:26In other words, Paul says your analogy breaks down because while digestion, yes, is a biological function, sex is not just a biological function.21:26-21:28It's not just a physical act.21:28-21:28It's not.21:31-21:34By the way, your body is not going to be destroyed.21:35-21:36It's going to be glorified.21:36-21:5214, Paul says, "And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power." Paul is saying, "Your body has a glorious destiny.21:54-22:01Don't use it for lust." Paul is like, "Bag that excuse.22:01-22:03It's just a biological function.22:04-22:06You are not a dog, okay?22:08-22:15This act of intimacy is more than just some biological function like eating or drinking.22:19-22:23That saying, "All things are lawful for me," boy, that one didn't go away, did it?22:24-23:18I think we all know people that are like the ultra-grace people that are like, "Hey, because Christ died for me, I can do whatever I want. I have freedom in Christ to do whatever I want." That mindset overtook the Corinthians, and so many Christians today have such a skewed view of God's Word. Look, liberty is not license. All right? Liberty is not license. And I want to say this with as much love and compassion as I can muster here, but you are either unregenerate or you're a toddler Christian if you think freedom in Christ is a green light for anything and everything that you want to do." Those were their sayings.23:20-23:25Boy, we could spend a lot of time talking about some of the sayings that we threw around in our day, right?23:26-23:30We have other popular sayings that we use to excuse sin.23:31-23:32I've heard them all.23:34-23:40Here's a big one, you've heard this one, when people want to excuse their sexual sin, they're like, "Everyone does it." You heard that one?23:40-23:41Everyone does it.23:41-23:45Oh, okay, that's the measure of what's appropriate, right?23:45-23:47As long as everybody's doing it, then it must be okay.23:50-23:52You can bag that excuse.23:54-23:55Here's one that I hate.23:56-24:08I've heard so many times people say, "Well, you wouldn't buy a car without test driving it, huh?" A problem with that analogy, we're talking about a human being, not a car.24:08-24:17If I go to a lot and test drive a car and decide not to buy it, that car isn't going to carry emotional damage with it for the rest of its life.24:21-24:22You use cars.24:23-24:24You don't use people.24:25-24:27Beg that excuse.24:28-24:37You hear people say, "Well, you know, come on, a man has needs." Yeah, yeah, a man does have needs.24:37-24:38A man needs Christ.24:39-24:41Let's focus on that need.24:41-24:43That's the most important need.24:43-24:44Let's go after that one.24:45-24:46Or how about this one?24:48-24:49"Oh, you don't understand.24:49-25:01We love each other." Okay, well if you love her that much, then you should enter into a covenant with her and honor the Lord with it.25:02-25:10But if you don't love her enough to enter the covenant with her in marriage, then you shouldn't be physical with her.25:12-25:13Beg that excuse.25:15-25:18Paul says, "Your body's not meant for sexual sin.25:18-25:20It's not meant for self-gratification.25:20-25:21It's meant for the Lord.25:21-25:22It has a glorious destiny.25:22-25:31And here's the bottom line, church, you are never going to repent if you're always looking for an excuse to sin.25:36-25:43So next time you are tempted, you need to stop and say, "I can't excuse sin.25:44-25:45I can't excuse this.25:47-25:51There's nothing I can say before God that would make this sin okay.25:53-25:54I can't excuse sin.25:56-25:56All right?25:56-26:05Number two, when you're tempted, you need to learn to stop and say this, "I am one with Christ.26:07-26:09I am one with Christ." Look at verses 15 through 17.26:11-26:18Paul goes on, he says, "Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?26:22-26:28Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute?26:28-26:29Never!26:32-26:39Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her?26:41-26:45Or, as it is written, the two will become one flesh.26:48-26:54But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.26:55-26:57I am one with Christ.26:57-27:05You see, Paul was talking to the Corinthians who were worshipping with the temple prostitutes.27:06-27:16Like you're taking a body, your body, the personal property of Jesus, and using it to gratify yourself in a relationship with a godless woman.27:19-27:25And this is equivalent to dragging Christ Himself into prostitution.27:26-27:29That is an absolutely horrible thought, but that's what He says.27:31-27:32Think about that.27:33-27:38Think about how repulsive and appalling this is.27:38-27:39Think about it.27:42-27:46I mean, would you call Pastor Taylor up and say, "Hey, a bunch of us are going down to the strip club.27:46-27:48You want to go with us?" Would you do that?27:52-27:54Not in a million years would I do that.27:58-28:05Or would you call up Pastor Rich and say, "Hey, we're going to go downtown and see if we can pick up some women.28:05-28:10You want to come with us?" You would never do that.28:14-28:18But see, the reality, according to God's Word, is far worse.28:20-28:29Because the Bible says we are one with Christ, and engaging in sexual immorality is joining Christ Himself in the act.28:33-28:36Be like asking Jesus to go pick up prostitutes with you.28:40-28:41Absolutely foul.28:43-28:50But you know, it's the same principle, men, when you're looking at things on your computer that you shouldn't be looking at.28:51-28:52It's the same principle.28:52-29:15It would be like calling Jesus up and saying, "Hey, why don't you come over and surf the net with me. Let's look at some stuff together. Would you do that? It's the same principle when you're sneaking around with a co-worker. "Hey Jesus, we're going to call my wife and say we're working late, but we're really going to meet up with so-and-so." Would you do that?29:17-29:21Or when you use an app to meet up with people for a physical relationship.29:24-29:28Look, if you're a Christian, the very thought of that's repulsive.29:28-29:30There's nothing funny about that at all.29:32-29:36So the next time you're tempted, you need to stop and say, "What am I doing?29:36-29:39I am one Spirit with Christ.29:39-29:44Why in the world would I drag the Lord into engaging in this garbage?29:48-29:56I'm one with Christ." Number three, four things to say to yourself when you're tempted.29:56-30:00Number three, God says to run from sexual sin.30:02-30:11Here it is, verse 18, "Flee from sexual immorality." Flee.30:12-30:13Get away.30:18-30:19This is how you win.30:25-30:26I grew up in the '80s.30:28-30:38And I, you know I never, I don't like bragging.30:40-30:44But I'm going to, for a couple of minutes if you'll indulge me.30:47-30:52But I grew up in the '80s, and one of my favorite things about the '80s was Mike Tyson.30:54-31:00Now some of you might remember, or might know of Mike Tyson, rather, seeing him in movies, or cartoons, or whatever.31:01-31:02That's not the Mike Tyson that I knew growing up.31:03-31:05Growing up, I could not wait.31:06-31:23HBO would show his fights, he'd come out with the ripped towel over his head, he had the coin laced in his boot, and he would just come out, and it would be like, "Ding, blaka blaka!" Like, "Ouch!" Look it up on the YouTubes if you don't believe me.31:23-31:28It was, he was an absolute monster.31:32-31:39You know, always the highlight, you know, to watch the usually 90-second fight or whatever.31:41-31:44But okay, I don't, but listen, like I said, I don't want to brag.31:47-31:52But I have never lost a fight to Mike Tyson.31:56-31:58And I know what some of you are thinking.31:59-32:10Some of you are thinking, "Yeah, Pastor Jeff, well, Mike Tyson probably didn't fight ten-year-olds." And I would say, "Look, my record speaks for itself.32:12-32:19I have never lost to Mike Tyson. Not one time. Do you know why I've never lost to Mike Tyson?32:20-32:26Because I wasn't stupid enough to show up to fight him. That's the principle here.32:29-32:37Look, it's the same thing with sexual sin. If you stay and try to fight, you will lose.32:39-33:04That's why you don't fight it. The Bible says you run from it. You run from it. And I got to tell you guys, that's why many of you are losing the battle with pornography today. You've isolated yourself again. You're on your computer or your phone again, and you lost again because you showed up.33:08-33:22That's why some of you continue to go too far physically with that person that you're not married to, because you ended up alone with her again, and you gave in to desire with her again.33:22-33:26You showed up again, and you lost again.33:30-33:34You will give in every time you show up.33:35-33:37That's why God says to run.33:38-33:38Run!33:42-33:42Why?33:42-33:44What's the urgency here?33:44-33:45Look at the rest of verse 18.33:47-33:49This is about as serious as it gets.33:49-33:59He says, "Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.34:00-34:01Please hear me.34:01-34:09Sexual sin is not the worst sin, but it is unique in its consequences.34:10-34:15The Bible says when you sin sexually, you are actually sinning against your own body.34:18-34:23Other sins don't affect you the same way that sexual sin does.34:27-34:28Other sins affect outwardly.34:29-34:33There's something different about sexual sin, it affects you inwardly.34:39-34:40Why is that?34:40-34:41Listen closely, please.34:42-34:55No other physical act that you commit in your body carries the spiritual weight that sexual intimacy does.34:55-35:02So no other sin is going to bring the impact that sexual sin brings.35:07-35:10It consumes, it destroys like no other sin.35:13-35:21You know, over the years I've seen a lot of preachers who have disqualified themselves for ministry because of sin.35:22-35:24Do you know what the most common reason is?35:27-35:28You could probably guess, huh?35:31-35:32I do a lot of counseling.35:33-35:38Do you know what's the most common area we find where people need help?35:43-35:44You probably guess.35:46-35:53We've lost ministry, we've hurt our families, we're doing damage control all because we didn't flee.35:54-35:59We showed up, we thought we could handle it this time, and we lost again.36:02-36:04Nobody's surprised but you.36:06-36:20So the next time you're tempted, stop, stop, and say, "This is so serious that God says I should run from it." All right?36:21-36:25And finally, number four, four things to say when you're tempted.36:25-36:28Number four, "My body belongs to God.36:31-36:35My body belongs to God." Look at verse 19.36:37-36:51He says, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?" Humans have a unique capacity.36:54-37:00are the only thing in creation that have the ability to be indwelt by God Himself.37:01-37:03No other creature can say that.37:05-37:10God lives inside you if you're a follower of Christ, if you're a believer.37:11-37:13You know, you are the temple of God.37:13-37:31In the Old Testament, the temple of God was a building, and when Jesus walked the earth, The temple, the tabernacle of God was in one man, Jesus Christ, but now under the new covenant, God's temple is in the heart of every believer of Christ.37:35-37:35You're the temple.37:38-37:38What would you think?37:40-37:54What would you think of someone who, during sermon time today, they were looking at explicit of the opposite sex on their phone during the sermon, what would you think about that?37:55-37:57Wouldn't you just sort of be appalled?38:00-38:04Like, I can't believe during the preaching of the Bible somebody was looking at that.38:04-38:05Wouldn't that be appalling?38:06-38:17Or what would you think if there was someone in this church that was having an affair, and they decided that this room was a perfect private place?38:17-38:22Some night through the week when nobody's here, they sneak in here and have an affair right in this room.38:22-38:23What would you think about that?38:24-38:28Wouldn't you be like, "What is the matter with you?38:28-38:39You did that in church?" I don't want to burst any bubbles, but this room, this room is really nothing special.38:40-38:41This is an office building.38:47-38:49That was a rumpus room before we moved in here.38:51-38:53And who knows what they'll do with it when we're gone.38:54-38:56This room is nothing special at all.38:59-39:02You are the temple of God.39:02-39:04You are holy property.39:04-39:15God says, "You are where I live." So every time you commit sexual sin, no matter where you do it, you're doing it in God's living room.39:19-39:35He goes on, look at verse 19, he says, "You are not your own, for you were bought with a price to glorify God in your body." You have a holy obligation to Jesus.39:35-39:36You are not your own.39:37-39:40Listen, you have no right to yourself.39:44-39:53You have no right to yourself, because you were bought with a price.39:55-39:56What did it cost to buy you?39:58-40:00It cost the blood of Jesus Christ.40:08-40:10You know, everybody is so concerned about their rights.40:12-40:14"I have rights!40:15-40:16I'm going to stand up for my rights!40:17-40:24I know my rights!" You know, as Christians, we have no rights.40:25-40:26Did you know that?40:30-40:34As a Christian, all I can say is, I'm not my own.40:36-40:37I don't even belong to myself.40:40-40:44This body belongs to Jesus.40:45-40:47This body was heading to hell.40:48-40:56This body was going to be separated from God forever, and Jesus Christ bought this back with His own death.40:57-40:59So this belongs to Jesus.40:59-41:00He paid for it.41:04-41:13So, you know the saying that was so popular, and there's still remnants of it, people walking around going, "My body, my choice." That's not biblical.41:15-41:34You want to make it biblical, you say it this way, "Christ's body, Christ's choice." So, he says, "So, glorify God in your body." We are a wholly motivated church.41:34-41:36We are wholly motivated.41:36-41:38Our highest priority is to glorify God.41:40-41:51Physical intimacy in the covenant of marriage, the purpose for which God designed intimacy, When that act occurs, that glorifies God.41:52-42:00And refusing to allow your passions to control you, when you flee from sexual immorality, you glorify God.42:03-42:07So next time you're tempted, you need to stop and say, "No, no, no.42:09-42:19This belongs to God." You know, the church is called the Bride of Christ.42:22-42:35Jesus desires intimacy with His bride, so He entered a covenant with His bride, and He keeps His covenant because He is faithful to His bride.42:35-42:39And that is exactly what we are called to emulate as children of God.42:40-42:49I keep my covenant to my bride because that's what my Lord does." Her worship team would make their way back up front.42:53-42:58Look, when you leave here today, at some point you're going to be tempted.43:00-43:09You're going to be tempted to think of something you shouldn't, to look at something you shouldn't, to do something that you shouldn't.43:09-43:34going to be tempted. Some of you, it might be tomorrow or Wednesday. Some of you, it might be on your way to the car from church. I want to encourage you, if that's a struggle for you, keep this outline and make it a steady habit in your devotions to read and review These principles from God's Word.43:36-43:45If you're unmarried and you keep finding yourself tempted, sit down and read these together with your boyfriend or girlfriend.43:48-43:53How about you make these four statements the lock screen on your phone?43:55-43:59I can't excuse sin because there is no excuse.44:00-44:03Number two, I am one with Christ.44:06-44:09God says to run from sexual sin.44:11-44:14And my body belongs to God.44:16-44:16Let's pray.44:20-44:32Our Father in heaven, I pray, Father, again by the power of your Holy Spirit, by the wisdom of your Word that today would be the day of repentance.44:34-44:46That some people for too long have just made excuses or shrugged their shoulders or have just given up any thought that this is a sin that can be avoided.44:47-45:07I pray today, Father, that we reexamine the purpose of it and that we would be a people You are truly wholly motivated to enjoy this gift in the way which you told us to enjoy.45:09-45:22Thank you, Father, for this glorious picture that you've given us of Christ faithful to His bride.45:25-45:26Give us the faith to imitate that.45:26-45:28We pray in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 6:12-20What was your big take-away from this passage / message?Explain the expressions the Corinthians used to justify sexual sin (1 Cor 6:12-13)?What expressions do people use today? How do you refute those?How exactly is sexual sin different from other sins (1 Cor 6:18)?How would you respond to a Christian that justifies their sin by saying, “I have freedom in Christ to live how I want!”? (See 1 Cor 6:19-20) BreakoutPray for one another.

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

In Week 3 of our NEXT series, Pastor Rich unpacks what it really means to be a disciple—and why Jesus' call is bigger than a one-time decision. We're talking about three simple discipleship goals: Be with Jesus Become like Jesus Be on mission with Jesus. From there, we zoom in on the Great Commission (Matthew 28) and the phrase that changes everything: Jesus isn't just giving us an activity—He's calling us to a lifestyle of disciple-making as you go. We also look at one of the most controversial parts of Jesus' ministry: who He ate with—and what that shows us about God's heart for people who feel far from Him. Scripture in this message: Matthew 28:18–20 Matthew 4:19 Luke 5:29–32 --Connect With Us-- Need prayer, want to sign up for baptism or surrender your life to Christ? Follow this link : https://bit.ly/m/lifechurchia

Listen in now to hear Life Center Church's latest Sunday message from Pastor Rich!   ⛪️ Connect with us ⛪️  https://www.lifecenternyc.com/ https://www.instagram.com/lifecenternyc/  

In the message “CAN'T BE SHAKEN,” Pastor Rich Whitter unpacks Hebrews 12:12–28, calling believers to renewed strength, holy living, and unshakable faith. This passage urges weary hearts to lift drooping hands and strengthen weak knees, reminding us that following Jesus requires perseverance and intentional obedience.Pastor Rich highlights the contrast between what is temporary and what is eternal. While everything that can be shaken will eventually fall away, God's kingdom remains forever. The message emphasizes the seriousness of responding to God's voice, choosing reverence over complacency, and gratitude over fear. As believers, we are not anchored to unstable circumstances but to an unchanging King.We hope this message encourages you to stand firm, walk in holiness, and live with confidence—knowing that when everything else shakes, those who belong to Christ remain secure in a kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Today's sermon is Seek God and Live by Rich Chaffin Find more teaching from Pastor Rich at www.cclc.org

Join us as Pastor Rich continues our series, The Turning Point. 

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

This message explores one of the most powerful metaphors of the Kingdom of God—the mustard seed. Through Jesus's teachings on this tiny seed, we'll discover how God works in mighty ways in our lives, often starting in the smallest and most unexpected places. Scripture Referenced: Mark 4:30-32

In the message “DON'T LOSE HEART,” Pastor Rich Whitter walks through Hebrews 12:3–11, calling believers to persevere by fixing their eyes on Jesus. This passage reminds us to consider Christ, who endured hostility, suffering, and the cross without giving up—so that we do not grow weary or lose heart in our own struggles.Pastor Rich explains that hardship is not a sign of God's absence, but often evidence of His loving discipline. God uses trials to train, shape, and strengthen His children, producing righteousness and peace in those who submit to His work. This message encourages us to endure with trust, knowing that God's correction is purposeful, His love is constant, and His refining process is always for our good.

Join us as Pastor Rich continues our series, The Turning Point. 

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

We continue our journey through the Gospel of Mark by sitting with one of the most familiar and beloved stories in the Gospels. In it, we are invited to consider the storms we face in our own lives, personally, relationally, and as a community. Through this passage, we are gently reminded of the comforting and sometimes surprising presence of Jesus with us in every storm. Scripture Referenced: Mark 4:35-41

What does it truly mean to be devoted to the church in today's world?In this powerful message, Pastor Rich reminds us that the church is not a building—it's God's family, His chosen plan for His people on the earth. Drawing from Hebrews 10:25 and personal testimony, this sermon calls believers to remain committed, unified, and grace-filled in a time when many are walking away.

Introduction: John 4:23–24 - But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. Why Should I Sing on Sundays? (Colossians 3:16) Because singing works the WORD INTO MY HEART. (Col 3:16a) Because singing encourages the HEARTS OF EVERYONE WHO HEARS ME. (Col 3:16b) Ephesians 5:19 - ...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart... Psalm 34:3 - Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 107:32 - Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders. Psalm 100:1 - Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! Because singing voices my HEARTFELT THANKFULNESS TO GOD. (Col 3:16c) Ephesians 5:19 - ...addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart... Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Small Group DiscussionRead Colossians 3:16What was your big take-away from this passage / message and the entire series?What are your biggest barriers to passionately singing on Sunday mornings? How can you begin to overcome these barriers and be a more faithful worshiper?How does singing help the Word dwell in you richly?How does singing on Sundays encourage others around you? What does their singing teach you?What did Taylor mean that your greatest instrument is your heart? How is your mouth like an amplifier?BreakoutPray for one another. AUDIO TRANSCRIPT Open your Bibles to Colossians chapter 3 verse 16.Colossians chapter 3 verse 16.Have you ever gone to someone else's houseand witnessed family traditions that didn't make sense to you?You had a friend in college, I went to visit his family onceand he's a part of a family that kisses each other on the lipswhenever they say hello or goodbye.And that's not my experience at all in my family.And to be clear, I'm not judging you,that's how your family does greeting time.You are loved and we're moving on from that, okay?I also had another friend I grew up with,his family drank milk with every single meal they ate.Three meals a day, three glasses of milk a day.And they thought it was really weirdthat I didn't want to drink milk with my pizza.And I thought it was really weird that they wanted meto drink milk with my pizza.Have you ever visited a different countryand been surprised and thrown off by the customs they have?In Netherlands, the person who's throwing a birthday partycongratulates every single person in the room,not just the person having the birthday.In Japan, it is not customary to tip.If you try to leave a tip,the server will probably be very offended by that.I've talked to a lot of people who've visitedor immigrated to America,who are really thrown off that we use,how are you, not as a genuine question,but as a throwaway hello.I've been to Kenya twice,and the first time I was there, I was surprisedthat as I walked from village to village,talking to a certain man,he would hold my hand as we walked.Now guys, will we do that in America?That's never happened to me, stateside.But in Kenya, it's a sign of friendship.It's a sign that person is really listeningto what you have to say.Many traditions and customs seem to be a bit randomand mysterious.When you press people on why they carry out these traditions,they usually don't know why.They don't know the origin or rationale.I don't know, it's what we've always done.We've always had milk with our pizza.We've always eaten funyons at Thanksgiving.One tradition that doesn't really make that much sense,but I'm glad you enjoy it, Pastor Jeff.Traditions and customs can become mechanical,can become rote.If you don't know why you're doing them,it can become a mechanical processof going through the motions.And the saying can be said for Christians in the church.If you pull many professing believersas they exit a Sunday morning serviceand ask them to provide the biblical rationalefor why they did what they just did,I think you'd receive a lot of blank stares.You'd hear a lot of us and ums.You'd hear a lot of hemming and hawing.Why is that?Because they are engaging in worshipwithout thought or intention.They are going through the motions.The traditions and customs that God has laid downin His word for the family gatherings of His peoplemay seem strange.Hard to explain and a bit random.I mean, think about it.Why do we gather once a week to listen to a guy like metalk about the Bible for 30 to 45 minutes?Every few months, why do we watch people get dunked in water?At the end of this service,why will we eat a cup of bread and a thimble full of juice?Why do we do that?Why do we spend almost half of the service singing together?And that final question is particularly hardfor some Christians to answerbecause they don't like to sing on Sundays.They don't want to sing on Sundaysand they don't even know why we sing on Sundays.They don't always see the point.And maybe you were a part of the demographicthat isn't really down with singing.Maybe this biblical tradition seems odd to you.It seems mysterious.You don't know why you have to do it.So what do you do?As Pastor Jeff and Pastor Rich have said in previous sermons,you barely sing above a whisper.You tune out.You mouth the words until you're told to sit down.Or maybe you arrive intentionally lateto skip the singing portions of the service.So you slip out early to skip the final song.You just don't get singing, so you just don't sing.This is the final sermon in a series calledGod is Seeking Worshipers.In John chapter four verses 23 through 24,Jesus makes it clear what kind of worshipis God's on the lookout for.Let's listen to what Jesus has to say.He says, "But the hour is coming and is now here"when the true worshipers will worship the Father"in spirit and truth,"for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him."God is spirit and those who worship Him must worship"in spirit and truth."God is seeking those who will worship Him"in spirit and in truth."Two weeks ago, Pastor Rich dug into what it looks liketo worship God according to the truth of His word.And last week, Pastor Jeff focused on worshiping Godin spirit, you were to have passionand not cold detachment.And this morning, we're gonna focus in particularon the importance of congregational singing.Whether you can't wait to sing or you can't stand to sing,I wanna help you answer one question this morning,just one question.Why should I sing on Sundays?Why should I sing on Sundays?There are a lot of places to turn to answer this question,but there is no place that is clearer and more concisethan Colossians 3/16, just one verse.Before we continue any further,let's go to Lord and ask for His help.Please pray for me, that I'll faithfully proclaim God's wordand I will pray for you, that you will faithfully receive it.Father, we come to you and we thank youfor this most important appointment of the week.This isn't the throwaway time that we can take or leave,Lord, it is the time we come togetherto worship your holy name.Come around your word to be challenged, to be convicted,to be encouraged, to be lifted up,to be pointed to your Son, Jesus Christ.We thank you in advance for what you will doand we pray more than anythingthat you would be pleased with what we do today,that you would be worshiped in spirit and in truth.And we ask all this in Jesus' name, amen.So Colossians is a New Testament letterwritten by the Apostle Pauland it is focused on the supremacy of Christ in all things.Christ is better than anything or anyone.Life is from Him, life is through Him, and life is for Him.In chapter three of Colossians,Paul calls the Colossians to live in light of who Christ isand where He is seated.Christ is Lord and He is seated in heaven,so we are called to submit to His heavenly standards.To be able to put on new clothes,you have to take off your old clothes.Or to put on the new self, you are to put off the old self.You are to put off old, ungodly attitudes and behaviorsso you can put on new and godly behaviors.In verse 12, Paul says the Colossiansare to put on compassionate hearts.And in verse 15, he says, "Let the peace of Christrule in your hearts."Then in verse 16, our passage for today,Paul says there to have worshipful and thankful hearts.And you and I are called to have these worshipful hearts as well.Why is that?What's the result?Well, worshipful and thankful hearts bless God.It blesses others, and it will bless you as well.Now that we have that background in mind,let's answer our main question.Why should I sing on Sundays?Why should I sing on Sundays?Number one, because singing works the word into my heart.Because singing works the word into my heart.Let's read Colossians chapter 3 verse 16."Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly,teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,singing psalms and hymns and spiritual psalmswith thankfulness in your hearts to God."Let's focus on that beginning chunk."Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly."What does that mean?It means that your copy of God's word doesn't gather duston your bedside table.The words on these pages, don't just stay on these pages.The word of God finds a place in your heart.It lives within you.Scripture digs down deep into the very core of your beingto change how you think, how you feel, how you love,how you act, and how you react.How does this happen?It happens by reading the word.It happens by studying the word, meditating upon the word.I'm packing what it means and how it applies to your life.It involves writing notes in the margins,jotting down questions, highlighting verses,becoming a student of God's word.But according to Paul, this also happens through singing.And that may surprise you because you don't see the connection just yet.How does singing work the word into your heart?How does singing cause the word of Christ to dwell in you richly?Because lyrics set to music is the most effective methodof memorization and internalization.We all know this to be the case, right?In other areas of life.How did you learn the ABCs?Through your song, right?Prove it to me.ABCD.Very good. Very good.Wow. As a kid, how did you learn the basics of anatomy?Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.Eyes and ears and mouth and nose.Head, shoulders, knees, and toes, knees, and toes.We're all cleaning up.Clean up, clean up.Everybody everywhere.Look at you guys.Those lessons are dwelling in you richly to this day.Do you see the point?Growing up in the church, I learned a lot of important biblical factsthrough songs.If you know the song I'm going to sing, please sing it with me.Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he.He climbed up the ladder in the country,the Lord he called to see, and the Savior asked him to pray.He looked up in the street, and the Lord said,"Zacchaeus, you come down, for I'm going to your house today,for I'm going to your house today."The B-I-B-L-E. Yes, that's the book for me.I stand alone on the word of God, the B-I-B-L-E.Isn't it astounding how much biblical truth can be containedin such simple and childlike songs?I sang these songs 30 years ago, and they still dwell in my heart richly.They worked the word into my heart.How arrogant we can be as adults by believing that we maturepast the need to learn and love the word of God through song.Do you feel that way right now?Do you think that the sermon is the only aspect of the Sunday servicethat teaches you something?That's just not true.Every single aspect of the service teaches you God's word.At harvest, we read the word, we preach the word, we pray the word,we see the word in baptism in the Lord's Supper, and we sing the word.All of these elements cause the word of Christ to dwell in you richly.All of these elements work the word into your heart.This is why it's important that we only sing what God's word says.And thankfully, Paul tells us what to sing in this verse.He gives us three types of songs, Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.Psalms are self-explanatory, right?He's talking about the 150 songs and prayers in the Old Testament book of Psalms.When you sing the Psalms, you're singing God's own word back to him.It's like you're speaking God's language.You're using his own divine vocabulary.And when Paul references hymns in this verse, he's not talking about the hymnsas we understand them in 2026.Remember Paul's writing about 2,000 years ago.He's not commanding us to buy old dusty hymns off eBaythat have this singing sheet and all the parts for men and women.But what is he saying?Well, back in his day, hymns were a pagan practice.Hymns were sung to a false God, a famous hero, or a military leader.These hymns were focused on a particular person.Paul is Christianizing and retrofitting this pagan practice for the church.He's saying instead of singing to that lame guy who's not as cool as you think he is,instead of singing to that bloodthirsty general,instead of singing to that false God, praise the Lord God Almighty.Praise him for who he is.Praise him for his sovereignty.Praise him for his glory.Praise him for his majesty.Praise him for his majesty.Praise God for who he is.And most likely spiritual songs were songs of personal testimony.If hymns mainly emphasize who God is,spiritual songs focus on what God has done for you,what he is doing for you, and what he will do for you in the future.Praise God that he gave you another day to worship him and to serve him.How many of us woke up today going, "Ugh, today's going to be terrible.I don't want to do this."Instead of doing that, praise him that he gave you breath in your lungs.Praise him that he has forgiven all of your sin past, present, and future.Praise him that he delivered you from the domain of darknessand has transferred you to the kingdom of his beloved Son.Praise him that he will never, ever let go of you, no matter what you do.Praise God for all the good gifts he has given to you.That is Psalms and hymns in spiritual songs.Why does Paul give us this breakdown of songs?In the past, did you ever make someone a mixtape?Did you ever burn someone a CD?Or for you teenagers who have no idea what I'm talking about?Have you ever made a playlist and shared it with someone else?Why did you do that?Because you wanted that person to experience the songs that you love.You wanted that person to get out of the rut of listening to that same kind of songover and over and over again.That's what Paul is doing here.He's giving the Colossians a godly mixtape, a CD.He's sharing a heavenly playlist with them.He wants to keep them from singing the same type of song over and over and over again.It's often said that variety is a spice of life.Variety is also the spice of worship.God wants to be worshiped by the inspired classics of the Psalms.He also wants to be worshiped as Pastor Jeff just read to us from Psalm 96 with a new song.He wants to be worshiped for who he is.But he also wants to be worshiped for what he does, what he has done, and what he will do.Singing these types of songs will keep us from only emphasizing the truth and missing spiritor only emphasizing spirit and missing the truth.Sticking to this list of songs will cause you to worship in spirit and in truthbecause both are needed to truly worship God.So much damage can be done.If the sermons we hear on Sundays get an A+ in theology,but the songs we sing receive a failing grade.Well, why is that?Because you'll remember the words you sing on Sundayfar longer than the words you hear from the pastor's mouth.If you don't believe me, have you ever been with a Christian on their deathbed?I gotta tell you, they don't invite their pastors then to repreach their favorite sermons.What do they do instead?They sing worship songs that are lodged in their brains and stuck in their hearts.As tired and as feeble as these saints feel, they belt out amazing grace in Christ alone.Crown Him with many crowns.It is well, blessed assurance.Biblically rich songs have the power to instruct your intellect.Spark your passions, engage your emotions, and involve your body.When the Word of Christ dwells in you richly, it will flow out of your mouth freely.Do you begrudgingly sing?Do you barely sing?Do you refuse to sing?If you've answered any of those questions with a yes,I want you to come to grips with what you're truly sacrificing.You are laying aside the blessing of knowing and loving the Word of Godon every single level of who you are as a person, physically, emotionally, and spiritually.You are cutting your spiritual growth off at the knees.You're saying, "I'm going to mature this far and no farther."You are cutting yourself off from a major source of the Word of Christ dwelling in you richly.Of the Word being worked into your heart.You are hurting yourself.But the damage doesn't just end with you.If you have a negative view of singing, you will negatively affect others around you.But in Colossians 3, 16, Paul shows us the opposite as well.If you have a positive view of singing, you will positively affect others around you.Let's read verse 16 for a second time."Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom,singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in your hearts to God."Why should I sing on Sundays?Second reason, because singing encourages the hearts of everyone who hears me.Because singing encourages the hearts of everyone who hears me.Paul says that we as a church should be teaching and admonishing who?One another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.He shares an almost identical truth in Ephesians 519.He says the believer should be addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.Pastor Rich and Pastor Jeff have made it clear over the past few weeks that the primary audienceof our worship is who?God, first and foremost, our worship is for and before the Lord.Again, He is the primary audience.But according to Paul, there is a secondary audience of our singing.And who is that secondary audience?One another.Every single person in this room, that person in front of you, those people behind you,those people next to you.To be clear, you're not worshiping other people as you sing.You are only worshiping God, but you are instructing and teaching others as you sing.The goal isn't to impress, the goal is to instruct.By singing, you are reinforcing the glorious truths of God's Word.By singing, you are warning, admonishing others to avoid the consequences of disobeying God's Word.You are playing an important role of the working of the Word into their hearts.You are playing an important role of the Word of Christ dwelling in their hearts, richly.Do you understand that Sunday morning is not your private worship time with God?Yes, it is personal, but it's by no means private.You are commanded to have your private worship time with God throughout the week.As you read the Bible, as you pray, as you fast,Sunday morning is the corporate worship time of God's people.It's not just about you and Jesus, it's about us and Jesus.Why is it so important that we gather together and we sing together?Why do we do that?Well, one pastor puts it this way.The people of God sing together because they have been saved together.And we see this truth in the book of Exodus.In Exodus 12 and 13, the Israelites are let go from slavery in Egypt.They're guided by the very presence of God.But then what happens?Pharaoh changed his mind to the armies of Egypt.Go after the Israelites.But God rescues them.He makes the Red Sea's part.He takes them through the water.Then those waters drown the Egyptian army.The Israelites are saved together by God.How do they respond to being saved together?According to Exodus 15, they sing together.Their voices become one communal voice to their God and their Savior.And we see this in the Psalms.There is a ton of "I," "me," "my," and "my" language in the Psalms.But there are 346 appearances of "we," "our," "us," as well.Again, it's not just private.It's corporate.In Psalm 343, David gives this command,"O magnify the Lord with me.Let us exalt his name together."Psalm 107.32."Let them extol him in the congregation of the people,and praise him in the assembly of the elders."Paul commands the Colossians and the Ephesiansto sing to the Lord together because they have been savedby the blood of Jesus Christ together.You and I are commanded to sing together because we have been savedby the blood of Jesus Christ together.You were not rescued and redeemed from your sinto be your own spiritual island by yourself.You were rescued and redeemed to be a part of the holy people of God,to be adopted into the family of God.You are not an only child.You have a countless number of brothers and sisters across this globeand throughout human history.But let's focus on our church for a minute.If you are a member at harvest,you have committed yourself to the holiness and maturityof the brothers and sisters you have in this roomand in the other service.By becoming a member,you have acknowledged that your faithful attendance,your active participation contributes to the unity and purity of this church.You have chosen to link arms with these peopleand marched through this evil world towards heaven together.You have agreed that I'm going to build up and encourage these peoplebecause they are my family.Do you realize that this service isn't just something you can slip in and slip out of?This is your family.This is a family gathering and you are here to encourage others,not just to be encouraged yourself.So how do you encourage others around you?You sing with passionate enthusiasm.You cannot teach and admonish other people around you with their singingif other people around you cannot hear your singing.You know what this means?This means that you do not have the biblical right to opt out of singing.You do not have God's permission to mumble or mouth the words you see on the screens.You are not given a hall pass from God to come late or to leave early.You are not allowed to be a conscientious objector during the worship set.I know exactly what some of you are thinking right now.I know you are internally sweating and thinking,"Pastor Taylor, you just don't get it.I have a horrible singing voice and I don't want anybody to hear me."Does God expect you to be a trained musician or a world-class vocalist to sing?I sure hope not because you all just heard my voice a few minutes agoand I fall way short of that standard.Does God command you to sing well in Scripture?He calls you to sing, period.Psalm 100 verse 1, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord all the earth."Can your mouth make noise?Make noise to your mouth by saying yes.Can your mouth make noise?Can you make that noise sound joyful?Even better than you are the perfect person to sing to the Lordto encourage other people in this room with your singing.All of you are not expected to stand on stage and lead the worship time,but you are expected to instruct others during the worship timeas you sing from where you stand.How many of you watched Elf last month before Christmas?Very few of you.Wow, okay, this may be harder for you than I thought.What is Buddy the Elf's singing advice for Christmas?The best way to spread Christmas cheer is..."Lose your mouth for all of the years."I'm going to steal that quote and use it for corporate worship.The best way to spread Christian cheer is..."Lose your mouth for all of the years."I read a study recently that laid out two markers of a healthy church.They're obviously way more than just two,but these two were the focus of the study.The first one was children.Children are being born.Children are being discipled.That discipleship is being reinforced in the life of the church,as Pastor Jeff often says, "Children are a sign of life."How are we doing with that first marker here at Harvest?If you're wondering, just count how many kids almost knock you over after the service is over.Here's the second mark.The second mark is "Men who sing."How are we doing with that one?I got to tell you, not as well as the first.I know what some of you might be thinking."Taylor, singing on Sundays just seems a little feminine.It doesn't seem very masculine to me."That's interesting.You didn't seem to have that same objectionwhen you were singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"at the pirate game this past summer.So let me understand this.It's masculine to sing about going to a baseball game,but it's feminine to sing to the Lord God Almighty.You didn't seem to have that same objectionwhen you were singing in the shower this morning,or singing in the car the way to work last week.You didn't seem to have this objectionwhen you were singing at the top of your lungswhen you saw your favorite band in concert.So let me get it straight.All those things are masculine,but singing to Jesus Christ,who laid down his own life to save yours, that's feminine.Do you see how ridiculous that objection iswhen you really think about it?Moses sang, "Are you more masculine than Moses?When was the last time you were used by Godto defeat the mightiest army on the planetand to lead a bunch of complaining people to the wilderness?"David sang to the Lord and even danced to himas we saw last week."Are you more masculine than David?You were killed a giantor ruled over God's chosen nation?Jesus sang in the Gospels.Are you more masculine than Jesus?Your entire life cannot compare to one secondof the masculinity Jesus displayedduring his time on this earth."Men, please stop making excuses for why you can't sing.Sing for the sake of your wife.Sing for the sake of your kids.Sing for the sake of the church.Your silence is deafening and destructive.Harvest, we should be teaching and admonishing one anotherand all wisdom by singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.We should be instructing and encouraging one anotherby how we sing.This starts at an individual leveland it has corporate ramifications.You have no idea how big of an impactyour singing has on the people around you.And you have no idea how much their singinghas an impact on you.Imagine that there is a woman in the seat in front of youwho is fighting a losing battle with a serious illness.Yet every single Sunday she is worshiping the Lordwith hands lifted high.Does that teach you something?That teaches you that God is worthy of your praiseeven when your physical strength is being sapped from your body.Imagine that there is a dad down the aisle from youwho just lost his son.Yet he is still worshiping the Lord with tears in his eyesand sorrow in his heart.Doesn't that teach you something?That teaches you that the Lord gives and the Lord takes away.Blessed be the name of the Lord.That group of teenagers in the intersectionis rejecting the worldly desire to look coolby worshiping God with reckless abandon.Doesn't that teach you something?That teaches you that age doesn't always equal maturityand they can set you an example to follow.Please sing.Sing to encourage your own heartbut also sing to encourage the hearts of other people around you.Why should I sing on Sundays?Final reason.Because singing voices my heart felt thankfulness to God.Because singing voices my heart felt thankfulness to God.Singing blesses you.Singing blesses others.But most importantly, singing blesses God.Let's read verse 16 and a third and final time.Let the word of Christ dwell in you richlyteaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom.Singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songswith thankfulness in your hearts to God.Once again, Paul shares a very similar truth in Ephesians 519.He says that you should sing and address other Christians in songwhile making melody to the Lord with your heart.You realize that your mouth isn't your primary instrument of praise.It's your heart.Your heart is where everything starts.Your heart is where your passions live.Your heart is where your emotions reside.What is in your heart will come out of your mouth.Your heart is like a guitar or a keyboard.While your mouth is a speaker.Your mouth amplifies what is inside.Your mouth amplifies what is in your heart.If your heart is full of negativity and complaining,what will come out of your mouth?Negativity and complaining.If your heart is full of love and praise to the Lord,what will be amplified by your mouth?Love and praise to the Lord.You were made to worship God.And God has revealed that he loves to be sung to.And if you refuse to sing to him,you were refusing to give him the love and thanks that he deserves.At this point, you may be waving the white flag.Okay, Taylor, I get it.I get it.You and other pastors can stop selling me.These sermons have convinced me.I just sing a little bit louder.Fine, I guess I'll sing.Is that honoring to the Lord?You know, my wife has revealed to me that she loves flowers.And she feels loved by me whenever I give her flowers.But imagine that she loves flowers.But imagine I come home after service with a frown on my faceand shove some flowers in her arms and say, "There you go.Will you stop bugging me about the stupid flowers?I did what you wanted.You're not getting more until your birthday.Hope you enjoy it."Would my wife feel very loved by that?I shouldn't buy my wife flowers because I have to.I should buy my wife flowers because I love her and I want to.And the same way, singing to the Lord shouldn't be viewed as something you have to do.It should be viewed as something you want to do.It should be your greatest joy to verbally and physically express the love you feel for him on the inside.And if that's not how you feel, there's a problem going on that you should address.The worship team can make their way forward.God is seeking worshipers.God is seeking those who will worship him in truth.God is seeking those who will worship him in spirit.God is seeking those who will worship him in song.How do you feel about this job description?How do you feel about being a full-time worshiper of God?Some of you in this room are not a worshiper of God.You have not yet trusted in Christ.You are worshiping yourself.You are living for yourself.Let me ask you something.How is that working out for you?I'm guessing not very well.You may think you're happy.You may act happy, but you know something is missing.You know something is wrong.You know there is someone far greater than you who deserves the glory and honor that you're hogging for yourself.This person is God who reveals himself most clearly to the person and work of his Son.Jesus came to this earth to serve sinners.Choose to serve him for all of eternity.Jesus humbled himself by dying on the cross to pay the penalty for sin,even though he was and still is fully perfect and sinless.Choose to exalt him forever and ever.Jesus will not turn you away if you come to him with genuine faith and repentance.Choose to believe in him.Stop believing in yourself.Choose to worship him.Stop worshiping yourself.The role of a full-time worshiper is being offered to you.Accept that job offer.Others of you have accepted that job offer in the past,but you haven't been carrying out your responsibilities lately.Maybe you've been making excuses for why you can't sing.Maybe you've been distracted by a million other things you sit in this service and you're not focusing on Jesus Christ.Maybe you're not truly singing with passionate enthusiasm.If you're honest, you would say, "I've been lazy in my worship."If that's true, let me give you one final exhortation.If Jesus Christ rose from the dead on a Sunday morning, 2000 years ago,you can get up bright and early every Sunday to worship his holy namewith every ounce of energy and passion that you have.It's not too late.You can do it right now.You can do it today.Others of you have been faithful and you've been consistent in your worship.Obviously, it's not perfect, but you have been consistent.If that's you, keep it up.Keep up the good work.Do not waver in the job that God has saved you to carry out.We spend a lot of time talking about singing.Let's actually stand.Let's actually sing.Stand and do what you are made to do.Do what you are saved to do.Do what you should want to do.Let's sing to the Lord.

Join us as Pastor Rich kicks off our new series, The Turning Point. 

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00

On this first Sunday of 2026, we continue our Gospel of Mark Series by turning to a passage of Scripture that helps us lay a strong foundation for a fruitful spiritual year. Together, we explore Jesus' Parable of the Sower and reflect on what the four soils reveal about our hearts and our lives of faith. Scripture Referenced: Mark 4:1-9

As we step into a brand-new year, we're also stepping into a brand-new series rooted in Acts 2:42—the simple, powerful practices that shaped the very first church.In this opening message, Pastor Rich invites us to rediscover the life-giving power of God's Word. Through personal stories, biblical teaching, and heartfelt encouragement, we're reminded that Scripture is more than words on a page—it brings direction when we're unsure, correction when we're off course, and resurrection life when we feel dry or discouraged.

Ever felt like a situation in your life has gone past the "fixable" stage and moved straight into the "stinky" stage? You're in good company. In today's sermon, we're diving into one of the most famous—and fragrant—moments in the Gospel of John: the raising of Lazarus. Most of us know the Sunday school version, but we often gloss over the gritty reality that Martha was quick to point out: "Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days" (John 11:39). Lazarus wasn't just "mostly dead"; he was decaying. Pastor Rich will explore: The Power of the Delay: Why Jesus purposely waited until the situation "stunk" before showing up. The "Lazarus Moment": How Jesus doesn't just patch up the parts of our lives that are struggling—He calls out the things that are completely dead and buried. Unwrapping the Grave Clothes: Why Jesus commands the community to help "unbind" Lazarus, and what that means for us today as we help each other walk out of our own "tombs". The Hope in the Stench: A reminder that no mistake, relationship, or habit is too far gone for the One who is the Resurrection and the Life. Whether you're dealing with a "stinky" circumstance right now or just need a reminder that God isn't afraid of your mess, join us as we look at how Jesus brings new life to the places we've already given up on.

Are you tired of feeling exhausted, overwhelmed, and empty during the holiday season? Instead of getting caught up in the hustle and bustle, are you ready to slow down, catch your breath, and rediscover the true beauty of Christmas? Pastor AJ Sherrill shares from his book, "Rediscovering Christmas: Surprising Insights into the Story You Thought You Knew."  Originally aired November 24, 2025 Check out Susie's new podcast God Impressions on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!  Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here 

On this fourth week of Advent, we reflect on what it truly means to behold. We explore a familiar passage of Scripture that invites us to slow down, pay attention, and focus on what matters most. Scripture Referenced: John 1:29

Welcome to the audio podcast of Generation Church, led by Pastor Rich and Tina Romero. Our hope is that these messages give you hope, faith and encouragement throughout the week. To learn more about Generation Church: Visit us online: https://mygeneration.cc Contact us: https://mygeneration.cc/contact Interact with us: If you made a decision to follow Jesus, text "Established" to 970-00