This sermon explores Mark 2:1-12, where Jesus returns to Capernaum and encounters a paralyzed man brought by four determined friends. Rather than immediately healing the man's physical condition, Jesus first declares his sins forgiven, sparking controversy among the religious leaders who recognize that only God can forgive sins. The message emphasizes that Jesus came primarily to preach the kingdom of God and address humanity's greatest need—reconciliation with God—rather than simply changing circumstances. The sermon challenges believers to become "barrier breakers" who courageously overcome obstacles to reach Jesus and follow Him as King. It contrasts the Old Covenant system of mediated, repeated forgiveness through priests and sacrifices with the New Covenant where forgiveness is received directly through faith in Christ's finished work on the cross. The central theological point is that Jesus possesses divine authority to forgive sins, proving He is either "mad, bad, or God," and His healing of the paralytic validates His claim to deity.  Read More

This sermon explores Mark chapter 1, verses 21-45, revealing Jesus's divine authority over both the spiritual and physical realms. The message emphasizes that Jesus didn't come merely to remove symptoms or provide temporary relief, but to offer complete cleansing and restoration from sin. Through examining Jesus's interactions in the synagogue, at Peter's house, and with a leper, the sermon demonstrates that Jesus chose obedience over popularity and redemption over fame. The central theological point is that Jesus has supernatural authority to drive out darkness and make people truly clean—not just healed, but spiritually restored. The sermon challenges listeners to recognize that everyone is searching for something to satisfy them, but only Jesus can fill that void through His cleansing power and redemptive work on the cross.  Read More

This sermon explores Jesus's inaugural message in Mark 1:14-15, which Mark calls "the gospel in a nutshell." Pastor Mike examines how Jesus announced the arrival of God's kingdom following John the Baptist's arrest, emphasizing that this was a pivotal "kairos" moment in history. The message unpacks what it means that God's kingdom has come near and challenges listeners to examine what prevents them from fully embracing this good news. The sermon emphasizes that God's kingdom is not a physical territory but the domain where God's will is effectively done. Jesus invites people to relinquish their own "crowns" and the burden of being king or queen of their own lives, offering instead to enter His kingdom where He provides protection, provision, purpose, and peace. The call to "repent and believe" is reframed not as shame-based religion but as turning away from whatever obstacles prevent us from clinging to the good news of God's reign.  Read More

This sermon explores Jesus's inaugural message in Mark 1:14-15, which Mark calls "the gospel in a nutshell." Pastor Mike examines how Jesus announced the arrival of God's kingdom following John the Baptist's arrest, emphasizing that this was a pivotal "kairos" moment in history. The message unpacks what it means that God's kingdom has come near and challenges listeners to examine what prevents them from fully embracing this good news. The sermon emphasizes that God's kingdom is not a physical territory but the domain where God's will is effectively done. Jesus invites people to relinquish their own "crowns" and the burden of being king or queen of their own lives, offering instead to enter His kingdom where He provides protection, provision, purpose, and peace. The call to "repent and believe" is reframed not as shame-based religion but as turning away from whatever obstacles prevent us from clinging to the good news of God's reign.  Read More

This sermon introduces a year-long study through the Gospel of Mark, emphasizing the importance of not rushing past Mark's prologue. Pastor Mike establishes that Mark presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies, particularly from Isaiah, showing how God "tore open the heavens" and came down in the person of Jesus Christ. The message explores the hypostatic union—Jesus being fully God and fully human—and how this understanding is essential for reading Mark's Gospel. Rather than immediately conquering Rome, Jesus first confronted Satan in the wilderness, positioning His ministry as a spiritual battle. Mark invites readers on a journey to discover for themselves whether Jesus is truly who He claims to be, not through theological arguments alone, but through encounters and conversations that reveal His character and mission.  Read More

This sermon explores the difficult emotion of regret during the Christmas season, emphasizing that while Christmas magnifies all emotions—both joyful and painful—it also reveals God's redemptive power. The message centers on the truth that God didn't wait for us to clean up our mess but chose to enter into it through Jesus Christ. By examining Jesus's genealogy and the flawed individuals in His lineage, the sermon demonstrates that God specializes in redeeming broken stories. The core theological insight is that when we entrust our regrets to Jesus rather than hiding or suppressing them, God's grace proves stronger than regret's grip, and our worst moments can become where God does His best work. The sermon challenges believers to exchange their regret for God's redemption, emphasizing that condemnation has been exhausted at the cross and our stories are not over.  Read More

This sermon explores how discipleship to Jesus requires an ongoing willingness to allow Him to enter not only our current life but our past, believing He can heal, restore, and redeem even our most painful moments. Using the metaphor of sinkholes in Rome—where unstable ancient foundations collapse beneath the weight of the surface—the pastor illustrates how buried hurts create faulty foundations in our lives that eventually give way. The message emphasizes that God never minimizes our wounds and invites us into the excavating work of the Holy Spirit, where confession becomes an exercise in grace. Through this process, we can exchange our hurt for the healing that only Jesus can offer, building our foundation on Christ rather than on buried pain and lies we've believed about ourselves and God.  Read More

This Christmas sermon explores the profound meaning of "Emmanuel - God with us" by addressing how God meets us in our seasons of grief and loss. Pastor Mike challenges the cultural tendency to bury, ignore, or distract ourselves from difficult emotions during the holiday season, proposing instead that Christmas magnifies both the magic and the mess of life. The message emphasizes that grief is not the opposite of joy, nor is it a lack of faith, but rather part of the human condition that God wants us to invite Him into. By trusting God with our grief rather than suppressing it, we can discover that joy is often found in God's presence amidst the grief, not in its absence. The sermon calls believers to process their own grief authentically so they can compassionately walk with others through their pain, embodying the character of Christ who was known for His compassion.  Read More

Here’s a clear, concise, one-paragraph summary of the sermon: **Summary:** Pastor Scott celebrated an “Only God” moment as CenterPoint officially purchased the building for the future Payson campus, reminding the church of God’s repeated provision through past building journeys. He connected this exciting announcement to the Christmas story, where God’s messages to Zechariah, Mary, and Joseph all brought both wonder and fear. Each person faced a moment of choice — cling to comfort, reputation, or routine, or step out in faith and trust God’s new direction. Joseph especially modeled courageous obedience by risking his status to align himself with God’s plan. The message encourages the church to respond with the same faith today as God leads them into new, greater things together.   Read More

This week Pastor Josh taught from the Parable of the Sower in Mark 4. Jesus is surrounded by crowds—some curious, some skeptical, some hungry for truth. To reveal who is truly listening, He tells a simple story: a farmer scatters seed, and the harvest depends on the condition of the soil. Jesus explains that the seed is the Word of God, and the soils represent postures of the heart. The issue is never with the seed—God’s Word is always powerful. The issue is whether the heart is open, shallow, distracted, or receptive.  Read More

This week’s message focused on what grows naturally in the life of a person who follows Jesus. Just as healthy trees produce good fruit, healthy believers—those rooted in Christ and nourished by His Spirit—begin to show evidence of spiritual transformation.  Read More

This sermon explores what authentic Christian spiritual growth looks like, emphasizing that spiritual formation is primarily an inside-out transformation rather than external religious performance. Using Jesus' teaching from John 15 about the vine and branches, Pastor Mike explains that bearing fruit comes from remaining connected to Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. The message challenges the tendency to reduce discipleship to a formula or checklist, instead presenting it as a dynamic relationship where believers grow in dependence on Christ. True spiritual maturity is not about achieving independence from God but about increasing reliance on Him, allowing the Holy Spirit to transform hearts from within so that Christ-like fruit naturally emerges in believers' lives.  Read More