SUNDAY SERMON
Sermon by Jake Blair on September 28, 2025.
Key scripture: John 4:1-30, 4:39
Jesus doesn’t avoid broken people—He seeks them. In John 4, the Messiah reveals Himself to an outsider, offering her living water and a restored identity.
John | You Must Be Born Again | September 21
SUNDAY SERMON
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on September 21, 2025.
Key scripture: John 3:1-21
What if your biggest problem isn’t what’s happening to you—but what’s happening inside you? Jesus tells Nicodemus that the solution isn’t more self-effort or more rules. It’s being born again.
John | Cleansing the Temple | September 14
SUNDAY SERMON
Sermon by Adam Gibson on September 14, 2025.
Key scripture: John 2:13-22
Jesus’ love shows up not just in gentleness, but in righteous passion. His zeal for God’s house drives him to act boldly, calling us to let Him cleanse what’s keeping us from worship.
John | Water into Wine | September 7
SUNDAY SERMON
Sermon by Adam Gibson on September 7, 2025.
Key scripture: John 2:1-12
What do you do when the wine runs out? At a wedding on the verge of social disaster, Jesus quietly turns shame into honor and scarcity into abundance—hinting at the deeper rescue He offers to all who trust Him.
John | Follow Me | August 31
SUNDAY SERMON
Sermon by Jake Blair on August 31, 2025.
Key scripture: John 1:35–51
Jesus’ first disciples didn’t just believe in Him—they followed Him. This message invites us to consider how our own lives are always being discipled by something, and what it would mean to follow Jesus as our true Rabbi.
John | John the Baptist | August 24
SUNDAY SERMON
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on August 24, 2025.
Key scripture: John 1:6–8, 19–34 & 3:22–30
We are often tempted to find our identity, purpose and meaning either in others or in our selves. But John the Baptist’s message echoes: Jesus must increase, and I must decrease. This sermon invites us into a radically freeing humility that finds identity and purpose by centering our lives, not on others or our selves but on Christ.
John | The Word Made Flesh | August 17
SUNDAY SERMON
Sermon by Adam Gibson on August 17, 2025.
Key scripture: John 1:1-5, 14 & 20:30-31
The book of John is a firsthand account from one of Jesus’ closest friends—someone who walked with Him, heard His voice, saw His miracles, stood at the cross, and ran to the empty tomb — so that “you may believe Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” (John 20:30).
At its heart, the Gospel of John invites us not only to know the facts about Jesus but to encounter His love in a way that changes how we see ourselves, our purpose, and the world around us.
Jesus & the Prideful | August 6
Sermon by Chet Phillips on August 6, 2023.
In our final week of the series, we look at Luke 11:37-44, Jesus’ encounter with the Pharisees. In their time and place, the Pharisees were considered good guys. And yet, Jesus says their hearts are far from him. So what does Jesus have to say to us in this encounter?
Jesus & the Jealous | July 30
Sermon by Brandon Clements on July 30, 2023.
This week we look at Matthew 19:27-20:16, where Peter essentially asks Jesus, “Is following you truly worth it?” This is a question we may have asked at some point in our journey of faith. We can easily play the comparison game, or we go through a season of suffering, or life doesn’t turn out how we thought it would. So what does Jesus have to say to us?
Jesus & the Hurting | July 23
Sermon by Jon Ludovina on July 23, 2023.
This week we look at John 11, where Jesus meets Mary and Martha in their grief over their brother Lazarus’ death. So how does Jesus meet them in their pain, and how does Jesus meet us in ours?
Jesus & the Doubter | July 16
Sermon by Michael Bailey on July 16, 2023.
This week we look at John 20, where Jesus encounters Thomas. In this passage, Thomas doubts Jesus' resurrection, and Jesus meets him in his doubt. So what does this passage mean for us when we wrestle with doubt?
Jesus & the Little Ones | July 9
Sermon by Jake Blair on July 9, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 18:15-17, where Jesus encounters little children. The disciples meet the children as though they’re an obstacle to Jesus’ mission, but Jesus says the Kingdom belongs to them. So what does Jesus mean by that, and what does that mean for us?
Jesus & the Outcast | July 2
Sermon by Garrison Weiner on July 2, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 5:12-14 where Jesus meets a leper. Lepers at that time were the literal embodiment of an outcast. So how does Jesus interact with him, and how does Jesus meet us in our shame?
Jesus & the Bully | June 25
Sermon by Adam Gibson on June 25, 2023.
This week we look at Luke 19:1-10 where we meet Zacchaeus, a man who made himself rich by taking advantage of others. So what happens when he encounters King Jesus? And what does Jesus have to say to us through a story like this?
Stand-Alone | The Parable of the Wonderful Father | June 18
Sermon by Ryan Rike on June 18, 2023.
In Luke 15, we find one of Jesus' most famous teachings. It is often called "the Parable of the Prodigal Son" or "the Parable of the Two Sons." While the two siblings have much to teach us, perhaps we are also invited to understand this passage through a different lens: the Parable of the Wonderful Father. In this passage, Jesus radically upends what many believe God is like and invites us to recapture the wonder of His love and grace.
Colossians | History Belongs to the Intercessors | June 11
Sermon by Jake Blair on June 11, 2023.
As Paul concludes his letter, he focuses on prayer. Far from being a last-minute add-on, prayer is critical in seeing Heaven come down to Earth. Prayer draws us into the heart of God and sends us out in the power of God.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP | WEEK 9
Watch
“How Does God Answer Prayer for Others?” by Tyler Staton (13 minutes). When we pray for others, what happens to us? Check out this video (and honestly, this whole series is awesome and worth your time.)
“Paradise Now” by Tim Mackie (50 minutes). From the 24-7 Prayer USA Conference, The Bible Project’s Tim Mackie talks about entering this Heaven and Earth reality when we step into prayer.
LISTEN
“The Power of Persistent Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (30 minutes) This was from our Acts sermon series in 2022. (Personally, I’m a fan of whenever we can mention Dwayne the Rock Johnson as an example.)
“The Practice of Prayer” from Midtown Fellowship (38 minutes) Fom our 2020 series based on the Sermon on the Mount, “The Way of Jesus.”
READ
“Abide” from Following Jesus Together. For some practical steps on prayer, including blogs and videos, check out our Abide page and practices like “Lectio Divina” and “Examen Prayer.”
“Persevere in Prayer!” from Desiring God (5 minutes) John Piper unpacks Colossians 4:2-6 and offers five guidelines for prayer.
A Praying Life by Paul Miller IMO, this is one of the best books of prayer in the last ten or so years.
Colossians | Work, Slavery, and Power Dynamics | June 4
Sermon by Adam Gibson on June 4, 2023.
In chapter 3, Paul spoke about how Jesus impacts our lives and homes. This week Paul pivots into what this means for the social structures of the day and what that means for us.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP | WEEK 8
Watch
"Does the Bible Support Slavery?" from The Gospel Coalition (1 hour) Dr. Peter Williams (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) argues, based on the standard definition of slavery, no. "To make his argument, he examines the key Old Testament and New Testament texts said to support slavery. Along the way, he looks at the biblical words commonly associated with slavery and how their translation has changed over time. He also looks at the logic of the Old Testament world and the way ancient societies were structured quite differently from ours."
LISTEN
Precious in His Sight sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. In our sermon, we explored the power dynamics at play in Roman culture and how Jesus speaks into those dynamics. And while our context looks different than Rome, we want to equip each other to understand better our nation's history and how to navigate such issues.
Work sermon series by Midtown Fellowship. We can put love into our work without necessarily loving our work. Check out our sermon series from 2019 to learn more.
READ
Garden City by John Mark Comer. "Does God care where I work?" "Does he have a clear direction for me?" "How can I create a practice of rest?" Check out this book on work to learn more.
How Then Should We Work? by Hugh Whelchel. This book covers topics like the difference between work, vocation, and calling as a Christian, the history of the Christian view on work, the call to "reweave shalom" through your job, how to live a life of deep significance, and more.
Resources on Race by Midtown Fellowship. "As followers of Jesus, we stand up for righteousness, truth, justice, and love - because those things are definitive of life in the Kingdom of Heaven…In the list of resources, we've also included links to organizations and opportunities for you to take further steps to stand up for justice and love."
Colossians | Getting Heaven Into the Home | May 28
Sermon by Jake Blair on May 28, 2023.
Last week we discussed how to get Heaven into us. This week we look at Colossians 3:18-21 and ask, “How can we get Heaven into our families?” Paul does this by explicitly addressing the family breakdowns in Rome. So what are the family breakdowns in our time and place, and how can we push back against them?
RESOURCE ROUNDUP | WEEK 7
Watch
Parenting Resources from Midtown Fellowship There are a million voices and blogs telling you what to do and not do as a parent. So we created and pooled together some of the best parenting content to help!
“Marriage: Forgiving and Forbearing” from Desiring God (53 minutes) Colossians speaks to the importance of marriage. Ephesians 5 is also a great text in the New Testament, further unpacking that. In this sermon, John Piper speaks to how marriage is a pointer to the work of Jesus.
LISTEN
“How do I Not Provoke My Children?” from Desiring God (12 minutes) Colossians 3:21 warns against fathers provoking children. But what could that look like?
”Family of God” from The Bible Project A podcast series on the biblical theme of family from Dr. Tim Mackie and Jon Collins. Enjoy!
The Family of God sermon series from Midtown Fellowship How we love our neighbor reflects our love for God and how we love God manifests itself in how we love our neighbor. And the reality is, while our “neighbor” encompasses everyone, it most immediately applies to who we share a home with and see daily. Check out our sermons from 2021 as we unpack this more.
READ
Habits of the Household by Justin Whitmel Earley “Discover simple habits and easy-to-implement daily rhythms that will help you find meaning beyond the chaos of family life as you create a home where kids and parents alike practice how to love God and each other.”
Family Worship by Donald Whitney “Gathering together for worship is an indispensable part of your family’s spiritual life. It is a means for God to reveal himself to you and your loved ones in a powerful way.”
Colossians | Getting Heaven Into Us | May 21
Sermon by Jake Blair on May 21, 2023.
Last week we talked about the mortification of sin. This week in Colossians 3:12-17, Paul talks about vivification, learning to become people of forgiveness, love, and gratitude. This sounds like a great idea, but what does it look like to become these people in the day-to-day trenches of life?
Here is a corrected version of the graph shown in the sermon video.
RESOURCE ROUNDUP | WEEK 6
WATCH
“What Jesus Meant by Eternal Life” by The Bible Project (6 minutes) The call to “put on” Christ is a call to step more and more into the abundant life Jesus makes us available to us now. The Bible Project unpacks this more.
“What Happens When We Sing?” by Desiring God (1 hour) In Colossians 3, one way in which we let the “word of Christ dwell in us richly” is through singing together. In this sermon, John Piper presses into this idea and why singing is a crucial practice in our formation to Jesus.
LISTEN
“Gloria Furman on Eternal Outlook for Everyday Life” by The Gospel Coalition (49 minutes) ”Whatever you feel defines you, look at this in light of what you read in Colossians—that this life is not all there is. You know that. We all know that. God has put eternity in man’s heart. But we have to do the hard work of remembering that our life is hidden with Christ in God.”
“Matt Chandler on Worship” by The Gospel Coalition (48 minutes) In this sermon given to an audience of worship pastors, Matt Chandler speaks on the importance of worship in our lives.
READ
Following Jesus Together - We created a website on spiritual practices to help us further “put on” Christ. Here you’ll find blogs and videos on how to abide with Jesus, confess sin, fast, and more.
“Living Together When Christ is All” by Desiring God (26 minutes)
Colossians | Put Off | May 14
Sermon by Tim Olson on May 14, 2023.
Last week we discussed the cultural pressures facing the church. In Colossians 3:1-11, Paul instructs them to “put off” their old way of life, to “kill sin before it kills them.” So what sin lingers in our lives so we can put it to death and walk in the light?
RESOURCE ROUNDUP | WEEK 5
WATCH
“The Glory of Christ and Racial Unity” from Desiring God (45 minutes) What does Jesus’ death and resurrection have to do with racial unity? A lot actually. Here, John Piper unpacks how because of Jesus’ work, He is drawing all people to Himself.
LISTEN
“Saved From God’s Wrath” from The Bible Project (56 minutes) The Bible Project not only is the top-tier video resource, their podcasts are also pretty solid too. In this one, the gang covers how to think about the atonement.
“The Light Beyond the Light” from Desiring God (4 minutes) I love that title! In this quick podcast, John Piper unpacks what it means to be seated with Christ.
READ
“The Incomparable Christ” from Reformed Theological Seminary (20 minutes) Once again, Dr. Ligon Duncan, president of RTS, teaches through the book of Colossians.
BONUS VIDEO
A couple of years ago, most of us learned to be pros at Zoom. The key phrase here is, “most of us.”