If you haven’t accepted the claims of Easter, why not? Do you believe them to be true? If you want to determine if Christianity is true or false, don’t look at Christians who have hurt you, things that disappoint you, or questions that baffle you. Look at Jesus. The reason people in the first century decided to follow Jesus wasn’t based on faith, it was based on evidence. It wasn’t an empty tomb that convinced them. It was Him. They saw Jesus. Very much alive. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture ...
Apr 18, 2022•23 min
A donkey, palm branches, and a rapturous crowd. There is a lot going on in our passage this week. Yet it was all building up to the moment where Jesus would lay down His life for the sake of the world. Join Pastor Mike and Will Herron as they explore the miraculous, prepare for Easter weekend, and discuss why this rapturous crowd turned hostile in a matter of days. Click here to access the discussion. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the B...
Apr 11, 2022•18 min
What is God’s greatest miracle — the greatest of all time? Our answer may rest in the heart of the Easter season. Greater than speaking a world into existence, greater than holding the sun still in the sky, and greater than bringing the dead back to life, is the miracle of the cross. Jesus had the ability to stop His suffering. He had the power and the authority, but He did not use it. He stayed. He hung on that cross. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Luke 19:35–38) Read the Beyond...
Apr 11, 2022•26 min
To both Jesus and the surrounding Jews, this Roman centurion had something different about him. His faith, humility, and genuine care stood out in the crowd. Yet he was still a leading member of the Roman army involved in the occupation of the Jews at that time. Join Julie Wiemann and Will Herron as they explore what it means to show God's mercy to others, even in the face of stark difference or past/present hurt. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to ...
Apr 04, 2022•19 min
The Roman centurion. What can we learn from him? To look at the centurion, you would think he wouldn’t have any need for any sort of encounter with Jesus. But he did. In fact, he set aside economic and racial barriers to seek Jesus in his time of need. His story is where following Jesus moves from head to heart. Message by Julie Weimann Scripture referenced: Luke 7:1–10 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your in...
Apr 04, 2022•29 min
While the title of Jesus's parable may be "The Prodigal Son," we can learn much from each of the three characters in this famous story. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore what Jesus teaches us about God, us, and what it looks like for us to to follow God out of love rather than duty. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Mar 28, 2022•19 min
What if God’s goal for us isn’t for us to just believe in Him, obey Him, or even respect Him? What if His goal — the desire of His heart is simply to love Him? What would it take for you to love Him back? A miracle? The promise of a life without challenges or difficulties? Or witnessing His glory? All these things would help you believe in Him, sure, but would you love Him? Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Luke 15:11–32 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional ea...
Mar 28, 2022•25 min
One only has to look at many of the major religions of the world to see that we as humans carry a sense of needing to earn our way to God/a higher power. Christianity, however, stands unique in teaching of our need of a remedy not from within but from without. Yet how do we avoid falling into the pitfall of relying on our own goodness to attain or sustain our relationship with God? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore how we can truly live in light of God's gracious gift of eternal life in ...
Mar 21, 2022•18 min
Luke 18 is an evangelistic encounter with Jesus. But Jesus doesn’t model an altar call or pray the sinner’s prayer. Rather, through this encounter, He tells us that no matter how good we think we are or how much we obey, give, or minister, the kingdom of heaven cannot be bought or earned. There’s just one thing we need, one thing that money and deeds often leave us lacking. Surrender. Choosing Him should change our lives. Following Him should change our ways and influence how we spend our days. ...
Mar 21, 2022•28 min
We live in a culture that thrives on purchasing and acquiring things. The explosion of online shopping in the last 15 years or so has only reinforced this trend. So how do we follow Jesus's direction to be "rich toward God" yet still live in a balanced way regarding our purchases and finances? This is just one of the questions Doug and Will explore in this week's discussion. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in yo...
Mar 14, 2022•18 min
We’re living in a world and in a culture that thrives on more. It’s counter to what Jesus tells and teaches us. He instructs us to beware of greed. He even warns us to guard ourselves against it. So, how do we do that? Maybe the better question to ask is: What are you putting your trust in? Message by Doug Applegate Scripture referenced: Luke 12:15–21 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Mar 14, 2022•30 min
It seems fitting that as we draw our Daniel series to a close, that our final chapter should focus in the end of the world. For many however, heaven and hell can be challenging to begin to grasp both on a practical and emotional level. What will heaven be like? How could a loving God allow anyone to go to hell? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore these challenges as well as the impact that a healthy understanding of death can have on our day-to-day lives. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotio...
Mar 07, 2022•18 min
We all want to know how the story ends, don’t we? Chapter 12 is the last chapter in the biblical book of Daniel. The book doesn’t end with the lion’s den or the fiery furnace, or the handwriting on the wall. Rather, it concludes with end times along with a glimpse of the resurrection. The book of Daniel ends with this truth: Death will come, but it will not win. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Daniel 12:1–13 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Si...
Mar 07, 2022•31 min
In many ways we live in a culture "where there is a subconscious drive to eliminate mystery.” How many calories are in an M&M? Ask Siri. How far away is Mars? Ask Alexa. Yet how does this constant conditioning impact our interaction with a God who in many ways is both above and beyond our ability to understand or comprehend? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discover how key mystery is in knowing God. You can click here to access our weekly podcast (releases Monday). Read the Beyond the Serm...
Feb 28, 2022•22 min
Not knowing is uncomfortable. There’s a subconscious drive to have the answers and to eliminate mystery. Not knowing is not something we’re used to in our advanced Western culture. We can figure out and understand some things — a lot of things, in fact. But we can’t always do that with God. So, what are we supposed to do with that? Pastor Mike helps us make sense of living with the mysteries of God. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Daniel 11:36–45 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotio...
Feb 28, 2022•26 min
For many, the animal sacrifices depicted in the Old Testament come across as unusual if not unsettling. Yet as we learned from Pastor Mike's message, life requires the sacrifice of life — it is a key part of our existence not only physically but spiritually. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they explore how the discipline of sacrifice plays out in our day-to-day relationship with God and others. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the ...
Feb 21, 2022•17 min
The abomination that causes desolation mentioned in Daniel 11 is pivotal to understanding the chapter. But what is it? Remember that what was prophecy for Daniel is history for us. To topple Israel, Antiochus Epiphanes’s strategy was this: to abolish the daily sacrifice. Pastor Mike explains the meaning behind animal sacrifice, the importance of daily sacrifice, and why it’s so important that we live for something more than ourselves. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Daniel 11:29–3...
Feb 21, 2022•27 min
One of the many amazing aspects of the gospel is that we can experience deep transformation through the work of God's Spirit. Yet how does this change happen? And how can we know we are in the right place to encounter God in this transformative way? Join Will and Leadership and Ministry Director, Julie Wiemann as they discuss what exactly this supernatural work of God looks like in our daily lives. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyo...
Feb 14, 2022•18 min
As Pastor Mike mentioned, God's sovereignty can fill us with hope and encouragement from the past and for the future. And yet it can also raise some questions, particularly when things happen in our lives that are painful and challenging. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they discuss how we navigate those seasons as well as ways in which we can grow in trust in God and His ways. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in yo...
Feb 07, 2022•17 min
Kings, battles and conquests fill Daniel 11, and admittedly, it’s confusing. But it is significant for us even today. Daniel 11 shows us that God’s sovereignty doesn’t mean that everything that happens is good and happy or even what God desires. But here’s the good news: God loves us and will not abandon us. He is good despite the pain and hurt. And He brings good out of bad, joy out of pain, blessing out of grief, resurrection out of crucifixion. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: D...
Feb 07, 2022•28 min
Daniel 10 pulls back the curtain on the physical world into the spiritual realm. Cosmic battles and angels being held captive are some of what was happening behind the scenes, yet how do we respond to this today? Are we really involved in a spiritual battle? Are there really forces at work against us? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they seek to answer these questions and more. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in yo...
Jan 31, 2022•18 min
Daniel 10 articulates another vision — one of a powerful Jesus — and a message from an angel. Through these two things we see beyond the visible to the spiritual war being waged between God and the enemy. We see that there is an adversary, there is an opponent. He is against God and against us. Satan orchestrates sickness and chaos. But regardless of what we see and feel, there is a deeper power at work in this world: The resurrection power of Jesus. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced...
Jan 31, 2022•33 min
Symbolic images and biblical mathematics — Daniel 9 offers the kind of ingredients that are often hard to digest for the average Bible reader. So how do we go about tackling passages like this? Join Pastor Mike and Will as they share insights into how to approach Bible reading as well as how prophecy passages like this can break the hold of fear in our lives. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jan 24, 2022•18 min
Daniel 9 concludes with a rapid-fire prophecy. It’s one full of numbers and references to building and destruction and one that is admittedly a bit confusing. But if we look at it piece by piece, there is a clear message from God that something — or rather someone — good is coming to Daniel and to his people and to us. In this prophecy, God is promising a king — one who is coming not just to rule and reign but also to save. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Daniel 9:20–27 Read the B...
Jan 24, 2022•31 min
At The Ridge we believe that there is more to church life than simply attending services in person or online. God has made us to both live and follow Him in the company of others. But is community really that important? Isn't it possible to just fly solo as a Christian, stepping into services when you can? Join our Director of Hospitality, Joni Pine, as she shares the ways in which being in community has played a critical role in her walk with God. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get th...
Jan 17, 2022•17 min
Guest Rev. Dr. Erin Clifford has spent considerable time working in the areas of spiritual formation, community and fellowship. She joins us to discuss what it means to connect and why we, as Christians, are called to do it in the first place. Dr. Clifford encourages us with the reminder that we’re invited into the community of Christ. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jan 17, 2022•29 min
Shame is an emotion familiar to most yet as we discovered in our sermon on Sunday, there are various ways we respond to it. Join Pastor Mike and Will as they review some unhelpful responses to shame while highlighting why confession proves so essential when it comes to navigating failures in our life. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jan 11, 2022•17 min
We all experience feelings of guilt and shame in our lives, and our tendency is to deny it, blame someone else, feel bad about it, or even embrace it. But God offers an alternative: Confession. Confession isn't about letting God in on our dirty little secrets. He knows. Confession allows God to forgive us, to make us clean. Message by Mike Van Rees | Scripture referenced: Daniel 9 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog...
Jan 11, 2022•28 min
Does it? Does prayer change things? If we look at Hezekiah’s desperate plea in 2 Kings 20, we find clarity. We see that sometimes, yes, prayer moves the hand of God—sometimes it changes our circumstances. But what about when it doesn’t? What then? Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: 2 Kings 20 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jan 03, 2022•28 min
For many of us growing up, prayer carried a sense of formality to the point of it becoming intimidating. Yet the Bible teaches something quite different about how we should approach God in conversation. As we enter into the new year, we begin reflecting on prayer — what it is and what it isn’t. Join Will and Pastor Mike as they discuss what the Bible teaches on this area of conversation with God. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals : Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond...
Jan 02, 2022•13 min
