The purpose of the church. At the core, Christianity isn’t a set of ethical teachings or religious practices. It isn’t just good advice. The basis of our faith is not something or even several somethings; rather, it’s someone — Jesus. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Select passages from Matthew, Mark, Luke, Acts and Colossians Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Aug 19, 2024•28 min
The word freedom can conjure a variety of ideas and definitions depending on who you ask. But how does Scripture define freedom? And just what freedom have we been invited into as followers of Jesus? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore this crucial topic in light of Galatians 4 and 5 and the broader teaching of Scripture. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Aug 12, 2024•21 min
What is freedom and how do we experience it? What we think about freedom might not be true at all. According to Jesus, it isn’t found in doing whatever we feel like doing whenever we feel like doing it. No, true freedom is found in something much different. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 4:21–5:12 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Aug 12, 2024•28 min
Over the course of history millions of people have amassed large amounts of possessions and money believing that they would bring lasting happiness. Yet time and time again the end result was the same — the happiness they discovered turned out to be shallow and fleeting. In the Bible, God invites us into something much deeper and long lasting – a life marked by joy. Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss the differences between happiness and joy and how we ...
Aug 05, 2024•19 min
The Galatians have lost something since Paul last taught and preached among them. Something significant. The Galatians have lost their joy. Learn more about the situation the Galatians found themselves in and discover what it means to truly live a life of joy. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 4:8–20 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Aug 05, 2024•27 min
The Apostle Paul's missionary journeys took him to lots of different places and yet one thing was true of each place he visited; he made a big impact! People came to follow Jesus, churches were planted that went on to plant other churches and so on. So what can we learn from Paul which can help us have an impact in the places we are planted? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Director of Strategic Planning and Communication, Dayne Logan, as they explore this and more in this week's Beyond the S...
Jul 29, 2024•20 min
Paul was in deep relationship with the churches he founded and their members. He continued to pastor and minister to them throughout the years—whether in person or through letters. We’ll see how The Ridge is taking Paul’s lead in the relationships we’ve established and are continuing to establish with our ministry partners. Message by Dayne Logan Scripture referenced: Select passages from Romans, Philippians, Colossians, 2 Timothy Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each ...
Jul 29, 2024•34 min
In Galatians 4:1-7, Paul reminds us not only of our adoption into God's family but also our position as heirs. But what does it mean to be an heir in God's family, and what is our inheritance? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they take a deeper look at this familiar biblical promise in this week's Beyond the Sermon. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jul 22, 2024•22 min
In Galatians 4, Paul explains to the Christians in Galatia that God has adopted them into His own family as His own children. As such, they are heirs. But what does that really mean — both for the Galatians then and for us today. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 4:1–7 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jul 22, 2024•32 min
A popular objection to Christianity today is that it doesn't respect all people and promotes inequality amongst people. Is this fair? Where does the idea for human equality come from anyway? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they unpack how Paul's message in Galatians 4:1-7 speaks to the accusations above. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jul 15, 2024•21 min
Equality is one of our most treasured values, especially as Americans. Yet, one of the most popular objections to Christianity is that it doesn’t respect all people and is a major force for inequality. Is that true, though? What does scripture — what does God — have to say about that? Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 3:26–29 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jul 15, 2024•27 min
In Galatians 3, Paul addresses people who taught obedience to the law as a part of a pathway to salvation. Paul appeals to their famous ancestor, Abraham, who, despite not having the law, was believed to be "saved"/with God. But how was he saved if he didn't even know the name of Jesus? How was anyone saved before Christ's death and resurrection? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss this and more on this week's Beyond the Sermon episode. Read the Beyond t...
Jul 08, 2024•18 min
Description: Galatians 3 has us asking some pretty profound questions: Why the Law? What is its purpose? Isn’t it just a list of rules? Don’t do this or this. Don’t do that. Do we even still need it? Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 3:7–25 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jul 08, 2024•30 min
The word "grace" appears around 130 times in the Bible. Most often, it speaks of God's grace toward us. This begs the question: Is it possible for us to show that same kind of grace to others? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Director of Family Ministries Doug Applegate as they look at what the Bible has to say about God's grace and what our response might look like. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your in...
Jul 01, 2024•20 min
In Ephesians, Paul tells us all about grace. What it is, why we need it, our response to it, how to accept it, and how to offer it to others. That all sounds great, but what does it all mean for us? How do we take all that Paul said about grace and apply it to our lives yet today? Message by Doug Applegate Scripture referenced: Ephesians 2:1–10 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jul 01, 2024•34 min
The Bible is clear that there is more going on in the world than what we can see. As we seek to follow after Jesus, there are forces working against us. So how do we combat the work of the enemy in our lives? And what role does prayer have in this battle? Join Cheryl Sidler, Ministry Assistant and Women's Leader, and Will Herron, Director of Discipleship, as they discuss these questions and more in this week's Beyond the Sermon. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each we...
Jun 24, 2024•16 min
Toward the end of his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul reminds the Ephesians of the reality of spiritual evil. There is much more going on in this world than what we see. And there is an enemy we battle, yes. But God equips us for the fight. Message by Will Herron Scripture referenced: Ephesians 6:10–17 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jun 24, 2024•31 min
In Galatians chapter 3, Paul is frustrated with the church to the point he accuses them of being 'foolish' and 'bewitched.' Though harsh, Paul was addressing a dangerous trend in the church: They received salvation through grace, just as they should, but now they were following God in their own strength. Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore how to "speak the truth in love." New Ridge U Class "Living with Purpose" - click here for more info! Read the Beyon...
Jun 17, 2024•21 min
Paul is frustrated. His concern: A dangerous trend in the church. The Galatians had received salvation through grace but still wanted to live life in their own strength. They were missing something big: The Holy Spirit — His purpose and His power. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 3:1–6 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jun 17, 2024•24 min
Do you understand the gospel? Do you really? Because there’s more to it than simply accepting Jesus’ sacrifice as payment for our sin. It also has to do with Christ being in us, transforming us, seeing us as redeemed and righteous and restored. To understand the gospel fully is to know where and with whom our identity lies.Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 2:15–29 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermo...
Jun 10, 2024•25 min
This past Sunday we were back in the book of Galatians where Paul reminds us that relationship with God is a matter of faith in what Jesus has done for us rather than trusting our own efforts. One major theme in these passages is identity. This leads to questions, such as how do we form a basis of our identity? How is our identity rooted in God? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore the life-changing impact of an identity rooted in God. Read the Beyond the...
Jun 10, 2024•18 min
Up until Acts 9 Saul had been murderously pursuing followers of Jesus, driving them from their homes and throwing them in prison. Today, it's estimated that around 317 million Christians experience high to extreme levels of persecution. And while neither of these may not be our experience here locally, we can still encounter various kinds of opposition to our faith. What does persecution look like for us in the Des Moines area, and how might we go about responding to it? Join BTS guest host Joni...
Jun 03, 2024•18 min
The early church was under severe threat with Paul leading the way in murderous pursuit. Then the unexpected happened — that Road to Damascus moment of conversion. God uses Paul, redeems his story and his life, enabling him to make an eternal impact. Message by Will Herron Scripture referenced: Acts 9:1–19 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
Jun 03, 2024•30 min
In Galatians 2:11-16 we get a window into a conflict between the apostles Peter and Paul. Peter is clearly caving into social pressure, Paul calls him out on it, which raises the questions: How might we be compromising our faith convictions in an effort to gain social acceptance? And how can we avoid this same pitfall that overcame Peter? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss this and more on this week's Beyond the Sermon episode. Read the Beyond the Sermo...
May 27, 2024•18 min
Paul wrote this letter to the Galatians who were falling back into old habits and giving in to the world surrounding them. Turns out, though, that they weren’t the only ones. Just as Paul was writing to confront those in Galatia, here in chapter two, he was also confronting Peter. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 2:11–16 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
May 27, 2024•26 min
Criticism is hard to avoid. At some point, we're all on the receiving end of it. How, then, should we go about responding to sincere or perhaps even mean-spirited critique as followers of Jesus? Join BTS Host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they discuss how we can turn our "critics into coaches." Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
May 20, 2024•21 min
In refuting false teachers (Judaizers) and their precepts, Paul brings his teachings to James, Peter and John. He’s seeking their council, yet also accepting responsibility over controversy. Their response: They recognize Paul’s teaching as truth. But there’s one more thing. Peter, James and John ask the apostle to do one more thing in his ministry. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 2:1–10 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to re...
May 20, 2024•34 min
This past week we were in Galatians 1:15-24. Here we get an insight into Saul’s whereabouts the few years after his miraculous conversion. God leads Saul/Paul into a three-year season of deepening — a time of becoming before a season of doing. Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Lead Pastor Mike Van Rees as they explore what deepening seasons can look like in our lives today. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in y...
May 13, 2024•19 min
Back in Galatians this Sunday, we’ll hear more of Paul’s testimony, specifically the Road to Damascus story — his miraculous conversion. So, what happened next? He went right into ministry, in to leadership in the early church, right? Well, not quite. Message by Mike Van Rees Scripture referenced: Galatians 1:15–24 Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon blog in your inbox....
May 13, 2024•26 min
In the book of Galatians Paul speaks of a gospel of grace, not of works. Yet in James we read that faith without works is dead. So are Paul and James presenting two contrasting truths, or is there something deeper going on? Join BTS host Will Herron and Ridge Strategic Planning and Communication Director Dayne Logan as they discuss ways to approach apparent contradictions in the Bible. Read the Beyond the Sermon devotionals . Get the devotional each week! Sign up to receive the Beyond the Sermon...
May 06, 2024•18 min
