Park Hill Church Podcast

Before Paul gives commands or corrections, he bursts into praise. In this opening passage of Ephesians, we’re invited to rediscover what it truly means to be “blessed”—not with ease or comfort, but with belonging. In Christ, God has poured out every spiritual blessing: choosing us, adopting us into His family, redeeming us through the blood of Jesus, and sealing us with the Holy Spirit. This sermon calls us to remember who we already are in Christ—chosen, adopted, redeemed, and secure—and to live from that identity rather than striving to earn it. We don’t leave with a to-do list, but with a name: Jesus, the blessing God has given to the world.

What does it actually mean to be human—and how do we recover what’s been lost? In this opening message of our new series through Ephesians, we explore Paul’s foundational claim: before we are told how to live, we are reminded of who we already are in Christ. Identity comes before effort, belonging before obedience.   Tracing the story from Genesis to Jesus to the Church, this sermon reframes sin as a loss of true humanity and presents the gospel as God’s work of restoring humanity through Christ. Ephesians reveals the Church as God’s sign to the world—and to the powers of darkness—of what healed, reconciled, fully alive humanity looks like.   This message sets the table for the entire series, inviting us to live from grace, walk in love, and become who God says we already are.

What if reality is bigger than what we can see? On Epiphany Sunday, Pastor Evan Wickham opens the year with a powerful exploration of the unseen realm—the spiritual reality Scripture says is shaping our visible world. Beginning with Jesus’ baptism, where heaven opens, the Spirit descends, and the Father speaks, this message pulls back the curtain on a universe alive with spiritual meaning, conflict, and purpose. From Genesis to the Gospels, the Bible presents humanity as participants in a spiritual battle—created to bear God’s image, resist evil, and do good by the power of the Spirit. This episode sets the foundation for Park Hill’s 2026 theme, Good News, reminding us that while the battle is real, Jesus has already won the decisive victory. Featuring a live Q&A with special guest Ryan Bethea, the conversation dives into spiritual warfare, the authority believers have in Christ, and how to live with courage—not fear—in a world where “things are more than they seem.” This is a call to wake up, stand firm, and step into the good news reality of life in the unseen realm.

What if Christmas is far bigger—and far more confrontational—than we imagine? In this Christmas Eve message, Pastor Evan Wickham takes us to an unexpected Christmas text: Revelation 12. Pulling back the curtain on the familiar story, Scripture reveals a cosmic battle behind the manger—a Child born not only to comfort, but to confront evil and claim His throne as King. Through vivid imagery of wonder, warfare, and worship, this message proclaims the simple yet world-shaking announcement at the heart of Christmas: a Child has been born, and His birth has consequences for the whole universe. Evil is real, but it is not ultimate. The accuser is loud, but he is not Lord. And the war has already been won by the Child who became the Lamb.

As Advent culminates, we turn to the final movement of the Nicene Creed—our confession of the Holy Spirit and the Church. From the Spirit overshadowing Mary at the incarnation to the Spirit forming a people who share God’s life, this message explores how Christmas is not only about Christ coming to us, but God creating a community marked by trust, worship, obedience, and hope. In a skeptical age, we boldly confess: we believe in the Holy Spirit—and we believe in the Church.   Christmas Campaign 2025: https://pushpay.com/g/parkhillsd?src=hpp

What does it really mean to say that God became human—and why does it matter for us today?   In this message from the Nicene Creed series, Matthew Pursley reflects on the profound claim that Jesus is both fully God and fully human, and that this truth is not just theological—it is deeply personal. Drawing from John’s Gospel and the wisdom of the early church, Matt explores how Jesus came all the way down into our humanity in order to heal it from the inside out.   Along the way, he names two common modern distortions of Jesus—Self-Realization Jesus and Self-Discipline Jesus—and contrasts them with the Jesus of Scripture: Emmanuel, God with us, powerful and near. This sermon invites us to rediscover the hope of the incarnation: that whatever Christ assumed in our humanity, He came to heal.   Preached as Matt’s farewell sermon to Park Hill Church, this message is both a rich theological reflection and a heartfelt invitation to trust the whole Jesus—for us.

This week we continue our Advent journey through Light from Light by turning to the Creed’s next seismic claim: “We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ.” In a world full of opinions, preferences, and “build-your-own” versions of Jesus, the Creed anchors us like the tuning note that brings an orchestra into harmony. Jesus’ question to His disciples—“Who do you say I am?”—still confronts every one of us. And the Church’s ancient answer is bold: Jesus is the only saving King, the eternal Son of God, true God from true God, through whom all things were made. This message invites us to recover a bigger, truer vision of Jesus—one that disrupts casual spirituality and calls us into allegiance, repentance, worship, and wonder. Join us as we explore why the earliest Christians staked everything on this Lord… and what it means for us to bring our whole lives under His good and beautiful reign this Advent.

We’re beginning Advent by returning to the center of Christian belief: the Nicene Creed. In a world full of noise, opinions, and spiritual confusion, the Creed serves as a rope that guides us back to truth—just as it has for the Church for 1700 years.   This week, Evan unpacks the opening line: “We believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” Looking to the Shema in Deuteronomy 6, we explore why God gave His people a creed in the first place—how it forms our loyalty, shapes our daily habits, guards us from forgetfulness, and anchors us in the true God rather than the many “other gods” competing for our worship.   As we enter Advent, we’re invited to REMEMBER God’s goodness, REPEAT the Creed as a practice, and RETURN to wholehearted obedience. Join us as we move toward Christmas by confessing the faith that leads us to Jesus, the Light from Light.

This Christ the King Sunday, we explore what it means to worship Jesus as the true King— not just with our songs, but with our whole lives. Through Psalm 46, Jeremiah 23, Luke 1, and the crucifixion scene in Luke 23, we trace the story of a God who gathers His people, confronts empty religion, and reveals His reign through self-giving love on the cross. Drawing from Kierkegaard’s challenge to the “theater model” of church, we step into a deeper, truer vision of worship: God as the Audience, the Church as the performers, and pastors and worship leaders as Spirit-led prompters. In a culture full of competing allegiances and noisy voices, we’re invited—like the humble thief—to bow before the crucified King today, offering Him our undivided worship. Join us as we rediscover the breathtaking majesty of Christ the King and our role in His story.

In a world that feels increasingly unstable, Jesus offers His followers a surprising invitation: Do not fear. Stand firm. Trust Me. In Luke 21:5–19, the disciples look at the temple and see permanence — Jesus sees stones that will soon fall. He prepares them (and us) to walk through seasons of upheaval without losing heart. This week, Evan shares three key announcements that mark a new chapter for our church and invites us to respond the way Jesus teaches: by becoming a people of prayer, listening, and trust. As we look ahead to 2026, we remember — even when the stones fall — we are a people of Good News. Join us as we lean into Jesus’ call to “stand firm and win life.”