Pillar Church Podcast

Prayer isn’t just a routine; it is the key to what happens next in your walk with God. In this message we discover what it truly means to pray like Jesus taught His disciples. Together we explore the priority of prayer and why it is central to following Christ, the posture of prayer and how humility and delight shape our approach to God, the pattern of prayer and what every prayer should include such as worship, repentance, asking, and listening, and finally the accessibility of prayer which reminds us that it is not about performance but about God’s nearness and our complete dependence on Him. Prayer is intimate, relational interaction with the Father, and whether you are just beginning or have been walking with Jesus for years, this message will help you go deeper in conversation with the God who bends down to listen.

We’re continuing our series on spiritual maturity by talking about how to study the Bible so you can live it and teach it. Last week we looked at sanctification, the process of being set apart by God for relationship with Him and partnership in His work. This week we’re digging into what that partnership looks like through Matthew 28:19-20 and the call to make disciples, baptize, and teach. The truth is you can’t teach what you don’t know, and spiritual maturity requires more than just an encounter with Jesus it requires formation through His Word. Together we’ll walk through 2 Timothy 3:16 and see how Scripture equips us through teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. We’ll look at how to study the Bible through observation, interpretation, and application, and why it matters that we each know God’s Word for ourselves. Along the way we’ll touch on Psalms 1, Philippians 4, and close with the charge in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 to be ready in and out of season to teach and live the truth.

Following Jesus is a journey of transformation and sanctification. It begins when we go “in” through Him, continues as we go all in with our lives, requires us to go without the things that hold us back, and calls us to go all the way through the refining process. Sanctification is not instant. It is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit shaping us into the image of Christ. Even with rough edges, God is faithfully making us holy and completing the good work He began in us.

Have you ever prayed and felt like everything was quiet? In this message we explore what Scripture teaches us about those moments when God seems silent. From Elijah’s waiting to Job’s cries to the stillness in Revelation, we see that silence does not mean absence. God is never doing nothing and He is never saying nothing. Together we’ll discover why God may appear silent, how to respond with faith, and the steps we can take when we feel like we cannot hear His voice, including doing the last thing He told us to do, remaining in community, worshiping even still, praying all the more, and trusting that He is faithful.

Waiting isn’t easy, but it’s never wasted. In this message, we look at the life of David and what it really means to wait on God well. From the moment he was anointed to the day he became king, David learned patience, faithfulness, and obedience in the quiet seasons. God’s will only happens God’s way and in God’s time. While you wait, He’s not withholding, He’s preparing. Whether it’s learning to hope with patience, remembering how God’s been faithful before, serving others right where you are, or seeking His voice daily, this season is doing something in you. Don’t rush it. God’s timing isn’t just good, it’s perfect. And when the promise comes, you’ll be ready to hold it.

This Sunday at Pillar, we’re talking about something that hits all of us at some point: the moment when God says “No.” It’s a word we rarely want to hear, but when it comes from Him, it’s never random or cruel. Sometimes His “No” is actually His way of protecting us, like when Abraham asked for Ishmael to be the heir and God gently redirected him to Isaac. Other times, it’s a redirection, just like when Paul was stopped from heading west and ended up in Macedonia instead, walking right into the purpose God had planned. There are moments when His “No” is simply making space for a better “Yes.” Jeremiah reminds us that God wants to reveal great and mighty things if we’re willing to wait. And yes, sometimes a “No” brings pain. It’s okay to grieve it. Even Peter speaks to those moments when our hope is tested. But in the middle of that disappointment, grace shows up. Paul learned that in his weakness, God’s strength was more than enough.If you’ve ever wrestled with unanswered prayers or wondered what God is doing behind the silence, this message is for you.

We often approach prayer thinking we have to convince God to respond, but the truth is that He is more willing than we realize. In this message, we look at how Scripture teaches us to lay hold of God’s willingness and align our prayers with His will. Through key passages like Mark 5, Philippians 4, and 1 John 5, we see that prayer is not about changing God’s heart but allowing Him to change ours. Whether you’re dealing with delay, discouragement, or doubt, this message will encourage you to keep praying, keep believing, and trust that God’s “yes” is filled with purpose and rooted in His love.

What should we do when life gets hard and following Jesus costs us something? this week we walk through Acts 5:12–42 to see how the early church handled pressure, fear, and opposition. They trusted God’s promises, did what He asked even when it was hard and found joy in the middle of it all. This message will help you face your own challenges with courage, obedience, and a deeper trust in God.

In part three of our series “Becoming His Church,” we explore what it means to be a selfless church. The early church in Acts gives us a blueprint for how to steward a move of God through unity, boldness, generosity, and reverence. After praying for boldness, the Holy Spirit moved again in power, and the church responded with selfless love and radical community. This message walks through Acts 4:32 to 5:11, highlighting that a selfless church is unified in heart and mission, empowered by the Spirit, generous with one another, and deeply reverent before the Lord. We’ll look at how the Holy Spirit transforms hearts to say, “If I have it, we have it,” and why true generosity must be Spirit-led, not pressure driven. We’ll also learn from the sobering example of Ananias and Sapphira that honesty, accountability, and the fear of the Lord are essential in becoming the kind of church Jesus desires. If we’re going to be His church, we must be a selfless church.

In a culture that often pressures believers to stay silent, Acts 4 shows us what it means to be a church that stands with boldness. This message unpacks seven powerful marks of a bold church: one that stands for truth, is filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly preaches salvation through Christ alone, lives like Jesus, fears God more than man, lets the Lord fight their battles, and prays for even greater boldness. If you’re ready to be challenged, encouraged, and equipped to live out your faith with courage, this message is for you.