The Local Church Podcast

DateSeptember 14, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we confront the heavy religious baggage many of us carry around prayer and discover a liberating alternative. Through Jesus's radical teaching of the Lord's Prayer, we explore a transformative framework—Attend, Align, Act—that moves us from empty ritual to revolutionary practice. Instead of treating prayer like a spiritual vending machine, we're invited into a dynamic rhythm that awakens us to God's presence, reshapes our desires, and unleashes us as agents of healing in a broken world. This isn't just about changing how we pray. It’s about reimagining how we live.ReferencesScripture: Matthew 5:5–15About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

DateSeptember 7, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we unpack the loaded word "evangelism" and discover a fresh perspective that moves beyond pressure-filled conversion tactics to something more life-giving. Pastor Brent challenges us to reimagine evangelism not as a two-seater transaction but as a communal journey where there's always room for one more – complete with our questions, doubts, and full humanity. Through the lens of Philip's invitation to Nathanael to "come and see," we explore how authentic relationship and radical welcome can transform both ourselves and our world.ReferencesScripture: Matthew 28:16–20, John 1:43–51About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

DateAugust 31, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we explore God's radical, relentless love through the beloved children's show Bluey. Diving deep into the episode "Sleepytime," we unpack how cultural narratives of an angry, punitive God have caused profound harm, while scripture actually reveals a tender, compassionate Divine Parent who never gives up on us. Through beautiful imagery of a mother's cosmic love and ancient words from Hosea, we discover that God's essence isn't wrath or disappointment, but an unwavering love that transforms how we see ourselves and how we build community. Scripture: Hosea 11:1-9, 1 John 4:7-12About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

DateAugust 24, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we explore how handwritten letters—from a principal's encouraging notes to students to the Apostle Paul's letters to early Christians—remind us of our true identity and purpose. Through Paul's letter to the Ephesians, we discover a profound truth: we are God's accomplishment (poiēma), masterpieces created not by our own achievements but through divine grace. This identity frees us to participate in God's work of mending what's broken in our world, one faithful act at a time. Scripture: Ephesians 2:1-10.About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

DateAugust 17, 2025SynopsisIn this service, we witnessed The Local Church officially becoming a United Methodist congregation through a powerful chartering ceremony. Bishop Connie Shelton illuminated how God's creative work continues through local communities, reminding us that we are all "co-creators" with the Divine in bringing healing and wholeness to our neighborhoods. The service celebrated both the formal constitution and the confirmation of seven young people, embodying the church's core message that everyone belongs and is beloved. From Genesis 1:1-5 to Ezekiel 17:22-24, scripture grounded this celebration of new beginnings and inclusive community.About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

DateAugust 10, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we wrestle with that universal ache of unfinished business—from summer bucket lists to life's deeper longings. Drawing from personal experience and the ancient wisdom of Hebrews 11, we discover something liberating: faith isn't about checking off every box, but about trusting God in the midst of our incompleteness. Through the story of Abraham and Sarah, we learn that the divine often shows up not in our achievements, but in life's ordinary, unpolished moments—transforming our "undone" into holy ground where grace and humanity meet. (Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16)About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

Rajeev Tiwari, Director of Student Ministries at The Local Church, preaches a sermon on what sabbath is and how we can enter into it.

Date: July 13th, 2025Rev. Dr. Denise Honeycutt delivers a sermon from Luke 10:23-27

About The RenewingThere’s a way the world teaches us to live—fast, anxious, disconnected. And there’s another way. The Renewing is a podcast about resisting what deforms us and returning to what makes us whole. Inspired by Romans 12:2, it’s a space to question the patterns we’ve inherited—hustle, disconnection, exhaustion—and imagine what healing might look like instead. Through honest conversations and deep listening, host Brent Levy explores the sacred, slow work of renewal—for ourselves, our communities, and the world.This EpisodeWhat happens when the faith you inherited no longer fits, yet something sacred still lingers? In this episode, Brent sits down with writer and creative Lauren Cibene, whose debut book, Tiger in a Lifeboat, explores deconstruction, travel, and the slow, surprising reconstruction that follows. Together, they discuss what it means to witness rather than persuade, how grief and unlearning are essential parts of healing, and why the red letters of Jesus keep drawing Lauren back.You’ll hear about the holiness of hospitality, the healing power of presence, and the sacred invitation to trust yourself again. If you’re navigating a spiritual shift, tender with your past, or just longing to see God in unexpected places, this conversation is for you.Learn more about Lauren here, check out her Substack here, and find her on Instagram here. Get her book, Tiger in a Lifeboat on Amazon, Bookshop, or Audible.The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

DateJune 15, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we explore how genuine hope emerges not just from knowing stories of faith, but from actively living them out. Through the lens of the Road to Emmaus narrative, we discover how participatory hope—showing up and embodying God's presence in the world—transforms our "we had hoped" moments into encounters with the living Christ. Drawing on experiences as a hospital chaplain and weaving together contemporary challenges with ancient wisdom, we examine how the Spirit opens our eyes to recognize Christ's presence in our midst, especially in moments of deep disappointment.Scripture references: Luke 24:13-35, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 27:13ReferencesScripture: Luke 24:13–35About The Local ChurchFor more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.