The Local Church Podcast

DateMarch 30, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we explore anger as both gift and glitch in the spiritual life. Anger can be holy—alerting us to injustice and moving us toward righteous action—or destructive when we nurse grudges that consume our souls. Jesus himself models this tension, flipping tables in righteous indignation while warning against harboring resentment that corrodes our capacity for love. The invitation is not to eliminate anger but to transform it: letting our rage reveal what we truly value, then channeling that energy toward healing and reconciliation rather than letting bitterness define us.ReferencesScripture: Matthew 5:17–26About 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.

DateMarch 23, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we tackle envy—the belief that someone else's success threatens our own—through Jesus's parable of the vineyard workers. Envy isn't just comparison; it's the corrosive lie that another's blessing diminishes yours, scaling from personal insecurity to systemic oppression. The antidote? Generosity rooted in knowing your belovedness. When we celebrate others' wins instead of competing, we disrupt envy's isolating power and reconnect to what matters: in God's economy, there's more than enough for everyone.ReferencesScripture: Matthew 20:1–16About 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.

This engaging discussion delves into the sin of acedia, a spiritual apathy that often traps us in despair. It draws on the biblical story of Jesus healing a paralyzed man, emphasizing moments of hope and divine intervention. The conversation encourages community, vulnerability, and creativity, reminding us to see beyond stagnation. By redefining sin and exploring our struggles, the speaker inspires listeners to embrace change and transformation, inviting them to step into new possibilities.

The discussion kicks off with the Lenten theme, exploring our impulses to possess instead of receive. Greed and gluttony are reframed as 'glitches' affecting our connections with God and others. A powerful biblical encounter sheds light on the struggle between seeking eternal life and the urge to hoard. The narrative emphasizes introspection through personal and communal healing during Lent. Ultimately, it reveals that true liberation begins when we learn to unclench our fists, fostering love and genuine connection over material accumulation.

DateMarch 2, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we conclude our "Holding It Together" series by exploring how anxiety festers in uncertainty and our desperate attempts to control the uncontrollable. Pastor Brent unpacks the Transfiguration story, revealing how Peter's impulse to build tents mirrors our own anxious grasping for security when facing the unknown. The good news isn't found in certainty or control, but in the transformative presence of Jesus who meets us in our fear, touches us, and says, "Get up and do not be afraid." When everything else fades away, we're left with the liberating truth that we don't need to hold it all together because we are already held.ReferencesScripture: Matthew 17:1–9About 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.

DateFebruary 23, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, part of the series "Holding It Together: Good News for an Anxious Time," we confront the myth that spiritual and emotional maturity means complete self-sufficiency. Through the story of the prophet Elijah's darkest moment, we discover how anxiety often breeds in isolation—and how God disrupts our loneliness in three powerful ways: with nourishment, presence, and the revelation of community we couldn't see. True growth isn't about learning to hold it all together alone; it's about discovering we were never meant to. ReferencesScripture: 1 Kings 19:1–18 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.

DateFebruary 16, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we launch the series "Holding It Together: Good News for an Anxious Time" by exploring what it means to be honest about our anxiety in an increasingly overwhelming world. Pastor Brent challenges the "this is fine" mentality and examines how our instinct to avoid discomfort—through scrolling, busyness, or distraction—only allows anxiety to deepen its roots. Instead, he invites us to embrace the radical act of naming our struggles before God—not as a sign of weak faith, but as a profound expression of trust. Drawing from both modern psychology and ancient wisdom, we discover that we don't have to hold everything together because we're already being held.ReferencesScripture: Psalm 55:1–8About 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.

DateFebruary 9, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we explore what it means to be fully alive to God's world through the lens of Howard Thurman's teachings and the courageous story of two Hebrew midwives. We discover that transformative change often begins with small acts of faithful resistance, whether it's a stranger's $2 gift or midwives choosing life over empire. The core message is radically hopeful: we each have a unique role in God's restoration of the world, and our calling isn't to do everything, but to do what makes us come alive. When we root ourselves in divine love and step into our authentic purpose, we join a larger story of liberation and justice.ReferencesScripture: Exodus 1:8–22About 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.

Explore what it truly means to 'come alive' through the lens of Howard Thurman's teachings. Discover the transformative power of recognizing divine sparks in both ourselves and those we struggle to love. Delve into the importance of radical integrity and truthfulness, as highlighted in Jesus's teachings. Listen to a heartwarming story of resilience from Thurman's childhood, showcasing how grace can triumph over negativity. This conversation invites listeners to reflect on their roles as positive influences in the world.

DateJanuary 26, 2025SynopsisIn this sermon, we explore Howard Thurman's powerful concept of "Inner Authority" and what it means to truly come alive to ourselves. Through the lens of Christian mysticism and social justice, we discover how the Holy Spirit empowers us to speak truth and act boldly in the face of injustice. Thurman teaches us that spiritual formation and social transformation are inseparable – when we learn to listen deeply to the divine presence within, we find the courage to stand on holy ground and work for justice in community.ReferencesScripture: John 14:15–21About 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.