How to Pray: Pray Like Jesus
Unpacking the Lord’s Prayer as a Blueprint for Daily Connection, Surrender, and Deliverance
Launching a brand-new series titled "How to Pray," Pastor Ken DeChant examines Luke 11:1–4 and Matthew 6:9–13 to explore the disciple's request: "Lord, teach us to pray." Recognizing that many Christians struggle with feeling like their prayers are inadequate or ineffective, Pastor Ken unpacks the Lord's Prayer not as a rigid formula, but as a practical, step-by-step blueprint for a vibrant prayer life. The message walks through six foundational movements:
Relational Connection: Approaching God as a loving "Father."
Worship & Reverence: Hallowing His holy name.
Surrender & Alignment: Praying for His kingdom and will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Daily Dependence: Asking for our daily bread and trusting Him for present needs.
Confession & Forgiveness: Releasing our sins to Him and extending forgiveness to those who have hurt us.
Protection & Deliverance: Asking for guidance away from temptation and protection from the evil one.
Discover how aligning your daily prayer life with Jesus’ model brings true spiritual freedom, power, and intimacy with God.
Standing Between the Dead and the Living
Embracing Urgency, Compassion, and Sacrificial Mission in the Last Days
Guest speaker Greg Owens (Assemblies of God missionary to South Africa) brings a powerful challenge from Numbers 16:41–50, examining the moment Aaron ran into the midst of a devastating plague to stand between the dead and the living. Drawing parallels to our world today, Greg highlights the urgent call for believers to step into the spiritual battle for souls both locally and globally. Key insights include:
Understanding Proper Punishment: Realizing the reality of sin's weight and celebrating what Christ saved us from.
Keeping Proper Perspective: Loving people despite how they treat us, extending grace even to those who are difficult to love (our "Samaria").
Moving at Proper Pace: Running with urgency to reach those who are spiritually perishing.
Trusting the Perfect Plan: Stepping out into the gap to point the unreached to Jesus Christ.
Concluding with the inspiring testimony of a martyred African pastor, this message calls the church to drop low living, tame vision, and cheap commitment in order to fully surrender everything at the feet of Jesus.
The Right Encouragement
Overcoming Isolation Through Faithful Community and Tychus-Like Friendship
In the final message of "The Right Fight" series, Pastor Ken DeChant explores Ephesians 6:21-24 to address one of the enemy’s primary tactics: isolation. Like a predator targeting a stray animal separated from the herd, Satan seeks to isolate Christians to make them vulnerable to doubt, shame, and defeat. Highlighting the unsung biblical hero Tychicus—a dependable companion who traveled hundreds of miles just to encourage the early church—Pastor Ken demonstrates that true Christian community isn't an optional luxury; it's a vital warfare strategy. The message challenges us to move from passive attendance to active belonging, asking two transformative questions: "Who is your Tychicus?" and "Whose Tychicus are you?" Through practical moments of listening prayer and spontaneous intercession for one another, this message calls the church to stand back-to-back in faith, mutual support, and daily encouragement.
The Right Fight: The Power of Prayer
Winning the Battle on Your Knees Before Fighting on Your Feet
Continuing part two of "The Right Fight" series, Pastor Ken DeChant dives into Ephesians 6:18 to uncover the primary way believers stand firm against spiritual opposition: prayer. Through the vivid illustration of a soldier’s comms system, Pastor Ken emphasizes that prayer isn't merely preparation for the battle—prayer is the battle. When we disconnect from our commanding officer, we end up fighting spiritual battles in physical strength. Unpacking four essential keys to effective prayer, this message challenges us to Pray with the Holy Spirit (relying on His wisdom when we don't know what to ask), Pray with Open Eyes (staying alert to the spiritual realm behind our daily circumstances), Pray with Perseverance (waiting on the Lord and persisting when answers take time), and Pray with a Bigger View (interceding for fellow believers, global missionaries, and leaders). Learn how daily, two-way communication with God anchors your faith and transforms your battleground into a place of victory.
The Right Fight
Recognizing the Real Enemy and Standing Firm in Spiritual Warfare
Kicking off a brand-new series on spiritual warfare, Pastor Ken DeChant dives into Ephesians 6:10-12 to address the unseen battles every Christian faces daily. Life often feels like a constant struggle—whether it’s battling frustration at home, wrestling with lingering bitterness, or struggling to maintain daily spiritual habits. Drawing from C.S. Lewis and Paul's final instructions to the church in Ephesus, Pastor Ken outlines three foundational truths for navigating life's spiritual battles: Fighting the Right Battle (understanding that the Christian life is a battleground, not a playground), Fighting the Right Enemy (recognizing that our true struggle is not against flesh and blood or the people around us), and Fighting the Right Way (stepping out of our own limited strength to stand firm and abide in the power and victory of Jesus Christ). Learn how to stop exhausting your energy on secondary conflicts and begin walking in true spiritual authority.
There's A Difference!
Moving Beyond Cultural Christianity to True Biblical Discipleship
Guest speaker Pastor Cornell Jordan (Lead Pastor of Metro Assembly of God in Youngstown, Ohio) delivers an energetic and challenging message addressing the crucial divide between nominal, "cultural" Christianity and authentic biblical discipleship. Unpacking Jesus’ bold instructions in Mark 8:34 and the story of the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10, Pastor Cornell highlights that Jesus never hid the cost of following Him in the fine print. True discipleship isn't about checking religious boxes, wearing symbols, or squeezing Jesus into a tiny corner of our lives—it's about placing our entire life inside of Him and surrendering what possesses our hearts. Through practical illustrations and passionate truth, Pastor Cornell calls us to move past mere allegiance to a culture and step into full submission to Christ, letting His love and leadership shape every daily decision.
Journey After God's Own Heart
Finding Freedom Through Honest Recognition, True Repentance, and Personal Witness
Preaching through Psalm 51, Pastor Ben Woodworth unpacks the raw, honest prayer King David wrote after being confronted for his deep personal failure. While David was famously described as "a man after God's own heart," his life proves that true devotion isn't about flawless performance—it’s about a heart that hungers for God’s restoration even in its darkest moments. Walking through David's journey step-by-step, Pastor Ben highlights three crucial movements of real spiritual transformation: Recognizing our sin without downplaying or hiding it, Repenting by turning toward a whole new path, and Responding by letting God turn our greatest failures into powerful testimonies of His grace. Discover how vulnerability with trusted community and reliance on Christ’s mercy can break long-held cycles, remove shame, and open the door to true freedom.
What Does The Bible Say About Work?
Integrating Your Faith and Work with Perspective, Attitude, and Enthusiasm
Continuing through the book of Ephesians, Pastor Ken DeChant explores Ephesians 6:5-9 to address how our faith should transform our daily work life. In a culture that often separates the "spiritual" from the "secular," Paul's letter reminds us that there is a new way to approach our jobs, our supervisors, and our employees. By examining the biblical context of Paul's instructions to servants and masters, Pastor Ken outlines three core keys to a transformed work life: working with the right Perspective (recognizing you ultimately serve Christ, not just an earthly boss), the right Attitude (working with integrity and heart even when no one is watching), and the right Enthusiasm (knowing that your faithful labor is never wasted and carries eternal rewards). Whether you are an employee feeling unappreciated or an employer managing a team, learn how viewing your work as stewardship and worship can completely change your Monday-through-Friday environment.
Godly Parenting: Leading with Vision, Honor, and Discipleship
Shifting Focus from the Surface to the Core
Continuing our journey through Ephesians, Pastor Ken DeChant tackles the crucial relationship between parents and children outlined in Ephesians 6:1-4. In a culture overflowing with frantic schedules and superficial milestones, this message challenges parents, grandparents, and mentors to step off the fast-paced surface and establish a godly, biblical vision for the next generation. Unpacking the foundational principles of Honor, Relationship, and Discipleship, Pastor Ken reminds us that passing down a legacy of faith isn't the job of a school system or a church program—it is a daily, intentional calling built straight from the family home. Learn how to ditch the standard behavior modification tracking, parent with a healthy balance of grace and truth, and cultivate a household environment where children don't just learn to obey rules, but ultimately learn to love and follow Jesus Christ.
Godly Marriage
The Counter-Cultural Posture of Bending and Serving
Continuing our verse-by-verse journey through the "New Way to Be Human" series in Ephesians, Pastor Ken DeChant dives straight into the heavy lifting of Ephesians 5:21-33. Stepping away from cultural trends that push us toward endless self-promotion, self-protection, and the demand for our own personal rights, this message exposes God's true blueprint for community and households. Unpacking what mutual submission, honor, and sacrifice practically mean through the ultimate standard of the Cross, Pastor Ken breaks down the vital, daily call for husbands and wives to step out of a consumer mindset. Learn how one simple, life-altering word—"Bend"—can completely rescue your relationships from conflict, realign your character with Jesus Christ, and make your marriage a living sermon to a watching world.
Three Gifts That Build
Encouragement, Comfort, and Challenge for a Healthy Generation
On this Father’s Day message, Pastor Ken DeChant steps into 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12 to examine how the Apostle Paul intentionally loved and developed early believers "as a father deals with his own children." Rather than giving tools that break or gifts that fade, Paul outlines three lifelong gifts that every father—and every person of influence—can give to the next generation: Encouragement to build confidence, Comfort to establish security, and Challenge to forge resilient character. Discover why the precise biblical order of these gifts matters, how to break performance-based or insecure cycles from your past, and what it looks like to start fresh today by mirroring the perfect pattern of Jesus Christ.
Light in the Dark: Navigating Depression with the Word of God
Recognizing the Lie and Declaring the Truth
In this transparent and powerful message, Keri DeChant shares her personal 21-year journey walking through clinical depression. Stepping in unexpectedly due to a last-minute shift in plans, Keri breaks down the isolation of mental health struggles by grounding them in Psalm 121 and Ephesians 1. She challenges the congregation to push back against the standard cultural and religious stigmas surrounding depression, emphasizing that we must not sit alone in our battles. Whether you struggle silently, use medical and professional avenues like counseling, or support someone who does, discover how to recognize the deceptive voice of darkness and confidently speak the audible truth of who God says you are.
Worship
Singing with Grace from the Heart to the Lord
Continuing our series through Ephesians 5, this message picks up right after the command to "be filled with the Spirit." Pastor Ken DeChant explores how a Spirit-filled life naturally overflows into true, authentic worship. Moving past religious performance or mere musical preference, we dive into what it practically means to speak to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Discover how cultivating a heart of gratitude and singing to the Lord transforms our inner landscape and shapes a brand-new way to be human in a broken world.
Wild Faith
Putting Complete Trust in God Through Every Season
In this special Family Sunday message, Pastor Melissa Sawastuk and Pastor Keri DeChant co-lead a fun, interactive telling of the story of Noah to demonstrate what it means to live with "Wild Faith." True faith isn't just a quiet belief in our heads or hearts; it requires bold action, holy surrender, and active obedience. Discover what it takes to look past the distractions and opinions of culture so you can build and prepare, go all in and wait, and ultimately step out and worship the big, supernatural God who handles the impossible.
Speaking in Tongues
Demystifying the Spiritual Language of the Holy Spirit
Continuing our "New Way To Be Human" series, Pastor Ken DeChant addresses a topic that is often misunderstood or avoided in the church world: speaking in tongues. Moving beyond the two extremes of total denial (cessationism) and unbiblical disorder, Pastor Ken grounds the discussion in scripture to unpack the three biblical functions of glossa (spiritual language). Whether it's a language for spreading the gospel across cultures, a message for the body of Christ with an interpretation, or a private prayer language used for personal edification, this message is an invitation to lay down fear, seek Jesus more deeply, and welcome the full, drenching baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Be Filled!
Embracing the Life-Giving Power of the Holy Spirit
In this powerful message, Pastor Servando Valdvinos continues our "New Way To Be Human" series by unpacking the second half of Ephesians 5:18: "Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit." Moving from Genesis to Revelation, Pastor Servando explains how the Holy Spirit (Ruach in Hebrew or Pneuma in Greek) isn't just an optional addition to the Christian life—He is the very breath that gives us physical and spiritual vitality. Whether you feel like you are walking through a valley of dry bones or simply coasting on a low spiritual tank, this message is a vital reminder that God respects your choice and is ready to pour out His presence to overfill your cup the moment you remove the lid.
Five Extraordinary Women
The Hidden Heroes of Moses' Origin Story
On this special Mother’s Day message, Pastor Ken DeChant steps away from our ongoing verse-by-verse study to highlight five unique, heroic women from Exodus chapters 1 and 2: Shiphrah, Puah, Jochebed, Miriam, and Pharaoh’s daughter. Long before Moses ever confronted Pharaoh or parted the Red Sea, God used these extraordinary women to protect and preserve his life. Exploring themes of boldness, protection, presence, and compassion, Pastor Ken delivers a powerful reminder to every woman—regardless of their age or stage of life—that they are deeply seen, incredibly valuable, and absolutely necessary in the Kingdom of God.
Alcohol
Alcohol
Who or what is controlling you?
Continuing the "New Way to Be Human" series, Pastor Ken DeChant takes a deep dive into Ephesians 5:18. While the world often views alcohol as a harmless escape, scripture warns that drunkenness leads to "debauchery"—a literal loss of control. Pastor Ken reframes the conversation from "is it allowed?" to "is it wise?" by exploring how anything that regularly takes control away from us can derail our walk with Christ. This message isn't about shame; it's an invitation to a life of alertness, clear-mindedness, and true freedom found only in the Holy Spirit.
Opportunity
Opportunity
Redeeming the Time in a Broken World
In this installment of our "New Way To Be Human" series, Pastor Ken DeChant explores Ephesians 5:15-17. He challenges us to move from living "unwise" to living "wise" by being intentional and careful with how we walk. Pastor Ken breaks down the concept of Kairos—those unscheduled, God-given opportunities—and discusses three specific types of moments we must learn to "redeem": God moments, prayer moments, and serving moments. Discover how creating margin in our busy lives allows us to seize these opportunities and align ourselves with the Lord's will.