Downtown Community Church
About
Available on
Community
547 episodes
If you dont have a God thats big enough for your questions, then you dont have a God. Jesus didnt have to roll the stone away to leave the tomb, but He did as an invitation to investigate. Faith is more than critical thinking, but it is not less than it! Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in both John 20:1-17 and the book of Acts to examine the Resurrection story.
At the end of our By Faith series, we want to challenge you to run the race that is set before you with endurance. However, its completely inefficient to run a marathon with a weight on your shoulders. You either take the weight off, or you stop running. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we dive into Hebrews 11:37-12:2 to reflect on what it is that hold you back from running the race that God has called you to.
The Bible teaches that God provides time and time again, but times do change. However, God provides in different ways for different times. Join Dylan Nielander in our study of 1 Kings 17:1-8; 1 Kings 16:28; and John 10:27-28 to examine how the Lord our Shepherd leads his sheep, and what that means for us in our faith walks.
How can Christians speak with spiritual authority into culture? Join our guest Pastor Derrick Hayes from Engage Church as he unpacks the backstory of Moses and how it affected his spiritual authority. We are continuing through Old Testament character studies from Hebrews 11 and this week in Hebrews 11:24-26 (NLT).
So often, we wait to BECOME “that” person, when we should always BE “that” person. And you know who “that” person youre thinking of is. David and Goliath is a popular Bible story that is often portrayed as a testament of God making the impossible possible. But what if we thought about it as an encouragement to be faithful to God in the here and now? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in 1 Samuel 17:1-51 to dive into how David wouldn’t have been able to defeat Goliath had he not been faithful in his time as a shepherd, and what that means for us now.
When our image of ourselves is different than what God has in store for us, there is a tension that we feel that almost always reveals an idol. That idol could be the sport you play, the club youre in, or in both Gideons context and in many of our contexts, our comfort. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in our study of Judges 6-7:2 to examine the way that God used Gideons context and calling to reveal the idols in his life. What is your idol thats keeping you from your calling?
Sometimes we have to make decisions that make no sense to the world, but we know that its what God has called us to. Moses is no stranger to this. When he left the comfort of living in Pharoahs palace that he grew up in, he was commissioned by God to be a shepherd for 40 years. Sounding crazy already? It gets crazier. We all know Moses as the man who parted the Red Sea, but it all started with him leaning into Gods calling. Join Pastor William Colle in both Exodus 5:22-23; 7:1-6 and Hebrews 11: 23-30 as we dive into faith as obedience to Gods word in spite of circumstances and consequences.
When we read stories in Scripture about people God used, we can put them on a pedestal or think of them as magical storybook characters. But if we think of them as unattainable it actually leaves us discouraged. Join us as Pastor Ben demystifies these characters, to instead be attainable role models of not perfect faith but resilient faith. This will change the way we read the Bible to instead be encouraged by our incredible God! God only has broken people to choose from. So, of course God wants to use you everyday despite your brokenness and dysfunction.
The story of Jacob and Esau fulfills the prophecy of “the older will serve the younger” because in his hungry desperation, Esau sold his inheritance to Jacob, his younger brother, for a bowl of lentils. He had a temporary appetite that needed to be satiated immediately, and we can definitely relate to this idea in that we constantly are going to temporary satisfaction found on our phones or in our relationships instead of going to God. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Genesis 25:20-34 and Hebrews 12:15-17 as we examine the weakness that our appetites give us and what that means in our fight for Heaven.
Do you BELIEVE God, or do you just believe in Him? The Bible tells us that God is worthy of our trust because nothing is out of His control. He has planned everything intentionally for His glory, and has kept every single promise. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we dive into Genesis 12:2-3; 15:1-20, and Jeremiah 34:18 to examine the history of the covenant God made with Abraham and Sarah and what that means for us today.
Any relationship has its ebbs and flows, typically based on the assumptions that we bring to the table. We all have assumptions in every relationship, and we tend to assume we’re right. In the book of Genesis, both Cain and Abel made a sacrifice to God, but Abel’s sacrifice had more reverence to God so He preferred it. Cain was angered by this because he had an assumption that if he did good, God owed him. This situation is not much different from the conflict that we experience while serving God, but we need to check our heart posture and our assumptions about God. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Genesis 4:1-16 and Hebrews 11:1-4 as we examine what needs to change on our end in order to serve God well.
Lots of believers talk about faith but often dont really know what it means to have faith. Scripture tells us that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see. But what Scripture also tells us is that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. We might not have much faith, but we can use inductive reasoning to come to a spiritual conclusion. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in both Hebrews 10:32-39 and Hebrews 11:1-7 as we dive into how we ought to walk in faith.
As we enter into the new year, it’s important that we are all on the same page about the mission and vision of Downtown Community Church. We all have an internal tension growing in this life because we know what’s to come in the next life, but we don’t want to waste the opportunity God has given us to live by faith, not by sight! Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we dive into 2 Corinthians 5:1-15 to examine how we need to rely on Christ’s love to compel us to live differently in the lives God has placed us in.
The reality is that we all have a tendency to prefer the certainty of slavery over the uncertainty of faithfully trusting in God. It’s easy to look back with a positive slant on how things used to be, even when the past is as extreme as slavery to a nation. This may play out in our lives through waiting on a right romantic relationship or living with generosity. Each of these circumstances require faith that God will provide for our needs. The temptation in either situation is to seek what is certain, regardless of the parameters God sets up for how our relationships and financial dealings should be. The message Moses gives to the people of Israel when they are in their most hopeless situation is, “The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” We have the option to choose the uncertainty of faith over the certainty of slavery. And, all along, the truth is that faith towards God never puts us in a place of uncertainty.
The books of the Bible are intricately intertwined, both validating the Bibles trustworthiness and showing us the Lords dominion. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus fulfilled so many prophecies about the Messiah found in the Book of Isaiah. Join Pastor William Colle as we jump between Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:16-21 to understand how Jesus fulfilled the first half of the prophecy in Isaiah and how were living in the comma of Isaiah 61:2.
Jesus has ALREADY made a way for us to live in perfect communion with God. When we understand that our God is both strong Savior and loving Shepherd, our lives are transformed because we feel both loved and served. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Isaiah 40:1-11 as we examine Gods role as fully Lion and fully Lamb, and what that means for us in our walks with the Lord.
“If God exists, why do bad things happen to good people?” This is a question that a lot of us have asked or have been asked. Something inside of us knows that this world is broken, and we want to see that brokenness made whole. But the Bible tells us that God is the most fair and He is the most just. Why are we critical of God for allowing evil to exist but critical of God when He does something about the evil that exists? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Isaiah 11:1-10 to examine how we reconcile a God of both wrath and love.
Looking at the world, anyone can point out its flaws. Many people even ask “Where is God in all this?” However, God never promised that we would avoid pain, suffering, or darkness. What He did promise was that He would be there with us, which is an incredible gift. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we examine the gift of light that God gave to a broken world as prophesied in Isaiah 9:1-7, and what that means for us today.
So often we we follow our ways and our view of the abundant life instead of Jesus ways. We need to realize that so long as Jesus is a threat to the kingdoms we have built, we will do our best to bury Jesus in pursuit of our desires. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in John 11:1-53 for the last sermon of our Signs series, to examine how Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead pointed to and glorified the Kingdom of God. This week, we want you to ask yourself where youve kept out the King because you dont want His kingdom.
How often is calling found in comfort? Thats right, not often at all. Join Pastor Derrick Hayes of Engage Church in a study of both 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 and Matthew 16:13-25 to understand how calling is related to power and wisdom, and how we ought to treat it. This week, we challenge you to consider what ways youre padding the cross and what areas youre too comfortable in to pursue what Christ has in store for you.
The miracle of Jesus healing the blind man is often used to promote evangelism, but what would happen if we understood this sign as a heart change? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we dive into John 9:1-39 to examine how we were once blind, but now we see.
Whats the thing youre looking for more than Jesus? Jesus feeding the 5,000 men with two fish and five barley loaves is a popular sign He performed, but they were more focused on the miracle than the miracle worker. Listen in with Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we go through John 6:1-36 to unpack how the people wanted what Jesus could provide more than they wanted Jesus.
FOLLOWING CHRIST, FOR A LOT OF US, HAS BECOME A SYSTEM OF CHECKING OFF BOXES. HOWEVER, WE CAN’T PUT GOD IN A BOX. JOIN PASTOR BEN KAEMPFER AS HE DIVES INTO JOHN 5:10-47, THE SECOND PART OF THE MIRACLE OF JESUS HEALING THE PARALYZED MAN AT THE POOL, WHERE WE UNDERSTAND THE SIGN AND THE IMPLICATIONS IT PRESENTS FOR OUR LIVES NOW.
We all have struggles whether theyre sickness, mental illness, or strongholds. But how does Jesus walk into our mess? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer for the first half of a lesson on John 5:1-14, where the miracle of Jesus healing a paralyzed man is dissected.
In John 4:43-54, we see a Father with a dying child who has to trust Jesus. This story reveals what true faith in Jesus is and what trusting Him looks like! Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he unpacks the story and answers the often confusing question: What is faith?
Whats hiding in the "cupboards" of your heart that you would feel ashamed of Jesus finding? Join Dylan Nielander in John 2: 13-25 to learn about what we need to drive out of our hearts, the temple Jesus resides in.
To follow Jesus, we want to study more of who He is & the miraculous stories recorded while He was on Earth! Join us on this 7-week journey through John, studying seven of the miraculous "signs" Jesus performed. Lets stretch ourselves beyond these familiar stories to see Jesus divine power! We will learn these are more than miracles but signs that point to something greater! Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he teaches on John 2:1-11, the story of Jesus first miracle!
Oftentimes we know were to serve, yet there are competitors for our time and energy. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he dives into servant leadership through John 13:1-17.
Many of us have the longing to reach the lost, but feel incapable, unworthy, overwhelmed, and stuck with what next steps to take. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he reads Luke 19:1-10 and leaves us with two simple and practical questions.
