Sermons

Current Series

Episodes in the Life of Jesus

Leading up to Easter Sunday, we take a look at the ministry of Jesus as presented in the Gospel of Mark.  In order to better understand his identity, mission and calling, we stop at various points along the journey to the cross.  Each one allows us to focus on a particular aspect of who Jesus was and what He came to accomplish.  

The Story of Ruth

Set in the time of the Judges, a time of great struggle and turmoil, this historical short story is a beautiful picture of how God’s compassionate and loyal love can be lived out between people. Framed by the opposites of famine and abundance, native and foreigner, death and life, curse and blessing, the book of Ruth tells of ordinary people who become agents of divine activity. In this short text, God does not speak or work miracles but God’s presence is evident as Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz care for one another with the generous, loyal love that God has for us. That care moves Naomi and her family from bitterness and death to the fullness of new life and inclusion in the royal line of King David. Their compassion and love become a model as we seek to live in community with one another and to be a church that offers each other a place to belong.  

God Draws Near

Advent comes as an invitation to slow down, reenter the story of Jesus's birth, and become more aware of God's presence with us. The word advent means "the coming or arrival of something long awaited." Our Advent celebrations look back to when Jesus came to earth as the long awaited Messiah and look forward in anticipation of when Jesus will come again and make all things new. As those who faithfully wait on God to return, we can step out of a culture of busyness to experience how God draws near by the Holy Spirit. This Advent we will focus on the traditional themes of peace, hope, joy, and love using videos from the Bible Project along with the Scripture passages that foretold Christ's coming and recount his birth. Join us this season as we seek to draw near to the One who took on flesh to draw near to us.

Belonging

In September, we announced that Countryside would pursue a goal over the next 12-18 months of creating a sense of belonging at our church. We have started to talk about it regularly and this "mini-series" focuses on some of the steps we are taking to achieve it. 

Joy Complete: The call in Philippians to rejoice

Philippians is the most joyful book in the Bible. The apostle Paul uses the Greek words for joy and rejoicing sixteen times in only 104 verses. This is remarkable given Paul’s circumstances when he wrote the letter. He was in prison, most likely in Rome as Luke reports in Acts 28. As dreadful as this was for him, Paul is joyful because of what Christ has done, and he calls on the Philippian Christians to rejoice for the same reason in any and every situation. But he did not just write to the Philippian Christians; he also wrote for us! We can have the same joy as Paul in all circumstances because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the source of complete joy.  

Pray the Psalms

St. Augustine said "He who sings prays twice."  The book of Psalms is a unique book of the Bible designed for Israel's times of corporate worship and prayer.  Worship is our response to God based on who He is and what He has done, and the Psalms are a God-inspired response of worship.  Throughout the series each week we will look at a different Psalm and uncover the riches contained in that Psalm, as well as different categories of worship and prayer throughout the book.  In addition, we are encouraging our church to pray the Psalms as part of your daily worship and prayer to God; doing so will expand and enrich your prayer life.

The Power of the Gospel: Key sermons in Acts

The Book of Acts is a brief history that recounts the works of the Apostles of Jesus. It includes several bold sermons they preached throughout the Roman Empire, demonstrating how the Gospel is the power of God that saves and transforms believers. This series will delve into eight of these key sermons to uncover the Gospel's essential truths and its power to change lives. By examining each sermon's biblical context and cultural and historical factors, we aim to equip listeners with a deeper understanding of the Gospel’s transformative power, and its continued relevance for believers today.

Easter 2023

He is Risen! He is risen indeed! You can respond like the disciples, who looked in the tomb and promptly went home. Or you can respond like Mary, who took stayed, pondered, took another look, and encountered the risen Jesus Christ.

Seven Signs in the Gospel of John

Toward the ending of his book, the Apostle John tells us that Jesus performed a lot of signs that were not recorded, but that he picked these seven "so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."  (John 21:31)  In this series of sermons, we will look closely at each one of the signs that John chose.  What do they specifically tell us about Jesus?  What do they tell us about life in his name?  Both skeptics and believers can find great wisdom in this Gospel!

Rebuilding Ruins - God's Faithfulness in Ezra and Nehemiah

After seventy years in exile, the books of Ezra and Nehemiah record a series of returns of the Jewish people from captivity in Persia. They return to rebuild the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem that were left in ruins by the Babylonians. But the promise of return is quickly met with opposition and the spiritual renewal of the community is not sustained. Yet the hand of God is evident and at work in protecting the people and calling them back into relationship. As the community of Countryside Community Church this series will help us understand God's faithfulness in sustaining his covenant and people throughout the story of Scripture. As we step into the new year and further out of the pandemic it will also challenge us to seek God's work in rebuilding our own ruins in our lives and relationships, knowing he is faithful.

New Year's Day 2023

At the start of 2023 we all have high hopes for the coming year. One hope many have is to deepen your relationship with Jesus? Using the familiar story of the "walls of Jericho," we look at what spiritual victory looks like and what it takes to achieve, both in our corporate life as a church and in our personal lives.

Why the Church? - Ephesians

God has created the church, a fellowship of His flawed followers, to carry out his purpose and will in the world. (see Matt. 16:18 and 28:16-20) When we consider the biblical teaching on the church, we realize the church is vitally important for growing in Christ. Like a branch that grows because of its connection to the tree, we thrive when we stay connected.  The book of Ephesians provides rich theological teaching on the value of the church and its importance in our Christian faith and to a full understanding of the Gospel.

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