Pastor JP’s sermon underscores the clear biblical message that Jesus is returning, and challenges believers to live with a sense of spiritual urgency and readiness. God’s grace not only saves us but actively trains us to live godly lives in a world full of distractions and temptations. As we look forward to the return of Christ, we’re called to live in a way that reflects our hope, our purpose, and our mission.

1. Let Grace Train You to Say “No” Now

2. Let Future Glory Move You to Do Good Now

3. Let’s Live Ready—and Help Others Get Ready

Discussion Questions

1. What would change in your life if you truly lived with the expectation that Jesus could return at any moment?

2. In what ways can God’s grace help you say “no” to the world and “yes” to a life that honors Him?

3. How can you actively help others prepare for Christ’s return in your everyday relationships and routines?

Pastor JP unpacks 1 Peter 2:4–12, reminding us that the Church isn’t a place—it’s a people. We are a community of believers, each one chosen, called, and placed with purpose. When we build our lives on Jesus, the cornerstone, and boldly live out our faith, we don’t just go to church—we become the Church, a movement that carries hope to the world.

The Church is being built of Christians

The Church must be built on Christ 

The Church is built when Christians declare and display Christ 

Life Group Discussion:

How can we shift from seeing church as a place we go to something we’re actively part of?

What does it practically look like to make Jesus the cornerstone of your daily life?

Who in your life needs to see or hear the love of Christ through you this week?

In his sermon, Nate reveals a side of Jesus we don’t often focus on — His righteous anger. Drawing from Matthew 21, he unpacks how Jesus was angered by fake faith and the exploitation of others, reminding us that true faith produces real fruit. 

Jesus is angered when people are exploited 

Jesus is angered when we pretend to produce

Faith in Jesus produces real fruit

Life Group Discussion:

Jesus showed deep concern for the outsider — how can we intentionally care for those who feel marginalized or overlooked in our communities?

In what areas of your life are you tempted to appear spiritually healthy while neglecting your relationship with God?

What does it practically look like to remain connected to Jesus as the true vine in your daily life?

What does it mean to fear God? As we start our next series, "AWE", JP, reminds us of who God is, what it means to fear Him, and how this changes how we live our own lives.

1) God kills

2) God died

3) God shows us how to live

The book of Jonah ends in an odd fashion. Jonah has just seen an incredible revival take place, and yet he’s upset. Jonah’s entitlement of believing he deserved more from God than the Ninevites kept him from experiencing all that God had for him. 

1) Jonah didn’t like God’s mercy

2) Jonah’s emotions are tied to getting what he wanted

3) Jonah’s heart doesn’t look like God’s heart

Have you ever had a redo you didn’t deserve? As we continue our series on the book of Jonah, Dale teaches us about the redo Jonah gets from God. Jonah responds faithfully and God uses Jonah to bring revival to Nineveh. We get to learn from Jonah, Nineveh and God. 

1) God can use anyone

2) God can change anyone

3) God has a heart for everyone

Have you ever been far from where you wanted to be? Do you feel like you are missing out on what God has for you? As we continue our series in Jonah, we are reminded that no matter how far we feel from God, we haven’t missed His will for our lives.

1) Jonah prayed

2) Jonah thanks God for all He did

3) Jonah agreed to do what God has called him to

The book of Jonah is a story about a man running from God’s call on his life. However, the most important part of the story isn’t Jonah running away from God, but God running after Jonah. Even in our faithlessness, God is still faithful!

1) Jonah knew what God wanted, but did what he wanted

2) Jonah’s sin impacted everyone on the boat

3) Jonah couldn’t outrun God’s grace

It’s Easter Sunday! Have you ever felt shame before? Felt dead in your sin? Easter is really about the sinful and shameful becoming royalty. Becoming sons and daughters of God. As we celebrate Easter and finish our series, I AM, JP teaches through John 11:21-37, teaching us what Jesus means when He said “I am the resurrection and the life” and how it applies to us every day.

1) The world is broken

2) Jesus came to undo the brokenness

3) Jesus invited doubters into the undoing

Have you ever seen kids playing on a bounce house? It can be such a source of fun and joy! However, without the blower, it’s completely useless. It’s only useful and fun if it’s connected to that which gives it “life”. As we continue our series, I AM, JP teaches us what Jesus means when He said “I am the true vine” in John 15:1-8, and how Christians can only experience life when they are connected to Jesus.

1) If Jesus is the true vine, His true followers must be pruned

2) If Jesus is the true vine, His true followers must remain in Him

3) If Jesus is the true vine, His followers are known by love

Have you ever been lost before? Do you remember what it felt like? How would you feel if someone gave you directions to get where you were going, only to follow those directions and find out they took you to the wrong place? As we continue our series, I AM, JP teaches through John 14, explaining what Jesus means when He says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

1) What does it mean when he says "I am the Way"?

2) What does is mean when he says "I am the Truth"?

3) What does Jesus mean when he says "I am the Life"?

While many of us crave independence, we were made for submission to the Shepherd. When Jesus declares He is the Good Shepherd, He calls us to follow His leadership into green pastures and still waters.

1) Sheep delight in the care of their Shepherd

2) Sheep follow the voice of their Shepherd

3) Sheep submit to the authority of their Shepherd

Jesus declares that He is the Gate, which really means He is our protection from our enemy. While the enemy wants to destroy us, Jesus has saved us!

1) Beware of thieves

2) Jesus is our protection

3) Jesus is the only way to an abundant life

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday it forced the crowd to answer the question of "Who is He?". In the same way, we must answer that question today. 

Christ is in control

The crowd desired to control Christ

You must conclude who Jesus is

Life Group Discussion:

In what areas of your life do you struggle to trust that Jesus is in control? How can you surrender those to Him?

In what ways do people today try to fit Jesus into their own agendas instead of following Him as Lord?

How does your view of Jesus impact the way you live your daily life?

Have you ever been somewhere when the lights went out and it suddenly became dark? Could you continue doing what you were doing before the lights went out? Oftentimes, we need light to do what we are trying to do. Darkness thwarts our abilities. One of Jesus’ seven “I AM” statements was “I am the light of the world.” What did that mean back then and what does it mean for us today? JP teaches through John 8 & 9 as we continue our “I AM” series and move toward Easter.

1) Jesus is the light

2) His followers do not walk in darkness

3) Whoever has the light of life shares it 

What’s the longest you’ve gone without food? What do you think is the longest you could go without food? This past Wednesday, we started the season of Lent, the 40-days leading up to Easter.

To embrace this season, we are starting a new sermon series called "I AM". To kick off our new series, JP teaches through John 6 where Jesus calls himself the bread of life, teaching us where true sustenance and life is found.

1) Stuff leaves us empty, while The Savior is enough

2) Jesus came here in the flesh to take us home forever

3) We have access, we need only appetite 

Have you ever taken a trip and gotten lost? If so, how did you find your way back? There are two paths in life: the path of isolation and the path of community. As we continue our series, Fool Proof, JP teaches us that isolation, while easy, is extremely destructive, whereas community, while difficult, is where wisdom, health, and life can be found.

1) In isolation we conceal, but with confession we heal

2) In isolation we derail, with correction we prevail

3) In isolation we're distressed, with wise counsel we find success 

We know words have the power of life and death yet we too often don’t choose our words wisely. We can have our words change by allowing God to change our hearts and then we can bring life to those around us with our words. 

1) Don’t waste words

2) Foolish words bring death

3) Wise words bring life

Since we live in a broken world, conflict with others is inevitable. The good news is Proverbs has given us direction on how to wisely do conflict in a way that honors God.

1) In conflict, the wise fight to understand,

2) In conflict, the wise fight to be gentle,

3) In conflict, the wise fight to forgive

When it comes to love and marriage, where do you get your information and guidance? Music and movies have a lot to say about the topic, but what exactly does media and entertainment teach us? As we continue our series, Fool Proof, JP teaches through the topic of adultery and how to fool proof your love and marriage by teaching through Proverbs 5:15-23.

1) Do not go outside your marriage

2) Be captivated by who you have

3) Discipline yourself to escape death

How is your sense of direction? When driving, do you rely heavily on your GPS, or can you navigate well on your own? What about your heart…what do you rely on to inform and guide your heart? As we continue our series, Fool Proof, JP teaches us how to guard, inform, and follow our heart by teaching through Proverbs 4:20-27.

1) Who are you listening to

2) What are you saying?

3) Where are you looking?

4) When do you plan your path?

5) Why do you stray?

Proverbs is written in order to help us live wisely. We’ll see from the opening verses of Proverbs that in order to grow in wisdom we need to have the right posture and seek out the right person. 

1) Wisdom starts with a posture of humility

2) Wisdom starts with the person of Jesus

Take Time To Pray

1) Pray with Gratitude

2) Pray for Wisdom

3) Pray for Your Part

Thank you, Jesus, for all you have done in 2023!

2023 Highlights

Are you content with what you have been given or do you groan and grumble? Do you live a generous life looking for opportunities to share with someone in need? Nate looks to Exodus 16 to show us how much God loves us and wants to provide exactly what we need for our tomorrow. For God so loved us He provided His son, Jesus, for us. He is Jehovah Jireh; the Lord will provide.  

Exodus 16

       1) We doubt that God will provide what we need

       2) God desires to provide for His children

       3) We take more provision than what we need

Life Group Questions:

       1) I’d be happier if I had _______________.

       2) What are you overindulging in? 

       3) Do you take more than you need because you fear God won’t provide?

       4) What has God provided for you this year?

Sin gradually desensitizes us, making what once felt wrong seem normal, which is exactly how Satan works to separate us from God. Ephesians 4 warns that when we give ourselves over to sin, we become aimless, hardened, and blind to its destruction, ultimately giving the enemy a foothold in our lives. Nate reminds us that as Christians, we are called to reject sin, pursue sanctification, and immerse ourselves in God's truth to fully embrace the life He desires for us.

Sin Makes you senseless

Christians part with sin to pursue sanctification

Sin gives Satan a space in Christ's place

Life Group Discussion:

What are some warning signs that you might be drifting toward spiritual numbness?

How can accountability within a community help us in the process of sanctification?

What steps can you take this week to remove sin’s foothold and invite Christ into every area of your life?

Happy Mother’s Day! This Sunday we invited our Elder’s wives to join us for a Q&A panel. We covered a wide range of topics from parenting to roles as a mom in the home.

Why are there two criminals seemingly ruining the moment of our Saviors sacrifice? It seems random. Out of place? Why not just Jesus there? Because we are that thief on the cross next to Jesus guilty of our sin… Jesus’ last moment before death was to show what the true Gospel is and how salvation works. There were two responses by two different thieves, we have the same choice in our own lives. To accept Jesus as Savior and we as sinner, or to deny and ridicule His name. We are that thief! The power of the cross is what makes this Friday Good!

1) He acknowledged that he was a sinner

2) He recognized Jesus as Savior

3) He asked Jesus to save Him

When this sermon was recorded on February 19, 2023, there was a gathering at Asbury University that had been going on for over a week. Many people were calling this a revival. What exactly is a revival? To help us better understand, JP interviews Dr. Steve Seamands, who was at Asbury during the 1970 Asbury Revival, as well the beginning of what was happening at Asbury at the time of this sermon.

As we flip the calendar to a New Year, it's important for us to reflect on what God has done in this past year. What has He taught us? What are the sins we need to leave behind?

1) The people of God need to remember what God has done

2) We share what God has done to encourage each other

It’s Christmas Eve! Where does your attention go during the Christmas season? Is it more about Jesus’ birth or about all the gifts and things you have going on in life? If we aren’t careful, we can start with Jesus, but then the attention will shift toward ourselves. As we finish our series, “It’s Complicated,” we examine the complications around Jesus’ birth and the complications for us today as we celebrate His birthday.

1) Division

2) Travel

3) Unforeseen Circumstances

4) Accommodations

5) Work 

The holidays can be a complicated time where the urgent crowds out the important. This week we look to Ephesians to learn how we can choose our time, use our time, and not waste our time. Just as John the Baptist prepared a way for Christ, we too have opportunities to use our time to prepare the way for Christ, no matter the season! 

1) Choose your time wisely

2) Use your time wisely

3) Don’t waste your time being filled in the wrong spirit

When you are going through grief or loneliness in the Christmas season, it seems like there is no place for you. In this sermon, we look at who our God is in the midst of our grief and who we can be to those who are grieving. 

1) The Lord hears you

2) The Lord is near to you

3) The Lord will deliver you

Do you have any traditions with family or friends around Christmas time? What about your clothes and attire…do you wear certain clothes when you go home for Christmas? As we continue our series, It’s Complicated, JP teaches us what to wear home for Christmas as we study Colossians 3.

1) Wear the virtues give to us by Jesus

2) Bear the brokenness of others around you

3) Share from the right heart 

Do you like to get gifts on your birthday? What’s the most meaningful gift you’ve received? As we continue our series, the Good Life, JP teaches us about generosity as we study 2 Corinthians 9:6-13, showing us the good life is found through giving generously, cheerfully, and faithfully.

1) Give generously

2) Give cheerfully

3) Give faithfully 

If you had the opportunity to win the lottery or get a venomous snake as a pet, which would you choose? Is it an obvious answer? As we continue our series, The Good Life, JP teaches through Matthew 6:19-24, showing us we don’t really believe what the Scriptures teach when it comes to money.

1) The good life is determined by where you store

2) The good life is determined by how you see

3) The good life is determined by who you serve 

As we continue our series, “State of Warfare”, JP looks to 1 Timothy 4:1-10, explaining the enemy’s mission to “abandon the faith” by causing believers to doubt and turn away from God. He highlights the enemy’s method of replacing a genuine relationship with God with rigid rules, leading to spiritual emptiness. JP encourages believers to stay motivated by building a faith that lasts, rooted in gratitude, prayer, and steadfast trust in Jesus.

The enemy’s mission: Get you to “abandon the faith” 

The enemy’s method: Get you to replace relationship with rules

Our motivation: To build a faith that lasts

Life Group Discussion:

Can you share a time when you felt tempted to give up on your faith? How did you respond?

How can legalism affect your personal connection with God and others? 

How does gratitude play a role in strengthening your faith journey?

Have you ever felt like it would be easier for you to live a more isolated life? In this message, we talk about how isolation may feel easier, but it isn’t better. We were made for deep relationships and the Bible shows us how to have them!

1) Meaningful relationships come from loving one another deeply

2) Meaningful relationships come from offering hospitality joyfully

3) Meaningful relationships come from serving one another faithfully 

So many thoughts come to mind as we think about work. The solution isn’t a new job or more money, it is a biblical perspective on work.

1) How should we work? Obediently with a sincere heart.

2) Who do we work for? For the Lord.

3) Why do we work? For the future reward.

Have you ever received a gift that you didn’t like? What about a gift that you didn’t expect or know what to do with? As we continue our series, The Good Life, JP teaches us about the gifts we’ve been given by God—our time, talents, and treasures—and how we can best steward them for His glory, the good of others, and our own good.

1) The Good Life starts using the gifts we've been given

2) Good stewardship of gifts is rewarded

3) Misunderstanding the goodness of God has grave consequences

Our thoughts are tremendously powerful. The way we think largely determines the way we live. The Bible has given us instructions on how to have a good thought life so we could ultimately live the good life.

1) Our thoughts are not hidden from God

2) God’s thoughts are not hidden from us

3) Surrender your thoughts to God

Have you ever taken care of something extremely valuable that didn’t belong to you? Were you more careful than normal with things that belong to you? As we start our new series, The Good Life, JP teaches through 1 Corinthians 6:12-20, showing us one of the most valuable things on this earth we are all in charge of: our bodies.

1) Keep your body free from addiction

2) Keep your body free from sin

3) Understand your body is not yours

Do you dream of being success in this life? Do you hope to live the American Dream? In this one-off sermon, David Marvin teaches us through Luke 12, reminding us of what living the dream on this side of eternity looks like and where our true home is.

1) Living for the American Dream makes you a fool; Living for eternity makes you full.

2) Living for the American Dream makes you anxious; Living for eternity gives you peace.

3) Living for the American Dream makes you eternally bankrupt; Living for eternity leave you truly rich.

Have you ever been given a gift that you weren’t able to use or just didn’t want? In this message, we talk about how some of the things we do for God out of routine are not a gift to Him, but rather a burden. The routine of religion is a false substitute for a genuine relationship with Jesus.

1) Your rebellion leads to ruin

2) Your heartless actions aren’t accepted

3) Your forgiveness is final

In this Q&A with JP, we answer some of the most asked questions our body is asking from salvation to evangelism to relationships.

Do you have anything that you’ve taken with you from year to year and life stage to life stage? What about from 2021 to 2022…what have you brought with you from one year to the next? As we kick of a new calendar year, Scott Kedersha teaches us how Christians change and grow, teaching through Ephesians 4:17-24.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

-Stop walking like a non-believer.

-Where in your life are you living like a non-believer? Confess this to your life group and ask them to help you change.

-Do you know about Jesus, or do you know Jesus?

-Is your life marked by a trajectory that looks more and more like Jesus?

-Put off the old.

-Don’t just make small changes here and there. Completely forsake and repent from anything in your life that doesn’t look like Jesus.

-What do you need to put off: pride, greed, lust, grumbling, gossip, selfishness, something else?

-To be abundantly clear, putting off your old self isn’t about behavior management or modification. It’s not about earning God’s favor. It’s about responding to the truth of the gospel.

-Renew your mind.

-The way you think determines how you live.

-What do you feed your mind with?

-Put on the new.

-What do you need to put on: humility, generosity, self-control, gratitude, encouragement, service?

MENTIONED OR RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

-Suggested Scripture study: Ephesians 4:17-24, 2:1, 5:2, 5:8, 5:15; Hebrews 12:1-2; Philippians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 10:5; Romans 12:2; Colossians 3:12-14

-Ministry: re:generation. Learn more by going to harriscreek.org/events.

-Resource: biblereadingplan.org

In the conclusion of our series, More Than Conquerors, we look at the end of Romans 8 to see how the gospel gives us security. This security means no one can oppose us, no one can condemn us, and no one can separate us because we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus.

1) No one can oppose us

2) No one can condemn us

3) No one can separate us

Pastor Nate emphasizes that true freedom is found in abiding in Jesus' teachings, as God's truth breaks the chains of sin. He warns that Satan, the father of lies, seeks to deceive and destroy, leading people toward spiritual death. Ultimately, Nate reminds us that who we listen to determines who we belong to—either we follow God’s truth and find life, or we believe Satan’s lies and remain in bondage.

God’s truth leads to freedom

Satan’s lies lead to death

Who you listen to is who you belong to 

Life Group Discussion:

How can we ensure we are actively listening to and applying God's truth daily?

In what ways have you seen deception negatively impact relationships, faith, or personal growth?

What influences in your life are shaping the way you think and believe?

Have you ever been in what felt like a hopeless situation? Maybe you are (still) in one right now? As we continue our sermon series, "More Than Conquerors," JP teaches through Romans 8:28-30, showing us as Christians, we can always have both joy and hope regardless of what life throws our way.

1) All things turn out for our good.

2) Our good comes from the inside out.

3) Our best is yet to come.

Have you ever been on a journey but got tired along the way? Or have you been on a journey with kids who kept asking “are we there yet”? As we continue our series, More Than Conquerors, JP teaches through Roman 8:18-27, showing and reminding us this broken world is not our home.

1) Creation groans "we're not there yet"

2) Our bodies groan "we are not there yet"

3) The Spirit of God helps us in our weakness

The most important thing about you is who you are because of who your Father is. Romans 8 tells us that we have been adopted into God’s family, and we have access to the Father because of what the Son did for us.

1) Children of God follow their Father

2) Children of God are loved by their Father

3) Children of God have a hope for the future