May 3, 2026

In this sermon, we confront the "surprise" no one wants: the devastating gap between the miracle we prayed for and the reality of grief. Amidst the heartbreak of losing a beloved child, we set aside the party to sit in the honest, defiant landscape of Psalm 23. We discover a God who doesn’t offer trite explanations but a relentless, pursuing presence—a love that chases us even into the darkest valleys. When words fail, we find our way forward by simply showing up and mirroring the stubborn, enduring mercy that refuses to let us go.

Scripture: Psalm 23

For 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.

April 26, 2026

In this sermon, we explore the radical, countercultural surprise of staying put. In a world that profits from our restlessness, we investigate how the "vow of stability" offers a defiant path toward reenchantment. By looking at the grounded presence of Paul and Silas in a midnight prison cell, we discover that the grace we seek isn't found in our escape, but in our commitment to remain present to the beautiful, heavy reality right where we are.

Scripture: Acts 16:16–34

For 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.

April 19, 2026

In this sermon, we explore the scandalous reach of Easter hope through the lens of Saul’s blinding encounter on the road to Damascus. We confront a God who subverts our hierarchies of belonging, trading our rigid "safety patrol" certainties for a grace that reaches the very people we have labeled as "out." By examining the quiet bravery of Ananias, we are challenged to move beyond condemnation and embrace the radical humility required to call an enemy "brother." This is a call to inhabit the "Surprise Party" of the Gospel, where the scales of judgment fall away to reveal a kinship we never thought possible.

For 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.