The Great Exchange-Pastor David Dorn

Step Out of the Boat-Pastor David Dorn

Pastor David opens by revisiting a question from the previous week — would you rather live a self-sufficient, trouble-free life, or a life of uncertainty that drives you to depend on God daily? The honest answer, he says, is that most of us want both, but that's not how faith works. Drawing from Matthew 14:22-32, he sets the scene immediately after Jesus fed the five thousand — a massive ministry win — and points out that Jesus responded not by celebrating, but by withdrawing to pray. That posture of staying connected to the Father in both the good times and the hard times is the model Jesus sets before us. From there, Pastor David zeroes in on Peter's bold request to walk on the water toward Jesus. Peter stepped out while the other disciples stayed huddled in the boat, and that willingness to risk is exactly what spiritual growth requires. Yes, Peter sank — but he also walked on water. Growth, Pastor David reminds us, is not a straight line. It involves setbacks, stumbles, and a whole lot of personal grace. What matters is that we keep stepping toward Jesus, even when the waves are crashing around us. The sermon closes with a powerful image: when Jesus climbed back into the boat, the wind died down, and the disciples worshiped Him as the Son of God for the very first time in Matthew's Gospel. Pastor David points out that their understanding of Jesus was forever changed by what they had just lived through. The storms in our lives, he says, are not punishments — they are the very things that deepen our faith, sharpen our worship, and make God greater in our lives. We invite you to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/faithmcrichmondtx

Let Your Light Shine-Pastor David Dorn

Pastor David opens by reminding us that showing up with a pure heart, hungry for God, is itself something worth celebrating. Drawing from the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12, he points out that Jesus' earliest crowds weren't the religious elite — they were ordinary, broken people who were desperate for something more. And to them, Jesus said, "Blessed are you." God isn't looking for perfection before He pours out His blessing. He's looking for willingness. In fact, Pastor David notes that the most faith-filled people he's ever known are often those with the least stability — those who rely on God for their daily bread.But the blessing doesn't end there. Moving into Matthew 5:13-16, Pastor David makes it clear that those who are blessed by God are also used by God. Jesus calls His followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world — not the government, not the social elites, but ordinary people who embody Kingdom values. Salt preserves what surrounds it. Light illuminates what's around it. In the same way, the blessings God gives us are never meant to stop with us — they are meant to be passed through us to the people we live and work alongside every day.We invite you to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/faithmcrichmondtx

Sweet Surrender-Pastor Leo Lozano

Pastor Leo opens with a question that cuts straight to the heart: "Who is Jesus to you?" He observes that the American church is full of people who deeply respect Christ — we've got the jewelry, the bumper stickers, the home decor — but don't live as though He is truly our Lord and Savior. How you see Jesus, Pastor Leo argues, determines how you respond to Him, and that response shapes everything about the life you live. Turning to Luke 9:18-26, Pastor Leo walks through the moment Jesus asks His disciples the same piercing question. When Peter declares Jesus to be "God's Messiah," it sets the stage for one of the most demanding teachings in all of Scripture. Jesus tells His disciples that following Him means denying yourself, taking up your cross daily, and losing your life in order to truly save it. Pastor Leo explains that this isn't a riddle — it's a call to surrender your agency, your wants, and your rights to God every single morning, trading the question "What do I want today?" for "What does God have for me today?" The great encouragement woven throughout the sermon is this: God is a multiplier. What you lay at His feet, He gives back with meaning and purpose you could never manufacture on your own. Whether it's your time, your finances, your obedience, or your life's effort — God takes what is surrendered and multiplies it in ways that echo not just into this life, but into eternity. Pastor Leo closes by inviting us to see Jesus' call not as a heavy burden, but as what he calls "sweet surrender." We invite you to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/faithmcrichmondtx

Is God First In Your Life?-Pastor David Dorn

In week five of the series There Is None Greater, Pastor David tackles one of the most common struggles in the Christian life — worry. Drawing from Jesus's own words in Matthew 6:25-34, he reminds us that worry is ultimately a byproduct of misplaced faith. We let the small stuff grow too large because, deep down, we're not sure God can handle what life throws at us. But Jesus offers what Pastor David calls a "cheat code" — not for an easy life, but for a peaceful and meaningful one: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).Pastor David then walks through two powerful examples from Scripture that prove this principle out. Solomon, when given the chance to ask God for anything, asked for wisdom — and God, pleased by the purity of that request, gave him wealth and honor on top of it (1 Kings 3:10-13). Abraham, when tested with the life of his beloved son Isaac, chose to trust God over his greatest blessing — and God responded with an outpouring of promise and provision (Genesis 22:9-12, 15-18). Both men put God first, and God proved Himself faithful in return.The sermon closes with a personal and convicting challenge. Pastor David asks us to consider how we would respond if we came face to face with Jesus right now — not someday in eternity, but today. Like the many people in Scripture who fell at Jesus's feet the moment they encountered Him, we are called to that same daily posture of humility and surrender. Don't just imagine a future moment of worship. Seek Him now. Prioritize Him now. Make Him the greatest now — and watch Him bring order and peace to the rest of your life.We invite you to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/faithmcrichmondtx

Free to Be Free-Pastor David Dorn

Pastor David opens with a humorous story about a terrible hash brown that leads to a playful reimagining of the Fall — maybe Eve didn't hand Adam the forbidden fruit because it was irresistible, but because it was so awful she needed someone else to suffer through it too. In all seriousness though, that moment in the Garden marked the first time humanity experienced sin, and because of Adam, that sinful nature has been passed down to every generation since. This is precisely why the virgin birth matters: Jesus had no earthly father to pass down original sin, making Him the only one who could stand in our place. As 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." But freedom from sin is not the same as permission to sin freely. Drawing from Galatians 5:13-25, Pastor David challenges us to resist the temptation to treat the cross like a license to do whatever we want — what he colorfully calls the "James Bond" approach to grace. Instead, Paul calls believers to use their freedom to walk in the Spirit and love their neighbors, which he says fulfills the entire law. When we partner with what the Spirit is doing in the world, the fruit of that partnership — love, joy, peace, kindness, self-control, and more — begins to grow naturally in our lives. We invite you to connect with us: https://linktr.ee/faithmcrichmondtx