Sermons by Pastor Austin Vondracek

In Genesis 39, Joseph’s integrity was put to the test.  When Potiphar’s wife pursued him, Joseph refused.  Not because of fear of reputation or loss of position, but because he wouldn’t betray God.  His “yes” to integrity landed him undeservedly in prison.  Yet Joseph never lost what mattered most: God’s presence.  This week reminds us that doing the right thing won’t always bring short-term reward, but compromise costs even more.  Integrity may twist the plot of your life, but it…

Joseph’s life, once aimed toward privilege and leadership, is suddenly rewritten by betrayal and loss.  This message highlights how easy it is to trust God’s goodness when we know the ending, but Joseph didn’t.  In the pit and on the road to Egypt, all he knew was his dreams were gone.  Like Joseph, we face seasons when the “all things” that God works together for our good (Romans 8:28) are just bad things.  Yet the same God who was with…

Jesus was often criticized by religious people for spending time with sinners.  They believed holiness meant separation, but Jesus showed that holiness moves toward people, not away.  He didn’t avoid the broken – he ate with them, loved them, and invited them in.  Today, we’re tempted to isolate ourselves in the safety of Christian bubbles.  But when we do, we separate ourselves from the world God gave his life for.

People in Jesus’ day – and today – criticize or abandon Jesus when he doesn’t meet their expectations.  This message explores historical messianic expectations, Jesus’ subversion of those expectations, and the modern tendency to either bolt from God or sculpt him into our own image.  Instead, accept Jesus as he is, rather than making him into who you want.

Jesus didn’t just heal the paralyzed man – he forgave his sin and claimed an authority that only belongs to God.  That’s the scandal: Jesus doesn’t just teach like God or love like God – he is God.  That was hard to accept then, and it still is now.  But if it’s true, everything changes.  Because if Jesus is God, your forgiveness is real – and the debt is already paid.

Jesus was criticized for breaking the rules, but what he really broke were the human traditions that distorted God’s law.  He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it with justice, mercy, and love.  If your rule-keeping gets in the way of loving people, you’ve missed God’s heart.  Jesus didn’t come to make you love the rules – he came to set you free to love like him.

Jesus isn’t soft on sin – he’s strong on mercy. In a world that rewards effort, Jesus offers grace instead. This leveling of the playing field upset those who thought (and still think!) they’d earned more. When grace feels unfair, we’re invited to examine our pride and ask: Do I want a God who rewards effort or forgives?