Sermons by Pastor Austin Vondracek

In a culture that worships self-sufficiency, strength has become its own religion with its own creed, practice, and promise.  But Scripture shows a radically different reality: God’s power is most visible in our weakness.  Using Paul’s “thorn in the flesh” from 2 Corinthians 12, this message reminds us that weakness is not sin, failure, or irresponsibility – it is our humanity.  It is the place where God’s grace meets us.  Instead of hiding our limitations, burdens, and dependence, we are…

In a world that celebrates independence as strength, what if needing others isn’t a sign of weakness but wisdom?  The opening message of this series challenges one of our culture’s deepest lies: that we can hold life together on our own.  Scripture reminds us that we were never meant to be self-sufficient.  We were made to be God-dependent and people-connected.

Christmas is over.  The wrapping paper’s gone, the cookies are stale, and life is getting back to the same, old normal.  But what if “normal” is where God stays at work?  Even when life gets quiet, God isn’t absent.  The same God who came to us in Bethlehem is still at work – doing something big, quietly.

The first Christmas wasn’t perfect, and that’s exactly how God planned it.  When everything was messy and uncertain, God didn’t shout from heaven or send more rules; he showed up.  We remember that Jesus came not to reward our perfection but to rescue us from our imperfection.  The story of Christmas isn’t about a perfect presentation but about the presence of God, Immanuel, “God with us.”  When we couldn’t get to him, he came to us.

Joseph’s story reminds us that faith isn’t about having all the answers; it’s about trusting the One who does.  When Joseph’s life fell apart, he responded with quiet obedience rather than loud control.  Advent reminds us that God’s interruptions are often invitations.  His plans may wreck ours, but they’re always better.  The same God who rewrote Joseph’s story is still rewriting our when we trust him enough to say yes, even when we don’t understand.

Advent reminds us that God is not late, even when he feels slow.  Just as Israel waited centuries for the Messiah, we wait for God’s promises and Christ’s return.  The Christmas story shows that God’s timing – his mow’ed – is perfect.  In our impatience, we want instant answers, but God works like a farmer, not a factory.  He grows faith in seasons, not seconds.  While we wait, we serve.  Advent trains us to be patient and remember the same God who showed up unexpectedly in a manger…

Most of us feel thankful for the people around us, but rarely say it.  And when we don’t express gratitude, it doesn’t just go unnoticed.  It can be misunderstood.  In this message, we look at how gratitude was never meant to be kept to ourselves.  When you express it, you do more than make someone’s day.  You reflect the heart of God.  Your gratitude can restore dignity, build connection, and even changed a life.  Because gratitude withheld is love unfelt.

Gratitude isn’t just a holiday tradition.  It’s a practice that has the power to transform us.  This message explores how thankfulness can bring peace, contentment, and joy no matter the circumstances, and how living with gratitude opens our eyes to God’s goodness.

Joseph’s setbacks weren’t wasted – they were classrooms where God shaped him through hardship, service, and waiting.  Each holdup refined Joseph’s character, taught him empathy, an deepened his trust in God’s timing.  When Pharaoh finally called him forward, Joseph was no longer the arrogant teen of Genesis 37 but a humble leader ready for influence.  Today, the same God who prepared Joseph through setbacks is at work in your hardships too, shaping you before he works through you.