When the Gentiles were told about the message of Jesus, they worshiped and rejoiced. To the Jews, the message of Jesus was a threat to their kingdom. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Acts 13:13-52 to examine how the greatest threat to our sanctification is that we push Jesus out when we feel that the kingdom we've built with our lives is threatened.…

Why do followers of Christ obey God? Why do we practice spiritual disciplines? The Gospel, lived out, is attractive and intriguing enough for onlookers to want to know why those sharing it are different. Join Pastor Shannon Butler in Acts 13:1-13 to examine the never-failing mission of God and our opportunity to carry it out.…

Many followers of Christ have lots of questions about the Holy Spirit, such as how the Holy Spirit speaks or His purpose. At His core, the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, comforts us, guides us, gives us spiritual gifts and a desire to obey God, and enables us to pray and to understand God's word. Join Dylan Nielander in Acts 13:1-4 to study the Ho…

Last week, we established that we want to partner with God as He moves. But how do we achieve that partnership? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Acts 12 to study how partnering with God begins with praying to God. What are you praying for? Are you praying prayers so bold that you may not even believe it when your prayer is answered? We hope that as you …

Evangelism is the spreading of the Christian gospel by public preaching or personal witness. How did the early church share the good news of Jesus after He left Earth? How should we think about evangelism in our culture today? Join Dylan Nielander as he opens Acts 11:19-30 and teaches on evangelism and encouragement.…

Throughout the Old Testament, Scripture tells a story of one God for one people - God's chosen people, the Jews. So when He encountered a Gentile one day, it wrecked the Jewish theology. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he teaches through Acts 10:1-11:18 and the first encounter of the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles. How can we practice showing God's love t…

To begin our new series Church History, its imperative that we know what is church? What did Jesus teach us about how the "church" should operate before He left Earth? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he teaches on Matthew 16:13-18 and the fascinating truth about how Jesus never used the word "church" as a building but an "ekklesia."…

How do we think about grace and truth in terms of ourselves? We need to never forget our need for forgiveness. Join Dylan Nielander in John 1:14-18, the Book of 1 John, and Luke 18:11-14 to study God's faithfulness to forgive and what that means for us in our walks with the Lord.By DCCtally

Eternal life in Christ Jesus is the free gift of God. Period. And yet, so often we try to earn our salvation, as if it's at all possible for us to do that on our own. But with God, all things are possible. What is God prompting you to let go of? What does He want you to release control of? Join Pastor Shannon Butler in our study of Mark 10:17-28 to…

How do we serve our enemies? How do we serve those in sin without affirming their sin? In every context and situation, our thoughts should not be about ourselves but about how we can serve those in our vicinity. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Mark 10:32-45 to study the servant-hearted Spirit that is in Jesus and is now in us, enabling us to lead well.…

This is the last Sunday at DCC before the current semester ends, so we want to encourage you with a summary sermon! In a life transition, it is so easy to wish you could go back to the “good days” but God has called you to the here and now. Your season of spiritual struggle is just as formative as your season of spiritual success! Join Pastor Ben K…

Looking at almost every religion, they have rules. Generally, they're a means to an end, such as "if you ___ then you may ___." But Jesus just wants us to be His children. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in John 8:1-11 to examine why we can't obey and the decision Jesus made to pay the price for our disobedience.…

In thinking of the woman who poured her jar of alabaster on Jesus' feet, we think of the event as an extravagant form of worship. But what led her, a prostitute with great sin (leading to greater forgiveness), to do this for Jesus? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Luke 7:36-50 to examine this story from Jesus' perfect perspective of grace and truth, esp…

In tough situations, we tend to favor either giving grace to others or giving truth to others. However, it's important that we balance both because they are equally important. Jesus, who is full of both grace AND truth, provides a blueprint for how to live. If we're going to look like Jesus, we need the Gospel to fully penetrate our hearts. Join Pa…

If you don't have a God that's big enough for your questions, then you don't have a God. Jesus didn't have to roll the stone away to leave the tomb, but He did as an invitation to investigate. Faith is more than critical thinking, but it is not less than it! Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in both John 20:1-17 and the book of Acts to examine the Resurrect…

At the end of our By Faith series, we want to challenge you to run the race that is set before you with endurance. However, it's completely inefficient to run a marathon with a weight on your shoulders. You either take the weight off, or you stop running. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we dive into Hebrews 11:37-12:2 to reflect on what it is that hold…

The Bible teaches that God provides time and time again, but times do change. However, God provides in different ways for different times. Join Dylan Nielander in our study of 1 Kings 17:1-8; 1 Kings 16:28; and John 10:27-28 to examine how the Lord our Shepherd leads his sheep, and what that means for us in our faith walks.…

How can Christians speak with spiritual authority into culture? Join our guest Pastor Derrick Hayes from Engage Church as he unpacks the backstory of Moses and how it affected his spiritual authority. We are continuing through Old Testament character studies from Hebrews 11 and this week in Hebrews 11:24-26 (NLT).…

By DCCtally

So often, we wait to BECOME “that” person, when we should always BE “that” person. And you know who “that” person you're thinking of is. David and Goliath is a popular Bible story that is often portrayed as a testament of God making the impossible possible. But what if we thought about it as an encouragement to be faithful to God in the here and no…

When our image of ourselves is different than what God has in store for us, there is a tension that we feel that almost always reveals an idol. That idol could be the sport you play, the club you're in, or in both Gideon's context and in many of our contexts, our comfort. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in our study of Judges 6-7:2 to examine the way that…

Sometimes we have to make decisions that make no sense to the world, but we know that it's what God has called us to. Moses is no stranger to this. When he left the comfort of living in Pharoah's palace that he grew up in, he was commissioned by God to be a shepherd for 40 years. Sounding crazy already? It gets crazier. We all know Moses as the man…

When we read stories in Scripture about people God used, we can put them on a pedestal or think of them as magical storybook characters. But if we think of them as unattainable it actually leaves us discouraged. Join us as Pastor Ben demystifies these characters, to instead be attainable role models of not perfect faith but resilient faith. This wi…

The story of Jacob and Esau fulfills the prophecy of “the older will serve the younger” because in his hungry desperation, Esau sold his inheritance to Jacob, his younger brother, for a bowl of lentils. He had a temporary appetite that needed to be satiated immediately, and we can definitely relate to this idea in that we constantly are going to te…

Do you BELIEVE God, or do you just believe in Him? The Bible tells us that God is worthy of our trust because nothing is out of His control. He has planned everything intentionally for His glory, and has kept every single promise. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we dive into Genesis 12:2-3; 15:1-20, and Jeremiah 34:18 to examine the history of the cove…

Any relationship has its ebbs and flows, typically based on the assumptions that we bring to the table. We all have assumptions in every relationship, and we tend to assume we’re right. In the book of Genesis, both Cain and Abel made a sacrifice to God, but Abel’s sacrifice had more reverence to God so He preferred it. Cain was angered by this beca…

Lots of believers talk about faith but often don't really know what it means to have faith. Scripture tells us that faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance in what we do not see. But what Scripture also tells us is that faith as small as a mustard seed can move mountains. We might not have much faith, but we can use inductive reasonin…

As we enter into the new year, it’s important that we are all on the same page about the mission and vision of Downtown Community Church. We all have an internal tension growing in this life because we know what’s to come in the next life, but we don’t want to waste the opportunity God has given us to live by faith, not by sight! Join Pastor Ben Ka…

The reality is that we all have a tendency to prefer the certainty of slavery over the uncertainty of faithfully trusting in God. It’s easy to look back with a positive slant on how things used to be, even when the past is as extreme as slavery to a nation. This may play out in our lives through waiting on a right romantic relationship or living wi…

The books of the Bible are intricately intertwined, both validating the Bible's trustworthiness and showing us the Lord's dominion. Throughout His life on earth, Jesus fulfilled so many prophecies about the Messiah found in the Book of Isaiah. Join Pastor William Colle as we jump between Isaiah 61:1-3 and Luke 4:16-21 to understand how Jesus fulfil…

Jesus has ALREADY made a way for us to live in perfect communion with God. When we understand that our God is both strong Savior and loving Shepherd, our lives are transformed because we feel both loved and served. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Isaiah 40:1-11 as we examine God's role as fully Lion and fully Lamb, and what that means for us in our wal…

"How can a good God allow evil to exist and go unpunished?" "Why does it feel like there's a God of wrath & judgement in the Old Testament and a God of love in the New Testament?" These are questions we have all asked or been asked before. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in Isaiah 11:1-10 as he teaches how to reconcile a God of both wrath and love. Unders…

Looking at the world, anyone can point out its flaws. Many people even ask “Where is God in all this?” However, God never promised that we would avoid pain, suffering, or darkness. What He did promise was that He would be there with us, which is an incredible gift. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we examine the gift of light that God gave to a broken w…

So often we we follow our ways and our view of the abundant life instead of Jesus' ways. We need to realize that so long as Jesus is a threat to the kingdoms we have built, we will do our best to bury Jesus in pursuit of our desires. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer in John 11:1-53 for the last sermon of our Signs series, to examine how Jesus raising Lazar…

How often is calling found in comfort? That's right, not often at all. Join Pastor Derrick Hayes of Engage Church in a study of both 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 and Matthew 16:13-25 to understand how calling is related to power and wisdom, and how we ought to treat it. This week, we challenge you to consider what ways you're padding the cross and what ar…

The miracle of Jesus healing the blind man is often used to promote evangelism, but what would happen if we understood this sign as a heart change? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we dive into John 9:1-39 to examine how we were once blind, but now we see.By DCCtally

What's the thing you're looking for more than Jesus? Jesus feeding the 5,000 men with two fish and five barley loaves is a popular sign He performed, but they were more focused on the miracle than the miracle worker. Listen in with Pastor Ben Kaempfer as we go through John 6:1-36 to unpack how the people wanted what Jesus could provide more than th…

Following Christ, for a lot of us, has become a system of checking off boxes. However, we can’t put God in a box. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he dives into John 5:10-47, the second part of the miracle of Jesus healing the paralyzed man at the pool, where we understand the sign and the implications it presents for our lives now.…

We all have struggles whether they're sickness, mental illness, or strongholds. But how does Jesus walk into our mess? Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer for the first half of a lesson on John 5:1-14, where the miracle of Jesus healing a paralyzed man is dissected.By DCCtally

In John 4:43-54, we see a Father with a dying child who has to trust Jesus. This story reveals what true faith in Jesus is and what trusting Him looks like! Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he unpacks the story and answers the often confusing question: What is faith?By DCCtally

What's hiding in the "cupboards" of your heart that you would feel ashamed of Jesus finding? Join Dylan Nielander in John 2: 13-25 to learn about what we need to drive out of our hearts, the temple Jesus resides in.By DCCtally

To follow Jesus, we want to study more of who He is & the miraculous stories recorded while He was on Earth! Join us on this 7-week journey through John, studying seven of the miraculous "signs" Jesus performed. Let's stretch ourselves beyond these familiar stories to see Jesus' divine power! We will learn these are more than miracles but signs tha…

Oftentimes we know we're willing to serve, yet there are competitors for our time and energy. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he dives into servant leadership through John 13:1-17.By DCCtally

Many of us have the longing to reach the lost, but feel incapable, unworthy, overwhelmed, and stuck with what next steps to take. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he reads Luke 19:1-10 and leaves us with two simple and practical questions.By DCCtally

To follow Jesus in community is not just to "have Christian friends". Scripture teaches us to "confess our sins to one another" to "carry each others burdens." Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he unpacks the key to authentic community and the simple steps to take to deepen relationships!By DCCtally

Sometimes following Jesus sounds like the harder option, yet we can testify it's the only option that leads to abundant life, joy, and peace. In this new series, Made For More, Pastor Ben Kaempfer teaches that following Jesus is not just what we "should do" , we were MADE for it.By DCCtally

We are always craving more and more in life; material items, experiences, future dreams, etc. In the final week of Philippians, we are focusing on contentment. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer as he unpacks Paul's encouragement on how he discovered the secret to contentment!By DCCtally

We tend to think the older we get, the more "freedom" we have. But we have a false idea of freedom, the abundant life involves constantly growing in maturity. Join guest speaker Pastor Derrick Hayes from Engage Church for a powerful message on maturing in our walk with Jesus!By DCCtally

Last week we talked about anxious thoughts. This week in Philippians, Paul gives us practical steps for how to take thoughts captive. Join Pastor Ben Kaempfer, as he gives us helpful questions to test our thoughts through!By DCCtally