The Porch

Do we look for the path of least resistance when God is calling us to follow the path that leads to Him? This week, our guest speaker Nate Hilgenkamp, young adults and teaching pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church, takes us to 2 Samuel 15 & 18 to remind us that God doesn’t promise easy, instead He’s given us a Kingdom purpose in enemy territory.

You've heard that comparison is the thief of joy, but what else is it stealing from us? If we look to our left, right, or even down at our phones, it's not hard to find someone to compare ourselves against — but Kylen Perry reminds us through John 21 that while comparison turns friends into rivals, Christ's compassion frees us from the fear of deficiency.

This week, we welcomed John Cox, Watermark's executive pastor, and Caitlin Van Wagoner, Watermark's senior communications director, on stage with Kylen Perry to share Biblical truths and practical wisdom they've learned over the course of their careers.

Following Jesus isn't a solo sport, and we're called to pass the baton of faith on to those around us. But how do we do this well? This week, Josiah Jones walks through Hebrews 12 to show us lessons he's learned from Scripture and a life of ministry on how to live out the mission we've been called to.

We often want to find our purpose in our work, but God has already filled our jobs with purpose. This week, Kylen Perry refers to Ephesians 6 to show us that we've been instructed in how to work well in a world that wants us to work with an agenda.

The ideas of revenge and bitterness aren’t exactly new, but the Bible and the world have very different opinions on how we should deal with the sting of betrayal. This week, Kylen Perry points to Genesis 37-50, where Joseph is betrayed by everyone around him - including his own brothers - yet God uses what some meant for evil for the good of a nation.

The Bible uses a lot of “family” language, but what does it mean that we’re a part of God’s family? This week, Oren Martin, Watermark’s Senior Director of Equipping, points to Mark 3:20-35 to show us how Jesus is making a new family of God on earth gathered around Himself — and he’s doing it with outsiders.

How we relate to Jesus says a lot about how we'll relate to our spouse. This week, Kylen Perry and his wife, Brooke, walk us through the misconceptions of marriage and what scripture says marriage is - and isn't - truly about.

We spend a lot of time seeing if other people measure up to our ideal dating checklist — but have we stopped to evaluate ourselves first? This week, Kylen Perry points to 1 Timothy 4:12 and other passages to remind us that a meaningful connection to God is the source of a meaningful connection to others.

Why do we have friends — and more importantly how do we become good ones? As we kick off "The Relationship Series," Kylen Perry points to 1 Samuel 18 to show us the theology of friendship and how we can deepen the relationships that God gave us for our enjoyment.

The more we look to Jesus, the more we become like Him — and that means living like we believe we have a mission here on earth, because we do. This week, Kylen Perry points to Colossians 4:2-6 to remind us that as we gain clarity of Christ, we should start to pray, walk, and speak differently than we did before.

What if you believe in God, but just don’t feel Him right now? This week, guest speaker Tyler Moffett, points us to Isaiah 49 as we consider what it means to navigate trials and suffering while trusting in God’s promises — and it all starts with a moment of surrender.

The world has repackaged the shackles of pornography as the symbol of sexual freedom — so how do we move forward? This week, Timothy "TA" Ateek points to Colossians 3:5 to remind us that we're called to put all sexual immorality - whether it's videos, books, thoughts - to death and live in the freedom that Christ offers.

If we're made new when we accept Christ, why do we try to keep the old? This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Colossians 3:1-17 to remind us that we're called to set our sin aside and set our minds on Christ instead.

Are you trying to add to Jesus? This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Colossians 2:16-23 to show us that we don't have to chase spiritual feelings, seek moral activities, or give an impressive appearance — our love of Christ is what makes us more like Him.

Do you put more weight on your faith in God or your fear of failure? This week, guest speaker Nate Hilgenkamp takes us through Numbers 13-14 to remind us that when we expand our view of God, we'll realize that He's never been (and will never be) the God of "good enough."

Who - or what - is lord of your life? If you claim Jesus Christ, then there has to be a total life transformation that follows. This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Colossians 2 to give us a few lessons for the living we see Paul outline for the church of Colossae.

Who is Jesus really? Is he a miracle worker? Religious figure? The guy my parents believe in? Or is He something more altogether? This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Colossians 1:15-20 to provide clarity on who Jesus actually is. Speaker: Kylen Perry

While we were once slaves to our sin, Jesus came to make a way for us to live as sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father — so why do we still act like orphans? This week, guest speaker Drew Worsham walks us through the parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15 to remind us that we're not defined by our rebellion, but by our reconciliation to the Father.

The point of a Christian life is to know God and live for Him — how can we tell if we're actually doing this, though? As Kylen Perry reminds us through Colossians 1 - where Paul is reminding the believers in Colossae - when we walk with the Lord, our very identity changes and we should show some signs of new life.

What are you known for? This week we kicked off our new series "Above All," and Kylen Perry takes us through Colossians 1 to show us what it means to have a genuine faith that leaves a lasting impression.

We’re called to be holy and set apart from the world in all areas of life. This week, guest speaker and Lead Pastor of Harris Creek Baptist Church Jonathan “J.P.” Pokluda reminded us through 1 Thessalonians 4 that when we act on sexual desires outside of God’s design we end up in places we never meant to go.

Do you want Jesus to be Lord over all your life, or just part of it? This week, Kylen Perry walks us through John 9 to show us that Jesus will meet us where we are, but He isn't just concerned with healing the areas of our lives we decide need fixing, He wants to make everything new.

What are you putting your confidence in? Whether it’s your literal resume or your spiritual one, when we treat Jesus like a sidenote in the story we come up empty-handed. This week, Josiah Jones takes us through Philippians 3 to remind us we don’t need to perform for Christ, we just need to pursue Him.

All of life is a drawing close or a drifting away from God — but what makes the difference? This week, Kylen Perry points to 1 John 1 and makes the case that confessing our sin and accepting the gift of forgiveness is the key to closeness to Christ.

Are you addicted to being busy? Finding satisfaction in an ever-growing to-do list? While it's easy to slip into achiever mode, this week Kylen Perry takes us through Luke 10 to show us that when we live distracted we risk missing out on the one thing we really need — to focus fully on Jesus.

Surrender by nature is uncomfortable, yet it's what God instructs us to do daily. When a rich young ruler in Mark 10 is told this it leads to disappointment, but this week Kylen Perry reminds us that the cost of following Jesus is nothing compared to what we get in return.

It's easy to get distracted in a world that demands our attention. This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Psalm 27, where we see David recognize that in order to pursue what matters, we have to give our attention to the One who deserves our focus — and it all starts with one question.

Do you try to "fix" your feelings? Guest speaker and author of "Untangle Your Emotions" Jennie Allen walks us through John 11 to remind us that Jesus felt things deeply, and when we learn how to acknowledge our feelings in a biblical way we can find freedom from the confusion.

We're constantly being told we need to find ourselves, but what if we just need to rest in the identity God's already given us? This week, guest speaker Nate Hilgenkamp walks us through 1 Peter 1 to remind us that names are given, not earned — and God has called us chosen.

Where are you looking to find fulfillment? Answers probably range from jobs and status to relationships and looks, but in this message, Kylen Perry teaches from Psalm 27 to show us that true contentment is found when we rest in dependence on our Father.

Do you trust God to be the Lord of your life — or is that a title you want to keep for yourself? Last night, Kylen Perry walked us through Matthew 6 to remind us that God doesn’t want us to strive to achieve self-sufficiency, but rest in the confidence that comes with self-surrender.

Why do we celebrate Christmas? This week, Timothy “TA” Ateek reminds us of the truth behind John 3:16, the most famous verse in the Bible, to show us that the good news of the season is rooted in the reality of the Gospel.

Do you feel like your expectations of God doesn't match your experience of Him? This week, Kylen Perry walks us through Philippians 4:6-7 and the relationship between intimacy with God and prayer. Our prayer life will lead us to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding if we submit and confess our anxious thoughts to Him.

Do you ever wish you could hit the reset button on past mistakes? This week, Timothy “TA” Ateek walks us through Peter’s redemption story in John 21 to remind us that the past doesn’t have the right to remind us of our failures, only of our restoration in Jesus Christ.

How would your life change if you knew you had everything you needed with Jesus? This week, guest speaker Louie Giglio, Pastor of Passion City Church and Founder of Passion Conferences, walks us through the life of Paul in Acts and his writings in Romans and 2 Corinthians to remind us that we have the authority under Christ to conquer sin and live convinced that we can accomplish the works God has appointed us to do.

In His last hours, Jesus didn’t flex His power or showcase His status — instead, He lowered Himself down to serve those who knew Him the be the Messiah. This week, Josiah Jones walked us through John 13:1-15 to show us that true greatness is found when we serve others and love those around us even when it means humbling ourselves.

Is there sin or sickness in your life that needs healing? It's not hard to see this world is broken and in need of healing, but how do we move from hurting to healed? This week, Timothy "TA" Ateek walks us through John 5:1-15 and shows us we need more than healing for our brokenness — we need the right view of the Healer.

What does it mean to have a saving faith? For Nicodemus, it meant following all the rules and checking the boxes, but this week Timothy “TA” Ateek walks us through John 3:1-15 to show us how Jesus is the Truth Teller when it comes to our salvation — it’s not something we earn, but a free gift we’re miraculously given!

Suffering is (unfortunately) inevitable, but it’s not the end — instead of temporary happiness, God offers us eternal joy when we look to Him during trials. This week, guest speaker Matt Chandler, Lead Pastor of The Village Church, walks us through the Book of Job to remind us that even though we live in a broken world, God draws close to the brokenhearted.

You’ve probably heard “The church isn’t a place, it’s a people,” but do we actually live our lives like the Holy Spirit lives within us? This week, Timothy “TA” Ateek walks us through John 2:13-22 and shows us how God cares deeply for His temple, and sometimes that means clearing out distractions and sacrificing convenience so we can prioritize the Presence of God.

Believing in Jesus is the beginning of your faith journey, not the end. Now it's time to follow Him, but how do we do that in a culture that pushes being in control of your own life? This week, Josiah Jones walks us through John 1:35-51 to show us how we can be better disciples of the one true leader of our lives.

In the beginning was the Word, then the Word became flesh and we were given the ultimate gift. This week, Timothy "TA" Ateek walks us through John 1:1-14 to show us how to respond to the gift of Jesus, the Son of God who came to reveal His Glory.

If we want a revival to happen in our generation, we have to have a hunger for holiness — but what does that look like? Guest speaker Luke LeFevre walks us through Matthew 24:37-44 to remind us that God's patience with us is not His passivity toward our sin, and if we want to experience true intimacy with Him we have to repent and start pursuing holiness.

In a society where we're told to "live our truth," Scripture makes it clear that the only way to find our identity is to recognize who we are in Christ. This week, guest speaker Kylen Perry, Metro Venue Pastor in Houston, TX, walks us through Genesis 32:24-30 to show us how God will lead us out of hiding to get us to embrace our design.

How will your future self look back on your young adult years? This week, Timothy "TA" Ateek walks us through the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 11-12 and gives us biblical guidelines for living in a way that honors God and keeps us from wasting our 20s and 30s.

When you have an eternal perspective, the way you live your life should change. This week, Josiah Jones takes us through Ecclesiastes 7 and highlights Biblical truths that will help us live in the present, with the end in mind.

As Christians, the Bible tells us trials are inevitable — but what if you're putting yourself through additional, avoidable pain? This week, Timothy "TA" Ateek takes us through Ecclesiastes 10 and lays out what the Bible says about seeking wisdom to keep us off a path that leads to hurt.

Money is on our minds, but it shouldn't rule our hearts. This week, Timothy "TA" Ateek walks us through Ecclesiastes 5:10-6:6 to show us that money can bring joy and contentment or stress and anxiety; it all depends on whether you view money as a gift or a god.

How can you love someone you don’t know? To love God, we must know who He is—the one God who is three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. This week, guest speaker Oren Martin walks us through Ephesians 1:3-14 to give us a biblical perspective of the Triune God who is worthy of our praise.