Rhythm Church

The Psalms cultivate a rich, deep, authentic life with God in us. We learn how to know God deeply through these poems and songs of praise. But what about the dry seasons of life where God is distant and it’s hard to experience him? In this sermon, Matt unpacks Psalm 42 to give us vision about how to navigate these dry seasons. Everyone will experience dry seasons in their life with God and it’s important to know how to walk through them well. The post Navigating Dry Seasons (Tools for Every Season of the Soul, Part 6) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Member of Rhythm’s Guidance Team, Paul Olver leads us through Psalm 37 to explore an age-old situation that trips up many people: the bad guys seem to win while those trying to be good and do good have a hard time. In response we must look below the surface and take the long view – and use the teaching of this Psalm to monitor and regulate what’s going on inside us. The post Heart Check (Tools for Every Season of the Soul, Part 5) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Self-pity creates a wall of sorrow that we build around our self to the point that we will focus on our wounds and how horrible life is and how nothing goes our way.  However when we realize that Jesus suffered in every way that we have, yet without sin, we can live in a refreshed mindset thankful for the little things we have forgotten. Did you wake up in a bed this morning? Was there a roof over that bed? Was there food in the fridge? Member of Rhythm’s Preachers Roundtable, Anthony Fadelle reminds us that if the answer was yes to these questions, we are doing OK! Ultimately our relationship with Jesus needs to start with us being thankful with our heartbeat. The post Thank Your Heartbeat (Tools for Every Season of the Soul, Part 4) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Anger is a core human emotion, but is so rarely embraced or accepted in society and in churches. We tend to sweep our anger under the rug, being unwilling to face this intense emotion. But the Psalms do not refrain from showing their anger and rage. The writers of the Psalms pray angry prayers, expressing their pain and raw frustration with the world. In this sermon, Matt examines Psalm 109, one of the angriest passages of the entire Bible. This psalm is a tool that God uses to form us into people who pray our anger, rather than directing it onto other people. The post Pray Your Anger (Tools for Every Season of the Soul, Part 3) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

How many of us like to clean toilets? It’s not the most popular chore in the world. Cleaning a toilet is something that most people tend to avoid rather than embrace. But when a loved one is visiting our house, then the toilet gets cleaned! In this sermon, Preacher’s Roundtable member Chelsea Bulack compares Psalm 51 to a toilet brush. This psalm helps us to experience God’s loving cleansing and joy through repentance and confession. Facing our darkness is never easy, but life and healing occur when we acknowledge our sin and seek God. The post Cleaning House (Tools For Every Season of the Soul, Part 2) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Western society breeds discontentment and dissatisfaction. We are constantly bombarded with the message that we don’t have enough – we are lacking. In this sermon, Matt unpacks Psalm 23 which offers an alternative vision and reality. This psalm speaks of the abundant provision, guidance, and care that we can receive from God. Because God is our shepherd, we lack nothing. The post I Lack Nothing (Tools for Every Season of the Soul, Part 1) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

It is impossible for life to exist without water. If there is no water then there is no life. The Bible describes the Holy Spirit as being living water to the human soul – fresh, powerful, renewing life in God. In this sermon, Matt examines the story of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:1-26. Jesus promises to give his Spirit freely and generously to anyone who recognizes their need and seeks God’s help. The post Drink Living Water appeared first on Rhythm Church.

What is the purpose of the church? Do individuals need the church to actually follow Jesus? Many people today believe that being part of the church makes it more difficult to follow Jesus. They love Jesus but not the church. In this sermon, guest speaker Darryl Williamson examines how the Spirit builds up the church around the person and work of Jesus as described in Ephesians 2:19-22. The Spirit does not just develop individuals, but entire communities of people who are submitted to Jesus. The post The Spirit’s Community Development Project appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Human beings want to be in control. We want to control our lives, our future, and our schedules. But Jesus invites us to a life of being led, filled, and directed by the Holy Spirit. In this sermon, Matt examines the story of the Holy Spirit coming at Pentecost in Acts 2:1-47. The early church discovered that the Holy Spirit is the best leader that they could possibly have to navigate the complexities and challenges of following Jesus in their context. The post The Leadership of the Spirit (Be Filled, Part 1) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Jesus created a diverse community to carry his mission forward in the world. The original group of disciples came from different backgrounds, different social classes, and held different political convictions. In this sermon, Matt unpacks Luke 6:12-19 where Jesus models what a healthy community centered around him can move forward in his mission. A thick rhythm of togetherness is challenging because people have sharp edges and it hurts to get cut, but it is impossible to really follow Jesus without other people. The post Community & Togetherness (Rhythms of Grace, Part 4) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

The “Have it your way,” culture has formed an attitude that we are entitled to get what we want, when we want it. What would it look like for us to lay down the insatiable desire to get our way? Jesus models a new rhythm, a continual laying down of his way for God’s way, the rhythm of Lordship & Submission. In this sermon, Liz explores how the person of Jesus, the guru of life, gives us reason to joyfully and willingly lay down our agenda for His, leading us to the most exhilarating life possible. The post Lordship & Submission (Rhythms of Grace, Part 3) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

It is easy to compartmentalize different aspects of our lives into “spiritual” and “secular.” Many of us do this in order to gain a sense of control over the complexity of our lives. We have a particular tendency to do this regarding the work we do during the week. What could it mean for followers of Jesus to integrate their faith and their work? What kind of impact could that have on our lives and the type of work that we do? In this sermon, Matt examines Genesis 2:4-20 and explains how God went about his creation work, how humans continue God’s work in the world, and what it can look like for us to collaborate with God in our work. The post Working With God appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Jesus invites us to follow him and take on his rhythms of life. Every person has a pattern, a flow, a rhythm to the way they live. In this sermon, Matt explores Mark 1:35-39 and other passages that show that Jesus had a thick rhythm of worship and abiding with God. This was the source of life, power, identity, and joy that anchored his life and heart. Jesus shows us that the most central rhythm of our lives is worshipping God. The post Worship & Abiding (Rhythms of Grace, Part 1) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

The resurrection of Jesus has profound implications for our individual lives, our city, and the entire world. When Jesus defeated sin, death, & the devil new possibilities emerged with him out of the tomb. In this sermon, Matt examines the resurrection story in John 20:1-23. Because Christ rose from the dead we can have hope in the midst of grief, peace in the midst of fear, and power to keep the resurrection dominoes toppling over. The post Resurrection Dominoes appeared first on Rhythm Church.

On Palm Sunday the church remembers Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey as he prepares to die. It is a multilayered story because while the people celebrated Jesus’ arrival to the city, he wept. In this sermon, Preacher Roundtable member Justin Aguirre examines Luke 19: 28-44  and the themes of death, pain, suffering, and the hope of new life. The post Cheers and Tears appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Jesus describes himself as a good shepherd who guides, leads, and protects us sheep. It is the shepherd’s job to speak and lead and then the sheep listen and follow. In this sermon, Matt examines John 10:1-6 and the importance for followers of Jesus to listen and respond to his voice. We must have courage and faithfulness with the areas where Jesus has been absolutely clear, and we must practice prayerful discernment for the gray decisions in life. The post Courage and Clarity (Ears to Hear, Part 4) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

In this special service, Rhythm’s Guidance Team commissions Matt Alexander into his new role as Lead Pastor. Matt shares from Luke 10:25-37 as Rhythm looks forward to a new season of ministry and mission in Miami. The post Lead Pastor Commissioning appeared first on Rhythm Church.

How do we find our way in life? Every person is faced with big picture, existential questions as well as normal, everyday, mundane choices and decisions. In this sermon Paul Olver, member of Rhythm’s Guidance Team and Preachers Roundtable looks at Jesus’ experience of solitude in Mark 14:32-42 for some important ingredients in finding God’s will as we navigate the complexities of life. The post Finding God’s Will (Ears to Hear, Part 2) appeared first on Rhythm Church.

Lent is a season marked by repentance, fasting, and discernment. In this sermon Paul Olver, member of Rhythm’s Guidance Team and Preachers Roundtable, begins this new sermon series on discernment by talking about three biblical stories that shape our understanding and practice of Lent. He then draws practical advice from Isaiah 30:15-21 on how we can prepare ourselves to hear God’s voice of direction. The post Preparing to Hear God’s Voice appeared first on Rhythm Church.

In this series, we’ve been honest about the problems and pitfalls of giving. But there are also benefits that come from a lifestyle of radical generosity. In Philippians 4:17 the Apostle Paul writes, “I want you to receive the blessings that come from giving.” In this last message of the series Paul Olver, member of Rhythm’s Guidance Team and Preachers Roundtable, unpacks 5 important things that we get out of giving.   The post The Benefits of Giving (Giving Dangerously, Part 4) appeared first on Rhythm Church.