Message Us!

Hope is hard to find when life feels like a graveyard, and that’s exactly why Luke 24 is so disruptive. We start with the women walking to Jesus’ tomb carrying spices and heartbreak, expecting a sealed stone, a dead body, and one more day of grief. Instead, they find an open tomb, God’s messengers, and a question that cuts through every distraction: “Why do you seek the living among the dead?”

From there, we get honest about what Christians mean when we say “Jesus died for our sins.” We talk about sin as self-rule, the reality of death, and why Scripture says we need saving not just from consequences but from God’s righteous wrath. Then we walk through the heart of the gospel: Jesus as our substitute, the One who pays a debt we cannot pay, satisfying justice through propitiation so forgiveness can be offered freely. The resurrection of Jesus is not a bonus detail, it is the proof the payment stands, death is conquered, and Christian hope is solid ground.

We also make room for skepticism. The first witnesses are confused, the apostles doubt, and even face-to-face encounters take time to process. We explore evidence for the resurrection, eyewitness testimony, and why the apostles’ willingness to suffer matters historically. Finally, we bring it home with a challenge about idolatry and modern “dead places” where we keep trying to locate meaning, echoing David Foster Wallace’s warning that what you worship will eventually eat you alive.

If you’ve been running on fumes, listen and weigh the claim of the empty tomb for yourself. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who needs hope, and leave a review to help others find it. What’s the dead place you’re most tempted to trust for hope?

Support the show

Message Us!

The crowd wants a conquering hero, so why does Jesus choose a donkey? That single detail in Matthew 21 cracks open the meaning of Palm Sunday and exposes a question we all have to answer: am I following the real Jesus or the Jesus I wish existed?

We trace the triumphal entry through prophecy (Zechariah 9:9), the cloaks in the road, and the palm branches that signal hopes of national victory. The people shout “Hosanna” and name Jesus the Son of David, but their expectations are wired for political rescue and quick solutions. When Jesus refuses to run their agenda and instead moves toward a cross, praise turns into rejection. That ancient tension feels uncomfortably modern.

We also name the “replacement Jesuses” our culture loves: self-help Jesus, patriot Jesus, bellhop Jesus, comfort-first Jesus, and lifeline Jesus who only gets called in emergencies. Then we land on the heart of the gospel: sin is the servant trying to take the King’s place, and salvation is the King taking the servant’s place. Jesus rides into Jerusalem to deal with our greatest problem, offering forgiveness of sin, new life, and a kingdom that outlasts every party, crisis, and trend.

If this challenged you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more, and leave a review. Which version of Jesus are you most tempted to settle for?

Support the show

Message Us!

In Acts 27, Paul faces a violent storm while being transported to Rome, yet he responds with wisdom instead of panic. While others chase comfort, follow the crowd, or lose hope, Paul demonstrates what it means to walk with God in adversity. He earns trust through character, stands against the majority when necessary, anchors himself in hope through faith in God, and takes decisive action. The passage teaches that storms are inevitable, but for believers, panic is not—because in Christ we have peace, purpose, and the ability to lead others to safety through wise, faith-filled living.

Acts 27:1-44

See the sermon Study Guide: https://myrealchurch.org/teaching/acts/acts-part-48-wisdom-amidst-adversity-acts-27/

Support the show

Message Us!

Most of us don’t mind Jesus in the passenger seat until the road gets rough. Walking through Acts 25 and Acts 26, we wrestle with a hard question: who is actually driving your life right now? We start with the temptation to control everything, then move toward the daily surrender Scripture calls “the Christ life” rooted in Galatians 2:20 and the practice of dying to self day by day.

Paul becomes our living case study. He has endured years of accusations, delays, and imprisonment, and now a new governor, Festus, reopens the case while powerful voices push for a “fair trial” that is really a setup. When Paul appeals to Caesar, it is not panic, pride, or strategy for comfort. It is obedience to the direction Jesus already gave him, a clear reminder that God can move his plans forward even through broken systems and hostile people.

Then the spotlight turns to our mouths. Paul stands before King Agrippa and an elite crowd and refuses to shrink back. He shares the gospel as a royal announcement: Jesus the risen King, repentance, faith, and the offer of new life. We bring it home to everyday discipleship, including what we say to enemies, what we type online, and why anxiety grows when we insist on staying in control. If you want peace on a bumpy road, let Christ take the wheel.

Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who’s carrying too much, and leave a review to help others find the show.

Support the show

Message Us!

In this message from Gospel of Mark 6, Pastor Dale Cunningham reminds believers that the Christian life is not meant to be lived in constant busyness but in restful dependence on Christ. Looking at Jesus’ rhythm of ministry, rejection, loss, and service, he highlights how the Lord intentionally withdrew to quiet places for prayer and rest—and invited His disciples to do the same.

This sermon challenges the modern tendency to equate busyness with faithfulness and calls believers back to a life rooted in resting in Christ, being with Him before doing for Him, and allowing Christ to work through us rather than striving in our own strength. True spiritual fruit, he explains, comes not from relentless activity but from a life grounded in the security of salvation and sustained by time alone with God.

A timely reminder: because we have rest in Christ, we can live from a place of rest—not exhaustion—while faithfully serving Him.

Support the show

Message Us!

When life squeezes you, what spills out—spin, silence, or substance? We walk through Acts 24 and watch Paul stand before Governor Felix while a seasoned orator polishes the room with flattery. The charges are deadly and the politics are thick, yet Paul answers with respectful truth, anchors himself in the Law and the Prophets, and centers everything on the resurrection. No rebrand. No softening. Just an undivided heart refusing to trade integrity for a safer outcome.

From there we draw a sharp contrast between manipulation and honesty. Tertullus courts power with praise; Paul honors authority without bending the truth. We explore how that same choice shows up today—at work, on social media, and in friendships—where the urge to keep the peace can quietly gut our convictions. Paul’s two years of custody test the core even more: summoned by Felix, he speaks about righteousness, self-control, and coming judgment to a man known for indulgence and expedience. He could have bargained for comfort; instead, he chooses character that lasts longer than any unlocked door.

Along the way, we share a raw story of marriage under sudden suffering and how formation in faith carried us when convenience would have walked away. That lived integrity is the pulse of the episode: not dramatic heroics, but steady, truthful presence when it costs. Felix had power but no peace; Paul had chains but no shame. If your hope is resurrection, compromise loses its shine. If your purpose is to reflect Christ, flattery feels like fraud. Listen for practical questions you can use to reset your own compass, and for courage to speak clearly, love deeply, and remain whole when the pressure rises.

If this resonated, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs courage today, and leave a review so more people can find these conversations. Your stories and reflections help shape what we explore next—what stood out most to you?

Support the show

Message Us!

Paul arrives in Jerusalem knowing suffering awaits him. While in the temple, Jews from Asia falsely accuse him of opposing the Jewish people, the Law, and the temple—based on mere assumption. A mob forms, Paul is beaten, and Roman soldiers arrest him to prevent his death.

Instead of retreating in fear or bitterness, Paul asks to address the crowd. He shares his testimony—his former persecution of Christians, his dramatic encounter with the risen Jesus, and his calling to take the Gospel to the Gentiles. When the crowd erupts again, Paul is taken into custody, but by asserting his Roman citizenship, he is protected from unlawful punishment.

What appears to be disaster becomes the beginning of God’s sovereign plan to bring Paul’s witness before rulers and eventually to Rome.

Support the show

Message Us!

What if the very pressures that threaten your faith are the tools God uses to amplify it? We walk through Acts 21–22 as Paul enters Jerusalem, honors temple customs, and still faces a cascade of false accusations that spiral into mob violence. The most human moment arrives when he asks for the floor, not to clear his name first, but to tell his story—before Christ, the encounter with the risen Jesus, and a calling that scandalized his hearers: take the good news to the Gentiles.

That revelation lights the fuse. Yet even as outrage rises, a different kind of authority steps in: Roman due process that recognizes Paul’s citizenship and postpones the whip. We explore the larger pattern hiding in the chaos—how chains carry the message farther than ease ever could. Paul’s path will wind through councils, governors, and eventually to Caesar, turning opposition into opportunity at every turn. Along the way, we confront the everyday version of this story: the power of assumptions, the lure of gossip, and the cost of standing with Christ when friends feel betrayed by your change of heart.

This episode is practical and bracing. You’ll learn how to answer slander without becoming cynical, how to share your testimony with humility that disarms pride, and how to prepare your soul for pressure without losing joy. From Joseph’s dungeon to the cross of Christ to Richard Wurmbrand’s cell, we trace a consistent thread—what the enemy means for harm, God redirects for good. If you’re navigating cultural headwinds, workplace tension, or strained relationships because of your convictions, you’ll find courage here to stand firm, trust God, proclaim Christ, and endure to the end.

If this encouraged you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs strength, and leave a review so more listeners can find this conversation. Where do you need courage to persevere today?

Support the show