Messages by Ryan Lenerz (Page 3)
Monday: Turning the Tables
Jesus’ dramatic actions in the temple weren’t about corrupt business practices—they were about a broken religious system that had become spiritually unfruitful. The temple was supposed to be a house of prayer for all nations, but it had become exclusive and ritualistic. Jesus wasn’t trying to reform the old system; he was declaring it finished and replacing it with himself as the new temple. Through Christ, we now have direct access to God without religious barriers. God desires sincere hearts…
Palm Sunday
Palm Sunday reveals three distinct responses to Jesus that still exist today. The crowd correctly identified Jesus as the promised Messiah but wanted him to be a political king who would restore Israel’s former glory. The Pharisees completely rejected Jesus because he threatened their power and authority. Only Jesus himself understood the true purpose of this moment – that he came not for political liberation but to offer spiritual freedom from sin and death. This pivotal event challenges us to…
Confronting The Conflict
Conflict is inevitable in relationships, but how we handle it determines the outcome. While forgiveness and love are powerful tools, sometimes biblical confrontation becomes necessary for true healing and restoration. Many Christians mistakenly believe they should never speak up or challenge wrongdoing, but confrontation is actually a biblical principle when done God’s way. Jesus provided a clear four-step process in Matthew 18: go directly to the person, bring a witness if needed, involve church leadership, and set healthy boundaries. The…
Preventing Conflict: Love
It takes two people to fight, but only one person to choose love. What if the secret to preventing conflict isn’t winning the argument, but refusing to enter the battle? Most fights have deeper roots than what we’re actually arguing about. When you stop keeping score and start looking for the heart behind the hurt, everything changes. Are you ready to become known for love instead of the battles you’ve fought? Discover powerful strategies for preventing relationship conflicts before they…
God’s Key to Conflict: Forgiveness
Conflict is an unavoidable reality in every relationship because we are imperfect people with different experiences and perspectives interacting with other imperfect people. The goal isn’t to avoid conflict entirely, but to learn how to navigate through it in healthy, God-honoring ways that lead to genuine resolution and healing. Most people default to one of three ineffective responses when conflict arises. Some choose to fight, responding aggressively and determined to prove they’re right while the other person is wrong. Others…
Rise Up And Go!
Many Christians find themselves stuck in a perpetual cycle of receiving – attending church services, reading devotionals, and participating in Bible studies – without ever transitioning to actively living out their faith. While spiritual growth and learning are essential, Jesus designed discipleship to move beyond endless training into purposeful action. Just as medical students must eventually treat real patients and seminary graduates must preach their first sermons, followers of Christ are called to step out of their comfort zones and…
Rise Up and Pray for a Harvest
Discover the transformative power of viewing others through the lens of Christ’s compassion. Many people around us are struggling despite appearing successful or put-together on the outside. This message explores how Jesus viewed crowds of people and what we can learn about developing genuine compassion for others. Learn about the three ways Jesus saw people: with deep compassion that moved Him to action, by identifying their real spiritual needs rather than judging their outward behavior, and by seeing their incredible…
Rise Up and Follow Jesus
Discover what Jesus actually called us to do – and it might surprise you. Many Christians focus on being good or completing programs, but Jesus had a different invitation entirely. This message explores the crucial difference between following Jesus from a distance versus true discipleship and what it really means to take up your cross daily.Learn about the two main ways we fall short as followers of Christ and how to avoid these common mistakes. Whether you’re falling behind Jesus…
Rise Up With Rekindled Passion
What if the antidote to our hopeless world is sitting dormant in your heart? In this message, we’re kicking off a new series called Rise Up by tackling the most urgent question facing the church today: How do we become God’s hope to a community drowning in anxiety and despair? But here’s the catch—we can’t give away what we don’t have. Before we can offer hope to our neighbors, we need to rekindle the fire that once burned bright in…
Christmas Under Attack
What if I told you the Christmas story you know is missing one of its darkest chapters? While we celebrate the peaceful manger scene, we rarely talk about what happened next: a middle-of-the-night escape, a government manhunt, and a massacre of innocent children. This sermon unpacks the shocking reality of Jesus’s first years—a story that reads more like a Hollywood thriller than a Christmas card. We’ll explore why foreign astrologers traveled 900 miles to worship a baby while a paranoid…