February 8, 2026

In this sermon, we continue our series, Building the Beloved Community: A Blueprint from Dream to Reality, by challenging the gap between creed and deed—the painful disconnect between outward piety and lived justice. The 'breach' is the chasm between "what is and how God wants things to be," and our spiritual task isn't to retreat, but to run toward the vulnerability—brick and mortar in hand—and ask, "Where does it hurt?" This is the difficult but life-giving work of becoming Menders of Broken Walls and Restorers of Livable Streets, where God meets us and promises, "I’m here."

Scripture: Isaiah 58:1–12

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

February 1, 2026

In this sermon, we continue our series, Building the Beloved Community: A Blueprint from Dream to Reality, by diving into the structural integrity of the 'frame.' We move past the foundation of 'somebodiness' to see how the prophet Micah's call reveals the essential, non-negotiable components: to do justice, embrace hesed (faithful love), and walk humbly with God. These three elements are the core beams and joists of a life of faith, ensuring that your efforts do not collapse into self-righteousness, cheap charity, or burnout, so the Beloved Community you're building can actually bear weight.

Scripture: Micah 6:1–8

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

Due to the winter storm on the weekend, we were unable to gather in person. So Brent hopped online to offer a prayer and share a few thoughts about the death of Alex Pretti, what to do with our anger, and more.

January 18, 2026

In this sermon, we launch our new series, Building the Beloved Community: A Blueprint from Dream to Reality, and dive into the faithful life that refuses to shrink the horizon. Drawing on the fierce wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the prophet Isaiah, we confront the lie that tells us we are nobodies, anchoring ourselves instead in the radical truth of "somebodiness"—our inherent, God-given worth. This unshakeable foundation is the starting point for building the Beloved Community, calling us out of personal exile and into a larger, shared vision of justice and flourishing for the world.

Scripture: Isaiah 49:17

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

January 11, 2026

In this sermon, we dive into the disruptive power of Jesus’s baptism, revealing how it offers a new imagination for how we see the world. Jesus steps into the water to redefine righteousness—it’s not about maintaining purity or order, but about radical solidarity that shatters systems of control and exclusion. By claiming our first, revolutionary name as Beloved, we embody a vision in which justice flows like a river and are empowered to take a bold next step toward the healing of God’s world.

Scripture: Matthew 3:13–17

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

January 4, 2026

In this sermon, we explore the stark contrast between the desperate, grasping control of King Herod and the open-handed, joyful trust of the Magi on Epiphany Sunday. Tired of the anxiety that comes with trying to manufacture, manage, and secure every outcome in your life? The Epiphany story is an invitation to receive the gift of God already present. Release your white-knuckled grip, surrender your own agenda, and step into a new year with a posture of open hands and wonder, ready to receive the revelation God is offering.

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.

December 24, 2025

In this special Christmas Eve homily, we wrestle with the chasm between the wide-eyed wonder of a child’s Christmas and the sleepless anxiety of adult logistics and existential uncertainty. We discover that the Christmas story is not a distant, sanitized tale but a radical, relatable gift of divine presence. It reveals God drawing near—Emmanuel—to stand in solidarity with us amid the pressure, grief, and disorientation of our modern lives. Joy enfleshed is for you.

Scripture: Luke 2:1–20

For more information about The Local Church, visit our website. Feedback? Questions? Comments? We'd love to hear it. Email Brent at brent@thelocalchurchpbo.org.

To invest in what God's doing through The Local Church and help support these podcasting efforts and this movement of God's love, give online here.