Illuminate Community Church

5/31/26 - Leadership Character Over Charisma | 1 Timothy 3:1-13 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we’ll continue our study through 1 Timothy as we come to chapter 3 and Paul’s teaching on Elders and Deacons. At first glance, this passage can feel like it’s only about church leadership, but as I’ve been studying it this week, I’ve been reminded that it gives us something much bigger: a picture of what spiritual maturity actually looks like. Paul spends very little time talking about talent, charisma, or personality, and instead focuses almost entirely on character: integrity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, humility, hospitality, and wisdom. In many ways, this passage answers the question every Christian eventually asks: What does a mature follower of Jesus look like?

One of the things we’ll explore together is how God’s design for leadership is deeply different from the world's. The New Testament presents church leadership not as status or celebrity, but as sacrificial service. Paul even compares ministry labor to an ox treading grain. This is steady, faithful, often unseen work done for the nourishment of others. It’s a powerful reminder that the church is not built on personalities or platforms, but on spiritually mature people who quietly and faithfully serve Christ and His people.

My prayer is that this passage would not only challenge all those in leadership, but encourage every one of us to pursue the kind of character that reflects Jesus. I’m thankful for the many men and women in our church who already serve so faithfully, and I look forward to more gospel fruit as we continue building God’s kingdom side by side.

5/24/26 - When the Gospel Gives Order to Our Gathering | 1 Timothy 2:8-15 - Pastor Jason Fritz

If you like the more challenging and controversial passages of Scripture, then you won’t want to miss this Sunday! (Pray for me!) We’ll be reading from one of the most often debated sections found in the entire Bible. It speaks directly to the roles of men and women in the life of the church, which means it touches on deeply personal and sometimes sensitive matters. As we approach it together, I hope we do so with open Bibles and open hearts. The goal is to understand what God is actually saying and how we can faithfully live it out as His people.

In this passage, Paul gives instructions to both men and women in the context of corporate worship. He calls men away from anger and division toward prayer marked by holiness, and he calls women away from external emphasis toward godliness expressed through good works. What becomes clear is that Paul isn’t stereotyping; he’s shepherding. He’s addressing the ways our natural tendencies can become distorted when the gospel isn’t shaping us, and he’s calling the whole church back to a life of humility, order, and maturity in Christ.

We’ll also wrestle with some of the harder verses about teaching and authority. Here we want to be careful and thoughtful and, as always, led by a desire to be faithful to all of Scripture. This isn’t about restrictions; it’s about God’s design for a healthy, flourishing church. Each of us has a vital role to play as we become all He wants us to be. The call is to continue in faith, love, holiness, and self-control, trusting that God is always working to shape His people for His glory.

5/17/26 - Prayer and the God of the Gospel | 1 Timothy 2:1–7 - Pastor Josh Rairdan

I’m excited to be with you this Sunday as we step back into 1 Timothy. We’ll be looking at 1 Timothy 2:1–7 this week, which begins a new section in the letter. Paul is moving on from dealing with false teachers (they’ll come back up later) to focus on the heart of the letter: “how one ought to behave in the household of God” (1 Timothy 3:15). Paul begins this long section by urging the church to pray, which is the passage we will be in this Sunday.

This passage has two emphases in it with the first being prayer. Paul calls the church to pray with urgency. How many of us feel this urgency in our prayer life today? As we struggle amid the busyness that modern life seems to amplify, it can be easy to lose sight of our prayer lives. Prayer, like many good things, can start to feel like a chore that we have to do instead of an incredible gift that God invites his people into. As you may have experienced, guilt tripping ourselves into praying more or trying to force ourselves into it through sheer will power usually doesn’t provide lasting change.

This brings us to the second emphases of our passage: the one God and the one mediator between God and man, Jesus Christ. How are these two emphases related? The insight we get here is that our prayer lives dramatically change when we remember that we are praying to the God revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is what we will be exploring together on Sunday.

5/10/26 - The Legacy of a Sincere Faith | 2 Timothy 1:5 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, as we celebrate Mother’s Day, we’re going to take a short pause from our study in 1 Timothy and look at a powerful verse in 2 Timothy 1:5. In it, the apostle Paul reflects on the faith of Timothy. His faith didn’t begin with him, but was first lived out in his grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice. It’s a reminder that faith is not just something we profess, but something we pass on. 

At the same time, I recognize that Mother’s Day carries a wide range of emotions. For some, it’s joyful, for others it’s complicated or even painful. I want to approach it honestly and pastorally, with a message that speaks into all of those experiences.

We’ll explore what it means to have a “sincere faith” - a faith that is real, not perfect; lived, not just spoken. Paul doesn’t highlight accomplishments or outward success, but rather he points to something deeper: a consistent, authentic faith that shaped Timothy’s life over time. That kind of faith is rarely formed in big, dramatic moments, but in the ordinary rhythms of everyday life. It’s the moments around the table, in conversations, in how we respond to pressure, and in the way we trust God in real time. It’s a helpful reminder that what shapes people most isn’t perfection, but presence.

5/3/26 - Grip or Drift | 1 Timothy 1:18-20 - Pastor Jason Fritz

I’m looking forward to being back with everyone this Sunday! We’ll be stepping into 1 Timothy 1:18–20, where Paul gives Timothy a charge that is anything but casual. As I’ve been studying this passage, I’ve been reminded that the Christian life is not lived on the sidelines; it’s a real spiritual battle. Paul writes to a young pastor in a city filled with pressure, opposition, and competing voices, and his message is clear: there is a fight to enter and a faith to protect. Together, we’ll explore what it means to “wage the good warfare” in our own lives today.

At the center of this passage are two anchors Paul says we must not let go of: faith and a good conscience. We’ll talk about what it really means to hold onto faith, not just believing the right things, but continuing to trust God’s character, Word, and promises when life presses in. And we’ll look at the role of a good conscience and what it means to stay responsive to God, to listen when He convicts, and to live in a way that aligns with what we say we believe. These aren’t abstract ideas; they are essential to staying spiritually steady.

Paul also gives a sobering warning by pointing to real people who made a shipwreck of their faith, and the faith of others. Their story reminds us that drifting doesn’t usually happen all at once; it’s often the result of slowly letting go of truth and ignoring conviction. But even here, we see God’s heart for restoration. I hope this message will both ground us and challenge us to hold tightly to what matters most and to walk faithfully in whatever God has called us to.

4/26/26 - Remember, Rejoice, and Respond | 1 Timothy 1:12–17 - Pastor Alec Williams

I’m looking forward to being together this Sunday as we continue in 1 Timothy. In this passage, Paul reflects on his own story. He looks back at who he was apart from Christ, the grace he’s received, and the way his life has been changed. He’s honest about his past, not to stay there, but to show just how good God’s mercy really is.

That’s where we’re going this week. The Gospel produces something in us. It leads us to remember who we were apart from Christ, rejoice in the grace we’ve received, and respond by living for His glory.

My hope is that this Sunday wouldn’t just be something we hear, but something that actually moves us. That we would walk away with a deeper gratitude for God’s grace and a clearer sense of how to live in light of it. Looking forward to worshiping with you.

4/19/26 - The Law and The Gospel | 1 Timothy 1:8-11 - Pastor Matt Burkholder

This Sunday, we’ll continue our series in 1 Timothy as we look at chapter 1, verses 8–11 and consider what Paul says about the purpose of God’s law. In the church at Ephesus, there had been a subtle but significant drift away from sound doctrine, as false teachers rose up and began to misunderstand and misapply the law. What was meant to point people to God was instead being used in a way that led them away from Him.

Paul addresses this head-on by reminding us that the law is good—but only when it’s used properly. Like many today, the people in Ephesus were tempted to treat the law as a measuring stick for their own righteousness or to separate it entirely from the message of grace. But Paul shows us that the law and the gospel are not at odds—they work together. The law exposes our sin and reveals our need, while the gospel points us to Jesus, the One who fulfilled the law perfectly on our behalf.

Together, we’ll explore how the law was never meant to save us, but to serve a greater purpose: to confront us, to lead us to Christ, and to shape how we live in response to His grace. My hope is that this message helps us see both the depth of our need and the greatness of God’s love—that while we may be far more sinful than we realize, we are also far more loved than we could ever imagine.

4/12/26 - Defend the Truth | 1 Timothy 1:1-7 - Pastor Jason Fritz

As we begin this new series, we step into a letter written by the Apostle Paul to a young pastor named Timothy, who was leading a church in Ephesus where something had begun to drift. The issue wasn’t outright denial of the gospel; it was more subtle than that. False teachings had crept in that sounded spiritual but were pulling people away from the truth. Paul writes to bring clarity, reminding us that the church is the household of God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. That means we don’t create truth, we hold it up, protect it, and live it out.

We’ll also see that what shapes us will ultimately define us. True teaching doesn’t lead to empty discussion, but to lives marked by love from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. And that’s exactly what we’ll witness in baptisms: not speculation or empty words, but the clear, life-changing truth of Jesus on display. I’m looking forward to celebrating with you all that God is doing in and through His people!

4/5/26 - Easter - Same King. Different Crown. - Pastor Jason Fritz

As we head into Easter weekend, I cannot wait to join you for both Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. Good Friday will be a quieter, more reflective time as we sit in the weight and meaning of the cross. We’ll walk through the final words of Jesus, each one revealing His heart, His mercy, and the price He willingly paid for us. It’s a moment to slow down, examine our hearts, and remember the depth of His love as we come to the table together.

Then on Easter Sunday, everything shifts. We celebrate the resurrection! The moment that changed everything. We’ll look at how people responded to the empty tomb: some worshiped, some doubted, and some rejected it altogether. And in that, we’re invited to see ourselves. Wherever you are spiritually right now, steady in your faith, full of questions, or just exploring, I believe this message will meet you in a meaningful way.

More than anything, I hope this weekend feels like an open door for you to invite friends and family to experience the people of Illuminate and the gospel of Jesus. Bring whatever you’re carrying and encounter the hope that only Jesus offers. I’m praying that God meets you personally, whether in the quiet reflection of Friday or the joy of Sunday, and reminds you just how deeply you are loved.

4/3/26 - Good Friday - Pastor Jason Fritz

As we head into Easter weekend, I cannot wait to join you for both Good Friday and Easter Sunday services. Good Friday will be a quieter, more reflective time as we sit in the weight and meaning of the cross. We’ll walk through the final words of Jesus, each one revealing His heart, His mercy, and the price He willingly paid for us. It’s a moment to slow down, examine our hearts, and remember the depth of His love as we come to the table together.

Then on Easter Sunday, everything shifts. We celebrate the resurrection! The moment that changed everything. We’ll look at how people responded to the empty tomb: some worshiped, some doubted, and some rejected it altogether. And in that, we’re invited to see ourselves. Wherever you are spiritually right now, steady in your faith, full of questions, or just exploring, I believe this message will meet you in a meaningful way.

More than anything, I hope this weekend feels like an open door for you to invite friends and family to experience the people of Illuminate and the gospel of Jesus. Bring whatever you’re carrying and encounter the hope that only Jesus offers. I’m praying that God meets you personally, whether in the quiet reflection of Friday or the joy of Sunday, and reminds you just how deeply you are loved.