Illuminate Community Church

9/14/25 - When Righteousness Hurts - 1 Peter 2:12-25 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, I’ll be preaching from the second half of 1 Peter chapter 2, a passage that radically reshapes how Christians are called to live in the world, and especially in the face of unjust treatment. Peter writes to believers who were being slandered and mistreated simply for following Jesus, and rather than encouraging them to retaliate or withdraw, he calls them to live honorably so that their good conduct might lead others to glorify God. The challenge in this text is to live righteously, not just when life is fair, but especially when it’s not, because when we respond to hostility with Christlike character, we bear silent but powerful witness to the gospel.

We’ll explore how our faith transforms two major areas of everyday life: our relationship with government and our relationship with employers. In each case, Peter urges us to respond with humility and respect, not because the person in authority is always right, but because honoring the structure of authority reflects our trust in God. This is especially powerful when authority is abused or when the system is unjust. Peter isn’t excusing mistreatment, but he is saying that when we endure it with patience and faith, like Jesus did, we participate in something deeply Christlike. Jesus didn’t retaliate when reviled; He entrusted Himself to the One who judges justly, and we are called to follow in His steps.

This message is essential in today’s cultural climate, where outrage and vengeance are normalized. But Scripture calls us to something higher. Whether you’re frustrated with the decisions of politicians, facing injustice at work, or struggling in silence, your response has eternal significance. You might not be able to change your circumstances, but you can choose to honor Christ through them. And when you do, you reflect Jesus to a watching world, and you never suffer unseen. Your endurance matters to God, and sometimes, it becomes the very means by which someone finds Him.

9/07/25 - Taste and See: A Life Nourished by God - 1 Peter 2:1-12 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we’re stepping into 1 Peter 2 and continuing our journey through this powerful letter. Peter begins by showing us how love for one another is not just a command, it’s the visible evidence of Christ at work in us. But he doesn't stop there. He warns us of five destructive behaviors: malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. These things sabotage our community and damage our witness. They are not simply bad habits; they’re soul-level toxins that erode trust and fracture unity in the body of Christ. If we’ve tasted the goodness of God, we should crave the things that nourish us spiritually - His Word, His Spirit, His people, and prayer.

Peter then paints a beautiful picture of who we are becoming together. Individually, we’re like newborns growing in grace; collectively, we are being built into a spiritual house. Jesus, the cornerstone, is the foundation for it all. Even though the world may reject Him, and us by extension, God sees His Church as chosen and precious. Each of us plays a role in this sacred structure, and we’re all priests called to offer our lives in worship. There’s no hierarchy here, just one Savior, one Spirit, and one mission.

In a time when the church is often criticized for its flaws, Peter reminds us that we’re not just a gathering, we’re being shaped into something eternal. This calling comes with a responsibility: to live honorably, love sincerely, and shine brightly in a dark world. I look forward to unpacking this with you and challenging us all to consider what kind of “spiritual house” we’re helping to build. Come prayed up and hungry for the Word.

8/31/25 - Love Earnestly, Live Biblically - 1 Peter 1:22-25 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we’re digging into a powerful and foundational question: Why should we trust the Bible? In a world full of skepticism and shifting opinions, many wonder if Scripture is just another ancient book or if it really is the living and enduring Word of God. In 1 Peter 1:22–25, we’ll explore how God’s Word not only brings new life, being “born again of imperishable seed,” but also transforms how we live and love. Peter shows us that our obedience to the gospel isn’t just personal; it spills out into sincere, sacrificial love for others. That’s the mark of a life changed by the gospel!

We’ll also answer important questions about how the Bible came to be, why certain books were included or excluded, and how we know the New Testament carries the same authority as the Old. You’ll see that Scripture isn’t just trustworthy because of historical consistency or fulfilled prophecy (though there are plenty of examples of this!), but because it was written by authors “carried along by the Holy Spirit.” That means when you open the Bible, you're not reading man’s thoughts; you’re hearing the very voice of God, speaking eternal truth.

As we reflect on these things, I want to encourage you to respond practically. Where is God calling you to love others deeply? How is His Word shaping your worldview, your priorities, and your everyday choices? Whether it’s serving, giving, encouraging others, or digging deeper into Scripture yourself, don’t let the living Word stay on a shelf. Let’s be a church that not only believes the Bible is true but lives like it.

8/24/25 - Living Backwards - 1 Peter 1:13-21 - Pastor Jason Fritz

Church family, this Sunday we come to a single verse that has the power to reframe your entire perspective on life: “Set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 1:13). It’s easy to get stuck looking at the hood of the car rather than the road ahead. We are distracted by the immediate problems, deadlines, or notifications. But Peter lifts our eyes to the horizon and calls us to live with a mindset that is alert, sober, and anchored in the coming grace of Jesus. This isn’t vague theology, it’s deeply practical. The battle begins in the mind, and Peter challenges us to gird up our thoughts, to be mentally and spiritually ready for the life God has called us to live.

We’ll explore how the hope of Jesus’ return should change how we live today, specifically in how we pursue holiness and reverence. Holiness isn't about perfection; it’s about living set apart for God. And reverence means honoring the weight of what Christ has done for us. Peter reminds us that we were ransomed, not with gold or silver, but with the precious blood of Christ. When we see the price of our salvation clearly, it should shape every decision, every desire, every moment of our lives. This passage asks us to live backwards: with eternity in view, living today in light of the heavenly glories that are yet to come!

8/17/25 - They Had the Pieces – We Have the Picture - 1 Peter 1:10-12 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we’re stepping into a passage that powerfully affirms the trustworthiness of Scripture and the uniqueness of our salvation. In 1 Peter 1:10–12, we’re reminded that what we now see clearly, Jesus as the promised Messiah, was once only glimpsed through the prophetic puzzle pieces of the Old Testament. The prophets searched and inquired, longing to understand the grace that was to be revealed. But we have something they didn’t: the full picture. We see the face on the box - Jesus Christ, crucified and risen, fulfilling what was foretold centuries before.

This message isn’t just about head knowledge or historical interest; it’s about strengthening our confidence in the truth of Christianity. We don’t believe in Jesus primarily because it’s useful or comforting (though it certainly is); we believe because He is the truth. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the compelling pieces of evidence that what we believe is grounded in real events: events that were predicted, witnessed, and preserved. When people dismiss the Bible as “just a man-made book,” this passage pushes back hard. The Spirit of God spoke through human voices to reveal divine truth, and that truth culminates in Jesus.

Come prepared to have your faith strengthened as we look at specific Old Testament prophecies and how they point in exact detail to the life, death, and resurrection of Christ. I hope that you’ll walk away not only encouraged, but in awe of the God who orchestrates history, fulfills His promises, and invites us into a salvation that even angels long to understand.

8/10/25 - Countercultural and Called - 1 Peter 1:4-6 - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we continue in our series through 1 Peter. It’s an encouraging letter written to ancient Christians facing hostility and pressure for their faith. In many ways, their world mirrors our own. Especially for the next generation, following Jesus today often means standing alone in a culture that demands conformity. Many young believers are caught in the tension between faith and social acceptance. Social media fuels this fire. Peter doesn't shy away from this conflict; he speaks directly into it. We'll be looking at what it means to rejoice in salvation even while walking through grief, and how trials, far from being pointless, are the very means by which our faith is refined and proven genuine.

I’ve spent some time this week reflecting on my own journey with suffering and what God has taught me through it. So this is where we’re headed Sunday - a deeper look at how God meets us in our trials, not to shame us, but to shape us, not to fail us but to form us. I hope you’ll come ready to hear from God and encourage one another. Invite someone who’s walking through something hard. You never know how a word from 1 Peter might speak into their life.

8/03/25 - Chosen Strangers: Living Hope in a Foreign World - 1 Peter 1:1-5 - Pastor Jason Fritz

It is so good to be back with you after a time away. These past three months on sabbatical have been deeply refreshing for my soul, but I have missed you: your faces, your love, and your faith. Absence has made this heart grow very fond. I’ve returned with a full tank and I’m ready to boldly speak God’s truth, and I can't think of a better way to rejoin you than by starting a new study together in the book of 1 Peter. This letter was written to Christians who were feeling like outsiders in the world, and I think that speaks to where many of us find ourselves today.

Peter begins not by comforting the early believers with shallow platitudes but by grounding them in a greater truth. They are elect exiles. Chosen by God, set apart by the Spirit, and called to obey Jesus. Though they’re misunderstood, rejected, and even persecuted by the world around them, their identity is secure. That tension between being loved by God and rejected by culture isn’t something to run from. It’s a calling to live differently. Peter doesn’t want us to blend in; he wants us to stand out, not with arrogance, but with holiness, humility, and courage.

If you’ve ever felt out of place because of your faith, this letter is for you. The Christian life will create tension in a world that doesn’t share our hope. But our hope is living and rooted in the resurrection of Jesus, who has given us an eternal inheritance that cannot be touched by suffering. So wherever God has placed you, whether in a family that doesn’t understand your faith, a job where values collide, or a world that increasingly sees Christians as strange, know this: you are not forgotten. You are chosen, you are sent, and you are held by a God who is writing a far bigger story than what we can see.

7/27/25 - The Parable of the Persistent Widow - Luke 18:1-8 - Pastor Steve Johnson

When you look at all that is going on in the world today, don’t you sometimes wish that Jesus would just come back soon and bring an end to all that is wrong and ungodly? Have you ever prayed that Jesus would come back and fix it all? Is it wrong to pray for that? As we open God’s word this week, we will get Jesus’ answer.
 
In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus encourages His disciples to pray about the future with a parable about a widow who keeps asking an unfair judge for help. She's being treated badly and wants the judge to use his power to help her. We're pretty much like that widow. Our only real source of help is God, just like the widow's only real source of help is the judge. She keeps coming back again and again until the judge finally gives her justice just to get her to stop bothering him.
 
And this is where understanding the parable gets strange. On the surface it seems as though the point of the parable is that if you can wear out an unjust human judge, then you may stand a chance of wearing out God so that He answers your prayers just to get you “off his back.” But that can’t be true, can it?
 
Join us as we untangle this strange parable and unlock what could bring a new dimension to your prayer life.

7/20/25 - The Pharisee and the Tax Collector - Luke 18:9–14 - Pastor Ryan Hubner

I'm going to say something that might shock you: Many of us — maybe even you — are far more prideful than we realize. You may be thinking, “Ryan, who do you think you are? You don’t know me.” But take a moment and really think about it. None of us want to admit that deep down inside of us may exist something that says, “I don’t need God” or “my way is better than His way.” Yet, that is what we are saying when we sin and decide to go against what God wants for us. When we sin, we consciously or subconsciously are telling God that our way is better than His, and this is pride. If we take an honest look at ourselves, we may realize that pride exists in many of us — to greater or lesser degrees.

 

This weekend we will dive into the parable of the pharisee and the tax collector where we are called to look inward at the posture of our hearts to see where pride exists. However, at the same time, in this parable we are shown what true humility looks like and invited to turn away from our pride and live as the humble sons and daughters who are bought by the blood of Jesus Christ and saved from our sins. I would love if you would join us this weekend at Illuminate as we journey through this parable together. See you then! 

7/13/25 - A Response To Truth! - Matthew 13:1-23 - Pastor Darryl DelHousaye

There is a verse in the Bible that gives a remarkable promise—so remarkable that it can hardly be misunderstood. The promise I’m referring to is found in James 1:25: “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this one shall be blessed in what they do.” That’s pretty straightforward, wouldn’t you say? Now, if you go back to the beginning of the context of that promise, it starts in verse 19: “…be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger… in humility receive the Word implanted, which is able to deliver your soul.” Did Jesus have anything to say about how we respond to truth?