Illuminate Community Church

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.

3/29/26 - Palm Sunday - No Detours To Calvary - Pastor Jason Fritz

As we step into this Sunday, we’re entering one of the most significant moments in the life of our church gatherings - Palm Sunday and the beginning of Passion Week. This Sunday, we’ll slow down and walk through the final days of Jesus’ life, not just looking at what happened, but how He moved toward it. What stands out so clearly in the Gospels is that Jesus wasn’t caught off guard by any of it. He knew exactly what was coming - the betrayal, the suffering, the cross, and still, He moved forward with purpose. That’s what makes this week so powerful: it wasn’t just something that happened to Jesus; it was something He willingly stepped into for us.

As we trace the daily events from His entrance into Jerusalem to the moments leading up to the cross, we’ll see a fuller picture of who Jesus is. He is the humble King who doesn’t meet our expectations, the One who confronts what’s broken in us, the authority whose words we can’t ignore, the Savior who is worthy of everything we have, and the Son who models complete surrender to the Father. Each day reveals something essential, not just about Him, but about what it means for us to follow Him. My prayer is that this won’t just be informative, but transformative as we allow His words and actions to examine our own hearts.

We’ll also take time together to come to the Lord’s Table. As we do, I want to encourage you even now to begin preparing your heart. Take time this week to reflect, to confess, and to realign your life with Him. Don’t come casually, come ready to remember, to worship, and to respond. This is a week that invites us not just to observe, but to engage deeply with what Christ has done. I’m looking forward to gathering together and walking through it with you!

3/22/26 - Daniel (pt4) - Trusting God When the Lions Roar - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we come to one of the most well-known passages in all of Scripture: Daniel in the lions’ den. Daniel 6 shows us what faithful courage looks like when obedience to God collides with the pressure of culture. Daniel had risen to a position of great influence in the Persian kingdom, not because he sought power, but because his integrity and faithfulness were evident even to a pagan king. Yet that very faithfulness also made him a target. When his enemies could find no fault in his work or character, they attacked the one thing they knew Daniel would never compromise- his devotion to God.

What unfolds is a powerful reminder that faithfulness to God is often tested when it becomes costly. Daniel refuses to change his habits of prayer even when a royal decree makes it illegal. He simply continues doing what he has always done, seeking the Lord with consistency and trust. His courage wasn’t sudden or dramatic; it was the product of a lifetime of walking with God. In a culture that often pressures believers to remain quiet about their faith, Daniel’s example challenges us to consider where our ultimate loyalty lies.

But the true hero of this story is not Daniel; it is God who delivers those who trust in Him. When Daniel is thrown into the lions’ den, God demonstrates His power by shutting the lions’ mouths and preserving His servant. Ultimately, this story points us forward to someone greater than Daniel. Like Daniel, Jesus was innocent and unjustly condemned. But unlike Daniel, Jesus was not spared from death. He entered into it so that we might be delivered from it. I’m looking forward to joining you this Sunday as we see how Daniel’s story reminds us that those who trust the living God can remain faithful, even when the cost is high.

3/15/26 - Daniel (pt3) - When God Crashes the Party - Pastor Jason Fritz

This Sunday, we’ll be in Daniel chapter 5, the account that gives us the familiar phrase “the handwriting on the wall.” The story centers on King Belshazzar, who throws a massive celebration in Babylon while the Persian army is already surrounding the city. In the middle of the feast he commits a brazen act of arrogance by using the sacred vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem to toast false gods. What follows is one of the most dramatic scenes in Scripture - God interrupts the party as a mysterious hand appears and writes a message of judgment on the palace wall.

When Daniel is brought in to interpret the writing, he reminds the king of what happened to his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar had learned the hard lesson that God rules over the kingdoms of men, but Belshazzar ignored that warning and hardened his heart. The words written on the wall - Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin - announce God’s verdict: the king’s days are numbered, his life has been weighed and found wanting, and his kingdom will be taken from him. That very night, the Persians enter the city, Babylon falls, and the king dies.

This passage is a sobering reminder that pride can blind us to reality. Belshazzar partied with the enemy already at the gate, convinced he was untouchable. The message of Daniel 5 shows us that what belongs to God should never be used to celebrate sin, and that every life will one day be weighed by God’s standard. The good news of the gospel is that while all of us would be found wanting on our own, Christ was weighed and found perfect in our place. Christians are those who have learned to read the writing on the wall and place their hope in Him.

3/8/26 - Daniel (pt2) - Spiritually Fireproof - Pastor Jason Fritz

This week we'll be in Daniel chapter 3, a passage that confronts every generation with a question we can’t avoid: Who, or what, are you really worshiping? 

Worship isn’t just something we do on Sundays; it’s what we assign ultimate worth to, and that shapes what we love, fear, and obey. By chapter 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are no longer anonymous exiles, they are leaders in Babylon. Their earlier faithfulness brought promotion, not persecution. But now obedience to God comes with a clear cost. King Nebuchadnezzar constructs a massive golden image and demands public allegiance. The choice is simple and terrifying: bow, or burn.

This moment didn’t come out of nowhere. Previously, God revealed to Nebuchadnezzar that his kingdom was a head of gold, glorious, powerful, but temporary. Chapter 3 shows the king’s response: he builds an image entirely of gold, as if to say his rule will never fade. The dedication ceremony is overwhelming - music, officials, crowds, and pressure to conform. When everyone bows, three men remain standing. Their refusal isn’t loud or rebellious, but it’s unmistakable. They will not worship what God has forbidden, even when the threat is death. And when the king offers a second chance, they respond with breathtaking clarity: God can save them, but even if He does not, they will not bow.

This story isn’t just about courage long ago; it’s about settled faith today. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego show us what it means to love God for who He is, not for what He gives. They trust Him without presuming on the outcome. The furnace still burns. The pressure doesn’t disappear. But God meets them in the fire, and in doing so, He reminds us that faithfulness does not guarantee deliverance from suffering, but it does promise God’s presence in it. When the music starts and the heat rises, it’s too late to decide whom you will worship. Daniel 3 calls us to decide now.