Hillside Community Church Podcast
550 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 2 months ago - ★★★★★ - 2 ratingsHillside Community Church will live out Jesus’ life-changing message, seek to love our neighbors well, and develop authentic community where all people are welcome, worthy, and have a place.
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Episodes
Still Faithful | Acts 9:31-43
June 25, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.6 MBThere has been a whole lot of action recently with the early church! Samaritans and Ethiopians are being saved! The greatest persecutor of the church became God’s chosen instrument to grow the church! This week we’re going to see a little break from the “big headlines” and see how even in times of peace, the Spirit is still active and ahead of us and calling us to be “meanwhile missionaries.” - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
Building Trust | Acts 9:19-31
June 18, 2023 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.5 MBLast week we saw that the biggest enemy of the church (Saul), became a Christ-follower with a significant calling. As Saul begins his life as a Christian, he finds himself unsure of where he will fit in. His new community—the church—is reluctant to embrace Him too quickly and his old community—Judaism—will not accept him any longer. This morning we’ll think about this question: What does it take for Saul to find his place in the new community? - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Enemy Becomes a Brother | Acts 9:1-19
June 11, 2023 04:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBHe hated Christians with a holy fire. He wanted nothing more than to wipe these people out. But then it happened. Saul was stopped in his tracks by Jesus. And nothing was the same for Saul for the rest of his life. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Spirit-Led Evangelism | Acts 8:26-40
June 04, 2023 04:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBOne of the main themes of the Book of Acts is that we are to tell others about Jesus. For many of us, this can be a bit scary. We worry about what to say and what not to say. We worry about whether the person we’re speaking with will get angry. This morning we’ll take a look at a story that reminds us that the Spirit is always going ahead of us, preparing us and preparing those with whom we’ll be speaking. Knowing that the Spirit is doing the hard work can help us relax and not be afraid. ...
The Spirit is NOT for Sale | Acts 8:4-25
May 28, 2023 04:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBThis morning we’re going to learn a lesson that will set the tone for the rest of Acts: God's Spirit is active and ahead of us… all the time. As the Spirit continues to grow the church, one thing we’ll constantly learn is that we can’t control the Spirit! All we can do is catch up and keep in step. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
The Stoning of Stephen (Part III) | Acts 7:51-8:3
May 21, 2023 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBA Higher Court Stephen is on trial and it’s not going well. The deck is stacked against him. But just as people in the courtroom erupt and begin to attack him, Stephen is given a gift. He has a vision of another courtroom, a higher courtroom. Stephen lost his case in one court. But he didn’t really care because he knew he won in the court that really matters. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Stoning of Stephen (Part II) | Acts 7:9-50
May 14, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.8 MBStephen's Defense - One of the scariest things we read when we study the Bible is that God’s people are amazingly able to miss what God is doing. Time and time again it seems that those who should be most ready to see what God is doing miss what He is doing. This morning we’ll listen as Stephen continues to give examples of how our fathers in the faith missed God’s work. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Stoning of Stephen (Part I) - Acts 6:8-7:16
May 07, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes - 23.7 MBNew things can be scary for all of us. They certainly were for the Jewish religious leaders during the days of the early church. This “new” teaching of the Apostles and others both scared these leaders and made them jealous. Today we’ll see that the “new” teaching of Jesus as the Messiah was something these leaders just couldn’t handle. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Who Does What? | Acts 6:1-8
April 30, 2023 04:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBIt was a small thing. A little spat between two groups in the young church. But little things have the potential of becoming big things and causing big troubles. This morning we’ll look at what the problem was and how the Apostles handled it. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
You Can't Keep Them Quiet | Acts 5:17-42
April 23, 2023 04:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBAs we return to our series in the book of Acts, we get to see the early church filled with the Holy Spirit back in action! As they continue to share the new life they’ve received in Jesus, they continue to experience persecution. Some people just don’t want to receive new life… but even when people are resistant to the Gospel message, we don’t ever stop sharing new life. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
Then Their Eyes Were Opened | Luke 24:13-35
April 16, 2023 04:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBWe saw last week that most of the followers of Jesus were really slow to understand and believe in Jesus’ resurrection. This morning, Luke will tell us about two more who didn’t catch on very quickly. Thankfully, Jesus is full of grace and takes the time to help them (and us) understand and believe in Him. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Crucified and Risen | Luke 24:1-12
April 09, 2023 04:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBAs Luke tells us about Jesus being raised from the dead, it’s interesting to notice how slow the followers of Jesus are to understand and believe this great news. This morning we’ll take a look at that and ask, “Why is that? Why were the disciples of Jesus so slow to celebrate His resurrection?” - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Good Friday
April 07, 2023 04:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBWe take some time to focus on one of the main events of our faith—the crucifixion of Jesus. In Scripture and song, we will walk through the final eighteen hours of Jesus’ life, from His arrest to His death on the cross. While this is a sad journey, this is also a journey that brings us life—we will finish by recognizing that Jesus is the hope of the world. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Jesus Stokes the Fire | Luke 20:9-19
April 02, 2023 04:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBThis week we’ll take a look at a parable Jesus told—and it was an explosive one. Jesus has been challenging the religious leaders ever since He set His face to go to Jerusalem, but now He tells a story that they know is aimed right at them—and they are not happy. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Foxes and Chickens | Luke 13:31-35
March 26, 2023 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25.1 MBAs Jesus continues to keep His face set on Jerusalem, He must confront a real and credible threat to His mission. In the face of even death itself, we see that Jesus loves all His little ‘chickens’ and will do anything to protect them from the ‘foxes’ of our world. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
Responding to a Tragedy | Luke 13:1-9
March 19, 2023 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBIn our story today, someone tells Jesus about a tragedy that happened in the Temple in Jerusalem—people were killed by governmental assassins. The people talking about it wanted to know if Jesus thought it was a sign of the times. Jesus’ answer has some very important lessons for us. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
It's Go Time | Luke 9:18-36, 51
March 12, 2023 05:00 - 34 minutes - 23.5 MBAt a certain point in His life, Jesus knew that it was time to go to Jerusalem. He knew what would happen there—He would be beaten and crucified. That didn’t stop Him. Because He loved us, He “set His face” to go to Jerusalem. He would not be stopped. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Second Threat | Acts 4:32-5:14
March 05, 2023 05:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBLast week we saw that the early church was threatened by some of the local religious and political leaders—a threat from “outside.” This week, the church will face an even more dangerous threat—a threat from within as two members lie to the others. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The First Opposition | Acts 4:1-22
February 26, 2023 05:00 - 39 minutes - 26.8 MBWhenever God is at work, there will inevitably come opposition. How do we respond? We see from the early church and the apostles that when opposition came, they were courageous and bold, but not for the reasons we would think. They confronted opposition with the name of Jesus as their only defense and we are called to do the same. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
The First Miracle | Acts 3
February 19, 2023 05:00 - 32 minutes - 22.3 MBSometimes we don’t know what we really need. We think we need money to pay the bills, but in reality, we need something else. This morning we’ll look at the story of a beggar who got much more than he bargained for. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The New Community | Acts 2:42-47
February 12, 2023 05:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBThe early church just had a mountain-top experience. The Holy Spirit came and 3,000 new believers were baptized—in a single day! When those mountain-top experiences are over, we often want to just move on to the next mountain-top. But that doesn’t always happen. Usually, we have some (often quite a few) “normal” days between these spiritual highs. This morning we’ll look at what the early church did in the “normal” days. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The First Sermon | Acts 2:14-41
February 05, 2023 05:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBAs we study the book of Acts, one of the things we’ll notice is that about one-third of the book is made up of speeches or sermons. There’s a lot of action, but preaching is also a big deal in the book of Acts. This morning we’ll look at the very first Christian sermon—the one Peter preached on Pentecost—right after the coming of the Holy Spirit. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Spirit Lights The Flame | Acts 2:1-13
January 29, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBThe stage is ready. Jesus has given the church promise, power, and purpose. The early church overcame their first challenge by replacing Judas and making the Apostles whole. Now the Spirit is going to light the flame and call the church to praise, pursue, and proclaim! - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
The First Problem | Acts 1:15-26
January 22, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutes - 25.2 MBAs we look at the beginning of the church, it doesn’t take long for a problem to arise. The disciples had to figure out, “What do we do about Judas?” Judas had betrayed Jesus and was now dead. What do we do? Try to cover it up? Replace him? Pretend it didn’t happen? This morning we’ll think about how the disciples handled this “problem.” - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The First Job of the Church | Acts 1:4-14
January 15, 2023 05:00 - 35 minutes - 24.1 MBAs we begin the Book of Acts, Jesus is getting ready to leave His disciples. He’s got forty days for final instructions and encouragements. Ready or not, the disciples are going to have to take the lead. This morning we’ll take a look at three gifts Jesus gives to His disciples before He ascends into heaven. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Jesus is Still at Work | Acts 1:1-3
January 08, 2023 05:00 - 33 minutes - 23.2 MBSometimes when we look at something we wonder, “How did that happen?” We see a turtle on a fencepost and we wonder, “How did that happen?” We see two people who are really different get married and we wonder, “How did that happen?” We see someone who was really wild in High School become a teacher and we think, “How did that happen?” This morning we’re beginning a new series on the book of Acts. When we look at who and where Jesus’ followers were in the beginning of the book and then look ...
Those Magi | Matthew 2:1-12
January 01, 2023 05:00 - 24 minutes - 16.5 MBToday we will look at the somewhat mysterious characters of the Magi. Were they really anything like we often think? Why did Matthew include them in his Gospel and what was the message he was conveying in so doing? The sermon will look at and seek to answer these questions and see what the message of the Magi may mean for us also today. - Pastor Scott Hoezee Support the Show.
Christmas 2022 | God's Amazing Grace
December 25, 2022 05:00 - 26 minutes - 18.5 MBThere are so many good things about Christmas. The music, the lights, the presents, the food. So many good things. But sometimes we can get so busy with the good things that we miss the best thing about Christmas—that God’s grace has broken through to us in Jesus. When we know that grace, we can know that it’s all right, even though it’s all wrong. - Pastor Ron Kool (Titus 2 11-13) Support the Show.
What Are You Waiting For? - Peace | Micah 5:2-5a
December 18, 2022 05:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBAs we get closer to Christmas things get busier for many of us. We have more presents to buy, more decorations to put out, and more parties to attend. In the midst of all our running around, God promises us an amazing thing through His prophet Micah. Peace. That’s something we can all use. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Joy of Hope Fulfilled | Zephaniah 3
December 11, 2022 05:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBAs we get closer to Christmas, everyone expects there to be joy in the air! But is it always appropriate to have joy when the world and our lives are a mess? Zephaniah says we can by fixing out eyes on The Day of the Lord. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
The Shrill One | Malachi 3:1-4 & Luke 3:1-20
December 04, 2022 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBJohn the Baptist is a necessary figure in Advent and yet somehow we don't often include John much in our Advent and Christmas reflections. Who was John? Why was he necessary to appear before the arrival of Jesus and what can we still learn from him today? In today's sermon we will look at Malachi's prediction of this necessary messenger and then Luke's presentation of John the Baptist's ministry. - Pastor Scott Hoezee Support the Show.
What Are You Waiting For? | Jeremiah 33
November 27, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBAdvent is a time that the Church can grow deeper in confidence by looking back to see how God's Word came to fulfillment with the birth of Jesus Christ. It was a birth of great anticipation even through challenging times. This sermon series will look at some key Old Testament passages where God gave a word of Hope during difficult times. Calvin Theological Seminary President, Jul Medenblik, will help us hear God's promises as found in Jeremiah 33. The people of God were about to go into exil...
Thanksgiving 2022 | Open Our Eyes Lord
November 24, 2022 15:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MB2 Kings 6 - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
The Crazy Shepherd and God's Heart for the Lost | Luke 15:1-7
November 20, 2022 05:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBHave you heard of the Yada People of India? The Jambi people of Indonesia? The Awan People of Pakistan? Each of these people groups has more than 1 million persons, yet more than 95% of them have no opportunity to hear the Gospel. God's heart is to reach these "lostest of the lost" (and many more). What does he want us to do about them? - Pastor Stan Kruis Support the Show.
Can We Have a Sign Please? | Luke 16:19-31
November 13, 2022 05:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBWe've talked a lot recently about what it means to be appropriately clothed before the presence of God. But what type of action is expected of those who are clothed in Christ? What will ultimately motivate us to live a life that Christ has called us to? - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
What Should I Wear to the Wedding | Matthew 22:1-14
November 06, 2022 04:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBEveryone knows you can't just show up in your blue collar clothes to a wedding. Even if we would prefer to wear something else, we put our best on to honor the people we're celebrating. Jesus tells us a parable about how we should be dressed for the ultimate wedding banquet in Heaven in the Gospel of Matthew. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
The Ark of the Covenant | Exodus 25:10-22
October 30, 2022 04:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBOn our journey through the Tabernacle, we come to the final room—The Most Holy Place. This is God’s room and inside of it was the most important religious symbol for the people of Israel—The Ark of the Covenant. This morning we’ll ask what made the Ark (and its cover) so important and how it points us to Jesus. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Becoming a Priest | Exodus 29
October 23, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.1 MBPriests were essential people in the life of God’s people. They were the mediators between God and His people—they would bring the needs of the people to God and they would bring the grace of God to the people. It was amazingly important work. But what made them able to do that work? How could normal people become priests whom God could use? And how might you and I become people whom God can use to be channels of His grace? - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
Getting Dressed | Exodus 28
October 16, 2022 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBThis Sunday we begin the journey of seeing the High Priest prepare to enter the most Holy Place. Not just any person is able to enter into God's presence, only the High Priest can. God turned Aaron from "just a person" into a Priest for God's service and that started by clothing him with the right garments. The good news is that we aren't "just people" either. In Christ, we are a part of the priesthood of all believers called to Kingdom Service. And just as God clothed Aaron in priestly garm...
The Altar of Incense | Exodus 30:1-10
October 09, 2022 04:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBFor some of us, we were raised to think that burning incense was something that other religions did, not ours. But as we continue our journey through the Tabernacle we come to the Altar of Incense, a small table on which the priests would burn incense twice a day, every day. This morning we’ll think about what this Altar has to say to us today. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Table and The Lampstand | Exodus 25:23-40
October 02, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.5 MBThe furniture we have in our homes says something about us. If the entire family room is focused on an 80" TV screen, we have an idea of what is important to the homeowner. God's furniture says something about what is important to Him and this morning we'll look at two of those pieces of furniture - The Table and the Lampstand. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
What is God's Home Like? | Exodus 26
September 25, 2022 04:00 - 35 minutes - 24.3 MBWe've seen that God had Moses build the Tabernacle so He could live with His people. In Exodus 26, God tells Moses about how He wants His "home" built. This morning we'll look at what we learn about God from the home Moses built for Him. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
The Outer Court | Exodus 27:1-8
September 18, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.8 MBLast week we talked about how God wants to be with us and we need to be with God, but we can't because of our sinfulness. This week we'll start to look at how God makes a way for us to be with Him, a way for us to come home. The first step is not an easy one for us. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
God With Us | Exodus 25:1-9
September 11, 2022 04:00 - 28 minutes - 19.4 MBIt sounds kind of crazy (especially for those of us who aren't wild about camping), but for a long time, God lived in a tent. For almost 500 years God lived in what was known as the Tabernacle - a tent that the Israelites carried with them in the wilderness and then into the Promised Land. This morning we're going to begin a series where we look at the Tabernacle and see what it was and who it pointed to. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
How Does My Faith Impact My Work? | Colossians 3:22-4:1
September 04, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.4 MBShould the people I work with be able to tell that I am a Christian? Not just by my words, but by my actions, by the way I work? Does following Jesus make a difference in the workplace? This morning we’ll think about these questions. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
When We Want to Run Away | Psalm 55
August 28, 2022 04:00 - 24 minutes - 16.7 MBSometimes life feels overwhelming. Everyone needs something from us and we don't have much to give. We feel pulled in a hundred different directions and there aren't enough hours in a day. People are frustrated with us but we've done the best we can. At those times, it can sound good to just run away. We want to escape to a place no one knows us and no one wants anything from us. David had reached that point in his life and this morning we'll look at what David does when he wants to run awa...
Giving Ourselves to God | I Chronicles 29
August 21, 2022 04:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBSo often we are tempted to boil down our "giving" into money that we donate. But there is so much more that God asks us to "give to Him." As David ends his time and transfers his power and wisdom to Solomon, one lesson we learn is that God doesn't just want our money, He wants everything we have to offer Him. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
The Right Stuff and the Right Person | I Chronicles 22
August 14, 2022 04:00 - 36 minutes - 25.4 MBGaining and having wisdom is an important thing. Equally important is how we use it and how we pass it on to others. David was a great king because he did the right thing the right way consistently. As David's time as king comes to an end, what continued to make him great was that he passed down the right things to the right people. - Pastor Arek O'Connell Support the Show.
Where Justice and Mercy Meet | I Chronicles 21-22:1
August 07, 2022 04:00 - 31 minutes - 22 MBDavid has been on an amazing role. He has moved the ark of God and conquered enemy after enemy. But his success contains the seeds of his fall and this morning we’ll look at the great king who blew it big time. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.
It's Never Been About Our Power | I Chronicles 18-20
July 31, 2022 04:00 - 32 minutes - 22.7 MBWe all face challenges and difficulties. Whether it’s an illness or an enemy, a pain or a sin that keeps getting at us, we all face problems. We all have times when we feel like we don’t have the power to endure, much less win. This morning, the Chronicler reminds us that we don’t need to worry about how much power we have because it’s never been about our power. - Pastor Ron Kool Support the Show.