Current Series + Discussion Questions
Current Series:
This is an Invite Series that offers a foundational look at marriage through the lens of the Unvarnished Jesus.
Message 3 | Losin’ The Feels
April 21, 2024 - It is when the intense feelings of love eventually diminish that we fully realize that marriage is designed to teach us the deeper definition of love.
Message 2 | The Two Roads: The Epic Story of Doug and Wendy Gohn
April 14, 2024 - There are two roads each person can choose, the high road of self and the low road of humility and submission. The first road leads to death, the second to life - personally, relationally, and in your marriage.
Message 1 | A Crazy Idea!
April 7, 2024 - Mutual submission is what it looks like to become like Jesus.
Past Series:
God's Kingdom is one of Abundance that leads to generosity. This kingdom is one of scarcity that leads to selfishness, greed, and using others. As followers of the Unvarnished Jesus who live in this kingdom, we are able to live out the ways of his Kingdom.
Message 8 | Easter 2024
March 31, 2024 - God offers an alternative and subversive story to our normal lives. It’s a story of resurrection.
Message 7 | Palm Sunday
March 24, 2024 - The people expected Jesus to bring revolution through violence. Jesus came to bring peace through sacrifice.
Message 6 | Forgiveness: The Key to Healing and Freedom (Liz Dickson)
March 17, 2024 - This message is about being formed in Jesus’ image by embodying forgiveness in our lives.
Message 5 | Father, Forgive Them
March 10, 2024 - “Father forgive them” is the interpretive center of the Bible. This is what God is like. This is what God has always been like. We did not always know this, but because of Jesus, now we do.
Message 4 | A Suffering King
March 3, 2024 - Jesus was coronated as King on Good Friday. This is the kind of kingdom we are part of. It's a submissive kingdom that has hope in resurrection.
Message 3 | Disqualified?!
February 25, 2024 - Peter and Judas both betrayed Jesus. But Peter shows us that even though he denied Jesus, it's not the sin that disqualifies, it’s quitting. No matter what you've done, God still desires you and wants to work through you. You just need to live a repentant life.
Message 2 | Competing Messiahs
February 18, 2024 - While everyone expected Messiah to be like a violent revolutionary like Barabbas, Jesus showed power through love, submission, and humility. Lent is a time to reset and submit our power-seeking ways to the lordship of Jesus.
Message 1 | Beginning the Journey of Lent
February 11, 2024 - The Journey of Lent
Past Series:
God's Kingdom is one of Abundance that leads to generosity. This kingdom is one of scarcity that leads to selfishness, greed, and using others. As followers of the Unvarnished Jesus who live in this kingdom, we are able to live out the ways of his Kingdom.
Message 5 | Pastor Carlton Smith
February 4, 2024 - Pastor Carlton Smith
Message 4 | Plenty of Food
January 28, 2024 - Offer the Lord all you have and experience the awe and wonder of God multiplying your gift to bring life not just to you, but to many.
Message 3 | A Bigger Gospel Story
January 21, 2024 - Continuing form last week, Jesus came as a son of Abraham to fulfill what Israel could not. Jesus continues to bring HIS kingdom into THIS kingdom through his followers who are filled with his Spirit.
Message 2 | The Beginning of the Story
January 14, 2024 - To understand Jesus’ view of the world, we must start at the beginning of the story.
Message 1 | Jesus’ Upside Down View of the World
January 7, 2024 - Contrasting the difference between our default kingdom of scarcity and how Jesus sees the world through a lens of abundance as we trust God.
Past Series:
This series will look at the Hebrew prophecies to see how Jesus came as the fulfillment of God's ongoing story as first revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Message 6 | New Years Eve
December 31, 2023 - To bring in the New Year together as a family. Lots of testimonies and praises for what he has done and prayers for the new year.
Message 5 | Christmas Eve at the Park
December 24, 2023 - Avalon Church repeats the sounding Joy together at the Christmas Eve service in the park.
Message 4 | Joy to the World
December 17, 2023 - Joy to the World
Message 3 | Unto Us
December 10, 2023 - As we explain the prophecy in Isaiah 9:6 (For unto us a child is born), we see that when we deserved justice, God gave us mercy. Offering mercy rather than justice is the only way enemies can become friends.
Message 2 | O Little Town of Bethlehem
December 3, 2023 - As God promised that out of Bethlehem would come his great Messiah, so it is in his Upside-Down kingdom that what is smallest becomes greatest.
Message 1 | O Come, O Come Emmanuel
November 26, 2023 - This series will look at the Hebrew prophecies to see how Jesus came as the fulfillment of God's ongoing story as first revealed in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Past Series:
This series is designed to move us beyond the caricatures of Jesus that have been passed down from our denominations and traditions to rediscover who Jesus really was and what he really taught.
Message 3 | THE OT POINTS TO JESUS
November 19, 2023 - Sometimes our tradition and beliefs actually get in the way of seeing Jesus for who he really is.
Message 2 | A Varnished Messiah
November 12, 2023 - The goal of this message is to reveal the need for this series. Like us, Jesus' disciples misunderstood Jesus' purpose and mission due to the layers of varnish that were laid upon Messiah. Various times they asked about when Jesus was going to take over and reestablish Israel. This even happened after the resurrection (Acts 1:6).
Message 1 | Come and See
November 5, 2023 - Message by Joe Chau
Past Series:
No matter the size, "church" is defined as 3 things: Worship, Community, and Mission. While we tend to live this out most in Big Church on Sunday’s, Small Church allows everyone to participate.
Message 8 | Combined Spanish-English Service & Fall Festival
October 29, 2023 - CommUNITY
Message 7 | Mission Panel
October 22, 2023 - What does MISSION look like in real life?
Message 6 | What is Mission?
October 15, 2023 - What is Mission and how is it related to Worship and Community?
Message 5 | Community Panel
October 8, 2023 - What does COMMUNITY look like in real life?
Message 4 | What is Community?
October 1, 2023 - What is Jesus’ original intention for community in his church?
Message 3 | Worship Panel
September 24, 2023 - What does worship look like in real life?
Message 2 | What is Worship?
September 17, 2023 - Worship is bigger than singing and services. It’s loving Jesus and becoming conformed to his image.
Message 1 | What is Church?
September 10, 2023 - This message introduces Jesus’ vision for the church that is expressed in Big Church and Small Church.
Past Series:
The Quest: Pursuing A Life Of Transformation. A discipleship series about how to follow and pursue Jesus.
Message 5 | Psalm 23
September 3, 2023 - Sometimes we become so familiar with a set of scriptures in a particular context (weddings, funerals, etc.) that we might inadvertently miss the rest of what’s available to us.
Message 4 | With the End in Mind
August 27, 2023 - This message takes a look at the Apostle Paul’s picture of the kind of people we are becoming in Jesus.
Message 3 | Asking the Right QUESTions
August 20, 2023 - In contrast to guarding your heart from last week, Paul now focuses on the ways we choose to walk in Jesus as he continually transforms us.
Message 2 | The Quest for Transformation
August 13, 2023 - God desires to transform us. Our responsibility is to be fertile soil.
Message 1 | A Quest (not) Worth Pursuing
August 6, 2023 - Jesus is the ultimate Quest worthy of our whole life’s pursuit.
Past Series:
Fresh Voices! This Summer we will be hearing from a variety of talented speakers from within our congregation.
Randy Hepner | Snapshots in the Life of Nicodemus
July 30, 2023 - Everyone has a story. God uses events and experiences to shape our lives.
Ivonne Noriega | A Seat at The Table
July 23, 2023 - Ivonne shares on the story of Mephibosheth and King David, and discusses what it means to be invited to our Father’s table.
James Cowan | Job - Riches to Rags
July 16, 2023 - When we finally see and experience God, we rethink everything. We rewrite the rules.
Annie Gonzalez | Take Heart
July 9, 2023 - Annie Gonzalez shares how Leading with the Heart - both physically and spiritually can transform your day, eliminate pain, improve your posture, and impact others.
Past Series:
Gratitude invalidates the false narrative that adversity is the sum of human existence, and retells the beautiful story that life is a precious gift that we did not earn or deserve.
Message 4 | Grateful Reunion: Esau and Jacob
July 2, 2023 - Through the story of Esau’s reunion with Jacob, we see bitterness being replaced by gratefulness.
Message 3 | Grateful Giving
June 25, 2023 - Typical giving (Activity Giving) is a reactionary to intervene to meet a need. But purposeful, strategic giving (Foundation Giving) is required to make all giving and ministry possible.
Message 2 | Grateful That I’m Not Good Enough - Patrick Sisk
June 18, 2023 - Grateful That I’m Not Good Enough
Message 1 | Gratitude is a Choice
June 11, 2023 - Choosing Gratitude leads to transformation.
Past Series:
This series is designed as an opportunity to invite guests as we answer some of the most popular questions posed by our community and beyond.
Message 7 | Discussion Panel
June 4, 2023 - Panel Questions
Message 6 | How Can I Know God’s Will?
May 28, 2023 - God’s will is seeking Jesus and becoming like Jesus. If we do that, the choices we make are ours to discern with wisdom developed in maturity.
Message 5 | Should We Care About Social Justice?
May 21, 2023 - The Gospel is good news for all who are experiencing injustice and the people of God are the ones who live out that good news.
Message 4 | Do My Prayers Matter?
May 14, 2023 - When it seems God is distant and so many prayers go unanswered, do out prayers really matter? Or is there a different purpose for prayer? There is… formation.
Message 3 | How do we live through the suffering?
May 7, 2023 - How do we live through the suffering?
Message 2 | If God is Good, Why Do We Suffer?
April 23, 2023 - If God is so good, why do we still suffer?
Message 1 | Does God Have a Violent Streak?
April 16, 2023 - God is like Jesus. God has always been like Jesus. We haven’t always known that, but now we do.
Past Series:
Lent provides an annual emphasis to participate in the rich history of Christianity. The focus of the 2023 series is to look at the Apostles Creed, a creed that predates the canon, and has defined for the universal church the pillars of belief.
Message 7 | Happy Easter 2023!
April 9, 2023 - Happy Easter!
Message 6 | Forgiveness
April 2, 2023 - Forgiveness is essential to our church community.
Message 5 | Who is the Holy Spirit?
March 26, 2023 - The story of God from the perspective of the Holy Spirit.
Message 4 | Where is Jesus Now?
March 19, 2023 - Where is Jesus Now? What does the future hold? What do we do until then? The difficulties we experience are temporary. Jesus is coming again. Jesus is with us. He has given us purpose.
Message 3 | It’s all about Jesus
March 12, 2023 - John Molloy shares a message about the hope of Jesus when we encounter difficulties in this life.
Message 2 | I Believe in God
March 5, 2023 - There is good reason to believe and follow God, our Creator and Father.
Message 1 | Intro to the Apostle’s Creed
February 26, 2023 - Unity comes from a shared story, a shared history. Today’s message is our story, the story of the Church.
Past Series:
God wants to be KNOWN -This series is designed to help us foster a relationship with our God who desires to be KNOWN.
Message 6 | Fully Known
February 19, 2023 - God knows us. God knows those we are called to. His love is ever-present.
Message 5 | A Missional God
February 12, 2023 - Dennis Sink shares about Small Church, Big World.
Message 4 | A Missional Prayer
February 5, 2023 - There is no power in ministry done without God’s presence.
Message 3 | It’s About the Heart
January 29, 2023 - Very often the OT is viewed as wrath while the NT is viewed as love. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Message 2 | YHWH: Knowing God
January 22, 2023 - To Love God, we must know him. When he revealed his name, YHWH, he revealed a very intimate aspect of himself that is revealed even more in Jesus.
Message 1 | The Heaven’s Declare
January 15, 2023 - God can be known through his Creation.
B.L.E.S.S -Learning to love others and live out our calling as ambassadors for Jesus.
Message 12 | Share Stories
January 8, 2023 - Jesus invites us to BLESS our neighbor by sharing how our stories intersect with God’s story.
Christmas Series:
Christmas Gifts -Celebrating the Christmas story is incarnationally loving what Jesus loves. It is celebrating the joy of the Christmas story through helping the least of these. We are called to BLESS others as Jesus blessed us.
Message 4 | The Gift of Connection
December 18, 2022 - “The Gift of Connection” - Immanuel is God with us. The best, most remembered gifts are gifts of relationship and connection.
Message 3 | Forgiveness
December 11, 2022 - “Forgiveness” - We didn't deserve forgiveness, yet we received it. Therefore, to be like Jesus, we should offer it.
Message 2 | Big Gifts in Small Packages
December 4, 2022 - “Big Gifts in Small Packages” - Pastor Don shares how Micah’s Bethlehem prophecy reveals the heart of God, that the small and insignificant are actually the greatest.
Message 1 | Something’s Missing
November 27, 2022 - “Something’s Missing” - Pastor Don shares about overcoming the regret and exhaustion of a consumer-filled Christmas.
Recent Series: (continuing January 8, 2023)
B.L.E.S.S -Learning to love others and live out our calling as ambassadors for Jesus.
Message 11 | Liz Dickson on Thanksgiving
November 20, 2022 - Liz Dickson shares what gratitude truly Lukes like.
Message 10 | Serve
November 13, 2022 - Pastor Don shares how Jesus reveals the heart of God through humility and by “S”, serving one another in Jesus’ name.
Message 9 | Eat
November 6, 2022 - Pastor Don shares that “E”, eating together is one of the greatest tools we have to BLESS the world around us.
Message 8 | Craig Cooper
October 30, 2022 - Craig Cooper shares his heart about what it means to BLESS our neighbor.
Message 7 | Listen
October 23, 2022 - Pastor Don shares that in order to BLESS our neighbor, Jesus us invites us to “L”, listen to them.
Message 6 | Begin in Prayer
October 16, 2022 - Pastor Don shares that the first step to living as Jesus’ ambassador in the world is to “B”, Begin with Prayer. Prayer is the work.
Message 5 | The Posture of a Craig
October 9, 2022 - Pastor Don shares about loving your neighbor with the “Posture of Craig”.
Message 4 | Big Church AND Small Church
October 2, 2022 - Pastor Don helps us discover together the purpose of the church and how Avalon Church will live this out in BIG church and small church communities.
Message 3 | Pastor Mike
September 25, 2022 - Pastor Mike shares insight on loving others and living out our calling as ambassadors for Jesus.
Message 2 | Pastor Mike
September 18, 2022 - Pastor Mike shares about Isaac and God’s Calling to bless the whole world.
Message 1 | Pastor Mike
September 11, 2022 - Pastor Mike describes the choice we all have, God’s path or our path.
Fruit to Root
September 4, 2022 - Pastor Don introduces the “Fruit to Root” Tool to help us move from unhealthy beliefs which lead to unhealthy fruit like anxiety, fear, and anger into healthy beliefs that lead to the fruit of the Spirit like love, joy, and peace.
Past Series:
1 Corinthians shows us that Jesus is for everyone. No matter who we are or what we’ve done, when Jesus is invited into the center of our world, he transforms our fractured lives into instruments of resurrection; a beautiful mess. (We have been in 1 Corinthians for a while, taking breaks for Advent and Lent seasons. scroll down for more from this series!)
Message 29 | Resurrection: So What?
August 21, 2022 - Why does Jesus’ resurrection and the question “What happens after we die?” matter for us today?
Message 28 | Resurrection: All or Nothing
August 14, 2022 -The one and only thing that is the basis for our faith is the Jesus rose from the dead.
Message 27 | What is the Gospel
August 7, 2022 - In this passage, Paul shares the earliest creed of what the Gospel really is… and it’s quite different from how most of us define it.
Past Series:
Fresh Voices! This Summer we will be hearing from a variety of talented speakers from within our congregation.
Joe Chau | Zacchaeus
July 31, 2022 - Joe Chau wraps up the Fresh Voices Series by sharing a message from Luke 19.
Josh Carpenter | Missions
July 24, 2022 - Josh Carpenter shares his heart for Jesus through a message on Missions.
Youth Camp Participants |
July 17, 2022 - Youth Camp Participants will share their experiences about camp.
Patrick Sisk | Prodigal Son
July 10, 2022 - Patrick Sisk brings insight on a familiar classic Bible story in a new mini series: Fresh Voices.
Message 26 | Women, Be Silent?
July 3, 2022 - Women should be silent in the church? What could this mean?
Message 25 | Tongues and Prophecy
June 26, 2022 - Today’s message is exploring what Paul means by tongues and prophecy.
Message 24 | Love Where You Live
June 19, 2022 - Love is an action that you do, not a feeling you fall into.
Message 23 | We Are The Body
June 12, 2022 - The church is Messiah’s Body, Messiah’s people. Like our body submits to us for our benefit, so we submit together to Jesus.
Message 22 | Gifts of the Spirit
June 5, 2022 - On Pentecost Sunday, we discover that God offers diverse gifts to every person to fulfill his mission and live out his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Message 21 | Time of Lament and Prayer
May 29, 2022 - We are lamenting the world as it is, praying for Jesus’ kingdom to be reflected in his church, and looking expectantly towards our hope in Jesus.
Message 20 | Status for All
May 22, 2022 - The Corinthians were accentuating the status differences between men and women, especially the women who were poor and slaves. Paul lifts up the status of all in Christ.
Message 19 | Tasty Christianity
May 15, 2022 - Paul finishes the idea he started in chapter 8 to demonstrate through the way we live our lives just how good the Good News actually is.
Message 18 | Mother Heart of God
May 8, 2022 - Liz Dickson shares a Mother’s Day message.
Message 17 | A Sign
May 1, 2022 - A Sign
Message 16 | What is the Win?
April 24, 2022 - What is the Win?
Past Series:
Searching For Sunday - Christianity is meant for more than to simply be believed. It is to be lived, shared, eaten, spoken, and enacted with one another. It is not more about God, it’s more God.
Message 7 | Easter
April 17, 2022 - Resurrection brings new life then and now.
Message 6 | Anointing
April 10, 2022 - In Anointing, we never suffer alone.
Message 5 | Confirmation
April 3, 2022 - Jesus’ table is one where everyone is invited.
Message 4 | Baptism: You are Included!
March 27, 2022 - Baptism proclaims our identity as part of the family of Jesus.
Message 3 | Confession
March 20, 2022 - Jim Groves - This week we want to answer the question, “Does confession still have a place in our spiritual journey?”
Message 2 | Communion
March 13, 2022 - Christianity is meant for more than to simply be believed. It is to be lived, shared, eaten, spoken, and enacted with one another. It is not more about God, it’s more God.
Message 1 | Lament
March 6, 2022 - To experience life, we must stop the perpetual motion of activity and reflect on who we truly are in our brokenness and need. Lament allows us to grieve our evil. It exposes our need for God to save us. It prepares us for salvation and the experience of resurrection life.
Message 15 | Intro to Lent
February 27, 2022 - Answering the Corinthians question about food sacrificed to idols, Paul makes the case that we should follow Jesus’ example to give up our rights for others.
Message 14 | Living Gods’ Story
February 20, 2022 - Using marriage and singleness as examples, Paul urges the Corinthians to live out their identity and mission as followers of Jesus.
Message 13 | Submit to One Another
February 13, 2022 - Men and Women are both called to submit and yield authority to one another. It’s a willing act of giving, not demanding.
Message 12 | Your Body Matters
February 6, 2022 - Jim Groves - Paul addresses the issue of sexual immorality by providing a correct theology of the body
Message 11 | Lawsuits and Identity
January 30, 2022 -Contrasting the Corinthian believer’s use of lawsuits and sinful behavior, Paul describes what it looks like to live out our Kingdom-identity.
Message 10 | Separation
January 23, 2022 - Paul makes it clear that followers of Jesus are to interact and be friends with those in the surrounding community.
Message 9 | Scandal
January 16, 2022 -How to deal with Scandal in the church-family.
Message 8 | Pride or Power
January 9, 2022 - Where there is pride, the power of God is not evident.
Message 7 | It matters What We Do
January 2, 2022 -Division happens when we put anything in Jesus’ place.
Previous Series:
Surprise! A gift no one expected. The Christmas story.
Week 4 | Worth the Wait
December 12, 2021 - Waiting was so hard for the Jewish people. When Jesus finally came, he was so different than they expected that it was hard to believe he was the One. But through his life, death, and resurrection, he proved he was worth the wait. God’s promise was the worth the wait. And it still is!
Week 3 | No Room and Real Life
December 5, 2021 - Following God does not spare us from the suffering and pain of real life, but it does provide family in the midst of the suffering and hope for its end.
Week 2 | The Shepherds Tell Their Story
November 28, 2021 -The shepherds teach us the importance of sharing the wonderful things God has done in our lives.
Week 1 | The Wisemen
November 21, 2021 -Though meeting Jesus was different than expected, the magi allowed their expectations to conform to Jesus rather than making Jesus conform to their expectations.
Week 5 | The Mystery of God
October 31, 2021 -God’s story that began before the world was created was a hidden mystery that was finally revealed in Jesus.
Week 4 | God’s Power is Revealed in Weakness
October 24, 2021 -The power of the gospel is often revealed in the ordinary, weak, and foolish.
Week 3 | The Foolishness of The Gospel
Pastor William Nieto leads us in studying 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 and why the Gospel is foolishness to those who are perishing.
Week 2 | Unity
As Paul begins his discussion concerning disunity in the Corinthian church, it has striking similarities to today.
Week 1 | Intro to 1 Corinthians
This message introduces 1 Corinthians and Paul’s brilliant framing of what happens when Christ is put in the center of our lives.