Shows
Hillside Community Church PodcastJesus is Still at Work | Acts 1:1-3Sometimes 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 again at the end of the book, we have t...2023-01-0833 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastChristmas 2022 | God's Amazing GraceThere 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 show2022-12-2526 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhat Are You Waiting For? - Peace | Micah 5:2-5aAs 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 KoolSupport the show2022-12-1829 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Ark of the Covenant | Exodus 25:10-22On 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 KoolSupport the show2022-10-3026 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastBecoming a Priest | Exodus 29Priests 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 KoolSupport the show2022-10-2332 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Altar of Incense | Exodus 30:1-10For 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 KoolSupport the show2022-10-0934 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Table and The Lampstand | Exodus 25:23-40The 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 KoolSupport the show2022-10-0228 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhat is God's Home Like? | Exodus 26We'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 KoolSupport the show2022-09-2535 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Outer Court | Exodus 27:1-8Last 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 KoolSupport the show2022-09-1828 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastGod With Us | Exodus 25:1-9It 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 KoolSupport the show2022-09-1128 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastHow Does My Faith Impact My Work? | Colossians 3:22-4:1Should 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 KoolSupport the show2022-09-0432 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhen We Want to Run Away | Psalm 55Sometimes 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 away. - Pastor Ron K...2022-08-2824 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhere Justice and Mercy Meet | I Chronicles 21-22:1David 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 KoolSupport the show2022-08-0731 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastIt's Never Been About Our Power | I Chronicles 18-20We 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 KoolSupport the show2022-07-3132 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastA Tale of Two Houses | II Chronicles 17Did you ever feel like you were so thankful to God that you wanted to do something to show it? You wanted to give money or build something or volunteer somewhere. What if you wanted that and God said, “No, thank you”? This morning we’ll look at a story in which David discovers what that’s like. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-07-2431 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWorship is Essential | I Chronicles 15 and 16One of the most powerful forces in our world is the power of hope. Hope can give us energy and endurance. The Bible calls us to hope, but we sometimes wonder how we can be people of hope in a broken world. We’ll consider one of the best ways to nurture and strengthen our hope—Worship! - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-07-1732 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhat Not to Do | I Chronicles 10Sometimes we can learn what we should do by looking at what we shouldn’t do—we call that a negative example. The Chronicler uses Saul as a negative example. He started out great, but he didn’t stay faithful. Saul fell away, but God stayed faithful. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-06-2630 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastLessons From Lists | I Chronicles 1-9How many generations of ancestors can you name? Grandparents? Great-grandparents? Great-great-grandparents? The Chronicler starts off with the longest genealogy in the Bible—nine chapters! He goes from his own day all the way back to Adam (at least 3,500 years). And most of us skip right over this. It doesn’t make sense to us. We’ll take a look at what we can learn from these long lists of names. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-06-1932 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastChronicles: Real Hope for Rough Times | II Chronicles 7:14We’re going to begin a sermon series this morning on the book of I Chronicles. While this Old Testament book may not be really familiar to us, it has an important message in our day. This morning we’ll get an overview of the book and look at one key passage that will tell us what God really wants from us. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-06-1233 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastPentecost: The Power We Need | Romans 8:1-17Today is Pentecost Sunday—the day we remember that Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to His people and the Church came alive. This morning we’ll talk about just how important (absolutely essential!!) the Holy Spirit is and what the Holy Spirit does. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-06-0530 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWeeds in the Garden | Matthew 13:24-30The Bible tells us over and over again that God is good. He is loving and wants what’s best for us. But if that’s the case, why are there so many bad things and bad people in this world? Where do they come from and what do we do about them? Today we’ll look at a parable that Jesus told that helps us think about these things. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-05-2928 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastSheep and Coins and Parties | Luke 15:1-10In our world it can feel like there are people who matter and people who don’t. There are people who deserve our time and people who don’t. There are people who are of value and people who aren’t. Some of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day felt like Jesus spent too much time with people who didn’t really matter. In response, Jesus tells them several parables.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-05-1528 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Sown Seeds | Matthew 13:1-9We’ve probably all had times when we felt like someone was listening to us but not really listening. They were hearing the words we were speaking but not really paying attention to them. In the parable we’re going to look at today, Jesus is going to tell us that sometimes we can do that with God’s Word—we can listen to it but not really take it in. Join us as we think about how we can hear God’s Word the way we should—so we can be shaped by its power. - Pastor Ron KoolSup...2022-05-0832 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Hidden Treasure | Matthew 13:44-46Sometimes we don’t understand why someone pays as much as they do for something. Why would someone pay $3 million dollars for a painting that sits on the wall? Why would someone pay $50,000 for an old car that doesn’t run? Sometimes things have a value that we don’t see. But for those who do see it, they have to act. Jesus says that this is the way it is with the kingdom of heaven. When we see how wonderful it is, we have to act. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-05-0130 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastIs He Enough? | Colossians 1:15-20When we ask someone to do a job, one of the questions we have to think about is this: Do they have what it takes? Can they get the job done? Do they have enough knowledge? Enough strength? Enough time? There were some people in Colossi who were teaching that Jesus was great but that He wasn’t quite enough on His own. They said that you needed Jesus plus some secret knowledge; Jesus plus some secret techniques. Paul is not happy with them and he reminds us that JESUS IS ENOUGH! - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the...2022-04-2426 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhy Do You Look for the Living Among the Dead? | Easter SundayLuke 24:1-12We spend a good amount of time looking for things. We look for our car keys, our purses, our eyeglasses—sometimes even our children. We’ll take a look at the story of a group of women who were looking for someone—but they were looking in the wrong place. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-04-1728 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWho Is This? | Matthew 21:1-11Throughout His life, people were trying to understand who Jesus was. Was He a king? Was He the Messiah? Was He a revolutionary? Was He God? Was He a prophet? For most of His life, Jesus allowed some confusion about who He was - He seemed to be keeping it a secret. But in this story, we’ll see Jesus make a clear declaration (without saying a word) of who He is. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-04-1027 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhat Shall We Do With Jesus? | Matthew 27:11-26Sometimes we’d rather just not have to decide. We want to abstain from voting, not take a stand, not choose one side or the other. Sometimes this is okay. But not always. This morning we’ll see how Pilate discovered that he couldn’t avoid this question: What’s he supposed to do with Jesus? He wants to pass on the question. Ignore it. But he can’t. None of us can. All of us need to have some sort of answer to this key question: What will we do with Jesus?- Pastor RON KOOLSupport th2022-04-0330 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastAm I Leading a Rebellion? | Matthew 26:47-56Having spent several hours in prayer, Jesus is now ready to begin the final stages on His road to the cross. It begins with His arrest, with Judas showing up with a mob and betraying Him with a kiss. As Jesus deals with Judas, His disciples and the mob, we see God’s love in action—the willingness of Jesus to give His life for us. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-03-2730 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastSurely You Don't Mean Me, Lord? | Matthew 26:14-25For many of us, when we hear about someone who is caught in a scandal or who was caught doing something very wrong, we have one of two thoughts. We might think, “I would never do that!!” Or we might think, “Would I ever do that?” The fact is that sometimes the Bible calls us to recognize that we are not as strong as we think we are.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-03-1328 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhy This Waste | Matthew 26:6-13Do you ever feel like you want to do “the right thing” but it felt like “the right thing” kept on changing? I think the disciples sometimes felt that way with Jesus. There were times when they were sure they knew what Jesus wanted them to do. But then they would discover that they still didn’t get it. - Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-03-0625 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastFinal Instructions | I Thessalonians 5:12-28When we are learning something, we need to start with the basics. We learn to play a scale on a piano. We learn to read simple books before we tackle War and Peace. We walk before we run. The same is true in our Christian faith. This morning we’ll look at a list of normal, everyday commands that Paul gives to the Thessalonians. They aren’t necessarily flashy, but they are the actions and attitudes we need to have to grow a healthy church.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-02-2730 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastBe Ready | I Thessalonians 5:1-11One of the most powerful teachings in the Bible is that Jesus will come back to judge the living and the dead. Each one of us will stand before Jesus and give an account of our lives—and He knows everything! What do we need to do to be ready for that day? Does the Bible give us some “insider information” so that we can make sure we’re ready?- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-02-2026 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastLiving to Please God | I Thessalonians 4:1-8The gospel is the good news that, by His death and resurrection, Jesus has saved us from sin and death. He makes new life available to us freely - it’s completely by grace! But Paul wants us to know that if we accept that gift, it will change us - we will live to please God, not ourselves. This morning we’ll look at how that applies to our sexual lives.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-02-0632 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhy We Need Each Other | I Thessalonians 2:17-3:13Paul really liked to be with people. For him, there was nothing like doing life together, sharing our lives, helping, challenging and supporting each other. That’s why it was so hard for Paul not to be able to go and visit the Thessalonians. He hated being separated from them. We’ll see why Paul was so passionate about trying too get to see the Thessalonians and what Paul did to try to fill in the gaps.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-01-3034 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastHow Not to be a Swindler | I Thessalonians 2:1-12One thing that hasn’t changed in the past 2,000 years is that people are sometimes skeptical about religious people. Even back in Paul’s day there were people who thought that many preachers and other religious people were really swindlers - charlatans who were taking advantage of others - fleecing the flock. In the passage we’re looking at today, Paul tells us how we can avoid being manipulative as we try to influence others for Jesus.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-01-2331 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastTechnique or Transformation? | I Thessalonians 1:1-10We were created to make a difference. God created us so that we could have an impact on the people and the world around us. It gives our lives meaning and purpose. We’ll take a look at how we can have an impact on others as a church and as individual believers.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-01-1628 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastStarting Over | Paul's Letter to PhilemonOne of the challenges many of us have faced in the past year has been conflict with other Christians. We may not have been at fault but a relationship was broken. We'll take a look at what Paul did when he was faced with a situation where two Christians he loved were in a broken relationship with each other.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2022-01-0232 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastJesus Is: Light | Christmas EvePastor Ron KoolSupport the show2021-12-2429 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastJesus Is: The Savior | Matthew 1:18-25, Luke 2:8-10Jesus does so many things. He guides us. He befriends us. He encourages us. Today we look at perhaps the most important things Jesus does for us. He saves us. He rescues us. This is great news because we all need saving!- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2021-12-1930 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastJesus Is: Prince of Peace | Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2:13-14, Ephesians 2:11-16There is something inside each one of us that wants peace. Peace between nations, peace within families, peace among neighbors. We want peace. But most of us also feel that peace is not really a possibility—there will always be wars and hostility and fighting. Unless. Unless. Unless God Himself does something. Today we’ll think together about what it means that Jesus is our Prince of Peace.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2021-12-1230 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastJesus Is: The Word | John 1:1-3, 14As we remember the first coming of Jesus and look forward to His second coming, we’re taking a look at some of the titles that the Bible gives to Jesus. Last week we looked at Jesus as The Messiah. This week we’re going to look at Jesus as The Word. What does it mean that Jesus is The Word? And what difference does it make to us if He is?- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2021-12-0534 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThanksgiving 2021There’s a difference between saying thank you and being thankful. Saying thank you is important, but God really calls us to be thankful. It’s that sense of gratitude that we seek and that God calls us to have. Today we will discuss the five keys to nurturing gratitude.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2021-11-2529 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Supremacy of Love | I Corinthians 13:8-13Beginning Again: In LoveAs we've been working our way through I Corinthians 13, we've learned that love is essential to all ministry and we've learned about the characteristics of love. This morning we'll learn that while other gifts and abilities are good, Love is the greatest.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-11-2129 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastLove Always | I Corinthians 13:7Beginning Again: In LoveAs we’ve gone through the characteristics of love that Paul gives us in I Corinthians 13, we’ve seen that love is not sentimental or sweet but powerful and challenging. It’s not easy to love the way Paul calls us to love. In his final set of the characteristics of love, Paul tells us that love always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres. Once again we see that love is sacrificial and strong.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSuppor...2021-11-1432 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhat Makes Love Happy? | I Corinthians 13:6Beginning Again: In LoveThe Bible calls us to rejoice when others rejoice and to mourn when others mourn. But sometimes that’s not easy. Sometimes we take delight in the failures and hurts of other people and sometimes we are sad when others succeed. We’ll look at what Paul says about love: It doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-11-0728 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhen Love Gets Hurt | I Corinthians 13:5Beginning Again: In LoveWe all get hurt. In a broken world, there is no way we can avoid it. We all get hurt (and we all hurt others at times). The question is this: How do we respond? What does love teach us about how we respond when we get hurt?- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-10-3131 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastYou Before Me | I Corinthians 13:5bBeginning Again: In LoveOne of the greatest ways we show love is to honor people - to notice them, to listen to them, to respect them. Today we'll see how love calls us to not seek to gain honor as it seeks to give honor to others.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-10-2431 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastPatient and Kind | I Corinthians 13:4Beginning Again: In LoveLast week we heard Paul’s call to love. He taught us that no matter how gifted we are, without love, we are nothing. That leads to what we’re going to talk about today and for the next couple of weeks: What is love? A feeling? A song? A generic sort of feel-good moment? Paul’s going to point out that love—real love—requires some real work.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-10-1033 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Essential Calling of a Christ Follower | I Corinthians 13:1-3Beginning Again: In LoveWe’ve talked about the importance of prayer and of serving. Now we’re going to talk about something that Paul says is the greatest thing: Love. No matter how impressive we may be to others with our prayers and our serving and our speaking and our knowing, Paul tells us that if we don’t do these things in love, we really don’t matter much. Love makes the difference.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-10-0327 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastBeginning Again: In Service | I Corinthians 12:7-12One of the most amazing things we can discover is that God can and does work through us. It feels great to realize that we had an impact on someone’s life, whether that was by a word we spoke, an act of kindness, or a gift we gave. We were created by God to do these sorts of things and feel this sort of joy. We’ll take a look at how God not only created us to make a difference but gave us spiritual gifts so His grace can flow through us to others.- Pastor Ron...2021-09-2633 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastBeginning Again: Prayer | Ephesians 6:18-20For many of us, we are beginning again. Schools are open, ministries at church are ramping up, the Hillside Cook-out is today, the Lions kick off a new season. As we begin again, there are three things that we ought to recommit ourselves to: Prayer, Service and Love. We’ll take some time to commit and re-commit ourselves to prayer.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-09-1234 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastI Don't Take Charity | II Kings 5Most of us have heard that “it’s better to give than to receive.” That’s true. But what we haven’t always recognized is that often it’s easier to give than to receive. We don’t like to receive gifts we can’t pay back. We like to feel like we are pulling our own weight. That’s not terrible, unless it keeps us from receiving the most important gift in the world—God’s grace.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-09-0533 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastDon't Covet | Exodus 20:17, Mark 7:20-23, James 1:14-15Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsAs we finish the Ten Commandments this morning we’ll see that the last commandment takes us inside—into our hearts, our inner desires, where all our outward actions start. We’ll see that if we can get this one right, we can do much better with the first nine.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-08-2930 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastTell the Truth in Love | Exodus 20:16 & Ephesians 4:15Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsThe ninth commandment might be the one that we break with the most frequency. While we really want to be people who tell the truth, too often we don’t tell the whole truth. We mislead, we speak too strongly, we speak too weakly. We cover the truth and slant it. We’ll take a look at how we can be people who speak the truth in love.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-08-1533 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastDon't Steal | Exodus 20:15 & Ephesians 4:28Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsThe Ten Commandments continue to help us learn to live in freedom. We’ll look at what it means to be free in relationship with our stuff, our possessions. God teaches us that real freedom comes when we are satisfied with what we have and when we are able to freely share what we have with others.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-08-0831 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastDo Not Commit Adultery | Exodus 20:14 & Matthew 5:27-30Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsAs we continue through the Ten Commandments, we come to a very important and very challenging commandment: Don’t commit adultery. God cares deeply about our sexual lives and our sexual thoughts. We need to take that seriously as well. A key question we’ll look at is why? Why does the Bible have so much to say about sex?- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-08-0134 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastGetting Ready to Go | Joshua 1:1-9One of the biggest fears many of us have is the fear of the unknown. We don’t like it when we don’t know exactly what is going to happen next. We feel a little out of control. We may be excited about the future but it is still filled with unknowns. This morning we’ll look at what God has to say to Joshua as he is about to lead the people of Israel into the Promised Land.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSuppor...2021-07-2527 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastDon't Murder | Exodus 20:13 & Matthew 5:21-22Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsThis is one of those commandments that is pretty easy for most of us if we only leave it at the surface level. Most of us aren’t terribly tempted to literally murder someone. But if we push deeper (and Jesus calls us to do that), we discover that this commandment calls us to avoid harming or hurting people and, in fact, calls us to learn to love our neighbor, even the ones who are our enemies.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pu...2021-07-1128 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastHonor Your Parents | Exodus 20:12Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsParents are a big deal. Whether they are good or bad; whether they are wise or foolish; whether they are biological or adoptive; parents are a big deal. And God says it’s a big deal how we treat our parents - we are to honor them. But what does that mean? What does that look like? We take a look at what this commandment has to say to us.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport th...2021-07-0631 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastRemember the Sabbath Day | Exodus 20:8-11 & Deuteronomy 5:12-15Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsWe take a look at one of God’s really good gifts for us - the Sabbath. In a world where we constantly feel under pressure to do more and to do better, God invites us to stop and remember that He is God and we are not. The world is not in our hands, it is in His hands. When we remember this, we can actually rest for awhile - maybe even one day a week!- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pu...2021-06-2735 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastDon't Put God in a Box | Exodus 20:4-6Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsDo you ever feel like someone knew one thing about you and then decided they knew everything about you? They labeled you. They put you in a box. They “knew” all about you so they didn’t really have to listen to you. If you’ve ever had that happen, then you know that it’s not fun. God doesn’t like it either. He doesn’t like it when we limit Him or reduce Him from what He truly is. And that’s why He gives us the second commandment...2021-06-0732 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastNo Other Gods | Exodus 20:1-3Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsAfter God rescues us, He wants us to learn to live in freedom. We start this morning with the first and, in many ways, most important commandment: You shall have no other gods before me. While most of us aren’t tempted to worship Zeus or Odin or Amun-Ra, there are plenty of gods in our world we are tempted to worship—and we need to identify these gods so we can keep them from taking God’s place.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit...2021-05-3129 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Purpose of the Ten Commandments | Exodus 15:22-27Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsFor too many of us, we think that God gives us His Commandments so that we can know how to get Him to love us. If we obey God enough, we think, then He’ll save us. But that’s not the case. God first saves us and then He gives us His Commandments. They aren’t there to get Him to love us, they are there because He loves us and wants what is best for us.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https...2021-05-1626 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastDon't Begin with the Ten Commandments | Exodus 20:1-2 & Deuteronomy 6:20-25Set Free to Live Free | The Ten CommandmentsWe’re beginning a sermon series this morning on the Ten Commandments. We’ll take a week for each commandment and explore what it means for us today, but before we do that, we need to understand that the Ten Commandments come in the middle of a story. They are not just given randomly. They are given to God’s people – the ones He rescued from slavery.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-05-0930 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe New Heaven and The New Earth | Revelation 21:1-22:5Revelation | Pulling Back the CurtainHow do you describe the indescribable? How do you talk about something that is better than you can imagine? As John gets to the end of his vision, he tries to give us a sense of just how awesome, amazing, beautiful, joyful and wonderful things will be for God’s people when He makes all things new.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-05-0234 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Final Judgment | Revelation 20:11-15Revelation | Pulling Back the CurtainThis morning we take a look at a very important scene in the book of Revelation: The final judgment. God has already cast the beasts and the dragon into the Lake of Fire. He then raises all the dead and we will face His judgment. This is the last thing that happens before we see the New Heaven and the New Earth.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-04-2532 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe End of Our Enemies | Revelation 20Revelation | Pulling Back the CurtainOne of the questions we sometimes ask when we’re going through a tough time is this: Will it ever end? Will we be dealing with these struggles forever? Will they keep coming back? John wants us to know that, while our enemies are strong and powerful and smart, one day they will be completely gone. There is an end, and that is good news.- Pastor Ron KoolTo give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-04-1834 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastSubmit - 1 Peter 2:9-17Hope in a Broken World"Submit"Pastor Ron Kool1 Peter 2:9-17Sermon Summary:Today we address a really tough subject for many of us: God's call to submit to authority. For many of us that rubs against our grain. We don't like to submit. We don't like to have someone tell us what to do. So what do we do with this clear command of Scripture?To give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2021-03-1436 minHillside Community Church PodcastResident Aliens - 1 Peter 2:9-17Hope in a Broken World"Resident Aliens"Pastor Ron Kool1 Peter 2:9-17Sermon Summary:Peter says that if we have been saved by Jesus Christ, we are called to be holy. But how do we do that in a world that is not holy? Do we go into isolation and isolate ourselves as best we can from the evil world? Do we go with the flow and know that we are sinners living in a broken world—how much can God expect? In our passage this morning, Peter calls us to be Resident Al...2021-03-0735 minHillside Community Church PodcastBe Holy - 1 Peter 1:13-22Hope in a Broken World"Be Holy"Pastor Ron Kool1 Peter 1:13-22Sermon Summary:When we are hurting, what do we want others to say to us? For most of us we want people to say something comforting, something that will make us feel better. And that’s okay. We need comfort. In I Peter, Peter brings comfort to those who are hurting. But in the passage we’ll look at today, Peter also challenges the people of his day and us to be holy, to fight against sin in our lives. Is Pete...2021-02-2830 minHillside Community Church PodcastJoy and Grief - 1 Peter 1:6-9Hope in a Broken World"Joy and Grief"Pastor Ron Kool1 Peter 1:6-9Sermon Summary:This Sunday is the first Sunday in Lent. Lent is a time when Christians get ready for Good Friday and for Easter Sunday. This means that during Lent we focus on the brokenness in ourselves and in our world and the hope we have in Jesus Christ. This year we’ll spend time in I Peter during Lent. Join us this Sunday as we focus on living as people who have both great joy and deep grief.2021-02-2127 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastDon't Fall for Her | Revelation 17 & 18Revelation: Pulling Back the Curtain"Don't Fall for Her"Pastor Ron KoolRevelation 17 & 18Sermon Summary:Sometimes Satan uses a stick (persecution) to try to force Christians to deny Jesus. But more often it seems that Satan uses a carrot to try to draw Christians away from Jesus. Sometimes Satan wants us to focus on all the shiny and beautiful things in this world so that we lose our focus on Jesus. This morning we’ll see the vision that John was given to remind us that nothing in this world is wo...2021-02-1431 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Woman and the Dragon | Revelation 12Revelation | Pulling Back the CurtainSun Tzu once said, “Know your enemy.” He believed that when someone is against us, it is important for us to understand who they are and how they fight. In Revelation 12 and 13, John takes a break from describing the judgments that are unleashed on the world to give us an extended vision of the way that the spiritual forces of evil fight against God and His people. John calls us to know our spiritual enemies so that we can stay faithful in our battles.- Pastor Ron KoolSupport the...2021-01-3128 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWorthy is the Lamb | Revelation 5Revelation: Pulling Back the Curtain"Worthy is the Lamb"Pastor Ron KoolRevelation 5Sermon Summary:Last week we saw that God is all-powerful and is in control of all things. And we know that He has promised to make all things new. But how will this happen? How will God get rid of evil without destroying everything? This morning we’ll look at the answer to that question.If you'd like to be added to our email list to keep updated with current events and ministry activities pl...2021-01-1722 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastThe Throne Room | Revelation 4Revelation: Pulling Back the Curtain"The Throne Room"Pastor Ron KoolRevelation 4Sermon Summary:In the midst of the very strange and uncertain times in which we live, God gives us an amazing gift. He invites us into His Throne Room to see that no matter what is happening in our lives, He is still in control. We may not understand it. We may not see His hands at work. But He is on His Throne, and we can trust Him.If you'd like to be added...2021-01-1029 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastBack To The Basics | Revelation 2:1-7Revelation | Pulling Back The Curtain"Back To The Basics"Revelation 2:1-7Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2021-01-0331 minHillside Community Church PodcastPouring Out Our Hearts | 1 Samuel 1:1-20Powerful Prayers | Prayers From The Old Testament"Pouring Out Our Hearts"Pastor Ron Kool1 Samuel 1:1-20Sermon SummaryPrayer is an amazing gift from God. He invites us to share with Him our highest highs and our lowest lows. We're beginning a series this morning in which we'll look at four prayers from the Old Testament, looking at what they teach us about God and about prayer. We start with the prayer of Hannah--the prayer of someone who is broken and hurting.Support the show2020-11-0833 minHillside Community Church PodcastWhat Your Giving Really Does | Philippians 4:10-23Joy in the Journey: A Series on Philippians"What Your Giving Really Does"Pastor Ron KoolPhilippians 4:10-23Sermon Summary:What happens when we give to one of God’s servants or to a ministry? What difference does it make? As Paul says thanks to the Philippians for the gifts they sent to him, he teaches them—and us—what really happens when we give money and support to God’s work.To give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport t...2020-11-0130 minHillside Community Church PodcastThink and Do | Philippians 4:8-9Joy in the Journey: A Series on Philippians | Think and DoPastor Ron KoolPhilippians 4:8-9SUMMARYThe Apostle Paul knows that what we think about matters. A lot. He knows that what we think about impacts what we feel and what we do. This morning Paul will help us to do something important. He’ll help us think about what we’re thinking about. Paul wants us to think about better things because he knows that if we think better, we’ll be better.Support the show2020-10-1831 minHillside Community Church PodcastLiving in the Red Zone | Philippians 4:4-7Joy in the Journey: A Series on Philippians"Living in the Red Zone"Pastor Ron KoolPhilippians 4:4-7Sermon Summary:When you think of Christians, what kind of people come to mind? Are they happy or ornery? Angry or calm? This morning Paul will remind us that if we follow Jesus we should be people of joy, gentleness and peaceSupport the show2020-10-1126 minHillside Community Church PodcastDealing with Myopia | Philippians 3:17-4:3Joy in the Journey: A Series on PhilippiansOne of the challenges we face as we seek to follow Jesus is that we tend to be myopic—shortsighted. For many of us, we see only what’s close to us, what’s right in front of our faces. But Paul tells us that if we’re going to be followers of Jesus, we need to watch out for that and learn to see the bigger picture.Pastor Ron KoolPhilippians 3:17-4:3Support the show2020-10-0427 minHillside Community Church PodcastShow Me | Philippians 2:19-30September 13, 2020Most of us learn to do something by watching someone do it. We don't learn to bowl by reading a book; we watch someone bowl. We don't learn to make a souffle; we watch someone make a souffle. The Apostle Paul knows this and that's why he points to Timothy and Epaphroditus. He wants the Philippians to know that they can see what following Jesus looks like if they'll take a look at these two followers of Jesus.Text: Philippians 2:19-30Message by Pastor Ron KoolDonate to Hillside2020-09-1331 minHillside Community Church PodcastWhy We Fight | Philippians 2:1-11Joy in the Journey: A Series on PhilippiansGood doctors do more than treat symptoms. They get at the root of the problem. They find out what’s causing those symptoms. The Apostle Paul does that with us this morning. The church in Philippi had some symptoms: backbiting, bickering, and forming cliques. Paul doesn’t just address those symptoms. He gets at the deeper issue that is causing them—for the Philippians and for us.Pastor Ron KoolPhilippians 2:1-11To give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsi...2020-08-3036 minHillside Community Church PodcastLiving as Citizens | Philippians 1:27-30Joy in the Journey: A Series on PhilippiansWhen we are in a group we often develop a “way” of doing things. It might be that we were taught, “In this family, we don’t raise our voices,” or “In this family, we take turns doing the dishes.” It might be that at work we hear, “In this company, we take care of our employees,” or “In this company, integrity is essential.” This morning we’ll look at how Paul calls us to do things the Jesus way. He calls us to live as citizens of God’s Kingdom first a...2020-08-2329 minHillside Community Church PodcastGood Out Of The Bad | Philippians 1:12-18Joy in the Journey: A Series on PhilippiansBad things happen to us. And they really are bad. They hurt. We don’t like them. But God can still use them. This morning we’ll look at what Paul says about some of the good things that have happened in the midst of the bad thing of being in prison.Pastor Ron KoolPhilippians 1:12-18To give, please visit: https://pushpay.com/g/hillsidechgrSupport the show2020-08-0925 minHillside Community Church PodcastHis Way: Who is He?One of the biggest challenges Jesus faced was (and still is) getting His followers to understand who He is and what He is doing. The disciples had certain ideas of what “The Chosen One” would do and how that person would act. We do too. But Jesus often doesn’t fit into our categories or expectations and He wants us to genuinely see who He is. This morning we’ll try to see who Jesus really is. Text: Mark 8:27-33Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2020-03-1525 minHillside Community Church PodcastWays of Discipleship: Serve: RestWe’ve been talking about the joy of serving others. We’ve said that we’re created to do that and find fulfillment in serving others. But we also need to recognize that God not only calls us to serve, He also calls us to rest. If we do this, we might just discover that the better we rest, the better we serve.Text: Genesis 2: 2-3Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2020-02-1630 minHillside Community Church PodcastWays of Discipleship: ServeWe all want to have a great life. We were created to have joy. But how do we get there? What does the good life look like? This morning we’ll see that the Bible gives us a very unusual path if we want to find deep joy. Text: Acts 20:35Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2020-01-1927 minHillside Community Church PodcastGod With Us: In Our FailuresGod With Us: In Our FailuresWe’ve been talking about Jesus being Immanuel, about Jesus being God with us. We’ve said that He is with us even when don’t understand what is happening around us and He is with us in the storms of our lives. This morning we focus on the truth that Jesus is also with us in our failures—when we blow it, when we sin. He takes on our sin so we can be forgivenText: II Corinthians 5:21Message by Pastor Ron KoolSup...2019-12-1527 minHillside Community Church PodcastOn the WayOn the WayGod has rescued his people out of Egypt, but they aren’t yet to the Promised Land. They, like we, are on the way—no longer slaves, but not yet to their new home. As we look at this story we’ll learn some important lessons about how we live while we are on the way to our true home.Exodus 17:8-16Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2019-06-3023 minHillside Community Church PodcastRemember Who You AreThis Sunday we celebrate the Profession of Faith of a number of young people. As we hear their declaration about who they are--that they belong to Jesus Christ--it gives all of us an opportunity to reflect on who we are. Text: I John 3:1-3 Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2019-06-2323 minHillside Community Church PodcastWhat's Jesus Up to Now? Acts 1:9-11Message by Pastor Ron KoolAfter Jesus rose from the dead He spent 40 days on earth. Then the Bible tells us that He ascended into heaven. What does that mean? What difference does it make? This morning we'll take a look at those questions.Support the show2019-05-2634 minHillside Community Church PodcastLiving with CriticsSome of us are surrounded by critics. We have people around us who seem to have the gift of criticism—they are able to see everything we do wrong and they know what we should have done. This can be extremely difficult. This week we’ll take a loo at what the Apostle Paul did with the critics in his life.Text: 1 Corinthians 4:1-5Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2019-01-2033 minHillside Community Church PodcastWhat Child is This? The Wonderful CounselorWhat Child is This? The Wonderful CounselorLife is confusing and complex. We are often faced with choices and decisions that seem overwhelming. We don’t know what to do. Isaiah promises us that in this world of confusion and darkness, God is sending us a gift—His Son—the Wonderful Counselor who can guide us in the ways we should go.Text: Isaiah 9:1-7Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2018-12-0233 minHillside Community Church PodcastSet Free | Live by the SpiritMost of recognize that there is a battle going on inside of us. There are things we don’t want to do that we do, and things we down to do that we don’t do. We get frustrated because we aren’t the people we know we should be. This morning we’ll take a look at why we are in this situation and what Paul tells us to do about it.Text: Galatians 5:16-26Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2018-10-0730 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastSet Free | Don’t Let Anything Keep You From JesusWe believe that Jesus brings life and hope and peace. He brings the forgiveness of our sins and strength for us to live by. This morning we’ll see that we must not let anything, even God’s word, keep us from Jesus.Text: Galatians 3:10-18Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2018-08-0531 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastAccept One AnotherWe all want to feel like we have a place, like we belong. This morning we'll take a look at how the Bible calls Hillside to be a place where everyone who belongs to Jesus Christ is accepted as belonging with us.Text Romans 15:7Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2017-09-2433 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastWhat Do I Say?Imagine you’ve been praying for someone who doesn’t know Jesus. You’ve tried to live out your Christian faith and you've shown them hospitality. Then it happens. They actually say, “Tell me about your Christian faith. How might I become a Christian?” What would you do ? What would you say? This Sunday we’ll think about how you might be ready to talk about your faith.Text: I Peter 3:15-16Message by Pastor Ron KoolSupport the show2016-10-2334 min
Hillside Community Church PodcastBeing Weird and WonderfulWhen people we love don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have a desire for them to experience God’s amazing grace and peace. But how can we help people come to know Jesus? Last week we said that the first thing we can do is to pray for them, that God would open doors to their hearts. This Sunday we’ll take a look at a second thing we can do: Live a life that would help them to see the joy and peace of knowing Jesus. We can be weird and wonderful.Text: I Peter 2:11-12Messag...2016-10-0929 min