The Garden | What We Were Made For

Teacher: Caleb McCoy Text: Ephesians 5:8-20 Living as children of light means letting God’s love shape every part of us. In this message, Caleb McCoy reflects on Paul’s invitation to leave behind the old ways and walk in what is good, right, and true. Growth takes time—like breaking in a new pair of shoes—but the Spirit meets us in that process. Each day is a chance to choose light over darkness and let our lives reflect the One who makes all things new.

Teacher: Kat Hampson Text: Ephesians 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 12 The Church is more than a gathering—it’s a body, with every part needed and valued. In this week’s sermon, guest speaker Kat Hampson (Riverwalk Brookline) invites us to embrace both our unity and our differences, recognizing that each person plays a vital role. As we grow together in love and truth, we reflect Christ more fully to the world around us.

Teacher: Mandi Paszek Text: Ephesians 3:14-21God’s love isn’t just something we learn about—it’s something we’re meant to experience. Teaching from Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3, Mandi Paszek reminds us that when we feel stretched, it may be God expanding our hearts to know Him more. We receive His strength, His fullness, and His love—not by striving, but by His Spirit at work in us.

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Ephesians 2:1-7 Even when the world feels fractured, we’re not without hope. Josh unpacks Ephesians 2:1–7 by helping us recognize the tension between who we were and what we’re being invited into. It’s a story of restoration—of being raised from old patterns and reshaped into something more whole. As we reflect on what it means to be made new, we’re reminded that we belong to something bigger than ourselves: a story marked by kindness, purpose, and the possibility of transformation.

Teacher: Kyle McBee Text: Ephesians 1:3-10 God chose us and loved us before the world began, making us secure and beloved in Him. In a world that still feels broken, we’re invited to live as glimpses of God’s Kingdom—rooted in grace instead of performance. In this sermon, Kyle reflects on Paul’s words in Ephesians 1, reminding us of this true identity and encouraging us to remember it daily as we join God in bringing healing and unity to the world around us.

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Revelation 22:1-5 In the final sermon of this series, Josh traces the biblical story from Eden to Revelation, showing how the theme of exile and return culminates in a restored garden-city where God dwells with His people. Through Jesus, the exile ends and we become living temples—portals of heaven on earth—called to embody the beauty and healing of the coming Kingdom in our daily lives. We are called to not give up hope, but live as gardeners of God’s renewal, cultivating spaces of intimacy, peace, and flourishing wherever we are.

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: 1 Corinthians 3:5-9 Paul calls the church a garden—God’s field—where every person plays a vital role, and only God gives the growth. In contrast to the consumer-driven church model that centers on charisma and control, we’re invited to build a community rooted in participation, diversity, and everyday faithfulness. God is calling us to join him in cultivating a church where everyone flourishes and bears fruit that reflects the love and mission of Jesus.

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: John 15:1-8 Jesus invites us into a life of lasting fruitfulness—not through striving, but by staying connected to Him. In John 15, we see that real impact in the Kingdom flows from abiding, not self-reliance. Pastor Josh helps us explore what it means to live Spirit-powered lives in the Garden of God.

Teacher: Mandi Paszek Text: Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:4-8, 15 In the garden is where it all began. We were made to co-create with God, cultivating beauty, goodness, and life in the world. Mandi Paszek kicks off our new series on The Garden with a compelling invitation to return to our God-given design and partner with Him to bring healing and flourishing wherever we go. What were you made for?

Teacher: Josh Wilson Text: Matthew 27:62–28:6 Even in the most locked-up, lifeless places, God brings resurrection. Easter reminds us that hope is never truly gone—Jesus is risen, and life finds a way. This Easter, Pastor Josh invites us to consider the evidence for Jesus' resurrection and what dead places in our own lives we can entrust to the God who still rolls stones away.