Hickory Ridge-cast

We lock our front doors, protect our homes, and plan for our children's futures - but what about the digital door? In this message, Pastor Justin explores the hidden dangers of life online and challenges us to guard our hearts, identify our vulnerabilities, and fight for what matters most. From social media and screen time to temptation, anxiety, and unhealthy influences, this practical message offers biblical wisdom for navigating a digital world without letting it shape who you become.

Digital communication is convenient, and often incredible! It allows us to talk with people that are half the world away from us, and access all kinds of important information.

But what happens when we try to replace in-person, face-to-face connections with the ease of texting, DM's, or Zoom?

In this message, Pastor Justin breaks down what the Bible has to say about the power of our physical presence, and how showing up live for someone in their grief (or joy), might be one of the most important things you can ever do.

What do you do when you don't know what to do?

Pastor Justin explores how praise position us for breakthrough, even before the circumstances change. Through the story of Jehoshaphat and the armies of Judah, this message reminds us that when fear magnifies problems, praise magnifies God!

If you're facing a stronghold, struggle, or season of uncertainty, discover why worship may be one of the most powerful weapons God has given you.

Pastor Justin talks about the invisible prisons so many people live in - strongholds of fear, shame, addiction, anger, lies, anxiety, generational patterns, and ungodly beliefs that quietly shape our lives from the inside out.

If you’ve ever felt stuck in cycles you can’t seem to break, this message is a reminder that the stronghold you're facing is not stronger than the God you serve!

What do you do after you’ve messed up and damaged a relationship?

In this message, Pastor Justin unpacks one of the most misunderstood words in the Bible (repentance) and shows how it’s far more than simply asking for forgiveness.

We'll walk through "The Five R’s of Repentance" necessary to heal a relationship. And we'll look at how when we truly repent, God can not only bring forgiveness and reconciliation, but even seasons of refreshment!

In this message, Beth Greco, President of the Hoving Home, shares stories of addiction, recovery, surrender, and the life-changing power of Jesus.

Through personal testimony and Scripture, we'll look at how obedience isn’t about perfection, but about trusting God enough to follow Him one step at a time.

If you’ve been waiting for breakthrough, healing, or direction, this message is a reminder that transformation often begins with one simple “yes” to God.

Worship is more than music. It’s whatever sits on the throne of your life.

In this message, Polly Sanders unpacks what true worship is, why every person worships something, and how God alone is worthy of that place.

From the holiness of God, to the sacrifice of Jesus, and the rituals of the ancient temples, this message is a powerful reminder that worship isn’t just something we do on Sundays... it’s meant to be a daily lifestyle of surrender, reverence, and putting God back where He belongs.

Because when we unders...

When is two ever more than five? When is it more than ten? When is giving four bucks more generous than giving $5,000?

Only in God's Economy!

In this message, Pastor Justin explores the concept of giving and generosity. Because it's one of the most important attributes we have to walk out if we want to live lives that please God.

We'll look at everything from scarcity vs abundance mindsets, to radical giving, God's abundance, and more. It's going to be good!

We love the idea of having friendship with God. But in order to be friends with God, we need to have something else first: fear of Him.

In this message, Pastor Justin explains why the fear of God isn’t about being afraid, but instead, living in real awe, honor, and reverence of the grandiose of God.

By looking at moments like Mount Sinai, and the final chapters of Job, we'll discover how making God too casual, (or too small) leads to missing His presence, His friendship, and ultimately, His favor.

Faith isn’t just how you start your relationship with God... it’s how you live it. In this message, Pastor Justin challenges the idea of earning approval through effort, and points instead to a life of steady, ongoing faith. Through the example of Enoch, we’re reminded that what pleases God most is a life that keeps walking with Him, trusting Him, and staying close over time.

We love to celebrate God's forgiveness for us. We'll sing about it, cheer for it, and put up art that reminds us of it.

But when we need to forgive the people that hurt US? It's a whole different story.

In this message, Pastor Justin unpacks why forgiveness isn't about letting someone else off the hook, but about finding real freedom for yourself.

If you’ve been carrying hurt, replaying pain, or struggling to move forward, this message will help you understand what’s draining you, and how to finally release it.

Even for followers of Jesus, life can feel empty. We can look at our house, family, or health, and know from the outside, everything seems okay... but on the inside, we feel an emptiness.

In this Easter message from the book of John, Pastor Justin explains that believing facts about Jesus isn’t the same as experiencing Him. We can believe that the tomb is empty, but it isn't enough. We need to ENCOUNTER the risen Jesus!

And that encounter is what can fill the emptiness you may be wrestling with today.

We’re quick to judge others. And we love to decide who deserves a chance and who doesn’t. But you know who doesn't operate like that? Jesus.

In Luke 19, Jesus stops in the city of Jericho and chooses the last person anyone expected to eat and stay with... Zacchaeus, a corrupt and hated tax collector.

If you’ve ever felt like you don’t measure up, this message from Mike Steinsdoerfer might just change the way you see God.

In this message from the book of Hosea, Pastor Justin talks honestly about something we don’t often think about; that there are things we do that actually tick God off.

Yet even when we frustrate Him, or our hearts grow cold, God’s love keeps pursuing us and inviting us to return to a real relationship with Him.

We pray this message encourages, inspires, and challenges you no matter where you are in your relationship with Jesus.

Our God has FEELINGS. He's more than an ethereal cloud, or distant deity... He's a Father. In this message, Pastor Justin shares that God is deeply personal and His heart is affected by how we live. God genuinely cares when we sin, walk away, or choose to follow something other than Him.

This sermon also looks at how God sometimes lovingly disrupts our plans, using obstacles to redirect and protect us from where we were headed apart from Him.

Hosea is a story in the Bible full of scandal, sin, symbolism, and salvation.

In part one of this three week series, Pastor Justin begins breaking down the first chapter of Hosea, and how it seeks to answer the age old question: "If anyone really knew me, deep down, my hidden thoughts, secret desires, failures, and emotions, would they really love me?"

By exploring the book of Hosea, we'll come face-to-face with the truth. Yes, we are broken, broken people. But God’s relentless, pursuing love is not based on our faithfulness; it’s based on H...

Here are stories of surrender, redemption, and joy, shared by Jim Forakis. Jim has served as the Executive Director of the Tennessee Valley branch of Adult & Teen Challenge for over 20 years. Using scripture and testimonies, we pray Jim's message will be an encouragement to you today!

As we close out this series on learning how to be more like Jesus, we have to touch on the idea of His heart. How does Jesus, and by extension, our Heavenly Father, feel about us? What emotions and plans does He have for us?

Despite how we often feel about ourselves, the truth is God's heart towards us is caring, gentle, tender, and fiercely loving.

If you've ever struggled with self-hatred, identity, or doubts about God's continuing, lasting forgiveness, we pray this message brings you the hope and truth you need!

We all like to feel heard. To be understood. To know that someone really listened to us. And yet, so many of us struggle to be good listeners.

Jesus is the greatest listener that ever lived, and if we're willing to learn from Him, we'll find a skill that is worth the effort to practice.

Because listening done correctly can do more than just make someone feel good... it can save lives!

Have you ever felt stuck in your own thoughts?

In this message, Pastor Andy Sileno explains how our thoughts shape our emotions, words, and actions... and why God wants access to our minds, not just our hearts.

Through Scripture and practical insight, this message shows how prayer and truth create new pathways that lead to life and peace. You don’t have to be controlled by unhealthy thoughts. God invites you into transformation from the inside out.

What does walking with the Spirit look like?

This sermon explores what it means to walk with the Spirit and to be led by the Spirit. In Luke 3 we saw Jesus submit to the Father and was affirmed by the Spirit stepping into his role as the Son of God.

The Bible has a lot to say about our words, and how we talk to other people!

"Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it and indulge it will eat its fruit and bear the consequences of their words." says Proverbs 18:21

So how do we talk in a way that shows others we are followers of Jesus? How do we learn how to talk like Jesus?

In this message, Pastor Justin explores how we can begin to speak truth, life, and blessing over those around us!<...

What do you do when you’re doing everything you can and nothing seems to change?

In this message, Pastor Justin speaks to anyone facing resistance, delay, or discouragement.

This message isn’t about pretending life is easy or waiting passively for things to get better. Instead, it explores how real breakthrough often begins before conditions improve - through trust, action, and choosing to worship in the face of difficulty.

Whether you’re navigating stress, loss, anxiety, relational strain, or addiction, this message offers perspective on how to keep moving forward when the way ah...

We use our hands for nearly everything we do. Work, play, creating, caring, designing, destroying... But while we're limited with how much we can accomplish with our OWN hands, there is no limit to what Jesus can accomplish with His hands.

Jesus's hands offered forgiveness, blessing, and healing to the world around Him. And now, as His followers, Jesus invites us to do the same... and be His hands here on earth.

In this message, Pastor Justin explores how we can overcome our own shortcomings and limitations to become effective world-changers!<...

Tired of seeing life your way? The way that sees people as problems, situations as frustrations, and every outcome as an inevitable disappointment?

As followers of Christ, we're called to see life differently. To see not with our eyes, but with spiritual eyes! In this message, Pastor Justin shows us how we can come into this year with a fresh perspective that is ready to see miracles, abundance, purpose, possibilities, and provision!

What happens when one bad moment, one frustration, or one mistake starts to derail everything?

In this message, Pastor Aaron shares a story with a powerful reminder: it’s not about the red lights... it’s about God’s presence.

Drawing from Philippians 3, Isaiah 43, Hebrews 12, and John 10, this sermon challenges us to stop letting our past define us and start actively pursuing what God has placed in front of us.

Too often, we allow yesterday’s failures, hurts, or circumstances to shape our identity and limit our future. But Jesus didn’t die so we coul...

Jesus's mother, Mary, modeled how we ought to live; treasuring the present, holding onto God’s promises, and trusting that Emmanuel, God with us, is something we can continue to count on in the future.

In this message, Pastor Justin reminds us that peace isn’t found after circumstances change, but when we seek God’s nearness, even in uncertainty. Instead of striving to control outcomes, we’re invited to slow down, recognize God's presence, and receive the peace He offers... even before all the answers arrive.

When the shepherds heard the news of Jesus’ birth, they chose urgency over hesitation.

Once the angels spoke, the shepherds moved!

In this message, Pastor Justin challenges us to see how God often works through ordinary people and everyday moments, calling us to respond quickly, step out in faith, and share the gospel - even when it's inconvenient.

The heart of the message is a simple but challenging prayer; to ask God to give you a heart that responds with urgency!

This message looks at Mary’s encounter with the angel and the way she surrendered her plans, expectations, and fears to God’s purpose.

Pastor Justin teaches how real faith begins when we lay down control, and trust God’s Word over our feelings... even when His call disrupts the life we imagined. Often times these single moments of surrender can have amazing, life-changing, destiny-shaping, eternity-spanning, results.

This message is an invitation to release what you’re holding onto and say, like Mary, “Let it be unto me according to your word."

In this message, Pastor Aaron looks at Joseph’s role in the Christmas story, and how he trusted God without having all the details... and how God challenges us to do the same.

Even when obedience is costly, and when we don’t understand why, God uses our "yes" to shape our lives, restore hope, and write a new story far greater than we ever imagined!

In this message, guest speaker Mike Steinsdoerfer walks line-by-line through Psalm 23, showing how every phrase reveals something about the Shepherd who guides, restores, protects, and provides. Join us as we explore the struggles we all face, the fear that tries to overwhelm us, and the surprisingly deep peace that God offers when we learn to stay close to His presence. Whether you're currently in green pastures or dark valleys, this sermon reminds us that God doesn’t just watch over us... He walks with us every step of the way.

In this message, Pastor Justin walks us through Daniel 10 to show that God hears us the very first moment we pray, yet His answers often come after we wait. When waiting becomes exhausting, this sermon reminds us that God is working, warring, and speaking behind the scenes... even when we don’t perceive it. Learn how to worship instead of worry, war instead of whine, and posture your heart to be like Samuel, who said: “Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening.”

What do you do when you’ve prayed, waited, and still haven’t seen what God promised? In this message, Pastor Justin teaches how to hold onto faith even in times of disappointment.

Because in an age where our feelings are everything, the Bible teaches that God's power is greater than what we "feel" is true.

We'll look at Abraham and Sarah’s story to discover the kind of trust that says, “God, I believe You can, even if You don’t.”

When David danced before the Lord, he didn’t care who was watching. His worship was real, raw, and completely undignified. In this message, Pastor Justin challenges us to stand out in a world obsessed with fitting in, to live unashamed of our faith, and to worship with boldness that refuses to bow to cultural pressure. If you’ve ever struggled with fear of judgment or the temptation to compromise, this one’s for you.

Every believer faces battles... some lifelong, some momentary. But God calls us to keep going despite the struggles! In this message, Pastor Andy shares how perseverance, community, and daily consistency anchor us when the world shakes. Through biblical truths and real-life stories, discover how you are sealed for a purpose, how you can grow through hardship, and can learn to trust that “the view at the top is worth it.”

Too many of us live chained to a victim mindset; defining ourselves by what’s been done TO us instead of by what Christ has done FOR us.

In this message, Pastor Justin calls us to lay down the past and walk in faith. To manage our memories, quit assuming everything is going to go wrong, and quit fixating on what we can’t control. When we do this, we can begin to see ourselves how God sees us: As more than conquerors through Christ!

Because it's when you stop living in the past and star...

Life is full of problems that demand our attention. We wake up thinking about bills, sickness, work drama, whining kids, relationship stress... on and on it goes. But peace can come when our focus shifts from the weight of our worries to the wonder of God’s presence.

In this message, Pastor Justin unpacks Psalm 84 and shows how fixing our thoughts on the presence of God brings a strength that our circumstances can’t take away.

Join us as we look at how when we change our focus, our problems may not...

Sometimes God calls us to step into the fog... to obey even when it doesn't make sense. In this message, Pastor Justin shows how unclear obedience often unlocks unseen blessings. Like Peter, we may not understand until later, but when we trust God’s word above our understanding, miracles are already waiting in the water. Don't wait to understand, but instead, step out in obedience!

Every day, we face hundreds of intrusive thoughts... many of which can bother us, and distract us from God’s truth. In this message, we’re reminded that while we can’t always control what thoughts enter our minds, we can choose what we dwell on. By fixing our hearts on heaven and setting our minds on things above, we find strength, joy, and freedom to live the way God designed us to live.

What does it mean to pray with a persistence that refuses to quit?

If your faith has ever felt fractured or your prayers unanswered, this sermon is a powerful reminder that God hears, God heals, and breakthrough comes to those who don’t give up.

In this message, Pastor Caleb Thomason unpacks Jesus’ parable from Luke 11 about asking, seeking, and knocking... showing that God calls us to have a grit in prayer that presses on even when answers don’t come quickly!