Vertical Podcast

Series: Rooted
Week 2 Title: Who is God?
Scripture: Exodus 34:6–7, Acts 17:22–28

Big Idea: God reveals Himself as a relational God—not distant or abstract, but One who invites us to know Him personally through His Word, His creation, His image in us, and ultimately through Jesus Christ.

I. The Most Important Question

A.W. Tozer: “What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”

We don’t invent God; He reveals Himself.

The starting point for being rooted is answering: Who is God?<...

SERMON PODCAST NOTES

Series: Rooted
Week 1 Title: Introduction – Rooted vs. Rootless
Scripture: Psalm 1:1–6

Big Idea: The blessed life isn’t found in being potted but in being planted—rooted in God, drawing strength from His Word, His people, and His purpose.

I. Two Ways to Live

The righteous: rooted, fruitful, enduring, blessed by God.

The wicked: rootless, unstable, blown away like chaff.

Psalm 1 frames the entire book of Psalms as a wisdom gateway.

II. The Progression of Compromise

Walk with the wicked →...

SERMON PODCAST NOTES

Series: Welcome Home
Week 5 Title: Welcome to the Party
Scripture: Luke 15:23–24; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:4–5; Galatians 6:1–2; Matthew 18:20; Romans 5:8; Romans 8:1
Big Idea: God doesn’t just forgive us privately—He restores us publicly.

I. The Weight of Shame

Shame convinces us to hide—just like Adam and Eve.

Shame whispers: “Keep your story quiet. You’re better off in the shadows.”

But the Father’s love breaks down walls of isolation and disconnection.

II. Grace is Unashamed

Luke 15:23–24 — The father didn’t flinch when the son return...

SERMON PODCAST NOTES

Series: Welcome Home
Week 4 Title: The Reckless Love of the Father
Scripture: Luke 15:20–24
Big Idea: The Father’s love closes the distance, covers our shame, and restores our dignity.

I. The Father Closes the Distance

The father sees his son “while he was still a long way off” (v.20).

Patriarchs didn’t run—but this father did. He risked shame to protect and embrace his son.

God runs toward our mess, not away from it. His love overrides pride.

Application: Don’t stiff-arm th...

SERMON PODCAST NOTES

Big Idea: Religion keeps us near the Father’s house but far from the Father’s heart.

The older brother obeyed the rules but missed the Father’s love.

Pride turns obedience into slavery — “All these years I’ve been slaving for you…” (Luke 15:29).

Pride compares and keeps score — “You never gave me even a young goat…” (Luke 15:29).

Pride creates distance — “This son of yours…” (Luke 15:30).

The Father’s response: “My son… you are always with me… everything I have is yours.” (Luke 15:31)

Grace throws parties while pride keeps s...

SERMON PODCAST NOTES

Main Passage:
Luke 15:11–24

Big Idea:
Freedom without the Father always ends in filth.

Key Points:

Entitlement – Wanting the benefits of God without His boundaries (Luke 15:12)

Wild Living – Squandering God’s blessings on self-indulgence (Luke 15:13)

Loss of Identity – Forgetting who we are when we forget whose we are (Luke 15:16–19)

Cultural Parallels:

Entitlement says, “I deserve it,” even if it means rejecting God’s design.

Wild living feels like freedom but ends in relational breakdown, moral compromise, and spiritual numbness...

SERMON PODCAST NOTES

Main Passage:
Luke 15:1–3, 11–32

Big Idea:
Jesus tells a parable not just about a prodigal son—but about two sons, both lost in different ways, and one radically loving Father.

Key Points:

Two audiences: “Sinners and tax collectors” and “Pharisees and scribes”

The younger son runs away—rebellion, indulgence, shame

The older son stays close but grows bitter—self-righteousness, pride

The Father is the true focus—running, embracing, restoring, inviting

The parable ends open-ended—Jesus invites us to see ourselves in the story...

Title: Wrestling With Grace
Text: Jonah 4:1–11
Big Idea: It’s possible to obey God outwardly but still resist Him inwardly. The real fight is often between our heart and His grace.

I. Jonah’s Outrage at Mercy

After Nineveh repents and God spares them, Jonah is furious.

“Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home?” (v. 2)

Jonah obeyed God—but resented Him for being too gracious.

He quotes Exodus 34:6 back to God: “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger…” but says it like it’s a bad thing.

Title: God’s Not Done
Text: Jonah 3:1–10
Big Idea: You can’t out-sin the mercy of God—and you’re never too far gone for a second chance.

I. A God of Second Chances

After rebellion, a storm, and three days in the belly of a fish, Jonah gets another shot:

“Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time.” (Jonah 3:1)

Jonah’s rescue wasn’t random—it was redemption.

God didn’t discard Jonah—He restored him.

Titus 3:5 – God saves not because of our goodness, b...

Title: Waiting on God
Text: Jonah 1:17 – 2:10
Big Idea: While you’re waiting, God is working—especially on your heart.

I. Jonah’s Descent & Desperation

Jonah ends up in the belly of a great fish—not by accident, but by divine appointment.

He’s completely out of control, trapped in a place of darkness and regret.

“Sometimes what we call punishment, God calls provision.”

God’s mercy shows up in unlikely packages—like a fish that saves Jonah from drowning.

II. God's Provision vs. Our Preference

Big Idea 1: God...

God’s Plans Are Wrecking Mine
Text: Jonah 1:1–17
Big Idea: When you run from God, you don’t just delay your purpose—you invite a storm. But even then, His grace finds you.

I. The Setup: A Clear Command, a Defiant Run

God calls Jonah to go to Nineveh, but Jonah heads to Tarshish—the opposite direction.

This is not confusion. It’s defiance.

“If you want to run from God, the devil will always offer you a ride.”

Jonah rationalizes sin, something we all do: our minds make excus...

Title: You Can’t Outrun God
Text: Jonah 1:1–3
Big Idea: Jonah’s story isn’t just about a fish—it’s about a faithful God chasing a rebellious heart.

I. The Book No One Expected — A Prophet Who Refuses to Prophesy

Jonah is the only prophetic book centered on the prophet's disobedience, not his message.

He receives a clear word from God… and immediately runs in the opposite direction.

Jonah is raw, emotional, and deeply human. He’s not the hero—we’re not meant to “be like Jonah.”

Tension: What do you...

Guest: Noelle Stanley
Feature: My Story Matters from Vertical Church
Originally Shared: During worship on June 22, 2025

Key Topics:

Growing up in a Southern Baptist family in Gluckstadt, MS

Sudden loss of her mother in 2018

Becoming a parental figure to her younger siblings at 23

The struggle with control, pride, and surrender

Finding refuge in friends, faith, and the local church

Discovering Vertical Church and joining The Table women’s ministry

Learning to let others in and accept help

Living out ob...

Title: Practicing the Way — Living Out Your Calling
Main Texts: Ephesians 2:8–10; Matthew 3:16–17; Acts 9; Romans 1:1; Colossians 3:23–24
Big Idea: You were created on purpose, for a purpose. Your identity is rooted in Christ, your calling flows from that identity, and your assignments are how you live it out.

Key Points:

Identity: Who You Are

Your identity is not based on your performance, people’s opinions, or what you have.

It is anchored in the grace of God—“By grace you have been saved… not by works.” (Eph 2:8–10)

You are God’s poiēma—His wor...

Title: Practicing the Way — The Practice of Simplicity & Generosity
Main Texts: 1 Timothy 6:6–10; Luke 12:15; Mark 4:18–19; Matthew 19:23–24; Luke 11:39, 41
Big Idea: Greed is one of the most deceitful sins—it quietly damages our hearts and distorts our desires. The antidote is the practice of simplicity and generosity.

Key Points:

The Deceitfulness of Greed

Greed is rarely confessed. It’s easy to justify, often hidden beneath surface sins.

Paul warns: “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).

Greed traps us in the endless cycle of “more, more, more”...

Title: Practicing the Way — The Practice of Sabbath & Rest
Main Texts: Genesis 1:1, 31; Genesis 2:1–3; Mark 2:23–28
Big Idea: True rest isn’t just about taking time off—it’s about transforming both how we work and how we rest by aligning with God’s rhythm for life.

Key Points:

God’s Rhythm of Creation

Genesis 1:1 — God worked.

Genesis 2:1–3 — And then God rested—not because He was tired, but because He was satisfied.

Rest is holy. The very first thing God called “holy” was time, not a place or person.

If God rests, who are w...

Title: Practicing the Way — The Practice of Prayer
Main Text: Luke 11:1–4
Big Idea: Prayer is the doorway to life with God—not just something we do, but a relationship we enter.

Key Points:

Prayer Misunderstood

For many, prayer feels distant, boring, ineffective, or frustrating.

It often becomes a last resort—like grabbing the steering wheel once we’re already in the ditch.

But Jesus shows us that prayer is the very entry point to life with God. It’s not optional; it’s vital.

Jesus' Example

...

Title: Practicing the Way — The Practice of Community
Main Texts: Matthew 18:21–35; Acts 2:42–47

Big Idea: In a culture fractured by tribalism and individualism, God calls us to unity, sacrifice, and forgiveness in a community centered on His Word.

Key Points:

We Were Not Created for Aloneness

Solitude is healthy; isolation is not.

From womb to adulthood, we were designed for connection, but our culture pushes hyper-independence and pride in self-reliance.

True Christian formation happens with others.

Why We Avoid Community

Many avoid community becaus...

Title: Practicing the Way — The Practice of Scripture
Main Texts: Romans 12:2; Matthew 7:24–29

Big Idea: The practice of Scripture is our starting place. It’s how we build a foundation strong enough to withstand life’s storms.

Key Points:

Three Forces That Shape Us

The stories we believe

The habits we build

The relationships we keep

But the stories we believe shape us most—and the enemy uses lies to distort them.

The Castle of the Mind (Illustration)

A warrior named Julian gua...

Title: Practicing the Way
Main Text: Luke 5:1-11

Key Points:

The Discipleship Crisis

Many profess faith but do not practice the way of Jesus.

Salvation is not just being saved from something—it's being saved to something: life with Jesus.

The Call to Follow

In Jesus’ day, being a rabbi’s disciple was the highest honor—but Jesus didn’t choose the elite.

He called the backups—the ordinary, the overlooked—and said, "You’re exactly who I want."

Jesus initiates the call, not the ot...

Title: Jesus Is the Resurrection and the Life
Main Text: John 11:1-44

Key Points:

The Setup: Lazarus' Sickness and Death

Jesus delays responding to Lazarus’ sickness not out of neglect but to reveal God’s glory (John 11:4, 15).

Sometimes God's greatest miracles are hidden inside our waiting.

Jesus Meets Us Where We Are

Martha approaches Jesus intellectually (“I know he will rise at the last day”)—Jesus gives her truth.

Mary approaches Jesus emotionally—Jesus responds with compassion (John 11:35, “Jesus wept”).

Jesus isn’t intimidated by y...

Title: Jesus Is the True Vine
Main Text: John 15:1-11

Key Points:

The Vine, the Vinedresser, and the Branches

Jesus is the true vine, the Father is the gardener, and we are the branches.

True believers bear fruit. Fruit doesn’t lead to salvation—it proves salvation.

There are two types of branches: those that bear fruit and are pruned, and those that bear no fruit and are cut off.

Dead Branches: Divine Judgment

Branches that don’t remain in Christ are thrown away, wither...

Title: Jesus Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life
Main Text: John 14:1-7, 16-19, 25-27; Romans 8:15-16

Key Points:

Jesus Brings Comfort in the Face of Fear

On the night before His crucifixion, Jesus comforts His disciples rather than seeking comfort Himself.

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” (John 14:1)

The remedy for a troubled heart? Faith.

The Deep Longing for Home

Jesus says He’s preparing a place in His Father’s house.

Our soul...

Jesus Is The Good Shepherd
Main Text: John 10:11-16, 19-21

Key Points:

Jesus Is the Good Shepherd

He lays down His life for the sheep, unlike a hired hand who abandons them (John 10:11-12).

He knows His sheep personally, and they know His voice (John 10:14).

His role was foretold in Ezekiel 34—God Himself promised to shepherd His people.

Recognizing the Shepherd’s Voice

To hear and follow Jesus, we must spend time in God’s Word.

Distractions keep us from hearing God clearl...

Title: Jesus Is the Gate of the Sheep
Main Text: John 10:1-10

Key Points:

Jesus as the Gate

Jesus declares, “I am the gate for the sheep.” (John 10:7-9)

Through Him, we find salvation, security, and provision—rest for our souls.

He is the only way to God, emphasizing the exclusivity of the gospel.

The Sheep Pen & Its Meaning

A place of safety and rest at night before going back out in the morning.

Only those who enter through Jesus experience true rest a...

Title: Jesus Is The Light of the World
Main Text: John 8:12

Key Points:

Jesus Declares Himself as the Light of the World

During the Feast of Tabernacles, Jesus claims, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

This claim references God's presence as light, guiding His people.

The Symbolism of Light vs. Darkness

Light represents truth, God’s presence, and guidance.

Darkness symbolizes sin, ignorance, and separation from God.

T...

Title: Jesus Is The Bread of Life
Main Text: John 6:1-69

Key Points:

Desperate People Are After Jesus

The Miracle of the Loaves and Fish

Why Do We Follow Jesus?

Desperation & Divine Appointment

Sermon Outline:

Title: Transformation – Training for Lasting Change

Big Idea: Transformation requires shifting from trying to training. The focus should be on what we are sowing, not just the desired outcome.

Key Scriptures:

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (Running the race with purpose and discipline)

1 Timothy 4:7-8 (Training in godliness)

Galatians 6:7-9 (Reaping what we sow)

Hosea 10:12-13 (Sowing righteousness for a future harvest)

John 12:24-25 (Dying to self to bear fruit)

Outline:

Introduction:

The importance of training vs. trying.

Sermon Outline:

Title: Transformation – Breaking Free from Sin’s Snare

Big Idea: Even after salvation, sin remains a snare. Recognizing and avoiding sin's traps is crucial to becoming who God intends us to be.

Key Scriptures:

Judges 13:24-25 (Samson’s early blessings)

Judges 15:20 (Samson’s leadership)

Judges 16:1 (Samson’s downfall)

James 1:21 (Accepting God's word to break free from sin)

Hebrews 12:1 (Casting off sin to run the race of faith)

Proverbs 4:14-15 (Avoiding paths leading to sin)

Proverbs 13:20 (Influence of companions...

Summary of Brad & Emily’s Story

Brad and Emily shared their journey of marriage, struggles, faith, and transformation. Brad grew up with a semi-Catholic background, while Emily was raised in a Baptist church. They met in Nashville, married within a year, and moved to Maryland, where they faced significant challenges.

Early in their marriage, Brad struggled with alcoholism, which caused tension. Emily began noticing patterns of unhealthy drinking, leading to conflict and eventual intervention. A turning point came when Brad’s parents became involved, and they sought counseling and community support. Brad entered recovery and has...

Transformation Week 3

Description:

In Week 3 of our TRANSFORMATION series, we tackle a foundational truth: Our behavior flows from our identity. What we believe about ourselves determines how we live. Are we living out of a distorted identity shaped by lies, or are we rooted in Christ? Through scriptures like John 8:44-45 and Ephesians 4:21-24, we uncover how to break destructive cycles and embrace the new self God has called us to be.

Detailed Overview:

Series: TRANSFORMATION
Week: 3
Big Idea: Our identity in Christ shapes our behavior. To experience transformation...

Series: TRANSFORMATION
Week: 2
Big Idea: To experience true transformation, we must identify and address the root causes of our behaviors.

Key Scriptures:

2 Corinthians 3:18: Highlights the continuous process of being transformed into Christ's image as we reflect His glory.

John 8:34-36: Emphasizes freedom from the slavery of sin through the Son.

Mark 1:35 & Luke 5:15-16: Demonstrate Jesus’ practice of solitude for connection with the Father.

James 5:16: The power of confession for healing within community.

Psalm 139:23-24: A heartfelt prayer for God to search and reveal areas needing ch...

Podcast Episode Notes: Desperate for Change | 2 Corinthians 3:18 | Nathan Hughes
Transformation Series – Week 1

Big Idea:
God doesn’t call us to behavior modification; He calls us to spiritual transformation. True change happens not through our efforts alone but by the power of the Holy Spirit working within us.

Key Scriptures:

Introduction: Our Need for Connection

Key Point: Conflict is not a sign of dysfunction; it’s an opportunity for growth in compassion, empathy, and understanding.

Understanding Conflict Through Scripture

Luke 17:1-5 (NIV):

Episode Notes: The Hardest Person to Forgive

Overview

In Week 2 of the "Purpose" series, we dive into the challenge of self-forgiveness and the transformative power of embracing your story. Every individual is uniquely crafted by God, and your experiences—no matter how difficult—can reveal His glory. This episode invites listeners to do the deep work of connecting with their personal journey, understanding their God-given purpose, and extending forgiveness, starting with themselves.

Key Scripture References

Episode Overview

This week, we kick off our series, PURPOSE, by diving into one of life’s biggest questions: Why am I here? In this sermon, we explore how we were created to connect with a very real and personal God, and how that connection begins by repenting and believing in Jesus Christ. Drawing from Acts 17, we examine the spiritual hunger of humanity and the incomparable fulfillment found in Jesus.

Key Scripture References

The Advent Of, Joy, Week 3. In this Week 3 message of Christmas at Vertical, we explore how the good news of the gospel interrupts our lives with great joy and transforms us into bearers of that joy to the world. Using Luke 2:8-20, we uncover powerful lessons from the shepherds – their faithfulness, humility, and willingness to be interrupted by God’s divine plan. Discover how joy isn’t just a momentary interruption but a consistent theme we can live out every day. Be encouraged to embrace the joy of the gospel and share it with those around you this Christmas season.

The Advent Of, Week 2. Christmas is a time of celebration. We celebrate the coming of the savior into the world. This arrival brings about the reality of peace, hope, joy, and love like we have never seen before. The reason we need those things is because Christmas is not just a time of celebration but it is also a reminder of the pain we experience right now. We look back to the arrival of our God into the lives of humanity and we look forward to the advent of our God as we navigate the pain, brokenness, and sin of...

Make It Home Campaign Vision. As we close 2024 and look to 2025 and beyond, we are trusting God with a vision we are calling ‘Make It Home.’ This $600,000 initiative involves finishing the year strong by making budget for 2024, building our financial reserves, and laying a foundation for a second building.

The Advent Of, Week 1. Christmas is a time of celebration. We celebrate the coming of the savior into the world. This arrival brings about the reality of peace, hope, joy, and love like we have never seen before. The reason we need those things is because Christmas is not just a time of celebration but it is also a reminder of the pain we experience right now. We look back to the arrival of our God into the lives of humanity and we look forward to the advent of our God as we navigate the pain, brokenness, and sin of...