Bear Creek Community Church

In this Palm Sunday sermon, Pastor Bart Blair explores the story of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem as recorded in Matthew 21. He highlights the contrast between the people's expectations of Jesus as a conquering king who would overthrow Roman rule and Jesus' true purpose as a peaceful, redeeming Savior.
The pastor makes three main points:
1. We want a king who conquers, but we need a king who redeems.
2....

Pastor David Watson wraps up a study on the Book of Jonah, focusing on chapter 4. He highlights that Jonah's story is ultimately about the depths of God's grace and His desire to extend it to all people. The pastor uses the example of Gordon Wilson, who forgave his daughter's killers during the Troubles in Northern Ireland, to illustrate how difficult it can be to extend grace to those we consider enemies.
The sermon delves into Jon...

Into the Fire | Jonah Chapter 3 | God's Rescue Plan

In this sermon on Jonah 3, Pastor Bart Blair compares the church's mission to that of first responders during 9/11. He highlights how firefighters, police officers, and EMTs each have distinct roles but a unified purpose of saving lives. Similarly, Christians are called to be God's emergency responders in a world full of spiritual crises.
The pastor outlines thre...

In this sermon, Pastor Bart Blair delves into Jonah chapter 2, examining Jonah's prayer from the belly of the fish. He begins by relating a personal experience of feeling out of control on a roller coaster, drawing a parallel to life's unexpected challenges where we cry out to God.
Pastor Blair emphasizes that God often has a rescue plan in place even when we feel we're drowning. He explores Jonah's journey from ...

Hidden Sins Surface in Storms | Deep Water Week 1 | Jonah Chapter 1

Pastor Bart Blair delves into Jonah chapter 1, presenting it as more than just a "big fish story." He describes the historical context of Nineveh and the Assyrians, emphasizing the danger and violence of the time. The pastor focuses on Jonah's attempt to flee from God's command, resulting in a great storm that endangered the sailors.
Blair d...

Pastor Bart Blair recounts his spiritual journey through four pivotal churches, each shaping his faith and ministry experience. From a traditional church of his childhood to being part of church plants, these experiences culminated in founding Bear Creek Community Church. The pastor explains that this new church was born out of a desire to honor his late son Ephraim by focusing on making Jesus famous rather than memorializing Ephra...

In this sermon, Pastor Bart Blair delves into the idea of living a life of significance, using the story of Moses as a central example. He outlines three levels of living: survival, success, and significance. The pastor explains how Moses moved through these stages, ultimately finding his true purpose when God called him to lead the Israelites out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10).
Pastor Blair emphasizes that God is aware of our struggles and...

In this sermon, Pastor Bart unpacks the final verses of Colossians, focusing on Paul's greetings to various individuals who supported his ministry. He compares Paul to Babe Ruth, setting the standard for discipleship, but emphasizes that like baseball, spreading the gospel was a team effort. The pastor examines each person mentioned, including Tychicus, Onesimus, Aristarchus, Mark, and others, explaining their roles and relationshi...

In this sermon on Colossians 4:2-6, Pastor Bart Blair discusses the importance of making Jesus the nucleus of our lives and the center of our stories. He emphasizes three main points:
1. Pray for open doors: Christians should devote themselves to prayer, staying alert and thankful. We should pray for opportunities to share our faith, even in difficult circumstances, as Paul did while in chains.
2. Approach conversations with grace: O...

In this sermon, Pastor Bart Blair continues his exploration of God's "house rules" for relationships, building on his previous discussion of marriage. Using Colossians 3:20-4:1 as his text, he examines parent-child and employer-employee relationships.
Blair emphasizes that Jesus should be the nucleus of all relationships, with concentric circles representing different types of relationships emanating from that center. He discusses t...

In this sermon, Pastor Bart delves into Colossians 3:1-17, focusing on the theme of renewing one's mind and actions as a follower of Christ. He uses the analogy of choosing the right "coach" to illustrate the internal struggle between listening to the Holy Spirit and giving in to our sinful nature. The pastor emphasizes the need for believers to actively "put to death" their old selves and embrace their new ...

This sermon delves into Paul's letter to the Colossians, specifically focusing on Chapter 2, verses 16-23. The speaker begins by reflecting on a recent podcast about young adults' perceptions of church, highlighting common issues like feeling judged and overwhelmed by rules.

The sermon then explores how Paul addresses similar concerns in the early church at Colossae. Paul warns against legalism, asceticism, and the wor...

In this insightful sermon, Pastor Bart Blair delves into Colossians 2:8-15, unpacking powerful truths about our salvation through Jesus Christ. The main message is clear: stop trying to pay for something that's already been paid for. Through faith in Jesus, we have been set free from the burden of religious rules and practices, and we no longer need to strive to earn God's approval.

Pastor Bart provides historical cont...

Pastor Bart Blair explores the concept of identity in Christ using the metaphor of a uniform. He begins by describing a youth soccer team wearing distinctive pink jerseys, emphasizing how uniforms identify team membership and unity of purpose.

Blair then delves into Colossians 2:1-10, where Paul addresses the church in Colossae. Paul expresses deep concern for their spiritual well-being, urging them to remain rooted in Christ ...

Colossians 1:28-29

Pastor Bart Blair delivers a practical sermon on spiritual maturity and growth as a Christian. He emphasizes that becoming more like Jesus is a lifelong process of sanctification, requiring hard work and dependence on the Holy Spirit's power. Blair outlines three essential systems for a healthy church: evangelism (sharing the good news), discipleship (helping people grow in Christlikeness), and empowerme...

In this thought-provoking sermon, Pastor Bart Blair delves into the profound mystery that Paul discusses in Colossians 1:24-29, revealing how the revelation of Jesus Christ as the center of God's plan transforms our understanding of Scripture. Drawing parallels to the iconic plot twist in the Star Wars film "The Empire Strikes Back," Pastor Blair illustrates how the knowledge of Christ's identity and role reshapes...

Bart Blair delivers a thought-provoking sermon on Colossians 1:24-29, focusing particularly on verse 24 where Paul expresses gladness in his suffering for Christ and the church. Blair unpacks this complex passage, explaining how Paul's perspective on suffering was radically transformed by his encounter with Jesus.

The sermon explores several key points:

1. Paul's excitement and passion in dictating this letter, resulting in...

In this powerful sermon, Pastor Bart Blair takes us on a journey through Colossians 1:15-23, a passage that addresses some of the challenges the early church faced, particularly the influence of Gnosticism. Gnosticism was a belief system that put a lot of emphasis on secret knowledge, and it was causing some confusion among the Christians in Colossae.

Pastor Bart explains how this passage reminds us that Jesus is the visible r...

Nucleus | Session 1 | Colossians 1:1-14

Welcome to this new episode of the Bear Creek Community Church podcast, titled “Nucleus.” Today, we begin an in-depth exploration of the New Testament book of Colossians, a cornerstone in biblical teachings and a pivotal text for understanding core Christian doctrines.

In this series, we'll aim to discover how the Apostle Paul addressed the significant theological crises facing the e...