Hillside Community Church

Latest Episodes:

What Are You Packing? - Karl Romeus Jul 12, 2026

Show notes

Most of us spend our lives trying to prove we're strong enough. Strong enough to hold the marriage together. Strong enough to handle the bad news. Strong enough to carry the pressure.
But what if that's exactly the wrong thing to pack?
Drawing from Exodus 6 and the rescue story of Israel, Pastor Karl Romeus unpacks one of the most practical questions scripture asks us: what are you carrying into this season of life? Fear or faith? Doubt or memory? Panic or patience?
Through the story of Miriam — a woman who waited decades and still packed a tambourine — this message is a reminder that God isn't just taking you somewhere. He's making you into someone.
Whatever you're carrying right now, this one's worth your time.
Scripture: Exodus 6:2–8, Exodus 12:11, Exodus 15, Micah 6:4, Romans 5, 2 Corinthians 12
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True Freedom in Christ - Woody Morwood Jul 06, 2026

Show notes

Most people think freedom means doing whatever you want. But what if that's exactly what keeps you stuck?
In Galatians 5, the Apostle Paul writes to a group of churches that had already encountered the gospel — and were drifting away from it. Sound familiar? The freedoms they were chasing — self-sufficiency, religious performance, personal desire — were quietly becoming the very things that enslaved them.
Pastor Woody unpacks three movements of true freedom found in Christ: freedom from ourselves, freedom in the sacrifice of Jesus, and freedom to serve others. Drawing from Galatians 2, 3, and 5, this message reframes what liberation actually looks like — not a life with no limits, but a life no longer ruled by the wrong things.
If you've ever wondered why the freedom you're chasing never quite delivers — this one's worth your time.
Scripture: Galatians 2:20, 3:1, 5:1, 5:7–8, 5:13–14, 5:19–25, John 8:31–32
Resources: John Mark Comer

We Pass on What We Praise - Aaron McRae Jun 28, 2026

Show notes

What if the stories you tell your kids reveal more about your values than you realize?
In Psalm 145, David — a king with real power — does something surprising. He refuses to take credit. Instead, he points upward and says: you are the real King. And then he passes that posture on.
Pastor Aaron unpacks what it looks like to build a life of praise — not as a Sunday activity, but as a daily practice that shapes perspective, forms gratitude, and leaves something worth inheriting. Because what we celebrate, we repeat. And what we repeat, we pass on.
If you've ever wondered what it actually means to leave a legacy of faith — this one's for you.
Scripture: Psalm 145, Isaiah 61:3
Resources: Praying the Psalms — Walter Brueggemann; Reflections on the Psalms — C.S. Lewis

The Father Nobody Expected-Aaron McRae Jun 22, 2026

Show notes

What makes someone a great father? Biology is just the beginning.
On Father's Day, Pastor Aaron McRae explores one of the most surprising ideas in Scripture — that spiritual fatherhood isn't reserved for dads. It's a calling for anyone willing to lead someone toward Jesus and walk alongside them.
Drawing from 1 Corinthians 4, this message unpacks what it looks like to warn without shame, love without condition, set an example worth following, and point people back to who they already are in Christ.
Whether you had a great dad, a complicated one, or no father at all — this one's for you.

More Than a Moment: What Baptism Marks in Your Life - Aaron McRae Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

What Actually Happens When You Get Baptized?

Most of us have watched a baptism. The water, the moment, the applause. But what if there's something happening beneath the surface that most people never stop to think about?

Here's something worth sitting with: repentance is the first word of the gospel. The first word out of John the Baptist's mouth. The first word of Jesus' public ministry. The first instruction after the resurrection. The first word of the first Christian sermon. Baptism is where that repentance goes public — where an inward decision becomes an outward declaration.

In this message, Pastor Aaron McRae unpacks the scene in Matthew 3 where Jesus steps into the Jordan River — and what that moment reveals about three things baptism marks fresh in every believer's life: a new identity in Christ, an inauguration into life and ministry, and a living illustration of the gospel itself.

Whether you were baptized decades ago or are still figuring out what you believe, this is an invitation to remember what that moment meant — and to keep living like it actually does.

📖 Scripture References: Matthew 3:1–8, 13–17 · Isaiah 40:3 · John 1:29–34 · Colossians 2:12 · Romans 6:3–4 · Galatians 5:22–23 · Acts 1:8

📚 Resources Mentioned:

David Guzik — Enduring Word Commentary (enduringword.com)
Sinclair Ferguson — on the baptism of Jesus and the "wonderful exchange"
Jonathan Pennington — on baptism as gospel proclamation
Matthew Poole — commentary on the Pharisees

Act justly. Love mercy. Walk humbly. - Woody Morwood Jun 07, 2026

Show notes

Summer is the season we're most tempted to make everything about us. Our plans. Our rest. Our best life. But what if God had something better in mind?

In this stand-alone message, Pastor Woody Morwood opens Micah 6:8 — one of the most quoted verses in all of Scripture — and asks a harder question: are we actually living it, or just knowing it?

"He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." — Micah 6:8

Three actions covered:

Act justly — Justice isn't a political slogan. It's an everyday action. How you treat the people around you — those who work for you, alongside you, and beneath you — is where justice starts.
Love mercy — The Hebrew word hesed goes deeper than random kindness. It's a covenant loyalty, a steadfast love that creates new beginnings for the people in your life.
Walk humbly with God — C.S. Lewis said humility isn't thinking less of yourself. It's thinking of yourself less. This summer, what would it look like to take God seriously instead?

Scripture references

Micah 6:6–9 · Philippians 2:3–8 · Romans 12:3 · John 13:34 · Galatians 5:13 · Hebrews 10:24 · James 5:16

#Micah6:8 #ActJustly #LoveMercy #WalkHumbly #ChristianLiving #MinorProphets #FaithAndLife #Discipleship

The Church Isn't a Place — It's a People - Aaron McRae May 31, 2026

Show notes

Most of us have some version of church we've settled for. Show up. Sit down. Go home. But what if that's nowhere near what the church was actually designed to be?

In Acts 2, the earliest followers of Jesus didn't just attend something — they were devoted to something. Devoted to each other. Devoted to prayer, Scripture, meals, and radical generosity. And the result? People noticed. Lives changed. The community grew — not because of a marketing strategy, but because they were genuinely becoming something different together.

In this message, we explore what it looks like for a church to live into its full potential — and what's at stake when we settle for less.

You'll walk away thinking about:

Commitment — Some commitments require a "yes" even when you don't feel like it. What does it look like to be truly devoted to a community, not just a Sunday service?

Maturity — Spiritual growth isn't a solo project. You don't become more like Jesus in isolation. Your development is connected to the people around you — and the community you're willing to stay committed to.

Calling — Every person in the church is a minister. Every home is a center of ministry. The question isn't whether you have a role to play — it's whether you're playing it.

This isn't a guilt trip about church attendance. It's an invitation to something far more meaningful than a weekly hour on Sunday.

📖 Scripture References: Acts 2:42–47 · Romans 12:10–13 · Ephesians 4:11–16 · 1 Peter 2:4–5, 9–10 · 1 Corinthians 12:4–7 · John 17:20–21

📚 Resources Mentioned:

Acts — Darrell Bock (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)
Gaining by Losing — J.D. Greear
Timothy Keller — "The church is like a football stadium..." (commonly attributed quote)
J.V. Fesko — writing on the Priesthood of All Believers

The Holy Spirit & the Birth of the Church-Aaron McRae May 24, 2026

Show notes

On Pentecost Sunday — the 50th day after Passover — something extraordinary happened that changed everything. God wasn't just receiving offerings that day. He was giving the ultimate gift: His Holy Spirit.

In this message, we explore Acts 2 and unpack how the Holy Spirit doesn't just help the church — He is the very engine that starts and sustains it. Without Him, we simply cannot do what God has called us to do.

Whether you're brand new to faith or have been following Jesus for decades, this message will challenge you to stop trying to do life and ministry in your own strength — and invite the Spirit to fill, lead, and empower you.

Rest Greater Than Hustle - D.A. Horton May 18, 2026

Show notes

What if the exhaustion you feel isn’t just physical? In this message, Pastor D.A. Horton walks through Matthew 11:25–30 and Jesus’ invitation to weary people carrying heavy burdens: “Come to me… and I will give you rest.”
In a culture obsessed with hustle, productivity, and self-reliance, Jesus offers something radically different — rest for the soul. This sermon explores how true peace is not found through control, achievement, or escape, but through humility, surrender, and relationship with Christ.
Through three key movements — Receive, Rest, and Remain — Pastor Horton unpacks:
-Why spiritual understanding begins with humility, not pride
-How Jesus invites us to bring Him our anxiety, pressure, stress, and striving
-What it means to exchange self-reliance for the lighter yoke of Christ
-Why the world’s versions of “rest” never fully satisfy
-How God’s presence sustains us step by step through life’s heaviness
This message is for anyone feeling overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, spiritually tired, or stuck carrying more than they were meant to hold.

When Jesus Sees the Real You - Aaron McRae May 11, 2026

Show notes

This Mother’s Day message takes us into one of the most personal and powerful encounters in the Bible—Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4.

A woman hiding from people.
A life marked by shame, brokenness, and disappointment.
A conversation that changes everything.

In this teaching, we explore how Jesus breaks through cultural barriers, personal pain, religious confusion, and spiritual emptiness to offer something deeper than temporary satisfaction: living water.

This message is for anyone who has: