McGregor Podcast

5.0 (52)
Christianity
Updated Daily

McGregor Baptist Church is a family of believers being changed by the love of Jesus Christ to the glory of God.

2d ago

Beyond the Notes: Tradition

Can external discipline actually change you from the inside out? In this Beyond the Notes teaching, Pastor Russell Howard works through Colossians 2:16-23, where Paul identifies two dangers for believers: the legalistic judgment of others and the illusion of holiness through self-made religion. From dietary restrictions to ascetic practices to claims of superior spiritual experience, Paul's argument is direct. These things have an appearance of wisdom, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. The episode closes with Galatians 5:16, what Pastor Russell calls the single most concise and powerful verse in the New Testament on gaining mastery over the desires of the flesh. There are no rules to add, no habits to adopt. There is one command: walk by the Spirit. This teaching is for anyone who has tried harder and still come up short, and who wants to understand what actually produces real growth. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

13 min
3d ago

Matthew 14:34 - 15:20 - Tradition

"Tradition" (Matthew 14:34-15:20) In this sermon from our ongoing study of the Gospel of Matthew, Pastor Russell Howard draws a line between spiritual discipline and spiritual deception. Habits and behaviors can be genuinely helpful to a believer's walk with God. But when external conformity becomes a substitute for biblical obedience, or when rule-keeping becomes the currency we use to earn God's love, those traditions become dangerous. They inoculate us against the very thing Scripture calls true holiness. Jesus encounters the Pharisees at the height of this tension. They have traveled over 100 miles from Jerusalem to challenge his disciples over a handwashing tradition rooted not in God's law but in the oral traditions of the rabbis. Jesus turns the accusation around: they are enforcing human rules while violating the actual commandments of God. He quotes Isaiah, "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." Then in verses 10 through 20, he makes an assertion that upends their entire framework. It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person. It is what comes out of the heart. The real problem has never been unwashed hands. It has always been an unwashed heart. Pastor Russell closes with this anchor from Ephesians 2: "By grace we have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Obedience matters, but obedience proceeds from a transformed heart, not from an attempt to earn favor with God. If you have been trying to make God love you more, this message is the grace-shaped correction you didn't know you needed. Sermon Notes May 31, 2026 Russell Howard - Lead Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

28 min
4d ago

Around McGregor: May 31

What does community look like when the building is still under construction? On this week's Around McGregor, hosts Mark Bricker, Tamar Miller, and Christian Miller cover the week of May 31st. Topics include the return of newcomers coffee on Main Street between services, the prospective member class registration deadline, four life groups relocating to the modular building as Joy Building renovations begin, a brand new young adult life group for ages 30-40 launching Sunday, June 14th in the library, VBS Rainforest Falls June 8-12 (registration open, preschool lobby already decorated), the international potluck following VBS, and 21 currently open employment positions at McGregor and SFCA. Even in a season of transition, the people keep showing up. This episode is a snapshot of a church family doing exactly that. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

14 min
6d ago

Holiness of God: Holiness in Salvation and Sanctification

Holiness in Salvation and Sanctification, from our Midweek Bible Study: "Holiness of God" - 5.27.26 Taught by Omar Edwards. Elder Omar Edwards opens this teaching with an honest confession: the call to live set apart for God sounds like an impossible standard, especially when someone cuts you off on I-75 right after church. Working from 1 Peter 1:13-19, Omar walks through four men in Scripture (Jacob, Job, Habakkuk, and Paul) who each wrestled with a holy God and came through with peace on the other side. The sermon addresses the real mindsets that keep believers from growing into who God has called them to be: a secular disconnection from His presence, suffering that distorts our view of Him, a self-first posture that indicts God when He does not respond on our terms, and a self-righteous spirit that grades others rather than examining itself. At the center of it all is a truth that steadies the whole message. God does not expect perfection, but He does expect growth, and that growth is possible only because Christ's righteousness has been credited to us. Anyone who has ever felt the distance between who they are and who God is calling them to be will walk away with both honest challenge and real hope. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com

1h 2m
May 26

Beyond the Notes: The Storm That Reveals The Savior

What do you do when you know God is faithful but your circumstances are screaming something different? In this Beyond the Notes episode, Ryan Flint, Worship Pastor at McGregor Baptist Church, explores the concept of gospel amnesia: the very human pattern of forgetting what we know to be true about God the moment suffering gets loud. Drawing from Matthew 14, the Psalms, and the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, Ryan explains why fear narrows our vision and how it causes us to interpret God through our storms instead of interpreting our storms through God. Ryan walks through five practical anchors for fighting back: staying in God's Word, staying connected to the church, worshiping regularly, remembering what God has done before, and preaching gospel truth to yourself every day. Whether you are in a hard season or simply want to be more ready for the next one, this episode gives you a clear and honest framework for keeping the gospel close when life gets loud. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

10 min
May 26

Matthew 14:22-33 - The Storm That Reveals The Savior

The King Has Come "The Storm That Reveals The Savior" (Matthew 14:22-33) Jesus did not send the disciples into the storm by accident. He sent them on purpose, and He knew exactly what they would find there. In this sermon from Matthew 14:22-33, Ryan Flint, Worship Pastor at McGregor Baptist Church, traces the disciples from the shoreline crowd still buzzing after the feeding of the five thousand, out onto the dark water, and into a fear they could not manage on their own. Through Peter's bold step out of the boat and his slow, terrifying sink beneath the waves, we see the central truth of the passage clearly: faith thrives and fear fades when we fix our eyes on Jesus. The storm was not evidence that Christ had abandoned them. It was the very place He revealed Himself most fully. Listeners walk away with this: the trials you are carrying are not interruptions to God's work in your life. They are invitations to trust Him more clearly, see Him more fully, and worship Him in a way the calm shore never could have produced. Sermon Notes May 24, 2026 Ryan Flint • Worship Pastor Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

33 min
May 24

Around McGregor: May 24

Life rarely follows the plan we wrote for it. How do followers of Christ respond when it does not? In this week's Around McGregor, Mark Bricker, Tamar Miller, and Christian Miller preview a new summer Bible study called How to Handle Life's Interruptions, starting Wednesday, June 24 at 6:30 in Fellowship Hall. They also walk through the next month at McGregor: the Newcomers Coffee on May 31, the Prospective Member Class on June 7, Rainforest Falls VBS the week of June 8 through 12, an international Potluck in the Hall on June 17, and a special July 1 evening celebrating God's faithfulness alongside our country's 250th birthday. Whether you are new to McGregor or have been here for years, this episode lays out a full season of gathering and points to where you can step in. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

18 min
May 22

Holiness of God: Holy Justice

Wednesday Night Teaching "Holy Justice" (Luke 13:1-5) What do you do with the parts of the Bible that feel severe? The passages where God's judgment lands swiftly and people die, where nations are destroyed, where the cost of sin is immediate and real? If we're honest, those passages can produce more questions than comfort. In this Wednesday night teaching, Elder Mike Hess walks through Luke 13:1-5 and a series of passages across the Old and New Testaments, including Leviticus 10, 1 Chronicles 13, and Numbers 4, to show that God's justice is never a miscarriage of justice. It is always an expression of who He is: holy, infinitely wise, and never wrong. Hess addresses four commonly misunderstood biblical concepts (justice, holiness, grace, and sin), examines the stumbling blocks that lead us to question God rather than submit to Him, and shows that perfect justice is ultimately found at the cross of Jesus Christ, where the wrath of God was satisfied so that sinners could be declared righteous. Because God is holy, we can trust Him completely, with our questions, our pain, and our future. May 20, 2026 Mike Hess Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

57 min

See All (897)

Trailer

Passion Week Special: Trailer

Beginning Monday, March 29, we will be releasing a day-by-day journey of the last week of Jesus Christ in His earthly ministry. This daily special will run Monday through Saturday of passion week as we look towards Easter Sunday. Listen in each day, subscribe, and share these daily devotionals. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2021 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com

S2,021

•

2 min

out of 5

52 Ratings

Much deeper understanding!

12/09/2021

College-Bound Trip

I make at point of listening to both the sermon from each week and its corresponding Beyond the Notes podcast multiple times each week. It has given me a richer, more complete understanding of the Gospel of John in context. Thank you for all the work you put into this! You can’t see us listening, but we are. May our Heavenly Father richly bless this ministry as He keeps us humble and learning.
Beyond The Notes

07/28/2021

Glammy B

I love the beyond the notes podcast. The depth of which has really motivated me to study the Bible more closely. In addition, I can (re)listen to the corresponding Sunday sermon and glean even more.
Great Podcast

06/09/2021

pineapplefmb

I love this show! I look forward every week to the new “Beyond the Notes” episode. Such a great idea! I’ve learned so much from them.
Grateful

04/06/2021

mkwallace

Our family is thoroughly enjoying the podcast teachings. Thank you!!