Sonrise Church-Utah Sermons

Sonrise Church-Utah
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Practical, biblical preaching from Sonrise Church in West Valley City, Utah. Pastor Chris Thompson teaches through Scripture each week, drawing out timeless truth for everyday life. Whether you've walked with Jesus for decades, are returning to faith, or are still asking the first questions, there's a place for you here. New sermons posted Mondays from our Sunday gatherings. Learn more or join us in person at sonrisebc.org.

  1. 1d ago

    01-James: "Count It All Joy: Faith That Holds Under Weight" | James 1:1-6

    A man who grew up in the same house as Jesus sits down to write a letter. He could have signed it as the Lord’s brother. Instead he writes, “James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (James 1:1). For years he did not believe. “For even His brothers did not believe in Him” (John 7:5). Then the risen Christ appeared to James, and everything changed. This message opens our new series, James: Doers of the Word.James writes to Jewish believers who had known the Scriptures all their lives, now scattered, poor, and under pressure. Their danger was not that they didn’t know the truth. It was that they knew it and weren’t living it. So how can anyone count it all joy when life falls apart? Is joy a feeling that rises and falls with our circumstances? Why do trials keep coming, each one heavier than the last? Who gets to decide what “perfect” means? And when you don’t know what to do, why do so many of us never stop to ask?When James writes of the testing of our faith, he reaches for a metalworker’s word. It described putting silver and gold through the fire. So what is the fire for? To destroy the metal, or to prove it?From there the message walks verse by verse through the opening lines of the letter. A question about which master we serve. A traveler caught by something he never saw coming. A refiner who sits over his silver (Malachi 3:3). A faith that either holds under weight or gives way. A workout that never really ends in this life. A God who “gives to all liberally and without reproach” (James 1:5). And a wave of the sea that cannot steer itself.This message is for anyone who knows the truth but isn’t living it. It is for the believer who has fallen into a trial they never saw coming, and for the one who wonders why the trials never seem to end. It is for the one who has said, “You don’t understand what I’m going through.” It is for anyone facing a situation they don’t have the skill to navigate. And it is for anyone who has been drifting, driven and tossed, and wondering who is steering.Key Texts: James 1:1-6; John 7:5; 1 Corinthians 15:7; Acts 8:1; Romans 6:17-18; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Nehemiah 8:10; Malachi 3:6; Acts 5:41; Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3; James 1:22🌐 Learn more about Sonrise Church-Utah: www.sonrisebc.org💒 Support Sonrise: https://sonrise-bc.churchcenter.com/giving📱 Download our App: https://sonrisebc.org/app/🎥 Streaming License: CSPL166462🎵 CCLI License: 646243📖 Study Questions: https://sonrisebc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Sonrise_LifeGroup_Study_2026-10-25.pdf#DoersOfTheWord #BookOfJames #James1 #CountItAllJoy #Trials #Endurance #FaithUnderPressure #Wisdom #Bondservant #Discipleship #ChristianLiving #BibleTeaching #Sermon #Jesus #SonriseChurch

  2. Oct 22

    03-I Am A Church Member: Loving & Treasured | Luke 17

    On the road to Jerusalem, somewhere between Samaria and Galilee, ten lepers stand at a distance and cry out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (Luke 17:13). All ten are cleansed. Only one comes back. This message closes our series I Am A Church Member with the final two characteristics of a believer: loving and treasured.In 1993 a pop song asked, “What is love?” Our culture has been answering ever since: a battlefield, a feeling, a breakup anthem whose answer is to love yourself. So what is love, really? Where does it begin? What does it look like when it is lived out and not just talked about? Why would Jesus heal ten men when He knew only one would return? And underneath it all, a more personal question: what are you actually worth?Jesus calls the man who came back “this foreigner.” The word He uses was carved into the warning stones of the temple itself. Who was that stone written to keep out, and where did he end up?From there the message moves from a definition to a demonstration. Paul’s portrait of a love that “does not seek its own” (1 Corinthians 13:5). James and his warning about a faith that offers the hungry nothing but words. And then a different question entirely: price. A banana duct-taped to a wall sells for millions of dollars, and the buyer eats it. Peter reminds us that we “were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold,” but “with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Peter 1:18-19). The message then asks why a price that high was ever necessary, and what it says about every person God has made.This message is for anyone who has been handed the world’s version of love and found it empty. It is for the believer who loves only when it is returned. It is for the one who has quietly wondered whether they are worth anything to God. And it is for anyone with “that person” in their life, the one you would rather not love, because they were bought at the same price.Key Texts: Mark 12:28-34; 1 John 4:7-19; 1 John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 13:4-13; Luke 17:11-19; James 2:15-17; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:22; Isaiah 53:5-6; 2 Corinthians 5:21

  3. Oct 22

    02-I Am A Church Member: Praying & Serving | Matthew 6

    In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus turns to one of the most personal things a believer ever does. "And when you pray," He says, "you shall not be like the hypocrites" (Matthew 6:5). This message continues our series I Am A Church Member with two of the most challenging marks of a Christian: praying and serving.Think about the biggest source of stress in your life right now. Finances? Work? Kids? A relationship? Underneath many of them is the same problem: poor communication. So what happens when the breakdown is between us and God? What is prayer, really? Do we need special words for God to hear us? Is prayer a way to get what we want? Does God listen more closely when more of us are praying? And the question underneath all of them: are you even on speaking terms with God?Jesus says those who pray to be seen "have their reward." The word He uses was written on ancient receipts. It meant paid in full. What is left for a prayer that was only ever meant for the room?From there the message moves through Jesus' own teaching. A closed door and a Father "who sees in secret" (Matthew 6:6). A mountain where four hundred and fifty prophets shouted all morning while one man prayed about sixty words. A pattern that begins with "Our Father in heaven," and a garden where Jesus prayed it out. Then the message turns to service: two brothers from the fishing boats asking for the best seats in the kingdom, and Jesus answering with Himself, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). Paul shows us how far that service went: "taking the form of a bondservant" (Philippians 2:7).This message is for the believer who has quietly wondered, "How am I supposed to pray?" It is for the one who prays more for the ears around them than for the ears of God, and for the one who has treated God more like a genie than a Father. It is for the church member who would rather be served than serve. And it is for anyone ready to talk with the Father like a child and serve like the Son.Key Texts: Matthew 6:5-13; Psalm 51:17; Matthew 18:15-20; Deuteronomy 19:15; 1 Kings 18:26-39; Luke 22:42; 1 John 5:14-15; James 1:13-14; Mark 10:35-45; Philippians 2:5-8

  4. Oct 7

    I Am A Church Member 2026: Functioning & Unifying | Romans 12

    At Caesarea Philippi, Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and Jesus answers with a promise: "on this rock I will build My church" (Matthew 16:18). My church. Not a club, not a crowd, not a subscription. This message opens our new three-week series, I Am A Church Member, and it begins with a question most of us have never stopped to ask: what is the difference between the Church and a church?When you hear the word "member," what comes to mind? A gym. A warehouse club. A roadside service. You pay your dues, you collect your benefits, and you can cancel anytime. Is that what the Bible means when it calls believers members? Is it possible to belong on paper and never function? What does God do with a believer who has stopped working? And can a church be completely united and still be wrong?Paul's word for member is melos. It does not describe a card in your wallet. It describes a limb: an arm, a hand, a finger. That one word changes how we think about showing up, serving, and staying.From there the message moves through the first two characteristics of a church member, which work hand in hand. Functioning takes us to a charcoal fire on the shore of Galilee, to two brothers mending their nets, and to the Great Commission's call to make disciples of all the nations (Matthew 28:19-20). Unifying takes us to a church in Corinth coming apart at the seams, to Paul's plea that there be "no divisions among you" (1 Corinthians 1:10), and to a guitar on the platform that shows what happens when strings tune to each other instead of to the standard.This message is for the believer who has been paying dues but not showing up. It is for the one sitting in the junk drawer, wondering whether God is finished with them. It is for the church member who has confused agreement with unity. And it is for anyone who wants to know what it really means to be a working part of the body of Christ, one of the "many members in one body" (Romans 12:4).Key Texts: Matthew 16:16-18; Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:4-27; John 21:9-17; Matthew 4:18-22; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:1-4; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 4:11-13

  5. Oct 1

    22-Ephesians: "Peace, Love & Grace: Final thoughts from Ephesians" | Ephesians 6:21-24

    In Ephesians 6:21-24, Paul is in chains and cannot come to Ephesus, so he does the next best thing. He sends a man. Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister, carries the letter and is sent for one purpose: that the church may know, and that their hearts may be comforted. In this final message of our verse-by-verse series, we do what Tychicus did. We make all things known. Twelve texts, six chapters, one letter, in a single morning.Why would a man in prison want a church to know how he is doing? What does knowing have to do with comfort? And why does Paul aim his letter not at the intellect but at the heart, the whole of who you are?The recap walks every turn of the letter without stopping long at any of them. Sealed: why is the Spirit called a guarantee rather than a hope? But God: what actually changes when a corpse is made alive, and why does Paul insist on starting in the grave (Ephesians 2:4-5)? The mystery revealed: why does Paul take God's deepest secret and hand it to the whole world for free? Walk worthy and walk in the light: whose job is it to make you worthy, and what does it mean that you are light rather than someone walking toward it? Stand: why does Paul reach back for the same power words he used in chapter one when he tells you to put on the armor (Ephesians 6:10-11)?Then Paul signs off with three words. Peace. Love with faith. Grace. And one more phrase: "in sincerity." The word he chose there is the one he uses in 1 Corinthians 15:42 for the resurrection body, raised in incorruption. A letter that opened before the foundation of the world closes with a love that does not wear out.This message is for anyone who walked all twenty-two weeks and wants the whole letter in one place, for anyone who joined the series late, and for anyone who came in this week living broke, powerless, or like a victim, when Ephesians says you are none of those. Now you know. Live like it.Key Texts: Ephesians 6:21-24; 1:13-14; 1:19-20; 2:4-5; 2:8-9; 2:14; 3:6; 3:20; 4:1-3; 4:11-12; 5:8; 5:15-16; 5:18; 6:10-12; 6:23-24; 1 Corinthians 15:42; John 17:21#Ephesians #Ephesians6 #EphesiansSeries #BibleTeaching #ExpositoryPreaching #ButGod #InChrist #PeaceLoveAndGrace #Sermon #Discipleship #SoundDoctrine #ChristianLiving #Church #Jesus #SonriseChurchSonrise Church-Utah | Ephesians Series, Part 22

  6. Sep 16

    21-Ephesians: "Warriors, Not Victims: Standing in the Whole Armor of God" | Ephesians 6:10-20

    In Ephesians 6:10-20, Paul has just finished telling wives, husbands, children, and bondservants what God expects of them, and then he says, "Finally." Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Think about what that follows. Every one of those roles asks for something that is hard to pull off on your own, and God wants the real thing, not the motions. So where does that kind of strength come from?Then Paul does something he has not done anywhere else in this letter. He puts a Roman soldier in front of us and says, put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand. Not advance. Stand. Hold the line. Why would Paul describe the Christian life as a defensive posture? And what happened to a line of ancient infantry the moment it broke?Stand against what? Most of us picture the enemy as something big and obvious. Paul calls it the wiles of the devil. What if the most dangerous attacks never look like attacks? Follow your heart. God just wants you to be happy. A man on a stage who says he speaks for God, and nobody can check him. Anger you never dealt with (Ephesians 4:26-27). The barb that comes out of nowhere.Then verse 12. We do not wrestle against flesh and blood. Paul writes this from prison, with a guard beside him and Caesar over him, and says neither one is the real enemy. So who is? And if that enemy is more than any of us can handle alone, why does it matter that Paul says whole armor, and not part of it?From there Paul walks through every piece. Belt, breastplate, shoes, shield, helmet, sword. Each one answers a specific attack, and one of them is not only for defense. Jesus showed how in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Then Paul asks for prayer for himself, and what he asks for from a prison cell is not what you would expect.This message is for the believer who has been living like a victim when Christ has made them a warrior. It is for anyone who feels attacked from every direction and cannot tell where it is really coming from. And it is for anyone who has been standing in part of the armor and wondering why they keep getting thrown to the ground.Key Texts: Ephesians 6:10-20; Ephesians 2:2-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Ephesians 4:14; Ephesians 4:26-27; Ephesians 5:6; 1 John 3:20-21; Revelation 12:10; Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:1-11; Romans 8:26Sonrise Church-Utah | Ephesians Series, Part 21

  7. Sep 15

    20-Ephesians: "Goodwill Cannot Be Demanded: It Can Only Be Given" | Ephesians 6:5-9

    In Ephesians 6:5-9, Paul is still walking through the Christian household, and he arrives at the hardest room in it. He addresses bondservants: people their society counted as property, with no wages, no legal standing, no right of refusal, and no exit. Then, in a single verse, he turns and addresses the men who owned them.The modern objection arrives before the text does. How can Paul be at peace with this? How can God be? This message does not step around that question. It goes after the assumption buried inside it, and it argues that what God actually does here is not weaker than a prohibition but stronger, and slower, and more total.Then Paul draws a line of demarcation. There are lowercase lords who rule the flesh, and there is an uppercase Lord who rules everything else. So what exactly did an Ephesian master own, and what was never his to take? And how does Romans 13:1 reframe the fear and trembling Paul asks for, when the master himself has done nothing to earn it?From there Paul names two failures the church still recognizes on sight. Eyeservice, which is working properly only while eyes are on you. Men-pleasing, which is strategic effort aimed at reputation. Against both he sets goodwill, and goodwill is a relational word rather than a mood. It is active benevolence aimed at a person. It is also the one thing a master cannot extract by any means he possesses.The passage then widens until nobody is left out of it. Whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. What does it mean that the unseen work of a person with no status is examined at the judgment seat of 2 Corinthians 5:10, and that 1 Corinthians 15:58 insists none of it is wasted? And what happens to a Christian master the moment he discovers he is standing under the very same standard?This one is for anyone serving an authority they did not choose and cannot leave, anyone who has quietly wondered whether the work nobody sees counts for anything, and anyone who holds authority over another person and answers for how they use it.Key Texts: Ephesians 6:5-9; Romans 13:1; 1 John 4:18; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Galatians 5:1; James 1:22; Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:13-15; Matthew 6:4; Hebrews 6:10; 1 Corinthians 15:58Sonrise Church-Utah | Ephesians Series, Part 20🌐 Learn more about Sonrise Church-Utah: www.sonrisebc.org💒 Support Sonrise: https://sonrise-bc.churchcenter.com/giving📱 Download our App: https://sonrisebc.org/app/🎥 Streaming License: CSPL166462🎵 CCLI License: 646243📖 Study Questions: https://sonrisebc.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Sonrise_LifeGroup_Study_2026-09-06.pdf#Ephesians6 #Goodwill #Eyeservice #BondservantsOfChrist #WorkAsToTheLord #JudgmentSeatOfChrist #Discipleship #SoundDoctrine #BibleTeaching #ChristianLiving #Sermon #Church #Jesus #SonriseChurchUtah

  8. Sep 6

    19-Ephesians: "You Cannot Contract This Out: Raising Them in the Lord" | Ephesians 6:1-4

    Count what you contracted out this week. Your food. Your lawn. Your car. Your kids' reading, writing, and arithmetic. We are very good at hiring the work out, and most of the time that is fine.In Ephesians 6:1-4, Paul names one thing you cannot hire out. Not to a school. Not to a club. Not to a pastor.He has just finished with husbands and wives. He does not pause. He turns to the children, then to the fathers, and the letter that has spent five chapters describing the church suddenly starts describing your kitchen table.He opens with a command, not an invitation. Wives were given a voluntary word. Children are not given one. So what happens when a child is told to obey and the home is not safe, not kind, not Christian? Paul does not pretend that home does not exist, and neither does this message. There is a boundary, and it is the same line Peter drew in Acts 5:29.Then comes the second command, and this is where grown adults stay stuck for decades. Honor your father and mother. Most of us hear obey. The word Paul reaches for is not a feeling word; it is a value word. So if honor is not obedience, what is a grown son or daughter actually being asked to do, and what changes once Genesis 2:24 has happened and the leaving is finished?Attached to that command is a promise, and promises like this one are easy to misread as a guarantee. Paul is writing from a prison cell with the scars of 2 Corinthians 11 already on him. Whatever "that it may be well with you" means, it has to mean something a chained apostle could write without flinching.Then verse 4. Fathers. Do not provoke. Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Which leaves the question this message refuses to leave alone: if training looks like Deuteronomy 6:7, when you sit, when you walk, when you lie down, when you rise up, who has actually been doing that in your house?Key Texts: Ephesians 6:1-4; Acts 5:29; Genesis 2:24; Deuteronomy 6:1-7; Hebrews 12:5-11; Mark 10:13-16For parents who feel behind, for grown children still carrying a complicated home, and for anyone who assumed a passage about family had nothing left to say to them.#Ephesians6 #ChristianParenting #FamilyDiscipleship #HonorYourFatherAndMother #BiblicalParenting #Deuteronomy6 #Fathers #Discipleship #SoundDoctrine #BibleTeaching #Sermon #ChristianLiving #Church #Jesus #SonriseChurchSonrise Church-Utah | Ephesians Series, Part 19

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Practical, biblical preaching from Sonrise Church in West Valley City, Utah. Pastor Chris Thompson teaches through Scripture each week, drawing out timeless truth for everyday life. Whether you've walked with Jesus for decades, are returning to faith, or are still asking the first questions, there's a place for you here. New sermons posted Mondays from our Sunday gatherings. Learn more or join us in person at sonrisebc.org.

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    Sonrise Church-Utah
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    26
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