Sermons on the Side

College football is back - and these days, you can’t talk about college sports for long without talking about NIL. 
Name. Image. Likeness. 
For student-athletes, those three words have completely changed the game, allowing players to leverage who they are and the value attached to their identity. 
But a recent conversation with Richard’s friend Steve got us thinking: What if Christians have an NIL, too?
Not one we’ve earned, negotiated, or built for ourselves - but one that has been given to us through Jesus Christ. 
We pray and live with the authority of His Name. We are being transformed into His Image. And as followers of Jesus, we are called to grow into His Likeness, representing Him to the world around us. 
In Episode 83 of Sermons on the Side, we use the wild world of college football NIL as a launching point for a much bigger conversation about our identity in Christ. What does Scripture mean when it says we bear His image? What does it mean to pray in the name of Jesus? And if we claim His name, how closely should our lives resemble His likeness? 
College athletes may be cashing in on their name, image, and likeness - but as believers, we’ve been entrusted with something infinitely more valuable.
His Name. His Image. His Likeness.
Join us for a conversation about college football, NIL, identity in Christ, spiritual transformation, and what it really means to represent Jesus in the world around us.
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Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside
Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

What happens when we get comfortable with the hazards in our lives? 
In this episode of Sermons on the Side, Richard shares another lesson from a job site. During a safety meeting, a safety director described how an employee had suffered a minor injury because he had simply become too comfortable with a hazard that had been around for a while. The warning was simple: just because a hazard has been there for a long time doesn't mean it has stopped being dangerous.
That idea translates pretty quickly into our walk with Christ. 

As Christians, we can become comfortable with spiritual hazards too - temptations we've learned to tolerate, sins we've stopped taking seriously, habits we've justified, and areas of our lives where we've gradually let our guard down. What once raised alarms can eventually begin to feel normal. 
Brad and Richard talk about the importance of staying spiritually alert, recognizing the dangers that can slowly pull us away from God, and practicing the spiritual discipline of confession. 1 John 1:9 reminds us that when we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 
The goal isn't to live afraid of every hazard. It's to refuse to become comfortable with the things that can damage our relationship with God. 
Because sometimes the most dangerous hazards aren't the ones we don't see. 
They're the ones we've seen so many times that we stopped paying attention.
Send us Fan Mail
Sermons on the Side Bible Readings
Connect with us on our FACEBOOK page
Connect with us on INSTAGRAM @sermons_on_the_side_podcast
Check out our website HERE
Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!
Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside
Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

What do the Golden Gate Bridge, a very specific shade of orange, and your walk with the Lord have in common? 
In Episode 81, Richard gives Brad a quick history lesson on one of America’s most iconic landmarks - including some fascinating facts about its famous “International Orange” color and the never-ending work required to maintain the Golden Gate Bridge. 
But somewhere along the way, a fun conversation about bridges turns into a pretty meaningful Sermon on the Side. 
Because the Golden Gate Bridge is never really finished being worked on. There’s always something that needs attention - something to inspect, repair, reinforce, or restore. And maybe there’s something beautiful about approaching our faith the same way. 
Scripture talks about the ongoing renewing of our minds and the continual work God is doing in us. Following Jesus isn’t about reaching some imaginary point where we finally have everything figured out. It’s about continually allowing Him to reveal the places in our lives that need attention - our thoughts, habits, relationships, priorities, attitudes, and desires - and being willing to keep doing the work. 
So this week, we’re talking bridges, International Orange, sanctification, and what it looks like to live a life that is continually under construction. 
Because maybe the goal was never to become a finished product. 
Maybe it’s to stay willing to be worked on.
Send us Fan Mail
Sermons on the Side Bible Readings
Connect with us on our FACEBOOK page
Connect with us on INSTAGRAM @sermons_on_the_side_podcast
Check out our website HERE
Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!
Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside
Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

10,000 downloads. 80 episodes. And a whole lot of sermons on the side. 
This week, we’re taking a moment to celebrate a milestone we honestly couldn’t have imagined when we first sat down behind a couple of microphones and decided to give this thing a shot. 
Zechariah 4:10 reminds us, “Do not despise these small beginnings.” Looking back, we’re incredibly grateful for ours - and for every person who has listened, shared an episode, encouraged us, or joined us along the way. 
But this episode isn’t just about celebrating where Sermons on the Side has been. It’s also an encouragement to anyone standing at the beginning of something God may be calling you to do. You don’t have to know where it will lead. You don’t have to have everything figured out. Sometimes you just have to be obedient enough to start - and faithful enough to keep saying yes. 
And for this milestone, we wanted you! Throughout the episode, you’ll hear from listeners near and far sharing what Sermons on the Side has meant to them, how God has used it in their lives, and a few words for whatever comes next. 
To every one of you who has been part of these first 10,000 downloads: thank you.
Here’s to small beginnings, faithful obedience, and whatever God has next.
Send us Fan Mail
Sermons on the Side Bible Readings
Connect with us on our FACEBOOK page
Connect with us on INSTAGRAM @sermons_on_the_side_podcast
Check out our website HERE
Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!
Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside
Thank you for being part of the journey with us!

Have you ever looked around and felt like everyone else was winning while you were the only one hurting? 
In this week's episode of Sermons on the Side, Brad shares a tender moment with his daughter, Bekah, after what was supposed to be a fun-filled birthday party ended almost as soon as it began. One unexpected accident left her sitting on the sidelines, watching everyone else enjoy the celebration. Through tears, she uttered a sentence that resonates far beyond childhood:
"Dad... everyone's having fun but me."
Those words reveal a struggle we all know too well. Whether through comparison, disappointment, unanswered prayers, or unexpected hardship, it's easy to believe that everyone else's story is unfolding the way they hoped while ours has somehow gone off script. 
But what if our greatest need in those moments isn't for our circumstances to change? What if it's to remember who our Father is? 
This episode explores the difference between comparing our lives to everyone else's highlight reel and allowing our Heavenly Father to meet us in our pain. Brad reflects on what it means to comfort a hurting child, model healthy grief and disappointment, and ultimately point our hearts toward the One who never wastes our suffering.
If you've ever wrestled with feeling left out, overlooked, or like life is unfair, this conversation is a reminder that God isn't absent in your disappointment - He's often doing His deepest work there. 
No matter what season you're walking through, this episode is an invitation to lift your eyes from everyone else's story and rest in the faithful love of the Father who is writing yours.
Send us Fan Mail
Sermons on the Side Bible Readings
Connect with us on our FACEBOOK page
Connect with us on INSTAGRAM @sermons_on_the_side_podcast
Check out our website HERE
Love the show? If you’re enjoying the stories, laughs, and conversations we share here, we’d be so grateful if you’d consider “buying us a cup of coffee” to help keep things brewing. It’s a simple way to show your support and keep the podcast going strong!
Here’s the link: buymeacoffee.com/sermonsontheside
Thank you for being part of the journey with us!