People In Sync | Week 8 | In the seventh beatitude — blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, invites us — ordinary, broken people, to become partners in his divine work of making shalom in the city. We are called to make a fresh commitment to our gospel vocation to be peace-makers, not just seekers, lovers, or keepers, but makers. As Darell expressed, Jesus bestowed on us incredible dignity to be peacemakers.

People In Sync | Week 7 | In this episode, Darrell Johnson focuses on Jesus’ description of his kingdom people in Matthew 5:8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” Breaking the message into two sections around the text (pure in heart, see God), Darrell helps us understand that being pure in heart is not about perfection, but rather a fruit of the One who is purity coming to dwell in our hearts, enabling us to see Him in everything - the most beautiful sight.

People In Sync | Week 6 | In this episode, Darrell Johnson explores what Jesus means when He says: "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy" (Matthew 5:7). As Darrell works through the text, he asks why mercy is a mark of those in whom the Kingdom dwells, what exactly is this mercy that Jesus blesses, and does this text suggest that we merit mercy by being merciful? Through this exposition, Darrell unpacks the significance of mercy in the journey of those who have been touched by Jesus and His good news. We come to understand that mercy deeply shapes who we become and our relationship with God.

People In Sync | Week 5 | In this message, Darrel walks us through the fourth Beatitude in Matthew 5:6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for Righteousness for they will be satisfied”. In this beatitude, Jesus enters into all our thirsts and restores in us a hunger for which we were created When we come to Jesus he awakens an even deeper longing for him - all of our longings in the final analysis are longings for God.

People In Sync | Week 4 | Blessed are the meek for they (and only they) shall inherit the earth… Really? Darrell helps us understand the nature of this seemingly upside-down beatitude and its outrageous promise. Through the words of David in Psalm 37, the life of Moses, and the person of Jesus, we learn that meekness is not weakness or passivity but rather it is the true power that defines the coming Kingdom of God. How can anyone become truly meek? Only through the good news of the Meek One, Jesus Christ, taking hold of our hearts. How do we know the meek will inherit the earth? Because all things belong to the Meek One; He made the earth and delights to give it to His own, both now and forever.

People In Sync | Week 3 | In part three of People in Sync, Darrell's sermon series on the beatitudes, he clarifies one of the more difficult statements made by Jesus, “Blessed are those who are mourning.” How can those in a state of mourning see themselves as fortunate? Darrell helpfully reframes these mourners as “God’s aching visionaries,” those who look to Christ and see what can be and grieve about what is. Not only does this beatitude permit us to grieve, but it reminds us that as we open ourselves up to grief, we find ourselves strangely comforted because God’s comfort is with us.

People In Sync | Week 2 |Welcome back to the Darrell Johnson Podcast for Week 2 of our People in Sync series, where we journey through the Beatitudes. Today, we dive deep into Jesus' promise: "Blessed are those who are poor in spirit." Join Darrell as he unravels the essence of being poor in spirit and its profound connection to embracing the gospel. Is there a moment when our spirits can be rich? Let's explore these thought-provoking questions together in this enlightening episode.

People In Sync | Week 1 | Welcome to a new series from Darrell, on Matthew 5:1-12 - commonly known as the Beatitudes. In this sermon, Darrell Johnson offers an introduction to the passage. Through five observations, Darrell helps the listener grapple with the seemingly upside-down nature of the eight Beatitude statements and reveals the portrait Jesus is painting of His “kingdom-embracing”, and “blessed-are” people. Warning; you may find that we are the ones living upside-down and Jesus is turning things right-side up!

Listening To Jesus Pray For Us | Week 4 | In this final episode in our series on John 17, Darrell talks about the conversations that take place in sacred spaces. In the New Testament, we see many interactions between Jesus and the Father but the most clear and defining moments are here in John 17 and in Hebrews 1-2 where we witness God finally speaking to us about his Son. Both these scriptures open our eyes to see the deep affection, trust, and union between the Father and Son. And here, Darrell invites us to consider the sacred spaces in our own lives, where we also join in on this Divine conversation.