Sermons
What do you do when God reveals something in your heart that needs to change?
In Psalm 51, we see that repentance is not about fear, shame, or self-improvement—it’s about coming home. This sermon explores what repentance is, what it does for us, and why it leads not to despair, but to joy.
This is the first in a series exploring the 3R’s of gospel heart renewal—Reveal, Repent, Rejoice.
As a new year begins, many of us set resolutions aimed at becoming healthier, happier, or more successful. Beneath those goals, however, lies a deeper question: What is really shaping our lives? Psalm 139 invites us to begin not with behavior change, but with heart renewal.
In this sermon, we explore the first movement of gospel-shaped renewal: Reveal. Heart renewal begins when God, by His Spirit and through His Word, lovingly exposes what is actually driving us—our deepest trusts, fears, and desires—not to shame us, but to lead us into life.
How does God prove himself?
Many people imagine that belief would require something dramatic—a miracle in the sky, a moment so overwhelming that doubt would be impossible. But the book of Ruth tells a different story.
In Ruth 4, God brings redemption not through spectacle, but through ordinary faithfulness, real human choices, and lives shaped over time. What looks like coincidence is actually providence. What feels like loss becomes the soil for restoration. And what seems like a small family story turns out to be part of God’s great redemptive plan—one that leads all the way to Jesus.
What does God really want from you?
During Advent, many people find themselves back in church—sometimes for the first time in a long time. Maybe it’s longing. Maybe exhaustion. Maybe curiosity. Maybe even a quiet sense of guilt or emptiness.
In Ruth 3, we meet two women who know that feeling well. Naomi has returned home empty and bitter after devastating loss. Ruth, her Moabite daughter-in-law, steps into a dangerous and vulnerable situation in hope of redemption. And in the darkness of a threshing floor at midnight, everything hangs on the character of a redeemer.
This sermon explores what the journey of faith actually looks like—not as a set of ideas to agree with, but as a lived response to God’s invitation.
Ruth 2 might not look like an Advent passage… but it absolutely is.
This week we explore how God meets His people right in the middle of their emptiness, longing, and need—and how the surprising kindness of Boaz points us to the even greater kindness of Jesus, our true Redeemer.
In this message, Pastor Peter shows us:
Light Finds You - God’s quiet providence is always at work—especially when life feels random, empty, or out of control. Ruth “just happens” into the exact field where grace is waiting for her.
Love Embraces You - Boaz’s favor isn’t just kindness—it’s costly, committed, covenant love. His actions give us a glimpse of the steadfast chesed of God fulfilled in Christ.
Hope Shines Through You - Ruth is satisfied with grace that overflows—and her abundance rekindles hope in Naomi. In the same way, Jesus fills us so that our lives spill over into others.
And on this Membership Sunday, we reflect on what it means to belong to a gospel-shaped community—not because we’re impressive, but because grace has made room for us.
If you’re longing for hope, craving belonging, or wondering if God sees you—this message is for you.
What do you do when you make the responsible choice… and everything still unravels?
In this episode, we explore Naomi’s story—a woman who loses everything and feels God is against her—only to discover He’s been working behind the scenes all along. We'll see:
Why life can fall apart even when you’re doing everything “right”
How God uses unlikely people and unexpected moments to bring redemption
Why your suffering in Christ is never punishment
How Ruth’s loyal love points us to Jesus—our greater Redeemer
Why Advent begins in the dark, but never ends there
This message is for anyone feeling empty, discouraged, or unsure of what God is doing. Listen and find fresh hope in the God who works even when we cannot see Him.
In this final message of our G.O.S.P.E.L. Rule of Life series, we look at the practice of LISTEN—opening our lives to be formed and shaped by the living and active Word of God. From 2 Timothy 3:16–17, special guest speaker Pastor Paul Kim of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Encinitas unpacks why the Word of God is ultimately about listening to a Person who speaks to us through it.
We end with practical guidance for listening deeply—from “Scripture before phone” to learning to “drink from the well” yourself.
The Gospel Rule of Life ends here: rooted, grounded, and equipped in God’s Word, we bear fruit and engage the spiritual battle with confidence in God’s grace.
What keeps us from sharing our faith — fear, inadequacy, or simply being too focused on ourselves? In this message from 2 Corinthians 5:11-21, Pastor Peter explores how the love of Christ frees us from self-consciousness and compels us to engage others with grace and truth. We’re not selling something or proving ourselves — we’re ambassadors, carrying the good news that God is reconciling the world to Himself through Jesus.
Why does prayer often feel so hard—yet so necessary? In this episode, Pastor Peter explores Luke 11:1-13, where Jesus teaches His disciples (and us) what really happens when we pray. Far more than a spiritual technique or mindfulness practice, prayer is an invitation into a relationship with a Father who loves us, listens to us, and gives us the very best gift—His own Spirit.
Everyone’s tired. We scroll to rest, but it doesn’t work.
We chase balance, but still feel restless.
What if rest isn’t something you earn — but something you receive?
In this message, Pastor Peter unpacks how Sabbath isn’t a rule to follow but a rhythm to live into — a weekly act of freedom that reshapes how we work, rest, and worship.
Discover how God uses Sabbath to form your soul, restore your joy, and remind you that Jesus has already finished the work.
GOSPEL Rule of Life - Open: Hospitality and Friendship (John 15:1-17)
What kind of friendship does the gospel create?
In John 15, Jesus says, “No longer do I call you servants… I call you friends.” Before He sends His disciples out to bear fruit, He invites them to abide — to stay connected to Him, the true source of life.
In this message, Pastor Peter explores the source, shape, and purpose of gospel friendship — a friendship that flows from Christ’s love, takes shape in how we love one another, and bears fruit in a world God is redeeming.
Learn how abiding in Jesus transforms isolation into connection and friendship into mission.
What if fear is burying the very thing God gave you to bless others? In this message on the Parable of the Talents, we explore how generosity in our words, time, and money reveals whether our faith is the real thing.
What does it mean to be a disciple in a world full of brokenness, fear, and anger? In Ezekiel 36, God gives His people a stunning promise that defines a disciple: “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.”
Whether you’re new to Christianity or walking with Christ for years, this passage reminds us that the gospel is not about polishing the outside of our lives, but about the Spirit’s work of heart renewal.
Harbor Church is a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA), a group of churches whose beliefs are summarized in the Westminster Confession of Faith and Catechisms.
