Waite Park Church

In this message, Pastor Kory takes an honest look at the violence found in the Old Testament and why it troubles many Christians today. He explains why simple answers don’t work and explores how history, culture, and storytelling shape these passages. Most importantly, he urges listeners to read the Bible through the life and teachings of Jesus, approaching hard texts with humility, faith, and trust that God’s mercy is greater than our understanding.

Drawing on Israel’s demand for a king and Jesus’ humble entry into Jerusalem, Pastor Kory contrasts the kind of kings we want with the King we need. Through the image of two parades—a conquering ruler and a man on a donkey—the sermon shows how God’s people repeatedly chose power, security, and status. Jesus arrives as a different king who saves hearts, not politics, and invites us to examine which voices truly rule our lives.

In the sermon "The Law," Pastor Abby Burg explores how God’s commandments are not just rules, but a call to reflect His character to the world. Drawing parallels between Exodus and Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount, she explains that believers are called to be "salt and light"—living counterculturally to reveal God’s "flavors" and "colors." Abby encourages us to rely on the Holy Spirit to live out this royal priesthood daily.

In this sermon, Pastor Kory explores how everyday habits form “paths” in our lives—often unconsciously—and how God invites us to reshape these pathways through intentional rituals. Using examples from daily life and the Exodus story, he shows how practices like Passover, the Lord’s Supper, baptism, and weekly worship re‑form us over time. The message encourages reflecting on our own rituals and choosing those that lead us toward God’s freedom, grace, and transformation.

Pastor Kory’s message, Going Back to Egypt, reflects on Israel’s struggle to trust God in the wilderness and how we often reach for old, familiar habits when life feels uncertain. Through the Exodus story and Jesus’ time in the wilderness, we’re reminded that God invites us to keep moving forward, even when it’s difficult. This Lenten season, we’re encouraged to notice where we’re tempted to look back and to trust God’s grace for the journey ahead.