Flipside Christian Church

In this stirring and deeply encouraging Advent message, Pastor Karl launches the new series The King Has Come with a powerful exploration of the first great gift Jesus brings: hope.

Turning to Luke 2 and the quiet, largely forgotten figures of Simeon and Anna, Pastor Karl paints a vivid picture of two elderly saints who spent decades waiting in faithful obscurity—praying unanswered prayers, worshiping through silence, and serving without recognition. Yet the moment a 40-day-old baby was carried into the temple, their Spirit-illuminated eyes saw what the crowds missed: the long-promised Messiah, the Consolation of Israel, the Redemption of Jerusalem.

Through their story, Pastor Karl reveals that biblical hope is not wishful thinking; it is the confident, unshakable expectation of future good rooted in the unchanging character and faithfulness of God. Hope grows in the hidden soil of daily faithfulness, thrives when God chooses to work in silence, and celebrates the tiny seed because it already trusts the coming harvest. Simeon and Anna never saw Jesus preach, heal, or rise from the dead—yet they held the infant King and departed in peace, because they knew who He was long before they saw what He would do.

A tender yet convicting word for everyone who has waited a long time and is still waiting, prayed a long time and is still praying, and hoped a long time and is still hoping. In a season that can feel rushed and noisy, this message calls us to slow down, stay faithful, and train our eyes to recognize the presence of the King—even when He shows up wrapped in the ordinary, the small, and the seemingly insignificant.

Because the King has come, hope is not dead. It is alive, resilient, and bubbling up in every heart that keeps showing up and keeps looking for Jesus. Essential listening for anyone who needs fresh hope this Christmas.

In this sobering and soul-searching message, Pastor Karl dives deep into Matthew 5:17–48, where Jesus declares that He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it—and then raises the bar of righteousness far beyond anything the scribes and Pharisees ever imagined.

Through six piercing examples—anger that murders the heart, lust that commits adultery in the mind, casual divorce, manipulative oaths, retaliation, and hatred disguised as justice—Jesus exposes the truth we all try to avoid: outward obedience is never enough. God judges the heart. Every single one of us stands guilty before His perfect standard.

Yet the bad news is meant to drive us to the best news. Pastor Karl powerfully unpacks how Jesus’ command in verse 48—“You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”—is not a cruel impossible demand, but the very reason the Son of God came. We cannot achieve the righteousness God requires, so God freely gives it to us through faith in Christ. Jesus took our unrighteousness and imputes His perfect righteousness to all who repent and trust Him.

A hard-hitting, heart-exposing sermon that leaves no room for self-righteousness, but ends with the liberating joy of the gospel: guilty sinners can be clothed in the very righteousness of God and stand before Him as if we had never sinned. Essential listening for anyone who wonders, “How can I ever be right with a holy God?”

In this honest and weighty message kicking off the Sermon on the Mount, Pastor Karl walks through the Beatitudes—the nine “blessed are” statements that reveal the heart attitudes Jesus demands of every true disciple. From spiritual poverty and mourning over sin to meekness, insatiable hunger for righteousness, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, and even rejoicing in persecution, these aren’t optional extras; they’re the non-negotiable “be-attitudes” that must mark every citizen of God’s kingdom.

When these attitudes shape us, we naturally become the salt of the earth and the light of the world—distinct from culture, preserving what is decaying, and shining so brightly that others see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. A convicting reminder that following Jesus was never meant to look like the world around us.

In this compelling sermon, Pastor Karl concludes Matthew Chapter 4, tracing Jesus’ move to Capernaum in Galilee of the Gentiles—fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that light dawns in the region of the shadow of death—and the launch of His ministry with the urgent call: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” He unpacks John the Baptist’s arrest and martyrdom as the forerunner who must decrease so Jesus can increase, then contrasts the radical response of the first disciples—Peter, Andrew, James, and John—who immediately abandon nets, boats, and family to follow Jesus and become fishers of men—with the great crowds drawn only by miracles to meet their needs. Pastor Karl challenges every listener: Are you part of the crowd seeking Jesus to fix your problems, or a true disciple whose primary identity has changed, leaving everything behind to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness? He explains that biblical righteousness exceeds the Pharisees not in degree but in kind—imputed by faith in Christ, yet proven through a lifestyle of Scripture study, prayer, evangelism, tithing, and obedience. Join us for a powerful message that calls every believer to move from consumer to committed follower, embrace repentance as ongoing surrender, and live righteously as proof of genuine faith. 

In this compelling sermon, Pastor Karl dives into Matthew Chapters 3 and part of 4, introducing John the Baptist and the launch of Jesus’ public ministry. He explores the radical call to repentance as forward-facing surrender, the humble wilderness ministry of John—clothed in camel hair and heralding the coming Messiah—and the dramatic baptism where heaven breaks open with the Trinity on full display. Pastor Karl then examines Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, revealing how Satan attacks God’s provision, protection, and promises, and how Jesus defeats every lie with Scripture alone. He emphasizes that repentance is not a one-time event but a lifestyle that prepares the way for the kingdom, that true faith bears fruit, and that heaven meets obedience with strength. Join us for a powerful message that calls every believer to repent, resist the devil, and trust God’s Word in every trial.