Sunrise Ministries

Ishmael and Isaac

This Sunday's message from Pastor Dennis explores the painful dysfunction, favoritism, and decades of estrangement within Abraham's blended family. By highlighting how Isaac and Ishmael finally reunited to bury their father, it challenges us to cultivate a legacy of genuine reconciliation and forgiveness in our own households.

Worship Setlist:

• Salvation is Here
• I Surrender
• Cornerstone
• All Thy Fullness

Hagar's Story

This week, Pastor Dennis launches a new series titled "The People of God" by focusing on the overlooked biblical story of Hagar from Genesis 16. He uses her experiences with isolation and hardship to illustrate how God intimately sees and hears our distress, encouraging the congregation that choosing the way of Jesus can break cycles of generational trauma to leave a lasting legacy.

Worship Setlist:

• Raise a Hallelujah
• House of the Lord
• Stand in Your Love
• Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me

Human Sexuality and the Kingdom of God

Dennis reflects on how the church has often caused harm by prioritizing theological certainty over compassion. He urges a posture of humility, repentance, and a commitment to keeping the door of the kingdom open to all people, while taking Scripture seriously in a way that centers grace, avoids judgment, and makes room for everyone to pursue Christ together.

Worship Setlist:

• Open the Eyes of My Heart
• Better is One Day
• Great Are You Lord
• Goodness of God

God's Kind of Man

This Father's Day, Pastor Dennis teaches that Joseph’s life shows what it means to be God’s kind of person—faithful, compassionate, courageous, steady in hardship, and committed to lifting others up. He urges the congregation to live in such a way that when others tell their story, it will be a story worth passing on.

Worship Setlist:

• I Thank God
• Lord I Need You
• Good Good Father
• King of Kings

Gender, Sexuality, and the Kingdom of God

This Sunday, Pastor Dennis taught that while Scripture offers a high ethic for gender and sexuality, real people often live in complex places where grace and accommodation are necessary. He warned that legalism in these areas can “shut the door of the kingdom,” and called us to love people as image‑bearers and trust Jesus to do the transforming.

Worship Setlist:

• Who You Say I Am
• Graves Into Gardens
• Christ Be Magnified

Men and Women in the Church (Part 1)

Today, Pastor Dennis moves beyond simple cultural traditions and practices and defines Christian marriage as a gospel-centered witness built on mutual love, cherishing, and respect. This sacrificial relationship ultimately mirrors the way Jesus Christ lived and died for His church, providing a tangible paradigm of God's love to both children and the watching world.  

Worship Setlist:

• Take You at Your Word
• Firm Foundation (He Won't)
• Who Else
• The Blood

What is a “Biblical” Marriage?

In this week's message, Pastor Dennis explores 1 Timothy 2:11–15, challenging the traditional hierarchical views of male headship by arguing that the text must be understood within its specific cultural context. Paul's instructions should be seen not as universal mandates but as targeted correctives meant to counter the dominant Artemis cult in Ephesus. Dennis encourages the congregation to reject the power struggles of the curse and instead live out the mutual love of the kingdom.

Worship Setlist:

• The Father's House
• Same God
• Build My Life
• Make Room

The Blessing That Names Us

Pastor Bill VanderWerp explores how the ancient Aaronic Blessing from Numbers 6 places God's name on His people, connecting it directly to the ethical weight of the Third Commandment against misrepresenting His name. By applying this historical Hebrew covenant to the modern church, the sermon challenges listeners to consider whether their daily lives bring clarity or confusion to the character of the God they claim to represent.

Worship Setlist:

• Praise
• Graves Into Gardens
• Great Are You Lord
• Gratitude

Husbands and Wives in the Home (part 2)

Pastor Dennis explores the cultural and historical realities that shaped the early church's instructions on family and worship. This message looks at the legal structures of the ancient Roman household, original Greek terminology, and the local regional influences Paul was addressing in his correspondence, reframing traditional ideas around authority and relationships between men and women.

Worship Setlist:

• Praise You Anywhere
• Good Plans
• Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me
• Promises

Husbands and Wives in the Home (part 1)

Today's sermon explores the biblical relationship between husbands and wives, framing marriage not as a model for power or decision-making, but as a testimony of Christ’s self-sacrificial love for the church. By examining Paul’s instructions to the early churches, it calls believers to prioritize mutual submission and service, viewing their relationships as a way to push back against the ramifications of the fall.

Worship Song: Firm Foundation