Anchor Church IL

Did you know, most people can read 200 books in one year with just 417 hours? Most people also spend 705 hours on social media and 2,737.5 on TV a year. Jesus’ invitation to an easy yoke might take time, but it’s time you might already have! 

Could hurry be the one enemy stealing the life out of you? In the sermon today, we survey the history of speed and discover what hurry is doing to our souls. 

We live in a world full of injustices. People endure disadvantages and attacks for their race or gender. All too often, the bad guy gets away unscathed. This Easter Sunday, we explore Jesus’ solution to evil and injustice that no one was expecting.

Does loving people ever mean rejecting the Bible? When Jesus was presented with the puzzle (obey the Bible or show mercy), he broke the rules. If that’s what Jesus does, why should we even care about the Bible? This week, special guest preacher, Eben, shows how the Bible is a builder of love, not a barrier to it. 

If Jesus’ ministry was dominated by miraculous acts of healing, what does that mean for you?  How might God be calling you to transform lives as Jesus did? 

Discover an overlooked act of love! Join us this week as we delve into the depths of prayer through the longest prayer recorded in the New Testament.

Obey. The word itself might make you cringe. It might conjure up images of corrupt politicians, legalistic churches or abusive parents. So, what do we do with Jesus who said to his disciples: “If you love me, you will obey me.” Explore with us a text where Jesus raises the bar while revealing mysteries of the divine.

Imagine this. A national leader killed your former teacher while doing a party stunt. Now, full of grief, you and tens of thousands of others are looking for someone to retaliate. The question is: Will Jesus be that person? This week, we tell the next story of Jesus surprising everyone, this time with miraculous resourcefulness.

For more about Anchor Church, go to anchorchurchil.com.

Who is someone unlike you? Who would you consider “other” or “them”? Who has hurt you? Who doesn’t want your good? In this sermon, we will address one of Jesus’ most difficult challenges yet. Loving like Jesus loves means praying for persecutors, embracing enemies and breaking barriers.

Want to know more about Anchor? Go to anchorchurchil.com

Alan McGinnis once said that believing in someone is like giving them a platform on which to stand. From there, they can reach heights they never imagined. This week, we will discover four ways Jesus was a platform provider.

For more about Anchor Church, go to anchorchurchil.com.

What would you do if the one time you invited your boss over, she pulled out her own toilet brush and went around cleaning every bathroom in the house? Loving like Jesus loves demands we break social norms and sacrifice status.

In this episode, Hannah reveals what you didn’t know about Jesus’ washing his disciples’ feet.

Are you looking for a church in Champaign-Urbana, IL? To find out more about Anchor Church, go to anchorchurchil.com.

What can a toddler, a painting and an Egyptian slave woman tell you about Anchor Church? Find out this week, as we celebrate another birthday. 

To find out more about Anchor, go to anchorchurchil.com.

What if your doctor told you that you would not make it to your birthday in two weeks? This Sunday, Matt shares about his health journey and what kept him holding onto trust through one devastating trial after another.

If you are interested in finding out more about Anchor, go to anchorchurchil.com.

What does it mean to be human? Most anthropologists wouldn’t begin a discussion on the nature of humanity by comparing us with the Evergreen, but that is exactly what we find in the first page of the Bible. Like trees, people are meant to grow and multiply and create abundance and life for others. This week, Sherena will show how bearing fruit is what it means to be human.

For more on Anchor, go to anchorchurchil.com

What is the good life? Would you know if you had it? How is it that with all the knowledge and technology, we don’t seem to be much happier? How do you explain why people living in global poverty still have joy? The Bible uses a tree to represent life. Life is within reach. It is available for consumption — except if we are exiled from the garden!

For more on Anchor, go to anchorchurchil.com

Why do people join cults? Why do so many successful pastors end up being moral failures? Why is it that there are so many people living paycheck to paycheck in the riches nation in history? How do we make sense of all the wars and violence and sex trafficking and murder today? 

Surprisingly, trees offer us some insight into human failure. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil looked good and tasted good. Its consequences weren’t immediate, but its fruit did indeed bring death.

To find out more about Anchor, go to anchorchurchil.com. 

Imagine moving to a new country where no one spoke English. Even if you had the time and discipline to learn the local language, you would still miss hearing words in your native tongue. The tongue may be the most overlooked tool in our lives. And few people understand the power of words quite like Willie who is a literal expert in language! You won’t want to miss this week.

What do you do when the relationship is over? How do you rebuild your life? This week, Martha details the biggest challenges she faced after her divorce and how she emerged on the other side with a new path in life.

Interested in coming in person? Plan your visit here: https://forms.wix.com/f/7114681531825652430

We all know that love matters in relationships, but could we be downplaying the significance of liking your partner? This week, we will uncover the four areas of your relationship's Level of Like.

Want to know more about Anchor Church? Check out www.anchorchurchil.com to plan your visit!

Some of the most iconic songs of recent history explore the powerful force of breakups.

In this episode, we will explore why breakups hurt so deeply and what we can discover from Jesus' response to divorce. Plus, Nick attempts to sing Whitney Houston and Beyonce! 

Want to know more about Anchor Church? Please go to: www.anchorchurchil.com

In this message, Nick shares about How To Be A Good Boyfriend. Instead of the typical 20 things you need to fix about yourself, he offers two tips that could help you be a better partner in your relationship. 

Want to know more about Anchor Church? Check out www.anchorchurchil.com 

Welcome to Anchor Church’s podcast. Today, Nick talks about being of good cheer and 5 gifts that humor brings us. We had some technical difficulties at the beginning so we had to cut off the beginning story. Sorry about that!

To find out more about Anchor Church, please check out our website: www.anchorchurchil.com

In this episode, Nick talks about Modern Day Miracles and how we can see miracles all around us, If we just learn to look for them.

Want to know more about Anchor Church? Check out www.anchorchurchil.com

Did you know that only 1% of sons describe only good relations with their fathers? Yes, you read that right - 1%.

No matter who you are, your relationship with your dad affects you - good or bad. During this message, Nick will be sharing his own story of finding out who his father was and how that has shaped him as a pastor.

Maybe you've heard the fire and brimstone preaching before or your Sunday School teacher terrified you into saying a prayer using the threat of eternal torment. If that's you, hell might not be your favorite topic.

What if we told you that hell had a lot more to do with compassion than fear and shame?

Check out this episode from our August 2022 service.

To find out more about Anchor Church, please go to www.anchorchurchil.com

Today, we’re asking the question: what are the ethical ramifications for artificial intelligence? Nick talks about the Tower of Babel and the very first telegraph in this unique message.

Verses mentioned: Genesis 11, Genesis 12, and Proverbs 31:8-9

If you'd like to find out more about Anchor Church, please check out www.anchorchurchil.com

During this episode, Nick interviews LaShendria, Toneka, Matt and Jaasiah. 

The questions asked are: 

1. Who is a Black person in your life that you admire? 

2. Who is a Black person in history who inspires you? 

3. How have you experienced racism in your life? 

4. What do you think should be done?

If you'd like to get involved at Anchor Church, please check out our website: www.anchorchurchil.com

How can an ancient text that is so primitive and regressive and honestly, strange, continue to have such a massive influence in our world today? In this episode, we hope to convince you why you have already wanted to read the Bible by showing you what makes it the Good Book! If you've ever been interested in the most popular book in human history, then this is for you.

Want to get connected at Anchor Church? Check out our website: www.anchorchurchil.com and let us know how we can help you.

In this episode, Hannah talks about three stories of God's anger that many of us heard as children. But, she takes them from a different viewpoint. We dive deep into the anger of God and the possible reasons behind it. She also speaks about how anger and love come together on the cross. This was given on Easter Sunday 2022. 

Note: We had some technical problems as the beginning so the first part of the episode had to be re-recorded. 

Scientists estimate that 3 species become extinct every single day. So then, why does it seem like Christians are more eager to protest than to recycle a can of soda? In this message, we are going to explore Christianity’s resistance to environmentalism and discover why loving God means going green.

Check out more about Anchor Church at www.anchorchurchil.com

Maybe you’ve thanked God for your family. Maybe for your health. Maybe for your job. But, have you ever thanked God for sex? Face it: without sex, you wouldn’t be here!

You might remember growing up in Sunday School, where the only thing you learned about sex was “Don’t.” But, God created it as a gift. In this series, we are going to explore the purpose of sex along with its misuses and abuses.

Today, Nick talks about sex in a positive way and shares how we have believed 3 different myths about sex.

There are times that God changes things up for us. Our plans get messed up and sometimes that can send us into a downward spiral. Today, Pastor Nick shares about Jesus' encounter with Jarius and the woman who was bleeding for 12 years. 

Christmas can be stressful. A time of year that is supposed to be peaceful and fun, can turn quickly into a list of "To Do's" with December 25th being the deadline.  In the talk, you will discover that there are actually two kinds of rest to experience.

Colonialism, racism, homophobia, nationalism, chauvinism and anti-intellectualism. Christianity seems to have been a source of evil in the world and throughout history. Has the movement launched by everybody’s favorite Jewish carpenter, done more harm than good?

In this message, we will take an honest look at three of the most devastating charges made against Christianity, followed by some shocking discoveries.

Your mind is no neutral zone. It is a battlefield of lies and negativity and doubts and fears and worries and apathy. Most people concentrate on outside problems and fail to realize that it is actually the war in the mind keeping them from moving forward.  In this episode, Nick shares the seven strategies to win the war in your mind, taken primarily from both one of Craig Groeschel’s and the Apostle Paul’s later books.

Fear 😱 We all have it. Some fears can be small and iritating, while others can be debilitating. In this episode, Hannah will share how you can fight your fear, no matter how long you have had it. When Jesus looked fear in the eyes, he deliberately took four steps, which you can take as well!

When you're dealing with a difficult person, sometimes it feels like there are only two options: "forgive and forget" or "cancel them". Neither choice seems adequate.   Dealing with toxic people can be exhausting, devastating and heart wrenching, leaving you feeling powerless. Today, Nick wants to give you some tools and ideas of how to love people, without neglecting your own needs.