The Expectation Gap: Home and Shalom
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Release Date: 02/16/2026
Family Tradition
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Drawing from Deuteronomy 6, Karl Ihfe reminds us that every family passes something down — the question is what. Real, lasting faith is built not through perfect plans or polished religion, but through genuine love for God, everyday moments, intentional habits, and a shared community of believers. As Karl puts it, it takes more than a village — it takes a church — to pass down a faith worth inheriting.
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STAYING GROUNDED: Flight Delay
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this sermon on John 11, Karl Ihfe explores the story of Lazarus to remind us that God's timing, though often confusing, never fails us. Through Martha's honest cry — "Lord, if you had been here" — and Jesus' deliberate delay, Karl shows us that delays are not signs of God's disinterest, but invitations to deeper trust. What feels like a setback may actually be the stage God is setting for his greatest glory.
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The First Forty Days (of Freshman Year)
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
On Senior Sunday at Broadway Church of Christ, Bryan Brunson addresses graduating seniors Spencer and Evelyn through the lens of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Drawing parallels between Jesus' graduation into public ministry and the students' transition to adulthood, Brunson explores three key temptations that both Jesus and modern graduates face. The first temptation involves taking shortcuts to satisfaction - turning stones to bread - which he relates to seeking quick dopamine hits through shallow pursuits rather than addressing deeper spiritual hunger. The second temptation is the...
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STAYING GROUNDED: Turbulence Ahead
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this sermon from 1 Kings 19, Karl uses the analogy of airplane turbulence to explore Elijah's emotional and spiritual crisis following his great victory over the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Despite witnessing God's incredible power, Elijah finds himself running from Jezebel's threats, exhausted and praying to die under a broom bush. Karl emphasizes that Elijah wasn't faithless but simply burned out, and God's response wasn't to lecture him but to provide rest, food, and care through an angel who told him to "get up and eat." The sermon's central moment comes when God appears to Elijah...
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RESCUE: The Ultimate Rescue
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Karl Ihfe begins his Easter sermon by comparing the resurrection to great rescue stories where hope triumphs over despair and life conquers death. He notes that the women who went to Jesus' tomb in Luke 24 expected to find it full, not empty, and even the disciples initially didn't believe their report that Jesus had risen. The shocking discovery of the empty tomb and the angels' question, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?" changed everything in human history. Karl emphasizes that Easter declares death no longer has the final word, referencing Romans 6:4-5 to show that Christ's...
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RESCUE: Jesus Bore Our Shame
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Jordan Tatum begins this Palm Sunday message by reflecting on the honor given to Jesus as He entered Jerusalem, explaining how honor and shame functioned as social currencies in the ancient world. He then delves into the deeper problem of sin, describing it not merely as bad choices but as a supernatural force that deceives, enslaves, and ultimately fills us with shame. Tatum shares how shame acts as our "personal attendant," convincing us we are failures and that God couldn't possibly love us if He truly knew us. The sermon's turning point comes through Tatum's encounter with a man struggling...
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RESCUE: Learning to Live Free
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Karl Ihfe opens his sermon with the movie "The Shawshank Redemption," focusing on the pivotal moment when Andy tells Red to choose between "get busy living or get busy dying." This sets up the central theme that while getting free from bondage is one challenge, learning how to live in that freedom is often much harder. Ihfe connects this to Israel's experience in Exodus and Numbers, where God rescued them from Egyptian slavery but then had to teach them how to live as free people during their wilderness journey. Throughout the sermon, Ihfe demonstrates how fear consistently tempted the...
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RESCUE: We Need a Bigger Boat
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
Karl Ihfe opens his sermon with references to the movie Jaws and the dramatic Thai cave rescue to illustrate his central theme: God's rescue operation requires "a bigger boat" because it encompasses far more than individual salvation. Using Exodus 3 as his foundation, Ihfe demonstrates how God heard the collective cries of the Israelites in Egypt and came down to rescue them as a people, not just select individuals. He emphasizes the communal language throughout Scripture, noting how God says "my people" and uses plural pronouns when describing His rescue mission. Ihfe argues that Western...
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Rescue: Promises & Previews
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this Lenten sermon from the "Rescue" series, Karl Ihfe uses the analogy of movie trailers to explain how the Old Testament points to Jesus' ultimate rescue mission. Beginning with Abraham's call in Genesis 12, where God promises to bless all nations through him, Karl traces the thread of rescue throughout Scripture. He shows how Abraham had to trust a promise he couldn't see, and how generations later, when Israel was enslaved in Egypt, God's rescue came through the blood of a spotless lamb during Passover - a preview of the greater sacrifice to come. Karl then connects this to Isaiah's...
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Rescue: And So It Begins...
Broadway Church of Christ Sermon Series
In this sermon, Karl Ihfe uses personal stories of helplessness—his son Gabriel's premature birth and his father's heart transplant—to illustrate humanity's need for rescue. He traces God's rescue plan back to Genesis 3, arguing that salvation didn't begin at the cross but immediately after the fall. Drawing on theological insights about Adam and Eve being like children who were "sinned against before they ever sinned," Karl explains how the serpent acted as a groomer, exploiting their innocence. When sin entered the world, the first consequence wasn't punishment but shame, causing Adam...
info_outlineIn this concluding message of the Expectation Gap series, Karl Ihfe tackles the challenging topic of sin and punishment by examining Luke 15 and the famous parable of the prodigal son. He poses a crucial question: when we sin, who punishes us - God or sin? Through the story of the father and his two lost sons, Karl illustrates that the father's loving posture never changes toward either son, whether the one lost in rebellion or the one lost in self-righteousness. Both sons misjudged their father because sin distorts our vision of who God really is, making us see Him as a judge or accuser rather than a loving parent.
Karl explains that sin functions not merely as individual moral mistakes, but as a condition we live under - a state of enslavement that punishes us from the inside out. When we lie, lust, or harbor bitterness, sin itself becomes the punishment, robbing us of freedom, joy, and authentic relationships. God doesn't stand ready to "zap" us when we mess up; instead, like a loving parent warning a child not to touch a hot stove, He calls out warnings because He knows how devastating sin can be. The good news is that God is the restorer while sin is the destroyer, God is the liberator while sin is the slave master, and God's invitation to come home remains constant regardless of how lost we've become.
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