Bright City Church

Welcome to the podcast of Bright City Church, a community of faith in Raleigh-Durham, NC. If you would like to learn more about Bright City, or about how you can get involved, visit us at brightcitychurch.com

The Traumatization of Christ 09/16/2025

The Traumatization of Christ In this message, Pastor Ike Miller explores the deep reality of the cross as both an act of horrific violence and the means of our salvation. Drawing on scripture and theology, he shows how Jesus’ traumatization confronts the gravity of sin, while also revealing God’s healing power. This sermon invites us to wrestle honestly with suffering and discover the hope of new life in Christ. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/38223910

What Is Truth? 09/09/2025

What Is Truth? In a world full of competing voices and shifting perspectives, what does it mean to know and live by the truth? In this message, Pastor Ike Miller walks through John 18, showing how truth is not just knowledge or action, but ultimately a person. Discover how Pilate’s question, “What is truth?”, still challenges us today. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/38148745

Jesus Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life 09/02/2025

Jesus Is the Way, the Truth, and the Life In this message, Pastor Abbie Thomas unpacks Jesus’ powerful words in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” Discover how following Jesus isn’t about perfect directions or distant destinations, but about trusting in a present and good Father who never leaves us. Join us as we celebrate Baptism Sunday and the life found only in Christ. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/38060070

Let Jesus Wash Your Feet 08/26/2025

Let Jesus Wash Your Feet In John 13, Jesus kneels to wash His disciples’ feet, revealing the depth of His love and the freedom He came to bring. In this message, Pastor Ike Miller unpacks how Jesus covers our shame, cleanses us, and sets us free. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37961720

Following Jesus in a Culture of Image Management 08/19/2025

Following Jesus in a Culture of Image Management What does it really mean to follow Jesus in a world obsessed with image, status, and performance? In this message, Pastor Sharon Miller looks at Mary’s bold and costly act of devotion in John 12 and shows how her love, humility, and sacrifice reveal the true heart of discipleship. Discover what it looks like to move beyond image management and live with spiritual clarity in the way of Jesus. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37876690

What Do We Do With Miracles? 08/12/2025

What Do We Do With Miracles? What do we do with miracles, especially when they seem random, unpredictable, or absent in our own lives? In this message, Pastor Sharon Miller looks at the story of Lazarus in John 11 to explore how miracles fit into God’s bigger mission and why they always point us back to the Miracle Worker Himself. Discover how God’s presence is our greatest hope, whether the miracle comes or not. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37780495

Will You Let Jesus Change Your Life? 08/05/2025

Will You Let Jesus Change Your Life? In this message, Pastor Ike Miller explores the powerful moment in John 9 when Jesus heals a man born blind–not just physically, but spiritually. Through this story, we’re challenged to consider what "billboard" our lives are projecting and whether we’ll allow Jesus to rewrite our story with new vision and purpose. Will you let Jesus change your life? /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37680955

Jesus and The Festival of Shelters 07/22/2025

Jesus and The Festival of Shelters Why did the religious leaders want Jesus dead? In this message, Pastor Alex unpacks the deeper confrontation between Jesus and the kingdom of darkness and shows how Jesus still brings light into our lives today. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37508635

When You Don’t Have Much to Offer 07/15/2025

When You Don’t Have Much to Offer What do you do when it feels like you have nothing worth giving? In this message from John 6, Pastor Sharon Miller unpacks the miracle of the loaves and fishes to reveal the heart of a God who is already enough, who multiplies what we offer, and who remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Discover how even the smallest act of trust can invite God’s abundance into your life. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37416515

How Jesus Affirms Our Infinite Worth 07/01/2025

How Jesus Affirms Our Infinite Worth What gives us our worth and who has the power to define it? In this message, Pastor Ike Miller looks at Jesus' encounter with the man at the pool of Bethesda to show how Christ affirms our infinite value. Discover how being seen, respected, and invited into healing reveals the heart of God toward each of us. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37238415

3 Keys to Growing Your Faith 06/24/2025

3 Keys to Growing Your Faith What does it really mean to grow in your faith? In this message, Pastor Sharon Miller shares three biblical keys to spiritual formation. Learn how practices like prayer, study, fellowship, and service shape us into the likeness of Christ. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37135355

How Jesus Meets Us 06/17/2025

How Jesus Meets Us In this message, Pastor Ike Miller walks through Jesus’ late-night encounter with Nicodemus to show how Christ meets us exactly where–and how–we need him. From seeker to supporter, Nicodemus’s journey reveals that receiving Jesus means starting life anew and trusting his love, even when it’s hard to understand. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/37040565

Extravagant Encounters with Jesus 06/10/2025

Extravagant Encounters with Jesus Guest speaker Chad Wenger explores how encounters with Jesus inspire extravagant trust, value, and belief. Through the stories of Mary, the servants at Cana, and the disciples, we see how Jesus reveals His glory in deeply personal ways. These moments are written so that we may believe that He is the Messiah and find life in His name. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36937055

Who does John say Jesus is? 06/03/2025

Who does John say Jesus is? Who does John say Jesus is? In this message, Pastor Ike Miller walks through John 1 to reveal Jesus as the Word, the Life, the Light, the Lamb of God, and the very presence of God dwelling with us. Discover how John’s Gospel invites us to see and know the true nature of God through Jesus. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36839700

The Relationship Superpower 05/27/2025

The Relationship Superpower In the final message of our Pain Points series, Pastor Ike Miller explores how emotional and spiritual maturity go hand in hand. Through Jesus’ vulnerability in John 20, we discover that healing relationships requires compassion, courage, and the willingness to be emotionally honest—with ourselves, with others, and with God. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36727860

How To Speak Truth To Lies 05/21/2025

How To Speak Truth To Lies What if the lies the Enemy tells us aren’t even about us at all? This week, Pastor Sharon unpacks how the narratives that negatively affect us aren’t lies about us, but lies about God’s character - and the ways we can combat them. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36652175

God Does Not Waste Your Suffering 05/12/2025

God Does Not Waste Your Suffering What do we do when we find ourselves in a barren season - a time of grief, sorrow, and pain? In our Mother’s Day sermon, guest speaker Molly Stillman explores how to plant our sorrows with God - and the way he can give beauty for ashes. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36541295

The Power of Humility 05/08/2025

The Power of Humility In our second week of the series “Pain Points,” Pastor Ike explores how biblical humility - complete and utter self-reliance on God - can be our path to true freedom. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36480425

What is your Pain Pointing to? 04/29/2025

What is your Pain Pointing to? How do the narratives we tell ourselves influence our current behaviors? This week, Pastor Ike Miller launched our new sermon series, “Pain Points.” This four-week series will explore how pain—past wounds, fears, and false beliefs—can quietly shape our lives and relationships. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36364310

Easter Sunday 2025 04/22/2025

Easter Sunday 2025 What if Jesus’ death wasn’t the end, but the beginning of something unstoppable? In this powerful Easter message, Pastor Sharon Miller unpacks how the cross became the seed that reshaped the world—launching hospitals, human rights, and a revolution of love. What looked like defeat on the cross was actually the planting of a Kingdom that continues to grow today. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36264660

How does Jesus Confront an Empire? 04/15/2025

How does Jesus Confront an Empire? On Palm Sunday, Pastor Ike Miller unpacks how Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem was a bold, subversive confrontation of empire—not through force, but through humility and peace. In this message, we explore how trust in God, not control, leads to true peace and how Jesus models a kingdom power unlike any the world has known. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/36151315

The Power of Prayer 04/01/2025

The Power of Prayer Prayer is essential to sharing the Gospel—because evangelism isn’t about our ability, but God’s power. In this message, Pastor Abbie Thomas explores the vital connection between prayer and evangelism and how it shapes our faith, trust, and obedience to God. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35946950

Engaging People the Jesus Way 03/26/2025

Engaging People the Jesus Way Jesus had a way of engaging people that was deeply personal, intentional, and transformative. In this message, Pastor Ike Miller unpacks Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well, showing us how He was fully present, spoke to her pain, and created space for her questions. Join us as we learn how to engage others the way Jesus did—with love, truth, and a heart for redemption. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35872835

As The Father Sent Him... 03/21/2025

As The Father Sent Him... Join Pastor Alex Regalado as he kicks off our new series, Sent, exploring what it truly means to live on mission for God. Through personal stories and the Gospel of John, this message challenges us to embrace our calling as sent individuals, not out of obligation, but out of love for our neighbors and for God’s glory. Don’t miss this powerful start to the series! /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35814190

When Religion Becomes Hollow 03/11/2025

When Religion Becomes Hollow Are we holding on to something that keeps us from fully following Jesus? In Matthew 19:16-23, a rich young ruler walks away sorrowful because he wasn’t willing to give up what he treasured most. This message challenges us to examine our hearts, break free from a shallow gospel, and recognize that true life is found in surrendering everything to Christ. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35632745

How to Steward What God Gave You 03/04/2025

How to Steward What God Gave You Everything we have—our money, time, education, and opportunities—was given to us by God, not to own, but to steward. In this sermon, Pastor Sharon Miller unpacks the Parable of the Ten Minas, showing how Jesus calls us to be faithful managers of what He has entrusted to us. Discover what it means to live with a stewardship mindset and use what you’ve been given for God’s Kingdom! /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35531085

How to Know When You Have Enough 02/25/2025

How to Know When You Have Enough Greed keeps us chasing more, but true contentment sets us free. In this message, Pastor Ike Miller unpacks Jesus’ warning about the deceitfulness of wealth and the false promises it makes. Discover what it means to be “rich toward God” and find lasting security beyond material possessions. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35422420

The Illusion of More 02/18/2025

The Illusion of More In this sermon, Pastor Sharon Miller challenges us to rethink the promises of money and possessions. Just like children who believe the next toy will bring lasting joy, we often fall into the same trap—thinking that more will finally satisfy us. As we begin our series on the spiritual discipline of generosity, we’ll explore how giving shapes our faith, redirects our souls, and aligns our lives with God’s priorities. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35339940

How to Handle Criticism 02/11/2025

How to Handle Criticism Nobody loves being criticized, but what if we could handle it in a healthier way? In this sermon, Pastor Ike Miller unpacks how to handle criticism wisely—shifting our self-worth to God's truth, finding the kernel of wisdom in feedback, and responding relationally rather than reactively. Discover practical, biblical life hacks to navigate tough conversations with confidence and grace! /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35237315

How to be Honest with Yourself 02/04/2025

How to be Honest with Yourself How do we cultivate honesty with ourselves in a world that encourages self-deception? In this message, Pastor Abbie Thomas unpacks biblical wisdom on self-awareness, accountability, and humility before God. Through Proverbs and Genesis 3, we explore how listening to wise counsel, surrounding ourselves with truth, and humbling ourselves before God can lead to a transformed heart and life. /episode/index/show/brightcitychurch/id/35147510

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