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"The tongue can bring death or life" (Proverbs 18:21). "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is one of the biggest lies we were ever taught. Words are never "just words." In Week 1 of our series My Big Fat Mouth, Pastor Ryan Kramer looks at what the Bible says about the power of words. We all carry words spoken over us years ago, and we've all excused our own with "I was only joking" or "I was just angry." But Scripture gives our words enormous weight. Using Proverbs 18:21 and Jesus' teaching in Matthew 12, this message shows three reasons your words matter so much: Our words become weight people carry. Our words create the atmosphere we live in. Our words carry consequences beyond this life. You'll also get a practical challenge for this week: weigh your words before you release them. Before you speak, text, post, or comment, pause and ask whether your words will add a burden or equip someone for the journey. And when you get it wrong, learn how to take responsibility and begin repairing the damage. Scripture Proverbs 18:21 · Proverbs 12:18 · Matthew 12:34 · Matthew 12:36–37 · Psalm 19:14 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Overcoming the Inner Critic and Stepping into God's Purpose In this transformational message, Superintendent Larry Perry explores the life of Gideon from Judges 6 and 7 to reveal how our internal dialogue often becomes our greatest obstacle. Standing in hiding, feeling weak and inadequate, Gideon was met by God with a bold declaration: "Mighty hero, the Lord is with you." Through this powerful narrative, Larry Perry demonstrates that God sees your potential when you only see your limitations, calling you to stop allowing fear and negative self-talk to define your future. -- Small begins with significance when God places His hand upon your life, ensuring that your present work is never meaningless. -- Your history reflects what God has already accomplished, but your active faith dictates what He can still do through you. -- The real battle often begins in the mind long before you ever face the external challenges in your life. -- Your current circumstances do not dictate your God-given destiny or the plans He has stored up for you. -- God's call demands movement in obedience before every detail or provision is fully visible or calculated. -- Transforming your life requires capturing negative thoughts and replacing your internal narrative with God's truth. Scriptures for Further Study -- Judges 6:11-16 -- Proverbs 23:7 -- 2 Corinthians 10:5 -- 1 John 4:18 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Many of us carry childhood sayings and cultural habits that shape how we view the world, but the danger comes when those same human preferences creep into our walk with Christ. Without realizing it, church can easily become a place of spiritual consumption rather than a place of active development. -- Your faith should never be subjected to a Sunday morning. Treating church like a weekly checklist or a spiritual delivery service leaves you spiritually malnourished for the rest of the week. -- Building and developing godly character requires daily abiding in Christ, recognizing that apart from Him we can do nothing. -- Reading the Word of God is only half the battle; we must practically live it out in our workplaces, homes, and communities instead of compromising to fit in. -- True character is a reflection of your roots, and when you are deeply planted along the riverbank of God's Word, external storms and hardships will not uproot you. Scriptures for Further Study -- John 15:4-5 -- James 1:22-25 -- Jeremiah 17:7-8 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

-- In this concluding part of the Unshakable series, Ryan Kramer explores Matthew 13 and the parable of the sower to examine how the condition of our heart dictates the trajectory of our lives. -- Many believers make the mistake of focusing entirely on external efforts while neglecting the internal soil where true spiritual fruit is produced. -- Being teachable is the primary step in breaking up a hardened heart, requiring us to welcome correction rather than immediately becoming defensive or rejecting feedback. -- Building deep roots relies on consistent spiritual rhythms rather than emotional, one-time moments like attending a Sunday service or a single powerful event. -- Clearing the clutter involves removing not just obvious sin, but also the neutral weights, busyness, and distractions that quietly choke out God's purposes in our daily lives. -- Living it out requires moving beyond merely consuming biblical information and actually applying God's word to experience genuine transformation. Scriptures for Further Study -- Matthew 13:3-23 -- Proverbs 4:23 -- Hebrews 12:1 -- James 1:22 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Why does faith grow in some people and not others? Two people can sit in the same church, sing the same songs, read the same verses — and a year later, one person's faith is stronger than ever and the other is barely hanging on. The answer, according to Jesus, has less to do with what's happening around you and everything to do with what's happening inside you. In this opening message of the "Unshakable" series, Pastor Ryan walks through the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 and reveals four conditions of the heart that determine why the same seed produces dramatically different results. This isn't about evaluating someone else's soil. It's about having the honesty to evaluate your own. You can't change what you won't acknowledge. 📖 *Scripture Reference:* Matthew 13:1-23, Proverbs 4:23 💡 *Big Idea:* The variable in the parable isn't the farmer or the seed — it's the soil. Our heart's condition determines what happens with what God plants in us. These aren't labels Jesus puts on people. They're conditions he reveals. And conditions can change. ❤️ *Key Quote:* "Your soil isn't your identity. It's your current condition." ⸻ 📚 *Topics in this Message:* Why faith grows in some people and not others Proverbs 4:23 — guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life "How's your heart?" — the question that cuts past all the fluff Jesus teaching from a boat — why he constantly disrupts our expectations The parable of the sower: same farmer, same seed, dramatically different results The variable isn't the farmer or the seed — it's the soil Heart Condition 1: The Hard Heart — hears but doesn't receive Ryan's own 6-year struggle with unforgiveness toward God after a step of faith Heart Condition 2: The Shallow Heart — receives with joy but doesn't endure Heart Condition 3: The Crowded Heart — growing, but crowded out by worry and wealth Heart Condition 4: The Receptive Heart — hears, obeys, and produces fruit Don't evaluate someone else's soil — evaluate your own Three questions to honestly assess the condition of your heart These aren't labels — they're conditions. And conditions can change. +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

We often spend endless nights lying awake in anxiety, allowing our minds to run wild with worst-case scenarios. Research reveals that our brains process thousands of daily thoughts, the vast majority of which skew negative and repetitive. Left unchecked, these patterns forge toxic habits that hold our future hostage. In this powerful teaching, Richie Mullis breaks down Acts 3:19 to reveal how true biblical repentance—changing the way you think—triggers an immediate shift in your personal season. You will learn to stop fighting external battles and start winning the war raging within your own mind. Here is what you will learn in this message: -- Why your inner self is often your greatest adversary and how to stop letting anxiety write your story. -- The essential process of auditing your thoughts to identify fear, bitterness, and toxic traps like comparison. -- How to actively arrest negative thinking by replacing it directly with the truth of God's Word. -- Why staying committed in tough situations releases an anointed mindset that turns your entire life around. -- The danger of ignoring minor negative thoughts before they grow into unmanageable dragons. Scriptures for Further Study -- Acts 3:19 -- Philippians 4:8 -- 2 Corinthians 10:5 -- Colossians 3:2 -- Psalm 23:5 -- Ephesians 6:17 -- Psalm 133:1-3 -- Genesis 1:1 -- Malachi 3:10 -- Ephesians 3:20 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

We rarely have the full story behind someone else's actions, yet we constantly convince ourselves that we understand their exact motives. In "Blinded by Certainty," Ryan Kramer challenges us to confront the hidden trap of self-righteousness and learn how to see people through the eyes of Christ. Drawing from the miracles in Matthew chapter 9, this teaching contrasts the blind faith of two persistent men with the hardened certainty of the Pharisees. While the crowd witnessed the power of God, the Pharisees had already formed their conclusions, interpreting miraculous light as darkness because their hearts were already set. If you have ever felt distance growing between you and a loved one, a coworker, or a friend, the issue may not be their actions, but the story you have attached to them. This message provides a practical roadmap to help you stop making assumptions, identify your personal filters, and invite God to change your heart before demanding change in others. Here are the key takeaways from this message: -- We frequently mistake partial vision for complete truth, convincing ourselves we know the motives, thoughts, and character of others without having all the facts. -- We fall into a dangerous pattern: we see an action, assume the motive, treat our assumption as a conclusion, and interact with that conclusion as absolute truth. -- What we often label as spiritual discernment or God's guidance can actually be personal pride hidden behind a scripture verse. -- Genuine, committed faith continues to pursue Jesus persistently through difficulty, rather than pulling away when answers are not immediate. -- Our past experiences, unhealed hurts, unmet expectations, and insecurities create distorted filters through which we misinterpret the present behavior of others. -- True spiritual maturity begins when we ask God to reveal our own blind spots and transform our hearts instead of focusing entirely on changing someone else. -- We must learn to separate objective facts from the subjective stories and negative interpretations we attach to them. 5. Scriptures for Further Study -- 2 Samuel 7:1-17 -- Matthew 9:27-34 -- Luke 11:9-10 -- John 13:35 -- Ephesians 4:1-2 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

We live in a world built on speed and instant convenience, making waiting a lost art. Yet throughout Scripture, God’s greatest promises are almost always tied to seasons of waiting. Through the lives of Abraham and Sarah, this message explores how God uses delayed answers to shape our character, refine our trust, and build our faith. Discover how to stay obedient and anchored in God’s word even when your current circumstances seem to contradict His promises. Key Insights from this Teaching: -- Waiting builds your faith by forcing you to rely on God's promises rather than visible facts. -- God's silence is not His absence, and His delay is never His denial. -- Human impatience often leads us to manipulate or accelerate God's timeline, creating unnecessary baggage and problems. -- Problems often precede promises; facing obstacles is a normal part of entering God's ultimate calling. -- True faith means trusting that God will fulfill His word even when your current circumstances say otherwise. Scriptures for Further Study -- Genesis 17:1-7 -- Genesis 18:11-14 -- Hebrews 11:1 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Have you ever felt like your entire spiritual walk is an endless cycle of hurry up and wait? You rush to take a step of faith, obey God, or face a medical or financial crisis, only to be met with complete silence. When our circumstances feel urgent, we naturally assume God should move with urgency too. However, as we look at the ministry of Jesus, His timing rarely matches our expectations. In this teaching, Ryan Kramer examines the story of Jairus from Matthew 9 and Mark 5 to show what happens when Jesus intentionally slows down during a life-or-death emergency. -- Understanding the origin of "hurry up and wait" and how commanded soldiers must trust their officer's higher perspective and timing. -- Exploring Jairus's desperate plea as a respected synagogue leader risking his pride, status, and reputation for his dying daughter. -- Analyzing the intentional delay caused by the woman with the issue of blood and how Jesus values both the prominent leader and the forgotten outcast equally. -- Examining the heart-wrenching moment Jairus received news of his daughter's death and why Jesus commanded him to "Don't be afraid. Just have faith." -- Discovering why Jesus never panics in any crisis, whether facing disease, storms, demonic oppression, or death itself. -- Realizing that Jesus often uses seasons of waiting to do a work inside of us before doing a work for us. Scriptures for Further Study -- Matthew 9:18-26 -- Mark 5:21-43 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Are you tired of coping with secret struggles, unanswered prayers, or spiritual numbness? In part eight of the "That's Crazy" series, Pastor Ryan Kramer takes us into Matthew chapter 9 and Mark chapter 5 to explore the miracle of the woman who suffered for twelve long years. This message exposes how disappointment can paralyze our faith and explains why moving toward Jesus, despite the obstacles and crowd noise, changes everything. If you are ready to declare that enough is enough, this teaching provides the precise spiritual roadmap to move from passive despair to holy desperation. -- Frustration as a Sacred Signal: Understand why persistent frustration might be God's way of preventing you from settling on a lower level of living. -- Moving Past Spiritual Numbness: Learn how remaining in one spiritual position too long creates numbness, and why taking action restores movement to your faith. -- Despair versus Desperation: Discover the vital difference between accepting a painful situation as your permanent identity and choosing to reach out to Jesus for total transformation. -- Preaching to Yourself: Discover the importance of internal dialogue during hard seasons and why aligning your thoughts with God's promises breaks cycles of shame. -- Reaching Beyond the Crowd: Recognize the difference between simply being around religious culture and intentionally reaching out to touch the power of Jesus. Scriptures for Further Study -- Leviticus 15:25-27 -- Proverbs 27:6 -- Malachi 4:2 -- Matthew 9:18-22 -- Mark 5:25-34 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Navigating the Space Where Faith and Frustration Collide In week six of the "That's Crazy" series, Ryan Kramer dives into the miraculous account of the paralyzed man lowered through a rooftop to reach Jesus. Drawing a vivid comparison between mountain climbers facing the thin air of Mount Everest’s "death zone" and believers navigating grueling seasons of life, this message breaks down why pushing through spiritual resistance is vital to experiencing God's power. Learn how to overcome the human tendency to take the easy way out and discover how God uses obstacles, critics, and unexpected methods to bring ultimate healing. Key takeaways from this teaching include: -- Why human biology and spiritual nature default to the "law of least effort" when life gets difficult, and how to push past the urge to quit. -- How surrounding yourself with the right people determines whether you get left at the door or brought directly to the feet of Jesus. -- The danger of confusing "different" with "wrong" when God answers prayers in ways that don't fit our personal expectations. -- How God turns our critics into catalysts for our growth and healing. -- Why Jesus commands us to pick up and carry the very "mats" of past shame and failure that He delivered us from. Scriptures for Further Study -- Matthew 9:1-8 -- Mark 2:1-12 -- James 2:14-26 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

There's a woman mentioned in Matthew 8 who appears in exactly two sentences — and then never again. No name. No backstory. No follow-up. But Matthew went out of his way to include her. And what she did next after Jesus touched her life might be the most important lesson in the entire chapter. She got up and she served. Not because she had to. Because she wanted to. In this message, Pastor Ryan wraps up the summer "That's Crazy" series by asking a question that cuts close: what invitation from Jesus have you been saying no to — not because you don't love him, but because you've been so focused on what it might cost you that you never considered what God wants to give you on the other side of your yes? 📖 *Scripture Reference:* Matthew 8:14-15, Titus 2:14, Ephesians 2:10, Matthew 10:39, Proverbs 24:16, Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Proverbs 11:25, John 13 💡 *Big Idea:* Peter's mother-in-law shows us that the natural response to encountering grace is service — not obligation, but overflow. When we say no to serving, we don't just miss out on impacting others. We miss out on the life, relationships, formation, and fulfillment God has waiting for us. ❤️ *Key Quote:* "You're never going to discover God's purpose for your life if you're unwilling to participate in God's work." ⸻ 📚 *Topics in this Message:* The things we resist most often become the things we appreciate most Matthew 8:14-15 — Peter's mother-in-law and a response that changes everything Why Matthew specifically singled her out in the middle of a crowd of healings The word "serve" in the original Greek — same root as "deacon" (practical and spiritual) Grace doesn't just forgive us — it reshapes what we value Four things we miss when we say no to Jesus's invitation Miss #1: The life you were created to live (purpose vs. comfort) The grand piano used as a dining room table — and what it means for your calling Miss #2: People in your corner — Proverbs 24:16 and Ecclesiastes 4 Miss #3: Becoming who God wants you to be — John 13 and the disciples' feet There are things God can only teach us while we serve Miss #4: Seeing God work through you — and the text message from a Liberty volunteer +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

We live our lives laser-focused on our own daily tasks, deadlines, and schedules. But what if our hyper-focus is causing us to miss the very people God has placed directly in front of us? Pulling from the famous "gorilla test" experiment on inattentional blindness, Ryan Kramer challenges us to look closely at Matthew 9 to see how Jesus trained His disciples. Jesus wasn't just performing jaw-dropping miracles, He was actively reshaping how His followers interact with a broken world. This message outlines three vital transformations that must occur in our hearts if we want to truly live the kingdom life. -- Jesus wants to change what we see by pulling us out of our self-consumed routines so that we stop treating the cashiers, neighbors, and strangers in our paths as mere background noise. -- Jesus wants to change what moves us by softening our media-saturated, callous hearts with a deep, Greek-defined compassion that forces us to let other people's pain interrupt our personal plans. -- Jesus wants to change what we live for by realigning our shifting priorities away from selfish preferences and toward pointing broken, shepherdless people to His grace. Scriptures for Further Study -- Matthew 9:35-38 -- Matthew 10:1 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Most of us want Jesus to change our life — until it requires us to change our priorities. In this gripping installment of the "That's Crazy" series, Pastors Ryan and Andrea dig into Jesus casting demons into a herd of pigs in Matthew 8, and uncover a strange twist: when the demon-possessed men are set free, the entire town begs Jesus to leave. Why would anyone reject a miracle? Because freedom is unfamiliar — and people often choose familiar brokenness over unfamiliar freedom. Jesus didn't just disrupt two men's lives that day. He disrupted an entire town's predictable, manageable way of living. So here's the real question: is there an area of your life you've quietly told Jesus he can't touch? 📖 *Scripture Reference:* Matthew 8:28-34, Mark 12:29-31, Revelation 20 💡 *Big Idea:* People often choose familiar brokenness over unfamiliar freedom. The greatest competition for Jesus in our life isn't bad things — it's the love of good things, comfort, and control. ❤️ *Key Quote:* "The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult and left untried." — G.K. Chesterton ⸻ 📚 *Topics in this Message:* G.K. Chesterton: Christianity hasn't failed — it's just rarely been fully tried The real competition for Jesus isn't bad things — it's good things we love too much Matthew 8:28-34 — Jesus casts demons into a herd of pigs The layers of "unclean" in this story from a Jewish perspective Two demon-possessed men everyone learned to avoid instead of confront Jesus moves toward the people everyone else moves away from The demons had correct theology about Jesus but no saving faith Why the town begged Jesus to leave after the miracle People choose familiar brokenness over unfamiliar freedom Comfortable is more dangerous than apathy Addiction isn't just substances — it can be an addiction to comfort and control Mark 12:29-31 — a heart, mind, strength, and soul check Jesus as Savior vs. Jesus as Lord — and the areas we tell him not to touch "There's a new king and it's you" — culture's message vs. the kingdom of God The daily challenge: Who's making this decision — King Jesus or King me? ⸻ 👋 New here? Visit transformtlh.com to plan your visit or learn more. 📲 Subscribe and follow for weekly encouragement: Instagram – @transformTLH Facebook – Transform TLH 💌 Want to give or support the mission? _https://transformtlh.com/give_ +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/

Following Jesus does not exempt us from storms. In fact, sometimes we experience the fiercest winds precisely because we are walking in obedience to Him. In this episode, Ryan Kramer shares a raw, personal story about his own journey through burnout and his near-decision to quit ministry, offering a lifeline to anyone currently hitting "the wall." -- Every promise from God has a process, and often, the breakthrough you are praying for requires a burden you must carry. -- There are two ways to experience a storm: as a result of your own disobedience, or as a direct result of your obedience. -- When we hit a catastrophe, we have a choice: bounce back and stay stagnant in our faith, or lean into what God is teaching us to move through the wall. -- Your storm is not evidence that God has lost control. It is an opportunity to move from knowing "about" Jesus to experiencing His true authority in your life. Scriptures for Further Study -- Matthew 8:18-27 -- Mark 4:35-41 +++++++ Join us for church this Sunday. For service times and meeting location please visit https://transformtlh.com/