Advertise on podcast: Ironwood Church

Pastor Luke Simmons continues the series **“God’s Plan for the Church”** with a message from **1 Timothy 3:1–7** on God’s expectations for leaders in the local church. When we think about church, we often notice the “sizzle”—music, preaching, programs, and style. But God focuses on substance: the character of those entrusted to lead His people. In this sermon, Pastor Luke explains the biblical role of elders/overseers/pastors and walks through the traits God calls church leaders to embody: being above reproach, faithful, sober-minded, self-controlled, hospitable, able to teach, gentle, humble, and well thought of by outsiders. This passage is not only a standard for church leadership—it is also a picture of mature Christian character that every believer should aspire to grow in by God’s grace. **Scripture:** 1 Timothy 3:1–7  **Series:** God’s Plan for the Church 00:00 - Introduction02:41 - Titles04:47 - Traits26:34 - Traps28:52 - Eldership at Ironwood **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Luke Simmons continues our series, “God’s Plan for the Church,” with “A Teaching Church,” a look at 1 Timothy 2:8–15 and its challenging instructions about prayer, worship, and the roles of men and women in the church. How should we approach passages of Scripture that are difficult to understand or challenging to accept? This message considers four kinds of tough texts, examines women in the New Testament, and explores what this passage means for the life and ministry of Ironwood Church. Along the way, we’re invited to consider how humility, godliness, and a willingness to learn shape our response to God’s Word. Join us as we explore these important questions and seek to follow God’s plan for His church. Chapters:00:00 - Start01:16 - Four Kinds of Tough Texts14:47 - Women in the New Testament33:49 - What Does This Mean for Ironwood? Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:8–15Series: God’s Plan for the ChurchMessage: A Teaching Church **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Seth Troutt continues our series, “God’s Plan for the Church,” with a message from 1 Timothy 2:1–7 about the kind of praying, posture, and conviction that should mark God’s people. In this passage, Paul calls the church to pray broadly, live peacefully, and hold firmly to the exclusive hope found in Jesus Christ. **All kinds of people**  God’s heart is for all kinds of people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. Pastor Seth explains how Paul’s words would have challenged first-century hearers and still challenge us today. The church is called to pray not only for people like us, but also for rulers, cultural leaders, enemies, outsiders, and those we may assume are least likely to respond to the gospel. **Many kinds of prayers**  Paul urges believers to offer supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings. These prayers are not only a way God works in the world, but also a way God works in us. As we pray for people in positions of power and influence, God forms in us a life that is peaceful, quiet, godly, and dignified. **One faithful mediator**  At the center of the passage is the good news that there is one God and one mediator between God and humanity: the man Christ Jesus. Pastor Seth highlights the exclusivity of Jesus as the only way to salvation, not as arrogance or unkindness, but as the loving truth of the gospel. Jesus alone gave Himself as a ransom, and through Him, anyone can come to the Father. 00:00 - Start04:51 - All kinds of people05:39 - Many kinds of prayers26:38 - One faithful mediator **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Guest Pastor Will Bray continues our series, “God’s Plan for the Church,” with a message from 1 Timothy 1:12–20. In this passage, Paul reflects on the mercy and grace of Jesus in his own life and charges Timothy to hold firmly to the faith as he leads the church. Pastor Will explains that God builds the kind of church He intends when He lays the foundation, supplies the grace, and receives the glory. The work of the church does not begin with our strength, preferences, or plans, but with God’s power and God’s Word. As Paul’s life shows, Jesus saves sinners, transforms lives, and then uses His people as displays of His grace so that others might believe. This message also challenges us to consider where God has placed us and how He may be calling us to keep the light of the gospel burning in our homes, neighborhoods, workplaces, and communities. Will is a guest pastor who is preparing to plant a new church in San Tan Valley. Learn more about the church plant here:  https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/santan 00:00 - Introduction11:11 - God Lays the Foundation21:50 - God Supplies the Grace34:14 - God Gets the Glory **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

astor Luke Simmons begins a new series, **God’s Plan for the Church**, with a message from **1 Timothy 1:1-11** about what it means for God’s people to live as the household of God. Paul writes to Timothy because the church in Ephesus is facing false teaching, speculation, and confusion about the truth. Timothy is charged to help the church stand firm, not swerve, and remain faithful to the gospel. In this opening message, Pastor Luke shows that the church does not get to define itself by preference, culture, politics, or popular opinion. The church belongs to the living God, and he tells his household how to live. This passage calls the church to recognize and resist false teaching, even when it sounds normal or appealing. It also calls us to embrace sound doctrine, including the parts that confront sin and expose our need for grace. But the goal is not arrogance, argument, or simply being right. Paul says the aim of our charge is love—love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith. A healthy church holds fast to the truth and bears the fruit of gospel love. We stand firm not by avoiding hard truths or using truth as a weapon, but by remaining faithful to Christ, full of both grace and truth. **Bookmarks:**  00:00 - Start  09:56 - We commit to recognizing and resisting false teaching (1:3-7)  18:59 - We commit to embracing the severity of sound doctrine (1:8-11)  25:11 - We commit to bearing the fruit of gospel love (1:5) **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Luke Simmons teaches from Genesis 2–3 on God’s design for marriage and the hope Jesus provides when marriage is hard. Looking at the first marriage, this message explores marriage as a partnership, the call to become one flesh, the effects of sin on relationships, and the provision God gives for our shame and failure. Whether you are married, single, divorced, widowed, or walking through challenges in your relationship, this sermon points to God’s wisdom and the grace found in Christ. Bookmarks:  00:00 - Start  08:10 - Partnership (2:18-23)  15:53 - Paradigm (2:24-25)  26:59 - Problem (3:6-13, 16)  34:14 - Provision (3:21) **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Luke Simmons continues our series, “Spiritual Warfare,” with a message from Revelation 12 about the victory of Christ and how Christians participate in that victory. Revelation 12 gives us a picture of the spiritual battle behind what we see in the world: the dragon, Satan, is defeated and thrown down because of the work of Christ. Though the enemy still rages, believers conquer through the blood of the Lamb, the word of their testimony, faithful endurance, and joy in Christ. Scripture: Revelation 12  Series: Spiritual Warfare 00:00 - Start  18:11 - Look to the Lamb (v. 11)  23:23 - Hold firm to the word of testimony (v. 11)  25:57 - Love not your life even unto death (v. 11)  30:20 - Rejoice! (v. 12)

Pastor Seth Troutt continues the “Spiritual Warfare” series with a message from 1 Peter 5:8–11 on how the devil prowls, how believers are called to respond, and where our confidence comes from in the middle of spiritual opposition. What does it actually mean to be watchful? How do we resist the enemy without becoming fearful or obsessed with him? And what does God promise to those who stand firm in the faith? In this sermon, Pastor Seth unpacks Peter’s warning to stay alert, resist the devil, and remember that suffering does not have the final word. The same God who calls his people will restore, strengthen, and establish them. If you are learning how to recognize spiritual warfare and remain steady in your faith, this message offers a biblical framework for standing firm. **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Luke Simmons continues our series in Spiritual Warfare during FUSE Sunday, an in-house weekend camp designed to deeply connect students with the life and mission of our church family. In this message, Pastor Luke looks at 2 Corinthians 10 and the call to take every thought captive to obey Christ. The enemy works through lies that become strongholds in our hearts, but God gives us spiritual weapons to fight back with truth. This sermon focuses on three lies that can destroy us if we believe them: that we should do whatever it takes to fit in, that our life is ruined because of sin or suffering, and that we can wait until later to follow Jesus. In Christ, we find freedom, cleansing, urgency, and life. Bookmarks:00:00 - Start  07:09 - You should do whatever it takes to fit in.  13:13 - Your life is now ruined.  18:20 - You can follow Jesus later. **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Seth Troutt continues our Spiritual Warfare series with a message on prayer, attention, and perseverance from Ephesians 6:18-20. Prayer is not mainly a skill issue—it is often an attention issue. As we become more alert to the condition of our hearts, the temptations around us, the needs of others, and the spiritual battle we are in, we are invited to bring those things to our Father in prayer. Because of Jesus, we have access to the Father in the Spirit, and we can pray with honesty, confidence, and persistence. This message explores what it means to pray “at all times in the Spirit,” how our attention shapes our desires, why all Christians are “saints” on the front lines of spiritual warfare, and how simple prayers like “help,” “thanks,” and “wow” can train us to become more prayerful people. Bookmarks:00:00 - Start  08:13 - Where We’re Going  10:34 - Attention Reveals and Creates Affections  18:58 - Saints “in the Spirit”  23:59 - Strategies for Prayer  27:09 - What to Pray  28:12 - Let’s Practice It Together   Series: Spiritual Warfare  Scripture: Ephesians 6:18-20 **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Luke Simmons continues our series, “Spiritual Warfare,” with a message on the armor of God from Ephesians 6. In this sermon, we look at where Paul’s armor imagery comes from, how it connects to Isaiah 59 and Romans 13, and what it means for Christians to stand firm in Christ. Jesus has already won the decisive battle through the cross and resurrection. Now, he equips his people to stand against the schemes of the devil. The armor of God is not about self-confidence or spiritual performance—it is about putting on Christ and walking in the strength, truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Word that he provides. This message walks through each piece of the armor and closes with a challenge for three kinds of people: those without the armor, those who have it but do not wear it, and those who are learning to stand firm day by day. Bookmarks:00:00 - Start  04:48 - Where is this armor imagery from?  14:52 - What is the armor of God?  32:56 - Three Kinds of People   Series: Spiritual Warfare  Passage: Ephesians 6:10-17, Isaiah 59, Romans 13 **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Seth Troutt continues our series, “Spirtual Warfare,” by teaching from Colossians 2 on how Jesus has already won the war through His death and resurrection. Though spiritual battles continue, believers can walk with confidence because our sin-debt has been nailed to the cross and the enemy has been disarmed. In this message, Pastor Seth looks at three themes: dead, debt, and disarmed—and explains how the gospel answers shame, accusation, and fear in spiritual warfare. 00:00 - Start: Introduction to spiritual warfare and the certainty of Christ’s victory  03:56 - Dead: What it means to be dead in trespasses and made alive in Christ  11:29 - Debt: How Jesus pays our impossible sin-debt through the cross  16:13 - Disarmed: How Christ strips Satan’s accusations of their power   **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Luke Simmons begins a new series called “Spiritual Warfare” with a foundational look at what the Bible teaches about Satan, demons, temptation, and the authority of Jesus. In this message, Pastor Luke explains that spiritual warfare is not mainly about strange or frightening experiences, but about the daily battle to keep trusting and obeying God in the face of demonic deception, temptation, accusation, and opposition. Through Mark 5 and the story of the demon-possessed man, we see that Jesus has authority over all things and frees people for the sake of mission. Bookmarks:  00:00 - Introduction  05:35 - 1. What are Satan and demons?  06:42 - 2. What are demonic powers trying to do?  10:42 - 3. What methods do they usually use?  11:30 - 4. If demons are real, why don’t we see obvious cases today like in the gospels?  14:00 - 5. What is spiritual warfare?  15:17 - 5 Lessons on Spiritual Warfare

Pastor Luke Simmons shares Ironwood Church’s Vision Sunday message for the 2025–2026 ministry year. This message looks back at what God has done, looks ahead to key priorities, and calls the church to stay focused on our never-changing mission: make disciples. Pastor Luke also introduces this year’s theme, “Stand Firm,” from Ephesians 6:10–13. In a year of change, construction, spiritual warfare, and everyday pressures, we are called to be strengthened in the Lord and to stand firm in Christ. 00:00 - Introduction  06:26 - 2025-2026 Financial Review  09:02 - Our Never-Changing Mission: Make Disciples  12:55 - 01 // Take Your Next Step of Obedience  21:20 - 02 // Key Dates  26:44 - 03 // Theme of the Year: “Stand Firm” **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/

Pastor Seth Troutt closes out our “How to Pray” series by teaching on the final line of the Lord’s Prayer: “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Looking at the Garden temptation in Genesis 3, the wilderness temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4, and the reality of evil in and around us, he shows how followers of Jesus can live the good life free from the weight of sin and the influence of the devil. Seth also challenges cultural assumptions about evil, explains why “the evil one” is the best way to understand this phrase, and calls us to pray this petition regularly with honesty and dependence on God. Bookmarks:0:00 - Introduction  10:07 - The Garden Temptation  14:41 - The Wilderness Temptation  26:53 - Three Types of Evil **HOW TO FIND US*** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR YouTube CHANNEL: https://www.youtube.com/@IronwoodChurchAZFACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/ironwoodchurchaz/ INSTAGRAM https://www.instagram.com/ironwood.church/WEBSITE https://www.ironwoodchurch.org/