Solomons Porch Valdosta

Have you ever felt locked out — like life is happening and you’re standing on the outside looking in? In Revelation 3, Jesus stands at a door and knocks. In Revelation 4, John sees a door standing open in heaven. What he sees next reframes everything. Before seals are opened. Before judgment unfolds. Before chaos erupts. There is a throne. And it is not empty. This week, we explore Revelation 4–5 — the heavenly worship scene that recenters the church around the reality that God reigns. We look at the Lion who appears as a slain Lamb, and why sacrificial love is not a detour in God’s plan — it is the plan. This is not a message about decoding end-times charts. It’s about aligning our lives with heaven’s song. Because if heaven is giving everything to the Lamb… why are we still giving our best to lesser things? The Lamb is worthy. The throne is occupied. And worship is the evidence that heaven is breaking into earth.

The Rapture: Why Christians Have Never Quite Agreed Where did your understanding of the return of Christ come from? Church? A book series? A sermon? Culture? For many believers, ideas about the rapture, tribulation, and end times didn’t just come from Scripture — they came from a framework we inherited without realizing it. In this episode, we slow down and look underneath rapture theology to the question many Christians were never told was still a question: the millennium in Book of Revelation. What is the “thousand years” in Revelation 20? Is it future or symbolic? Literal or cosmic? And why have faithful Christians never fully agreed? We walk through the three historic views: Premillennialism — Christ returns before a future reign Amillennialism — Christ reigns now; the millennium describes the present age (a view shaped strongly by theologians like Augustine of Hippo) Postmillennialism — the kingdom grows over time before Christ returns You’ll hear how one view came to feel like the Christian position in

Four Churches. Four Responses. One Jesus. This week in our Revelation series, we continue through the seven letters in Revelation 2–3 by looking at Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. Each church represents a different spiritual condition: Compromise under pressure A reputation that hides spiritual deadness Quiet faithfulness with little strength Comfortable self-sufficiency that pushes Jesus outside Though the struggles are different, Jesus’ call is the same: Return. Wake up. Hold fast. Open the door. These letters remind us that Jesus is not distant from His church. He sees, corrects, calls, and invites — not to condemn, but to restore. This sermon ends at the communion table, where the invitation of Jesus becomes personal: not based on how strong our faith has been, but on how great His love has always been.

For many American Christians, the book of Revelation didn’t first come from careful Bible study — it came through a story. Dramatic disappearances. Global chaos. A world spiraling toward judgment. For an entire generation, the end of the world had a plotline, characters, and a clear timeline — and without realizing it, fiction slowly became theology. In this episode, we explore how modern end-times storytelling didn’t just reflect Christian beliefs… it reshaped them. We look at how one particular theological system rose to cultural dominance, why many believers assume it’s the “historic Christian view,” and how that assumption dramatically changed the way Revelation is read in churches today. We’ll talk about: • How Revelation shifted from a pastoral letter to a prediction chart • Why fear became the dominant emotion in end-times teaching • How Jesus often moved from the center while the Antichrist took the spotlight • What the early church, historic Christianity, and the Wesleyan tradition actually emphasize

The book of Revelation begins, centers, and ends with Jesus. In this message from our Unveiled series, we look at three churches in Revelation 2 — Ephesus, Smyrna, and Pergamum — and discover how Jesus speaks to hearts that are drifting, suffering, or tempted to compromise. Ephesus had truth but lost love. Smyrna had suffering but remained rich in faith. Pergamum stayed loyal outwardly while compromise slowly crept in. Through it all, Jesus offers not fear, but invitation — to return, remain faithful, and receive the identity only He can give. The promise of the white stone reminds us we are forgiven, known, accepted, and given a new name in Him. This is not a message about the end times. It’s a message about allegiance, faithfulness, and returning to Jesus.

Welcome to UNVEILED, our series through the Book of Revelation. In this episode from Revelation 1–2, we discover Revelation is not about decoding timelines—it’s about revealing Jesus and calling the church back to its first love. Jesus wins—and that changes everything.

The beginning of a new year is a sacred opportunity to pause, reflect, and renew. In this Covenant Renewal Service, we remember the faithfulness of God and respond by recommitting ourselves to live as His people. Drawing from Scripture, historic prayers, the Apostles’ Creed, and the celebration of Communion, this service centers on the new covenant we live under in Christ—a covenant marked by grace, transformation, and belonging. This episode invites you into a time of worship, confession, prayer, and renewal as we acknowledge God’s goodness and offer ourselves fully to His will in the year ahead. Whether you’re listening at the start of the year or revisiting this moment later, may this service help ground your heart in God’s promises and remind you that His covenant still stands.

Episode 239 The 167 Podcast - Advent Miniseries - The Weary World Rejoices - part 3 by The Porch Community Church

We live in a world of extremes. Everything feels like it has to be one way or the other—even when it comes to love. Is love all grace—“be nice, don’t rock the boat”? Or all truth—“facts don’t care about your feelings”? In this message, we look at how Jesus refuses the false choice between grace or truth. Scripture tells us that Jesus is full of grace and full of truth—not a balance, not a blend, but the fullness of both. Rooted in John 1, this sermon explores: How Jesus is the Word made flesh Why grace and truth arrive together in Christ What it looks like when Jesus embodies both (John 8, Luke 23) How the cross tells the full story of God’s love What it means to live this out in our relationships and as a church At Christmas, we don’t just celebrate a baby in a manger—we celebrate that grace and truth stepped into the world. Whether you lean more toward grace or truth, this message invites us to follow Jesus into a better way: loving well, speaking truth with kindness, and becoming a community that refl

Episode 238 The 167 Podcast - Advent Miniseries - Part 2 When Joy Feels Fake by The Porch Community Church

Joy. We talk about it. We chase it. We mistake it for happiness. But Scripture tells us something radically different—joy isn’t something you create… it’s something you receive. In this message, Pastor Shannon unpacks the real difference between happiness (situational) and joy (relational)—and how Joy isn’t found in better circumstances, but in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Whether this season brings celebration or deep grief… Joy meets you right where you are.

The holidays are supposed to be “the most wonderful time of the year”… but for many of us, they aren’t. In fact, studies show that nearly two-thirds of adults experience increased stress and declining mental health during the Christmas season. Between family dynamics, financial pressure, end-of-year deadlines, and the weight of unspoken grief, December can feel more like survival than celebration. In Part 1 of our Advent Miniseries — The Tension of the Season — we step into that reality honestly. Because Advent was never meant to gloss over our pain. It was designed to name it, hold it, and remind us that hope rises in the waiting. We explore the tension between what we long for and what actually is — between joy and exhaustion, celebration and sorrow, expectation and unmet reality. Through Romans 8:22–25, we look at the “groaning” Scripture says all creation experiences… and why that longing is a sign of our hope, not the loss of it. And we revisit the first Christmas — messy, chaotic, and anything but pictu

Hope Has A Name by The Porch Community Church

Can I really make a difference? That’s the question we’re asking this week in our Asking for a Friend series — and the answer is YES. In this message, Pastor Shannon shares the heart behind what it means to be the church — not just attend it. Drawing from Acts 3, where Peter and John encounter a man outside the temple gates, we’re reminded that miracles, transformation, and real faith often happen outside the walls — on “the porch.” At The Porch Community Church, we believe life change happens where Jesus meets real life — in the grocery store, at the ball field, in your workplace, and around your neighborhood. You were made to make a difference.

Episode 236 The 167 Podcast - Lightning Round Part 2 by The Porch Community Church

We’ve all asked it — Is it even worth praying for healing? Especially when the miracle doesn’t come… when the diagnosis doesn’t change… or when the grief still lingers. In this week’s message, Pastor Shannon Patterson shares biblical truth and real hope about how God heals — in three ways: • Through Salvation, when He restores our souls • Through Ultimate Healing, when all things are made new in eternity • Through Temporary Healing, when He brings breakthrough here and now Two out of three are guaranteed — and that changes everything about how we pray, hope, and trust God in our brokenness.

Do We Have An Enemy? - Asking For A Friend Week 12 by The Porch Community Church

Q&A-Asking For A Friend Week 10 by The Porch Community Church

Episode 235 The 167 Podcast - AI and the Christian by The Porch Community Church

Asking For A Friend – Why Church? Which Church? This week’s Asking For A Friend question is two-fold: Why Church? and Which Church? Do we really need the church to follow Jesus, or can we do it on our own? And if we do need it, how do we know which church is right? Pastor Shannon Patterson walks through Scripture to reveal why the Church is God’s divine plan for His people through Jesus Christ—and what kind of church helps you grow in love for Him. Learn how to: • Recognize what makes a church truly centered on Jesus • Understand the difference between essentials and non-essentials of faith • See your vital role within the body of Christ Whether you’ve been part of a church your whole life or are just beginning to explore faith, this conversation will challenge and encourage you to see the Church in a whole new way.