The Journey Church Houston Podcast

Once Dead, Now Alive in Christ | Ephesians 2:1–10

We are all born into a trap we can’t rescue ourselves from.
In Ephesians 2:1–10, the apostle Paul tells us something both sobering and hopeful: we weren’t just struggling or spiritually sick—we were dead in our sin, powerless to save ourselves. That truth helps explain why so many of us feel that life should be better, yet we can’t quite get there on our own.
But in mercy, God stepped in.
In this message, Pastor Mace Perez explores our spiritual predicament, the rescue God provides in Christ by grace through faith, and the purpose for which we’ve been saved—not by good works, but for good works. This sermon invites both longtime Christians and thoughtful seekers to consider what it truly means to move from death to life in Christ.
If this episode encourages you, consider subscribing, rating, or sharing it with someone who might benefit.
We’d love to worship with you in person:Sundays at 10:30 AM1703 Heights Blvd.Houston, TX 77008
If you’d like to connect with us, ask questions, or request prayer, you can fill out our Connect & Prayer Card here:👉 https://thejourneyhouston.churchcenter.com/people/forms/709351

That You May Know the Power of Christ | Ephesians 1:15–23

Do you know about God, or do you truly know Him?
In this episode, we explore Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 1:15–23, where he asks that God would open the eyes of believers’ hearts—not simply to gain more information, but to truly know the hope of His calling, the immeasurable greatness of His power, and the authority of Jesus Christ who reigns over all things.
Pastor Steven Hiller shows how real spiritual growth doesn’t come from trying harder or merely learning more, but from God illuminating our hearts as we live in relationship with Him and with one another. Paul’s prayer reminds us that we come to know God and experience His power not in isolation, but as part of the church—the body of Christ—where His life, wisdom, and strength are made visible through a shared life of worship, discipleship, and mission.
If this episode encouraged or challenged you, please consider subscribing to the podcast and sharing it with someone who may be exploring faith or longing for deeper roots.
And if you’re in Houston, we’d love to worship with you at The Journey Church Houston every Sunday at 10:30 AM at 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008.
We exist to invite people on a journey to discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian story—and we’d love for you to be part of that journey.

Blessed in Christ: Chosen, Redeemed, and Sealed (Ephesians 1:3–14)

What if your worth before God isn’t something you achieve but something you receive?
In Ephesians 1:3–14, the apostle Paul opens his letter with a sweeping song of praise, reminding us that every spiritual blessing God promises is given in Christ. In this sermon, Pastor Mace Perez explores how believers—both Jew and Gentile—are chosen by the Father, redeemed by the Son, and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and why the proper response to grace is not striving, but worship.
Christianity isn’t about doing more to earn God’s favor. It’s about trusting what God has already done for us in Jesus and learning to live from that secure identity rather than for it.
If this episode encouraged or challenged you, please consider subscribing and sharing it with someone who might benefit from hearing it.
You’re also invited to join us in person at The Journey Church Houston, Sundays at 10:30 AM, located at 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008.
We’d love to walk with you as you discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian story.

Ephesians: United in Christ | Ephesians 1:1–2 + Overview

What does it really mean to belong?
In this opening episode of our new series through Ephesians, Pastor Steven Hiller introduces Paul’s letter as a foundational guide for the Christian life. Written to early believers navigating confusion, opposition, and uncertainty, Ephesians shows us who we are in Christ, the riches of the salvation we’ve received, and the beauty of the community we’ve been united to—the Church.
Using the image of moving into a new home and receiving a letter that explains how everything works, this message frames Ephesians as God’s gracious orientation to life in Christ:
What God has done through Jesus
What it means to be united to Him and to His people
How the gospel reshapes the way we live in a broken world
This episode provides a big-picture overview of the book, tracing its movement from God’s eternal plan of salvation, to the unity of Jew and Gentile in one body, to a call to live lives worthy of our calling and to stand firm in spiritual opposition.
Whether you are exploring Christianity, newly rooted in faith, or seeking deeper theological grounding, this message sets the stage for the journey ahead.
Subscribe to the podcast to follow along as we continue our series through Ephesians.
If you’re in the Houston area, we’d love to worship with you in person on Sundays at 10:30 AM at 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008.
The Journey Church Houston exists to invite people on a journey to discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story.

From the Manger to the Throne | Psalm 110

Christmas tells us that Jesus has come, but Psalm 110 helps us see why He came and where the story is going.
In this episode, Pastor Mace Perez helps us walk from the manger to the throne, exploring Psalm 110, the most quoted Old Testament passage in the New Testament, to see Jesus revealed as the promised Priest-King. Born in humility, risen in victory, now reigning at the right hand of the Father, and coming again to judge and renew all things, Jesus stands at the center of the Christian Story.
If this episode is helpful, please consider following the podcast, leaving a review, or sharing it with someone who is exploring the Christian faith.
You’re also warmly invited to worship with us in person on Sundays at 10:30 AM atThe Journey Church Houston📍 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008

Let Earth Receive Her King | Christmas Eve 2025 (Luke 1:31–33)

What’s wrong with the world, and is there any real hope it will ever be made right?
In this Christmas Eve sermon, Pastor Mace Perez reflects on Luke 1:31–33, where the angel Gabriel announces to Mary that her Son will be the Savior, the Son of God, and the everlasting King. At the heart of the Christmas story is a bold claim: Jesus, the Divine Savior-King, has come to save, and He will come again to make all things right.
Drawing on the beauty of the Christmas narrative, the deep longings of the human heart for hope, peace, joy, and love, and echoes from C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia, this message explores what it truly means to “let earth receive her King.”
Whether you’re exploring the Christian story for the first time, returning to faith after some time away, or seeking to deepen your walk with Christ, this sermon invites you to consider the good news of Christmas anew.
📍 Join us in person on Sundays at 10:30 AMThe Journey Church Houston1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008
Christmas proclaims this good news: the rightful King has landed—quietly, humbly, and full of grace.

The Grand Story of Scripture | Session 13: The King Returns to Establish His Kingdom (Revelation)

The book of Revelation brings us to the end of the Story and the beginning of everything made new.
How does the Bible end? Not with escape, but with resolution. Not with uncertainty, but with hope. In this final session of The Grand Story of Scripture, Pastor Steven Hiller walks through the book of Revelation to show how God fulfills His covenant promises, judges evil, restores Israel, and returns in power and glory as King.
In this episode, we explore:
Revelation as the resolution of the biblical plot
Jesus as the Lion who opens the scroll and reclaims His Kingdom
The purpose of the Tribulation and the Day of the Lord
The return of Christ, the Millennial Kingdom, and the final judgment
The New Heaven and New Earth—the Garden restored, but better
This teaching isn’t just about the end of the world. It’s about the end of the conflict and the fulfillment of God’s story, where heaven and earth are reunited and God dwells with His people forever.
If this episode helps you see Scripture more clearly, consider subscribing, sharing it with a friend, and leaving a review—it really does help others discover the podcast.
👉 Join us on Sundays at The Journey Church🕘 Discipleship Classes at 9:30 AM🕥 Worship Gathering at 10:30 AM📍 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008

Love: Waiting for the King of Steadfast Love (Psalm 89)

What do you do when what you believe about God doesn’t seem to match what you’re experiencing?
In Psalm 89, the psalmist praises God’s steadfast love, rehearses His covenant promises, and then honestly laments when those promises appear unfulfilled. It’s a prayer shaped by longing—a refusal to let go of God even when life doesn’t make sense.
In this Advent sermon, “Love: Waiting for the King of Steadfast Love,” Pastor Mace Perez helps us explore how Psalm 89 points beyond itself to Jesus, the promised Son of David. God’s love may feel delayed, but it is never denied. Advent teaches us how to wait with hope, how to lament with faith, and how to trust that God is still keeping His promises.
If this episode is helpful, please subscribe, share, and consider leaving a review.
And if you’re in Houston, we’d love to worship with you in person:The Journey Church HoustonSundays at 10:30 AM1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008
This is a podcast for those who want to take faith seriously, ask honest questions, and discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian story.
Come, Lord Jesus.

The Grand Story of Scripture | Session 12: The Church, the Kingdom's Embassy (Epistles)

Where do we live in the biblical story right now, and what does that mean for the Church?
In Session 12 of The Grand Story of Scripture, we arrive at the Falling Action of the Bible’s plot: the present age of the Church. In this teaching, Pastor Steven Hiller traces how the New Testament Epistles explain Christ’s finished work on the cross, the temporary hardening of Israel, and the surprising, glorious reality of the Church as God’s New Covenant people, an embassy of the future Kingdom living in the world today.
This episode explores why the Epistles are letters written to real churches in real conflicts, how Gentiles become co-heirs in Christ, what it means for the Holy Spirit to be a “deposit” of the coming Kingdom, and how the Church is called to live faithfully while waiting for Christ’s return.
If this episode is helpful, consider sharing it with someone who wants to understand the Bible more deeply, subscribe for more teaching from The Journey Church Houston, and rate and review the podcast to help more people find it and discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story.
Join us in person on Sundays9:30 AM — Discipleship Classes (including The Grand Story of Scripture)10:30 AM — Worship1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008

Joy: Rejoicing as We Long for the King (Psalm 98)

What does real joy look like when the world still feels unfinished?
In this Advent message from Psalm 98, we explore a deeper, sturdier joy, one that doesn’t ignore the groaning of the world, but sings in hope because of who is coming. The Psalm calls God’s people to raise a joyful noise, not only for what God has done, but for what He has promised to do when the King returns.
This sermon traces the movement of Psalm 98 from Israel, to all peoples, to all creation, showing how the joy of God’s salvation keeps expanding until the day Christ comes again to make all things right. Even now, as we wait, we rejoice because the greater joy is coming.
If this message encouraged you, please rate, review, subscribe, and share.
📍 Join us Sundays at 10:30 AM at 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008
“Our King is coming.” Come, Lord Jesus.