The Journey Church Houston Podcast

The Grand Story of Scripture | Session 11: Kingdom Coming — The Kingdom is Delayed & Heralded (Acts)

In Acts 1:8, Jesus gives His disciples a mission that will change history: “You will be my witnesses … to the ends of the earth.” In this episode of The Grand Story of Scripture, Pastor Mace Perez explores how the risen and ascended King commissions His people to proclaim and embody the good news wherever they go.
Acts isn’t merely church history—it’s the next chapter of God’s Kingdom storyline. After the King is rejected in the Gospels, He rises, reigns, and sends His Spirit. What Jesus began, the Spirit continues through His church. Along the way, we watch God overturn persecution, imprisonment, human opposition, and even failure in order to bring the gospel to the nations and advance His Kingdom.
In this episode:• Why Acts is part two of Luke’s gospel project• What Jesus meant in Acts 1:8• How Pentecost marks the inauguration of the New Covenant• Why persecution becomes mission fuel• How the gospel crosses every boundary—from Jerusalem to Rome
If this episode helps you, please follow the podcast and consider leaving a rating or review.
Join us in person each Sunday:• 9:30 AM — Discipleship Classes• 10:30 AM — Worship Gathering1703 Heights Blvd, Houston, TX 77008
For more information about The Journey Church Houston, visit us online and connect with us! www.thejourneyhouston.org

Peace: Longing for the King of Shalom (Psalm 72)

In this Advent message, we explore Psalm 72—a powerful prayer that gives voice to one of the deepest longings of the human heart: the longing for peace. All of us feel that the world isn’t the way it’s supposed to be—cancer, hunger, war, injustice, natural disasters, and personal suffering. Theologian Cornelius Plantinga described this brokenness as the “vandalism of shalom.”
Psalm 72 invites us to cry out for the King who alone can restore peace—not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of shalom: justice, flourishing, wholeness, and life the way God intended. In this sermon, Pastor Mace Perez walks through Psalm 72 and shows how it calls us to long for the King who brings peace for the poor and oppressed, peace for all nations, and peace for all creation.
Ultimately, this longing is fulfilled in Jesus—the King who came, who conquered the enemies of peace through His life, death, and resurrection, and who will return to make all things new.
If this episode encourages you, consider sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or subscribing for more sermons and resources that help you discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story.
If you’re in the Houston area, we’d love to have you join us on Sundays at 10:30 AM at 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008.

Hope: Though the Nations Rage, the King Will Reign (Psalm 2)

In a world marked by conflict, anxiety, and constant upheaval, Psalm 2 offers a surprising and stabilizing word of hope. In this Advent message, Pastor Steven Hiller explores the deep longing of God’s people, both ancient Israel anticipating the Messiah and the church today awaiting Christ’s return.
Psalm 2 pulls back the curtain on a cosmic drama: nations grasping for power, a God who is never threatened, and a promised King who will one day reign with justice, strength, and peace. At a time when the cultural “Christmas season” often forms us toward comfort, consumption, and sentimentality, Advent re-forms us with a yearning for the true King and His coming kingdom.
If this episode encourages you, consider leaving a review and sharing it with someone who might benefit.
Join us Sundays at 10:30 AM at historic Lambert Hall1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008Learn more at www.journeyhouston.org

Genesis 50 | Not the End of the Story

The book of Genesis doesn’t end with resolution. It ends with a coffin. Yet Genesis 50 shows us that this is not the end of God’s story, and it’s not the end of ours.
In this week’s sermon, Pastor Steven Hiller unpacks Joseph’s final words, Jacob’s royal burial, and the unshakeable promises of the Abrahamic Covenant. Even in the midst of grief, God is moving history toward resurrection, restoration, and the Kingdom He has promised from the beginning.
This episode invites you to trace the sweeping arc of the Christian Story, from creation and fall to covenant and hope, and to see how Jesus Christ fulfills every longing introduced in Genesis and every longing of the human heart.
If this message encouraged you, follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend so more people can discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story.
We’d also love to welcome you in person. Join us Sundays at 10:30 AM at 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008.

The Grand Story of Scripture | Session 10: The King’s New Covenant — Death and Resurrection

In this episode, we reach the climax of the biblical story. The long-awaited King arrives, but instead of receiving Him, Israel rejects Him. That rejection sets in motion the events of Holy Week and ultimately becomes the means by which God brings redemption to the world.
We trace the major movements of the Gospels:• The Triumphal Entry and renewed rejection• Jesus’ pronouncement of judgment in the Olivet Discourse• The Passover, Last Supper, and the inauguration of the New Covenant• The crucifixion of the King and the irony of His “crime”• The vindication of Jesus through His resurrection• The Great Commission that launches the next phase of God’s Story
If you’re exploring how the Bible fits together from Genesis to the Gospels, this episode will help you see Jesus’ death and resurrection as the decisive turning point in the Story, where the serpent strikes the heel of the Seed of the Woman, only to be dealt a fatal blow three days later.
Subscribe, rate, and share to help others discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story.
Join us in person for future sessions of The Grand Story of ScriptureSundays at 9:30 AM, followed by Worship at 10:30 AM1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008

Genesis 48–49 | Jacob Blesses His Sons: Living and Dying by Faith

What does it mean to finish well in the Christian life? In this episode, we explore Jacob’s final moments in Genesis 48–49—moments filled with faith, prophetic vision, and deep hope in God’s promises.
Jacob “graduates” from his lifelong school of faith by:• Adopting and blessing Joseph’s sons, trusting God’s surprising ways.• Speaking prophetic blessings over his children, looking ahead to their future roles in God’s covenant story.• Foretelling the rise of a coming King from the tribe of Judah.• Dying with his hope set on resurrection in the Promised Land.
Ultimately, all of Jacob’s blessings point forward to Jesus—the Lion of Judah, the victorious-yet-slain Savior-King who reverses the curse, reigns over all nations, and secures resurrection hope for His people.
Whether you’re spiritually curious, a new believer, or a longtime Christian wanting to see Scripture as one cohesive Story, this episode will help you trace the thread that leads from Jacob’s deathbed to the risen King.
If this episode encourages you, don’t forget to follow the podcast, rate and review, and share it with someone who needs the hope of the gospel.
Join us Sundays at 10:30 AMThe Journey Church Houston1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008

The Grand Story of Scripture | Session 9: The Advent and Presentation of the King! (Gospels: Part 1)

The story of Scripture reaches its climax in the arrival of the long-awaited King! In this episode of The Grand Story of Scripture, Pastor Steven Hiller unpacks how the birth and presentation of Jesus in the Gospels fulfill the promises made to Abraham and David, bringing God’s redemptive plan to its most thrilling turning point.
From the Garden to the manger, from the covenants to Christ, every thread of the biblical story leads to this moment: the advent of the King: Jesus, the Seed of the Woman, the Son of David, Emmanuel, God with us.
Listen as we explore:🌿 How the Gospels complete Israel’s longing for the Kingdom💧 Why Jesus’ baptism and temptation matter for our salvation📖 How the Sermon on the Mount offers the Kingdom to Israel🔥 What it means to live as those eagerly awaiting His return
If you’ve ever wondered how Christmas fits into the grand narrative of the Bible, this episode will deepen your awe for the God who writes and fulfills the perfect story.
🔔 Follow this podcast to keep journeying through Scripture with us,💬 Share this episode with a friend hungry to understand the Bible’s big story,and ⭐ Leave a review to help more people discover The Grand Story of Scripture!
📍 Join us in person Sundays at 9:30 AM for The Grand Story of Scripture, followed by worship at 10:30 AM atThe Journey Church Houston1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008

Genesis 46–47 | Israel Goes to Egypt: Trusting the God Who Keeps His Promises

Have you ever noticed how promises change the way we live?
In Genesis 46–47, we find Jacob near the end of his life, finally learning to rest in God’s promises. What seems like a backward move to Egypt is actually God advancing His plan, to make Israel a great nation, to go with them, and ultimately to bring them home.
Jacob’s hope points forward to Jesus Christ, who went down into the grave for our sin and rose again as the guarantee of resurrection life for all who trust Him. Because God always keeps His promises, we can live as resurrection people, hopeful in suffering, steady in obedience, generous with what we have, and bold with the gospel.
If this message helped you discover the truth, goodness, and beauty of the Christian Story, be sure to rate, review, subscribe, and share.
Join us Sundays at 10:30 AM at The Journey Church, 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008 or learn more at thejourneyhouston.org.

The Grand Story of Scripture | Session 8: The National Kingdom’s Exile and Hopeful Return

Have you ever felt like life didn’t live up to your expectations? Israel knew that feeling deeply.
In this episode of The Grand Story of Scripture, we explore the rising action of God’s redemptive story through the Exile and Hopeful Return. From Ezekiel’s vision of God’s departing glory to Daniel’s assurance of God’s sovereignty, from the rebuilding efforts under Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah to the prophetic voices of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, this period shows that even when God’s people were scattered or silent, His promises were still unfolding.
This chapter of the story reminds us that God is always faithful, even in seasons of exile. And it points us forward to Jesus, the true King who brings the final restoration of God’s kingdom.
If this conversation helps you see Scripture more clearly, be sure to follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with a friend who’s exploring the Bible’s big story.
Join us in person for future sessions of The Grand Story of Scripture on Sundays at 9:30 AM, followed by worship at 10:30 AM at 1703 Heights Blvd., Houston, TX 77008.

Jesus: The Word of God Who Is Enough and Cares for You | Women's Retreat 2025, Session 2

Do you ever feel like life is just a never-ending to-do list? Like you’re constantly juggling responsibilities, worries, and expectations without a moment to catch your breath?
In this second session from our Rest in the Lord Women’s Retreat, Jennifer Perez, Deaconess of Ministry to Women at The Journey Church Houston, helps us take a deeper look at the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38–42.
Through Mary’s example, we see what it means that Jesus is the Word of God, the Good Portion, and the One who truly cares for us. He satisfies the deepest longings of our hearts and invites us to find our rest in Him.
Whether you’re walking through a season of busyness, heartbreak, or anxiety, this message will encourage you to slow down, breathe, and remember that Jesus is enough.
💛 If this message encourages you, follow and share this podcast so others can find rest and renewal in Christ.
🎧 Learn more about The Journey Church Houston and join us Sundays at 10:30 AM — visit thejourneyhouston.org.