Views from The Ridge 4.29.26
Sunset Ridge is a church that desires to follow Jesus, reach people, and radiate God’s love and hope to all.
This Week’s Scripture: John 14:1-14
Watch previous sermons here.
Wednesdays
You’re invited to Wednesday Nights at Sunset Ridge Church. Join us for a community supper at 6:00 PM in the Fellowship Hall, followed by programming for children and high school students and a communal Scripture study for adults beginning at 6:30 PM. We wrap up by 8:00 PM. Come be part of our midweek rhythm. Contact Den with questions. This evening will be our last community supper for spring.
Sundays
Worship
9 AM, Chapel, Acapella
11 AM, Sanctuary, Instrumental
10:15 AM, Bible Class & Discipleship for All Ages
Fellowship Hall
Between the Words: A gathering between our community’s two worship times where we unfold the facets of weekly Scripture together. Each week stands on its own; come as you’re able. Adults and teens welcome.
BEMA Podcast Discussion group
Room 220
BOYS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Bryan Wolfe
GIRLS 5th - 7th Grade, Formation Study w/ Den Slater
Roots: Children’s Discipleship through Godly Play
Bible Story Focus this Week: Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Light
Key Verse: John 14:1-14
Room 102, PreK - Kindergarten
Room 122, 1st - 2nd Grade
Room 209, 3rd - 4th Grade
Sunday Setlists
What if worship started before Sunday morning? Listening to these songs during the week can help build familiarity and allow the words to begin forming our hearts before we sing them together.
This Week’s Setlist
All 2026 Songs
Community Connections
Baby Shower This Sunday
The shepherds of our church family are delighted to host a Baby Celebration honoring three precious new arrivals—Baby Sample, Margot Villareal, and Baby Gohlke! Come shower these families with love and well wishes as we celebrate the beautiful gift of new life. All are welcome.
Join us Sunday, May 3rd at 12:30 PM at Charis Park. Registries are available at Babylist.com under Emily & Chris Gohlke, Sammie & Zach Sample, and Sarah & Jacob Villareal.
Community Plastic Bag Collection
Local artist and Sunset Ridge staff member Amy Lynn Johnson is partnering with the San Antonio River Foundation to create a large-scale cloud sculpture made primarily out of recycled materials. Sunset Ridge Collective is one of the collection spots for plastic bags and packaging donations for the artwork. All clean, soft plastic donations may be dropped off at the Collective office through Friday, May 8th. The final piece titled, Cloud Gazer, will be on display at Confluence Park from June 13th - 18th.
Upcoming Community Events
Every Saturday, 9 AM - 1 PM, Sunset Ridge Farmers Market, Charis Park
Wednesday, April 29, 6:00 - 8 PM, Last spring dinner in the Fellowship Hall. Childcare available.
Saturday, May 9, 8 AM - 1 PM, One Another Coffee Birthday Celebration
Sunday, May 10, 6:45 AM - 7:45 AM, Holding Space: A Sunrise Gathering For Mothers Who Carry Loss, Led by Grief Yoga expert Nicole Flannery, Charis Park
Monday, May 25, Office Closed for Memorial Day
Saturday, May 30, 8 AM - 1 PM, One Another Coffee & Nuevos Vecinos Thrift Pop-up, Fellowship Hall
Sunday, May 31, 5th Sunday, Kids in 11AM Worship Service
July 7 - 10, 9 AM - 12 PM, VBS Kinder - 5th, “Growing with God and Caring for Creation”
Beyond Sunday
A Trustworthy Voice
Den Slater, Pastor of Belonging and Formation, Sunset Ridge Church
Last week, our youth group read John 10, the section where Jesus speaks about sheep, gates, and voices. It may read simple at first, but it opens into something deeper the longer you sit with it, and one of our 10th-grade girls sat long enough to begin asking questions. Not surface-level questions, but the kind that come from someone really paying attention.
In the passage, Jesus talks about those who come to steal, kill, and destroy. She wanted to know: What are they trying to take? Is this about our souls? Or is it about our spirits? And is there a difference? As we circled those questions, she added that Jesus was the one who opened the gate, and I responded, “Wait, that’s not exactly right. He says he is the gate. He says it twice.” We went back and read it again. She looked up, surprised. “Wait. He’s the gate? Well, then, who’s the gatekeeper?” So many great questions!
Of course, we didn’t spend the entire evening in such seriousness. The conversation tumbled and wandered. At one point, we were talking about whether vampires have souls or if dogs go to heaven, but even in the middle of all that movement, something else was happening. I found myself less concerned with having the right answers and more aware of the way I was speaking.
As I sat with those young people, I realized I was standing in a gate-like moment. Questions, ideas, fears, and curiosity were all saturating the space. And in the middle of it, I wondered: Does my voice sound like the voice of Jesus right now? Not in perfection or having everything figured out, but in tone, in patience, and in the way I was responding to what was being asked. Does my voice create space for trust and love of God to grow?
It’s a question we should all ask because the answer stretches far beyond our small youth group.
Whether we are teachers, pastors, caregivers, or simply people who share our lives with others, we are always speaking into someone else’s becoming. In those moments, we are invited to point toward something beautiful, to bend our words toward the love that helps us discover the image of God. The voices around us may be many, but the voice of Christ remains steady, and others long to hear it.
As we move through this week, let’s try to remember that we don’t need everything figured out. We simply need to bring our curiosity to Christ and pay attention to the voices that try to shape our hearts. The voice of Christ is something we learn to recognize, and it’s also something we are called to carry within ourselves. Jesus says the sheep know his voice, and I can’t help but think again about that 10th grader. During youth group, I don’t know that we addressed every question, but what mattered was that a curious girl was definitely paying attention, asking real questions, and listening closely. May we all find ourselves in that same space often. We are being formed together as we learn the voice of Christ—the voice we trust.
Grace & Gratitude
Congratulations again to our graduating high school seniors, Kendall Barker, Ethan Heare, and Luca Lowry, who we joined in celebrating during the 11 AM service on Sunday!
