Likewise Church

06/18/2026

This Sunday at Likewise

Kingdom Come
Parable of the Mustard Seed - Matthew 13:31–32

There’s something in us that is naturally drawn to what is big, popular, and impressive.

We notice what’s visible, influential, and powerful. Big crowds. Big impact. Big results. We often assume that’s where the most meaningful things are happening.

But in Matthew 13:31–32, Jesus tells a story that turns that way of thinking upside down.

He says the Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed—the smallest of seeds, something easy to overlook. Something you could miss without ever realizing its value, or worse, assume doesn’t matter at all. Yet over time, it grows into something so large and full of life that birds come and rest in its branches.
In other words, the Kingdom of God doesn’t begin the way we expect. It doesn’t arrive with noise, spectacle, or immediate results. It begins small. Quiet. Almost hidden.

And if we’re honest, that can be frustrating.

We want to see immediate change. We want visible results in our lives, our families, and our church. We want evidence that something significant is happening right now.

But Jesus invites us to trust something deeper—that God is at work in ways that don’t always seem impressive at first. Small acts of obedience. Small steps of faith. Small moments of surrender. These things are not insignificant. In fact, this is often how the Kingdom grows.

So perhaps the better questions aren’t about results, recognition, or influence.

Instead, we might ask:
Am I being faithful with what Jesus has already has already asked of me?
Where is He calling me to obey, even if no one notices?
What small step of repentance, humility, or surrender am I resisting right now?
And am I willing to follow Him there, even when it feels small, slow, and unseen?

See you this Sunday at Likewise,
Pastor Josh

06/15/2026

06/11/2026

This Sunday at Likewise

Kingdom Come
Matthew 13:24–30 — The Parable of the Weeds

There’s something deeply unsettling about discovering that not everything in the “field” is what it appears to be.

At first glance, everything looks good—healthy, growing, full of promise. But over time, almost imperceptibly, something else begins to emerge. Something that doesn’t belong. Something that looks similar to the healthy crop, yet isn’t the same.

And the question quickly rises: What do we do about it?

This is exactly the tension Jesus steps into in Matthew 13:24–30. He tells a story of a farmer who sows good seed in his field, but during the night an enemy comes and sows weeds among the wheat. Now both are growing together—side by side, intertwined in the same soil in the farmer’s field.

When the servants notice this, they ask the question we would likely ask ourselves: “Do you want us to pull them up?”

We can relate to this question. We want clarity, separation, and resolution. We want things to be clean, obvious, and dealt with—now. But the farmer’s response is unexpected, even unsettling: “No… let both grow together until the harvest.”

This is more than a farming story—it’s a window into the Kingdom of God.

Once again, we’re reminded that the Kingdom is not as immediate or as simple as we often expect. Good and evil exist side by side. Truth and deception grow within the same spaces. And God, in His patience, allows time—not because He is indifferent, but because He is purposeful.

This parable confronts a reality we often resist: the Kingdom of God is present, but not yet complete.

And it leaves us with deeper questions:
How do we live faithfully in a world where wheat and weeds grow together?
Why does God not remove evil immediately?
And what does it mean to trust His timing instead of forcing our own?

Because in the end, this story is not just about a field.
It’s about the kind of King God is, the kind of Kingdom He is building, and how we find ourselves growing within it.

Looking forward to this Sunday at Likewise,
Pastor Josh Burt

06/04/2026

This Sunday at Likewise
Kingdom Come
Matthew 13:1–23 — The Parable of the Sower

Have you ever wondered why people can hear the same message and respond so differently? The same Bible. The same Truth. The same moment. One life is transformed, while another remains unchanged.

This week, we begin a new series called “Kingdom Come.”
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be exploring the Parables of Jesus, seeing how He didn’t simply tell stories, but revealed spiritual truths through everyday situations. The word parable comes from the Greek meaning “to throw alongside.” Jesus placed these stories alongside His Truth so that His listeners could understand, relate, and discover deeper meaning.

We begin with the Parable of the Sower, where Jesus explains why the same truth can produce different responses in different people.

A farmer scatters seed. The same seed. The same sower. But different soil. And everything depends on where the seed lands. Jesus says this is what the Kingdom of God is like. He’s speaking about more than a future hope. God’s Kingdom is here. His Word is going out, and His invitation is real.

Yet His Word does not take root in every heart the same way. So the question isn’t, “Is God speaking?” The question is, “How am I receiving?”

Because the condition of the soil determines the fruit of the Kingdom. And before we look “out there,” Jesus brings the focus back to each one of us by asking, “What kind of soil are you?”

When we pray, “Your Kingdom come,” we are inviting God to do more than move around us—we are asking Him to work within us: to soften what is hard, clear away what is crowded, and deepen what is shallow. What you do with His Word will either produce growth in your life or reveal that nothing ever truly took root.

See you this Sunday at Likewise,
Pastor Josh

06/01/2026

What a wonderful time of fellowship we shared at the campground! It was such a blessing to gather together, enjoy each other’s company, and spend time with our church family. We were thankful for everyone who was able to join us, and we certainly missed those who couldn’t make it. Looking forward to continuing to Live Likewise, together!

05/28/2026

This Sunday, at Likewise

This coming Sunday is a 5th Sunday (May 31st) and we will have a chance to come together and fellowship, break bread, and pray with each other!

Instead of meeting up at Barry County Christian School, we will be meeting up at the Campground (9396 Sycamore Ln, Vermontville).

This is an awesome chance to BE together and share together all that God has done and is doing.
We will grill hot dogs and hamburgers, bring a side to share! Also, bring lawn chairs or/and picnic blankets for your family.

Acts 2:42 “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayer.”

05/25/2026

Live Likewise this week by showing up for others intentionally, encouraging the people around you, and reflecting God’s gracious and faithful heart through community.

05/22/2026

This Sunday, at Likewise

Foundations - Community
Galatians 6:10 Hebrews 10:24-25

There’s a deep hunger in our world right now—not just for connection, but for real community. Not surface-level relationships, not occasional check-ins or check-ups, but a kind of life together where people are known, encouraged, and carried when they’re weak.

The writer of Hebrews speaks directly into that need in Hebrews 10:24–25 “Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together… but encouraging one another.”

That word consider is intentional. It means we don’t just hope community happens—we think about it, we plan for it, we pursue it. Biblical community is not accidental; it’s cultivated. It’s a people who show up, who stir one another, who love and care for one another.

And then Paul pushes it even further in Galatians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Community isn’t just gathering—it’s doing good. It’s active. It’s sacrificial. It’s choosing to invest in one another, especially within the family of God.

But if you’re anything like me you’re asking, “Why should we live this way? What is the foundation for this kind of community?”

The answer takes us back to Exodus 34:6–7, where God reveals His own character:
“The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…”

This is not just who God is—this is who God is forming us to be.

In other words, Christian community is the visible expression of God’s invisible character.

So when we commit to one another, when we show up for one another, when we serve, forgive, and encourage one another - we’re not just building community, we’re reflecting the very heart of God to the world that desperately needs the intentional community of God!

See you this Sunday at Likewise
Pastor Josh Burt

05/18/2026

Live Likewise this week by staying connected to Jesus, walking faithfully in His love, and allowing your obedience to reflect His character to others.