Downtown Church: Memphis, TN
Downtown Church
Listen to sermons from Downtown Church in Memphis, TN.
Episodes
Called Out For the Work of Christ (Philippians 1:27-30) - Michael Davis
Recorded October 11, 2026
Living For Christ, Dying to Christ (Philippians 1:18b-26) - Sir Gregory Thornton
Recorded October 4, 2026Main Idea: Christ is your hope and greatest gain, so live with purpose.
There is Joy in the Gospel (Philippians 1:1-18) - Sir Gregory Thornton
September 27. 2026Main Idea: Find joy and purpose in Christ being proclaimed and the gospel advanced.
Love God | Love Each Other (1 John 4:7-12, 19-21) - Sir Gregory Thornton
September 20, 2026Main Idea: Because Jesus displayed his love for you by laying his life down, you are now called and empowered to lay down your life in love for others.
Common Grace That's Actually Quite Incredible (Genesis 1:26-28 NIV) - Dr. Wayne Denny
September 13, 2026
Waiting On My New Body (1 Corinthians 15:50-58) - Sir Gregory Thornton
September 6, 2026Main Idea: Because Christ has been raised and will raise His people, give yourself fully to the Lord’s work, knowing your labor is not in vain.
The Pain in Providence (Genesis 50:15-20) - Sir Gregory Thornton
August 30, 2026Providence: God’s sovereign, wise, and active work in sustaining and directing all things to accomplish His will and His purposes.Main Idea: God, in His providence, works through pain and even the evil intentions of people to accomplish His good plans for salvation, deliverance, and blessing.
The Holy Spirit and True Freedom (Galatians 5:13-26) - Dr. Wayne Denny
August 23, 2026
Jesus, Second to None! ( Colossians 1:15-20) - Sir Gregory Thornton
August 16, 2026
The God Who Loves the Unlovable (Hosea 1:1-2:1, 3:1-3 NIV) - Sir Gregory Thornton
August 9, 2026Main Idea: Because God is a holy, good, and faithful Father, He judges our sin, dismantles our idols, and relentlessly pursues us to draw us back to Himself.
The Gospel of Prosperity (Psalm 27) - Sir Gregory Thornton
August 2, 2026
Trust and See that God is Good (Psalm 34) - Josh Shelley
July 26, 2026I. Called to Praise (34:1-7)II. Invited to Experience (34:8-14)III. Encouraged to Find Hope (34:15-22)
Thanks be to God (Psalm 100) - Artez Henderson
July 12, 2026Big idea: Our lives should be overflowing with praise and thankfulness because of God’s goodness, love and faithfulness towards us.
Waiting on God (Psalm 130) - Dr. Wayne Denny
July 5, 2026
Trust the Lord Above All Others (Psalm 118: 1-22) - Ali Chambers
June 28, 2026Big Idea: In our distress, we take refuge in the steadfast love of God, trust Him above all others, and walk in hope because the Lord fights for us.
Three Decrees of a Sheep (Psalm 23) - Sir Gregory Thornton
June 21, 2026Decree #1 - I shall not want because of the Lord's PROVISION (vv. 1-3)Decree #2 - I shall not fear because of the Lord's PRESENCE (vv. 4-5)Decree #3 - I shall dwell because of the Lord's PURSUIT (v. 6)
Which Way Are You Going? (Psalm 1) - Steve Johnson
June 14, 2026
Discipleship (2 Timothy 1:1-7) - Willie Baldwin
June 7, 2026Main Idea: God commands every believer to make disciples by walking with people, modeling faith, and multiplying the Gospel.
God’s Mission and Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13) - Dr. Wayne Denny
May 31, 2026Main idea: God’s Mission for a multi-ethnic people of God requires the long work of the Holy Spirit.
I am The Vine: Connection to Jesus Bears Much Fruit and Joy in Love (John 15:1-17) - Howard Graham
May 24, 2026Main Idea: Abide — remain Connected to Jesus for assurance and for the joyful, abundant, fruitful life you were made to live.
I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:1-6) - Bradley Morrow
May 17, 2026
I Am The Resurrection and The Life: Witnesses Restore To The Image of God (John 11:17-27) - Michael Davis
May 10, 2026
I AM the Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18) - Josh Shelley
May 3, 2026
I AM the Door of the Sheep (John 10:7-10) - Denny Catalano
April 26, 2026
I AM the Light of the World (John 8:12) - Michael Davis
April 19, 2026
Right Answers to Wrong Questions (John 6:25-35) - Sir Gregory Thornton
April 12, 2026Main Idea: Jesus didn’t come just to give bread but to be the bread that satisfies your soul. 1. A Question of PURSUIT vv. 25-272. A Question of PERFORMANCE vv. 28-293. A Question of PROOF vv. 30-35
Looking for Life in Dead Places (Luke 24:1-12) - Sir Gregory Thornton
April 5, 2026Luke 24:1-12 ESV24 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. 5 And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” 8 And they remembered his words, 9 and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them. 12 But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.Main Idea: We search for life in dead places, but the resurrection shows that true life is only found in Jesus.
The Road of a True King (Luke 19:28-44) - Dr. Sandy Willson
March 29, 2026
The Road of Surrender (Luke 22:39-46) - Dr. Wayne Denny
March 22, 2026
The Road of Sacrifice (Isaiah 53:1-12) - Britton Wakefield
March 15, 2026MAIN IDEA: Our Savior Did Not Come As A Conquering King, But As A Suffering ServantI. Rejected By Them (vv. 1-3)II. Suffered For Them (vv. 4-9)III. Secured Righteousness For Them (vv. 10-12)
The Road of Humility (Philippians 2:5-11) - Sir Gregory Thornton
March 8, 2026Main Idea: Love led Jesus down in humility, to lift us up in His glory. 1. Jesus EMPTIED Himself to REACH humanity. V. 6-72. Jesus HUMBLED Himself to SAVE humanity. V. 83. The Father EXALTED Jesus as Lord OVER humanity. V. 9-11
You Need a King! (Judges 21:25) - Sir Gregory Thornton
March 1, 2026
This is not George and Martha Washington (Judges 16:15-30) - Dr. Sandy Willson
February 22, 2026
Seeking the Face of God: God's Faithfulness Revealed Through Our Powerlessness (Judges 13:1-5, 14:1-9) - Michael Davis
February 15, 2026Judges 13:1-5, 14:1-9And the people of Israel again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, so the Lord gave them into the hand of the Philistines for forty years.There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. And his wife was barren and had no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, “Behold, you are barren and have not borne children, but you shall conceive and bear a son. Therefore be careful and drink no wine or strong drink, and eat nothing unclean, for behold, you shall conceive and bear a son. No razor shall come upon his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb, and he shall begin to save Israel from the hand of the Philistines.”Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, “I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.” But his father and mother said to him, “Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.” His father and mother did not know that it was from the Lord, for he was seeking an opportunity against the Philistines. At that time the Philistines ruled over Israel.Then Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and they came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion came toward him roaring. Then the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him, and although he had nothing in his hand, he tore the lion in pieces as one tears a young goat. But he did not tell his father or his mother what he had done. Then he went down and talked with the woman, and she was right in Samson's eyes.After some days he returned to take her. And he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees in the body of the lion, and honey. He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went. And he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had scraped the honey from the carcass of the lion.Big Idea: God's story of deliverance doesn't end with defeat or death, so we must live into our powerless posture to reveal the grace of God.
The Blessing of Weakness (Judges 7:1-7a) - Sir Gregory Thornton
Main Idea: God protects us from pride by placing us in weakness, so we learn to rely solely upon Him.1. God gives you STRENGTH by making you weak. (vs.1-8)2. God gives you ASSURANCE when you are afraid. (vs. 9-15)3. God gives the VICTORY in Him. (vs. 19-23)
Fearing the Wrong Thing (Judges 6:11-24) - Dr. Wayne Denny
February 1, 2026
When Life Leaves You Thirsty, Jesus is Enough (John 4:3-14) - Sir Gregory Thornton
January 25, 2026
An Unusual Generosity (Acts 2:36-47) - Todd Erickson
January 18, 2026 Acts 2:36-47“Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”
"Out With the Old, In With the New" (Colossians 3:1-14) - Sir Gregory Thornton
Colossians 3:1-14If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.*Please note: This week’s sermon podcast had a few technical hiccups, so the audio quality isn’t our usual standard. We still felt it was important to share, as we continue to seek the Lord in 2026! We hope it encourages you.
Shepherds! Why Not? (Luke 2:8-20) - Dr. Julian Russell
December 14, 2025Main Idea: In His coming to earth, Jesus became God’s gift to us, so that by faith, we may become extensions of God’s gift to others.
God so Loves the World (Isaiah 9:1-7) - Dr. Julian Russell
December 7, 2025
His Name is Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25) - Sir Gregory Thornton
November 30, 2025Main Idea: Like Joseph, understanding the nature, mission, and promise of Jesus moves us to trust and obey God.
God Cares for You (1 Peter 5:1-7) - Sir Gregory Thornton
November 23, 2025
Suffering Well with Wisdom, Blessing, and Community (1 Peter 4:7-19) - Dr. Wayne Denny
November 16, 2025
Can Any Good Thing Come Out of Suffering? (1 Peter 3:8-17) - Dr. Julian Russell
November 9, 2025Big Idea: Our response to suffering is out of love for others, taking every opportunity to point them to Jesus. This courage under fire is born within us when we exchange the fear of man for the fear of God.
4 Principles To Help Us Stand Firm In a Shifting World (1 Peter 2:13-25) - Dr. Julian Russell
November 2, 20251 Peter 2:13-25Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God. Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Know and Live the Gospel (1 Peter 1:1-16) - Dr. Julian Russell
October 19, 2025
The Lord God Reigns (Daniel 7:9-14, 27) - Sir Gregory Thornton
October 12, 2025Main Idea: We worship Christ alone no matter what we may face because The Lord God reigns forever.
Remember! (Daniel 6:1-16) - Dr. Julian Russell
October 5, 2025Big Idea: God, by His Holy Spirit, has enabled us to remain in a posture of confidence in Him, no matter the chaos that seeks to surround and overwhelm us.
From Foolish Pride to Fervent Praise (Daniel 4:28-37) - Dr. Julian Russell
September 28, 2025