
Hot Seat Model: The Gospel (Eric)
04/09/25 • 45 min
In this episode of the Village Church's sermon podcast, Pastor Eric Cepin continues the Lenten series, The Hot Seat Model, by focusing on Jesus' place at the Table of Decision. Eric takes time to unpack what the Gospel truly is. He reflects on the invitation to receive Jesus’ story as our own—how it shapes our identity and calls us into a life marked by repentance, grounded in the Kingdom of God.
The Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose.
Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age.
The Village Church
[email protected]
More information at www.villagersonline.com
In this episode of the Village Church's sermon podcast, Pastor Eric Cepin continues the Lenten series, The Hot Seat Model, by focusing on Jesus' place at the Table of Decision. Eric takes time to unpack what the Gospel truly is. He reflects on the invitation to receive Jesus’ story as our own—how it shapes our identity and calls us into a life marked by repentance, grounded in the Kingdom of God.
The Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose.
Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age.
The Village Church
[email protected]
More information at www.villagersonline.com
Previous Episode

Hot Seat Model: The Enemy (Susan)
In this episode from the Village Church’s sermon podcast, Pastor Susan Cepin continues our teaching series on the Hot Seat Model. This model—crafted by her husband, Pastor Eric Cepin—is designed to help people slow down, pay attention to their emotional reactions, and begin tracing them back to the false beliefs shaping their lives. It also creates space to hear the voice of the Gospel, especially where it stands in sharp contrast to the Enemy’s heavy-handed lies. Pastor Susan walks us through what it looks like to sit across from the Enemy, recognize his tactics, and stand our ground in the truth of Christ.
The Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose.
Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age.
The Village Church
[email protected]
More information at www.villagersonline.com
Next Episode

Hot Seat Model: Getting Across the Table (Eric)
In the final sermon of the Hot Seat Model series, Pastor Eric teaches on what it looks like to help someone move across the table—from the side of false beliefs and chosen relief to the side of Jesus’ story, true identity, and life in the Kingdom. He focuses on how our God-given longings often get turned into demands, and how that shift can lead us away from trust and toward control.
Pastor Eric encourages the community to rely on the Holy Spirit—both in listening to God and in learning how to walk with one another. He emphasizes that helping someone isn’t about fixing them but staying present, asking good questions, and pointing them back to Jesus.
The sermon also includes specific ways to help people reconnect with the gospel: questions that surface what they believe, who they think they are, and what it might look like to respond to God rather than react to pain. The goal isn’t just awareness—it’s renewal. And that happens best in community, with the Spirit’s help.
The Village Church’s sermon podcast is more than just a weekly message. It is an invitation into the great and ongoing story of God’s work in the world. Pastors Eric, Mark, Susan, Daniel, and other leaders open the Scriptures not as a collection of abstract ideas but as the living, breathing witness to God’s kingdom breaking into our midst. Each episode is a call—not merely to listen, but to take part, to step forward into the life of faith with renewed vision and purpose.
Week by week, the pastors and leaders explore the deep rhythms of Christian discipleship—prayer, fasting, generosity—not as isolated duties but as part of a larger, richer, and more beautiful whole. They unpack these ancient practices in light of Jesus himself, the one in whom heaven and earth have come together. But they also turn their attention to the realities of everyday life—relationships, finances, the struggles and joys of being human—demonstrating how the gospel is not merely about what we believe but about how we live as God's renewed people in the present age.
The Village Church
[email protected]
More information at www.villagersonline.com
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