HOTLCAST
Join the Heart O The Lakes Team as they talk about everything from theology to lifestyle to worldview!
Episodes
302 episodes
[SERMON] Viz. — Clarifying What Matters Most
What does it mean to be clear about what you believe? In this message, Pastor Cyle Young of Heart o' the Lakes Church dives into one small but powerful word — viz. — found in the church's statement of faith. This Latin abbreviation meaning "nam...
Is it a Sin to get a Tattoo? | Faith Questions
Is getting a tattoo a sin? Cyle, Cody, and Ryan tackle one of the church's most debated questions on this episode of Faith Questions. From Leviticus 19:28 to Paul's letters on Christian freedom, they dig into what the Old and New Testaments act...
Back on the Main Quest: Living for What Actually Counts
Cyle, Cody, Ryan, and Mark wrap up the Side Quest sermon series by tackling the ultimate Main Quest — knowing Christ and making Him known. After a fun detour into video games, card games, and the future of nursing homes, the crew gets into the ...
[SERMON] The Main Quest — Knowing Jesus and Making Him Known | Side Quest Life
In this concluding message of the "Side Quest" series, the speaker uses the world of video games as a lens to examine life's ultimate purpose. Drawing from John 17:3, Matthew 28, Philippians 3:8, and Ephesians 2:8–9, he challenges listeners to ...
Do Pets Go to Heaven? | Faith Questions
Do dogs go to heaven? It's one of the most personal questions people ask about faith — and in this episode of Faith Questions, we dig into what the Bible actually says. We explore the difference between humans and animals in scr...
People Quest: How NPCs in Life Point Us to Jesus
In this episode of the HOTLCast, Cyle, Matt, Ryan, and Mark dive deep into the "Side Quest Life" series — exploring how the people around us (your real-life NPCs) are never just background characters. From Salvation Army bell ringers to card ga...
[SERMON] People Are the Quest: Seeing Others the Way Jesus Did | Side Quest Life
In this third installment of the Side Quest Life series, Pastor Cyle uses the concept of non-playable characters (NPCs) from video games to challenge listeners to stop treating people like background noise. Drawing from Matthew 9:35–38...
Side Quests, Main Quests, and Following the Light of God
In this episode of the HOTLCast, hosts Cyle, Ryan, Carver, and Mark celebrate some exciting church milestones — new leadership roles, a booming youth ministry, and a bold hair-dye dare — before diving deep into their series Side Quest Life<...
[SERMON] The Light: Living on the Main Quest with Jesus | Side Quest Life
Pastor Cyle uses the video game metaphor of a "quest line" to challenge believers to stop wandering through life's side quests — hobbies, distractions, and self-directed living — and intentionally return to following Jesus as the one true path....
Stop Chasing Side Quests: Finding Your Main Life Mission
In this episode of the HOTLCast, Matt, Ryan, Cody, and Mark, unpack the concept of "Side Quest Life" — the tendency to get so distracted by life's detours that we lose sight of what truly matters. From Skyrim analogies to therapy culture and so...
[SERMON] The Map: Don't Miss the Main Quest | Side Quest Life
Using the world of video games as his lens, Pastor Cyle challenges his congregation to recognize the difference between life's endless "side quests" — hobbies, sports, schedules, and responsibilities — and the one thing that truly matters: know...
Getting Unstuck: How Community and Faith Move You Forward
In this episode of the HOTLCast, Cyle, Matt, Ryan, and Mark dive into what it really means to be stuck — whether it's relationally, emotionally, financially, or spiritually — and what it takes to break free. Drawing from a real-life sandbar res...
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[SERMON] Built to Stand: Building Your Foundation Before the Storm
Drawing from Matthew 7:24–27 and 2 Corinthians 6:2, Pastor Cyle challenges the congregation to stop delaying action on life's hidden problems. Using a vivid personal story of getting stranded on a sandbar in the Florida Keys as an approaching s...
The Empty Tomb Changes Everything — Live Like You're Alive
In this Easter special edition of the HOTLCast, Cyle, Cody, Ryan, and Mark dive deep into why the empty tomb matters more than most Christians realize — and how living resurrection life looks radically different from a shame-and-guilt cycle. Wi...
[SERMON] Rise Up: The Power of the Empty Tomb | Easter 2026
In this Easter message, Pastor Cyle declares that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is not merely a historical event but a present-day power available to every person. Anchored in Matthew 28 and Romans 8:11, the sermon reveals that the stone was...
Why Youth Ministry Changes Everything — Faith, Fun, and Real Community
Pastor Cody Morehead and the team at The Lodge sit down to talk about why student ministry is one of the most powerful investments a family can make. From summer camps to spontaneous gas station hangouts, they unpack how fun builds the foundati...
[SERMON] Hosanna: Don't Just Wave the Branch
On Palm Sunday, the crowds shouted "Hosanna" — a word meaning "save us" — as Jesus entered Jerusalem, yet within days most had disappeared when the cost became real. Drawing from John 12, Luke 19, Psalm 118, and Zechariah 9:9, this message call...
The Hardest Idol to Destroy Is the One in Your Mirror
In this episode of the HOTL Cast, Cyle, Matt, Ryan, and Mark dive deep into their "False Idols" series with an honest, unfiltered conversation about the idol of self — how we subtly (and not so subtly) put ourselves at the center of our own wor...
[SERMON] Dethroned: The Idol of Self | False Idols
In the final message of the False Idols series, Pastor Cyle confronts the most dangerous idol of all — the self. Drawing from Genesis 3, Luke 9, Romans 1, Jeremiah 17, Proverbs 3, and Galatians 2:20, he traces the root of self-worship ...
The Church Traps That Keep You From Christ
In this episode of the HOTLCast, Cyle, Matt, Mark, and Ryan dive deep into a series on modern-day idols — but with a twist: the focus is on the spiritual traps that trip up even the most devoted believers. From the "Corinth Trap" of knowledge w...
[SERMON] What Might Be Trapping You? | False Idols
Idols may seem like something from ancient history—golden statues and carved images worshiped in temples. But the truth is, idolatry hasn’t disappeared. It has simply changed form.In this message, we explore how the human heart still cre...
Breaking Free from Modern Idols: A Spiritual Self-Check
What if your greatest blessings have quietly become your biggest distractions? In this honest conversation, the hosts explore how everyday things—sports, hobbies, even church attendance metrics—can shift from blessings to idols without us reali...
[SERMON] Hidden Idols: What Really Has Your Heart? | False Idols
Pastor Cyle challenges the congregation to examine what truly controls their hearts beyond the obvious statues and golden calves of ancient times. Through personal stories—including his struggle with Michigan football fandom—he reveals how mode...
What Do Donuts and Shame Have in Common?
Join hosts Cyle, Cody, and Ryan as they tackle the crucial difference between guilt and shame through hilarious personal stories and genuine pastoral wisdom. From lost snorkel masks to a legendary Krispy Kreme incident, they explore how confess...
[SERMON] Guilt vs. Shame: Understanding God's Restoration
Drawing from a humorous snorkeling mishap, Pastor Cyle unpacks the crucial difference between guilt and shame. While guilt says "I did a bad thing" and leads to restoration, shame says "I am a bad person" and keeps us trapped in the enemy's lie...
