Podcast
Citadel
Hosted by Citadel · EN
Welcome to the weekly podcast of Citadel. We are a church in Forest Hills, Queens. We have set ourselves two main goals in everything we do... to know JESUS and to make JESUS known. To learn more, visit our website at www.citadelnyc.church or come visit us on Sundays. Our service time is at 10:30 am.
10episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Growing Into Maturity
Feb 400:22:02Tap to summarizeGrowing Into Maturity | Building Up the Body (Week 3)In Week 3 of Building Up the Body, we look at the kind of church God is forming when belonging and participation begin to take root. Drawing from Ephesians 4:1–16, this message explores what spiritual maturity really looks like — not measured by attendance or knowledge, but by a body that is actively building itself up in love.Paul reminds us that leaders are called to equip, not to carry everything themselves, and that the church grows healthy and stable when every part does its work. Maturity produces rootedness, shared responsibility, and resilience, as the people of God learn to move from passive faith into lived obedience.This message invites us to see participation not as pressure or obligation, but as one of the primary ways God forms us and strengthens the body together. When each part functions as it was designed to, the church grows — not by striving, but through love.If you’re looking for a church family or would like more information about Citadel, we’d love to connect with you. Visit citadelnyc.church or join us this Sunday.
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Every Part Matters
Jan 2000:26:58Tap to summarizeEvery Part Matters | Building Up the Body (Week 2)In Week 2 of Building Up the Body, we move from belonging to participation and ask a challenging but essential question: What does belonging look like in practice?Rooted in 1 Corinthians 12:14–27, this message reminds us that God intentionally places every person in the church and that every part of the body matters. Participation isn’t about pressure or filling gaps — it’s about shared responsibility and spiritual health. When one part disengages, the whole body feels it; when every part contributes, the body thrives.This message also confronts the lies that keep people on the sidelines — comparison, insecurity, and waiting for perfect clarity — and calls us toward humble obedience, where clarity often follows action.If you’re exploring your place in the life of the church or sensing God inviting you to take a next step, this message will help frame participation not as obligation, but as part of how God forms us together.If you’re looking for a church family or would like more information about Citadel, we’d love to connect with you. Visit citadelnyc.church or join us this Sunday.
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Built to Belong
Jan 1300:32:19Tap to summarizeBuilt to Belong | Identity Before ActivityWhat does it really mean to belong to the church?In Week 1 of our Building the Body series, we’re reminded that the church is not an event we attend or a service we consume — it’s a body we belong to. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 12:12–13, this message reframes church life around identity before activity, family before function, and grace before responsibility.At Citadel, belonging isn’t earned and value isn’t proven — it’s given by God. In this message, we explore what it means to move from attendance to belonging, and how true belonging naturally leads to shared life and responsibility.Whether you’re new to church or have been around for years, this message grounds us again in who we are together in Christ — one body, many parts, built by grace.If you’re looking for a church family or want more information about Citadel, we’d love to connect with you. Visit citadelnyc.church or join us this Sunday.
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Everlasting Father
Dec 900:38:32Tap to summarizeThis week at Citadel, we continue our Advent journey by looking at Jesus as our Everlasting Father—the One whose love is unchanging, whose presence is trustworthy, and whose heart welcomes us into His family. In a season that often highlights loneliness, longing, or the ache of fractured relationships, Jesus reveals a Father who comes close, restores, adopts, and calls us His own.Craig unpacks Isaiah 9:6, John 14, Romans 8, Luke 2, Psalm 68, and Luke 15, showing how the incarnation is God’s movement toward us—that Jesus didn’t just come to save sinners, but to adopt sons and daughters, restore identity, and bring us home. You’ll hear how the Father sees you, comes close to you, lavishes grace on you, and forms you into the image of His Son.If this message encouraged you, share it with someone who needs belonging or hope this season. To stay connected, join us Sundays in Forest Hills or visit citadelnyc.church, and may you experience the nearness of the Everlasting Father this week.
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Mighty God
Dec 300:26:24Tap to summarizeThis week at Citadel, we continue our Advent journey by looking at Jesus as our Mighty God — the One who brings strength into our weakness and power into the places where we feel overwhelmed. In a season where pressure rises and our limits are exposed, His presence meets us with courage, protection, and peace.Craig unpacks Isaiah 9:6, Psalm 46, Philippians 4, 2 Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 6, showing how Jesus fights for us, strengthens us, guards our hearts, and equips us for the real battles beneath the surface of our lives. You’ll hear why true strength is found not in striving but in surrender, how God’s power is made perfect in weakness, and how peace comes when we stand in the strength of His might.If this message encouraged you, share it with someone who needs hope or strength this season. To stay connected, join us Sundays in Forest Hills or visit citadelnyc.church, and may the Mighty God strengthen you this week.
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Wonderful Counselor
Nov 2600:31:40Tap to summarizeThis week at Citadel, we begin our Advent journey by looking at Jesus as our Wonderful Counselor — the One who brings supernatural wisdom into our confusion and weary places. In a season filled with noise and pressure, His voice still speaks with clarity, peace, and truth.Craig unpacks Isaiah 9:6, and John 16:13, showing how the Holy Spirit guides, convicts, comforts, and leads us into all truth. You’ll hear the difference between conviction and condemnation, why Jesus’ guidance always comes with His presence, and how hope is restored when we listen to the Counselor who never leaves us.If this message strengthened you, share it with someone who needs wisdom or encouragement this season. To stay connected, join us Sundays in Forest Hills or visit citadelnyc.church and may the Wonderful Counselor guide you this week.
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Acts 4 - A Devoted Church - Darian Venerable
Sep 1200:39:58Tap to summarizeWELCOME TO CITADEL CHURCH ONLINE!We’re so glad you’re here! Whether you’re part of the Citadel family or exploring faith, we believe this message will encourage and challenge you.This week, we had the joy of welcoming Darian Venerable, lead pastor of Upward Call Church in Chino CA, to bring a powerful stand-alone message on Acts 4 - Being a Devoted Church.This message will stir your faith, challenge your assumptions, and remind you of what’s possible when we say yes to the invitation of Jesus.Whether you're part of the Citadel family or listening in from afar, we're so glad you're here. Let this message shape how you live, love, and walk in the Kingdom.Each week, we gather to worship Jesus, open Scripture, and lean into what God is saying to us as a church. Whether you're part of the Citadel family or just checking things out, we’re so glad you're here. These messages are designed to help you follow Jesus in everyday life and be part of something bigger—His Kingdom.So grab a coffee, lean in, and let’s grow together.FIND OUT MORE ABOUT US:Website: www.citadelnyc.churchInstagram: @citadelnyc_church
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7 - The Readiness of the Kingdom - Craig Herbert
Sep 1000:35:34Tap to summarizeWELCOME TO CITADEL CHURCH ONLINE!We’re so excited to connect with you this week! We pray you’re blessed and that you find a place to belong here in our community.Right now, we’re in a series called Secrets of the Kingdom: Stories Jesus Told That Change Everything.Jesus often spoke in parables - simple stories with deep truths about God’s Kingdom and how we’re invited to live in it. Each week, we’re exploring one of these powerful stories and what it means for our lives today.➡ This is our last parable:🪔 The Readiness of the Kingdom (Matthew 25:1–13)We close out our Secrets of the Kingdom series with Jesus’ parable of the Ten Virgins. The story paints a vivid picture of a wedding feast, bridesmaids waiting in the night, lamps burning, and a midnight cry: “Here is the Bridegroom!”The message is clear: the Kingdom is urgent. Readiness can’t be borrowed or delayed — it must be personal, daily, and urgent. Jesus may delay His coming, but when He arrives, it will be too late to scramble. The question for all of us is simple: Do I have oil in my lamp? Am I ready to meet Him?Join us as we end this series with a call to live awake, filled with the Spirit, and faithful until He comes.Each week, we gather to worship Jesus, open Scripture, and lean into what God is saying to us as a church. Whether you’re part of the Citadel family or just checking things out, we’re so glad you’re here. These messages are designed to help you follow Jesus in everyday life and be part of something bigger - His Kingdom.FIND OUT MORE ABOUT US:Website: www.citadelnyc.churchInstagram: citadelnyc_church
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The Reckoning and Investment of the Kingdom - Daniel & Jessica Rivera
Aug 2800:38:21Tap to summarizeWELCOME TO CITADEL CHURCH ONLINE!We’re so excited to connect with you this week! We pray you’re blessed and that you find a place to belong here in our community.Right now, we’re in a series called Secrets of the Kingdom: Stories Jesus Told That Change Everything.Jesus often spoke in parables - simple stories with deep truths about God’s Kingdom and how we’re invited to live in it. Each week, we’re exploring one of these powerful stories and what it means for our lives today.➡ This week, we had 2 parables:⚖️ The Reckoning of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:47–50)Jesus compared the Kingdom to a fishing net that gathers every kind of fish. At the end of the age, there will be a sorting — the righteous kept, the wicked cast away. It’s a sobering reminder that being caught in the net isn’t the same as being kept in the Kingdom. Our present response shapes our eternal destiny. The call is to trust Jesus fully, live faithfully, and be ready for the harvest.💰 The Investment of the Kingdom (Matthew 25:14–30)In the Parable of the Talents, a master entrusts his servants with immense wealth and expects them to multiply it. Jesus points to something greater than money: the priceless gift of His love, forgiveness, and salvation. Faithfulness is fruitfulness. We are called to receive His grace, invest it in others, and extend His love so that His Kingdom grows.Together these parables remind us: the Kingdom is weighty, eternal, and demands both accountability and action. What we do with God’s gifts today shapes what we will hear on that day: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your master.”Each week, we gather to worship Jesus, open Scripture, and lean into what God is saying to us as a church. Whether you’re part of the Citadel family or just checking things out, we’re so glad you’re here. These messages are designed to help you follow Jesus in everyday life and be part of something bigger - His Kingdom.FIND OUT MORE ABOUT US:Website: www.citadelnyc.churchInstagram: citadelnyc_church
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The Invitation and the Responsibility of the Kingdom - William Mazzoli and Daniel Cole
Aug 2000:27:16Tap to summarizeWELCOME TO CITADEL CHURCH ONLINE!We’re so excited to connect with you this week! We pray you’re blessed and that you find a place to belong here in our community.Right now, we’re in a series called Secrets of the Kingdom: Stories Jesus Told That Change Everything.Jesus often spoke in parables - simple stories with deep truths about God’s Kingdom and how we’re invited to live in it. Each week, we’re exploring one of these powerful stories and what it means for our lives today.➡ This week, we had 2 parables:🍽️ The Invitation of the Kingdom (Luke 14:15–24)Jesus tells the story of a great banquet where the invited guests make excuses and miss out. Instead, the master opens the doors wide to the poor, crippled, blind, and lame. The Kingdom welcomes the outsider — but not everyone says yes. The challenge is to never doubt your place at the table, and to be fully present when you sit down. “Everything is now ready.”🍇 The Responsibility of the Kingdom (Matthew 21:33–46)In the parable of the tenants, Jesus reminds us that what we do with God’s gifts determines what we receive. Kingdom authority is not ours to own — it’s entrusted to us. True accountability is revealed in the hidden moments, when it’s just us and Jesus. The call is to live with integrity and obedience, trusting that God is in control.Together these parables reveal the heartbeat of the Kingdom: you are invited in — and entrusted with much.Each week, we gather to worship Jesus, open Scripture, and lean into what God is saying to us as a church. Whether you’re part of the Citadel family or just checking things out, we’re so glad you’re here. These messages are designed to help you follow Jesus in everyday life and be part of something bigger - His Kingdom.FIND OUT MORE ABOUT US:Website: www.citadelnyc.churchInstagram: citadelnyc_church
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