Sermons are listed below with the most recent sermons first. Sermons may be browsed by date, books of the Bible, speaker, and more. Check back often for updates.
Packed & Ready?
This week we begin a four-week journey of Advent called Road Trip. Advent is the time leading up to Christmas where we eagerly wait and prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth. It’s about anticipating the joy, hope, and love that Jesus brings into our world. During this season that is often filled with the nostalgia of Christmases past, we often find ourselves traveling to spend time with family and friends; our vehicles packed to the brim. There’s…
After Giving Thanks
As we conclude our brief series on gratitude, the text for this week is familiar. The story of the feeding of the five thousand is in all four Gospels, though some of the details are differentAnd in three of the Gospels, it is linked to the story of Jesus walking on water. Consider what it must have felt like to be in one of these settings… Scripture: John 6:5-23 (CEB)
In Everything
The opening verse this week is, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.” Consider someone in your life who acts this way. This doesn’t mean, even as we approach Thanksgiving, that there isn’t room for grief or sadness. Suffering can hit us even during the holiday season. Even in this suffering, God offers care and grace. Scripture: Philippians 4:4-13 (NRSVue)
Enter the Gates
This week we begin a new 3-week series on gratitude called Our Hymn of Grateful Praise. Through these few weeks, we will explore the essential nature of gratitude in our lives and in our faith. This first Sunday, we begin with a psalm of thanks. I think expressing gratitude is essential for us, and sometimes I wonder if we have lost that practice. I’m sure I’ve spoken before about how terrible I am at remembering to write Thank-You cards! I’m…
Wrestling with Favor
Have you ever wanted to walk on water? Have you ever wanted to stand out? Have you ever wanted to be the favorite? Careful what you wish for! Scripture: Genesis 37:1-4, 19-28; Romans 10:10-13; Matthew 14:22-33 (CEB)
Wrestling with Legacy
Like Jacob who wrestles an angel, we all wrestled with our own legacy. Today we will look to the past in order to plan for the future. Scripture: Genesis 32: 22-31; Matthew 14: 13-21
Called to Be One
This week we conclude our 6-week series called Unity in Diversity: The Beauty of The United Methodist Church. As we conclude this series, we are guided by the culmination of Jesus’ farewell discourse in the Gospel of John. Indeed, the verse that follows this selection finds Jesus going to the garden on the other side of the Kidron Valley. In this text, Jesus has been taking this final opportunity to teach, to pray, and to prepare the disciples—his friends—for his…
United, Not Uniform
The church at Corinth began to follow the ways of the Greek and Roman temples by creating “mini gods” of their teachers and dividing themselves according to which teacher they preferred. The Apostle Paul admonishes them for setting human influence over the Gospel of Christ. We can all claim our favorite preachers, theology books, hymns, or styles of worship. We are not called to be uniform in our preferences; however, we must never create “mini gods” of those preferences. We,…
Celebrating our Diverse Heritage
Video and audio podcast for July 16th, 2023. Scripture: Acts 15:1-18 (CEB)
Strength in Connexion
Pastor Tara continues our series on Unity in Diversity: The Beauty of The United Methodist Church. In earlier weeks, we explored the structure and systems in place that make the UMC a “connectional” church. This week’s message illustrates how this connectionalism strengthens our congregations and strengthens our denomination. Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-7,11-16 (CEB)
Embracing Theological Diversity
The United Methodist Church spans the globe and there is rich theological diversity. Even in this diversity, we agree on a few key elements. This is not new to the church today! Paul wrote about this in his letter to the Romans, John Wesley preached a sermon on it, and as we read Wesley’s sermons we see that he–and we–can evolve theologically. Scripture: Romans 14:1-12 (CEB)
One Body, Many Parts
Whether you are new to this congregation or have been a part since the beginning, you know that we are diverse in our history, our background, our education and socio-economic status, our theology, our age, and so much more! Enriched by this diversity, we are a church family who cares for and prays for one another, a church family who lifts one another up, a church family who nurtures and loves. We do not do these things because we are…