Sermon Scripture: 1 Timothy 2:1-7 There is no question that the cultural, political, and spiritual environment in which we currently live is tense and complicated, and speaking directly into this angst, scripture provides a frustratingly simple solution. It gives us a method, an action, a prescription that not only leads to common peace, but produc…

Sermon Scripture: 1 Timothy 1:12-17 This Sunday we begin a new series called Great Hope from 1 & 2 Timothy. In his first letter, Paul writes to his younger friend and ministry partner, reminding him that God’s mercy is greater than failure, and His Kingdom is built on trust. Paul himself was once “the worst of sinners,” yet Christ entrusted him wit…

Sermon Scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15 John Wimber once said that Faith is spelled R-I-S-K, and nowhere is that more true than in our finances. In 2 Corinthians 9, Paul reminds us that generosity isn’t a matter of waiting until life feels secure, but of planting the seeds we already hold in our hands. This week we explore the practical side of givi…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 12:13-34 Jesus warns that bigger barns and fuller accounts cannot save us, because what we keep we eventually lose, and what we freely give away is what we end up keeping. Today we’ll remind ourselves of the freedom that comes by living generously. Then we will learn about how the early church lived this out and ask ourselves…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 12:35-48 In Luke 12, Jesus reminds us that all we have belongs to God. This week we’ll explore what it means to live not as owners but as caretakers—entrusted with God’s abundance to do good and to bless others. Stewardship is a way of life that teaches us to breathe in God’s generosity and breathe out blessing.…

Sermon Scripture: 1 Timothy 6:6-11, 17-19 When we live generously through our giving, we participate in God’s very nature of abundance, life, and joy. Today, we turn to the next theme in Jesus’ teaching on generosity where we are warned to guard our hearts against greed. We live in the most affluent generation in human history, yet so many of us ar…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24 As Americans, we live in a nation that was founded on three ideals: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness—and yet, ironically we are one of the unhappiest nations in the world. It turns out that many of the things that we think will make us happy, actually don’t. And “the good life” we’re all searching for is…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 27:45-46, Psalm 22 We often think of memorizing scripture as something we did in Sunday School as a kid. Something we have outgrown. But what if memorization isn’t something you grow out of, it’s something you grow into. When we hide the words of Scripture in our hearts we carry them with us in a way that allows them to be…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 4:1-13 This week, we’ll explore what it means to truly study the Bible—and why it can sometimes leave us feeling unsettled. While Scripture can be sweet and comforting, it can also challenge us deeply, especially when it's misused or misunderstood. We'll reflect on Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, where both he and the de…

Sermon Scripture: Joshua 1:7–8, Psalm 1:1–3, Revelation 10:8–10, Luke 24 We live in a world bursting with information, yet we are growing less and less literate in the deeper sense—not in our ability to decode words, but in our ability (or willingness) to sit patiently with them. We are spending less and less time receiving from the written word an…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 5:17-19 The Bible is complicated. It is quoted in wedding vows or wielded in political battles, stitched into funeral prayers or painted onto protest signs. Its stories have enchanted us and challenged us. It has been our answer book for life, our defense in culture wars, and if we’re honest, our stumbling block due to som…

Sermon Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1–14 Naaman was a powerful commander, but no amount of fame could cure the illness he carried. His healing didn’t begin with a wondrous sign—it began in the intimacy of community with the small voice of a servant girl. This Sunday, we’ll explore how God’s faithfulness often shows up through unexpected people and shared c…

Sermon Scripture: 2 Kings 2:1-14 Today, we’re focusing on Elisha’s story because it reveals one of the clearest ways God faithfully shows up in our lives: through mystery, through symbols, and through the people who guide us. These guides—our friends, teachers, companions—invite us into something deeper. They help name and nurture the best of what …

Sermon Scripture: 1 Kings 19:1-15 Four weeks ago, Jesus told his followers to wait for the gift of power that would come through the Holy Spirit. Then came Pentecost—smoke, wind, and fire filled the room, but most importantly, the Spirit was poured out on everyone gathered. Last week, we listened for Lady Wisdom, the personification of the Holy Spi…

Sermon Scripture: Proverbs 8 In Proverbs chapters 1-9 there are four interesting characters vying for our attention; there’s the wise Fatherly King and a woman named Lady Wisdom, and they’re offering divine wisdom that leads to stability and life. Then there is also a Wicked Man and a wily woman called Lady Folly, and their way of life is attractiv…

Sermon Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 A long time ago, God made a promise. He said, “One day, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” That means God wouldn’t just be with a few special people anymore—he would be with everyone who wants him. On Pentecost we remember the first sermon, the first baptisms, and the beginning of the Church, but most of all, we…

Scripture: Acts 1:1-11 While the world chases speed and spectacle, Jesus invites us into something different—holy presence. Before the spectacle of Pentecost, the fledgling Christian Church was instructed to learn how to wait. This week, we explore how slowness, trust, presence, and witness are not signs of weakness in the modern church, but rather…

In this year’s annual church meeting, we reflect on God’s faithful presence through both challenges and growth—celebrating the shared ministry of our church, the rhythms that shape us, and the hope that guides us forward. From financial realities to new opportunities in worship, recovery, and youth, we’re reminded that God's persistent Kingdom is u…

Sermon Scripture: Acts 11:1-18 When Peter returned to Jerusalem with stories of Gentile inclusion and Spirit-led transformation, he didn’t come with arguments—he came with a testimony. In a world quick to judge and slow to listen, this story from Acts 11 reminds us that God often moves in surprising ways, and our calling is not to control the narra…

Sermon Scripture: Revelation 7:9-17 Today, we are picking up where we left off last Sunday in considering God’s great, on-going, never-forgotten project in the world, yet we recognize that things are not yet as they should be. Creation, history, our own stories—they’re all marked by the fact that we know things are not yet right in our lives or in …

Sermon Scripture: Romans 8:18-25 Even now, creation groans — not in despair, but in hope. In Romans 8, Paul reminds us that the earth itself remembers the weight of the fall and the promise of freedom. We, too, remember. Like the Israelites in the wilderness and like Paul on the road to Damascus, we live in the tension between what has been and wha…

Sermon Scripture: Revelation 1:4-8 On Easter Sunday we celebrated the decisive battle between life and death being fought and won. Sin and death have been dismantled through the victory of the cross and resurrection. The cross and the empty tomb have marked the turning point in history. And yet—we still see the shadows. Injustice still has its sold…

Sermon Scripture: John 20:1,11-18, Isaiah 65:17–25 Today, we hear the ongoing story of new creation; a new heavens, a new earth, a world where tombs are empty, and tears are wiped away, and death doesn’t get the final word. Today, we stand with Mary in the morning damp grass. We listen for our name. And we dare to believe that resurrection is not o…

A dramatic, scriptural retelling of The Passion of the Christ. “Tenebrae” is an old word with Latin roots which means “shadows.” It is given this name to reflect the darkness of Jesus’ final hours and his crucifixion.Re-living the final hours of Jesus’ life is important. It helps bring into focus the miraculous victory the Father, the Son, and the …

Sermon Scripture: John 12:1-8 God chose to dwell among us for a purpose; to bring life where once there was death, to bring healing where there was once brokenness, to bring hope where there was once only despair, to bring light into the darkness. This week Jesus reminds us that God is not a distant deity, unmoved by suffering or sorrow, but a suff…

Sermon Scripture: John 12:1-8 This week we hear the dramatic story of Mary of Bethany and the anointing of Jesus, and the story of the humble widow with her simple offering of two copper coins. Two women extravagantly worshiping God in two very different ways. As we step into the final days of Lent and enter into the drama of the Passion of Christ …

Sermon Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Paul had a divine encounter on the Damascus Road (Acts 9) and nothing was ever the same. It caused him to see himself and others in an entirely different way. He writes, “From now on we regard no one from a human point of view” (2 Cor. 5:16). Lent is not merely a season of fasting—it is a season of being made…

Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 55:1-9 The story of humanity and God tells us that two kingdoms exist in our world; the kingdom of God identified by life, goodness, beauty and love, and the kingdom of the world marked by death, confusion, darkness, and oppression. God is reminding us that the kingdom of the world tempts us with empty wells—things that see…

Sermon Scripture: Psalm 27 Life is full of challenges. We are constantly bombarded on all sides. It’s hard to blame ourselves from living in fear and feeling that we have little trust to give — even to God. Afterall, even the faithful know bitter disappointment and crushing pain. Faith is not the absence of doubt or struggle. It is learning to wait…

Sermon Scripture: Romans 10:8-13 This is the paradox of the kingdom of God: true strength is found in humility. The world tells us that to confess our failures is weakness, that to lower ourselves before another, makes us small. But in Christ, confession is not a loss—it is a gift. Throughout this season of Lent we will be considering how pouring o…

We have gathered together tonight to observe Ash Wednesday. This day marks the beginning of a season in the Christian calendar known as Lent. The purpose of Lent is to help prepare our hearts for the celebration of resurrection and new life at Easter. It is also a season in which we acknowledge our own mortality–our tendency to wander in the darkne…

Sermon Scripture: Exodus 34:29-35, Luke 9:28-36, 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2 In the Transfiguration, God has revealed to us, through Jesus, what he is really like. “God is like Jesus. God has always been like Jesus. There has never been a time when God was not like Jesus. We have not always known what God is like—but now we do. (Brian Zhand, Word of Lif…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 6:27-36 Whether you are a student in school, a young adult navigating friendships and dating, a working professional, a parent of kids, or a wise elder, we are constantly faced with people who get in our way, who block our goals, are mess up our flow, our way of doing things, or perhaps who actively oppose us, threaten us, or…

Sermon Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-10 Jeremiah’s prophetic words were full of honest naming of the infidelity to God that led to his people’s destruction—but his message also was saturated in lovingly poetic promises of God’s faithfulness if his people would humble themselves and confess their sin, and return their trust to the Lord. Will we be like t…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 5:1-11, Isaiah 6:1-8 God has proclaimed, “Unto us a savior is given,” and Jesus has invited us to come and see, go and tell — “making Christlike disciples in all the earth.” So today, we consider the call of God upon our lives and we find encouragement in God’s equipping and guiding us in living the call.…

Sermon Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 Long after the rest of the world has moved on from the decorations of Christmas, the church remains wrapped in light and greenery because we want to remember, we work to remember — the light has come, and the light of Christ shines brightly through us. As we celebrate Epiphany and Candlemas, and the final Sun…

Sermon Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 What if, in the midst of a culture that celebrates individualism, we are instead called to embrace belonging, humility, and responsibility within the community of faith? The Gospel message suggests that our purpose is to live in openness to others through service, acts of love and kindness, and protecting th…

Sermon Scripture: 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 God wants to use each and every one of us to accomplish his goodness, and it's going to look different for each one of us. It won’t look and feel the same, there is not one best way of being used by God that is better than the others, but God is faithful to use us for his work if we will join in the process. …

Sermon Scripture: Luke 3:15-17, 21-22, John 1:43-51 The message for the first day of Epiphany was that the light of God has shined upon all humanity. Today, the message on this first Sunday of Epiphany is that accompanying the light of heaven, comes its power, presence, and potency invading our humanly form; our weaknesses, our strengths, our very …

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 2:1-12 In Epiphany we are reminded that God knows our road — the roads we've travelled so often they become mundane and the roads we have never paid any attention to. Most of us are facing crossroads of many kinds today on this first Sunday of 2025. Jesus may be opening up new ways before you, or he may be causing you to s…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 This week we hear the story of Jesus' presentation at the temple, where Simeon and Anna recognize Him as the long-awaited Messiah. Their joyful proclamation reminds us that God is faithful to fulfill His promises, even after years of waiting and longing. As we celebrate Christ’s arrival, we are invited to live like Si…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 2:1-20 The truth that we celebrate in Christmas is that the light of the world has come. Jesus Christ, our messiah, our savior is born. This is why candle light is so important at Christmas. These lights proclaim the THE light has come.

Sermon Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 God chose Mary; 15-years old, poor, and unwed. He chose Elizabeth, a senior in the old folks home, used up, overlooked, too old. And you know what? He chooses you! This anthem for a new age that Mary sings about, this different kind of Kingdom that she envisions, that Jesus comes to demonstrate, it only happens when i…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 1:68-79 “Because of the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.” (Luke 1:78-79) These words spoken by the priest Zechariah at the birth of his son John (the Baptist) profess the goodness and …

Sermon Scripture: Psalm 25:1-10 No matter where your heart is today, no matter the unsettled state of our world, the words of Psalm 25’s promises fuel our hope. Advent is a season of longing in the darkness, recognizing our need, clinging to God’s promises, and stoking our faithful hope that Christmas dawn is already growing on the horizon.…

Sermon Scripture: Daniel 7:13-14, Revelation 1:5-7, John 18:33-37 On Christ the King Sunday, we consider anew, which king and kingdom do we serve. We look to Jesus, crucified and risen, unveiled in his power and mercy, who destroys every false image of earthly power. May we look to Jesus and thus find the courage to look within our own hearts, rene…

Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 13:1-8 Here in our final week of study through the book of Hebrews we see the power of love and hospitality in our care for one another. Learning to live in this way is how we connect ourselves to the miraculous power of God’s Kingdom. Through our interactions, each of us become the hands of feet of the Kingdom to others —…

Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3. 12:1-3 Stories of hope are so important for us. They are not only wrapped up in our imaginations as inspiration, but they empower our actual living. We look to those who lived lives marked with great faith as an inspiration in our challenges. We remind ourselves of the hope, of the faith, that carried them on. We a…

Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 9:11-14, 19-22 The overall aim of the author of the Letter to the Hebrews is to convince Jewish Christians not to turn away from their new faith back to the Judaism they grew up in. He makes a case that Jesus is better in every way—greater than angels, prophets, Moses, priests who came before him. This week, Hebrews makes …

Sermon Scripture: Hebrews 6:9-12 Hebrews is trying to stir up the faltering 1st century Jewish Christians who were ready to give up the game for lost. It’s like they were in a match that was tied-up at the end of the period and they saw no way of pulling out the win. Many of them were packing it up and just going home. Leaving the covenant of Jesus…