Sermon
Who? Me?
June 1, 2025
Acts 1:1-11
You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
and you will be my witnesses.
God’s call often stretches us beyond what we think we can handle. Yet throughout Scripture and in our own communities, God uses unlikely people to do extraordinary things. Like Jesus' disciples, who were flawed, fearful, and unqualified, we too are invited into God’s mission. The Holy Spirit is God’s answer to every excuse we offer. We’re not alone, and we’re not expected to succeed on our own. Jesus calls us to turn from sin, embrace his love, and follow him into unexpected places—not for a better life, but for a new one. Through the Spirit, God empowers us to live beyond our expectations and to live and share the Gospel of Jesus.
Remembering Forward
May 25, 2025
Joshua 4:1-7
These stones shall be to the Israelites a memorial forever.
Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a time to honor those who gave their lives in service to our country. Remembering their sacrifice helps us value the blessings we enjoy and compels us to stand against evil and injustice. Remembering is not only about honoring the past—it shapes how we live in the present and gives direction for the future. This idea is reflected in the story from the book of Joshua, where the Israelites built a memorial from twelve stones taken from the Jordan River after God miraculously stopped its floodwaters so they could enter the Promised Land. These stones served as a permanent reminder of God's power, faithfulness, and presence.
Just as those stones stood as a testimony to God’s help, we too are called to be “living stones,” as described in 1 Peter 2. Through our lives, actions, and faith, we are to reflect the truth of the cross, where Jesus overcame sin and death. The cross is our memorial—rooted in a past event, yet alive with present hope and future promise. Whether at work, school, or in our communities, we are sent into the world as visible evidence of God’s love. Like the stones at the Jordan, we are to stand out as reminders of God’s enduring faithfulness and as beacons of hope for a world in need.
Lip Service or Life of Service
May 18, 2025
John 21:1-14
Jesus said, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” ... "Feed my sheep."
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After sharing a meal with his disciples, Jesus turns to Peter and asks him three times, “Do you love me?”—a question loaded with meaning. While many sermons focus on the different Greek words for love used in this passage, the real emphasis here is not on the definition of love, but on its implications. Jesus is not simply asking Peter to declare his affection; he is calling him to action: “Feed my sheep.” True love for Jesus goes beyond feelings or words—it leads to a life of service, selflessness, and sacrifice. If we love Jesus we will enter into Jesus’ life and purpose, caring for others as he did.
Our lives are our answer to Jesus’ question—“Do you love me?”—every day, in how we respond to those in need, turn from sin, make choices with our time and resources, and treat others, especially when it’s difficult. This is not meant to induce guilt but to reveal a path toward deeper faith and joy. Real love for Jesus is inseparable from following him and feeding his sheep.
Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary
May 11, 2025
John 21:1-14
Jesus said to them, “You have no fish, have you?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net to the other side of the boat, and you will find some.”
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God often reveals Himself in simple, ordinary moments—through familiar places, tasks, and choices that reveal hope, meaning, and life. After the overwhelming events of Jesus’ death and resurrection, His disciples returned to the familiar Sea of Galilee. Overwhelmed by grief, disorientation, and the astonishing reality of the risen Christ, they slipped back into their old routines. Peter declared, “I’m going fishing." After fishing all night without success, a voice from the shore told them to cast their nets on the other side. Despite their doubts, they obeyed—and their nets overflowed. It was then they realized: it was Jesus.
Like the disciples, we often divide life into sacred and secular. Yet, Jesus appears unexpectedly, urging us to “cast our net over the other side”—to try His way, whether through kindness to a difficult person, prayer, generosity, or loving our enemies. Though these acts may seem pointless, obedience transforms the ordinary into extraordinary. If we hear and heed God’s voice, many places and situations we once thought ordinary will be transformed as we experience God at work in us and around us, providing for our deepest needs.
More than Expected
April 20, 2025
Passages from Luke 24:1-12
Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.”
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We all face disappointment with God when our hopes seem unmet, just like the disciples after Jesus' death. Thomas’ doubt shows how pain can harden our hearts, but his encounter with the risen Christ reminds us that God meets us even in our questions and renews our hope.
Through Jesus' resurrection, the fearful disciples were transformed into bold witnesses. Thomas’ journey from doubt to faith encourages us to stay connected, trust God’s greater plans, and be open to the amazing ways He works beyond our expectations.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
A Present Hope or a Past Event?
April 20, 2025
Passages from Luke 24:1-12
“Why do you look for the living among the dead?
He is not here but has risen."
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Easter is far more than a date on the calendar. The women who followed Jesus from Galilee expected death when they went to the tomb, burdened by grief and prepared to anoint His body. They had seen Him crucified, pierced, and buried. But instead of finding a sealed grave, they found the stone rolled away, His body gone, and angels asking, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead?” It was only when they remembered Jesus’ words—that He would be betrayed, crucified, and rise on the third day—that everything began to make sense. Their sorrow turned to joy, and they rushed to share the news, though not all believed them. Peter ran to the tomb and was amazed, remembering what Jesus had said.
Their remembering changed everything. Easter isn’t about what we expect—songs, lilies, or chocolate—but about what we don’t: that Jesus rose from the dead and death is no longer the end. To remember Jesus’ resurrection is to let His power reshape our present. Like Paul, we are invited to know Christ and the power of His resurrection. If Jesus is risen, then today marks the beginning of new life. Our sins can be forgiven, our grudges released, and our hearts filled with worship. The resurrection means death has been defeated, and we are free to live for Him.
He is risen! He is risen indeed!
Behold, Your King!
April 13, 2025
Passages from Matthew 21 & 27 Listed Below
Behold, your king is coming to you!
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On Palm Sunday, we remember a key week in Jesus’ life, centered around the Passover—a celebration of God’s deliverance. As Jesus enters Jerusalem, he is hailed as king, yet the week ends with him crucified under the same title, “King of the Jews,” displayed in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek. This contrast raises powerful questions: What kind of king is crowned with thorns? What kind of throne is a cross? What kind of power is revealed through such suffering?
Scripture from:
Matthew 21:1-13
Matthew 27:11-14
Matthew 27:24-31
Matthew 27:32-37
Who Would Jesus Pick?
April 6, 2025
Luke 5:27-32
Jesus replied, “I have come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance.”
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Jesus repeatedly reaches out to the overlooked—the Gentile leper, the foreign widow, the unsuccessful fishermen—and in today’s passage, a tax collector named Levi. When Jesus calls Levi, he simply says, “Follow me,” and Levi leaves everything behind to do just that. This decision is more than a minor lifestyle change; it’s a total shift in direction, leaving behind old ways in pursuit of something far better.
Levi is so changed by his encounter with Jesus that he throws a dinner party and invites other outcasts—people just like himself. Naturally, this draws criticism from the religious elite, who can’t understand why someone claiming to be from God would associate with such people. But Jesus reveals something powerful: he came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. This turns religious expectations upside down. Sadly, churches often repeat the Pharisees’ mistake—gravitating toward people like themselves, hiding their messiness, and fearing a bad reputation. But Jesus reminds us that God rejoices more over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine who don’t see their need. This message challenges those of us in the “Me and Jesus” fan club, but it’s incredibly good news for the broken and cast aside. Just as it is good news for the broken and sinners, it also is for us religious people – not in our getting our way, but in God getting his. We can either stand outside and complain about the type of people Jesus hangs out with or go in and join the party with him.
Faith to Move Roofs
March 23, 2025
Luke 5:12-16
Stand and take your bed and go home.
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Jesus returns to Capernaum, where crowds gathered to see the man known for healing and casting out demons. Among them were four friends carrying a paralyzed man, convinced that if they could get him to Jesus, he could be healed. When the crowd blocked their way, they went to extreme measures—cutting a hole in the roof to lower their friend into the packed house. Rather than being annoyed, Jesus saw their boldness as faith. In a surprising turn, Jesus first forgave the man's sins before healing his body. This shocked the scribes, who silently questioned Jesus' authority to forgive sins, but Jesus, knowing their hearts, physically healed the man, revealing his divine authority.
Bridging the Gap
March 16, 2025
Luke 5:12-16
Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man.
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We worship a God who "so loves the world that he gave his only son." In Jesus, God bridges the gap between the infinite and our finite existence. Between God's holiness and our sin.
We've been following Jesus from his birth and into his ministry. The angelic hosts of heaven proclaimed the great news of his birth; the human baby of whom they sang was laid in a feed trough. In this passage of scripture, Jesus encounters a man with a skin disease covering his body, a disease whose presence makes not only him unclean but anyone with whom he comes in contact. This disease separated the man from both God and humanity.
Jesus stretched out his hand, touched the man, and healed him. Jesus bridged the gap between the man's great need and God's love.
