Sermon Central

As a new disciple, perhaps Peter wants to prove himself. Boldly, in the middle of a storm, Peter steps out of the boat to join Jesus who is walking on top of the waves. He, too, walks on water until the wind shakes his trust and he begins to sink. Many of us know what it feels like to be thrown off balance, to feel as if we’re sinking. Maybe this looks like doubt, unexpected change, too-busy seaso...

This Lenten season—these 40 days leading to Easter—we are going to focus on the life and faith of Peter. After Jesus, he is the most frequently mentioned individual in the Gospels and New Testament. He is a consistent presence throughout Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. In Peter, we see a person who is both steadfast and unsteady, a dear friend and a betrayer, a follower and a wanderer. In Pe...

As we close out this series on living out our faith, may this story of Eutychus and the early church remind us that our journeys are not linear and that living in faith looks different, depending on the situation and time of our life. People do fall, and when they do, we as a community of faith are called to sit with them, celebrate their life, and be God’s loving presence.

"How often do we underestimate someone—assume that they don’t have something valuable to share because they’re too young, not the right gender, too old, not educated enough, not wearing the right clothes, their skin is too dark, or they have an accent. I would wager that at any point in time, this has happened to each one of us… and we’ve done this to many other people. In life, we have a choice:...

Faces of Our Faith: Joseph of Aramathea by BrecksvilleUMC

I don’t know about you, but even in situations that are far less stressful than imminent war and oppression, I forget to turn to God first for guidance and comfort. Of course, I eventually go to God, but first on the list might be Google, or worrying about it for a while, or trying to figure out how I can carry the burden on my own. But those times when I remember to pause, and center myself in Go...

So as we begin 2024, we’re going to reflect on 6 stories of regular folks, who are often overlooked in our biblical narratives. We’ll dig deep into their worlds, entering their stories with curiosity, opened to what they might teach us about living out our faith here and now. My hope is that these people’s stories will help us to see how God is calling each of us to participate in God’s story of r...

Today we begin a new worship series, entitled “Faces of Our Faith.” So often when we gather together, we talk about the heroes of our faith—those well-known names of people in scripture we admire and wish to emulate: Moses, Jesus, Mary, Paul… But scripture is filled with ordinary people, too. People who go about their day-to-day lives, and then suddenly are confronted with a situation in which the...

We are on the precipice of a new beginning. Tomorrow begins a new year: 2024—and what if rather than thinking “new year, new you!” We settle into our belovedness?

On the third Sunday of Advent, we lean into joy and the power of paying attention and being amazed.

Holding one another’s joy in the midst of weariness is one way that our weary world can rejoice.

It’s important to acknowledge our grief. To acknowledge our weariness and feelings of hopelessness. To name them and honor them. Otherwise, they can overwhelm us or even paralyze us.

Our English word dynamite comes from the Greek word, dunamis. In the New Testament, dunamis describes the supernatural, resurrection power of God’s Spirit that broke into the world not only at Jesus’ resurrection, but again and again throughout the New Testament, transforming peoples’ lives. In this devotional, Sue Nilson Kibbey and Rosario Picardo challenge us to open ourselves to God’s dunamis S...

Our English word dynamite comes from the Greek word, dunamis. In the New Testament, dunamis describes the supernatural, resurrection power of God’s Spirit that broke into the world not only at Jesus’ resurrection, but again and again throughout the New Testament, transforming peoples’ lives.

It’s our default to put barriers on what an “answered prayer” looks like. We have a certain vision or outcome in mind, and so when God doesn’t answer our prayer in that specific way, we think God hasn’t answered at all. When maybe God has answered our prayer, but answered differently.

Lifting up specific people and situations to God in prayer is important. And it’s equally important to see prayer as an opportunity to open ourselves to God’s dynamite power, inviting God’s new possibilities to break through into our lives.

Grace is "the undeserved, loving action of God in our lives. Grace is God's presence in our lives that is creating, healing, forgiving, reconciling, and transforming our hearts, communities, and all of creation.

In our scripture today, we will see that although God could have stopped after saying, “Welcome home,” God didn’t stop there. God filled tables with food, and gave a robe, a ring, music, celebration, delight, and a loving rebuke for anybody who thought it was all a little too much, who thought it was all a little “extra.”

Grace is "the undeserved, unmerited, and loving action of God in our lives through the ever-present Holy Spirit." Grace is God's presence in our lives that is creating, healing, forgiving, reconciling, and transforming our hearts, communities, and all of creation. As followers of Jesus, we receive this grace and we are called to share it with others—to live out God’s extravagant love in action. Th...

Chapter 18 of the Gospel of Matthew is Jesus’ teaching on how to live in community and communicate with one another. What does it teach us about forgiveness? This Sunday's message, "Forgive. And Forgive Again." is a meditation on Matthew 18:21-35. Join us on the lawn, in the sanctuary or from wherever you are! All of our services stream live -- and are archived so you can worship on your own sched...

Discipleship—living as a Christian, as a follower of Jesus, however you want to say it—means taking the teachings of Jesus and applying them to our everyday lives. And sometimes that looks like managing conflicts—large or small—with the grace and compassion of Jesus at the forefront of our minds.

As Christians—people who follow Jesus’ teaching and example—it’s important for us to look to scripture for instruction on how God calls us to handle life’s challenges. And that’s exactly what chapter 18 of the Gospel of Matthew is—Jesus’ teaching on how to live in community and communicate with one another. Because just like we struggle with this, Jesus did as well, when he was living with and wor...

Having disagreements and hard conversations is part of life—whether it’s with family, friends, coworkers, or people on the internet. But knowing how to do it in a healthy and positive way is not something that necessarily comes natural to us.

Today we conclude our worship series titled, “What Is God Like?” This series has been inspired by the children’s book of the same title, written by Rachel Held Evans and Matthew Paul Turner. Today we are reminded that God is like the stars, forever present and bright. Even when they feel far away, you can always look up and see them winking at you.

Today we continue our worship series titled, “What Is God Like?” It’s inspired by the children’s book of the same title, written by Rachel Held Evans and Matthew Paul Turner. Then the book uses images and descriptions found throughout scripture to illustrate what God is like. We’re using this book as a tool to remind us that all throughout our lives, God invites us to continue to search and wonder...