The Sunday Sermon

What happens when forgiveness feels impossible? In this message from our Life Together series, Pastor Angelo explores the difference between struggling to forgive and refusing to forgive, why forgiveness does not mean excusing harm or immediately restoring trust, and how the church can help us carry wounds that are too heavy to carry alone. In the community Jesus creates, forgiven people are becom...

“Give us today our daily bread.” These six familiar words teach us about trust, dependence, contentment, generosity, and the grace to live one day at a time. In this sermon from our Life Together series, Pastor Angelo explores what it means to trust God for enough today—and how receiving God’s provision with gratitude invites us to become part of God’s provision for others.

Jesus teaches us to pray “our Father,” reminding us that faith is personal but never private. In the opening message of our new series, Life Together: Praying Like Neighbors, Pastor Becca explores how the Lord’s Prayer reveals who we belong to, who belongs to us, and how prayer forms us to participate in God’s work in the world.

In the final message of our Live, Love, Serve series, Pastor Angelo turns to Luke 22 and Jesus’ declaration, “I am among you as one who serves.” Through Scripture and the story of his own return to the church, he explores how service forms our hearts, connects us to Christian community, and gives tangible shape to our love. What might God do through your faithful “yes”?

In Luke 19, Zacchaeus climbs a tree hoping to see Jesus—only to discover that Jesus has already been seeking him. In “Love Like Jesus,” Pastor Angelo explores a grace that sees beyond our labels, moves toward us before we can prove ourselves worthy, and makes genuine repentance and transformation possible. Before we can extend this love to others, we must first receive the good news for ourselves:...

Our mission is to live, love, and serve like Jesus—but what does that look like in ordinary life? Beginning with Luke 2:40–52, Pastor Angelo explores the hidden years of Jesus and the practices that shaped a life of faithfulness. This first message in the Live, Love, Serve series invites us to remain open to the grace that is still forming us.

When God calls, we don’t always recognize the voice on our own. Guest preacher Rev. Elizabeth Miller-Villegas, campus minister for Wingspan at UNCW, explores Samuel’s call in 1 Samuel 3:1–16 and the importance of Eli’s intergenerational guidance. Together, they remind us that discerning God’s call is not a journey we make alone.

As we approach the end of the Old Testament, its final words leave us with unfinished work, an open road, and a promise: “May the Lord their God be with them.” In this fourth Checkpoint Sunday message, Pastor Angelo looks back at the story from Genesis to Chronicles and explores how it prepares us to meet Jesus in Matthew. The Old Testament does not tell a separate story—it gives us the language,...

What happens when what we have does not seem like enough? Through the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand, we discover a Savior who meets grief and need with compassion, takes what is offered, and transforms scarcity into abundance. This message invites us to consider where we seek true satisfaction, what we are willing to place in Jesus’ hands, and how God may be calling us to help care for...

Jesus described the kingdom of heaven in surprising ways: a tiny seed, a little yeast, treasure hidden in a field, and a pearl worth everything. In this sermon from Matthew 13, Pastor Angelo explores how God often works quietly and beneath the surface, planting seeds of grace that can transform our lives and the lives of those around us. Rather than being driven by fear, Jesus invites us to become...

In the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds, Jesus reminds us that we are not always as good at judging what is growing around us—or within us—as we think. Pastor Becca Detterman explores how we can practice discernment without condemnation, tend faithfully to our own hearts, and trust God with the final harvest.

In this sermon on Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23, Pastor Angelo reflects on Jesus’ Parable of the Sower and the different ways we receive the Gospel in our lives. Some hearts become hardened by disappointment, some faiths remain shallow, and some lives become crowded with worry, distraction, and competing loyalties. But the good news is that soil can change. God’s grace continues to soften, cultivate, and...

Learning the Unforced Rhythms of Grace Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? In one of Jesus' most beloved invitations, he calls weary people to come to him and "learn the unforced rhythms of grace." In this message from Matthew 11:28–30, Pastor Angelo reflects on the rhythms that quietly shape our lives every day and reminds us that following Jesus isn't about trying harder—it's about walking with...

This week’s sermon explores one of Scripture’s most difficult stories: Abraham, Isaac, and the command to sacrifice the promised child. Genesis 22 invites us to wrestle honestly with costly trust, the things we hold too tightly, and the God who stops the knife, provides the ram, and meets us on the mountain.

Following Jesus isn't a promise that life will be easy. It's a promise that we are seen, known, and loved through it all. This week we explored Matthew 10:24-39, where Jesus tells his disciples the truth: faithfulness will cost something. It may disrupt comfort, challenge relationships, and demand courage. But here's the good news—whatever we lose for Christ's sake becomes life. Jesus doesn't call...

Recording from Annual Conference, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on the Minor Prophets and their ongoing call to the church today. From justice and mercy to truth-telling and hope, this episode explores what it means for the church to live prophetically—not by predicting the future, but by bearing witness to God’s heart in the present.

What do you do when trusting God feels impossible? This week, pastoral intern Emma Strickland reflects on the stories of Sarah, Elizabeth, and Mary—ordinary people who met God’s promises with doubt, laughter, and questions. Through their stories, Emma explores a simple but powerful truth: faith is not the absence of uncertainty. Sometimes trusting God means taking one more step, even when the futu...

This week on Companions on the Journey, Pastors Angelo and Becca leave the Major Prophets behind and enter the world of the Minor Prophets. Together they explore Hosea's powerful message of covenant love, Joel's vision of repentance and renewal, Amos's passionate call for justice, and Obadiah's warning against exploiting the vulnerable. Along the way, they discuss why these prophets still matter t...

This week on The Sunday Sermon, we pause for Checkpoint Sunday #3 in our Bible-in-a-Year journey. Looking back across everything we've read—from Genesis and Exodus to the kings, the Psalms, and the prophets—we ask a simple but important question: What have we learned about God? Through the images of water, bread, and the cup, Pastors Angelo and Becca trace the story of Scripture and discover a God...

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca finish reflecting on Ezekiel. Together, they discuss the valley of dry bones, dragons, and the close connection between despair and hope.

In the final message of our Explore God series, Pastor Angelo explores one last deeply personal question: Can I know God personally? Grounded in John 15:9–17, this sermon examines Jesus’ invitation to “remain” in his love and challenges common misconceptions about faith, spirituality, and relationship with God. Together, we consider what it means to be fully known and fully loved by God—and how ab...

This week on Companions, Pastor Angelo is joined by Wesley Memorial’s summer pastoral intern, Emma Strickland, for a special episode. Before diving into the strange and powerful world of Ezekiel 1–24, Emma shares about her life, faith journey, calling to ministry, and passion for social work. Together, they reflect on what it feels like to read prophetic literature honestly for the first time—the...

This Pentecost Sunday, Pastor Angelo explores the question, “Is the Bible Reliable?” through Acts 2 and the coming of the Holy Spirit. Rather than avoiding difficult questions, this message wrestles honestly with Scripture’s complexity, humanity, and power while showing how the Bible continues to faithfully lead people toward Jesus Christ.

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca close out their reflection on Jeremiah by discussing prophets and pretenders. What is a false prophet? How do we discern the difference between God's voice and the voice of the enemy? Do false prophets still exist today? Join us as we discuss these questions and more!

What does it really mean to say that Jesus is God? This week, Pastor Becca explores Colossians 1:15–20 and the church’s historic claim that Jesus is both fully divine and fully human. Together, we wrestle with Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience as we consider who Jesus truly is—and why that still matters today.