The Sunday Sermon

On Christ the King Sunday, Pastor Angelo preaches from Colossians 1:15–23, reminding us that in a world full of competing voices and “Jesus-plus” distractions, Christ alone is sufficient. In this message, we explore why Paul wrote to a drifting church, what it means for Jesus to hold all things together, and how keeping Christ at the center anchors us in a fractured world.

This week on The Sunday Sermon, we welcome Rev. Collins Etchi Ako, a Global Ministries Missionary serving in the East Congo Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church. Preaching from Amos 5:24, Rev. Ako invites us to consider what happens when worship stops short of justice, mercy, and faithful action. His message, “When Worship Is Not Enough,” challenges us to let our praise flow into lives th...

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on Becca’s recent sermon, Grieving with Hope, exploring what it means to name our pain without losing sight of resurrection. They also turn to Psalm 13 to talk about the role of solitude in grief — not isolation, but the kind of sacred space where we meet God in our sorrow. Together they ask: how can grief become a place where hope takes root?

In this week’s message, Pastor Becca reflects on the hope of the gospel in the midst of grief. Drawing on the phrase “Et teneo, et teneor”—“I hold and am being held”—she reminds us that even as we cling to God in our sorrow, God is already holding us fast. Death was not the end for Jesus, and it is not the end for us.

In this episode of Companions on the Journey, Pastor Becca sits down with long-time friend and mentor Dan Stokes for an honest and hope-filled conversation about ministry, grief, and the practice of grieving as people shaped by Resurrection hope. Together, they reflect on what it means to walk with others through loss, the ways grief changes us, and how the promise of new life reshapes even our de...

This week, Pastor Angelo shares a message for All Saints Sunday from Hebrews 12:1–2, reminding us that grief isn’t something we leave behind—it’s something we carry with hope. As we honor those who’ve gone before us, we remember that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses whose faith continues to shape and strengthen our own. Listen and be reminded: we don’t run the race alone.

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca dive into the realities of grief and what it means to truly bear one another’s burdens—without becoming overbearing in the process. It’s an honest, hopeful conversation about showing up for each other in love and humility. Plus, we lighten things up with some fun reflections on Christians and Halloween.

In this week’s message, Pastor Angelo begins the new series Grieving Together with a sermon titled Bearing One Another’s Burdens. Drawing from Job 2:11–13, he reflects on the sacred ministry of presence—how sometimes the most faithful thing we can do for one another is simply to show up, sit down, and bear the weight of grief together.

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca wrap up their conversation on the Fault Lines series—reflecting on what we’ve learned about sin, grace, and God’s work of restoration. They also look ahead to the new series, Grieving Together, exploring why community matters in seasons of loss. And since both pastors are celebrating birthdays this week, things get a little lighter with some fun rapid-fire...

In this week’s message, Pastor Angelo reflects on Romans 5:1–11 and the good news that grace breaks through even in our deepest fault lines. After weeks of naming the problem of sin, this message turns toward the cure—the cross of Christ. We talk about what it means to be justified by faith, why grace doesn’t excuse sin but heals it, and how God’s love meets us right where we are.

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on Acts 5:1–11 and the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Together, they wrestle with what it means to live with an authentic faith—one that values honesty over appearance and grace over pretense. They also look ahead to the hope of salvation and what it means to live faithfully in response.

In this week’s message, Pastor Angelo unpacks one of the most difficult passages in Acts—the story of Ananias and Sapphira. What happens when the fault lines of sin show up not outside the church, but within it? This conversation explores integrity, honesty, and what it means to be a community that heals rather than harms. Together, we’ll wrestle with how the Spirit calls us to live truthfully, lo...

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on last Sunday’s sermon, taking a deeper look at the lies we tell ourselves and how those inner distortions can quietly shape the way we see God, others, and ourselves. Together they unpack what it means to discern the greater truth — the truth that grounds us in grace, reminds us who we are, and reorients us toward the life God desires for us to l...

In this week’s message, Pastors Angelo and Becca take a closer look at one of the most familiar yet challenging passages in Scripture—Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. Together, they explore how the devil’s greatest weapon isn’t always an obvious lie, but often a distorted truth. Through honest reflection and practical insight, they invite us to consider the lies we tell ourselves, the ways tem...

"Who’s your Nathan? 👀 In this week’s podcast, Pastors Angelo & Becca talk about why we all need truth-tellers in our lives—those friends who love us enough to call us back when we’ve gone off track. And because it’s us…yes, there are plenty of West Wing references along the way. (Turns out Nathan would’ve made a pretty good member of President Bartlet’s staff.) 🇺🇸

In this week’s message, When Love Goes Sideways, Pastor Angelo continues the Fault Lines series by walking through David’s story with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11. We see how desire can become distorted, how sin multiplies, and how even “a man after God’s own heart” can fall. Yet in Psalm 51 we also discover the hope of repentance and the God whose mercy is deeper than our failure.

In this episode, Pastor Angelo guides you through the Ignatian Examen—a prayerful practice of reflecting on the day that has passed and preparing for the day ahead. This simple but profound method offers a way to quiet our cluttered minds and draw closer to God in the midst of life’s busyness. Listen and pray along—you may find this rhythm of prayer becomes a grounding habit for your own journey.

In this week’s message, Pastor Becca explores what Jesus meant when he said, “I no longer call you servants… I call you friends.” Drawing from John 15:12–17, she reminds us that true friendship isn’t just optional—it’s essential. In a world filled with shallow connections and loneliness, Christian friendship becomes an act of resistance, a way of reordering love and practicing the kind of communit...

Season 2, Episode 2 of Companions on the Journey is all about navigating crisis, division, and hope. Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on last week’s sermon on the order of love and look ahead to friendship as resistance. Together they wrestle with how Christians can respond to one another in times of upheaval, and what it means to find common ground even with those we see as enemies. If you’ve bee...

In this week’s message, Pastor Angelo preaches from Matthew 22:36–40, where Jesus reminds us that all of Scripture hangs on two hinges: love of God and love of neighbor. In a world that feels constantly shaken by division, violence, and outrage, what spills out of us reveals what’s been filling us. This sermon explores the call to let Christ be what fills our cups, the importance of conviction abo...

Season 2 opens with a hard but hopeful conversation. Pastor Becca and Pastor Angelo wrestle with sin—not just as broken rules but as ruptured relationship—ask how the church can respond to violence, and share honestly how they grieve, pray, and prepare to shepherd their community. They revisit themes from Sunday’s sermon, engage the week’s daily Bible readings, and preview what’s ahead this season...

What comes to mind when you hear the word sin? For many, it’s nothing more than breaking rules. But Scripture paints a deeper, more relational picture. In this first message of our Fault Lines series, Pastor Angelo explores Genesis 3 to show how sin is less about behavior management and more about relational rupture — disconnection, distortion, and disorder. And in Christ, we discover that where s...

In the final message of our Philippians series, Pastor Angelo reflects on Paul’s secret of contentment in Philippians 4:10–23. What does it mean to live with peace that isn’t tied to circumstances? Together we’ll explore how true contentment is learned over time, how Christ strengthens us not to achieve everything but to endure anything, and how the gospel takes root even in surprising places. Pre...

As we wrap up our summer journey through Paul’s letters, we step back to see the bigger picture. Why does context matter when we read Paul? How do we make sense of difficult passages like 1 Timothy 2:11–15, where Paul seems to restrict women, alongside his affirmations of women leaders throughout the church? And what did Paul mean when he said, “All Scripture is God-breathed”? In this episode, Pas...

This week we’re joined by Rev. Elizabeth Miller-Villegas, director of Wingspan Campus Ministry at UNCW, who brings a powerful word from Philippians 4:1–9. She reminds us that life in community isn’t always about making each other happy—it’s about helping each other grow holy. Even in the middle of conflict, Paul points us back to rejoicing in the Lord, praying with hope, and living in God’s peace.