Apex United Methodist Church Podcast

Pastor Laura Johnson - Mary's hymn of praise, traditionally called Mary's Magnificat, interprets theologically the news that Mary is going to give birth to the Savior.  Through her song, we learn not only what is going to happen, but why the world will never be the same.  Join us this week as we explore Mary's Magnificat and let our souls, too, magnify the Lord. 

Pastor Laura Katherine Stern - The words wonderful counselor, mighty God, everlasting father, prince of peace are better sung than said. Handel's oratorio "Messiah" proved that. Join us this week as we prepare for the Coming King with these beloved words from the Prophet Isaiah. 

Pastor Laura Johnson - In this beloved Walk to Emmaus story, Jesus is recognised in the breaking of the bread.  It is in the church, the gathered Body of Christ, where the disciples learn to recognize Jesus in their midst.  This is the goal for our generosity - that people see the presence of Jesus in their lives and in their world. Join us this week as we celebrate the ways AUMC is experiencing t...

Pastor Laura Katherine Stern - It is said that love is a verb, not a noun.  We are called to put our love into action.  Generosity shared with the church goes to do something - do something good, something healing, something transformative.  We, at AUMC, see that doing takes shape in the way we live into our membership vows - prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness.  Join us this week as we...

Pastor Laura Johnson - In this ancient text from Deuteronomy there are instructions for how the faithful are to live in the Promised Land. Specifically, in these verses, the Hebrew people are instructed to take "first fruits" - a token presentation of each agricultural crop into the sanctuary. Christian tradition builds on this Hebrew tradition, often describing our tithes and offering as "first f...

Laura Katherine Stern | John 11:32-44 On All Saints' Sunday, United Methodists publicly remember and honor those who have passed away. Celebrated on the first Sunday in November, many congregations light candles, ring bells of remembrance, and call the names of those lost in the previous year as a way of honoring the impact their lives have had on us.

Pastor Laura Johnson - Jesus says we are to love God and to love our neighbors.  It is the greatest of all of our tasks as followers of God.  And yet, in practice, we often ignore or downplay this divine instruction.  Join us this week as we discuss what it means to love our neighbors and commit anew to Jesus' command.

Laura Katherine Stern - We sometimes struggle with how to talk to neighbors of different faith backgrounds.  In this passage, Paul is preaching in Athens.  He is unapologetically Christian - inviting the Greeks to be followers of Jesus Christ.  But Paul's tone is respectful - he is complementary of the Greeks and knowledgeable about their culture.  Join us as we talk about what it means to respect...

Pastor Laura Katherine Stern - The prophet Jeremiah writes a letter to the exiles living in Babylonia. He instructs the exiles to live - really live - in the land which they are in. They are to build houses, plant gardens, have families, and seek the welfare of the city where they are living. Jeremiah takes his instructions one step further when he says, "pray to the Lord on its behalf." Here they...

Pastor Laura Johnson - Jesus was journeying through Samaria, and he stopped in the city of Sychar. He was tired from his journey and went to the well to get a drink of water and rest. While there, he encountered a Samaritan woman and had a conversation with her. The conversation went quickly from surface level to deep and probing topics.  In that conversation, Jesus and the Samaritan woman got to...

Pastor Laura Johnson - There is much talk of unity without uniformity and diversity without division. Both of these are great ideals, but hard to understand how they work in the real world. Galatians addresses this straight on when it says, "there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female" meaning there is only one identification that matters - in Christ.

Pastor Laura Katherine Stern - In this beloved parable about the Lost Sheep - we are reminded anew that everyONE of us is Important. We are so important, in fact, that the Shepherd (Jesus) will leave the rest in order to search out for the one wayward wanderer. Join us this week as we experience God's grace and give thanks for God's determination.

Pastor Laura Johnson - A $20 bill is worth $20 whether it is all crumbled up or new, crisp, and flat. No matter the condition of the bill - it has the same, fundamental worth. Jesus doesn't talk about $20 bills, but he does talk about sparrows and hairs on our head to make the point of our inherent worthiness.

Pastor Laura Katherine Stern - The spiritual gifts named in this passage are many. EveryONE, and everyONE's gifts, are needed for the work of the kingdom. One person cannot possibly do all the things - but, together, we can be a powerful witness for God.

Pastor Danny Berrier - God says to the prophet Jeremiah these beautiful, timeless words, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." To be known by God, fully and completely, is both a gift and a wonder.  Join us this Sunday as we kick off our new sermon series EveryONE matters by reveling in the joy that we are known by God.

Today is Holy Saturday, when we remember that horrific day between Jesus’ death and resurrection, when there was nothing but grief and the silence of the grave.  Today Pastor Laura Johnson invites you to sit in this valley of waiting by reflecting on the valley of dry bones described by the prophet Ezekiel.

In today’s Good Friday podcast, Pastor Laura Katherine is going to walk us through that moment when Jesus’ breathed his last and the world was forever changed.

Christians call today Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, “maundy” derived from the Latin mandatium novum , meaning “new commandment.”  Today we remember when Jesus shared the Lord’s Supper with his disciples, washed their feet, and gave them a “new commandment” to love one another as he has loved them.  In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson remembers Jesus at the Last Supper, reflecting...

Today we hear from Pastor Laura Katherine as she reflects on the meaning and heartbreak of Judas’ betrayal.

In today’s episode Pastor Sheila invites us to trust in God’s good plans, even when things look frightening or bleak - after all, that’s when God does God’s best work.

In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson explores the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem during the first Holy Week, and encourages us to do some soul spring cleaning of our own.

In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson reflects on Mary of Bethany's gratitude when she anoints Jesus' feet in the days before his death, offering love unbound to the one whose love would save the world.

In today's Cultivating Grace Lent podcast we’ll hear from Pastor Sheila Ahler as we reflect on our reasons for gratitude in light of those powerful words from Scripture: God’s steadfast love endures forever.

All that we are and all that we have come from God. How often though, do we forget or neglect to be thankful in our dizzying, fast paced world?  In today’s podcast, Norma Wallace, one of our Children’s Ministry Leaders, invites us to be mindful of all the gifts bestowed on us by a kind, and loving Lord.

Scripture tells us to live with gratitude in our hearts.  This is easier said than done, so in today's podcast we hear from Norma Wallace, our Associate Director of Children’s Ministry, who will help us consider how to put these instructions into practice.