Bozeman United Methodist Church Sermon Podcast

In this week’s message, guest preacher Rev. Dan Wanders reflects on Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:12–14 and invites us to consider what it means to walk the narrow way. The way of Jesus is not always the easiest road, the widest path, or the choice that draws the largest crowd. It is the way of love, humility, mercy, and faithful attention to how we treat one another. Through the familiar words of the...

In this week’s message from our  Unraveled  series, we turn to Acts 9 and the conversion of Saul. Before Saul becomes Paul, before his words shape churches and communities of faith, he has a backstory. He is certain he is right, convinced he is being faithful, and yet his certainty causes real harm. On the road to Damascus, grace interrupts him, stops him, opens his eyes, and begins to lead him to...

In this sermon from our  Unraveled  series, we turn to Matthew 14:22–33 and the story of Peter stepping out of the boat and sinking beneath the waves. Peter’s story reminds us that faith is not always steady, certain, or untouched by fear. Sometimes we step forward with courage, only to realize how deep the water is and how strong the wind has become. But this story is not simply about doubt, and...

Absolutely — here’s a podcast description for Betty’s sermon: Unraveled: Journey to Joy | Betty Merta This week, Betty Merta begins our  Unraveled  sermon series with Sarah’s story and her own journey toward joy. Sarah’s life did not unfold the way she expected. She carried disappointment, frustration, waiting, and an impossible promise from God that sounded almost too good to believe. And yet, ov...

In the final week of  The Holy Ordinary , Pastor Zach reflects on Romans 12:9–18 and the simple, powerful truth that love looks like something. Love is more than a feeling, more than an idea, and more than something we talk about. Love becomes visible in the way we honor one another, welcome strangers, share joy and sorrow, refuse to repay harm with harm, and practice peace as best we can. Through...

In this sermon from our  Holy Ordinary  series, Pastor Zach reflects on Galatians 5:22–25 and the fruit of the Spirit. Following Pentecost, we ask: if the Spirit sets ordinary lives on fire, what does that fire begin to grow in us? Through stories from youth and college ministry, we are reminded that faith does not have to be dramatic to be real, and holiness is not something we perform to prove o...

On Pentecost, the Spirit shows up with wind and fire—but not to make ordinary people less ordinary. The Spirit comes to remind them, and us, that God’s grace is poured out on all people. In this sermon, Pastor Zach reflects on the beauty of ordinary faith, the power of being seen and heard, and the way Pentecost invites us to stop chasing spiritual fireworks and start paying attention to where gra...

In this week’s sermon, we continue our  Holy Ordinary  series with Deuteronomy 6:4–9 and the invitation to love God with our whole selves—not just on Sunday, but in the everyday rhythms of life. On Graduation Sunday, Pastor Zach reflects on the wisdom we would share with our younger selves, the faith we hope to pass on, and what it means to practice God’s presence at home, on the road, in our conv...

The Holy Ordinary: Breakfast on the Shore In this week’s message from John 21:1–14, Pastor Zach continues the  Holy Ordinary  series by looking at the risen Christ’s invitation to the disciples: “Come and have breakfast.” After a long night of empty nets, uncertainty, and weariness, Jesus meets them on the shore not with shame or a lecture, but with grace, presence, bread, and fish. This sermon in...

This week, BUMC Youth Director Rin Stearns brings a powerful message from Genesis 16:1–13 and the story of Hagar, one of the most unseen people in scripture. Through Hagar’s encounter with God in the wilderness, Rin reminds us that God does not look past those who have been ignored, harmed, or pushed to the margins. God sees, listens, names, and blesses. In this sermon, we are invited to consider...

Holy Ordinary: Wisdom Sets a Table Proverbs 9:1–6 In this sermon from our  Holy Ordinary: Meeting God After Easter  series, we explore the invitation of Woman Wisdom in Proverbs 9. Wisdom does not begin with a lecture or a test; she begins with hospitality. She builds a house, prepares a feast, sets a table, and invites people to come in and live differently. Together, we reflect on the kind of wi...

In this week’s sermon from our  Holy Ordinary: Meeting God After Easter  series, we turn to Exodus 3:1–12 and the story of Moses at the burning bush. What begins as an ordinary day in the wilderness becomes a holy encounter, reminding us that God often meets us not outside our daily lives, but right in the middle of them. Together, we reflect on what it means to stand on holy ground, to recognize...

What does faith look like after Easter? In this opening sermon of our new series,  Holy Ordinary: Meeting God After Easter , we turn to  Micah 6:6–8  and the simple, challenging call at the heart of discipleship: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with God. “Faith in Motion” reminds us that following Jesus is not just about what we believe, but how we live each day. Grounded in...

What does faith look like after Easter? In this opening sermon of our new series,  Holy Ordinary: Meeting God After Easter , we turn to  Micah 6:6–8  and the simple, challenging call at the heart of discipleship: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with God. “Faith in Motion” reminds us that following Jesus is not just about what we believe, but how we live each day. Grounded in...

On Easter morning, we arrive at the tomb with the women of Luke 24:1–12, carrying spices, grief, love, and all the weight of what has been lost. In this Easter sermon from the  Everything in Between  series, we explore the sacred tension of  grief and hope  and discover that resurrection does not show up after grief is finished, but right in the middle of it. Even when we are confused, uncertain,...

On this Palm Sunday message, we continue our Lenten series  Everything in Between  by stepping into Luke’s telling of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem and exploring the sacred tension between shouting and silence. As the disciples raise their voices in praise and the Pharisees demand quiet, we are invited to consider what faithful discipleship looks like in moments that call for witness, truth-telling,...

In this week’s  Everything in Between  series, we turn to Luke 19:1–10 and the story of Zacchaeus to explore the sacred space between  mercy and righteousness . What happens when Jesus meets us not after we have everything figured out, but right in the middle of our mess, our harm, and our hope for change? In Zacchaeus, we see that mercy and righteousness are not opposites to be chosen between, bu...

In this week’s message,  Everything In Between: Lost & Found , we turn to Luke 15:1–7 and the parable of the lost sheep to discover that God’s grace is never as black and white as we might imagine. As the tension of Lent builds, this sermon explores how Jesus responds to grumbling not with argument, but with a story of relentless love, joyful searching, and heaven’s celebration when the lost a...

In this week’s message from the Lenten series  Everything in Between , Pastor Zach reflects on one of the most challenging spiritual rhythms many of us face: the space between  rest and growth . In Luke 13:6–9, Jesus tells the story of a fig tree that hasn’t produced fruit. While the owner is ready to cut it down, the gardener asks for more time—time to loosen the soil, nourish the roots, and tend...

Everything In Between: Faith & Works Luke 10:38–42 Are you a Mary or a Martha? For generations, we’ve treated this story like a personality test — choosing sides between sitting at Jesus’ feet or setting the table. But what if Jesus isn’t asking us to pick a side at all? On this Second Sunday of Lent, we step into the sacred space between faith and works. Right after telling the lawyer to “go...

Everything In Between: Stranger & Neighbor Luke 10:25–37 We live in a world where neighbors can become strangers — not because we’ve moved farther apart, but because we’ve drawn clearer lines. Lines of ideology. Lines of comfort. Lines of difference. In this first Sunday of Lent, we step into the sacred tension between stranger and neighbor through Jesus’ parable of the Good Samaritan. When a...

Every Day Wonder: You Know Me Psalm 139:1–10 Last week in  Every Day Wonder , we practiced noticing—discovering that God often works through simple, ordinary moments. But this week we turn the lens inward. If God is that present in the world… what does that mean about how God sees us? In Psalm 139, we encounter a breathtaking truth: we are fully known and fully loved. Not the curated version. Not...

Everyday Wonder: God Works Through Simple Things So often we assume that if God is going to do something meaningful, it must be big, loud, and obvious. But Scripture tells a different story—one where God works through sticks and flour, oil and bread, whispered prayers, and simple acts of trust. In this sermon, we step into the story of Elijah and the widow at Zarephath (1 Kings 17:8–16) and discov...

The Rhythm of Doing Good: Generosity Acts 4:32–37 What does generosity really mean—and why does it matter for our faith, our community, and our well-being? In this sermon, we conclude our stewardship series  The Rhythm of Doing Good  by turning to the early church in Acts, where generosity flowed naturally from lives shaped by resurrection grace. Far from a story about guilt, pressure, or selling...

What does it mean to grow in faith when the world feels heavy and our souls feel tired? In week two of our stewardship series,  The Rhythm of Doing Good , we turn to Jesus’ words in John 15: “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Growth in discipleship isn’t a straight line—it’s a rhythm of pruning, blooming, and learning to remain connected to the One who gives us life. In this message, we explor...