Church of the Incarnation Sermons

Are the Beatitudes beautiful words — or do they actually mean something in a broken world? In this sermon, Rev. Jon Jordan invites us to hear the Beatitudes not as moral advice or self-help teaching, but as Jesus’ announcement that a new world is breaking in. Spoken into a first-century world shaped by violence, power, and fear, the Beatitudes declare that those who live by God’s kingdom values no...

What does it truly mean to be “blessed”? In this sermon, Rev. Cn. Oliver Lee reflects on the Beatitudes as a radical reordering of the world’s values. Jesus declares that God’s kingdom belongs not to the self-sufficient or powerful, but to those who know their need for Him. Through reflections on Amazing Grace , the life of John Newton, and Jesus’ words in Matthew 5, this sermon invites us to embr...

What does it really mean to follow Jesus? In this sermon, Greg Brewer reflects on Jesus’ call to the disciples and the image of being “caught” by Christ. Following Jesus is not about dominance or self-assertion, but about yielding control, learning contentment, and discovering the freedom that comes through servanthood. This message explores the daily inner struggle for who will lead our lives, th...

Is the Church a refuge for the weak? Yes — and precisely for that reason, it shines with the radiance of Christ’s glory. Rev. Cody Turner reflects on the surprising truth that God gathers the wounded, unimpressive, and weary and makes them the very people through whom His glory is revealed. Drawing from Isaiah, the Gospel of John, and Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, we are reminded that th...

God has not saved us to sit in the light — He has saved us to shine it. In this message, Pastor Shawn Torres reflects on Christ as the Lamb of God, the true source of all light. Drawing from John 1, Isaiah 49, and 1 Corinthians 1, we are reminded that the Church does not generate its own radiance. Like the moon reflecting the sun, we shine only because Christ has first shone upon us. This calling...

Bp. Greg Brewer reflects on the baptism of Jesus and what it means to live as one who has been sealed by the Holy Spirit and marked as Christ’s own forever. Jesus enters the waters of the Jordan alone, revealing both His full humanity and His complete obedience to the Father. In His baptism, we see the pattern of Christian life—humility, repentance, forgiveness, and the ongoing power to say “yes”...

Rev. Jon Jordan reflects on the God revealed in Jesus Christ—a God who gives more than He takes. Set within the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus, this message invites us to remember our own baptism and the enduring promise spoken over every child of God: You are my beloved. Through Scripture and lived experience, we are reminded that Christ entered fully into human life, sanctifying the ordinar...

Throughout Scripture, angels appear at moments of danger, decision, and divine purpose — not as spectacle, but as messengers of God’s presence and care. Rev. Canon Oliver Lee reflects on the role of angels in the biblical story and in our own lives. From Joseph’s dreams in the Gospel of Matthew to quiet moments of protection, reassurance, and obedience, angels stand at the intersection of heaven’s...

In this sermon, Rev. Jordan Griesbeck reflects on how the Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the fulfillment of Israel’s story. From exile in Egypt to deliverance and new life, Scripture “rhymes” across generations — revealing not coincidence, but promise. These echoes proclaim the heart of the Gospel: God is not only with us in Christ — He has lived for us. Jesus enters every chapter of human li...

What does it mean to say that God is with us ? In this sermon, Pastor Shawn Torres reflects on the mystery and hope of Emmanuel — God drawing near to His people in Jesus Christ. Through Scripture, we are reminded that God’s presence is not distant or abstract, but living, personal, and transformative. Even after Christmas Day has passed, the promise of Christ’s nearness continues to shape how we l...

What does it mean to say that God is with us ? In this sermon, Pastor Shawn Torres reflects on the mystery and hope of Emmanuel — God drawing near to His people in Jesus Christ. Through Scripture, we are reminded that God’s presence is not distant or abstract, but living, personal, and transformative. Even after Christmas Day has passed, the promise of Christ’s nearness continues to shape how we l...

In this Advent sermon, Bp. Brewer reflects on Matthew’s account of Joseph and the difficult, costly obedience that lies at the heart of the Christmas story. Matthew’s telling of Christ’s birth is not sentimental or predictable. It places us with Joseph in a moment of darkness, uncertainty, and loss—when his hopes for a reasonable and secure future come to an end. Faced with a choice he never wante...

In this Advent sermon, Rev. Cody Turner reflects on Joseph’s story from the Gospel of Matthew and what it means for God to interrupt our carefully made plans. Unlike the familiar Christmas scenes from Luke, Matthew presents the coming of Christ as a deeply personal and disruptive encounter between God and one ordinary person. Joseph’s plans, logic, and sense of control all come to an end as God in...

What does it mean to wait faithfully when our expectations go unmet? In this Advent sermon, Rev. Dorothy Budd reflects on the tension between expectation, waiting, and patience during the third week of Advent. Drawing from the Gospel account of John the Baptist’s question from prison and the Letter of James, this sermon explores the kind of holy patience Scripture calls us to practice. John waits...

Why does Advent include a pink candle, and what does it teach us about faith and rejoicing? In this Advent sermon, Rev. Canon Oliver Lee reflects on John the Baptist’s honest question from prison: “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?” Drawing from Isaiah and the Gospel of Matthew, this sermon explores the reality of faith under pressure and reminds us that doubt is not u...

John the Baptist refuses to let us slip quietly into Christmas. In this Advent sermon, Rev. Jordan Griesbeck unpacks John’s startling call to repentance and the deep hope behind it—that real change is possible because God Himself has come near. Drawing from Flannery O’Connor’s “large and startling figures,” Rev. Griesbeck shows how grace disrupts, awakens, and prepares us to cry out “Jesus!” when...

John the Baptist doesn’t call us to try harder—he calls us to see the God who is already moving toward us. In this Advent sermon, Rev. Cody Turner shows how the prophets wake us up to God’s grace breaking into the world, cutting down what is lifeless and bringing new life in its place. This is the shocking hope of Advent: God is on the move. 📖 Scripture: Matthew 3:1–12 🕊️ Preacher: Rev. Cody Turn...

Pastor Shawn Torres opens the Advent season with Scripture’s urgent call: wake up. Advent doesn’t ease in softly; it jolts us awake to the coming of the King. Isaiah shows us our destination, the psalmist shows us our posture, Paul shakes off our spiritual sleep, and Jesus reminds us that the hour is unknown—so we must be ready. This sermon explores what it means to cast off the works of darkness,...

Bishop Greg Brewer opens the Advent season with a powerful call to wakefulness. Advent invites us not into passivity but into transformation—casting away the works of darkness, embracing humility, and recognizing that God’s love is actively at work within us. With pastoral warmth and theological depth, Bp. Brewer reminds us that we are not alone. We walk this journey surrounded by a great cloud of...

Rev. Jordan Griesbeck reflects on Jesus as the King who was mocked by leaders, soldiers, and criminals alike, and yet responds only with forgiveness and grace. On Christ the King Sunday, we are reminded that his kingdom does not advance through force or control, but through sacrificial love. Even mockers are invited into his mercy. Scripture: Luke 23:33-43 Preacher: Rev. Jordan Griesbeck, Church o...

On Christ the King Sunday, Rev. Dorothy Budd explores what it truly means to proclaim Jesus as King — not only over nations and politics, but over our hearts and our hope. Through Jeremiah, Colossians, and the thief on the cross, we learn that even when the world is in chaos, Christ’s kingdom cannot be shaken. Scripture: Jeremiah 23:1–6, Colossians 1:11–20, Luke 23:33–43  Preacher: Rev. Dorothy Bu...

In this sermon, Rev. Cody Turner guides us through the apocalyptic imagery of Luke 21 and Malachi 4—earthquakes, wars, cosmic signs—and shows that these passages are not meant to terrify us about distant events, but to unveil what is true right now . With striking clarity and pastoral insight, Rev. Turner reveals three profound truths:   Nothing lasts. Then comes judgment. And for those who are in...

In this sermon, Rev. Jon Jordan explores one of the most misunderstood themes in Scripture: God’s judgment and the promise that He will set all things right. Drawing from Malachi’s vision of a day that brings both fire and healing , and from Jesus’ words in Luke 21, Rev. Jordan invites us to see judgment not as something meant to terrify believers, but as part of God’s work to restore and renew th...

In this powerful message, Rev. Oliver Lee calls us to look honestly at all we’ve been given—and to recognize that every good gift comes from God’s hand. Drawing from 1 Kings 17 and the story of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, he reminds us that tithing isn’t about money—it’s about faith. Like the widow who trusted God with her last meal, we are invited to “get in the wheelbarrow,” placing our f...

This week, Rev. Jordan Griesbeck preaches on Luke 20:27–38, where Jesus meets the Sadducees—those who say there is no resurrection. Their question reveals a deeper anxiety many of us still share: the fear of being forgotten, of needing to build a future for ourselves. But Jesus offers a better way. We are not self-made people trying to secure a legacy—we are children of the resurrection, heirs of...