College Wesleyan Church Sermons

Steve DeNeff - John 1:43 -51. For every disciple, the first movement toward change was an encounter with Jesus. It was unforgettable. But it was divisive. Whoever met him was better or worse, but they were never the same. What role can the Church play in orchestrating these encounters? How does worship provide the space and the structure? And what must we do for ourselves?

Steve DeNeff - Isaiah 55:1-3a, 6-7; John 7:37 -43. How many Christians actually enjoy the life that Jesus promised? How many of the “saved” are converted? How many are apprentices of Jesus, learning to do easily and routinely the things that Jesus taught us to do? If we were to get serious about discipleship – the believer and the Church – here are four dimensions of that must be involved.

Vickie Conrad - Luke 2:41-52. Luke is distinctive among the gospel writers for featuring Jesus as a twelve-year-old. This narrative illustrates Mary and Joseph's commitment to nurturing and raising Jesus, evident in their consistent observance of the Passover. The story unfolds with the anguish they experience upon realizing Jesus is missing after a full day of travel. Upon discovering him in...

Steve DeNeff - Luke 2:1-7. Throughout the Christmas story, two things are clear: (1) God is in control, and (2) God is not in charge. This is an important lesson for everyone who feels pushed around by others.

Emily Vermilya - Luke 2:1-5 & Micah 5:2-5. One great surprise about God revealed in Jesus at the incarnation is God’s vulnerability. God is not confined to safe or polished spaces. Instead, he enters our mess. He shows up in “places God isn’t supposed to be,” exposing himself and entering our realities, messy as they might be. To this end, we don’t have to leave our own vulnerable states or si...

Ethan Linder - Luke 3:21-38. When we come to the “list” passages in the Bible, our eyes glaze over: measurements, records, genealogies – maybe these are part of historical record, but wouldn’t the Bible be better if we took them out? That’s probably true…. unless there’s something in the list that is (itself) a story. This sermon will walk through one of those infamous lists, helping us freshly im...

Steve DeNeff - John 1:1-5, 10-14, 16-18. To people living in the first century, the claims of the first Christians concerning the incarnation were scandalous. Here’s a handful that are so outrageous even Christians have a hard time believing them. Yet the gospels want us to practice them as we enter a season, Advent, that is all too familiar to us.

Steve DeNeff - John 4:7-19, 25-30, 39-42. The first evangelist in the gospels is the least likely, least prepared person … and that’s a why she’s the perfect example of what it means to share our faith in a culture that is hostile to evangelism.

Matt LeRoy - Matthew 22:34 -40, Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Leviticus 19:18 . In his Great Commandment, Jesus shows his genius and authority by bringing all of the feast and fruit of the Scriptures into one seed, bursting with potential harvest. It is the double pulse of the heartbeat of God. He not only pulls in every command of the past but unleashes and prefigures the future of love.

Steve DeNeff - 1 Thessalonians 5:1-8; 2 Timothy 4:3-5. Toward the beginning of Paul’s career, he wrote a series of letters to young Christians worried about current events, telling them how to conduct themselves in times of chaos and moral confusion. In one of these letters, he contrasted children of the day with those of the night, those who are awake and sober with those who are asleep or drunk....

Lori Minor & Steve DeNeff - Acts 16:16 -34; Philippians 4:4-9. This is a message for anyone whose life has been interrupted by tragedy or injustice and they are suddenly alone, as if in prison. But it’s a message about surviving, about finding God in that dark place, about triumph despite one’s conditions. It’s a message about choices - hard choices - that some make (most don’t) in prison that...

Emily Vermilya - 2 Corinthians 8:1-9; 9: 6-13. Generosity is typically understood as activity--described by actions of charity or through things we give away. But Paul describes generosity as something deeper: a responsive expression of the gospel itself, a disposition of our souls, and the means by which we allow God's sanctifying work to continue in and through us.

Ethan Linder - Philippians 2:1-11. What does it mean (really) to be humble? Humility is an often-praised virtue throughout the Scriptures; but how do we cultivate it in our everyday lives? And what – despite our best efforts – gets in the way? This sermon will address the shape of humility, and the ways our current habits, attitudes, and practices may choke it out.

Steve DeNeff - Psalm 15; Romans 12:9-10, Ephesians 4:15-16; Philippians 4:8-9. In a culture of high suspicion, the creative minority will practice a rule of integrity.

Steve DeNeff - Isaiah 61:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12; Colossians 3:15-17. Why is nearly everyone you know so overwhelmed? There is a silent scream for simplicity and yet it is more illusive and complex than ever. How do we in the Third Order practice this ancient discipline despite the speed and chaos of our everyday life? And what difference would it make in the workplace if we did?

Steve DeNeff - Psalm 51:1-4, 6, 9-10; Ephesians 4:1-3, 29-5:2. Every Order or Society needs rules for engagement. How do members treat one another, especially those with whom they disagree? How do we make room for different convictions and how do we express them without tearing the Society apart?

Steve DeNeff - Philippians 1:27-2:5. In a culture of individualism, like ours, never underestimate the power of a two or three who gather faithfully around a common rule.

Ethan Linder - Genesis 32:22 -32. Christians typically talk about the importance of submitting to God as part of our discipleship. But what about wrestling with God? Not just the cliche, topical-level struggles to believe, but deep conflict with God… what could be the value of that? This sermon will unpack Jacob’s struggle with God, and our own – and discuss how conflict with God–real and brutal –...

Daniel Rife - Hosea 2:2-23. The twelve minor prophets seem heavy on gloom and doom and can often form for us images of an angry and destructive God—the last thing we’d consider him is a passionate lover. But returning to the first book of the twelve, we are introduced to a faithful and devoted God who has bound himself to a broken people, willing to give everything to fulfill his covenant to bless...

Steve DeNeff - Malachi 3:2-7b, 16-18. Toward the end of his collection of Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis suggests that “the fine flowers of unholiness can grow only in the close neighborhood of the Holy (for) nowhere are we more tempted as on the very steps of the altar itself.” Perhaps this is why the most devout are sometimes the most dishonest, or perverse, and thus the hardest to save. So Malac...

Ken Schneck - Micah 6:1-8. Biblical justice does face the offender, but it is even more concerned with the offended and those who are not where they are supposed to be in society. Justice works to restore those on the margins. It acts to restore balance. It brings good news to the poor, sight to the blind, and liberty to the oppressed. It is always saying to those without hope, "This is the y...

Steve DeNeff - Jonah 3:1-4:4, 11. Despite all that is wrong with the world, and despite how often we’ve been told avoid it, perhaps God is raising up a movement inside the nation but outside the Church. How might we cooperate (instead of compete) with that?

Emily Vermilya - Zechariah 4:6-10 & 1 Peter 1: 6-8 & 13-22. Once in the waiting room, Zechariah’s prophecy called Israel to the hard work of hope. But hope is more than wishful thinking or passively waiting for the world to change. Hope is the call of God to have faith in his promise, always preparing for the ultimate fulfillment of his promises, while actively partnering with God in bring...

Steve DeNeff - Habakkuk 1:2-4; 2:1-3; 3:16-19. There is a strangeness in God’s ways that makes even the most devout wonder, and sometimes stumble, yet the just are called to live by faith. What is God up to? Why is this happening? How long before He answers? And how do we manage the hurt and insult of unanswered prayer? What are we to do in the meantime? That’s the message of Habakkuk.

Vickie Conrad - Zephaniah 3:1-5, 14-17; Colossians 3:1-3; 5-6. In the book of Zephaniah, the pronouncement of God's judgment upon sin can be overwhelming and anxiety-inducing, similar to the emotions we experience when consuming news or media. As Christians, we often shy away from discussing God's judgment or wrath, feeling that they are unbecoming of His character. However, it is importan...