Conversations Beyond the Pew with the Rev

Audio from the online meditation on Maundy Thursday, April 14, 2022 The Depth of Jesus' Love John 3:33-35 Luke 23:32-42 Luke 23:44-49

Audio from the sermon on April 10, 2022 How can Jesus help you find liberation when life's circumstances feel all consuming? Theme: How did Jesus live through.... Domination vs. Liberation Luke 23:1-25

Audio from the sermon on Sunday, April 3, 2022 Theme: How did Jesus live through.... Fear vs. Courage How do you have courage when your fears are very real? Luke 18:9-17, 31-43

Audio from the sermon on March 27, 2022 Theme: How did Jesus live through.... Frustration vs. Peace What are you willing to do find peace amid life's frustrations? Luke 11:37-46 Luke 10:1-12

Audio from the sermon on March 20, 2022 Theme: How did Jesus live through... Despair vs. Hope Scripture Luke 22:39-53

Audio from the sermon on Sunday, March 13, 2022 Theme: How did Jesus live through.... Rejection vs. Acceptance (Have you ever felt the sting of rejection and hungered for acceptance?) Scripture: Luke 13:31-35 Luke 14:1-15 Reflection Questions: What teaching of Jesus makes you uncomfortable and hard to follow? What criteria do you have for whether or not you reject or accept someone else? Have you...

Audio from the sermon on Sunday March 6, 2022 Theme: How did Jesus live through... Scarcity vs. Abundance Matthew 3:13-17 Luke 4:1-15 Reflection Questions When have you felt an abundance of love? When have you felt empty in life? When do you feel like you don't have enough? When have you felt most alone? How have you used your experiences to help others?

Audio from the sermon on February 27, 2022 Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions - What is our purpose? 1 Corinthians 12:4-27 Reflection Questions What are the gifts you believe God has given to you? What is a strength you have that helps others? How have you experienced someone else's gifts complimenting your own gifts? How are you an encouragement to others in their gifts? What would you say yo...

Audio from the sermon on February 20, 2022 Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions - What does it mean to follow Jesus? Luke 6:27-47 Reflection Questions What is unsettling about Jesus teaching of loving our enemies? What are the risks we take carrying out this type of love? What are the hardest parts about being nonjudgmental? What gets in the way of us helping others? What are the things your lif...

Audio from the sermon on February 13, 2022 Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions - Who is Jesus? Scripture Luke 9:18-24 Matthew 25:37-40 John 6:26-27  John 13:34-35 John 7:14-23 Matthew 11:28-30 Reflection Questions What resonates with you about these stories of Jesus? What is difficult to understand about who Jesus is? How do you notice this tension of suffering and love impacting your life...

Audio from the sermon on February 6, 2022 Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions - Where is God? Exodus 33:12-23 Psalm 139:4-7 John 14:7-8, 19-21 Ephesians 3:18-19 Reflection Questions What do you ask God to show you in life? When do you find yourself questioning God's presence the most? How would you describe God's presence in your life? How have you observed God's goodness passing in front of yo...

Audio from the sermon on January 30, 2022 Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions - Who is God? Scripture Exodus 3:13-21 1 John 4:12-13, 16 Psalm 25:16-17, 20-21; 104: 24, 27 Reflection Questions How do you describe God? How have you noticed other peoples' lives being connected to God? When did you know God's presence in your life? What can make it difficult for you to follow God's guidance? How wo...

Audio from the sermon on January 23, 2022 Theme - Exploring the Seismic Questions: Why doesn't God stop the pain? Scriptures Isaiah 55:6-13 Genesis 8:21b-22 Romans 8:35, 38-39 Psalm 119:49-52, 86-88 Reflection Questions What does being generous in forgiveness look like to you? What are the things we think separate us from knowing God's presence? How do we comfort ourselves when things are difficul...

Audio from the sermon on January 16, 2022 Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions - Why is life so hard? Matthew 24:4-14 Genesis 3:14-19 Philippians 2:3-4 Matthew 5:443-46, 48 Reflection Questions What are the things that put you on edge? How have you dealt with the pain that has arisen in your life? What pain have you observed in life that seems unnecessary? How do you react when you feel like thi...

Audio from the sermon on January 9, 2022 Theme: Exploring the Seismic Questions - Why do we exist? Scripture Genesis 1:26-31 Ephesians 2:10 1 John 4:7 John 17:13 Psalm 33:27 Isaiah 48:17-19 Reflection Questions What are the good things you've identified in your life that you feel compelled to share with others? What keeps you from experiencing God's love? How has a recognition of blessings in your...

Audio from the sermon on January 2, 2022 Theme: The Birth that Gives Us Purpose John 1:9-24 Ephesians 1:3-13

Audio from the sermon on December 26, 2021 Theme: How does Jesus change our reactions? Luke 2:41-52

Audio from the sermon on December 19, 2021 Theme: Finding Ourselves in Jesus' Story: Celebrating Our Relationships (in Love) Matthew 1:18-24 Luke 2:8-20 Reflection Questions What hinders having empathy for others? How has taking time to make a decision changed how you handled a situation? What is it about Jesus that makes you want to know more? How do you decide what is worth your time to understa...

Audio from the sermon on December 12, 2021 Theme: Finding Ourselves in Jesus' Story - Finding Our Confidence (in Joy) Luke 1:26-55 Reflection Questions When is it hardest in your life to rejoice? What are the surprises in life that have been challenging? How did you respond? How have you experienced God in challenging moments of your life? How have you shared joy with others? How do you hold onto...

Audio from the sermon on December 5, 2021 Theme: Finding Ourselves in Jesus' Story - Discovering Our Purpose (in Peace) Matthew 2:1-23 Reflection Questions What are the things that trouble you that maybe shouldn't be troubling? Have you ever been asked to do something that made you uncomfortable? Why did it make you uncomfortable? How have you held onto peace for yourself even when situations make...

Audio is from the sermon on November 28, 2021 Theme: Finding Ourselves in Jesus' Story - Understanding Our Limits (in Hope) Luke 1:5-25, 57-66 Reflection Questions Have you ever had a fearful moment turn into something amazing? What is your initial reaction when something doesn't make sense? What happens when you are pushed to your limits in life? Where do you easily and not so easily draw boundar...

Audio from the sermon on November 21, 2021 Theme: Abundant Living: Embracing Life 2 Corinthians 9:1-14 Reflection Questions How has empty promises or words impacted your relationships or how you understand others? How have you been encouraged in life to be grateful? When is it most difficult to be filled with gratitude? What are events, situations, things, relationships that helps you to feel like...

This is audio from the sermon on November 14, 2021 Theme: Abundant Living: Determining Our Worth Matthew 10:5-31 Ecclesiastes 2:3 Philippians 4:8 Reflection Questions How do you decide what you deserve to have or not? How do you determine someone else's worth? What centers you when things are difficult? Who and what impacts how you understand your worth? How does God impact your worth?

Audio from the sermon on October 24, 2021 Theme: What does Jesus change? Our Relationships Luke 13:1-21 Reflection Questions:  How do you handle feeling guilty? What do you hope that your actions in life will produce? What are the things that are hard to let go of in life? How do you determine the criteria for letting go of things or not? What is the significance for understanding how God's l...

This is audio from the sermon on October 17, 2021 Theme: What does Jesus change? Our Priorities Luke 5:33-39 Luke 6:1-11 Reflection Questions What are the things you practice in order to be connected to God? How often do you try something new in your daily life? What rules do you prioritize in your life? What are some priorities that you have but know you need to get rid of? How do you determine y...