Craig J. Sefa - Sermon Podcast

Jesus wept over Jerusalem saying: “If only you knew the things that made for peace.” Which raises the question for us: What do we know about peace? This week we reflect on our national obsession with peace through power and strength in contrast to Jesus’ way of peace through unconditional love, mercy, and mutual care. Take some time to reflect on where you find peace, or the absence of peace, in y...

In our last episode we explored the mystery of death. Now we turn to the mystery of life? How do we live now in light of eternity? It is far to easy to go through life with very little thought of how we are actually living and what we are living for. This week’s message is an invitation to slow down and live with God and one another and cherish every moment of this beautiful life we’ve been given....

As we celebrate this All Saints Day, we remember those who have gone before us. We mourn for the loss of those whom we loved who have now passed throught he veil of death. And yet, even in our grief, we have hope: hope that death is not the end, but merely a door through which we walk with Christ. People say a lot of things about death. Most are merely speculation or fantasy, and many are not near...

After 40 years, the Israelites finally reach the promised land. But as they cross the Jordan, they stop to do something that to us may seem unusual… gather stones from the river to setup both at their camp and in the middle of the river itself, never knowing when the wall of water would come crashing down. It’s a reminder that though we are all walking into an unknown future, looking back and reme...

As God’s people prepare to enter into the promised land, roughly 1 year after leaving Egypt, they are delayed another 39 years by one thing… fear. Their fear leads them to conclude that despite God’s promise, they cannot enter the land. And so they wander in the wilderness until an entire generation dies off. What promises from God does our own fear keep us from inheriting? _______ Podcast Intro r...

Last week we reflected on Israel’s idolatry at the foot of Mount Sinai. As a result, God refuses to go with them to the promised land. Interestingly enough, God remains faithful in still giving them the land, despite their unfaithfulness. We might think the people would be happy to go on ahead without God looking over their shoulder. All the blessings, none of the responsibility. But Exodus 33 tel...

In Exodus 32, the people of Israel poured all their gold into the melting pot, and as Aaron said, “out came this bull calf,” as if by magic (Exodus 32:24).  That’s the thing about idols: they consume everything we have.  They shift our priorities and our core values.  They capture our constant attention.  They keep us fixated on them above all else.  What are we pouring ou...

Join us this week as we consider the Ten Commandments, and more importantly, the context that we too often miss. They are more than a set of rules to enforce “Because God Says So”, but a gift of grace that show us a way to live that promotes the flourishing of all. _______ Podcast Intro recorded by Ariana Sefa

This week we are reflecting on the story of God providing manna in the wilderness for the people recently brought out of slavery in Egypt. It’s more than just taking care of their basic needs. It’s a lesson for how to build their economy as a new nation, an economy based on everyone having enough. We live in a culture driven by a need for more, always striving and hoarding for fear that one day, w...

Samuel grew up in the tabernacle with a front row seat to corruption in the house of God.  He knew both the best and worst of religion firsthand.  The good news: despite all the faults of the tabernacle, or the church, God continues to speak.  Just as God spoke to Samuel, the Spirit still raises up leaders to call God’s people back to their holy purpose.  How is God inviting yo...

In 1 Samuel, we find God’s people at Shiloh were in trouble. The Phillistines had defeated them in battle and they were desperate for a way to turn the tide against their enemies. So they took the Ark of the Covenant, their symbol of God’s presence, into the middle of the battlefield, assuming that God would not allow God’s own presence to be taken. But the Ark was taken, and Israel lost once agai...

This week we are looking at Hannah’s story of faithfulness and persistant prayer even when everything seemed stacked against her. In a place that seemed barren and hopeless, she dared to believe that new life was possible, not just for herself and her family, but for all of Israel. What holy longing keeps you returning to God even when nobody else understands? How is God’s grace meeting you in the...

A bit of background on this new sermon series: Where Grace Meets Shiloh. In January, Grace United Methodist & Shiloh United Methodist merged and became a single congregation at Shiloh. The next four weeks, I’m looking at the historic “Shiloh” in scripture to see how the people of Israel encountered God’s grace in that holy place and what lessons their experience might still hold for us today....

This week is a bit different and shorter than usual. Three or four times a year, we have “Breakfast Church” where a large portion of the service is spent in table conversations around the message topic. This week, the topic is prayer. This podcast episode offers my brief reflections on how our prayer lives change and adapt over time and concludes with the questions we disucussed at our tables. I i...

Half Truths - Part 5: Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin??? Week 5 of a 5 week series on “Half Truths”, or what I call, “Bumper Sticker Christianity,” debunking common Christian cliche’s that tend to do more harm than good. This week, Rev. McKenzie Sefa returns to wrap up our series with the popular saying, “Love the Sinner, Hate the Sin.” At first glance, it sounds reasonable. God hates sin. God loves...

Half Truths - Part 4: God Helps Those Who Help Themselves ??? Week 4 of a 5 week series on “Half Truths”, or what I call, “Bumper Sticker Christianity,” debunking common Christian cliche’s that tend to do more harm than good. This week, we’re looking at the familiar phrase, “God Helps Those Who Help Themselves”. The witness we have in Scripture more often shows us a God who helps the helpless, the...

Half Truths - Part 3: God Said It, I Believe It, That Settles It ??? Week 3 of a 5 week series on “Half Truths”, or what I call, “Bumper Sticker Christianity,” debunking common Christian cliche’s that tend to do more harm than good. This week, my wife Rev. McKenzie Sefa reflects on the danger of using the “God Said It” line as a way of shutting down difficult conversations and manipulating Scriptu...

Half Truths - Part 2: God Won’t Give You More Than You Can Handle ??? Week 2 of a 5 week series on “Half Truths”, or what I call, “Bumper Sticker Christianity,” debunking common Christian cliche’s that tend to do more harm than good. This week we are looking at the saying, “God won’t give you more than you can handle?” Join us as we explore how this saying takes the biblical text out of context an...

Half Truths - Part 1: Everything Happens for a Reason ??? This week begins a 5 week series on “Half Truths”, or what I call, “Bumper Sticker Christianity,” debunking common Christian cliche’s that tend to do more harm than good. This week we begin with the famous line, “Everything Happens for a Reason”, exploring the nature of God’s will, especially when it comes to suffering and evil. How do we m...

“It’s Complicated - Family as a Means of Grace” - Part 6 Spiritual growth isn’t about building something new, or adding more to our lives.  It’s a stripping away of everything in us that’s not of God.  The Spirit’s work in us is not to sculpt a masterpiece out of a human shaped pile of garbage and sin.  Instead, the Spirt gently restores us to the image of God that we were always ma...

“It’s Complicated - Family as a Means of Grace” - Part 5 “I will pour out my Spirit upon everyone… This promise is for you, your children, and for all who are far away — as many as the Lord invites.” It has been said that the greatest scandal of Christianity is not who it excludes, but who it includes.  If God is at the center of the circle, there are no boundaries.  If Christ is at the...

“It’s Complicated - Family as a Means of Grace” - Part 4 Faith doesn’t always get passed down through perfect teaching or clear conversations. Sometimes it comes through presence — through someone showing up, holding space, or quietly living a life centered on God. That kind of faith may not look impressive, but it plants deep roots. How are you modeling your faith to the next generation, in word...

“It’s Complicated - Family as a Means of Grace” - Part 3 This week we’re looking at the controversial text from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians 5 on submission. Paul begins with traditional hierarchical family codes from the culture of his day, but he doesn’t leave them there. In fact, he challenges the traditional power structure by declaring that those in power and authority should submit to thos...

“It’s Complicated - Family as a Means of Grace” - Part 2 As we continue our series on family, we will look deeper at Jesus’ promise in John 14—“I go to prepare a place for you”— it isn’t just about some distant mansion in the sky, but about being welcomed into God’s household here and now. I explore how ancient family structures help us understand salvation as connection, not escape. Living as par...

Welcome to our new series - “It’s Complicated - Family as a Means of Grace”. As we begin this series on Mother’s Day, we will explore what it means to nurture faith across generations and within the complexities of real-life families. Drawing from Paul’s encouragement to Timothy, the example of Susanna Wesley, and Jesus' redefinition of family, this sermon invites us to reclaim the spiritual pract...