First Houston United Methodist Church

Have you ever heard of someone trying to build a building without blueprints? To enter a period where we feel God is calling us to thrive, clarity is essential. We are in a difficult position. We have to acknowledge it. We have to sit with the burden. But we also sit with the burden of hope. Nehemiah 1:1-11, 2:1-8 fmhouston.com

When Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild the city, he started not with plans and construction, but with penitence and grief. Before the Israelites could build a new wall, they first needed a new spirit. As this church enters into a new moment, we’re going to continue to follow the Nehemiah story, and we’re going to continue to move forward as one body in one direction. Let’s take action toge...

As the church prepares for a massive vote on the future of the church, Lance returns to the Book of Acts and the story of Pentecost. “When we talk about membership in the church, it comes from this passage,” he reminds us. “We are part of one body.” God is calling us to a Pentecost moment, to be all together, one body, one movement, a light shining brightly on a hill. “Movements begin with faith,...

As Stephen explains, with so many of the pastors out on the West Campus this morning, “today you get me.” But what a lovely thing that ends up being! Sometimes, no matter how many times God moves us, we keep ending up back in the same place. That’s not the plan God has for us! Look around at where God has placed you. You are here. You are a piece of this community. Be part of it. “It is our job no...

Lance often is asked for things by his children that aren’t the best for them, and after turning them down for a long time, he’ll allow them to discover the downsides for themselves. Free will comes with choices. But it doesn’t shield you from consequences. When God tells that He knows the plans He has for us, sometimes it doesn’t feel like good news. Sometimes it’s not exactly what we were hoping...

Lance remembers looking at his sons for the first time and thinking “who are you gonna be?” Expectations can overwhelm us. Come to the waters and remember that you belong to God. God is going to do a new thing. Can’t you perceive it? Luke 3:15-17, 21-22 fmhouston.com

Today we remember the gifts that the Magi brought to Jesus. What’s the precious gift that you could give this king? Jesus has given us quite a mission. Let’s see where he takes us in the year ahead. My prayer for all of us that God would guide us to that perfect light. Matthew 2:1-12 fmhouston.com

Lance tells the story of a very odd thing: a king, born in a room for animals, lying in a feeding trough. As lowly an entrance as you could imagine. But the story of this humble entrance is also the story of hope. Whatever mess you find in your life, that’s where Christ is born to you. Right where you need him the most, that’s where this gift will be. Luke 2:1-20 fmhouston.com

It’s easy for things to pile up, and if we aren’t careful, for anxiety to come and stop us in our tracks. So what is the antidote? It is the state of our heart, the state of our mind. A sense of gentleness and graciousness should mark the people of the Lord. “Sometimes God calms the storm, but sometimes God calms His child.” Philippians 4:4-7 fmhouston.com

God is not just a starter, God is a finisher. Look around at this church. It is easy to look at it and think that all the great things have happened. But God is not finished with us, and he is not finished with this church. We bring the light out to those living in the darkness. That’s the power of the church. Philippians 1:3-11 fmhouston.com

We don’t like to wait, do we? We trust that God keeps his promises, but it is difficult to be patient. But that’s how faith works. We are given just enough light to illuminate our next step. We want to push away all of the darkness ourselves. But if we could, we wouldn’t have to rely on God. We push back the darkness until Christ returns. Let us be people who push back the darkness together. By th...

Lance wraps up the sermon series by remembering an old SNL sketch, “A Thanksgiving Miracle,” of a bickering holiday family brought together by the power of song. “Sometimes we need to sing the same song.” There are so many things that separate us into “us and them,” but what divides us pales in comparison to what unites us. We have been clothed in Christ - when people see us, they should see Jesus...

To show the ways that faith and works are intertwined, Lance tells the stories of churches that stepped out in faith, preparing for a future that was not yet fulfilled - doing the work to bring about the promises of God. Faith without works is like a beautiful sailboat without wind, and we cannot just wait for the wind to come upon us. We have work to do. Let’s go forth. James 2:14-26 fmhouston.co...

On social media this week, it has been tough to see how Christians have been treating friends and neighbors. It’s the antithesis of what Jesus desired when he took the sins of the world upon him on the cross. God seeks to be the savior of all people, despite their worst behavior, and we are to show God’s will and God’s way in a divided society. And together, we work towards healing a world that is...

Tuesday is Election Day. Some things may change, but our mission as Christians will not. We will still be called to “a more perfect union.” No matter what happens, we are going to get up the next day and feed the hungry, clothe the naked, bring comfort to those who need it. We’re going to wake up and keep loving God with everything we’ve got. Mark 12:28-34 fmhouston.com

As we reach the summation of our stewardship series, Lance takes the story of salvation and turns it around and asks us to pray first and foremost that we can be found in Christ… so that Christ can be found in us. Together, we are the Jesus that an unbelieving world can see. And we have the opportunity to experience abundantly more. We’re gonna experience the power of love, and we’re gonna do it t...

What does it mean for us to be grounded in God through Christ? The writer of today’s scripture highlights this three different times, to let us know that being grounded is not just important, it is intrinsic to our being, it is the foundation of all things. 1 Corinthians 3:5-23 fmhouston.com

God has called us to be about the work. He gives us the seeds and sends us to go sow them. Our instincts are to look for the trees that are already grown and rest underneath them. But God calls us out of that rest, to take the seeds from those trees and spread them further out. We may not be ever see the fully grown tree, but that is okay. We are called to sow. We disagree sometimes. We find ourse...

God has blessed us all to be a blessing for the world, and we are ready for God to accomplish far more than we could ever ask or imagine. But we only truly become ready by being rooted in love Where are you rooted today? In the love of Christ? In generosity? Or are you withering? It’s hard to look past what has been into what will be. But we can move into the future unafraid… as long as we remain...

We move into a new series as we enter stewardship - “Abundantly More” - and Lance wants us to see the great vision that God has cast before us. Sometimes it’s hard for us in times of scarcity to look back on times before, and think that everything that was going to happen has already been accomplished. But even though everything is not what we want them to be, God is not finished with us yet! We s...

On a Sunday of student-led worship, three of our youth come forward to tell the congregation what they’ve learned about the nature of Jesus, and how the mission of the church has helped them see Him more clearly - the ways that they’ve come to know God, and the various moments and missions that have opened their eyes to see His nature and His love. Matthew 16:13-16 fmhouston.com

Lance jokes about discovering on social media that the Rapture supposedly happened this week - “I guess we all missed it.” But he talks about living in awareness of a future we know is approaching - how to live today as if tomorrow has already come. We hold the hope of heaven, the hope of eternity, inside of us. And because of that, we can know that we are never alone. Nothing can rob you of the h...

One of Lance’s favorite things to do with his grandmother was to sit down with her photo albums, and have her tell him his story, even the parts he was too young to remember. Likewise, Paul is opening up the photo album for the Corinthians, and showing them their story - even the parts they haven’t seen, weren’t there for, to help them make sense of their faith. Because they, like us, danced on th...

There’s a lot of on-the-job training with the Holy Spirit. God equips those who he calls to him. So when God calls you, say “yes.” We have footsteps to follow in. We are to forgive the sins of others, that is our work. Take up and follow Christ. Matthew 6:12, 14-15 fmhouston.com

When we gather for worship, we are gathering for worship with all the world, all the worship that spans distance and time and in fact all of eternity. We don’t have to be perfect - but we are saints! And we should strive for perfection. For we have been set apart to be holy. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 fmhouston.com