First Sermons

This sermon was preached by Dr. Harold Henderson on Ascension Sunday and Mother's Day at First UMC - Gainesville, FL.

This sermon was preached by the Reverend Clair Carter who serves as the Director of Family Empowerment at Trinity UMC’s Faith Mission campus. She runs Circles Gainesville, a ministry devoted to moving families out of poverty permanently. She is on loan from the Louisiana Annual conference where she is ordained in full connection as a deacon. Service and community engagement are two of her passions...

Using the small but mighty First Letter of John, this Easter season we’ll be reminded of the ways Jesus’ life, death and resurrection reveal the truth that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16b) Resurrection power is found both on other side of this life in eternity, and in the right here and right now. How can we more fully embrace that trut...

Using the small but mighty First Letter of John, this Easter season we’ll be reminded of the ways Jesus’ life, death and resurrection reveal the truth that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16b) Resurrection power is found both on other side of this life in eternity, and in the right here and right now. How can we more fully embrace that trut...

Using the small but mighty First Letter of John, this Easter season we’ll be reminded of the ways Jesus’ life, death and resurrection reveal the truth that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16b) Resurrection power is found both on other side of this life in eternity, and in the right here and right now. How can we more fully embrace that trut...

Using the small but mighty First Letter of John, this Easter season we’ll be reminded of the ways Jesus’ life, death and resurrection reveal the truth that “God is love and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” (1 John 4:16b) Resurrection power is found both on other side of this life in eternity, and in the right here and right now. How can we more fully embrace that trut...

Ted Lasso is an Emmy Award winning show about an American college football coach who’s hired to manage a British soccer team. What Ted Lasso lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with humility, determination and a belief in the power of goodness and hope. Sounds a lot like the Gospel, doesn’t it? This series will take us through the end of Lent and into Easter as we continue to discover the wisdom o...

Ted Lasso is an Emmy Award winning show about an American college football coach who’s hired to manage a British soccer team. What Ted Lasso lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with humility, determination and a belief in the power of goodness and hope. Sounds a lot like the Gospel, doesn’t it? This series will take us through the end of Lent and into Easter as we continue to discover the wisdom o...

Ted Lasso is an Emmy Award winning show about an American college football coach who’s hired to manage a British soccer team. What Ted Lasso lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with humility, determination and a belief in the power of goodness and hope. Sounds a lot like the Gospel, doesn’t it? This series will take us through the end of Lent and into Easter as we continue to discover the wisdom o...

Ted Lasso is an Emmy Award winning show about an American college football coach who’s hired to manage a British soccer team. What Ted Lasso lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with humility, determination and a belief in the power of goodness and hope. Sounds a lot like the Gospel, doesn’t it? This series will take us through the end of Lent and into Easter as we continue to discover the wisdom o...

Ted Lasso is an Emmy Award winning show about an American college football coach who’s hired to manage a British soccer team. What Ted Lasso lacks in knowledge, he makes up for with humility, determination and a belief in the power of goodness and hope. Sounds a lot like the Gospel, doesn’t it? This series will take us through the end of Lent and into Easter as we continue to discover the wisdom o...

Of the four Gospels, Mark’s was written first and is the shortest. Its tone is also the most urgent. There are fewer details in the telling of events and the word “immediately” is used often. Our capital campaign, “Fulfilling the Master’s Plan: Honoring the Past and Ensuring the Future,” challenges us to do the work that’s urgently necessary “under our roof” so we can be better prepared to reach o...

Of the four Gospels, Mark’s was written first and is the shortest. Its tone is also the most urgent. There are fewer details in the telling of events and the word “immediately” is used often. Our capital campaign, “Fulfilling the Master’s Plan: Honoring the Past and Ensuring the Future,” challenges us to do the work that’s urgently necessary “under our roof” so we can be better prepared to reach o...

Of the four Gospels, Mark’s was written first and is the shortest. Its tone is also the most urgent. There are fewer details in the telling of events and the word “immediately” is used often. Our capital campaign, “Fulfilling the Master’s Plan: Honoring the Past and Ensuring the Future,” challenges us to do the work that’s urgently necessary “under our roof” so we can be better prepared to reach o...

Of the four Gospels, Mark’s was written first and is the shortest. Its tone is also the most urgent. There are fewer details in the telling of events and the word “immediately” is used often. Our capital campaign, “Fulfilling the Master’s Plan: Honoring the Past and Ensuring the Future,” challenges us to do the work that’s urgently necessary “under our roof” so we can be better prepared to reach o...

Of the four Gospels, Mark’s was written first and is the shortest. Its tone is also the most urgent. There are fewer details in the telling of events and the word “immediately” is used often. Our capital campaign, “Fulfilling the Master’s Plan: Honoring the Past and Ensuring the Future,” challenges us to do the work that’s urgently necessary “under our roof” so we can be better prepared to reach o...

Of the four Gospels, Mark’s was written first and is the shortest. Its tone is also the most urgent. There are fewer details in the telling of events and the word “immediately” is used often. Our capital campaign, “Fulfilling the Master’s Plan: Honoring the Past and Ensuring the Future,” challenges us to do the work that’s urgently necessary “under our roof” so we can be better prepared to reach o...

Pastor Beth's sermon from our Baptism Renewal Sunday worship service.

Pastor Harold talks about Christmas and how it is not a one-off day for celebration.

When he originally published “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as a stand-along story in 1957, Dr. Suess set out to tell a Christmas story that pushed against the mainstream. We don’t all have a personal aversion to Christmas, like the Grinch does, but maybe we all have parts of the season which we dislike, allowing us to identify with the Grinch. Throughout this series, we’ll discover that much of...

When he originally published “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as a stand-along story in 1957, Dr. Suess set out to tell a Christmas story that pushed against the mainstream. We don’t all have a personal aversion to Christmas, like the Grinch does, but maybe we all have parts of the season which we dislike, allowing us to identify with the Grinch. Throughout this series, we’ll discover that much of...

When he originally published “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” as a stand-along story in 1957, Dr. Suess set out to tell a Christmas story that pushed against the mainstream. We don’t all have a personal aversion to Christmas, like the Grinch does, but maybe we all have parts of the season which we dislike, allowing us to identify with the Grinch. Throughout this series, we’ll discover that much of...

Pastor Harold presents his thoughts and discussion on the Season of Advent.

What a ride 2023 has been! We’ve experienced incredible highs like the world premiere of the “Requiem” this Spring which is a beautiful piece of music our congregation commissioned to honor the lives lost during the pandemic and claim hope and light for the future. We’ve also faced challenging lows like UMCs in our community and beyond who’ve chosen to disaffiliate from our denomination, a situati...

What a ride 2023 has been! We’ve experienced incredible highs like the world premiere of the “Requiem” this Spring which is a beautiful piece of music our congregation commissioned to honor the lives lost during the pandemic and claim hope and light for the future. We’ve also faced challenging lows like UMCs in our community and beyond who’ve chosen to disaffiliate from our denomination, a situati...