God’s Acre on the Go

What if the thing you fear might destroy you could somehow become the place where healing begins? In Numbers 21:4–9 , the Israelites are attacked by poisonous snakes in the wilderness. God gives Moses a strange instruction: make an image of the very creature they fear, raise it on a pole, and tell the people to look at it. Those who look toward the serpent live. Centuries later, Jesus draws upon t...

In Exodus 16:2–36 , the Israelites have escaped slavery in Egypt only to find themselves hungry in the wilderness. God responds by providing manna, bread from heaven that appears each morning. But the manna comes with unusual instructions: gather only what you need for today, trust that more will come tomorrow, and when the Sabbath arrives, rest. God is doing more than feeding Israel. God is formi...

In Exodus 14:10–25 , the Israelites find themselves trapped between Pharaoh’s approaching army and the sea. There is no apparent way forward, and going backward is impossible. Into their fear, Moses speaks an extraordinary word: “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.” Stillness can be especially difficult for competent people. We are accustomed to identifying problems, maki...

What good is faith if it never changes what we do? That is the question James presses in James 2:14–18 . When someone is hungry or without adequate clothing, kind words are not enough. For James, faith is not simply something we hold or profess; it becomes visible in the choices we make and the ways we respond to the needs of others.   In “Love in an Open Field,” Kelly Antonson reflects on returni...

In Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 , Jesus tells the parable of a farmer scattering seed. The same seed falls everywhere, but it produces very different results depending upon the soil. Some never takes root. Some springs up quickly and withers. Some is crowded out by thorns. But seed that falls on good soil produces an extraordinary harvest. The problem isn’t the seed. The problem is the soil. But how does...

The parable of the Prodigal Son may be named for the younger brother, but Jesus leaves us at the end of the story with the older one—standing outside a celebration he cannot bring himself to join. In Luke 15 , Jesus tells three stories about what has been lost being found. But when the younger son returns and the father celebrates, his older brother begins comparing. He has remained faithful, work...

What if wisdom isn't about having all the answers?   In Proverbs 9:1–6 , Wisdom prepares a feast and sends out an invitation, not to the smartest or most accomplished people, but to those willing to remain open and teachable. This ancient image challenges many of our assumptions about success, knowledge, and what it means to live well.   In this sermon, we explore the Bible's understanding of wisd...

In Matthew 20:1–16 , Jesus tells a strange story about a vineyard owner who pays workers hired at the end of the day exactly what he pays those who worked from morning until evening. It doesn’t seem fair—and that is precisely the point. In this message, Dylan Rees explores the difference between fairness and grace. In God’s economy, we do not simply receive what we have earned or what we deserve....

Jacob has spent much of his life running from the consequences of his choices and grasping for the future he wants. On the night before he must face Esau, Jacob is left alone beside the Jabbok River, where he wrestles with God until daybreak. Jacob cannot overpower or outmaneuver God. Wounded and unable to rely upon his old strength, he can only remain in the struggle and hold on. There, God asks...

How much love is enough? In Luke 10:25–37 , a lawyer asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life. When Jesus reminds him to love God and love his neighbor, the lawyer presses further: “And who is my neighbor?” He is looking for a boundary—a clear point at which his obligation ends. Jesus responds with the parable of the Good Samaritan. By making a despised outsider the story’s hero, Jesus c...

If God asked you the same question he asked Solomon—"What should I give you?"—how would you answer? In this sermon, “Deepest Desire,” we explore 1 Kings 3:1–15 and one of the most remarkable conversations in Scripture. While Solomon is often remembered for asking God for wisdom, this story reveals something even deeper: a gracious God who meets imperfect people and invites them to uncover the deep...

What if reconciliation is not a naïve dream, but the very direction of God’s work in the world? In this sermon on Genesis 25:19–34 , we meet Jacob and Esau, two brothers whose rivalry begins before birth and shapes the story of generations to come. Through vivid storytelling, humor, family conflict, and human failure, this ancient biblical narrative introduces us to deeply flawed people who nevert...

What begins as a child’s question about the World Cup becomes a deeper question about identity, loyalty, and faith. On a weekend when many give thanks for the nation, this sermon asks what it means to celebrate with honesty, humility, and hope.   In Matthew 11 , Jesus speaks to people carrying real burdens: political burdens, religious burdens, economic burdens, and spiritual burdens. He does not...

What if following Jesus is not only about where we are sent, but also about who we are willing to receive? In Matthew 10:5-11; 40-42 , Jesus sends his disciples out to proclaim that the kingdom of heaven has come near. But he sends them without extra supplies, making them dependent on the hospitality of others. This sermon looks at the often-overlooked side of discipleship: the people who open the...

At first glance, Jesus’ words about self-denial, sacrifice, and taking up the cross hardly sound like a summer message. But what if Matthew 10 is actually a kind of pep talk? In this sermon, “Pep Talk,” we explore Jesus’ challenge to his disciples as they prepare to go into the world proclaiming good news and embodying God’s kingdom. Like a coach preparing a team for a championship run, Jesus remi...

What do we owe God when life is good? In this Confirmation Sunday message, “Making Vows in New Canaan,” we explore Psalm 116 alongside Moses’ warnings to Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. While hardship often drives people toward God, abundance can tempt us to forget the source of our blessings. The sermon reflects on the meaning of New Canaan’s name and its connection to the bib...

Matthew had wealth, security, and influence—but he may also have been imprisoned by the very life he had built. In this message, “The Physician and the Tax Collector,” we explore Matthew 9:9–13 and Jesus’ surprising call to one of the most despised people in Capernaum. Looking beyond the familiar story, we consider how Matthew’s tax booth may have functioned as both a place of employment and a sym...

What happens when you reach the summit only to discover there is another mountain ahead? In this sermon on Matthew 28:16–20 , Jesus meets his disciples on a mountain in Galilee after the resurrection and gives them what we now call the Great Commission. Though they worship him, they also doubt—a powerful reminder that faith and uncertainty often coexist. Drawing on a story about a business leader...

Before the flames. Before the rushing wind. Before the miracle of understanding across languages—there was waiting. In this Pentecost message, we reflect on Acts 2 and the surprising truth that the church began not with certainty or strategy, but with prayerful uncertainty and openness to the Holy Spirit. The disciples did not fully know what would happen next. They simply stayed together, waited,...

In this message, “Feasting on the Word,” we explore John 6:1–15, 35 and the deeper meaning beneath one of Jesus’ most remembered miracles. While the crowd in the wilderness was physically hungry, John’s Gospel points toward another kind of hunger—the hunger of the human soul. Connecting Jesus to Moses, manna in the wilderness, and the promise of “a prophet like Moses” from Deuteronomy 18:15 , this...

What does it mean to be “built for good” in a world that often feels harsh, divided, and exhausting? In this Mother’s Day message, we turn to 1 Peter 3:8–17 , a letter written to early Christians trying to remain faithful during a time of fear and persecution. Rather than responding to cruelty with more cruelty, Peter calls them to bless instead of curse, to confront evil with goodness, and to rem...

Why is it that we so often wait until the end of a life to say what has been true all along? In this sermon, we begin with a childhood memory of a wake—where grief and love filled the room, and stories of a life well-lived were spoken with clarity and urgency. That moment becomes a lens for exploring Jesus’ words in Matthew 22:34-40 , when he is asked to name the greatest commandment. His answer—l...

We live in a world filled with bad news—division, conflict, and discouragement. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed or tempted to tune it all out. But what if the answer isn’t escaping reality… but living differently within it? In this message, “Bad News, Good News,” we turn to Acts 2:43–4:22 and the story of the early church—a small, ordinary group of people who chose to live fully in the way of Jesus....

It’s one of the most honest—and painful—phrases in Scripture. In this Easter message, we step onto the road to Emmaus ( Luke 24:13–35 ), where two disciples are walking away from everything they believed in. Their hope has been shattered, and they can’t yet see that Jesus is walking right beside them. But resurrection doesn’t begin with certainty—it begins in confusion, grief, and honest conversat...

What if doubt isn’t the opposite of faith—but part of the journey toward it? In this message, "Proof in Practice," we turn to John 20:19–29 and the story of Thomas—often labeled “the doubter,” but perhaps better understood as one who longed for real, embodied truth. In a world that often demands certainty, this passage offers something deeper: a Savior who meets us in our questions, not beyond the...