HPUMC - Sanctuary Sermons (Traditional Worship)

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. When Jesus promises in John 14 that he will do whatever we ask in his name, it’s tempting to hear that as a blank check—an offer to make our agendas succeed with divine power. But does Jesus really mean God will always give us whatever we ask for? Or is he inviting us into something deeper?  Prayer was a constant habit for Jesus. In the Gospels,...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. What if the way we think about "ruling" isn’t quite what God had in mind? From the dawn of creation, God commissioned humanity to rule over all that God created. But what if His call is less about control and more about reflecting God’s image through loving stewardship? In a world where power is often equated with dominance, God invites us into a...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. On Palm Sunday, we celebrate the moment Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem as the people cheered wildly with the expectation that he was their Messiah. What had he done to receive such adulation? Why would they believe that he was the one? Just days before, Jesus had done an extraordinary miracle: raising a man from the dead. It was a sign th...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide Do you want to get well? This is the question Jesus asks in John 5 when he encounters a man who has been paralyzed for 38 years, waiting by the pool of Bethesda. When Jesus tells him to "get up and walk," he is inviting the man—and all of us—to move from fear to freedom and trust. In this sermon, we continue our series on the miracles of Jesus in...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Have you ever been asked to trust someone based only on their word? Maybe you wanted proof before believing, or you felt doubt creeping in. Taking someone at their word can feel risky, especially when the stakes are high.  In this sermon, we continue our series on the miracles of Jesus in the Gospel of John by exploring the story of a man in desp...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Do you believe in miracles? Maybe you do, maybe you don’t. But most of us have found ourselves praying for one in those moments when we desperately need something extraordinary to happen. The Gospel of John records seven miracles Jesus performed to reveal his divine purpose and authority on the way to Jerusalem. Over the next few weeks leading up...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. We all wrestle with questions of identity and worth—who we are, what defines us, and whether we measure up. But from the very beginning, God declared our worth. Made in God’s image, we were created to reflect His love and goodness to the world. Yet, we often try to earn our place with God or define ourselves by other metrics: our achievements, th...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. We’ve all felt that sinking feeling of regret after making a mistake. But how often do we fail to turn that regret into real change through repentance? Repentance can feel like a daunting religious word, particularly if you’ve heard it in a “fire and brimstone” context. But what if repentance isn’t as intimidating as we think? What if it’s not ju...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection guide. What if God is calling you to something bigger than your resources? Oftentimes, we let limitations—money, time, ability—dictate what we think is possible. But what if God is ready to provide in a way we never could have expected, if we will only step out in faith? Twenty-five years ago, asking this question changed the course of our church. It le...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Why do bad things happen to good people? This is a question humans have been asking for millennia. Whether it’s illness, injustice, or a natural disaster, personal and global suffering often leaves us wondering, “How could a good and powerful God allow this?” In this sermon, we will explore some of the causes of suffering and wrestle with the ten...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. There is nothing like fulfilling a dream! It feels magical when all your plans and hard work bring you to the finish line of something you’ve always wanted. But what do you do when you hit a dead end and your hard work adds up to nothing? Or worse, what do you do when your dream shatters before your eyes?  Last week, we talked about meeting God a...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide There is nothing like fulfilling a dream! It feels magical when all of your plans and hard work bring you to the finish line of something you’ve always wanted. But what do you do when you hit a dead end and your hard work adds up to nothing? Or worse, what do you do when your dream shatters before your eyes?  In this sermon, we get honest about th...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Dreams unlock our potential. When God plants them in our hearts, He equips each of us with a unique set of skills and gifts to pursue them. But turning those God-given dreams into reality is difficult. It’s one thing to believe that dreams are from God and carry power; it’s another to stay committed to them through setbacks. If God gives us dream...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Do you ever dream? Not just in sleep, but during the day—thinking about the big, perhaps impossible things you would love to see happen in your life. Some of us have stopped dreaming altogether, deciding that dreams are nothing more than sentimental distractions. Or maybe we've tucked our dreams away on a high shelf, letting them gather dust. Dre...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? Jesus frequently asked this question of the crowds that gathered to listen to him—not because he doubted whether they were paying attention but because he wanted to know if their hearts were open to receive his message.  Many who had the chance to meet Jesus in person and ask him questions either dismissed...

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide The start of a new year is all about vision-casting for the future in our culture. We set goals, we make resolutions, and we dream about who we might be when this year comes to its end. Yet no matter how much we plan, there is always uncertainty about what awaits us in the year ahead, and navigating that can be difficult. What do we do when life d...