JR.'s Sermons

Do you know someone who feels like a warm plate of chocolate chip cookies? Maybe you know someone who's gentle, kind and filled with care for everyone around them. They're probably an Enneagram 9 - the Peacemaker. What makes 9s special? What is their path to flourishing? And how can the rest of us learn from them and support them?

Do you know someone who is a little prickly, who has a tough exterior and a strong sense of justice? A person who stands up for the little guy, but also has a tendency to steamroll people? Then you might know an Eight. Abuela, the matriarch of la familia Madrigal, illustrates how Eights can be a potent force for good when they're healthy, but cause a lot of damage when they get off track. So how c...

ENCANTO is one of the most popular movies in recent memories. It's packed with spiritual truth - and each character offers us a picture of the possibility of transformation. This summer, we're diving into Encanto using the Enneagram - an ancient guide to spiritual growth - to help us look more like Jesus and love more like him too!

There’s a popular notion that all religions are different paths to the same destination. But when we explore different faith systems, we find each understands the nature of god(s) and reality very differently. Christians believe God is Trinity – a paradox that points to a deep truth at the heart of reality: God is love, and love is the most essential, powerful force in the universe!

When it comes to people who aren't Christians, the Church doesn't have a great track record. Far too often we imagine we're taking Jesus to people who don't know him. But Paul's encounter with the Athenians illustrates a powerful truth: God is already present among all the peoples of the world. Because God loves the whole world. How can we join God where the Holy Spirit is already at work?

The Church is more than a social club, more than a collection of vested interests. The Church is Jesus’ visible presence in our world. What makes the difference is the Holy Spirit – God who lives within and among us. Join us as we celebrate what it means that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is living within us, empowering us to be present to our world.

Not everyone who claims to be a Christian is following Jesus. That’s scary to admit, but it’s been true since the earliest days of the Church. What should our response be to those who claim Christianity but don’t look like our Christ? We turn to Peter’s words to his contemporaries in Acts 3 for a surprisingly grace-filled and truth-filled message of invitation and hope.

What makes a good convert to Christianity? Too often the church pursues wealth, fame and power. But as Paul's experiences in Thessalonica and Berea illustrate that it's not those markers of cultural success and acclaim we're used to admiring. Rather, what makes a good disciple is one who is curious and faith-filled. How do we spot that today?

Far too often, we view faith as something that separates us from the world. We become judgmental, condescending, celebrating when we prosper and they don't. But as the book of Acts shows us, God saves us for the sake of the world. What does a faith look like that turns to the world to embrace, rather than condemn?

What's the point of Sunday church? Why get together in a room, sing songs and listen to someone talk? And why do that weekly? Believe it or not, gathering regularly with our spiritual family is key to flourishing in our faith. Why is that? Let's let the early church show us.

Who would lie about Jesus coming back from the dead? Lots of people, as it turns out. What's at stake in Jesus' resurrection? And how do those stakes still matter today?

Love of country can morph into nationalism - putting our country before everything else. Believing we're chosen, that God loves us more than anyone else. Palm Sunday reminds us that Jesus is not on our side - rather, he invites us to follow him, to be on HIS side. How does following Jesus free us to love our country truly as well?

Christianity has a long history of oppressing both women and peoples of color - often using the Bible to justify it. But Jesus is the God who freed the Hebrew slaves, who comforted the Exiles, who appointed a woman as the first apostle and preacher. What does a faith that rejects misogyny and racism look like? How can we affirm that God is not a white man?

Today’s churches are often built around and center the nuclear family - Dad, Mom, Wally and the Beav. Why is that? Jesus was single. So was Paul. And the so-called ‘traditional family’ didn’t exist until the last century. How can we avoid creating an idol out of the family? What is God’s vision for family? And how is that vision good for all of us, no matter what our families look like?

What do you think when you hear the word ‘reparations’? A political movement? A threat to the status quo? As God outlines in the book of Numbers, reparations are an integral part of the process of forgiveness and reconciliation. What do reparations look like in our individual lives? And how can we be a voice for just reparations in our culture?

US economics is based on principles of making profit and supply and demand. But does the invisible hand that guides the market belong to God? Elijah's encounter with a widow illustrates that God does not live in a world of scarcity. So as God's people, we can reject any system that insists on my success over your failure.

There are few things we value more than our individualism. But the early church identified pride as the root sin. Why is individualism so dangerous? And how can we resist the temptation to set ourselves up as gods?

Who ever wants to come back from vacation? Or go to the office on Monday? Or leave any of those places where we feel free to be most fully ourselves? Jesus shows us that God invites us into these spaces not to hide, but to receive strength and courage to take Jesus' love to the world.

Over the last several years, we've all experienced strained and broken relationships. What is the faith-filled path forward in these relationships? How do we create space for forgiveness and reconciliation? Joseph's reunion with his brothers illustrates how we can seek real healing.

How do we prepare for the work God calls us to? Spiritual practices create space for the Holy Spirit to work in us. They are not self-care, but joining with God for healing and restoration!

One of the biggest complaints about churches today is that we're too political. What we mean though, is that churches are too partisan. Because God calls us to love our neighbors the same way we love ourselves and our families - and that's a political act. So how can we be political without becoming partisan? Isaiah's vision of God's throne room is good news for anyone who's sick and tired of poli...

Most of us struggle to hear God's call. Isn't that something reserved for preachers and prophets? But God calls each of us. And God calls ALL of us. Our calling is something for good - not just our own good, but the good of our community, and of the world around us. So what is God's call for us?

It's pretty hard these days to muster the energy to worship. Whether it's an ongoing weariness with virtual, guilt over feeling defeated and exhausted or a more general malaise, just showing up feels like a miracle. Would it surprise you to know that experience is common? And that it's a sign that the best place for us to be is... in worship together?

We don't like to admit we're hurting. We want to present ourselves as strong, competent, able to shoulder the burdens of life. But a strong facade actually keeps us from healing. Naming our pain, our trauma, is essential to healing. Our pain matters to God. Our trauma matters to God. Naming it is how we learn to hope.

As the pandemic wears on, more and more of us experience a deep sense of loneliness. At the beginning of this new year, how can we find God present with us in a way that doesn't ask us to ignore that pain? How does God's solidarity with us actually speak to this deep sense of isolation so many of us carry right now?