Lakeside Light Podcast

Scriptures: Mark 9:38-50  Description: A humorous, insightful, and poignant sermon led by Elders of Lakeside Presbyterian Church.  Thank you for joining the Lakeside Light Podcast. This is a copyrighted production of Lakeside Presbyterian Church. You can find out more information about us at lakesidechurch.org.

Scriptures: James 3:13-4:3, Mark 9:30-37    Description: The Letter of James raises the question of what true wisdom looks like. Is it dog eat dog? Is it looking out for Number One? Or does God offer us a different kind of wisdom? If so, what does divine wisdom look like? Maybe it looks like Jesus. Bio: The Reverend Doctor Michael Brewer is a retired pastor with 28 years of ministry at Crescent Sp...

Scriptures: Mark 8:27-38 Description: The cross is the central symbol of our faith – but have we watered it down? Or have we allowed it to take on entirely different meaning than what Jesus intended? In this passage, Jesus challenges us to re-imagine power and take risks.  Bio: The Rev. Dr. Louisa W. Umphres is pastor and head of staff at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. She holds a BA in History fro...

Scriptures: Isaiah 35:4-7a, James 2:1-17  Description: Thou Shalt Not Be Horrible. Your choices matter.  Drawing from the words of Isaiah, we explore how every choice can resonate with joy and purpose. Let’s all act like what we do matters. Bio: The Rev. Dr. Louisa W. Umphres is pastor and head of staff at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. She holds a BA in History from Duke University, Masters of Div...

Scriptures: Psalm 46, John 16:31-33  Description: In the gospel of John, Christ promises peace to his followers. But how can we live into this promise when peace often seems so far away?  Bio: John Hodges-Batzka serves as the Coordinator of the Northern Kentucky Youth Group (Illumination), providing youth programming for several area PCUSA and UCC churches. A Detroit-area native, John received his...

Scriptures: Psalm 22, Acts 27:39-44  Description: God’s call is a gift for all people – not just a privilege for the few who have the power to choose preferred jobs or control relationships. Even when we find ourselves out of options, in circumstances that feel like dead ends, or in the depths of suffering, God can find us and we can claim vocation.  Bio: The Rev. Dr. Louisa W. Umphres is pastor a...

Featuring: Lora Davis Scriptures: Ruth 1:15b-18, Mark 6:7-13  Description: We were never meant to experience vocation solely as individuals. Wherever and whenever we are called, we are called with one another and with the Spirit’s companionship. Who we partner with, what communities we walk alongside, and which friendships we foster are all deeply vital to God’s call in our lives.  Bio: The Rev. D...

Scriptures: Acts 9:10-19,  Ephesians 4:25-5:2  Description: As we explore our own vocation and the vocations of our communities, we also become part of God’s call to others. God calls us through one another – through mentors and friends, through people who know us deeply and through people who meet us in the right place at the right time. Our baptismal promise is to help others find God’s call thr...

Scriptures: Psalm 145:10-18, Ephesians 4:1-16  Description: God’s call draws us into and toward a greater vision and story, one where God’s heaven is felt on earth and all the world’s people see the promises fulfilled. What does it mean to live in the ‘already and not yet’, always being called toward something more than we can see?  Bio: The Reverend Doctor Michael Brewer is a retired pastor with...

Scriptures: Psalm 145:10-18, Ephesians 4:1-16  Description: God’s call draws us into and toward a greater vision and story, one where God’s heaven is felt on earth and all the world’s people see the promises fulfilled. What does it mean to live in the ‘already and not yet’, always being called toward something more than we can see?  Bio: The Rev. Dr. Louisa W. Umphres is pastor and head of staff a...

Scriptures: Isaiah 43:1-7, Ephesians 2:10-22  Description: 2nd week in the Vocation Bible School Series. God calls us each by name, calling us as we are. Our vocations are found within our particular time and place and people. Whatever our age or circumstance, God can use us.  Bio: The Rev. Dr. Louisa W. Umphres is pastor and head of staff at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. She holds a BA in History...

Scriptures: Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32, Mark 4:35-41 Description:  This story from Mark is one of the early miracle/healing stories in this Gospel and is filled with irony and open questions: Jesus, the carpenter, commands his disciples (several of whom are experienced fishermen) to set sail with him.  Yet when the weather gets rough, it it the fishermen who panic and the carpenter has to save them.  Ir...

Scripture References: Lamentations 3:22-33, Mark 5:21-43 Description: An exploration of spiritual practices such as feeling what we feel, hanging onto hope, and choosing joy during our times waiting. Bio: Rev. Bosarge is a Teaching Elder in the PC USA, a member of the Presbytery of Cincinnati, with a Master of Arts in Spirituality and a ministry focus of Spiritual Formation. She divides her time b...

Scripture References: 2 Corinthians 12:2-10 Description: When Paul prayed to be freed from the “thorn in his flesh,” the Risen Lord responded, “My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in your weakness.” What does that promise mean to us as we wrestle with our own painful thorns?  Bio: The Reverend Doctor Michael Brewer is a retired pastor with 28 years of ministry at Crescent Spri...

Scriptures: Psalm 24, Ephesians 1:3-14  Description: 1st week in the Vocation Bible School Series. Instead of thinking of our vocation as a noun (called to be 'a teacher’ or ‘a pastor), or even a verb (called ‘to serve’ or ‘to preach’), what if God’s call can be found in the prepositions? Prepositions offer relationship between things. We’ll begin exploring what it means to be called by God a...

 Scripture References: Mark 4:26-34  Description: Jesus tells two short and sweet parables about the Kingdom of God, which – it turns out – can be found in even the most commonplace and tiny things. #LakesidePresbyterianChurch #Mark4 #MustardSeed #LazyGardeners  The Rev. Dr. Louisa W. Umphres is pastor and head of staff at Lakeside Presbyterian Church. She holds a BA in History from Duke Universit...

Scripture References: Mark 3:20-35  Louisa walks through this difficult passage, where Jesus pushes back against scribes and his family. What kind of ‘house’ is Jesus building? Who will be welcomed and who will be forgiven? And how do we respond to a God who challenges us to expand our ideas about who belongs to whom? #Mark3 #JesusandFamily #ChallengingTexts #lakesidepresbyterianchurch   The Rev....

Scripture focus: Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18 - Mark 2:23-3:6  In Mark, Jesus seems to flout sabbath law. But really, he is fulfilling and expanding God’s commandment to “Honor the sabbath and keep it holy.” How can we do the same? Take some inspiration from Louisa’s bearded dragon, Joe, and let’s all reclaim God’s gift of rest. #GospelofMark #Psalm139 #Sabbath #Beardies #lakesidepresbyterianchurch  Thank...

Scripture References: Romans 8:12-25 Description: We confess every Sunday that we believe in one God who is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. No one can really explain this mystery because God is simply too big to fit into our limited understanding. But instead of approaching the Trinity as a complicated doctrine, what if we think about the Trinity in more down-to-earth and practical ways? In other wo...

What if Pentecost is not the birthday of the church? What if our foundational story takes place in Acts 1 instead of Acts 2? Are we too busy trying to save ourselves and ‘church’ to notice when the Holy Spirit arrives in our midst? (Credit to two amazing theologians, Andrew Root and Blair D. Bertrand!) #AndrewRoot #BlairDBertrand #WhenChurchStopsWorking #Pentecost #HolySpirit #Acts1 #Acts2 The Rev...

Learn how Jesus embodies power by lifting up and why it's important to have a different perspective on power. #PowerOfLift #DifferentPower #WorshipingJesus #UnderstandingPower #JesusChrist #PowerOverVsPowerWith #TrueMeaningofWorship #EmbodyingPower #PerspectiveOnPower #lakesidepresbyterianchurch  Thank you for joining the Lakeside Light Podcast. This is a copyrighted production of Lakeside Pr...