Midtown Presbyterian Church

This week, our dear friend Bob Simmons takes us into one of the most beloved miracles in Scripture—the feeding of the 5,000—but reveals a profound truth we often miss: Jesus wasn't just addressing physical hunger that day. The context matters deeply here. The disciples had just returned from an exhausting ministry tour, depleted and in need of rest. Jesus himself was grieving the brutal murder of...

This week's message takes us into one of the most profound conversations in Scripture: Jesus meeting with Nicodemus under the cover of night. Here was a man who thought he knew everything about God—a religious leader, a Pharisee, someone steeped in moral living and theological knowledge. Yet Jesus tells him something startling: none of it is enough. We must be born again. This isn't about adding a...

We've all created a version of Jesus that fits comfortably in our pockets—a Jesus who affirms what we already believe, who never challenges our assumptions, who exists primarily to serve our preferences. But John chapter 2 shatters these tiny versions by presenting us with the Lord of both wine and whip. In the wedding at Cana, Jesus reveals himself as extravagantly generous, transforming over 120...

Midtown is bringing in the New Year with a walk through the Gospel of John, inviting us to encounter Jesus as He truly is. In a world obsessed with self-definition, John shows us a different way—an identity rooted not in performance or approval, but in Christ himself. Through John the Baptist’s witness, we discover that true freedom comes not from creating meaning, but from pointing beyond ourselv...

On this final Sunday of 2025, Midtown pauses to breathe and remember that each of us has a role to play in God’s Kingdom as the hands and feet of Jesus in the world. Through three testimonial interviews with members of our community, Clint invites us to see that our connections—on Sunday mornings and throughout the week—are not the destination, but a kind of waystation: a place to be filled, refre...

In this final Sunday of Advent leading up to Christmas, we often find ourselves longing for something transcendent—a magic we can't quite name. We decorate our homes, attend services, and soak in the warm feelings, but if we're honest, these things alone never quite satisfy the deeper ache in our souls. This exploration of John's Gospel strips away the familiar trappings of the nativity story to r...

In our 3rd week of Advent this year, Luke Parker poses a profound question: why do we settle for two-dimensional lives when we were created for so much more? Using the powerful image of a deflated basketball—still recognizable but unable to fulfill its purpose—we're invited to examine our own lives. The basketball was made to bounce, to play the game, yet something has gone terribly wrong. Similar...

This second week of Advent, Renea Smith leads us in considering what it means to be light-bearers in a world still waiting for Christ's return. Drawing from John 1:6-9, we encounter John the Baptist not primarily as a baptizer, but as a witness—someone whose entire existence pointed away from himself and toward Jesus. His humility is striking: despite angelic prophecies, despite being called by Go...

This Advent season, Gayle Parker opened by inviting us to rethink where real life actually begins. John’s prologue reminds us that Jesus didn’t simply enter the world in Bethlehem—He is the eternal Word who was present before creation, the One through whom all things came into being. In a season when we’re tempted to believe life will start “once we get there”—once we succeed, once we have enough,...

Imagine having a bank account that deposits 960 dollars every single day, but with one catch: you can't save any of it for tomorrow. Every night, your balance resets to zero. What would you do? You'd spend every dollar wisely, right? Well, we already have this bank—it's called time. Every morning we wake with 960 minutes, and every night they're gone forever. This powerful metaphor opens our explo...

We are in week 8 of our exploration of Ecclesiastes, as reverend Jackie Parks draws us through chapter 9:13-18 and confronts us with one of life's most uncomfortable truths: wisdom doesn't always lead to worldly success. Jackie draws us in to encounter the story of a poor, wise man who saves an entire city from a powerful king, only to be forgotten and despised. It's the ultimate letdown for our s...

What does a truly successful life look like? This week, we explore Ecclesiastes chapter 9 and how it challenges our cultural definitions of success, inviting us into a radically different way of living. We're confronted with two sobering realities: first, that our lives are not ultimately in our own hands but in God's hands, and second, that death comes for us all regardless of our achievements or...

We live in a world that often feels spiritually disorienting, where what we believe about justice and goodness doesn't match what we experience daily. This exploration of Ecclesiastes 8:10-17 tackles what we might call 'spiritual motion sickness'—that nauseating disconnect between our expectations of how the world should work and the reality we encounter. Just as physical motion sickness occurs wh...

What if the very thing that makes us human—our ability to speak—is also our greatest vulnerability? This week, the teacher in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 challenges us to reconsider the power and danger of our words. We discover that humans are essentially 'living language,' created in the image of a God who spoke the universe into existence. Yet this divine gift has become corrupted; our words can build u...

In our journey through Ecclesiastes, we're confronted with the stark reality of life's challenges and the seeming futility of our pursuits. The teacher reminds us that without God, our efforts are merely 'chasing after the wind.' But amidst this sobering message, we find a powerful truth: we're not meant to face life alone. The passage emphasizes that 'two are better than one,' highlighting the im...

Ecclesiastes | The Illusion of (Our) Control - Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 - Clint Leavitt by Midtown Presbyterian Church

In our exploration of Ecclesiastes 2, we confront the futility of pursuing happiness and pleasure for their own sake. The Teacher's experiment with wealth, power, and indulgence reveals a profound truth: nothing 'under the sun' can truly satisfy the human soul. This passage challenges us to examine our own pursuits and ask whether we're chasing after vapor. Are we, like the Teacher, trying to fill...

This week we begin a 9 week exploration of the book of Ecclesiastes as Tom Parker invites us to consider our mortality and the wisdom of humility. As we read Ecclesiastes 1, we're challenged to confront the brevity and cyclical nature of life. The scripture paints a stark picture of existence as 'hevel,' 'vanity,' 'smoke' - fleeting as a breath. Yet, far from being pessimistic, this wisdom literat...

In this final exploration of the Tenth Commandment, we delve into the heart of human desire and its complex relationship with our faith. Gayle Parker challenges us to confront our tendency to covet, reminding us that while desire itself is a God-given gift, it can easily become misdirected. By examining the story of Eve in the Garden of Eden and King David's fall, we see how unchecked desire can l...

In a world clouded by deception, we're called to be a community of truth-tellers. The ninth commandment, 'You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor,' isn't just about avoiding lies – it's about recognizing the profound power of our words. James 3 vividly illustrates how our tongue, though small, can steer our entire life like a rudder guides a ship. Our words have the potential to ble...

The eighth commandment given to the people in Exodus: 'You shall not steal.’ In this week’s message, Clint shows us how the eighth commandment goes beyond simple theft, urging us to consider how we might be 'stealing' through wrong keeping - holding onto excess while others are in need. By examining Exodus 20:15 and Ephesians 4:28, we're invited to view our possessions as gifts from God meant for...

This week, we delve deep into the heart of desire and temptation as Daniel Barth explores the seventh commandment. The message goes beyond the surface-level understanding of 'do not commit adultery,' challenging us to examine the very roots of our desires. We're reminded that God's commandments are not mere restrictions, but guideposts for a fulfilling life. The story of adultery in Proverbs 7 viv...

This week we dive into the implications of the sixth commandment, 'You shall not murder.' Far from being a simple prohibition, this commandment reveals a profound principle: every human life is sacred. We're challenged to see beyond mere behavior modification and embrace a transformative journey of the heart. The story of Samson serves as a cautionary tale, illustrating how unchecked anger can lea...

This week, Clint Leavitt returns from paternity leave, bringing with him fascinating observations about the fifth commandment, 'Honor your father and mother.' He invites us to dive deep into the heart of family relationships and their profound impact on our spiritual lives. The message challenges us to see honor not as a mere greeting card sentiment, but as a transformative force that shapes indiv...

Song Credit: “Lift Me Up" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on October 28, 2022, by Westbury Road, Roc Nation, Def Jam, and Hollywood Records, as the lead single from the soundtrack album of the 2022 superhero film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.