Mission Saint James

If Christians carry within them the hope of the world, how do we share that hope? This week, Fr. Ben Williams concludes our 5-week series on the Hope of the World. The rest that Jesus offers us is rest from living in the Kingdom of Man; it is resting in the reconciliation He purchased for us on the cross.

What do you value so much that you are willing to forsake everything else to gain? What are you willing to sell out for? This is the question that Jesus challenges us with this week as we continue our series titled the Hope of the World. Join us as Fr. Ben Williams encourages us to forsake all kingdoms for the Kingdom of God!

Does it ever feel like you’re not at home where you are? Like you live in one place, but were made for another? This week, we continue our series on the Hope of the World with Jesus sending His disciples out as sheep among wolves to proclaim the kingdom. Join Fr. Ben Williams as we consider the risk of following Jesus to proclaim one kingdom while living in another.

What is most important to you? How do you order your life so that the main thing stays the main thing. In our second week of a series titled, The Hope of the World, Fr. Ben leads us through Jesus’ instructions to the disciples before sending them out on mission. Join us as we discover the three kingdom priorities every disciple needs to get their house in order.

Have you ever experienced two worlds colliding? Your friends may see you in a different light than your family sees you. When those worlds collide, it can be awkward. This week we begin a sermon series called the Hope of the World. When Christians carry the hope of God’s Kingdom, but continue to live in the Kingdom of Man, two worlds collide. Join Fr. Ben Williams in the first in the first sermon...

What does it mean to be a friend? What does it mean to be a friend with Jesus? These questions are at the heart of this week’s sermon on John 15:12-17. Jesus says, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” Join us as Fr. Ben Williams shares what it means to have friendship with Christ.

Where do you go for nourishment? When you feel dry, thirsty, and hungry, do you reach for something that truly nourishes you, or do you simply grasp for something that will tide you over? This week, Fr. Ben Williams encourages us to continue to abide in the True Vine by being nourished by the Word of God.

How many voices do you hear each day? Which voices do you listen to the most? Who do those voices belong to? In John 10, Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd and states that his sheep know his voice. Join us on this Good Shepherd Sunday to hear a message from Fr. Ben Williams, encouraging us to listen to the voice of Jesus above all others.

Do you ever feel like Jesus is there one minute and seems to disappear the next? Such times can lead us into a season of doubt and unbelief. The Apostle Thomas struggled with believing that Jesus had risen from the dead. Join us this week as Fr. Wes Gristy encourages us when we are struggling with our faith.

Why is it that Christians can praise God one minute and turn their backs on Him the next? For this Palm Sunday message, Fr. Ben Williams suggests that this happens because we are ambivalent people. Unlike us, Jesus was not ambivalent, nor did He take the easy way out. Join us for this Palm Sunday message leading us into Holy Week.

Why is there so much suffering in the world? If God is so good, why is there so much death? These are some of the most vexing challenges to the Christian faith. However, in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, we are reminded of just how deep the goodness of God goes. This week, Fr. Ben Williams reminds us that the suffering and death we experience is the whole point of the gospel, not a barrier.

Which eyes do you see the world through? Do you see the world through your own eyes, or through the eyes of God? This week, Fr. Kevin Vailes challenges us with these questions. Having been born blind to God’s sight, we now have the opportunity to allow Jesus to give us new eyes to see the world as it truly is.

We often make snap judgments of others based on superficial information. This was not the case for Jesus when He met the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. This week, Fr. Wes Gristy visits Mission Saint James from our mother church, All Saints, with a message about loving others beyond our snap judgments.

What is God’s plan? What is He up to? Is it all about saving us from our sins? Going to heaven when we die? As important as this is, God’s ultimate plan is to reclaim and remake His own family. Join us this week as Fr. Keven Vailes preaches on John 3:1-16 with a message about following God’s plan.

What is sin and how do we fight it? This fundamental question faces all Christians. Lent is a season for focusing on repentance, but what are we repenting for? What is the end goal? This week, Fr. Ben Williams preaches on the temptation of Jesus and how it relates to our struggle with sin. While the Christian life requires us to avoid the forbidden fruit of sin, it also opens a world of feasting o...

What is the significance of Ash Wednesday? Why do we smear ashes on our foreheads? These questions arise each year as we begin the Lenten season. It is a season that reminds us of our deep need for a Savior. But we don’t enter Lent as though we are weighed down with our sins and offenses. That is the beginning of the story, the bad news. But we keep the end of the story in mind, too: the good news...

What if you walked with Jesus and saw every miracle He performed? Do you think you would still struggle to believe? Or would He still seem like a regular person who happens to be a miracle worker? On the Mount of Transfiguration, the apostles Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus in His glory. Like them, we can become so familiar with the ordinariness of Jesus that we forget He is the creator. Th...

What does it mean to go and make disciples of all nations? In today’s world, it is hard to believe that there remain entire people groups who have never heard the good news of Jesus Christ. We often forget that the faith we confess has been handed down to us, often at great cost. This Sunday’s message comes from Matt Wright. Matt and his wife Cindy have been missionaries for over 25 years. Join us...

How do we know that Jesus is God? How do we know that Jesus is the only way? January 18 marks the Confession of St. Peter. When Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, Jesus responds by saying that flesh and blood had not revealed this to him. Anyone can introduce you to Jesus of Nazareth; only the Father can introduce you to the Son of the Living God.

What is the significance of the baptism of Jesus? This crucial question is often ignored, but it has important implications for every sinner. Join Fr. Ben Williams on this first Sunday of Epiphany as we wrestle with the implications of Christ’s baptism and how this helps us reimagine evangelism today.

Have you ever made a recommendation to someone who just didn’t get it? It seems that all the passion in the world doesn’t help others to see what we see. Just like our impassioned recommendations, we can let the responses of others keep us from shining our light in the darkness. As we kick off our Epiphany series on this special feast day, Fr. Ben Williams encourages us to remember that like the w...

Have you ever been found somewhere you didn’t belong? Where do you belong? This week’s gospel passage is about the 12-year-old Jesus who stayed behind in Jerusalem after his parents mistakenly left him. When they finally found them, he was exactly where he belonged. Join Fr. Ben Williams this week as we consider the implications of living in God’s presence.

What does the incarnation of Christ have to do with shame? Whether we admit to the depths of our own shame or barely notice it, we all have it. Shame is one of the results of the fall. The story of redemption, however, offers a reversal of those results and the good news is that Christ’s incarnation is the means of that reversal. On this first Sunday of Christmastide, Fr. Ben Williams encourages u...

How many times have you heard the Christmas story? The story of Christ’s incarnation can become so familiar to us that we lose the impact of just how scandalous it must have been. This week, we wrap up our Advent series on Awaiting the Light with Mr. Brian Denker, who leads us in imagining this old story anew. Join us as we consider the scandal of the incarnation.

Do you struggle with doubt? Has your faith fluctuated over the course of your discipleship? You are not alone. When John the Baptist was in prison, he feared that he had been wrong about Jesus. But Jesus’ response was surprising. Join us this week as our guest preacher, Dr. Gary Osborne encourages us to take comfort that doubt is a normal part of following Jesus.