Mount Olivet UMC

Jesus is not telling a parable about Hell, the final judgment, or heavenly rewards. Our lesson is not a story about the afterlife and how to get to where we all want to go. Jesus is extending an invitation to the Pharisees then and today, to his followers then and today, to live as though the Kingdom of God (his kingdom) is already among us. The Kingdom of God broke into the world through Mary’s w...

Don’t worry, this isn’t a sermon about how to manage your financial affairs. In this story, Jesus tells of a manager who cheats his boss but then is commended for acting so “shrewdly”. Jesus wants to know why those who have been called to follow him are not as creative or diligent in their care of the story entrusted to them as they are managing something of greater value.

God’s grace is extravagant and sometimes unfair. Jesus tells two stories, one of a lost sheep and the other of a lost coin. In both instances, these lost things are searched for with great care and found with great celebration. Even though we wander away or get lost in the couch cushion, we are never truly separated in Christ. By the relentless grace of God, we are found. Sometimes we are that los...

Sometimes, in our resistance and poor choices, we become something we don't recognize. But God is the Great Potter - molding us and shaping us into something beautiful.

Each scripture reading from the prophets over the past few weeks has begun with, “Thus the Lord said,” or, “The Lord said.” The Lord had something to say, found a mouthpiece to communicate to the people through, and then let the people hear what was on the Lord’s mind. Most of the time, the word coming from the Lord sounded like bad news. Being the bearer of bad news is part of the prophetic task.

The call of God on our lives can be bold and terrifying, but it can also be found in the mundane tasks of our day to day life. No matter what it is or what it looks like — the call of God upon our lives is exactly what we need because God knows exactly who we are .

What happens when God plants a metaphorical vineyard where we are the vines, but then all the vines become rotten? Yikes. Pastor Sara unpacks the next passage from Isaiah as we continue our journey through the prophets.

There is something going on that stops us from translating the weekly rhythms of praise and worship to the daily pattern of service and justice. What do we need to overcome this error?

We often turn towards God's love or God's justice. How can one God be loving and also just? This tension reveals more to us about God than we can imagine.

God’s love is always with us. No matter what we have done or how long we have turned away. We are always beloved children of the living God. Like a good parent, God gives us the bread of life, so that we have what we need to feed the world with love.

God continues to call and equip the prophets today in the same way God calls and equips disciples – calling upon imperfect, untrained, unprepared people like Amos to go to new places and lead the people of God to God’s will. It sounds like an impossible task, and it would be if not for the grace of the One doing the calling and equipping.

God is always up to something — surprising us in the margins, working within the "gaps" in our life. It's this sneaky, transformational power that creates something new within us every day.

This week we journey with Paul to discover how our freedom in Christ and the fruit of the Holy Spirit work together to create new things — new things in us, new things in the world.

We all need a walk-up song — something to encourage us through life. Pastor Jeff's chosen walk-up song is one that we could all benefit from humming time to time.

Dismantling racism is hard work. Emancipation is hard work. We often prefer the Jesus that does not disrupt our lives or the Jesus that does not require too much of us. The good news is we don’t have to do it alone. Jesus has promised that he will give us the Holy Spirit to teach us the lessons we are unable to learn on our own and remind us of the truth we are inclined to forget.

"Let anyone who is thirsty come to Me." When we reach out in the name of Jesus, we are not only inviting but we are actively seeking the thirsty, regardless of their status in life, so they may find the Living Water.

Be. Go. Do. This is the heart of what it means to be a disciple. Be disciples. Go into the world. Be the hands and feet of Christ.

The state of our world often leaves us asking, "Lord, is this the time? Can it be time for all things to be made right?"

When have you given something your all, only for it to fall through? When have you felt like you weren't good enough? Today's scripture show's us that even when our path isn't straight forward, we're usually right where we're supposed to be.

We find all kinds of ways to create division among ourselves — but there is a voice, the Holy Spirit, asking us to evaluate these dividing lines.

The extraordinarily ordinary stories in our lives are often overlooked, even forgotten, when sandwiched alongside extraordinarily extraordinary stories. This is the case for Tabitha.

We fail, fail, and fail again. Yet God is always standing by ready to offer us a second chance.

When the world stops turning, the Good News still stands — Christ is risen.

The One who was rejected by the world responded not with rejection in return, but with welcoming and sacrificial love. On Palm Sunday, we welcome the One who was rejected.

When we're given a choice between doing the right thing or...not...we tend to do the latter. But Jesus didn't gather a "perfect" entourage. He's gathering people like me and you.