Normandy Presbyterian Church Podcast

TWO WORDS MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE One online thesaurus lists 112 synonyms and antonyms for the word "faithful;" another lists 206. It seems there is much to talk about when it comes to FAITHFULNESS as described in the Bible. And yet, to actually live in faithfulness there are really only two words that are needed: Holy Spirit. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God implants and grows faithfulnes...

with special guest Rev. Donna Bowers

featuring special guest, Rev. Gary Kelley

God is good! All the time! That's what we say, don't we? And because God is good we also try to be good to others. But what's the basis for that statement? With all the bad stuff in our world, how can we really say that God is good? And if we question God's goodness, then what's the basis upon which we demonstrate goodness to others? This Sunday, we will dig into these thorny questions: FRUIT OF T...

KINDNESS The Random Acts of Kindness movement which began in 1995 has become a cultural phenomenon. Now there is a foundation, celebrations, resources, and more to help us practice KINDNESS in our daily living. But did you know that acting KINDLY toward others is actually God's idea? Kindness is the way God relates to us as human beings, and as a result, it is also the way we are invited to relate...

PATIENCE WITH GOD??? It’s a rare person who doesn’t need a little extra patience. When you are standing FOREVER in the grocery check-out line…you need patience. When you’re in a hurry and some knucklehead is holding up traffic…you need patience. When your credit card company has put you on hold for the umpteenth time…you need patience. But have you ever considered needing patience with God? Join u...

Longing For Peace It is astonishing how much anxiety and worry - stress - impact our lives. According to the University of Massachusetts Lowell, anxiety and worry cost American companies more than $300 billion a year in health costs, absenteeism and poor performance. And this doesn't even begin to count the cost of worry in families, relationships and in quality of life. God wants us to have peace...

Joy There are people who in spite of circumstances seem to have JOY in their everyday lives. Not giddiness, situational pleasure, or shallow happiness, but something more substantial. Something solid and authentic. Circumstances may be troubling and difficult, but in such persons there is a deep hope in God and a confidence in God's goodness and love in their lives. Where does this JOY come from?...

LOVE I love pizza! I love to fish! I love you! I love ___! The word "love" gets thrown around a lot in our daily conversation. But what is love really about? And what does God want from us when the Bible says that God is love and that we are to love one another? This Sunday we begin the first of a sermon series focused on the spiritual character God wants to develop in each one of us. The first -...

Celebrating Pentecost

This Sunday is Mother's Day, and we will celebrate mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and many extraordinary women who have blessed us. We will have great music, interesting interviews with mothers and grandmothers, a sermon focused on the mother-like images of God, and flowers for special women who have made a difference in our lives. It's a worship gathering you don't want to miss. Invite your mother...

GOOD-BYE I remember the day we dropped our first child at college and said, "Good-bye." My wife and I cried the whole way home. There are many "good-byes" that are difficult, sad and tearful: the ending of a relationship, the death of a loved one, moving to a new place and leaving special friends behind. But when the risen Jesus said "good-bye" to his disciples, when he was "taken into heaven" as...

YOU ARE WITNESSES One of the most startling facts about the early Christian Church is how quickly it grew, moving out in all directions to tell people that Jesus was alive. And connecting not just with those of Jewish heritage, but with people of all nations, backgrounds, and spiritualities. What can explain this incredible GROWTH? One Truth: Early Christians acted as Witnesses. What does it mean...

with special guest Rev. Gary Kelley

with special guest, Rev. Sara C. Hill

THEY LONGED TO BE TOGETHER Have you ever seen two people in love? More than anything else, they want to spend time together. Have you ever seen a group of Christians filled with excitement and hope? More than anything else, they want to be together. This Sunday, we will consider how the earliest followers of Jesus spent time together daily. Why did they do that? What difference did it make? What m...

Easter Sunday Service with Pastor Tom Bagley

Palm-Passion Sunday COME TO THE FEAST During Lent, we have studied the stories Jesus told in Luke 15, looking especially at the story of THE PRODIGAL SON. In the story, the younger brother who has wasted his inheritance, sees his mistakes and longs to return home again. In a powerful, touching scene, the lost son is welcomed home by the Father. A lavish feast is provided for him. But what did it c...

This Sunday we welcome guest pastor Dr. Michael Bradley!

NOT THE FOLLOWERS WE EXPECT As a child my sister, who always made friends, invited a boy in her second grade class to church with us. Now this little boy was from a poor family living in a dirty, drafty old house, and when he and his two siblings climbed in the car, they were excited, of course, but not wearing the cleanest clothes nor smelling the best. They loved the children's program and sat q...

WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT Life is difficult. It really is. Just when you think you've figured it out, that you've got the tiger by the tail, then events tackle you, taking you to the ground. This was true, even for Jesus. No sooner had he had been baptised, blessed and loved by God's Spirit, than that same Spirit chased him out into the wilderness where Jesus struggled with hardship and temptation. Why?...

WHAT GOD WANTS TO GIVE What do you long for in 2024? Health? Abundant finances? A better job? A better relationship? Stress-free living? When I am honest with myself, I often long for things which could be described as my own self-centered plans: to have health to do what I want; to have money so I can have freedom; to have work that always makes me happy; to have zero problems so that I escape st...

New Year’s Eve Worship Service with special guest Dr. Michael Bradley

THE REAL JOY OF CHRISTMAS The other night there was a Christmas movie in which jolly carolers were belting out Christmas cheer while just to the side there were homeless people begging for food and shelter. The disparity between those two scenes revealed very different pictures of our world, and I wanted to protest that the movie maker had dared to put the two together. Sometimes we celebrate Chri...

PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS How do you prepare for Christmas? No, I'm not talking about family Christmas celebrations or the Candlelight Service at church. I'm not talking about parties or presents or gatherings - all which we speak of as "Christmas." I'm talking about the very first Christmas - the unique, one-of-a-kind moment in history when God came to be with us in the person of Jesus….The most in...