Normandy Presbyterian Church Podcast

A LONG TIME Biblical scholars tell us that Jesus' return at the end of time is deeply entrenched in the Bible. In fact, one scholar says there are more than 300 references to this event. It is sometimes called, “His Coming," or "The Day of the Lord," or “The Day of Judgment." But believers have had to practice patience, waiting and waiting and waaaaaaaaiting. Sometimes we even wonder if God is any...

A NOTE ABOUT ADVENT FROM PASTOR TOM This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, the time when we prepare for the birth of our Savior. Normally, we preach on Scripture passages from the Gospel story of Jesus' birth or sometimes from passages in the Old Testament. Rarely -- if ever-- do we preach about Advent passages from the Letters of Peter and Paul or the other apostles. But this year, that is my...

IN ALL THINGS, GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE One of the most challenging commands in the Bible is the Apostle Paul's instruction to "give thanks in all circumstances." We can understand how to give thanks when things are going well, but to give thanks in every situation is quite another thing. HOW do you do it? and WHY do you do it? Join us this Sunday @ 9 AM for worship as we discover the power of unres...

IN ALL THINGS, GIVE THANKS AND PRAISE One of the most challenging commands in the Bible is the Apostle Paul's instruction to "give thanks in all circumstances." We can understand how to give thanks when things are going well, but to give thanks in every situation is quite another thing. HOW do you do it? and WHY do you do it? Join us this Sunday @ 9 AM for worship as we discover the power of unres...

GOD CAN DO MORE For the last several weeks we have talked about how God can do more in our lives and in the church than we have ever asked or imagined. Now we discover that the power for MORE comes through prayer. Join us this Sunday for this last in a series of sermons from the prophet Isaiah. 9 AM, In-person or Online

Living Well; Dying Well What if you discovered that you had only one month to live? Where would you go? With whom would you connect? Just what would you do? Most of us would try to live well....and to love well. But how do we do it? This All Saints' Sunday, we will look at the lives of some faithful people who have lived before us, and we will learn with God's help and by their examples how we can...

EMPTY SPIRITUALITY To be spiritual is a good thing. But spirituality - even sincere and deep spirituality - is worthless unless it is making a difference to others and to the world in which we live. Christians are called to meet the needs of our neighbors and to work to make society better. Join us for worship this week as we continue to discover MORE of what God has planned for our lives. 9 AM, I...

RELUCTANCE When I was a child, I was excited at the prospect of learning to swim, but held back because it was not going to be easy. I would have to take swimming lessons in cold, early morning water. I would have to learn new movements. And the biggest worry of all: I was scared of deep water! So I hesitated. I held back from the exciting adventure my parents wanted to give me. Fortunately, they...

Featuring special guest Rev. Sara C.R. Hill

THE CHURCH IS MEANT FOR MORE In years past, the Church was the center not only of spiritual life, but of community life, too. Everyone who was anyone belonged to a local congregation. But it is not that way now. Researchers tell us that the Church in America is in decline; it's a trend that has accelerated since the pandemic. But when we read the Bible, we realize it doesn't have to be that way. P...

MORE Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get focused on the negative -- challenges, problems, fears, difficulties -- in our relationships, families, work, church and life? When we do, we lose hope, a sense of purpose, joyful living. But God says: "I have more for you than you have ever imagined or asked. . . I have a greater purpose than you have ever considered. If you will be open to what I...

HUMILITY AND GRACE “Somehow, we think we can only fully enjoy our being loved by God if others are loved less than we are.” - Henri Nouwen It's easy to be resentful of others' good fortune, isn't it, especially if we think they don't deserve it. "They haven't worked hard like we have; they haven't done what is right; they haven't come to church. Why should they receive that good gift? Why should t...

FORGIVENESS Most Needed, Most Difficult "We cannot have friends without forgiveness, we cannot have family without forgiveness, we cannot have lasting marriages without forgiveness. But it is very, very difficult [to do]. -- Christian Author, Fred Craddock When we have been hurt. . . Why is it so hard to turn loose of the pain. . . Why is it so difficult to forgive one another? Join us for worship...

with special guest Rev. Gary Kelly

with special guest, Dr. Michael Bradley

JESUS, YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING! When Jesus called his disciples he called them to build a new community - the gathering we call CHURCH. But sometimes we wonder why. The church has caused so much hurt, so much heartache. How could anything good ever come from it? Yet, Jesus insists that the church is both his idea and his gift to us. And "the gates of Hades will never overcome it." ( Matthew 16.13...

Lessons on Faith "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11.1 In Matthew's Gospel, there are five stories in which Jesus commends persons for their "great faith," holding them up as models for living. Surprisingly, none of the five are stories about faithful disciples of Jesus. They are all desperate outsiders. What is Jesus telling us about faith...

Stewardship - the Dirty Word When most of us think of the word “Stewardship," we think it's a fancy word for asking people to give money. Our fears go up and we want nothing to do with it. But when the Bible talks about stewardship it means an attitude toward all of life. God alone is the creator. We are stewards and servants invited to manage, care for and use wisely all that God has put into our...

ALL THINGS NEW It's one thing to be a follower of Jesus at home or with your family; it's another to be a follower in the push and pull of daily living. Yet, God is concerned not just about people spiritually, but about every area of daily life: money, school, sexuality, business -- even politics. When Jesus says he is making all things new he means ALL THINGS, every aspect of life. What does this...

WHAT'S THE PROBLEM??? If I asked you to name the greatest sin, what would you say? Pride? Selfishness? Unbelief? Atheism? Surprisingly, we Presbyterians, following the lead of the Bible, would say, "Idolatry." Presbyterians are certainly concerned about pride and selfishness, but not so much about unbelief or atheism. Why? Because the Bible teaches that all human beings believe in something, all h...

with special guest Rev. Gary Kelley

RELATIONSHIP PROBLEMS Most all problems in our relationships boil down to a misunderstanding of God: who God is, how God relates to us, and how we relate to God and to others. The way God relates to human beings is by means of a covenant. But what is God's Covenant with us? How can we live up to our part of it? What difference will it make in our daily lives? Join us for worship this Sunday! We co...

A Presbyterian Surprise Predestination. Ewww! Heaven and Hell!! Predestination!!!!&##?? The idea that God has decided before you were born whether you are bound for heaven or hell is troubling thinking. But is that what the Biblical idea of Predestination is all about? Join us this Sunday for worship as we continue our series, "THEOLOGY FOR EVERY DAY." We'll dig into the Bible and discover (to our...

SO GOD'S IN CHARGE......REALLY??? We Presbyterian Christians have been distinguished by our belief that God is sovereign…in control, over all things: creation, history, and our personal lives. We believe this because this is what we see in the Bible. But this belief is not without its difficulties. Just look at the world: devastating storms, injustice, genocide -- the evils go on and on. Join us f...

ALL TIME BEST SELLER Did you know that the Bible was the best selling book last year? And the year before that? And the year before that? Did you know that the Bible is the best selling book of all time? Why? And why do followers of Jesus seem to give it so much authority? Join us this Sunday as we continue our sermon series on beliefs: THEOLOGY FOR EVERY DAY. We'll explore Christian convictions a...