Sunday Sermons from Trinity UMC Lincoln, Nebraska

What don’t you know about yourself? Ok, that’s an awkward question. How about this one: “Are you living up to all God made you to be?” Just as important and more to the point of today’s worship service: “Are you helping others to live up to THEIR full potential?” This Sunday we continue our series on the “One Another” phrases in the Bible with “Spur One Another On.” The phrase is a little differen...

What’s your biggest burden? I don’t mean your physical work, nor do I even mean challenges around you in your work or family. I’m talking about YOU. What’s the heaviest weight that drags down your heart, your mind, and your soul? This week we continue the One Another series with “bear one another’s burdens.” That’s right, we’re not intended to carry that weight alone.

As we settle into the new year, do you feel encouraged or discouraged? Pastor Jeff is back this week as we start a new series on the “one another” phrases in the Bible. This week’s is “encourage one another.” Join us both to be encouraged yourself (no matter what’s going on in the world) and to become more of an encourager to others. Our Christian hope is meant to be shared!

Worship January 3, 2021

Join us for a special guest: Rev. Eduardo Bousson from Nebraska Wesleyan!

God's light always shines in the darkness, and God always brings good from even the most difficult of times!

This morning we will continue singing and praying our longing for Jesus. This week we’ll take a special look at Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph. How did he wait during those long nine months between the angel in his dream and the manger in Bethlehem? The answer will give YOU something to do while you wait, too!

Do you ever find waiting to be lonely? It doesn't have to be. Have you ever wondered what Mary did for those nine long months between the angel and the manger? We don't know much, but the one thing we do know speaks volumes: she made special effort to go and visit Elizabeth, the only other person who could come close to understanding what she was going through. There's a special kind of bond that...

Thanksgiving has passed, winter is approaching, and the days get darker and darker. I’m referring to the actual days, of course, but with the pandemic perhaps it serves as a metaphor, too. The good news is that God knew there would be days like these. That’s why God gave us Advent. Advent is the season of the church year that’s all about waiting, hoping, and expecting. Today we begin a new series...

Do you have enough love in your life? Now wait, I'm not just talking about sappy love-song love. That's nice when it happens, of course, but I'm talking about something WAY deeper-- the kind of love that transcends even puppies and the hugs of children. I'm talking about the kind of Love, with a capitol "L," that binds us together even with those we've never met, transcending even time itself...

If faith is trusting in what you don’t see, then hope is the certainty that there is pure goodness beckoning us toward itself. This Sunday, we continue our series inspired by 1 Corinthians 13: “Now faith, hope, and love remain—these three things...” Join us as we ask what hope is and how we can be more in touch with it!

What would happen if you took everything-- and I mean everything, your house, your car, your family, your memories-- and boiled them down to only the parts that touch your innermost soul? If you crossed off everything that is good but not quite to the soul-touching level, what would be left? This week we start a new series based on something Paul says in 1 Corinthians in the Bible: only three rema...

We end the Unafraid series on a big note: fear of sickness, of growing old, and of dying. But don't think it will be depressing, far from it! In fact, surveys show most people only get happier in their old age and Jesus shows us that dying, while scary, leads to the greatest blessing of all.

We've come to the most timely week of the Unafraid series: pandemic and politics. We lived in an age of anxiety even before COVID-19. Global communication shows us more of life's dangers. Studies have been done on how politicians on both sides use fear to get elected. And now our fear of disease both for our loved ones and ourselves has reached new highs. But what's real? What's really w...

Who are you afraid of? That question probably made you think of specific individuals, but I mean it more broadly: what part of town makes you lock your car doors? What convenience stores would you not go in because you're nervous? What part of the world would you not want to visit? We all have a fear of people who are different than us, it's natural to be anxious about the unknown. But Jesus...

Are you ever lonely? More to the point: does loneliness ever make you anxious? Despite our digitally connected world, there is an epidemic of loneliness. I doubt there are many among us who don't long for more and deeper friendships, and COVID-19 certainly hasn't helped. Teary-eyed emoji are nice,  but they are no substitute for a hug. This week our Unafraid series talks about fear...

Our topic in the Unafraid series this week is one we all feel, young or old: the fear of failure. Do you ever wonder if you're good enough? Do tests make you nervous in school? Do you grown ups ever feel like an imposter who's bound to be "found out" at any moment? You're not alone. This week we hear the story of Moses, perhaps the greatest Old Testament prophet, who felt exactly the same way...

What role does fear play in your life? We all struggle with fear and face seasons where the uncertainty and change in our life becomes a true challenge. Right now our world is facing massive uncertainty about the future in regards to COVID, politics, and race. Fear is natural and can’t be avoided— what makes the difference is how we hold it. This week we start a new series on living life Unafraid....

What do you know about Joseph of Arimathea? Probably not much! He was mentioned in the King Arthur/Holy Grail legend, but little of that was grounded in truth. His brief appearance in the Bible, though gives us an inspiring glimpse of one of the very first Christians using his God-given ingenuity to take care of the practical side Jesus’ resurrection. After all, how could we celebrate the empty to...

How often do you blame others for what’s wrong in the world? In our community? In your life? Today is the last of our "Resting _____ Face” series, letting God shape our default reactions. Many of you have talked about how it has really affected you and been beneficial. It hasn’t been easy, but it HAS been worth it! We’ll end by looking at our unhealthy default reaction to blame others when things...

Are you ever angry? Ok, stupid question, we’re all angry sometime. But do you get angry… too much? This week we continue our series on changing our “defaults” by asking God why we get angry so much. It turns out there is an almost “magical” answer to this one: practicing the art of forgiveness, while not easy, has a way of changing our anger into, of all things, gratitude.

What’s your first thought when something seems… off?  Do you assume the best or do you get suspicious? For most of us, the answer is suspicion. We’ve seen enough, lived enough, and been hurt enough that our reaction is usually to brace ourself for more of the same. Yet the love we see in Jesus is quite different and,    frankly, quite refreshing. This week Pastor Jeff returns t...

Instead of a full sermon this week, Pastor Jeff spoke about what Confirmation is, reminded us each of our own baptism and place in the church, and then let the act of Confirmation itself do the talking. Join six of our young people as they claim their faith as their own-- and reclaim your own as well!

What’s your first reaction when life doesn’t go the way you want it to? What’s your default? Some of us get angry, others judgmental. Some get quiet and depressed, others lash out. Almost none of us, though, can say that our “default” is a good one. But the good news is that not only can our default be changed, but in fact doing so is a big part of what Jesus teaches and shows us. This week we beg...

Pastor Jeff talks about the movie Frozen II which speaks remarkably well to our current moment in history: when you’re lost in the forest and you cannot see the future, sometimes all you can do is the “next right thing—” which sometimes involves sacrifice. Good thing we have God to help us find our way!