The Sunday Sermon

What do we do when Scripture feels confusing, uncomfortable, or even troubling? In this episode of Companions, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on the early chapters of Genesis and explore why the Bible’s complexity isn’t a flaw—it’s part of how Scripture forms us. From genealogies and altars to disturbing stories and honest questions, they talk about what we bring with us when we read, why there’...

What is the Bible? As our church begins reading scripture together, this sermon invites us to slow down and ask a foundational question that shapes everything else. Drawing from 2 Timothy 3:14–17, Pastor Angelo explores what it means to call the Bible “God-breathed,” why scripture exists, and how we are invited to read it—not just for information, but for formation and transformation. Whether you’...

A new year, a new season, and a shared journey begins. In this opening episode of Companions, Pastors Angelo and Becca introduce a refreshed podcast and invite listeners into a year-long practice of reading the Bible together using One Story That Leads to Jesus. With an encouraging and grace-filled tone, they talk about how long-form Scripture reading is different from close study, how to stay gro...

In this sermon, Pastor Becca teaches on the story of Simeon and Anna, and reminds us that Christmas is not something reserved for just one day (or 12 days) of the calendar year!

A special BONUS Christmas Episode! Today, we are talking about our favorite sermons and series from this past year, the words and themes that have held it all together, and previewing 2026! Listen now

In a world captivated by hero stories and larger-than-life solutions, Christmas offers a surprising kind of good news. In this Christmas Eve message from Luke 2:1–20, Pastor Angelo reflects on our longing for rescue and the unexpected way God responds—not with spectacle or power, but with presence. The birth of Jesus reveals a Savior who meets us in the ordinary rhythms of life and brings peace no...

In this Advent message, Pastor Angelo explores merciful love through the story of the birth of John the Baptist in Luke 1:57–80. Drawing from Zechariah’s prophetic song, this sermon reflects on a God whose mercy moves toward us before we are ready—bringing forgiveness, light, and peace into the ordinary and often difficult places of our lives. As we prepare for the coming of Christ, we’re invited...

What happens when joy shows up where we least expect it—right in the middle of waiting, grief, or uncertainty? In this episode of Companions, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on the kind of joy that doesn’t ignore pain but meets us within it. Drawing from scripture, lived experience, and the realities of the Advent season, this conversation explores how joy can surprise us, sustain us, and gently...

Unexpected Joy (Isaiah 61:1–4, 8–11) explores how long seasons of waiting can wear us down and make joy feel out of reach. In this sermon, Pastor Angelo reflects on Isaiah’s vision of restoration, the Year of Jubilee in Leviticus 25, and Jesus’ declaration in Luke 4 that this promise is being fulfilled. Speaking to people living among ruins, Isaiah offers a hope rooted in God’s initiative—not our...

In this week’s episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca sit down with Rev. Julia Hayes to talk Advent peace, John the Baptist’s challenging call to prepare, and how real repentance makes room for joy. We also look ahead to Sunday’s theme of Unexpected Joy and the promise of Jubilee. Tune in and journey with us.

In this week’s message, Rev. Julia Hayes leads us deeper into Advent with a powerful word on Prophetic Peace from Matthew 3:1–12. John the Baptist calls us to prepare the way—and Julia helps us hear that call with fresh ears. What does real peace require of us? And how might God be inviting us to clear space in our hearts for Christ this season? Listen in as we journey toward the hope, peace, joy,...

Pastors Angelo and Becca dive into the heart of Advent—what it is, why it matters, and how this season invites us to slow down, tell the truth about our lives, and make room for Christ with honesty and hope. Join us for a grounded, thoughtful conversation on approaching Advent authentically this year.

This week on The Sunday Sermon, Pastor Angelo opens our Advent series, Will to Dream, with a message of hope from Isaiah 2:1–5. As we step into the season of waiting, we explore how God’s promised future shapes how we live today—how we walk toward peace, practice reconciliation, and take real steps toward the light of the Lord. Listen in and begin Advent with renewed hope.

On Christ the King Sunday, Pastor Angelo preaches from Colossians 1:15–23, reminding us that in a world full of competing voices and “Jesus-plus” distractions, Christ alone is sufficient. In this message, we explore why Paul wrote to a drifting church, what it means for Jesus to hold all things together, and how keeping Christ at the center anchors us in a fractured world.

This week on The Sunday Sermon, we welcome Rev. Collins Etchi Ako, a Global Ministries Missionary serving in the East Congo Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church. Preaching from Amos 5:24, Rev. Ako invites us to consider what happens when worship stops short of justice, mercy, and faithful action. His message, “When Worship Is Not Enough,” challenges us to let our praise flow into lives th...

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on Becca’s recent sermon, Grieving with Hope, exploring what it means to name our pain without losing sight of resurrection. They also turn to Psalm 13 to talk about the role of solitude in grief — not isolation, but the kind of sacred space where we meet God in our sorrow. Together they ask: how can grief become a place where hope takes root?

In this week’s message, Pastor Becca reflects on the hope of the gospel in the midst of grief. Drawing on the phrase “Et teneo, et teneor”—“I hold and am being held”—she reminds us that even as we cling to God in our sorrow, God is already holding us fast. Death was not the end for Jesus, and it is not the end for us.

In this episode of Companions on the Journey, Pastor Becca sits down with long-time friend and mentor Dan Stokes for an honest and hope-filled conversation about ministry, grief, and the practice of grieving as people shaped by Resurrection hope. Together, they reflect on what it means to walk with others through loss, the ways grief changes us, and how the promise of new life reshapes even our de...

This week, Pastor Angelo shares a message for All Saints Sunday from Hebrews 12:1–2, reminding us that grief isn’t something we leave behind—it’s something we carry with hope. As we honor those who’ve gone before us, we remember that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses whose faith continues to shape and strengthen our own. Listen and be reminded: we don’t run the race alone.

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca dive into the realities of grief and what it means to truly bear one another’s burdens—without becoming overbearing in the process. It’s an honest, hopeful conversation about showing up for each other in love and humility. Plus, we lighten things up with some fun reflections on Christians and Halloween.

In this week’s message, Pastor Angelo begins the new series Grieving Together with a sermon titled Bearing One Another’s Burdens. Drawing from Job 2:11–13, he reflects on the sacred ministry of presence—how sometimes the most faithful thing we can do for one another is simply to show up, sit down, and bear the weight of grief together.

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca wrap up their conversation on the Fault Lines series—reflecting on what we’ve learned about sin, grace, and God’s work of restoration. They also look ahead to the new series, Grieving Together, exploring why community matters in seasons of loss. And since both pastors are celebrating birthdays this week, things get a little lighter with some fun rapid-fire...

In this week’s message, Pastor Angelo reflects on Romans 5:1–11 and the good news that grace breaks through even in our deepest fault lines. After weeks of naming the problem of sin, this message turns toward the cure—the cross of Christ. We talk about what it means to be justified by faith, why grace doesn’t excuse sin but heals it, and how God’s love meets us right where we are.

In this episode, Pastors Angelo and Becca reflect on Acts 5:1–11 and the story of Ananias and Sapphira. Together, they wrestle with what it means to live with an authentic faith—one that values honesty over appearance and grace over pretense. They also look ahead to the hope of salvation and what it means to live faithfully in response.

In this week’s message, Pastor Angelo unpacks one of the most difficult passages in Acts—the story of Ananias and Sapphira. What happens when the fault lines of sin show up not outside the church, but within it? This conversation explores integrity, honesty, and what it means to be a community that heals rather than harms. Together, we’ll wrestle with how the Spirit calls us to live truthfully, lo...