The United Church of Canandaigua

Paul completes the Christ Hymn by announcing that because Jesus humbled himself to death on a cross, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. Rooted in Isaiah 45, the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord is both a cosmic declaration and a daily posture, one that calls the congregation to seek neither power nor prestige but to humble themselves as Christ...

As citizens of heaven, we are to live our lives in a way that is characteristic of those of the kingdom. Our humility as Christians should cause the world to pay attention to the humility of Christ. Let us strive for an honor, not understood from the world, that embodies love and service toward others.

In his first command to the Philippians, Paul calls the church to conduct themselves as worthy citizens of the gospel: united, unafraid, and expecting that suffering is part of the journey. Grounded in all they have already received in Christ, the congregation is challenged to live counter-culturally, putting others first in humility rather than seeking status or self-promotion.

Facing an uncertain future in prison, Paul models what it looks like to trust God when you don't know how things will turn out. This sermon explores the tension Paul holds between his own desires and God's purposes, calling the congregation to place Christ at the center of life and hold everything else with open hands.

Paul writes from prison not with bitterness but with joy, because his chains have only served to advance the gospel. This sermon explores how God uses our most difficult circumstances as conductors of his power, and calls us to the same gospel-centered freedom Paul modeled.

Paul's opening to the Philippians is a letter of deep affection and confidence, not in circumstances, but in the God who finishes what he begins. This sermon launches our summer series through Philippians by grounding us in partnership, joy, and Paul's prayer that our love would abound more and more in wisdom and bear fruit through Jesus Christ.

On Pentecost Sunday we conclude our journey through the Gospel of John. Jesus appears to his frightened disciples on Easter evening, breathing on them and commissioning them as a sent people empowered by the Holy Spirit. John's Pentecost story connects the breath of new creation in Genesis and Ezekiel to the mission Jesus gives his followers. As we close this series, the congregation will be invit...

On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prays an intimate prayer that pulls together everything John has been showing us since chapter 1. We will explore how Jesus defines eternal life not as a destination but as a relationship with God that begins right now. Come ready to hear the invitation that is on every page of John's Gospel and discover that his prayer on the night before the cross was p...

In this sermon from John 14:15-21, Jesus promises his disciples on the night of his arrest that he would not leave them alone, but would send the Holy Spirit to be their permanent advocate, guide, and presence. The sermon traces the inseparable connection between love and obedience, showing how loving Jesus expresses itself in keeping his commands, and how that obedience opens the door to the indw...

This memorable passage shows the relationship between Jesus (the Son) and The Father. We also learn about who Jesus is in relation to us (The Way, The Truth, The Life). Just like how Jesus is IN The Father, and The Father is IN the Son, we are also IN them, and them also IN us. What does this mean? It means we are not alone, we are empowered, and we become a distinct people that look like Jesus in...

In John 10:1-18 Jesus identifies himself as both the gate and the good shepherd who knows his sheep by name and lays down his life for them. He draws a sharp contrast between himself and the thieves and hired hands who exploit or abandon the flock. As we hear this passage we are invited to recognize the voice of the one who calls us by name and to trust that his sacrificial love is the foundation...

After Jesus' changed world history and resurrected from the dead, many of Jesus’ followers returned to everyday life. For some of his disciples, the resurrected Christ re-encountered them right where he first met them - fishing! At first they didn’t recognize him. Still, Jesus tended to their needs, and gave them instruction. May we be ready to recognize Jesus during our everyday lives, and follow...

This sermon follows Thomas's journey from doubt to worship as Jesus appears a second time to the disciples specifically for Thomas's sake. The passage culminates in John's purpose statement (20:30-31), which has been the theme verse for our entire series through John's Gospel. The application invites the congregation to see themselves in the story and to receive the same invitation that John exten...

On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus as told through John's account of the empty tomb, Mary's encounter with the risen Lord, and Jesus appearing to his disciples. The sermon walks verse by verse through John 20:1-20, highlighting the eyewitness testimonies of those who saw the empty tomb and the risen Christ. We are invited to believe this testimony and receive the eternal life...

Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to crowds waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna, but they completely misunderstood what kind of king he came to be. They wanted a warrior on a war horse who would overthrow Rome, but Jesus rode a donkey as the prince of peace who would defeat death through the cross and resurrection. We are challenged to receive Jesus as the king he actually is rather tha...

Jesus delays two days before going to Lazarus, teaching us that God's timing is perfect even when it feels painfully slow. When Jesus arrives and sees the devastation of death in this fallen world, he weeps with outrage and love before raising Lazarus to life. We are called to trust God's timing in our suffering, knowing that his purposes are bigger than our immediate circumstances and that he is...

In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind, revealing himself as the light of the world through both physical and spiritual sight. As the man's understanding grows from calling Jesus a prophet to worshiping him as Lord, the Pharisees who claim to see remain spiritually blind. This sermon challenges us to examine whether we truly see Jesus for who he is and calls us to move from spiritual blindness to...

Jesus heals a man paralyzed for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda, asking him the penetrating question: Do you want to get well? The healing on the Sabbath sparks controversy and leads Jesus to claim equality with God the Father, revealing his true identity. This sermon challenges us to examine where we might be stuck in our own lives and invites us to respond to Jesus' power to heal and transform...

The Gospel of John records fascinating miracles that point us to who Jesus is. This sermon explores Jesus’ miraculous healing of an official’s son, with all of its rich implications. Many today respond to these miracle accounts like they did back then: some with no response, others in misunderstanding the miracles and who Jesus was, and yet others who respond in faithful obedience to Jesus our Lor...

Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well and offers her living water that satisfies forever. He crosses every social and religious boundary to reach someone the world had written off, revealing himself as the Messiah and Savior of the world. The sermon invites people who feel unworthy or beyond God’s reach to receive the living water Jesus offers, reminding us that no one is outside the reach of hi...

On Transfiguration Sunday, this sermon explores John 12:20-36, contrasting mountaintop glory with the true glory revealed through Jesus death on a cross. Using the image of a grain of wheat that must die to produce a harvest, Jesus shows that true glory comes through sacrifice and that he will be lifted up to draw all people to himself. The application calls the congregation to look to Jesus on th...

This Sunday we explore Jesus' nighttime conversation with Nicodemus about being born again. Jesus teaches that entering God's kingdom requires a spiritual birth that only God can give, worked by the Spirit like wind and water that cleanses. The passage culminates in John 3:16-17, reminding us that God sent his Son not to condemn but to save through the cross. Our worship should reflect themes of t...

Jesus cleanses the temple with zeal, demonstrating that worship is not a transaction but an encounter with the living God. He declares that his body is the new temple where heaven and earth meet, pointing forward to his death and resurrection. This sermon challenges us to examine whether our faith is based on what Jesus can do for us or on who he truly is. He is the Messiah who died to save us and...

At the wedding in Cana, Jesus performs his first miracle by turning water into wine. This sign reveals his glory to the disciples and points beyond their immediate needs to his greater mission as the Messiah. We are invited to bring our concerns to Jesus while recognizing that he offers us something far greater than solutions to our problems. He offers us himself and true life in his name.

This sermon explores Jesus' invitation to come and see as he calls his first disciples in John 1:35-51. We'll watch as different people respond to this invitation. Some come curious, others skeptical, but when they encounter Jesus, he reveals himself as the Son of God. The message calls skeptics to come experience Jesus for themselves and longtime believers to see him afresh with wonder.