The United Church of Canandaigua

John the Baptist models humility as he points away from himself to Jesus. This sermon explores John's testimony about Jesus' identity as the Messiah, the sacrifice for sin, and the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. We are challenged to follow John's example by deflecting attention from ourselves and pointing others to Jesus, recognizing that our role is to be witnesses, not the main attractio...

In a world drowning in words we can't trust, John's Gospel introduces us to the one Word that changes everything: Jesus, the eternal Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. This sermon traces John 1:1-14, showing how the Creator entered his creation full of grace and truth. The call is simple but profound: will we receive this Word and become children of God?

This sermon explores Psalm 146:5-10 and the Advent theme of longing for God to make all things right in our broken world. The message contrasts temporary human solutions with God's eternal faithfulness and his work of caring for the vulnerable like the oppressed, hungry, and marginalized. The application calls listeners to place their hope in God rather than human leaders while actively joining hi...

This sermon examines Psalm 72's prayer for a ruler who embodies God's righteousness and wisdom, pointing beyond Solomon to Christ's eternal kingdom. The message challenges congregants to care for the afflicted and needy while anticipating Jesus' return as the King who will establish perfect peace and wholeness.

This sermon explores Psalm 122, a Song of Ascent that captures the joy of pilgrimage to Jerusalem and connects with our Advent longing for Christ's coming. The congregation will be challenged to find joy in worship, build unified community, pray for God's peace, and make personal commitments to work for the good of God's people during this season of anticipation.

In his final words before execution, Peter challenges believers to guard their spiritual inheritance against subtle deception and to actively grow in grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. This sermon concludes our 12-week journey through 2 Peter by bringing us full circle to the central question of what we do with everything God has given us. Pastor Wade will provide practical steps for both guardi...

Peter's final letter challenges believers to live with eternal perspective, recognizing that this world is temporary while God's new creation will last forever. The passage emphasizes that Christians can actively participate in hastening Christ's return through evangelism, holy living, prayer, and obedience rather than passively waiting. Practically, this means making decisions based on what honor...

This sermon explores 2 Peter 3:8-10, where Peter addresses complaints about the apparent delay in Jesus’ return. The message shows how God’s eternal perspective on time differs from our human impatience, and how His delay is actually motivated by patient love for people who need time to come to faith. The application challenges listeners to trust God’s timing in their own lives, show patience with...

In 2 Peter 3:1-7, Peter addresses scoffers who mock the delay of Christ's return by reminding believers that God has always kept His promises throughout history. Just as God judged the world through Noah's flood, He will return to judge again, this time by fire. Believers should live with urgency and readiness, trusting God's perfect timing rather than being swayed by skeptics who deliberately for...

In a world full of confusion and false promises, Peter warns against voices that seem refreshing but leave us empty. True freedom isn’t found in self-serving desires but in knowing Christ and living as his people. Rooted in Scripture and guided by the Spirit, we’re called to live holy, hope-filled lives that reflect the grace and truth of Jesus.

This sermon examines 2 Peter 2:10b-16, where Peter describes false teachers as blots and blemishes who are arrogant, greedy, and motivated by selfish gain. Using the example of Balaam, Peter shows how these teachers abandon the right path to pursue personal profit, becoming so spiritually blind that they have less discernment than Balaam’s talking donkey. The application challenges believers to re...

Peter uses three powerful Old Testament examples of fallen angels, Noah's flood, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah to demonstrate that God's perfect justice and perfect mercy work together throughout history. Through these stories of both judgment and rescue, we see that God has never failed to deal with rebellion while also protecting those who trust Him. We are challenged to stand faithf...

This sermon explores 2 Peter 2:1-3 and Peter's warning about false teachers who work from within the church, using the Trojan horse as an illustration of how enemies can appear as gifts while bringing destruction. The message calls believers to know God's Word deeply, test all teaching against Scripture, and live authentically Christian lives that protect the church's witness.

In this sermon from 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter defends the reliability of apostolic testimony and Scripture against false teachers who claimed the stories about Jesus were fabricated myths. Peter provides three powerful reasons we can trust what we've been told about Jesus: eyewitness testimony from the apostles, historical evidence like the Transfiguration, and the divine origin of Scripture itself....

Peter's final letter emphasizes the importance of constant reminding in the Christian life, as he reflects on his coming death and his urgent desire to stir up believers' faith while he still can. Using the metaphor of living in tents, Peter shows that our earthly life is brief, which should create urgency in how we strengthen one another and pass on God's truth to future generations. The sermon c...

Based on 2 Peter 1:5-11, this sermon explores how Christians often possess incredible spiritual resources from God but fail to utilize them for growth and maturity. The message teaches through Peter's ladder of spiritual growth - eight qualities that build from faith to love - showing how we're called to make every effort in developing our spiritual lives as a response to God's grace. The sermon c...

In this opening message from 2 Peter, we explore the apostle's final words to the church as he faces execution, emphasizing that God's divine power has already given us everything we need for godly living through His great and precious promises. Peter contrasts true knowledge of God that transforms our lives with the false knowledge claimed by corrupt teachers who treat God's costly grace as cheap...

This sermon on 1 Peter 5:12-14 explores how Christians are called to stand firm in God's grace while living as exiles in a culture that no longer centers faith. The message challenges congregants to examine whether they will maintain their commitments to church and faith or allow cultural pressures around time, money, and competing priorities to draw them away from being the church God has called...

This sermon from 1 Peter 5:1-11 explores how God calls all believers to live with humility and servant hearts, whether in church leadership or daily Christian living. Peter encourages Christians facing persecution and difficulty to cast their anxieties on God rather than trying to maintain control, while staying alert to spiritual opposition. The message challenges listeners to examine where anxie...

This sermon explores 1 Peter 4:12-19, where Peter teaches that suffering for our faith should not surprise us but be seen as a blessing that connects us to Christ's suffering and glory. Peter challenges believers to reject prosperity gospel thinking and understand that genuine discipleship often comes with a cost. The application calls Christians to commit themselves faithfully to God during diffi...

This sermon examines how early Christians chose faithful living over cultural expectations, refusing to participate in pagan festivals despite social pressure from family and friends. Just as those believers faced ridicule for their convictions, modern Christians must discern which cultural practices align with God's design and which compromise our faith. The message challenges listeners to examin...

This sermon explores the challenging passage of 1 Peter 3:18-22, focusing on how Christ's death and resurrection demonstrate His complete victory over all spiritual powers, including the mysterious proclamation to imprisoned spirits from Noah's time. Peter uses this profound spiritual reality to encourage suffering first-century Christians that there is more happening than what they can see on the...

In this sermon on 1 Peter 3:8-17, we explore how Christians are called to live authentically as exiles in a rapidly changing culture where faith is no longer the norm. As followers of Jesus, we are challenged to build genuine community marked by unity, sympathy, brotherly love, compassion, and humility—qualities that stand in stark contrast to our surrounding culture. Christians today can apply th...

The sermon explores how Peter instructs Christians to navigate relationships with those in authority through humble submission and respectful conduct, drawing from 1 Peter 3:1-7. This teaching reveals how Christians can influence their world through Christ-like character rather than rebellion or confrontation. We will be challenged to examine our own relationships with authority figures and consid...

In this sermon, we explore how Christians today are increasingly finding themselves as foreigners and exiles in a culture that no longer understands Christian values, much like the early church Peter addressed in his first epistle. Drawing from 1 Peter 2:11-25, we examine God's call for believers to abstain from sinful desires and submit to authority, even when difficult. As we navigate our changi...