Warrenton United Methodist Church

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley concluded the B.L.E.S.S. series by focusing on the power of our personal story. Drawing from John 9, she reflected on the healing of the man born blind, whose simple testimony, “I was blind, but now I see,” became a witness to God’s work. She reminded us that sharing our faith is not about having all the answers or winning debates. It is about telling others how Jesu...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon centered on Jesus’ example of washing the disciples’ feet, reminding us that true greatness is found in humble service. Through personal stories of cleaning college bathrooms and the inspiring ministry of Oni Johns in Memphis, she illustrated how simple acts of service can create “world-changing shifts” in both ourselves and others. She challenged the congre...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon, part of the B.L.E.S.S. series, focused on the transformative power of sharing meals as a way to love neighbors and reflect Christ’s ministry. Building on previous weeks’ themes of prayer and listening, she emphasized that Jesus often used meals to create belonging, build relationships, and reveal God’s love. Drawing from her own experience at Warrenton UMC’...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon focused on the “L” in B.L.E.S.S.— Listen —as a practical way to follow Jesus and love others. She emphasized that while life and people are complicated, listening is a simple yet powerful act of faith. True listening means giving someone our full attention without interrupting, fixing, or preparing our response. Using examples from her own life, a missionary...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley launched the new sermon series Bless by encouraging the congregation to rethink evangelism. Drawing from the story of Zacchaeus and the book Bless , she emphasized that sharing faith is less about converting people and more about building genuine relationships and being a blessing to others. Jesus modeled this approach by befriending people, meeting their needs, and...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon uses her poor sense of direction as a metaphor for the human tendency to become spiritually lost. Reflecting on Isaiah 43:16-19, she explains how the Israelites’ exile resulted from relying on themselves rather than God, yet God’s faithfulness remained unchanged. Through biblical examples and personal stories from church members, she illustrates how God cont...

Send us Fan Mail Rev. David Lucey’s Pentecost sermon focused on how the Holy Spirit works differently in each person and within each church community. Using readings from Acts, John, and Corinthians, he described both the dramatic coming of the Spirit at Pentecost and the quieter, personal experience of Jesus breathing the Spirit onto the disciples. He shared personal stories about faith, includin...

Send us Fan Mail David Dority’s sermon reflected on the growing epidemic of loneliness and Jesus’ challenge in the parable of the Good Samaritan. He explained that the lawyer’s question, “Who is my neighbor?” was really an attempt to limit love, while Jesus redirected the focus toward becoming a neighbor through mercy and action. Dority urged listeners to move beyond division, tribalism, and isola...

Send us Fan Mail This sermon from Warrenton United Methodist Church focused on John Wesley’s third simple rule: “Stay in love with God.” Through a conversation between Pastor Ashley and youth participant Malachi, the message explored how relationships grow stronger when they are prioritized and weaken when neglected. Using scripture from Psalm 119 and John 15, they emphasized that prayer, worship,...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon focuses on John Wesley’s second rule: “do good.” Christians are called to imitate Christ by showing compassion to everyone, even in difficult or unjust situations. Doing good is not passive but intentional—choosing love, humility, and self-control over retaliation. Jesus modeled this by responding to suffering with grace and forgiveness. While believers seek...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley introduces John Wesley’s first “Simple Rule,” do no harm , focusing on the challenge of avoiding unintentional harm in a complex world. She explains that we often hurt others when we don’t know, think, or ask, even with good intentions. Through scripture and Wesley’s teaching, she encourages daily self-reflection, humility, and awareness of our actions. She offers th...

Send us Fan Mail   This sermon reflects on life after Easter, when celebration fades and quiet returns. In those ordinary, sometimes heavy moments, we often face buried fatigue, doubt, and disappointment. Drawing from the Emmaus story, the message reminds us that Jesus meets us not in perfection or mountaintop experiences, but in everyday life—walking beside us even when we don’t recognize Him. Th...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on the emotional shift after Easter, when the joy of resurrection gives way to everyday life. Drawing from scripture, she reminds the congregation that trials will continue, even in seasons of light, but these challenges refine and strengthen faith. The hope and promise of Easter do not fade; they remain constant, offering assurance of God’s victory and eter...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon reminds listeners that while we often believe we can predict life’s outcomes, God is continually writing a greater story. Using examples of predictable endings and surprising twists, she connects this truth to Easter. Like the women at the tomb and disciples on the road, we may assume loss is final. Yet the resurrection reveals God is already present and at...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s Palm Sunday message centers on the idea that things are not always as they seem. Drawing from her own experiences, she highlights how assumptions about people and situations can lead to disappointment or unexpected joy. She points to Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea as unlikely disciples who, through curiosity and courage, stepped forward when others withdrew. The...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon, Unlikely Courage , focuses on the quiet bravery of those who stayed with Jesus at the cross when others ran. Figures like Mary Magdalene and the beloved disciple didn’t fully understand what was happening, but they showed up anyway, choosing love over fear. Their witness becomes a model for us. Through the story of Clarence Jordan, the message brings that s...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley reflects on the story of Simon of Cyrene, the man compelled to carry Jesus’ cross. Though he appears briefly in the Easter narrative, Simon becomes an example of unlikely companionship. What began as an unexpected interruption placed him beside Christ on the road to the cross. Through Simon’s experience, the sermon explores how suffering and life’s sudden disruptions...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley explores how shame and blame are deeply rooted in human nature, tracing the impulse to scapegoat others from biblical stories through to today. Drawing on her own personal experiences with perfectionism and unworthiness, she explains how Jesus, by willingly becoming the ultimate scapegoat, frees us from shame's power. His sacrifice gives us three gifts: freedom...

Send us Fan Mail In her sermon “Unlikely Opposition,” Pastor Ashley reflects on how God can use opposing voices for our growth. Sharing stories from her own life, she recalls moments when disappointment and hard feedback became unexpected gifts of wisdom and redirection. Drawing on Peter’s denial of Jesus in the Gospel account, she highlights the servant girl as a surprising messenger who exposed...

Send us Fan Mail In this Lenten message, Pastor Ashley reflects on Lent as a sacred reset, a season of repentance, sacrifice, and renewed perspective. Preaching on Mary anointing Jesus, she contrasts familiar roles such as Martha serving and Judas criticizing with Mary’s extravagant and unexpected devotion. Mary’s costly offering models surrendered love that catches the world off guard. Lent invit...

Send us Fan Mail In this post–Valentine’s Day sermon, Pastor Ashley reminds the church that love is more than a feeling—it is obedience to Christ. While we grow tired of talking about love, living it is harder. Jesus defines love as keeping his commands and remaining in him. True love is faithful, steady, and often costly, requiring us to die to self in everyday moments—apologizing first, telling...

Send us Fan Mail In the final week of the Defying Gravity series, Pastor Ashley invites us to move beyond reflection and into action. After weeks of examining what holds our attention, how we use our time, and what we cling to, this message centers on generosity as the way God’s kingdom breaks into our lives. Through Scripture, story, and vivid illustrations, we are reminded that holding too tight...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley explores Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds, reminding listeners that the kingdom of heaven is both a future hope and a present reality. Jesus teaches in parables to awaken receptive hearts and invite transformation, not judgment. While good and harmful forces coexist in the world, followers of Christ are not called to uproot others, but to tend the wheat by l...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley continued the Defying Gravity series by challenging listeners to break free from the culture of “more” and make God the priority through intentional living and generosity. Using the story of early transatlantic flight, she contrasted failed attempts driven by excess and ego with Charles Lindbergh’s success, rooted in simplicity, focus, preparation, and intentionality...

Send us Fan Mail Pastor Ashley’s sermon explores the tension between the “kingdom of self” and the “kingdom of God.” She explains how the gravitational pull of our own desires, priorities, and even well-intentioned habits can draw us away from God and ultimately enslave us. Using the parable of the prodigal son, she shows that both self-indulgence and self-righteousness can trap us. True freedom i...