Westlake United Methodist Church

In this Easter season reflection from John 20:19–31, the risen Jesus appears to his disciples—not by erasing suffering, but by revealing it. Even in resurrection, the wounds remain. This sermon explores how Christ is recognized through his scars, and what that means for us. Rather than hiding pain, the gospel invites us to see how love, loss, and sacrifice are taken up and transformed. From Thomas...

On Easter morning, the story begins in the dark. With grief, confusion, and a tomb that does not hold what was expected. In this message, we follow Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the risen Christ and consider a God who works not through power as we imagine it, but through a persistent, surprising love. When the world feels overwhelming and hope feels thin, the resurrection points us toward a diff...

On Palm Sunday, what looks like a simple parade takes on deeper meaning. Set against the backdrop of Roman military power entering Jerusalem, Jesus’ arrival on a donkey becomes a quiet but pointed counter-procession—an embodied contrast between domination and humility, fear and love. This message explores the political and theological tension within Matthew 21 and invites us to see Palm Sunday not...

In this Lenten message from John 11, we enter the story of Lazarus and the raw reality of grief. Rather than rushing past loss, the sermon reflects on how grief can cloud our vision—and how Jesus meets us within it. Holding together the imagery of dry bones in Ezekiel and the tomb in Bethany, this episode considers a different understanding of resurrection: not as escape from suffering, but as the...

In this sermon from the Gospel of John, the healing of the man born blind shifts the focus from blame to revelation—what God is showing us through the moment. Drawing on insights from My Body Is Not a Prayer Request by Amy Kenny, the message reframes healing as wholeness rather than cure, and examines how fear and discomfort shape our responses to others’ pain. Where might fear be limiting your ab...

In this sermon from John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well in the heat of the day—a place where isolation, shame, and daily survival intersect. Rather than condemning or ignoring her, Jesus offers something unexpected: living water that restores dignity and opens the possibility of a different life. Reflecting on the biblical story alongside other “well” moments in history—places where pe...

What if the very things we were taught about God are the things keeping us from seeing clearly? In this week’s Blinded series, we encounter Nicodemus — a deeply educated religious leader, formed by tradition and confident in what he knows. Yet when he comes to Jesus under the cover of night, he is invited into a new way of seeing: to be “born from above,” to loosen his grip on certainty, and to re...

At the beginning of Lent, we turn to Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. Immediately after his baptism—after the voice from heaven names him “beloved”—Jesus is led into a season of testing. This sermon explores how the temptation narrative is less about spectacle and more about identity: Who is Jesus, and what kind of Messiah will he be? Drawing on Deuteronomy, the Exodus story, and Philippians 2...

On Ash Wednesday, we begin Lent with a sober reminder: we are dust, and to dust we shall return. In light of that truth, Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 take on sharper meaning. This sermon explores Lent not as a season of public performance or ritualized guilt, but as a quiet return to what matters. Giving, praying, and fasting are not spiritual displays; they are practices meant to reshape the heart....

In the final week of our stewardship series, we turn to what may be our most limited and most revealing resource: time. Drawing from Acts 2:42–47, this sermon explores the early church’s intentional rhythms—worship, shared meals, prayer, generosity—and what they teach us about how we order our days. Time is not just something to manage; it is something to steward with purpose. We consider four inv...

In this week’s message from our stewardship series, Abundant Life: Trusting God and One Another, we turn our attention to treasure—the financial resources we share to support life together in Christ. Drawing from Acts 2 and 2 Corinthians 9, this sermon explores how the earliest Christian communities practiced generosity not out of pressure or guilt, but out of deep commitment to one another. Givin...

This week we begin our stewardship series, Abundant Life: Trusting God and One Another, by reflecting on talent, the gifts, skills, perspectives, and experiences God has woven into the life of the church. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 12, this sermon explores the biblical vision of the body of Christ: many members, one body, each indispensable to the whole. From spreadsheets to music, teaching to hos...

On the 4th Sunday of Advent, Pastor LyAnna explores Joseph's story—the often-overlooked figure in the nativity who faced fear, scandal, and an impossible choice. When Mary showed up pregnant, Joseph's world turned upside down. But instead of going it alone, he chose to "go with"—to journey alongside Mary despite his fears. This sermon asks: Why do we so often choose isolation over reaching out whe...

This week’s Westlake UMC sermon podcast shares Pastor LyAnna Johnson’s message titled When We Are Running Out of Hope, God Is at Work, reflecting on Matthew 11:1–11.

This week’s Westlake UMC sermon podcast shares Pastor LyAnna Johnson’s message from November 30, titled In the Time of Herod We Long for God to Break In, reflecting on Luke 1:5–13 and Lamentations 3:55–57.

This week’s Westlake UMC sermon podcast shares Pastor LyAnna Johnson’s Christ the King Sunday message from November 23, titled A Befitting Crown, reflecting on Matthew 27:27–31.

This week’s Westlake UMC sermon podcast shares Pastor LyAnna Johnson’s message from November 16, titled For Everything There Is a Season, reflecting on Ecclesiastes 3:1–8.

From the sermon series "Preach"

From the sermon series "Preach"

From the sermon series "Preach"

From The series "New Year, Now What?"

From The series "New Year, Now What?"

Jan 16th, 2022 - "The Search For Justice" From the series, "New Year, Now What?"

Jan 9th, 2022 - The Search For Justice From the series, "New Year, Now What?"

Oct 24th, 2021 Traditional Service by Westlake United Methodist Church