Faith Methodist Church Richmond

In this sermon, Pastor David addresses one of faith's most pressing questions: "How can I know God's will for my life?" He begins by establishing God's general will for all believers through Micah 6:8, which calls us to "act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." This universal calling includes defending the weak and oppressed (Psalm 82:3-4), pr...

In this sermon, Pastor David addresses the challenging question of why hypocrites fill the church. He begins by acknowledging his own hypocrisy—times when his actions don't align with his preaching—and suggests most Christians share this struggle. The problem, Pastor David explains, isn't that Christians sometimes fail to live up to their beliefs, but rather when they refuse to recognize t...

In this inspiring service, Pastor David Dorn tackles the pivotal question of whether Jesus is the only way to God, using relatable anecdotes from tech brand loyalties to highlight how we often become convinced our preferences are supreme, yet Jesus stands as the ultimate exclusive truth. Drawing from scriptures like John 14:6, he emphasizes Jesus as the way, truth, and life, the gate to salvation,...

In this sermon, Pastor David tackles one of faith's most challenging questions: "Why does God allow suffering?" As part of a 10-week series addressing common spiritual questions, Pastor David shares how his understanding of suffering has evolved through his own painful experiences. He identifies four sources of suffering: our own choices, harm inflicted by others, spiritual oppressio...

In the concluding sermon of our "Try Faith" series, Pastor RaMona examines Hebrews 11:1, reframing faith as trusting in what we hope for and cannot see. She acknowledges that everyone—even the most faithful—experiences seasons of doubt, fear, or rebellion. Through three powerful Biblical examples, she illustrates this universal struggle: Manasseh who rebelled against God after his father...

In this sermon from the "Try Faith" series, Pastor David explores the nature of faith using the definition from Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." He illustrates this concept with a children's shape sorter toy, showing how we often try to force things to happen our way instead of trusting God's timing and...

As we continue with our "Try Faith" sermon series, in his sermon "Faith Under Pressure," Pastor Leo examines what faith looks like when life doesn't go according to plan. Using Hebrews 11:1 and the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from Daniel 3, he illustrates how pressure can either break us or prove us—and faith determines which outcome we experience. The three Je...

In Pastor David's third sermon in the series "Try Faith", he explores the nature of faith through the analogy of stepping onto ice and the Biblical account of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:22-33. He explains that faith isn't about how passionate we are, but rather about the trustworthiness of Jesus—like thick ice that holds you regardless of how nervous you feel stepping o...

Continuing in the "Try Faith" series, Pastor David revisits the definition of faith from Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." He emphasizes that faith isn't merely a momentary action but an outlook on life that relies on Jesus showing up in our circumstances, making "good things out of hard things." Pa...

In this first sermon of the series "Try Faith", Pastor David unpacks what it means to have faith, starting with the definition from Hebrews 11:1: "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." He explains that faith is fundamentally about confidence in Jesus to bring hope to seemingly hopeless situations, even when we can't see the outcome. Pastor David obser...

Pastor David concludes the series on Ecclesiastes, where Solomon poetically urges readers to "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come" (Ecclesiastes 12:1). The sermon explores Jesus' parables from Matthew 25 - the Parable of the Talents and the Parable of the Sheep and Goats - interpreting them as teachings about what we do with our souls. Pas...

In this fifth sermon of our series on Ecclesiastes, Pastor David examines Solomon's observations about injustice and oppression in the world. Using the parable Nathan told to King David about a rich man taking a poor man's beloved lamb, the sermon illustrates how envy drives injustice. Solomon, who was the son of David and Bathsheba, grew up understanding the destructive power of envy in h...

This sermon examines the wisdom found in Ecclesiastes, particularly chapter 3, where Solomon reflects on the seasons of life. The pastor begins by sharing how his difficult early marriage years during seminary—though filled with financial struggles and tears—became some of his family's most cherished memories. He connects this personal experience to Solomon's observation that everything is...

In week three of a sermon series on Ecclesiastes, Pastor David examines Solomon's wisdom regarding work. Solomon, the wisest and wealthiest man of his time, concluded that work is ultimately meaningless because everything we toil for will eventually be left to others who may not appreciate or manage it well. As Ecclesiastes 2:17-26 reveals, Solomon "hated all the things I had toiled for u...

In this sermon on Ecclesiastes, Pastor David explores how Solomon laments that wisdom brings heaviness and sorrow (Ecclesiastes 1:18), yet attempts to find meaning through pleasure ultimately prove futile. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 2:1-11, we see Solomon—the richest man alive—indulging in every pleasure imaginable only to conclude it was all "meaningless, a chasing after the wind." Pasto...

In this sermon, Pastor David begins a six-week series on Ecclesiastes by confronting us with Solomon's jarring wisdom: everything is meaningless. Our jobs, possessions, worries, and achievements are all temporary—"vapor" that's here and gone in a flash. Drawing from Ecclesiastes 1:1-11, he emphasizes that nothing is new under the sun, and generations come and go while the earth r...

In the final message of his sermon series “Drought: Experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit in Dry Seasons,” Pastor David explores self-control as the most personally challenging spiritual fruit because it requires self-denial rather than outward action toward others. Using Paul's athletic metaphor in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, he explains that spiritual discipline often requires enduring discomfort...

In this sermon, Pastor David Dorn explores the contrast between anger and gentleness through his personal journey beginning with Hurricane Katrina. As a 19-year-old college student, he discovered that anger temporarily relieved his anxiety and helped him function amid devastating loss. However, God confronted him about this anger, teaching him that while anger might produce immediate results, it l...

In this sermon, Dr. Paul Spellman delves into the Methodist tradition of asking ordinands if they're "going on to perfection." He explains that this question isn't about achieving sinlessness, but rather about understanding our relationship with God on our faith journey. Dr. Spellman then explores the fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23, describing them as recurring...

In this sermon, Pastor David explores the concept of goodness as one of the Fruits of the Spirit. He begins with the starfish story, illustrating how even small acts of kindness can make a meaningful difference in someone's life. He emphasizes that goodness is not merely an attitude but must be expressed through action, benefiting others around us. Drawing from his Boy Scout experience, Pastor...

In this sermon, Pastor David delves into the concept of kindness as one of the fruits of the Spirit, indicating a growing relationship with Jesus. Using the analogy of a highly-recognized Texas business sign, he explains how signs indicate experiences, relating this to how kindness signifies Christ's presence in our lives. The sermon emphasizes that kindness is not a sign of weakness but rather a...

In week four of our nine-week series "Drought: Experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit in Dry Seasons," Pastor David delves into the fruit of patience as described in Galatians 5. He begins with a humorous personal story about losing patience with customer service, using it to illustrate how our growth with Jesus is not always linear. The pastor emphasizes that patience is about capacity –...

In week three of our nine-week series "Drought: Experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit in Dry Seasons," Pastor David explores the concept of peace as one of the fruits of the Spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. He explains that spiritual fruit, including peace, comes in seasons, much like physical fruit. The pastor emphasizes that peace can be cultivated through perspective, especially by e...

In this sermon, which is week two of our nine-week series, Drought: Experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit in Dry Seasons, Pastor RaMona Riggs delves into the nature of joy, distinguishing it from fleeting happiness. She explains that while happiness is based on external events, joy is an internal state given by the Holy Spirit. Pastor RaMona addresses the challenges of maintaining joy during diffic...

In week one of our nine-week sermon series, "Drought: Experiencing the Fruit of the Spirit in Dry Seasons", we begin with the fruit of Love. Pastor David shares that love is often tested in dry seasons. When we feel abandoned, overlooked, or weary, the challenge is to still love God and others with the love that comes from the Holy Spirit. Based on scripture from Galatians 5:22-25 and 1 John 4:7-1...