Open Worship - Sermon Audio: Recent Episodes
Open Worship
Open Worship is a gathering of Christ seekers in Denton, Texas, who cherish inclusive community, uplifting mission, and radical love. Visit us at opendtx.com to learn more.
What is the center of our lives? Of our faith and spirituality? Though there are many ideas, Jesus says the center is simple and profound — love. Centering our life, our work, our families, our faith, our growth, and our goals around love — love of God and neighbor and ourselves — gives us a purpose and place and path in tune with the loving heart of God. Discover the life revolution when we let all we are and all we do revolve around love.
What is the center of our lives? Of our faith and spirituality? Though there are many ideas, Jesus says the center is simple and profound — love. Centering our life, our work, our families, our faith, our growth, and our goals around love — love of God and neighbor and ourselves — gives us a purpose and place and path in tune with the loving heart of God. Discover the life revolution when we let all we are and all we do revolve around love.
What is the center of our lives? Of our faith and spirituality? Though there are many ideas, Jesus says the center is simple and profound — love. Centering our life, our work, our families, our faith, our growth, and our goals around love — love of God and neighbor and ourselves — gives us a purpose and place and path in tune with the loving heart of God. Discover the life revolution when we let all we are and all we do revolve around love.
How do we center out public action around love? How do we advocate for love in the public square? To paraphrase Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we pursue love as a society by pursuing justice. Join us in this series as we discover the life revolution when we let all we are and all we do revolve around love.
What is the center of our lives? Of our faith and spirituality? Though there are many ideas, Jesus says the center is simple and profound — love. Centering our life, our work, our families, our faith, our growth, and our goals around love — love of God and neighbor and ourselves — gives us a purpose and place and path in tune with the loving heart of God. Discover the life revolution when we let all we are and all we do revolve around love.
As we enter a new decade in a world full of heartache, how can we cultivate a child-like spirit? Let's remember the important things in life and claim our belonging as a community.
In Jesus' time, shepherds were total outcasts, living on the outskirts of the communities among their flock. They didn't have basic rights and were not welcome into the rest of society. Yet, God sent a messenger to share the good news of Jesus' birth with them first. Let's take a look at the invitational heart of God shown in the story of Christmas.
The Magi were a royal, priestly class from Persia likely seeking God and science through astrology and astronomy. They followed the star and it led them to Jesus, guiding us to an epiphany—an unexpected finding. Have you found your star? Let's explore this incredible story together this week at Open.
What does it mean that God chose to intersect with humanity as a baby—the most vulnerable among us, into a vulnerable situation, in the middle of nowhere? Join us this week as we seek to learn from the story of baby Jesus.
There’s a reason Jesus didn’t say blessed are the peacekeepers. Making peace is an active, evolving call to create change, build others up, and seek justice in the world around us. So how can we be peacemakers this holiday season? Check out this sermon for some helpful tips.
Covenants define our relationships—they set expectations, help us find clarity and identity, and create a way of life. Before Jesus, the old covenant set an expectation that those who wanted to be in relationship with God would keep the commandments, and that they would obey and be blessed in return. But Jesus’ new covenant was somehow simple and even more difficult than keeping all 613 of the old commandments—to love God and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.
In our world, it’s the norm to look out for ourselves first—to make sure that we’re taken care of. We’re taught to climb the ladder of success, to seek out the corner office, and to provide first for our own. Yet, Jesus laid out a different way, the way of servanthood. Jesus shocked his followers when he proclaimed that greatness is really about serving others and that even though the world around us says to look out for ourselves, we find our own greatness when we look out for our neighbors. Check out this week’s message to unpack the way of servanthood!
Not worrying is easier said than done—especially when there’s so much to worry about! But Jesus had a different way, reminding us that worrying doesn’t bring life, it really only takes it away. Worry creates a narrow space, yet God answers expansively—opening us up and reminding us to seek life first.
We all have a lot to do—and there's so much more that we wish we could do! Most of us are doing so much, that we tire, feel depleted, or crash. But when we pause to remember to just be—that all of our doing flows from just being beloved—then we can go with renewed strength and remembering that self-care and rest are important along the way.
We are the light of the world and each of us glows with the love of God in the depth of who we are. Today, Pastor Kake helps us discover this truth through stories from the Bible, from the world, and from our community, highlighting a special new Open group—Glow by Open. May your light shine bright!
Discover how generosity opens our spirit, connects our lives, and opens ourselves to take us even deeper into who we are created to be!
Jonathan shares the story of Open’s origin—how our tagline “Radical Love, Uniquely Denton” came to be, where our logo came from, and how Open became so much more than anyone ever dreamed it would be.
Jesus was a wallbreaker—he tore down dividing lines and made sure to emphasize that all are equal and welcome in the kingdom of God! Join us this week as we look into the Openness of God.
Last week, we found that God’s invitation to us is to be for our city—to seek the holistic flourishing of our neighbors and communities. What does this really look like? Jesus once shared a parable—that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed was sowed and grew to become a tree offering shelter and life to the world. What kind of seeds are we sowing in our cities? Let’s sow seeds that give shelter, support our neighbors, and offer radical love to our world.
When the people of Israel were in exile, they didn't know what to do. The Babylonian empire conquered them and expected them to assimilate into Babylonian culture. Jeremiah brought the radical word of God that was so different than what they expected—to seek the wholistic, universal flourishing of the city they were in. God called them to be for their neighbors, not against them. Check out this sermon and see how this is still God's radical message for us today.
As Jesus was gathered with the disciples at the table, a woman unexpectedly anointed him with expensive oil. She did this from a place of deep generosity and appreciation of the person of Jesus because he brought good news to her life and her story. When the disciples responded angrily, Jesus radically lifted her story to be part of the good news. He elevated her story to be equal to his own and made it clear that the good news is for us all.
Jesus shared a story of wedding banquet where none of the invited guests show up, and then the host sends out his messanger to invite all of the outcasts who were not invited before to fill his home and enjoy the celebration. Where do you see yourself in this story where Jesus illustrates that there is room for ALL at God's banquet table?
When Jesus and the disciples retreated for some self-care, the crowds followed them and showed up hungry. The disciples were concerned that they didn't have enough to feed everyone, but Jesus instructed them—give them something to eat. Jesus didn't swoop in to do the work for them, but he invited the disciples to use what they had to make a difference and to trust that it was enough.
Something there is that doesn't love a wall...and that something is the Holy Spirit. In extremely tumultuous times, God sent an angel to the "enemy" and a vision to Peter to help tear down walls and break down barriers between the Jewish people and the Gentiles—this story shows us all that God's love has always Opening the doors wider so that all would be welcomed in to the kindom of God.
No matter your doubts or questions, you are loved by God. Even John the Baptist, who seemed to the the most sure about Jesus, had his doubts and questions when things got tough. Let’s look into the story of John the Baptist to find that God welcomes your doubts, your questions, and all of us who are seekers.
In the beautiful story of the Ethiopian Eunuch, we meet the very first gentile who was baptized into the beloved family. This person was in every way an outsider—a non-binary, Ethiopian gentile—but they were drawn to Jerusalem in pursuit of a God who loved all. However, once human beings get involved, exclusion usually takes place. And of course, even though they read in Isaiah that they were welcome, they weren’t fully welcome at the temple. On their way back home, they encountered Phillip, and in this story, we see the heart of God at work in a broken world—a heart for inclusion, justice, and love of all people.
In Zaccheus’ story, we find that when the heart of God and the heart of humanity intersects, goodness multiplies in ways we could have never imagined!
Jesus was constantly breaking down barriers and going to places and speaking to people that he “shouldn’t” have sought out. In one story, Jesus makes the radical decision to speak to a person who was 1. A Samaritan, 2. A Woman, and 3. An Outsider—all big no-no’s in his day. Jesus sees her—sees her story, her worth, and her truth and he invites her to drink of the living water that satisfies the soul and assures her that there’s not a set of behaviors or places that connect to you to God, but instead it’s being open to God from the depth of your spirit and the truth of who you are.
Have you ever totally missed the point of a story? Well, here’s one that you may have heard, but with fresh eyes we can see new truths. Esther was a queen, but powerless. She was caught up in the same system of oppression as everyone else under the rule of relentless, all-powerful king. But when the ultimate evil threatened the lives of all of her people, she made the choice to risk her life, reveal her identity, and save her people—for such a time as this.
Jonah ran in the exact opposite direction of where God asked him to go. He didn’t see God’s vision of love for all people, but God’s love is cross-cultural—for everyone—and always loving and kind, even when people aren’t. God seeks out to restore, not destroy—to unite, not divide. God cares about all of us.
Three friends made the choice to stand up, literally, and not bow to a golden statue of the king in power. When the king learned that they would not worship him, he had them bound and thrown into a fiery furnace. But, they didn’t burn and even more shocking, there was a fourth being in the fire with them! They only thing that burned away was their bindings. We have a future and a hope, no matter the trial. When we stand up against injustice, God is with us.
We’re beginning a new journey at Open called “Small Story, Big Story” where we will unpack some of the most common Bible stories and find glimpses of the greater story of God’s love in each of them. Today, we begin with the story of Moses and the great Exodus of the Israelite people out of Egypt. As we look a little closer, we begin to see how God hears, draws near, and sends us out to do justice work in our world today!
We’re celebrating 2 years of the Open community and all of the incredible people who call it home. So far, we’ve heard the inspiring stories of some of our Open friends, but today, we’ll remember and tell the story of Open as a community—how we came to be, how we’ve grown, and get a glimpse at who we’ll become.
Did you know that the secret to contentment is right here in our scripture library? Contentment is something that many of us have spent so much of our lives searching for, and God has something to share with us. Today, we also have the opportunity to listen to and learn from the story of Paige Dixon of our Open community, and perhaps we will continue to discover the sacred beauty of each of our own stories along the way.
On Mother’s Day, we gather to contemplate the Mother God and to affirm that God is neither created in the image of man or woman, but transcends it all and lifts us all up as equals. If we all are created in the image of an infinite God, then we need to hear each other’s stories in order to see a more complete vision of God. Today, we also have the opportunity to listen to and learn from the story of Courtney Banatoski of our Open community and perhaps we will each discover the sacred beauty of each of our own stories along the way.
We all have a story to share, an important story of our experience with God and life and lessons along the way. We don’t always think of our story as valued and needed, but your story is sacredly important. If we all are created in the image of an infinite God, then we need to hear each other’s stories in order to see a more complete vision of God. Today, we have the opportunity to listen to and learn from the story of Layton Hernandez of our Open community and perhaps we will each discover the sacred beauty of each of our own stories along the way.
The celebration of Easter at Open was so life-giving! (Just as Easter should be, of course). This Easter, experience Jonathan's message about Mary Magdalene's story and the ever-present power of resurrection invite us to live as people of a love that overcomes.
Palm Sunday is the Sunday before Easter that begins the Holy Week. It is the day that we remember and celebrate the day Jesus entered into Jerusalem as king, but as a different kind of king than everyone expected. Kings and kingdoms feel ancient and patriarchal, but there is life to be found when we learn what kind of King Jesus was claimed to be.
Sin is a difficult word that has caused a lot of harm in our world. But, when we take a deeper look at the heart of God, it seems that maybe sin isn't a list of don'ts, but something deeper and more true. Let's revisit and reclaim this word and find together that sin isn't our identity, but instead it's what disturbs the flourishing of God's creation.
What does it really mean to be #blessed? Journey with Rev. Don Lee, Senior Pastor of FUMC-Denton, as he walks us through the different meanings of the word "blessing" and helps us see that God is deeply happy with us all.
There are four kinds of love found in the Bible: storge, eros, philia, and agape, but in the church, we often find a fifth kind of love—tough love. Let’s look together at the kinds of love we see in God’s character and shine that love back into our world.
There are four kinds of love found in the Bible: storge, eros, philia, and agape, but in the church we often find a fifth kind of love—tough love. Let's look together at the kinds of love we see in God's character and shine that love back into our world.
When life is really difficult, questions begin to arise: "God, where are you? How long? Help us!" The good news is that our faith tradition holds space for lament, but do we? In our time together this week, we intentionally hold space to pray through some of the Psalms, talk about how it's okay to not be okay, and look forward together to a God who hears us.
Shipwrecks happen. Sometimes life is really tough, and in the midst of that, where is God? Join us as we begin this journey together: How to Survive a Shipwreck.
What goes God think about you? The answer is clear: God SO loves you. You are a beloved child of God, with whom God is well pleased — before and beyond any accomplishment or earning. In this message, learn from Jesus how this reality can transform your identity and sustain you in the desert season.
Jonathan is joined by friends, Demi Prentiss and Krystal Stroud, as we explore together how to determine our vocation. We discuss questions like, “How do you know if your in the right career field?” and “How do you begin to determine your purpose?” Check out this sermon to hear what we found together.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King inspires us to be a part of creating the beloved community — God's dream for humanity. This requires us to be people of courage, compassion, creativity, and love. Join us in contemplating this work in our time and in our lives.
Recently, a team from the Open community traveled to the Texas–Mexico border to learn more about the situation, bear witness to the love of God, and listen for ways our community can help. Along the way, our hearts and eyes were opened, as we saw God's faith and hope and love working transformation even amidst difficult circumstances. Check out this sermon to learn more through stories from the border.
Forgiveness is a transformative relationship dynamic, but not because it avoids justice, but because it promotes justice through restoration, reparation, and reconciliation. Join Haley Feuerbacher, campus minister at the Denton Wesley Foundation for an empowering look at forgiveness in a different light.
What is up with all the monsters and beasts in the Bible? For the people who brought us the Bible, these creatures represented the evils of oppressive empires. Sometimes we forget that much of the Bible was written by vulnerable populations who suffered under the thumb of powerful, violent systems. But prophets and apocalyptic texts attempted to pull back the curtain of pomp and power to show reality beneath the surface. In these texts and the prophetic call to resist by loving greatly, we can find light for our lives today.
Origin stories help us remember the past, interpret the present, and communicate what is essential about who we are and where we are headed. But our relationship with origins is complex; often maturity involves unentangling ourselves from the stories we’ve been told. Join us as we look back at the origin story of our faith community, Genesis 1, and try to find a different light in our origins.
Sometimes we’ve been taught to think of the Bible as one bright light that makes clear light and shadow in our world. But the Bible is something so much more brilliant and magical — it is the library of a community, the witness of thousands of lights and conversations among God and humanity since the beginning. And the most magic thing of all: we are invited into the conversation.
This has been a hard week for many who feel unseen and unheard. But in Jonathan's powerful, healing sermon, we are reminded that God has always listened to, seen, known, believed, and cared about women. Women like Hagar teach us that even when life hurts, when the brokenness of the world breaks us down, God is the God who sees you, knows you, loves you, and believes you—even if others don't. For us to be children of God, we need to start seeing the way God sees. Then we just might be able to see the message of hope being lived out by brave women.
Thank you to those in the Open community who wrote Radiant, the special song at the conclusion of the message.
Doubts don't disqualify you; doubts qualify you to seek. Here at Open, seekers are welcome, because embracing questions helps us grow, learn, and journey — exactly what God wants for us. Find out why we say clearly, "Seekers are welcome here."
If you've ever been to Open Worship, you know that the phrase "All Are Welcome Here" is very important to this community. In fact, we say those words together 4 times as we start the service every week! In this series, we explore what that phrase means for us and why we believe that God is (and has always been!) open to all.
Our words have weight — they have power to give life or diminish life. In a world full of negative or harmful messages, we are called to speak God's message of love to the world in all our words. Join us as we seek to learn how to use words wisely.
There is a message we speak by listening — that all people are worthy of being heard. Learn lessons from scripture and Mr. Rogers, who listened well to his neighbors, especially a young neighbor named François Clemmons. Together they teach us that listening is the beginning of love. From James 1:19
Despite what you may have heard, the story told in scripture is clear: all people are created in the image of God; the masculine and feminine equally reflect the divine. We need all of us to know God all the more. On Mothers' Day, we honor the myriad women in our lives who have helped us glimpse the heart and character of God and renew our commitment to proclaim, empower, and cultivate the image of God in the women and girls in our community and world.
In our world and communities, there are places where the interwoven fabric of humanity is weak or torn. God invites us to be people of justice, who strengthen the world around us and repair the breaches. Learn how to be at work for justice and hear the story of someone from Denton's history who helped reweave our common fabric.
We don’t always know how to respond to the story of Easter, this amazing story about how nothing can stop God’s love. But when we find ourselves feeling far away, God responds to us with an unending, unstoppable love that invites us to simply come as we are and...have breakfast! (it will make sense once you’ve heard the message :)
We apologize for the audio trouble this week, but we wanted to share this helpful message on prayer anyway! Jesus’ disciples asked, “Teach us to pray.” Even though they had seen lots of prayer in their lives, Jesus prayed with an authenticity and deep connection that was like no other. In this sermon, learn from what Jesus taught, and add a practice to your palette to help you connect with the God who loves you.
We apologize for the audio trouble this week, but we wanted to share this helpful message on prayer anyway! Jesus’ disciples asked, “Teach us to pray.” Even though they had seen lots of prayer in their lives, Jesus prayed with an authenticity and deep connection that was like no other. In this sermon, learn from what Jesus taught, and add a practice to your palette to help you connect with the God who loves you.
In a black and white world, we were built to live in abundant color. Learn about some of the ancient spiritual practices like meditation and contemplation that Jesus followers have used to remix their creative palette and be part of making a more loving, colorful world. This video includes a special guided meditation and song by the Open band.
As we go through life, we accumulate wounds and scars and baggage. But God wants to help us be free. Forgiveness helps break the cycle so we can be who we were built to be. Forgiveness is incredibly hard, but it is powerfully life giving. Find out more about this tool for being new and living without baggage.
We find ourselves at the intersection of relationships with God (or something greater), others, and ourselves. Sometimes those relationships are unbalanced or fractured, but Jesus came to put them back together in love. When all of those relationships align, we find a new sense of purpose and an empowering sense of self.
We're invited to have a style that is new, even when all around is old. There are a lot of old things we can wear around - selfishness, close mindedness, resentment - but Jesus invites us into a whole new way of being and living and clothing ourselves. This new way has love at its center and compassion as its outer layer. Find out how this new style can help you be new when all around is old.
This Sunday, we reflected on the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his wall-breaking, bridge-building work that challenges us to answer the call in our time. Like Jusus, Mlk Worked to make the world new even when the world around him was trapped in the old patterns and prejudices. Learn how Jesus' wall-breaking work overcame the old walls of separation, and calls us to continue breaking walls and building bridges in our lives.
It's hard to imagine that things could really be different. But Jesus brought something that wasn't just religion 2.0, it was brand new—and all about a new start in love. Find out how this can be the key to breaking through, being new, and making a difference this year.
In a world of division, suspicion, and even hate, how do we make peace and live out love? Jesus said the kingdom of God, those places where God’s love and live reign, is like a seed that is planted that grows into a tree that gives safety and life to many. Seeds are small, but with nutrients, time, and growth, they can flourish. Learn how we can plant seeds that bring holistic flourishing to our communities.
Jeremiah 29:4-7. God calls us to be for the places where we live. That means seeking the shalom, or universal holistic flourishing of our communities. Find out how oyu can start where you are, with what you have, and seek shalom in your city.
We all want to live the good & beautiful life—and God wants that for us as well. The skills to get there are called wisdom, and the book of James is full of wise thought and direction. But, the wisdom from above comes when we use our skills and our self for the good of others. Find out how in this final installment in our summer James series.
Your words have power — they can bring life and healing in your home, school, or workplace — anywhere they are needed — or they can squash life and cause harm. Learn how you can learn to use the power of words to build up and bring life to those who need it.
“Faith makes you alive, apart from works” — and “faith that is alive works for love.” These two perspectives run throughout Scripture. Taken together they give us a deeper picture of life with God and how you can come alive in the life and love you were meant to find.
Open Worship is a gathering of Christ seekers in Denton, Texas, who cherish inclusive community, uplifting mission, and radical love. Visit us at opendtx.com to learn more.
Though it seems counterintuitive, God declares that mercy triumphs over judgment. No matter where we come from, when we draw near God's heart, what we find is mercy not judgment.
God moves toward the margins, the messy, the vulnerable and misunderstood. If we are following God, we need to move in the direction God is heading. Find out how and find hope in our own messiness as well.
Trials are not good; they are hard. But can lasting good come even through trials? Listen in to the wisdom of James 1:3-6
What if doubts and questions don't disqualify you but are a part of the journey of faith? Believe it or not, God invites us to seek — and loves our questions.
As we go through life, we accumulate wounds and scars and baggage. But God wants to help us be free. Forgiveness helps break the cycle so we can be who we were built to be. Forgiveness is incredibly hard, but it is powerfully life giving. Find out how to be shaped by God's forgiving heart and live without baggage.
What does God think about you? Amazingly, the answer is simple: God SO loves you. Explore a familiar verse, John 3:16, and uncover the incredible foundation of God's unqualified love.
Over and over God makes it clear — God's heart is compassionate. Though it can feel overwhelming, our heart should be compassionate as well. Discover a real, practical way to be shaped by compassion in your life.
God invites us to a profound calling: to be ambassadors of Christ's love. How do we even begin to do that? Begin where you are, with what you are, and see what God's inclusive, missional, radical love can do.
What are we supposed to be up to in life? What is our purpose? Well, God has an incredible, clear purpose for all of us — to be light in our location, using who we are and what we have to share love and light in this life.
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The world is good at labeling people, defining and stereotyping them. But God built you uniquely, with purpose and in love. Discover God's labels and discover who you truly are. (From Romans 12:1-2). Text REMOVE Labels — Be Open, Part 2 Jonathan Perry
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People create boundaries between who is in and who is out, but God is open to all people, no matter what. You are loved by a God who knows no boundaries.