Third Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
Third Church, RVA
Tish Harrison Warren is a writer and an Anglican priest. She is the author of several books, including Liturgy of the Ordinary: Sacred Practices in Everyday Life, which won Christianity Today's 2018 Book of the Year, and Prayer in the Night: For Those Who Work, or Watch, or Weep, which won Christianity Today's 2022 Book of the Year and the 2022 ECPA Christian Book of the Year.She formerly wrote a weekly newsletter for The New York Times, which focused on faith in public discourse and private life. She was also a columnist for Christianity Today. Her articles and essays have appeared in Comment Magazine, The Point Magazine, Religion News Service and elsewhere. She currently serves as the C. S. Lewis Theological Writer-in-Residence for the Anglican Episcopal House of Studies at Baylor’s George W. Truett Theological Seminary. She is a senior fellow with The Trinity Forum and an assisting priest at Immanuel Anglican Church. She lives in Austin, Texas, with her husband and three children.Learn more at tishharrisonwarren.com.
This Sunday Richard Haney joins us as we look at the next section in Philippians 3 and consider the apostle Paul’s exhortation “to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
This Sunday, Brooke Wright continues our journey through Philippians as we explore what it means to find resilient joy, not in the life we wish we had, but in the life God has lovingly entrusted to us.
This Sunday, we'll continue our journey through Philippians as we explore what it means to find resilient joy, not in the life we wish we had, but in the life God has lovingly entrusted to us.
This Sunday, we will continue our journey through Philippians by reflecting on one of the most beautiful passages in Scripture: Philippians 2:5–11.
This Sunday Rick Hutton continues our Philippians series with Paul’s challenge to the church to find joy and strength in unity.
This Sunday Corey Wdimer continues to explore Paul's logic of joy and how he assimilates the experience of suffering through his theological vision of hope.
This Sunday, Ed Satterfield continues our series through the book of Philippians and guides us through Paul's purpose, hope, joy, and certainty, despite his uncertain circumstances.
This week, we'll see how Paul practices living into a larger story even in the midst of very painful circumstances.
This Sunday we're starting a new sermon series called Resilient Joy, based on the book of Philippians.
We’ll finish our series on the book of Acts this week with a wonderful story about three people whose lives are transformed by the gospel.
This Sunday we'll continue in our Growing Small series by looking at the story of the first true Gentile congregation- the church of Antioch.
This Sunday we'll continue our study of the early church by looking at one of the most dramatic moments in the book of Acts: the conversion of the first Gentile.
We'll continue the story of the early church this week by looking at one of the great turning points in the book, Acts 8.
This Sunday, we'll look at what happens when people live as new spiritual family in face to face relationships: conflict! Acts 6 is a great story about how the early Christians worked through challenges and remained united.
This Sunday we’ll continue exploring what “Growing Small” means as we turn to the remarkable portrait of the early church in Acts 2:42–47.
This Sunday we'll look at one of the most famous stories in the book of Acts — the story of Pentecost. When Jesus Christ gives his Spirit to his people, he doesn't just break into our lives, he also breaks us open.
This Sunday we gather to celebrate our Risen Lord. Jesus is not only revealed and given — he is raised!
This Sunday, Richard Haney preaches on how Jesus is given in sorrow. As we get closer to Holy Week, we are reflecting more and more on the grief, suffering and sorrow of Jesus.
This week we will continue to explore what it means that Jesus is given for us by looking at a text from the Gospel of John. John frames this same truth about the substitutionary love of Jesus with a beautiful personal metaphor of shepherd and sheep.
This Sunday, we'll look at Jesus' prediction of his suffering and death as a sacrifice, offered on behalf of others, leading his disciples on the downward path of service and self-giving love.
dimension of that statement. This Sunday we'll look at a key passage in the book of Mark that explores Jesus' own understanding of his identity and calling.
As this weekend brings the final Sunday of Epiphany, we’ll be looking at one of the most significant epiphanies of Jesus in the Gospels: his transfiguration.
This Sunday we’re continuing in our Epiphany series, looking at stories that reveal something important about the person of Jesus. We’ll be reflecting this Sunday on Jesus as the liberator of human beings from the power of evil, as demonstrated through the remarkable story of a man named Legion.
This week we'll be looking at another epiphany of Jesus, his healing of a man with leprosy.
This week, our students led our congregation in worship and teaching, continuing in our series with Luke 5:27-32.
This week, we'll keep pressing into joy as we reflect on Jesus' first sermon in Nazareth.
On Sunday we kicked off a new sermon series : Revealed and Given: A Journey with Jesus through Epiphany and Lent. In the coming weeks, we'll be looking at stories about Jesus from the four Gospels that disclose or reveal something important about Jesus' identity and mission. This Sunday, Rick Hutton will be preaching on another seminal Epiphany story, the wedding feast at Cana.
Given,” reflecting the dual movements of Epiphany and Lent — seasons that together draw us more deeply into the mystery of Christ. This Sunday we'll be in Matthew 3:13-17 where Jesus is Revealed as the Beloved Son. In place of preparation notes this week, I encourage you to spend time meditating on those verses ahead of Sunday's service.
This weekend, we will join together to proclaim the good news of Christmas alongside our brothers and sisters. Ed Satterfield will be preaching about Jesus as Suffering Savior.
This Sunday, we'll consider one of those prophecies from Isaiah and how Matthew sees it being fulfilled in the life of Joseph and Mary.
As we draw closer to Christmas, we begin to reflect on the mysteries of the Incarnation, even as we continue to dwell in the darkness of Advent. This Sunday, we'll hold the tension of hope that we remember in Advent, as we claim the promise of renewal even as we look around and see very few signs of its coming.
This Sunday, we step into the wilderness with John and allow his voice to awaken us, so that we may be ready to receive Christ, the Judge who brings peace.
This Sunday we begin the Christian year with the first Sunday of Advent! I'm excited to begin this season of waiting together.
This Sunday we'll look at the final chapter of the book, the moving story of Moses' death.
mission theologian, Rev. Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright. Together, they answer your most pressing questions about this rich and sometimes complicated book.
This Sunday we continue our study of Deuteronomy. The next section of chapters turns again to the ancient laws that shape Israel’s life together, especially how God’s people are to care for the orphan, the widow, the immigrant, and the poor.
This Sunday, we look at Deuteronomy 18 and God's promise that in a world that clamors for our attention, his people will never be left without his word.
This Sunday, Elisabeth Hayes will be preaching on what Deuteronomy teaches us about leadership and the distinct kind of leaders that God calls in his community.
This Sunday we look at Deuteronomy 15 and the social and economic implications of God's vision of generosity, grace, and mercy.
This Sunday, our text from Deuteronomy casts a compelling vision of worship as the centerpiece of our life together.
This Sunday we'll continue our study of Deuteronomy. As Moses brings his first great sermon to a close, he sums up all he has been saying to the people of Israel, a passage which scholar Chris Wright calls “one of the richest texts in the Hebrew Bible.”
This Sunday we continue our study of Deuteronomy by looking at the important theme of God's provision and our grateful response, which touches on how we understand our money and possessions and how we steward what we've been given.
This Sunday, we’re continuing our journey through Deuteronomy, and we’ll be looking at the challenging topic of what it means to be “chosen.”
This Sunday in our study of Deuteronomy we will hear the Shema, Israel’s central confession: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:4–5). At the very center of faith is love—love for God that overflows in love for neighbor. In an age discipled by violence and contempt, Deuteronomy reminds us that God’s people are called to be shaped by love, embodying a different way of being human together.
This Sunday we get into the iconic Ten Commandments, often called "The Decalogue." How should we think about these commands and apply them to our lives today?
This Sunday we begin to get at the meaning of the Torah, which is so much of what this book is all about.
This Sunday we kick off a new sermon series on the book of Deuteronomy. While many know this as the book with not much storyline and a whole lot of laws, this is very likely the book that most significantly formed the theology and ethics of Jesus, so it's worth it to do the hard work of learning what is has to say.
This week we’ll be looking at a familiar passage from the book of Acts and what it has to say about where we place our attention.
This Sunday, we’ll close the series with one final question: When will Jesus come again? This question really gets at the source of our hope- who and what it is we are waiting for, and how are called to live as we wait.
Our “little question” this week is one that I remember asking myself as a kid: Why did Jesus have to die? Appropriate to the topic of our question, we'll also be joining together at the Lord's Table, as we do at the beginning of every month.
Every week we look to the Bible for answers, but why do we trust that the Bible is authoritative in the first place? Where did the Bible even come from? How do we know it's true? Why is there so much weird stuff in the Bible? How do apply it to our world today that is so different from the worlds we read about in the Scriptures?
This Sunday we're looking at a very interesting question that a number of our kids asked: “What is Jesus doing right now?” There's a lot to say about this!
This week we’ll explore a difficult and important question about death. In the end, we may not have many answers, but we do have a person, the One who has come into our suffering and death to redeem it.
This Sunday we'll continue our series by looking at the question "How do you know God is talking to you and how do you know he is there?" This is a question that all of us have wondered at times!
This Sunday I'll be tacking the kid question: "What is heaven like and will our pets be there?" This is a question about the nature of Christian hope, which I love to talk about.
This Sunday we'll also be looking at the question, “How are people supposed to know about God if no one told them about Him?", which speaks of the importance of the church's mission to the ends of the earth.
This Sunday we are looking at the question, "Why did God put two trees in the garden?" We'll also hear from our kids and all the music they have learned this week at VBS!
This Sunday we are starting a new summer sermon series called "Let the Little Questions Come to Me." We are really excited about it! It's based on a set of questions about God, Jesus, and the Bible that we gleaned from our own children here at Third Church. It will be fun, interactive and shockingly profound.
At the very end of the Sermon, Jesus calls those who have heard his words to not just admire his teaching, but to put everything he has said into practice.
This Sunday we're looking at the second of three paragraphs in Jesus' conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount.
This Sunday we are looking at the final bit of teaching in the main body of the Sermon on the Mount.
This Sunday, we are looking at the next section of the Sermon on the Mount which addresses prayer, and our child-like relationship with God as our Father.
We're back into the Sermon on the Mount this Sunday, now starting into Matthew chapter 7. Jesus has a lot to say about how we handle our relationships with one another.
Sunday we will gather to celebrate our Risen Lord. The grave cannot hold him, death cannot win. Hallelujah!
Today's music selection is "Wake Up, Jesus," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders.
Today's song selection is "Oh, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were at Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Passover Song," by Iamson. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through artlist.io
Today's music selection is "Mercy," by Iamson. Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea.
Today's song selection is "The Kingdom of Jesus," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Hosanna Song," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "How Long," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "The Lord Will Have His Way," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's song selection is "We Abide, We Abide in You," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's song selection is "In the Fields of the Lord," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io
Today's song selection is "Your Labor is Not in Vain," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io.
This Sunday, we'll look at the next section in Matthew 6 about worry and anxiety. In a culture steeped in anxiety, these words from Jesus remain timely and important.
Today's music selection is "I Wanna Know," by Iamson. Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Joy Will Come," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Oh Dear Child," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Eternal Hope," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Mercy," by Iamson. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's song selection is "Psalm 126," by Bifrost Arts. Today's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's song selection is "Come, All who are Weary," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were at Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
This Sunday we are moving into the last section of Matthew 6, as Jesus calls us to trust our Father with our money and the way we use it.
Today's music selection is "Your Labor is Not in Vain," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's song selection is "Create in Me (Psalm 51)," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Instrument of Peace," by the Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Illuminate the Shadows," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Christ is Lower, Still," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Come, All Who are Weary," by the Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io.
This Sunday we turn to fasting! Fasting is misunderstood and not frequently practiced, but Jesus also assumes that his followers will be doing it.
Today's Music Selection is "He is Given," by Bifrost Arts. Today's instrumental music is "Oh Deal Child," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's song is "East/West, Psalm 103," by Paul Zach.Today's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through artlist.io.
Today's song selection is "Have Mercy On Me," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "He Will Not Cry Out," by Bifrost Arts. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "Psalm 126," by Bifrost Arts. Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "When Your Kingdom Comes," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by the Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io
This Sunday we are continuing to learn from Jesus about how to practice our life with God- this week our focus is prayer.
Today's music selection is "Good to Me," by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Oh Dear Child," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "I Wanna Know," by Iamson. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "All Will Be Well," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "All Who Are Weary, Come" by The Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io.
Today's music selection is "At All Times," by Paul Zach. Today's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through artlist.io
Today's song is "Just a Closer Walk with Thee," by Iamson.Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea, licensed through artlist.io
Today's song is "In Labor, All Creation Groans," by Bifrost arts. Today's instrumental music is "Oh Dear Child," by Amick Cutler, licensed through Artlist.io
This Sunday we are continuing to learn from Jesus about how to practice our life with God- this week our focus is prayer.
Today's Song is "Always With Me," by Iamson,Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io
Today's Song is "God the Maker," by the Porter's Gate. Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io
Today's song is "Rise Up" by Bifrost ArtsToday's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io
Today's song is "From the Dust," by Paul ZachToday's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io
This Sunday, we’re heading into chapter 6 of the Sermon on the Mount. This is “part 2” of the main body of teaching in Jesus’ sermon, in which Jesus addresses religious practices and the importance of our motivation in doing them. He begins with giving.
We’re now winding down our study of the second section of the Sermon on the Mount (5:17-48), in which Jesus addresses his relationship to the Torah.
This week, we’ll see that Jesus wants to re-order our desire for revenge, the universal thirst to pay back evil with evil.
This Sunday, we’ll continue in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, looking at the next of the series of “case studies” in which Jesus demonstrates his relationship to the Old Testament.
As we continue our study of the Sermon on the Mount, this week we come to Jesus’ teaching on marriage and divorce.
This Sunday we'll be led by our amazing students in every aspect of our worship service. The preachers will be reflecting on a well known and beloved passage from Philippians.
This Sunday we are continuing in our study of Jesus' teaching in the sermon on the mount, this time on the subject of anger and contempt.
This Sunday, we're back to the Sermon on the Mount! After spending this fall in the introduction (Matthew 5:1-16), we'll now get into the main body of Jesus' teaching, beginning in Matthew 5:17-20. This section of verses is actually a wonderful passage to reflect on as we begin a new year.
This weekend, we will join together to proclaim the good news of Christmas alongside our brothers and sisters. Ed will be preaching on an additional name of God, El Roi, which means "The God Who Sees."
This Sunday, Rick Hutton preaches the Messiah's promise to heal the divisions of the earth.
This Sunday, we’ll look at Christ as the Daystar, and what it means to invite him to shine his light into the shadows of our lives.
This Sunday, we’ll learn about the third ancient Advent Antiphon and the third verse of the hymn "O Come O Come Emmanuel."
This Sunday we'll look at the second of the Antiphons and verse 2 of O Come O Come Emmanuel, which focuses on God's revelation to Israel and the giving of the Law.
This Sunday we're starting Advent, the season which most closely reflects the posture of the entire Christian life. We are people who live "in between" - between the first and second comings of Jesus, between the promise made and the promise fulfilled, between grace and shalom. Advent is a training ground for our entire life in Christ.
This Sunday we’ll be looking again Matthew 5:13-16, which speaks of Jesus' calling on his people to be agents of renewal and restoration in the world- a calling that endures in any and every circumstance we find ourselves in.
Next Sunday we will dive more deeply into the two key metaphors Jesus employs in this teaching: salt and light. But this Sunday, we'll focus on verse 15: “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
We're going to spend one last week in the beatitudes, but this time we're going to look at them as a complete whole.
We look at the last of the eight beatitudes this week and explore what persecution meant in Jesus's time and what it could mean today.
This week we'll continue in our study with the 7th beatitude, "Blessed are the peacemakers."
This Sunday, we'll look at two beatitudes about being merciful and pure in heart. What do these concepts mean today, and how are they related to each other? Join us as we explore those questions together.
This Sunday we'll turn to the next beatitude, “Blessed are the meek…”9/15/24 Sermon Sources:- "What does righteousness mean?" Become New Podcast, Jan 23, 2024- Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul- John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary- Dale Bruner, Commentary on the Book of Matthew, volume 1
This Sunday we'll turn to the next beatitude, “Blessed are the meek…”9/8/24 Sermon Sources:- Opening illustration from Greg Thompson, "A Community of Meekness," preached at Trinity Presbyterian Church.- Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul- John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary- Dale Bruner, Commentary on the Book of Matthew, volume 1
This week we'll continue to explore the upside-down Kingdom of Jesus through the lens of the beatitudes. This Sunday we'll look at the second beatitude, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”9/1/24 Sermon Sources:- Sermon outline was used with permission from Robert Cunningham. See Robert Cunningham, "A Community of Lament." Sermon preached at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 6/14/2020- Nicholas Wolterstorff, Lament for a Son- Francis Weller, The Wild Edge of Sorrow- Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul- John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary- Dale Bruner, Commentary on the Book of Matthew, volume 1- "The Guest House," by Jallaludin Rumi.
In this special podcast episode, listen in as we explore how Christians can think about the upcoming election, and how we might contribute to healing of our society's political polarization.
This week we’ll learn about what it means to be “poor in spirit” and why Jesus promises that the Kingdom belongs to such people.8/25/24 Sermon Sources:- Bible Project podcast: "What does "Blessed" mean?," Jan 24, 2024- "Is God's Blessing only for good people?" Become New podcast, Jan 17, 2024. The "reverse beatitudes" comes from John Ortberg.- Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul- Matthew for Everyone, by NT Wright- The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary, John Stott- A Beginners Guide to the Kingdom of Heaven, by Amy Jill Levine- The Divine Conspiracy, by Dallas Willard- The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing, by Jonathan Pennington
This week, we're kicking off a new sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount, one of the most important teachings of Jesus.
This Sunday we conclude our Summer Series in the Psalms looking at the end of the Psalter at Psalm 150
This Sunday, we continue our study of the Psalms looking at Psalm 67 and are glad to have Richard Haney, Third’s Missiologist in Residence to preach.
This week we look at Psalm 42, a well known Psalm written from a place of honest turmoil and questioning. Elisabeth Hayes shares with us how we may find hope and relief in praying these words, even in our most desperate places.
This Sunday, Ed Satterfield continues our study of the Psalms looking at Psalm 91 and the certainty of God’s promise of protection and care in the midst of all kinds of trouble.
Guest preacher Nathan Walton continues our summer series on the Psalms preaching from Psalm 29.
We continue our summer series on the Psalms this Sunday with local mission partner Murray Withrow preaching on Psalm 8.
This week we're looking at Psalm 51, one of the most well-known and also one of the most emotional prayers in the entire Bible.
We continue our summer series on the Psalms this Sunday with Nicole Unice preaching on Psalm 107.
We continue our summer series on the Psalms this Sunday with Pastor Fakhri Yacoub from the Christian Arabic Church preaching on Psalm 23.
This Summer, we’re looking at the Psalms as the prayerbook of the church. This week, we’re exploring Psalm 19, and what it teaches us about the righteousness of God.
This Summer, we’re looking at the Psalms as the prayerbook of the church, beginning with Psalm 1.
Rev. Dr. Tharwat Wahba will be preaching from John 20:19-23 and reflecting on God's call on the Son and Jesus' corresponding call for us.
This week, we'll be looking at 1 John 5, and the promise that "He who has the son, has the Life!"
This week, we'll be looking at 1 John 5, and the promise that "He who has the son, has the Life!"
As you come to worship this Sunday, come to share that walk with your brothers and sisters with a readiness to connect in open vulnerability in God’s loving family in how your journey is going this week. We will continue our exploration of 1 John in chapter 3.
This Sunday we’ll explore the great love that God has given to us in making us his children.
This Sunday we're continuing our new series on the book of 1 John. I'm really excited that we're welcoming as our preacher one my dearest friends, Rev. Kevin Germer. Kevin is the pastor of Christ Presbyterian Church here in Richmond, a fellow ECO congregation.
This Sunday we’ll start to answer that question a bit as we kick off a new sermon series on the book of 1 John. The apostle John was so changed by the risen Jesus that he called his fellow Christians to live as people of love and light in a world of acrimony and darkness. Through Jesus, we come to know “The God of Love and Light” and learn to live as people who reflect his love and light in the world.
The grave cannot hold him, death cannot win. Hallelujah! Join in the celebration on Easter Sunday.
Our text this week includes Romans 8:28, perhaps one of the most well-known and well-loved verses in Scripture. What does it mean for God to be working all things together for good in a world like ours? We'll look at what this means for our lives and our groaning world.
This week we are continuing our study of Romans 8 and diving into Paul's theology of suffering and glory. This passage is one of my favorites in the whole Bible, and it gives us a vision of hope that is bigger than anything we can imagine.
This Sunday we'll continue our exploration of Romans 8. Building on the theme of identity that we addressed this week, we'll learn what it means to live as the beloved adopted child of God.
This week we'll continue with the next section of Romans 8 and explore the new kind of life we are called to live because of this truth.
This Sunday we’re kicking off a new sermon series for Lent called "Nothing Separates," based on Romans chapter 8.
Second, and just as importantly, on this "Vision Sunday" Corey shares the vision for our congregation that we believe God has given us for the next chapter of our church's life, looking beyond the fall to what is next for us. From the start of the Renew Campaign, we've said that we are seeking to “renew our home to renew our mission.” So let's talk about our mission, and what the Lord is calling us to next on this collective journey.
This coming Sunday is a very special day as well as we will be welcoming Pastor Samuel Adel, pastor of El Sharabia Presbyterian Church in Cairo, Egypt. We are blessed to be in a "sister congregation" relationship with El Sharabia, along with the Christian Arabic Church. Last spring, a group of us from Third and CAC were able to travel to Cairo to spend a week with Pastor Samuel and his congregation. It was a delightful visit and we are so thankful to be able to welcome Pastor Samuel, his wife Phoebe, and several other Egyptian friends to Third this weekend.
This Sunday is Youth Sunday! This is always a beloved Sunday in our community as we witness our students leading us. They have much to teach us! Our young preachers will be sharing a word on Matthew 5:13-16.
This Sunday, we’ll finish our three week miniseries on Philemon, exploring the ways grace brings transformation to the world itself.
This Sunday we'll continue our study of Paul's letter to Philemon. The grace of God that transforms each of us personally issues forth in transformed relationships within the community of the church. The new life that God brings to each of us means new life for our relationships with each other!
This Sunday we're kicking off a little 3-week sermon series on Paul's letter to Philemon. This often overlooked book is power-packed with the disruptive message of God's grace in Christ. As we begin new calendar year and think about our longing for change in our personal and collective lives, this book reminds us of the source of all true change.
This weekend, we will join together to proclaim the good news of Christmas alongside our brothers and sisters.
This Sunday we celebrate the coming of Jesus—the Son of the Most High, fully man and fully God, come to us in Bethlehem.
As we approach the third Sunday of Advent, take some time with the Lord to get still and to invite him to do this birthing of Christ in you yet again.
We'll spend the next few Sundays delving into some classic Advent texts from the book of Isaiah.
This Sunday, mission partner Pastor Leon Dorleans preaches on Acts 26:19-23, focusing on our calling to see the world as God sees the world, a world in need of Christ and his good news.
On Sunday, Elisabeth Hayes will be preaching on the same theme of the Local Missions conference, proximity.
As we come to the end of this book, Qohelet encourages us to ponder deeply the meaning of life, despite all the meaningless we face everyday. Given the shortness of life, make sure you are living for what really matters!
This Sunday we'll also be back with Qohelet for a couple more weeks as we wrap up our study on the book of Ecclesiastes.
This Sunday we’ll be hearing from Pastor Fakhri Yacoub, pastor of the Christian Arabic Church. Fakhri will be speaking about the current crisis in the Holy Land, and how we as Christians can faithfully pray for what is happening.
We are nearing the end of this rich book. Qohelet begins offering more guidance about how to live well. This week in chapter 11:1-6, he offers some guidance about how to live a purposeful life in the face of such an uncertain world.
This Sunday we'll be looking at the subject of suffering and how to deal wisely with our seasons of pain. As we process the atrocities of the terrorist attacks in Israel, and the many innocent children, women and men who have been killed in Israel and Gaza, it is overwhelming to know what to do, what to think, or how to pray. Qohelet offers us wisdom to think about not just our own suffering, but also the suffering we witness in the world.** This sermon was co-written by Corey Widmer and Kevin Germer of Christ Presbyterian Church, RichmondSermon sources:- Philip Ryken, “Why Everything Matters”. The open story about Thomas Boston comes from Ryken's chapter on this section. - David Gibson, "Living Life Backwards." The “Legoland” illustration idea comes from chapter 3 of this book- Zack Eswine, “Recovering Eden.”- Christopher JH Wright, “Hearing the Book of Ecclesiastes”- Peter Enns, “Ecclesiastes”
In the Scripture text for this Sunday, Qohelet turns back to his research on on the meaning of life, this time exploring the topic of money and wealth.
This Sunday we’ll look at the serious subject of injustice, and how Qohelet grieves over the way things often work in the world.Notes for the sermon “The Scandal of Injustice,” Oct 1, 2023** This sermon was co-written by Corey Widmer and Kevin Germer of Christ Presbyterian Church, RichmondSermon sources:- Miroslav Volf, “Exclusion and Embrace”- Christopher JH Wright, “Hearing the Book of Ecclesiastes”- Philip Ryken, “Why Everything Matters”- Peter Enns, “Ecclesiastes”
This Sunday we will turn to Ecclesiastes 3 and a mysterious element of being human: the enigma of time. How do we deal with the limiting and frustrating quality of time, and how do we find purpose within it?Notes for the sermon “The Tyranny of Time,” Sept 24, 2023** This sermon was co-written by Corey Widmer and Kevin Germer of Christ Presbyterian Church, RichmondSermon sources:- David Gibson, "Living Life Backwards." The “Legoland” illustration idea comes from chapter 3 of this book- Zack Eswine, “Recovering Eden.”- James KA Smiith, “How to Inhabit Time.”- Christopher JH Wright, “Hearing the Book of Ecclesiastes”- Philip Ryken, “Why Everything Matters”- Peter Enns, “Ecclesiastes”
This Sunday we’ll continue our journey with Qohelet, this time looking at this experiment with work. Can the work of our hands bring meaning and significance to our lives under the sun?
This week, we’ll be getting into the rest of chapter 1 and a bit of chapter 2, learning about Qohelet’s experimentation with knowledge and wisdom.
This week, we’ll be getting into the rest of chapter 1 and a bit of chapter 2, learning about Qohelet’s experimentation with knowledge and wisdom.
This Sunday we'll be starting a new fall sermon series on the Book of Ecclesiastes. This book honestly faces some of the most difficult questions we wrestle with as human beings.
This Sunday, we’ll be coming back together after summer break to recommit to our life of following Jesus together. We’ll be looking at a familiar passage from the book of Acts and what it teaches us about living as a community that is seeking to pattern our own life after the life of Jesus.
This Sunday is our last week in our summer series Pointing to the Promise. We’ll be looking at the story of Esther, one of the most exciting books in the Bible!
This Sunday we’ll be looking at the great story about Daniel and the lion’s den and how it points to the great promise of hope.
This Sunday our covenant partner and elder Justin Earley will be preaching on David, and how the story of his friendship with Jonathan points to the true friend we are given in Jesus Christ.
This Sunday we’ll be looking at Deborah and how her story points to the promise of deliverance.
This Sunday we’ll be looking at the wonderful story of Ruth and how it demonstrates God's long, faithful work of redemption.
This Sunday, Corey will be preaching about Joshua and God’s promise to finally bring his people to a land where they can experience rest. This is a promise that was partially fulfilled in Christ but one that we are also still waiting for.
This Sunday Elisabeth Hayes will be preaching on the epic story of Moses and the crossing of the Red Sea. We’ll continue to explore together how these important and well-known stories from the Old Testament point to the promise of the gospel made known in Jesus.
This week in worship, we will explore the story of Joseph and the way God shows His mercy to bring about transformation and redemption for the whole world.
This Sunday, Elisabeth Hayes will continue in our journey through the Old Testament and lead us through the story of Jacob, focusing on the profound gift of God’s presence.
This Sunday, Rick Hutton will kick off a new summer sermon series called "Pointing to the Promise." We'll be looking at some classic Old Testament stories and how they point to the great promise of God to bring his Kingdom and renew all things through the person of Jesus.
This Sunday, we’ll conclude our series “Always With You” by looking at John 17:20-26. In this passage we’ll see Jesus’ concluding prayer for his people, that we would be unified in order for the world to know that Jesus is the sent one.
This Sunday we’ll explore an aspect of this global mission by looking at the first part of Jesus’ momentous prayer in John 17.
This Sunday we'll continue in our series on John 15-17 and return to Jesus' teaching on the Holy Spirit in chapter 16. We are excited to welcome guest preacher Nathan Walton this week, who is the pastor of our sister congregation East End Fellowship.
This Sunday, we’ll dig deeper into the mystery of “remaining” in the love of God through our connection to Jesus, and what kind of life this results in- one of obedience and self-giving love.
This Sunday we’ll continue in John 14 as Jesus addresses the person of the Holy Spirit.
This Sunday we are continuing in our new series on John chapters 14-17, “Always With You.”
As Jesus prepares to depart to the Father, leaving the disciples physically, he promises that he will come to them in a new way through the gift of the Spirit. Because of Jesus' gift of the Spirit, we can live every day of our lives in deep communion with the risen Jesus. He is aways with us.
This Sunday we’ll begin the journey of Holy Week together as we remember Jesus’ great act of suffering love for us.
This Sunday we’ll look at John 12:20-33, a pivotal hinge in the book of John as events move swiftly toward the death of Jesus.
This Sunday we are looking at the final major miracle in the book of John, the raising of Lazarus. This is such an important story that speaks to the power of Jesus even over death itself.
This Sunday, we’ll be looking at the wonderful story of the healing of the blind man in John 9.
This Sunday we will look at the invitation to receive Jesus as “the Bread of life” in John 6.
This Sunday we’ll continue our study of the Gospel of John, looking at the famous story of Jesus walking on water.
This Sunday we’ll look at the next story of Jesus in the Gospel of John, what has been classically called “the cleansing of the temple.”
This Sunday we’ll look at the first public miracle of Jesus in the Gospel of John, when he changes water into wine at a wedding. It’s a beautiful story that points to who Jesus is and what he has come to do for us and for the world.Sermon Sources:- Dale Bruner, "The Gospel of John: A Commentary."- Don Carson, "The Gospel According to John," Pillar Commentary. - Lesslie Newbigin, "The Light Has Come: An Exposition of the Fourth Gospel."- Jeffrey Schwartz, "You are Not Your Brain"- NT Wright, "John For Everyone."- John Mark Comer, "Joy Part 1 and Part 2," John Mark Comer Teachings Podcast, Jan 6, 2023.- Tim Keller sermon "Lord of the Wine," preached 11/17/1996, access through Logos Bible Software
As the Gospel of John introduces us to Jesus, we’ll see the quiet and beautiful way Jesus begins to build his community. He simply invites ordinary people to “come and see.” We’ll continue the story from where we left off last week, and look at the ways Jesus invites his new disciples into new, transformational experiences.
Join us as we kick off a new sermon series to coincide with our move to Regency! Together, we’ll hear about the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and his first interactions with his disciples, and how his first call to them is so simple and clear: “Come and see”
This Sunday we’ll continue our “Songs of Christmas” series by looking at the Nunc Dimitis, Simeon’s Song.
This Sunday we’ll continue our “Songs of Christmas” series by looking at the Nunc Dimitis, Simeon’s Song.
This Sunday we’re continuing in our “Song of Christmas” series by looking at Mary’s song, often called The Magnificat. While Mary is often thought of as “meek and mild,” her song reveals her as a tenacious, courageous agitator who has put her hope in the promise of God, and anticipates a coming socio-political reversal that the Messiah will bring.
I’m grateful for Justin Earley’s sermon this Sunday that reminded us of the great themes of this Advent season: darkness, waiting and light. We’ll continue to reflect on those themes this Sunday we we look at the next Song of Christmas from Luke 1:67-80, Zechariah’s song.
What does this ancient word from an Israelite prophet have to say to us about how God’s people are called to live in the complex world of the 21st century? That’s what we’ll spend a few weeks exploring.
This Sunday we are shifting to our final focus, “Life for the World.” The church is such a peculiar institution in that we are always oriented toward the good of those who are not yet a part of our community. This Sunday, Elisabeth Hayes will be preaching on what it means to Love our Neighbors.
This week we’ll be talking about how we use our gifts to serve and give to one another.
This Sunday we’ll move into our third practice in this current sermon series, “Make time to gather with your community.”
This Sunday we’ll look at this pattern in Jesus’ life and what we can learn about our need for “the solitary place” in our own lives.
This Sunday we'll look at why corporate worship is so important and what it does for us to commit to this weekly practice.
This Sunday Corey focuses on the simple call to return to Christ, the one around whom our life is centered.
This Sunday, we'll wrap up our summer series "Taste and See" with the culminating image of food in the Bible: the wedding feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19.
This Sunday, we'll wrap up our summer series "Taste and See" with the culminating image of food in the Bible: the wedding feast of the Lamb in Revelation 19.
This Sunday we’ll continue our Taste and See series by looking at a story of the early church from Acts 2. Many have commented how often Jesus is going to meals, eating meals, or coming from meals in the four Gospels. So it is no surprise that when we look at the early church in the book of Acts, they are doing a lot of eating! Very quickly, the meal became a focal practice in the early church for participating in Jesus’ work of salvation. We’ll talk this week about why the common meal was so important in the early church and why it is a vital practice for our life together today.
This Sunday, we'll be looking at a fascinating meal that the resurrected Jesus shares with Peter and a few other disciples in John 21. This story has so much to say about shame and grace, about guilt and restoration.
This week Nan Clarke will be looking at the final Passover meal that Jesus’ disciples share with him, a meal that marks a dramatic and unexpected new direction in God’s story.
This week, we will continue our Taste & See sermon series, in which we've been invited to deeply experience God's goodness. On Sunday we will hear from Drew Cleveland, who will preach on Jesus' invitation to all people to feast at his table.
This week, Charles Teixeira will dive into a moment in Christ’s ministry that shows us the compassion of God which sees our every hunger and is eager to satisfy our needs for our sake and for his glory.
This week Rick Hutton looks at Isaiah and God’s call to give thanks for his great generosity.
This week we’ll explore the original Passover narrative and what it means for this God to be present among us today.
This Sunday we’re starting a new summer sermon series called “Taste and See." We’ll be tracing the theme of food and feasting throughout the Bible. In each of biblical stores we’ll study, we’re looking at the different ways that God nourishes us. We’ll see that the meals God provides give us the opportunity to actually experience his goodness–to “taste and see” who He is, what kind of kingdom he is inaugurating here on earth, and to invite others to the table.
For this Sunday, we’ll be wrapping up our series “Our Resurrection Hope,” with a final sermon that focuses on our hope for all creation.
This Sunday we’ll be looking at how the resurrection provides hope for our labor, basically all the work we do on the earth with our bodies.
We continue to explore our resurrection hope this Sunday as learn about the hope of the resurrection for our relationships. We'll ask what hope the resurrection offers for our broken relationships. What does the resurrection mean for our fractured families and friendships? For our polarized society? For our divided church communities?
This Sunday our topic is Hope for Our Bodies. We’ll explore the shocking nature of the ultimate Christian hope, which is embodied life in a transformed body on a resurrected earth.
- NT Wright, Surprised by Hope
- W Ross Hastings, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
- Adrian Warnock, Raised with Christ
- J Richard Middleton, A New Heaven and a New Earth
- Sam Alberry, What God Has to Say about Our Bodies
- Esau McCaulley, “What Good Friday and Easter Mean for Black Americans Like Me,” April 15, 2022 New York Times
This Sunday we’re looking at how the resurrection of Jesus changes our experience of suffering.
This Sunday we'll continue our celebration of the resurrection by turning to the writings of Paul. We'll explore how the resurrection gives us hope for personal transformation.
This Sunday, Nan Clarke will be preaching on a story about how the resurrection changed one particular person- the apostle Paul- and how the resurrection of Jesus is continuing to change people in the same way today.
Starting this Sunday, we'll be going deep into "Our Resurrection Hope," discovering the impact of the resurrection for our lives, our struggles, our work, our relationships, and even the whole universe.
Sermon sources 4/24/22 - NT Wright, Surprised by Hope - Timothy Keller, Hope in Times of Fear (the diagrams used come from chapter 2) - W Ross Hastings, The Resurrection of Jesus Christ - Adrian Warnock, Raised with Christ - Tish Harrison Warren, “Why it Matters That Jesus Really Did Rise from the Dead,” NYTimes, April 17 2022
On this Easter Sunday, we look at the story of the women who come to the tomb and find it empty, with a messenger proclaiming that Jesus is risen. And because of that empty tomb, the lives of these women and men are changed forever, and the world will never be the same.
This Sunday is Palm Sunday, which means Lent is drawing to a close as we head into Holy Week. Elisabeth Hayes will preaching on Mark 11, where Jesus enters the city of Jerusalem.
We finish our exploration of the wonderful chapter of Mark 10 this week with the story of Bartimaeus. This Sunday we’ll look at why this blind beggar is the model disciple and what it would mean for us to become like him too.
What is missions anyway? Well, it is broader and more integrated than we may think! Listen to this special lecture from Dr. Chris Wright, International Ministries Director of the Langham Partnership, on the five marks of mission: evangelism, discipleship, compassion, justice, and creation care.
This Sunday we’ll look at the next section in this action packed chapter 10 of the book of Mark. As Jesus walks ever more resolutely toward his death in Jerusalem, his disciples seem ever more confused about the meaning of Jesus’ mission.
This Sunday we’ll learn about a very personal encounter that Jesus has with a successful young man in Mark 10, and what happens when Jesus calls him to follow him.
This week we welcome Dr. Christopher J.H. Wright to look with us at a great text about prayer, doubt and the identity and mission of Jesus.
This Sunday we’ll see the turn that the book of Mark takes when Peter confesses Jesus’ identity, and Jesus then immediately begins to tell them about the cross. This is a bracing beginning to Lent.
This Sunday we’ll see Jesus as the one who calms storms. Elisabeth Hayes will be preaching on this famous story, and we’ll reflect on how it speaks to us in this stormy season of life.
In a time of immense restlessness and conflict, we are meditating this week on Jesus as the Lord of the Sabbath. He has come to give us deep rest of soul, and to ultimately bring creation itself into everlasting Shalom.
This Sunday we’ll continue in our series on the Gospel of Mark. Corey preaches on Mark 2:1-12, a moving story about Jesus’ power to heal and forgive.
- This sermon was co-written with Rev. Kevin Germer, Christ Presbyterian Church, Richmond Sermon Sources:
- NT Wright, “Mark For Everyone”
- James Edwards, “The Gospel According to Mark,” (Pillar NT Commentary)
- Tim Keller, “King’s Cross.” The illustration about Eustace and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader was suggested by Keller.
This Sunday is Youth Sunday! Sometimes we refer to our young people as the "future church," but on this particular Sunday we are reminded that they are also the church of the present. There is no Holy Spirit Junior! The same Holy Spirit who empowers us has gifted each of our students with special anointing to lead God's people, and this Sunday we have the opportunity to receive from them.
This Sunday we’ll look at the first words of Jesus in the book of Mark: “The time has come! The Kingdom of God has come near! Repent and believe the good news!” We’ll explore the nature of Jesus call and also look at his first invitation to a group of people to become his disciples.
We’re also beginning a new sermon series this Sunday on the Gospel of Mark called The Way of Jesus. From now through Easter, we’ll be looking at the person of Jesus through Mark’s eyes, learning about his identity and mission. We’ll kick off the series this Sunday by looking at the first 13 verses.
The book of Ephesians is all about the new things God has done through the gospel, and in our text this Sunday we’ll focus on two of those things. First, the new life God has given us in Christ, second, the new community God has created through Jesus, which we can now participate in through the work of the Holy Spirit in us.
Today we begin the season of Christmastide which lasts a full 12 days. Over these next days, we celebrate the miracle of Christ’s incarnation through gathering, feasting, rejoicing and worship. The truth that God has come to dwell with us deserves all our praise, so we hope you can find times to express your thanksgiving and adoration of the newborn King this week.
We are nearing the end of our Advent sermon series on the mothers of Jesus with this look at Bathsheba. Typically, people look at this story from the perspective of David, but we’ll be looking at it from the perspective of Bathsheba, and what her role in Jesus’s lineage tells us about the hope of his coming. WARNING: This week’s text tells a story of rape, deception, manipulation and murder. These topics may be difficult for some individuals, including young children or victims of sexual assault or violence. Please listen with caution if you find yourself in that audience.
This week, we continue our study of the Mothers of Jesus - a look at the five women mentioned in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. In the Book of Ruth, we find the ultimate outsider and we find ancient echoes of what would become Jesus’ most famous words - the Sermon on the Mount.
This Sunday we’ll continue with our Mothers of Advent series by looking at the next mother in Matthew’s genealogy, Rahab.
This Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent! We begin again a new cycle of the Christian year, retelling the most important story of our lives. Advent means “arrival.” We look back on those who waited for the coming of the Messiah, and we look ahead as those who continue to wait for his return. This Sunday we are excited to begin a new Advent series called “The Mothers of Jesus.” We’ll be looking each week at one of the five women who are named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew chapter 1, and what each of them tells us about the mystery of the incarnation and the grace of God. Our pastoral resident Elisabeth Hayes put this series together, and she’ll be preaching the first message this Sunday on Tamar.
This Sunday is the last Sunday of the Christian calendar year, which has historically been called "Christ the King" Sunday. On this day we celebrate that Jesus is King over all nations and all creation, and that he will one day come to reclaim his Kingdom forever. It feels especially fitting this Sunday as we have been working through our series on 1 and 2 Samuel called “Longing for the True King.” We’ll finish the series this Sunday in one of the most significant chapters of the Old Testament, 2 Samuel 7.
- This sermon was co-written with Rev. Kevin Germer, Christ Presbyterian Church, Richmond Sermon Sources:
- Tim Chester, 2 Samuel for You
- Robert Alter, “The David Story”
- Walter Brueggemann, “1 and 2 Samuel”
- “The Promise of David,” Sermon by Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church 12/14/2003, logos.com
- “The Ineluctable Love of God,” Sermon by Rankin Wilbourne, Pacific Crossroads Church, 5/2/2010
This Sunday we’ll look at the climax that we have moving toward since 1 Samuel 16, when the young shepherd boy David was pulled from the fields and anointed as the future king. David takes a fragmented collection of warring tribes and pulls them together as a united Kingdom. We’ll look at what this tells us about the unique kind of unity that God creates for his people.
This Sunday we’ll continue the story of David the King. Pastor Fakhri Yacoub will be preaching on “A Merciful King,” looking at the remarkable way that David chose to show mercy in his role as King rather than behave like the kings of the nations.
This Sunday we continue with the story of the kings of Israel. The story takes a surprising turn when just after David defeats Goliath and experiences great success in Israel, he is driven into the wilderness by Saul’s jealousy. We also look at what this says to us about our own Christian experience.
- This sermon was co-written with Rev. Kevin Germer of Christ Presbyterian Church, Richmond VA
Sources: - Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You - Rankin Wilbourne, “The Cave, The Community, The Sacrifice,”Sermon preached at Pacific Crossroads Church, 4/18/2010 - Robert Alter, “The David Story”
This Sunday we’ll continue in the story of the monarchy as the spotlight now swings to the king-elect David. In 1 Samuel 17, he is confronted with his first challenge, and it’s a big one: a giant of a man named Goliath. We’ll see this week how this same theme of God’s upside-down Kingdom gets played out in this story- that God’s deliverance is not based on sword or spear or any other human conventions, but that God delights in using the small to bring down the great, using the seemingly weak to turn the table on the so-called strong.
This Sunday we’ll traverse into the next great chapter of the history of the monarchy in Israel: we will meet the young man named David. This is a new chapter in what has been a sad and disappointing beginning in Israel’s monarchy, and it speaks of the hope that God always brings out of hopeless situations. God always sees beyond what we see- and this chapter invites us to see with the eyes of God.
This week we’ll see how a well-meaning and gifted person like Saul can go from being a promising young King to becoming a king “like that of the nations.” We see his rebellion against God’s command and his self-deceit as he justifies his behavior. We are given a warning that we share the same kind of heart, and to be watchful over our own propensity to self-deceit. And we are given a pointer to the God who saves us all from our self-destruction.
- Tim Keller, “Sin as Self Deceit,” Sermon preached at Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 1/28/1996, and ’The Disobedience of Saul,” sermon preached on 1/4/2004. The structure of this sermon and several illustrations come from Keller’s sermons.
- Christopher J.H. Wright, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God. See Wright’s discussion of OT genocide also in the chapter of his book, “The God I Don’t Understand.”
- The David Story, By Robert Alter
- 1 & 2 Samuel for Everyone, by John Goldingay
- 1 Samuel for You, by Tim Chester
- 1 and 2 Samuel, by Walter Brueggemann
This Sunday we’ll continue our study of 1 Samuel by seeing the first major mistake Saul makes as king.
This week, we’ll continue the story as God concedes to Israel’s demand for a King and selects a young man named Saul to be the first official monarch of Israel. It’s a story of heartache as we watch God’s people dive headlong into their rebellious desires, but God’s fingerprints are also all over the story as he directs the events according to his purposes.
- This sermon was co-written with Rev. Kevin Germer, Christ Presbyterian Church, Richmond
- Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV.1, 437-445.
- The David Story, By Robert Alter
- 1 & 2 Samuel for Everyone, by John Goldingay
- 1 Samuel for You, by Tim Chester
- 1 and 2 Samuel, by Walter Brueggemann
- “Hell,” Sermon by Tim Keller, Jun 8, 1997.
This Sunday we’ll walk through a biblical understanding of work, both the goodness of work in God’s created order, the futility of work under the curse of sin, and how God calls us to use our work to advance his Kingdom and display his goodness.
This week we look at one of the miracles of Jesus and the powerful transformation he is offering to us to truly be able to see.
This week we look at one of the miracles of Jesus and the powerful transformation he is offering to us to truly be able to see.
This Sunday we’ll look at Psalm 139 and God’s invitation to the good life of knowing him and be known by him.
Sermon Sources for 8/15 sermon: - Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life - Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms - David Benner, The Gift of Being Yourself
This Sunday we’ll be looking at God’s invitation to work and rest.
- John Eldridge, Get Your Life Back
- John Mark Comer, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
- Rich Villodas, The Deeply Formed Life
- Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms
- Ruth Haley Barton, “Sane Rhythms of Work and Rest in Your Life as a Leader,” https://transformingcenter.org/2021/07/spiritual-rythms-in-the-life-of-the-leader/
- Timothy Keller, “Six Ways to Practice Sabbath,” https://www.redeemer.com/redeemer-report/article/six_ways_to_practice_sabbath
- Timothy Keller, “Wisdom and Sabbath Rest,” https://redeemercitytocity.com/articles-stories/wisdom-and-sabbath-rest
- Mike Breen and Steve Cockram, “Building a Discipleship Culture” (the diagram I drew came from this book).
This week we look at the invitation to freedom, and the spiritual abundance that comes from the discipline of simplicity in a life full of demands.
This Sunday we’ll look at God’s invitation to communion. As Jesus lived in ongoing communion with his Father, he now invites us, through him, to have that same ongoing relationship of communion with the God who loves us.
Sermon Sources: - John Eldridge, Get Your Life Back - Rankin Wilbourne, Union with Christ - Dallas Willard, Life Without Lack - Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms - Tim Chester, Enjoying God
Sermon Sources: - John Eldridge, Get Your Life Back - Rankin Wilbourne, Union with Christ - Dallas Willard, Life Without Lack - David Brooks, “The Great Unmasking,” https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/27/opinioninstan/coronavirus-masks-vaccine.html - Dale Bruner, The Book of John
This Sunday we are finishing up our series on 2 Corinthians by looking at chapter 12:1-10, and the words of Jesus to Paul: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” The places of greatest struggle are the places where we can most powerfully experience God’s grace.
This week we look at chapter 9, where we are encouraged to give so we can receive so much more: an abundant harvest of provision, gratitude, community, and eternal reward.
This week we come to a new section of Paul’s letter, chapters 8 and 9, where he talks about the how the Gospel transforms every aspect of our lives, including the way we use our money.
This Sunday we’ll be looking at 2 Corinthians 6, and Paul’s continued appeal to his friends to commit themselves wholly to Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, we’ll continue our study of 2 Corinthians by looking at the first part of chapter 5. Derek Mondeau will be preaching on the good news of Easter that our mortal bodies are already being swallowed up by resurrection life!
The passage this week is probably one of the most famous of the whole book. Paul’s metaphor of having “treasure in clay jars” is a powerful image that communicates what it means to have tremendous power (the treasure of the gospel and the Holy Spirit) in such apparent weakness (the “clay jar” of our mortal bodies).
This Sunday, we’re continuing our series on 2 Corinthians by looking at the way God uses weak people to make known the truth and power of the gospel.
This sermon was co-written with Rev. Kevin Germer of Christ Presbyterian Church, Richmond. Sermon sources: - Paul Barnett, The Message of 2 Corinthians (IVP) - Tom Wright, Paul for Everyone (SPCK) - R. Kent Hughes, 2 Corinthians: Power in Weakness (Crossway) - James Torrance, Worship, Community, and the Triune God of Grace (IVP) - Anthony Thiselton, 2 Corinthians (Cascade) - A lot of personal conversations with Rev. Dr. Robert Stamps
This Sunday we kick off a series on 2 Corinthians titled “Power In Weakness.” We’ll look at Paul’s counter-cultural invitation to see that real power comes not through strength but through weakness. As Jesus’s resurrection triumph comes through apparent defeat of the cross, so now the cross and resurrection gives us the basic pattern for the Christian life.
This Sunday we’re privileged to hear from Fakhri Yacoub, pastor of our sister congregation the Christian Arabic Church. Fakhri will be preaching about the difference Jesus’ resurrection makes to help us overcome fear.
This week we’ll look at the fruit of self-control. Under the leadership of Jesus and his Spirit we can order and direct our desires toward that which we were made: love of God and neighbor. This is not about self-mastery, but living in step with and empowered by the Spirit to be the redeemed people God has created us to be.
Sermon Sources this week: - Jerry Bridges, The Practice of Godliness - Christopher J.H. Wright, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit - Phillip Kenneson, Life on the Vine - Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, Logos Bible Software - “Self Control in a Time of Self-Fulfillment,” Sermon by Jon Tyson at Church of the City NYC, 5/25/20 - Justin Early, The Common Rule
What’s the big deal about the seven days between Palm Sunday and Easter? Becca Payne sits down with Corey Widmer and Dan Marotta (Rector, Redeemer Anglican) to talk about the history of the liturgical calendar, what Holy Week offers us this year (of all years!), and tangible ways we can participate in the season ahead of us. Join us as we tell time differently and in doing so, grieve what we’ve lost, and look with hope to the resurrection.
- Liturgical Calendar Image - “Telling Time Differently”: https://www.thirdrva.org/blog/telling-time-differently-as-christ-followers
- Stations on Boulevard: https://redeemerrva.org/events/2021/3/stations-on-boulevard
- Redeemer’s Holy Week Services: https://redeemerrva.org/events
- Third’s Holy Week services: https://www.thirdrva.org/news-posts/holy-week-2021
We’re nearing the end of our study of the fruit of the Spirit. This week we’ll look at “gentleness,” probably the least well known and least prayed-for fruit of the Spirit.
This Sunday we are looking at the fruit of faithfulness. Faithfulness is at the heart of the gospel! Because of God’s faithfulness we have forgiveness from our past and hope for the future.
This week we look at the fruit of kindness. While kindness has undergone a bit of a popularity surge in our culture (“Be Kind!”), the Biblical notion of kindness is much more than niceness or random acts of service. It is a dedicated, costly commitment to another’s good.
Sermon Sources for 2/28 - Philip Kenneson, “Life on the Vine” - Christopher JH Wright, “Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit” - Barry Corey, “Love Kindness: Discover the Power of a Forgotten Hidden Virtue - Arthur Brooks, “Love your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from a Culture of Contempt.” - Jerry Bridges, “The Fruitful Life” - Rosaria Butterfield, “The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert” - “The Secret to Love is Just Kindness,” Emily Estafani Smith, The Atlantic, June 2014 - Jon Tyson, “Kindness in a Time of Harshness,” Sermon at Church of the City NYC, April 27, 202
This week we look to our next fruit of the spirit: patience. In a time when we are weary and anxious, patience exhorts us to endure what suffering may befall us without retaliation or revenge, and to put up with the weaknesses of others without getting too angry or irritated. In these ways, patience, as we’ll explore together this weekend, is about both our long-suffering, our forbearance and our faithful love and care for the people around us.
Sermon Sources: - Philip Kenneson, Life on the Vine - Christopher JH Wright, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit - Suzy Silk, “Patient Endurance in a Time of Stress,” Sermon at Church of the City NYC, April 20, 2020 - Tim Keller Sermon Archive, Logos Bible Software
This Sunday we look at the spiritual fruit of peace. Biblical peace is not really defined as inner state of calm, which is the way we moderns tend to understand it. Biblical peace is more about “wholeness” or “completion,” a state of right relationships between God and others. It is something God accomplishes for us, but then it is also something we pursue in community with others.
Sermon Sources: - Philip Kenneson, Life on the Vine - Christopher JH Wright, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit - Justin Giboney, “Only Biblical Peacemaking Resolves Racial and Political Injustice,” https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-web-only/only-biblical-peacemaking-resolves-racial-and-political-inj.html - “America is Exceptional in the Nature of Its Political Divide,” Pew Research, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/11/13/america-is-exceptional-in-the-nature-of-its-political-divide/
This Sunday we look at “Joy in a Time of Cynicism.” Derek Mondeau, our Pastor of Discipleship and Parish Life, looks at the dangerous power cynicism can hold, and the promise of joy that is found in brokenness and suffering.
This week we take a look at the fruit of love, which is in many ways the crown of all of the fruit of the Spirit. We look at the gift of love and command to practice love.
Sermon sources: - Phillip Kenneson, Life on the Vine - Christopher JH Wright, Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit - “Love in a Time of Selfishness,” Sermon by Jon Tyson at Church of the City 3/31/2021 - “How ‘You do you’ perfectly captures our narcissistic culture,” by Colson Whitehead, New York Times, 3/31/2015 - “How a ‘You do you’ culture has made us vulnerable to the Coronavirus” by Michael Kruger, 3/19/2020, www.michaeljkruger.com
Sermon Sources:
- John Stott, The Message of Galatians
- Phillip Kenneson, Life on the Vine
- Jon Tyson, ’The Spirit in a Time of the Flesh,” Sermon preached for Church of the City NYC, 3/24/20
- “The Wisdom Pyramid” by Brett McCracken. https://www.brettmccracken.com/blog/2017/8/3/the-wisdom-pyramid
- “We Worship with the Magi, not MAGA,” by Tish Harrison Warren. https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2021/january-web-only/trump-capitol-mob-election-politics-magi-not-maga.html
- “The Roman Road from Insurrection,” by Russell Moore, https://www.russellmoore.com/2021/01/11/the-roman-road-from-insurrection/
- “Social Media Put Us All in our own Truman Shows, Threatening our Democracy,” by Jeff Orlowski. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/social-media-put-us-all-in-our-own-truman-shows-threatening-our-democracy-guest-column
As we begin a new year, we look at God’s call to center our lives on the real meaning of life: to love God and to love our neighbors.
Sermon sources: - The Bible Project, www.bibleproject.com. See their video series on the Shema. - Tim Keller sermon archive, Logos Bible software. - Victor Frankl, “Man’s Search for Meaning.”
Join us this week as we hear from three of our church leaders, Mike Murchie, Listwella Donaldson and Nan Clarke, as they share some of their own journey walking with God in 2020.
You asked, we answered. We're diving in to your questions about the book of Revelation. Corey Widmer is taking some time to go through the most frequently asked Revelation questions (what about the rapture? what is the mark of the beast? what about aliens?!) as we end our series on this important and unique book.
This Sunday, we look one last time at the final picture that Revelation gives us of what we are waiting for. In Revelation 22, we get an astounding vision of the garden-city that awaits us, as we see a promise of the true life that is store for all those who know and love God. This is what we are waiting for.
Sermon Sources: - “The River of Life,” sermon by Rankin Wilbourne at Pacific Crossroads Church, preached on 8/19/2018 - The Bible Project, “The Water of Life,” “The Tree of Life” videos www.bibleproject.com - Reading Revelation Responsibly, by Michael Gorman - Revelation For You, by Tim Chester - Discipleship on the Edge, by Darrell Johnson - Revelation for Everyone, by NT Wright - The Incomparable Christ, by John Stott - Breaking the Code, by Bruce Metzger - Honest Advent, by Scott Erickson (the image of Mary and Eve comes from this book)
This week is the third Sunday of Advent, and we’re also nearing the end of our series on Revelation. We’re spending these last few weeks looking at our future hope, and this Sunday we’re looking at Revelation 21 and the promise of a new creation.
Sermon Sources: - https://www.npr.org/2020/12/07/943968767/nearly-50-000-ethiopians-have-fled-to-sudan-to-escape-war - “All Things are Being Made New,” sermon by Rankin Wilbourne at Pacific Crossroads Church, preached on 8/12/2018 - Reading Revelation Responsibly, by Michael Gorman - Revelation For You, by Tim Chester - Discipleship on the Edge, by Darrell Johnson - Revelation for Everyone, by NT Wright - The Incomparable Christ, by John Stott - Breaking the Code, by Bruce Metzger
This Sunday we are continuing our study of the book of Revelation, and we are nearing the end! This week we’ll be looking at a distinct metaphor to describe our hope : we wait for the wedding feast of the Lamb.
Sermon Sources: - “Heaven Looks Like One Long Kiss,” Sermon by Rankin Wilbourne at Pacific Crossroads Church, preached on 6/24/18. - Reading Revelation Responsibly, by Michael Gorman. - Revelation For You, by Tim Chester - Discipleship on the Edge, by Darrell Johnson - Revelation for Everyone, by NT Wright - The Incomparable Christ, by John Stott - Breaking the Code, by Bruce Metzger - The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham - Revelation (Bible Speaks Today), by Michael Wilcock - “Finding Fred,” iHeartRadio podcast
This Sunday we begin Advent with Waiting for Wrath. But when we hear the word “wrath” our whole being wants to recoil and seek shelter. What we find is that we cannot locate nor produce any real shelter for ourselves. Waiting for the wrath of God will not drive us away to find shelter but rather it will draw us nearer to very grace of God.
We continue in Revelation this Sunday by looking at one of the most (in)famous chapters in the book, which includes the mention of the “mark of the beast.” This is one of those times that careful biblical interpretation is vital! We dig into these challenging and mysterious images and seek to understand how this portion of Scripture continues to speak to us today.
Sermon Sources: - Bible Project Videos, “Revelation” Part 1 and 2. This is where I got the connection between the mark of the beast and the Shema. - “Two Ways to Live and a Call for Wisdom,” Sermon by Rankin Wilbourne at Pacific Crossroads Church, preached on 6/10/18. Most of the second point comes from Rankin. - The Way of the Dragon or the Way of the Lamb: Searching for Jesus’ Path of Power in a Church that Has Abandoned It, by Jamin Goggin and Kyle Stroble. The list of contrasts in the final point comes from this book. - Reading Revelation Responsibly, by Michael Gorman. - Revelation For You, by Tim Chester - Discipleship on the Edge, by Darrell Johnson - Revelation for Everyone, by NT Wright - The Incomparable Christ, by John Stott - Breaking the Code, by Bruce Metzger - The Theology of the Book of Revelation, by Richard Bauckham - Revelation (Bible Speaks Today), by Michael Wilcock - Here Are Your Gods, by Christopher Wright - Counterfeit Gods, by Timothy Keller
Revelation chapter 12 is about the “great war,” the enormous spiritual battle that wages behind the scenes, all the time, between the devil and the powers of God. This week we’ll grapple with this unseen reality on multiple levels: living in the midst of a war, the enemy himself, the defense we have against Satan, and the child who will conquer the enemy.
Last week we saw an emphasis on the identity of God’s people, as people from all nations are sealed for God. This week, we’ll see the focus on the vocation of God’s people, which is to be witnesses to Jesus and the gospel during the time of the tribulation.
This week we take a look at Revelation 7 and what it means to be sealed by God in Christ and through the Spirit.
This week we will look at Revelation 5, which calls us to joy and celebration in the revelation of Jesus, the slain Lamb who has brought salvation, and who alone provides all the answers to our deepest longings.
This week we will look at Revelation 5, which calls us to joy and celebration in the revelation of Jesus, the slain Lamb who has brought salvation, and who alone provides all the answers to our deepest longings.
In chapters 4 and 5 of the book of Revelation, arguably the core chapters of this book, we are given access to see what is at the very heart of reality: the throne of God, a vision of astonishing beauty that defies language and calls us to worship.
This week we continue our series on the book of Revelation, titled “The Triumph of the Lamb.“
This week we begin our series on the book of Revelation, titled “The Triumph of the Lamb“
On this Labor Day weekend, we’ll close our series on the Psalms of Ascent by looking at Psalm 127, the Work Song.
In the closing words of Psalm 134, the final Psalm of Ascent, we are reminded of God’s blessings and told to praise him unceasingly. Even in the midst of difficult situations, we can praise the Lord because of the blessing of faith by grace we’ve received from God, a blessing meant to be shared with others as we continue our journey.
This week we look deeply at Psalm 133 and try to understand the meaning of biblical unity, why it’s so important, and how we can take steps to achieve it.
This week, Derek leads us through a study of Psalm 131, a song that reminds us who we are (and who we are not) even as it reminds us who God is.
A study of Psalm 130, “the Mercy Song,” which reveals the disciple’s inward pilgrim journey from despair to a call to wait and hope.
Psalm 126 boldly asserts that one of the key marks of the pilgrim is joy. Joy is not happiness, but a deep steadiness of soul that remains firm amidst the danger and struggle of the journey.
This week, we look at Psalm 125, a beautiful meditation on the city of Jerusalem, and on Christian security. In the midst of great uncertainty, the Lord surrounds his people!
Sermon Sources: - A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, Chapter 7, by Eugene Peterson - “A Place Where You Belong,” Sermon by Mika Edmondson, preached at Christ Presbyterian Church Nashville, 7.5.2020 (credit to Mika for the Mayhem and Steve Bradbury illustrations). - The Book of Psalms, by Robert Alter - Psalms 73-150, by Derek Kidner
This week, we study Psalm 123 and see ourselves as servants of a merciful Master who helps us journey in a life full of contempt.
A pastoral message with Q&A. Corey gives a pastoral message on our church’s calling to respond to racism and racial injustice and some first steps we’ll be taking to respond in action.
Resources on Race & Racism: https://www.thirdrva.org/resources-on-race-and-racism
This week, we study Psalm 121, and see that on this road of pain and trouble, our true help is in the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, the one who keeps us from all harm and promises to guard us in his love and care.
This Sunday we’re starting a new series called Songs for the Journey. Nestled in the back of the book of Psalms is a little collection called “The Songs of Ascent.” We begin this Sunday with Psalm 120- a psalm that reminds us that we must be fed up with the world around us before we are ready to walk the hard path of discipleship.
As we move toward the end of the Creed, the perspective shifts to the future. The Creed begins with the very start of the history of the world, and now it moves toward history's conclusion. The world will end, the Creed affirms, not with destruction, not with an apocalypse, but with “the resurrection of the body.” What does that really mean?
This Sunday we’ll continue with our series on the Apostles’ Creed by looking at the phrase “The Communion of Saints.” Rick Hutton will be preaching on the church as a community of believers.
This week, Erin Rose will lead us as we examine the phrase from the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in the holy catholic church.”
LTGL is a quarantine miniseries, short for Little Things with Great Love, where we’re looking at ways people in our community are seeking to be faithful to Jesus and his mission during this pandemic. We hear a lot about politicians and big name national leaders in the news, but the greatest heroes in this pandemic will most likely be people you’ve never heard of, neighbors and local leaders acting in small, courageous forms of sacrificial love and service. There are so many ways that God’s people are seeking to be faithful to Jesus in this pandemic, and we want to highlight a few of those stories. Little things with great love.
Thanks to Isaac Wardell for use of the song “Little Things With Great Love,” featuring Madison Cunningham, from the Porter’s Gate Album “Work Songs.”
In the final section of the Creed, we shift to the third Person of the Trinity: the Holy Spirit. Everything that we will look at from now on in the Creed is in some ways an outworking of the theology of the Spirit. The Spirit is the one who makes the Christian life possible, who makes the church possible, who makes a life of hope and courage possible.
LTGL is a quarantine miniseries, short for Little Things with Great Love, where we’re looking at ways people in our community are seeking to be faithful to Jesus and his mission during this pandemic. We hear a lot about politicians and big name national leaders in the news, but the greatest heroes in this pandemic will most likely be people you’ve never heard of, neighbors and local leaders acting in small, courageous forms of sacrificial love and service. There are so many ways that God’s people are seeking to be faithful to Jesus in this pandemic, and we want to highlight a few of those stories. Little things with great love.
Thanks to Isaac Wardell for use of the song “Little Things With Great Love,” featuring Madison Cunningham, from the Porter’s Gate Album “Work Songs.”
This phrase of the Apostles’ Creed is probably the scariest one of all. Judgment. We are offered both a sobering reminder that the way we live matters, as well as a great consolation, knowing that we wait for Jesus to come and set things right.
LTGL is a quarantine miniseries, short for Little Things with Great Love, where we’re looking at ways people in our community are seeking to be faithful to Jesus and his mission during this pandemic. We hear a lot about politicians and big name national leaders in the news, but the greatest heroes in this pandemic will most likely be people you’ve never heard of, neighbors and local leaders acting in small, courageous forms of sacrificial love and service. There are so many ways that God’s people are seeking to be faithful to Jesus in this pandemic, and we want to highlight a few of those stories. Little things with great love.
Thanks to Isaac Wardell for use of the song “Little Things With Great Love,” featuring Madison Cunningham, from the Porter’s Gate Album “Work Songs.”
LTGL is a quarantine miniseries, short for Little Things with Great Love, where we’re looking at ways people in our community are seeking to be faithful to Jesus and his mission during this pandemic. We hear a lot about politicians and big name national leaders in the news, but the greatest heroes in this pandemic will most likely be people you’ve never heard of, neighbors and local leaders acting in small, courageous forms of sacrificial love and service. There are so many ways that God’s people are seeking to be faithful to Jesus in this pandemic, and we want to highlight a few of those stories. Little things with great love.
Thanks to Isaac Wardell for use of the song “Little Things With Great Love,” featuring Madison Cunningham, from the Porter’s Gate Album “Work Songs.”
We don’t often think about the ascended Jesus at God’s right hand, but the apostle Paul seems to think that focusing on the ascended Jesus is the key to life. We’ll look at how this phrase in the creed, “he sits at the right hand of the Father,” helps us take on a new mindset, fixing our eyes on the ascended Jesus and the way our identity is bound up in him.
We’re starting a quarantine miniseries called LTGL, short for Little Things with Great Love. We’re looking at ways that people in our community are seeking to be faithful to Jesus and his mission during this pandemic. We hear a lot about politicians and big name national leaders in the news, but the greatest heroes in this pandemic will most likely be people you’ve never heard of, neighbors and local leaders acting in small, courageous forms of sacrificial love and service. There are so many ways that God’s people are seeking to be faithful to Jesus in this pandemic, and we want to highlight a few of those stories. Little things with great love.
This week in our study of the Apostles’ Creed, we come to the phrase “he ascended into heaven.” Esther Choi will lead us as we explore why believing in the ascension matters.
On Easter Sunday we come to what is perhaps the most important phrase in the entire creed, “on the third day, he rose again from the dead.” Join us as Corey Widmer, Fakhri Yacoub, and Erin Rose explore this phrase on Easter.
What do we learn about this person Jesus in this phrase from the creed this week? Simply put, he suffered. That word suffered does not just describe the end of his life, but the whole of his life. From start to finish, Jesus was a man who was “familiar with suffering,” familiar with our world and our reality. We’ll explore this together this weekend.
This week, we’ll be looking at the Virgin Birth and how it is not just some random miracle. It is the foundation of our belief that Jesus is both fully God and fully human, fully divine and fully enmeshed in the pains and sufferings of this world.
At the very center of the Christian faith is not a set of ideas or a religious theory of reality or even a way of life. At the very center of our faith is a Person. We will be looking at how our belief in Jesus as Lord is a radical one, and one that gives us both comfort and challenge.
This week, we’ll unpack the wonderful biblical theology in the phrase “maker of heaven and earth” and what it says about creation and its implications for our lives.
This week we come to the first significant phrase in the creed, “I believe in God the Father Almighty.” It immediately names a specific God: the God who is the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a God who is “almighty.” These few words tell us so much about the God we worship, and we’ll explore that together this week.
We begin a new series this week looking at Apostles’ Creed and the core foundational components of our faith, as laid out through this ancient expression of our beliefs.
We close out our Renew series this week by looking at Hebrews 10:19-26. This inspiring passage calls God’s people to re-commit themselves to the most basic elements of their Christian calling: to hold fast to Jesus, to meet with and care for one another, and to extend the love of Christ to the world.
This week, we’ll look at 2 Corinthians 8 and 9, where Paul casts a vision of the Christian life as one of joyful, sacrificial generosity. Taking this call seriously will shape us into people of radical giving, thinking differently about what we give, how we give, when we give, and why we give.
In the second week of our Renew series, we’ll look at a new kind of image of the church. In this case, the church as a “greenhouse” or a “school,” a place in which people “grow up” into maturity,
This Sunday, we’ll unpack the rich metaphor of the church as the house of God, and talk about how we are seeking to press into this vision of the household in the coming years.
This week, we’re being led by our students in worship. Together, we’ll look at how God has called us to be godly, and he has given us all that we need in order to strive for it. 3-part sermon by Charles Ellison, Will Steadman, and Trina Jeffer.
We’re starting a new series this week on renewal and what it means for our community. We’ll look at Colossians 1 and how this work of renewal is truly an enormous call that God invites us into, and it is a privilege to be a part of.
This Sunday, we conclude our series with the story of Jesus’ baptism from Matthew 3:13-17. This account is documented in all four gospels for good reason— it stands as one of the most important stories in the Gospels, clarifying the identity of this man Jesus. Together, we’ll explore what this identity is and what it means for us today.
This week, we’ll look to John who points to Jesus’ role in discerning truth and falsehood, true believer and hypocrite, and light and dark. The one for whom John has been waiting and preparing will come as the Righteous Judge.
It is the first week of Christmastide, and this week we look to how people reacted the first time Jesus came to earth. Specifically, we’ll look at Herod and the Magi, and their different responses to this newborn king.
In the final week of Advent, we look to the opening chapter of Matthew and imagine what it was like for the ancient people of Israel to wait for the promised Messiah. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
For our Christmas Eve message, we look to the first of chapter of Matthew and celebrate the good news that Jesus has indeed come to be with us. What our souls have waited for has happened in humble Bethlehem. Immanuel, God with us.
It’s the third week of Advent and we are looking at a parable for near the end of Jesus’ ministry: the Parable of the Ten Virgins. In this parable, Jesus compares the expected but delayed arrival of a bridegroom to his own return at the end of the age. He will come, but not when we expect, so we must always be prepared. Sermon by Nan Clarke.
This second Sunday of Advent, we continue our theme of waiting for the Messiah King with a study of two more of Jesus’ “kingdom” parables from Matthew 13. Jesus shows us again here that is a master teacher using simple, brief stories— in this passage, seed and leaven— to convey deep truths about the way the kingdom of God works. Sermon by Ed Satterfield.
We begin our Advent and Christmas series this week with a look at one of the “waiting stories” that Jesus tells in the book of Matthew. This story, from Matthew 13, actually focuses more on waiting for the second coming of Christ, and his kingdom to be fully inaugurated into this world, and tells us much about our current condition. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Sermon Sources: - Matthew, A Commentary, by Dale Bruner - The Parables, by Simon J. Kistemaker - Matthew for Everyone, by Tom Wright - Tim Keller Sermon Archive, Logos Bible Software
In the last week of our Entrusted series, Richard Haney shares with us about our call to be stewards of this gospel. Together, we’ll look at how we are called to believe the gospel, live it, treasure it, guard its essential truth, hand it down to the next generation and pass it on to those who have not heard.
We believe that God has entrusted each of us, his children, with gifts— be it time, talent, abilities, opportunities, or treasures— and asks us to be faithful in using them to build his Kingdom as we await his final return. This week, Corey Widmer will explore the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, and what it says to us about stewarding well what the master has entrusted to us.
Sermon Sources: - Matthew: A Commentary by Dale Bruner, Stewards in the Kingdom, by Scott Rodin, The Parables, by Simon Kistemaker, Logos Bible Software
Corey Widmer interviews Amy Sherman, author of the book Kingdom Calling, about the origination of the concept "vocational stewardship," what it means for us in our every day labors, and how to incorporate spiritual disciplines into our work.
One of the (many) ways we are entrusted to the ongoing work of subduing and ruling creation is through our vocations. This week, Corey Widmer will help us explore what Genesis 1 and 2 have to say about the design of our vocations, the goodness of our work, and the goals of our labor.
Sermon Sources: - Practicing the King’s Economy, by Rhodes and Holt - Every Good Endeavor, by Timothy Keller - Culture Making, by Andy Crouch - Creation Regained, by Al Wolters - Kingdom Calling, by Amy Sherman - Life without Lack, by Dallas Willard
This week, we continue to explore stewardship as a comprehensive identity statement that describes what it means to be human. But we also acknowledge that the Bible gives lots of attention in particular to financial stewardship, so join us this week as Corey Widmer looks at what it means to steward our finances and wealth.
Sermon Sources: - Practicing the King’s Economy, by Michael Rhodes and Bobby Holt - Tim Keller Sermon Archive, Logos Bible Software - “Generosity”, video from www.bibleproject.org - Giving to God, by Michael Allen Powell - The God Who Gives, by Kelly Kapic
The second week in our sermon series, exploring the God’s call to steward what he has created. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Sermon sources: - Genesis (Interpretation), by Walter Brueggmann - Genesis, by Bruce Waltke - Old Testament Ethics and the People of God, by Chris Wright - Stewards in the Kingdom, by R Scott Rodin - Practicing the King’s Economy, by Michael Rhodes and Bobby Holt - Serve God, Save the Planet, by Matthew Sleeth
We begin a new sermon series this week exploring how Gospel stewardship encompasses everything— not just our finances. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Sermon Sources: - Genesis (Interpretation), by Walter Brueggmann - Genesis, by Bruce Waltke - Old Testament Ethics and the People of God, by Chris Wright - Stewards in the Kingdom, by R Scott Rodin - Practicing the King’s Economy, by Michael Rhodes and Bobby Holt - The Bible Project, “Image of God” www.thebibleproject.com
For the final sermon in our Jonah series, Derek Mondeau will help us uncover our identity as missionary people. We Jesus’ “sent people,” called to bear witness to Jesus and his Kingdom through our speech, our words, our community, and our way of life.
In our second to last sermon of the series, we look at why Jonah is so angry that the Ninevites repent. How could he be angry about God’s grace? We’ll explore together. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Sermon sources: - Daniel Timmer, “A Gracious and Compassionate God” - Jack Sasson, “Jonah” (Anchor Bible Commentary) - Timothy Keller, “The Prodigal Prophet” - Paul David Tripp, “Jonah: You Can’t Outrun Grace”
This week, we begin to look at chapter 3 of Jonah as Jonah makes his entrance into the city of Ninevah. It is there that we see that God continues to extend opportunities for his people to repent, change course, and change their lives. Sermon by Erin Rose.
Corey leads us this Sunday in our third week of our Jonah series, looking at the beginning of Chapter 2 and Jonah’s prayer of thanksgiving. This prayer is a act of pure gratitude, and in his gratefulness for God’s deliverance from death, Jonah offers us a beautiful articulation of the true meaning of biblical grace.
Sources: - Daniel Timmer, “A Gracious and Compassionate God” - Jack Sasson, “Jonah” (Anchor Bible Commentary) - Timothy Keller, “The Prodigal Prophet” - Sheldon Vanauken, “A Severe Mercy” - Paul David Tripp, “Jonah: You Can’t Outrun Grace”
For our second week in our Jonah series, Corey Widmer shares on Jonah 1:4-17. We’ll explore how this passage challenges what our faith is for– not just for private and personal salvation, but for the common good of all people.
Sources: - Daniel Timmer, A Gracious and Compassionate God - Hugh Martin, “Jonah” - Jack Sasson, Jonah (Anchor Bible Commentary) - Timothy Keller, The Prodigal Prophet * Keller’s interpretation of Jonah’s interaction with the sailors was the key principal on which this sermon is based. Also the closing story about Kees Sybrandi comes from Chapter 11. - Jonathan Haidt, “The Age of Outrage,” https://www.city-journal.org/html/age-outrage-15608.html - Robert Thune and Will Walker, The Gospel Centered Life - Mirsoslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace
We begin a new series this week on the book of Jonah. Jonah may be one of the most familiar books, but perhaps one of the least understood. Over the course of this series we’ll go deep on a powerful demonstration of one of the most important themes of the Christian faith: the disruptive grace of God.
Sources: NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Jack Sasson, Jonah (The Anchor Bible series) Timothy Keller, The Prodigal Prophet Kevin Germer, “Jonah 1:1-10,” Sermon at Christ Pres RVA, 8/4/13 Joshua Ryan Butler, The Pursuing God Tim Keller Sermon Archive, Logos Bible Software
For Labor Day Sunday each year we ask a lay leader to preach about the intersection of faith and work. This year, we’ll be hearing from Rev. Gina Maio on what Hebrews 11 has to say about our labors.
In the final week of our James series, we’ll look at the end of the book of James. Corey will share with us about how the key sign of a transformational faith prayer. Prayer that is constant, consistent, and wholly dependent on the Father.
Sermon sources: James for You, by Sam Allberry The Praying Life, by Paul Miller Prayer, by Tim Keller “Proceed to Failure” by Scott Scruggs, sermon preached at Menlo Church 7.16.19
This week, Ed Satterfield will lead us through chapter 5 of James, exploring a key ingredient that helps us to be patient amidst trials, suffering and injustices— the imminent return of the Lord Jesus.
We continue to move through the book of James this week as we look at the end of chapter 4 and into chapter 5. Corey Widmer shares with us about the particular dangers of wealth to us as Christians— the dangers of presumption, hoarding and injustice.
This week, Corey Widmer shares on James 4, and demonstrates what James sees as the core problem in the lives of his friends: the problem of having “divided hearts,” compromising their affection and fidelity to God, the one true source of life and love.
Corey Widmer shares this week from James 3:13-18 asking questions like: How do we know who to follow? Who should we listen to? How do we know when our lives on track (or off)? James speaks to all this in this passage and we’ll look at how we too can become people of true wisdom.
We begin exploring Luke chapter 3 this week by looking at what this verses 1-12 means for our language, and what our language shows about the shape of our hearts and what we believe. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
"I was grateful to the work of John Stot and JA Moyter, as well as sermons by Matt Chandler, Tim Keller and Tony Evans for shaping my thoughts about the text this week." - Derek.
This week, we look at James 2 and what our faith means for our works and deeds. Sermon by Rick Hutton
David Bailey, executive director of Arrabon, is with us this week to share on James 2:1-13, on building a counter-cultural community.
This week we look further into what the book of James says about the Word of God, and how he challenges us to not just hear the word, but be transformed by it. What we hear must change what we do. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
We continue our series on James this Sunday with looking at the wisdom of the opening chapter. In this seemingly disjointed chapter, James gets to the heart of our life here: that our faith has something important to say about the many ways we suffer. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week we begin a new sermon series on the book of James, a series we’re calling ‘A Faith That Matters.” James believes that faith in the Lord Jesus is a faith that deeply matters for all of life, and is a faith that should be profoundly shaping the way believers live. We’ll explore this together this summer! Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Here is the link to the introduction video of James by the Bible Project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qn-hLHWwRYY
This week is Pentacost, and Erin Rose shares with us how this event that happened many hundreds of years ago still impacts us— all of us— everyday.
We continue this week in our three-week series on the Promise of the Spirit, looking to how the Holy Spirit can move us from stony, cold hearts, to hearts that desire and seek after God’s right and true things.
Credit to Tim Keller for the ball/can analogy, to Rankin Wilbourne for the idea of the Rudy and Sailboat illustrations, and to Tim Chester for the house renovation analogy. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week, as we think about the Holy Spirit at work in us and around us, we’ll see his work enables us to have life even when we’re in desert like places in life. Sermon by Rick Hutton.
This Sunday we are wrapping up our Questions of Jesus series with one last question of Jesus: “Do you love me?” This powerful question is from John 21:15-19, which tells the story of Jesus’ restoration of Peter. I leaned heavily on the work of David Benner’s book Surrender To Love and Dale Bruner’s Commentary on John for this week’s sermon. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
This week we look to another one of Jesus’s appearances to the disciples after his resurrection, and what it shows us about how he wants to encourage and restore us— even in the midst of great trial— so we may be sent out to share his grace and truth with the rest of the world. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Our story this week story invites us to encounter the living Jesus like the disciples did on the road to Emmaus, and asks us to open our eyes to him more and more. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Easter Sunday we look at the story of when Mary, weeping over Jesus’s death, is confronted by the man she is mourning. The story speaks to the power and impact of the resurrection for all of us, not just for Mary, but for the whole world. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
In the question Jesus asks that we’re exploring this week, “Can you drink the cup I’m going to drink?”, we see the contrast between what was expected of Jesus and what he will actually go on to do, foretelling how ultimately Jesus came to serve instead of be served, giving his life as a ransom for many.
Credit to Tim Keller for his phrase “all life-changing love is substitutionary sacrifice,” and for the parenting illustration, from his book “King’s Cross,” chapter 12. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
As we’ve been seeing throughout our series, Jesus uses questions to connect deeply with people. This week in particular, the question we’ll look at shows how much Jesus presses the hearer to fuller self-exploration. Sermon by Ed Satterfield.
The next question of Jesus that we’re looking at is: ‘who do you say that I am?’ At first, this question seems to be about identity— who he is— but as we’ll explore together, it’s also the turning point for him to begin to live out what he came to do. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Our latest Audio Appendix episode is here and we’re talking about anxiety. To follow up from Corey’s sermon on March 17 about why we worry, Corey, Becca Payne, and Margie Satterfield— a licensed professional counselor— sit down to go more in depth about anxiety, how it manifests, and what we do about it as Christians.
This week, we’re exploring the question behind one of the most well-known passages in the Sermon on the Mount: why do you worry? Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Sources: -John Ortberg, “Good News for Worriers,” sermon preached at Menlo Church, 2.18.18. - “Prozac Nation is Now the United States of Xanax,” NYTimes, 6.10.17 - Tim Suttle, “Do Not Worry,” sermon preached at Redemption Church, 3.16.14 - Cal Newport, “Digital Minimalism,” (Portfolio, 2019). - Matthew Croasman, “Let Me Ask You A Question,” (Upper Room, 2018).
This week, we’ll look at the question that Jesus asks that gets to the heart of one the most complex and intimate places of our lives: our families. Russell Moore’s book The Storm Tossed Family was helpful in framing the sermon. The language in Corey Widmer’s Sermon from Nov 21, 2017 The Grace of Giving Our Families was also an important starting point. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
This week’s question that Jesus asks of the woman caught in adultery will have us exploring who we allow to condemn us, and who we allow ourselves to condemn. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week, we’ll be looking at Jesus’ response to the chronically ill and desperate woman who reaches out to him for healing, and how his question to her calls her out of the margins and into wholeness and healing. Sermon by Erin Rose.
In our second week of this series, we’ll look at Jesus’s question to his disciples while they are on a boat in the middle of a storm: why are you so afraid? We’ll explore our fear, and what role faith has to play in the midst of it. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Jesus asked more than 300 questions in the four gospels! Why does he ask so many questions? Sometimes he does it as a teaching tool, but more often, he does so to engage people in a real relationship. Join us as we begin this series looking at one of his questions a week. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Sunday is our annual Youth Sunday, where we will be lead by our students through liturgy, worship, and in teaching of Phillippians 3:12-16.
This is our fourth and final week in our January sermon series looking at the Gospel promise of transformation— transformation of our lives, our habits, and our communities. I am indebted to Christine Pohl’s book Living Into Community for the sections on Gratitude and Truthfulness. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
We believe the Gospel promises transformation, but how does it actually happen? Each week in January we’ll feature a story of personal transformation from a member of our congregation.
This week we hear from Maggie Cox, a high school student who’s story of change includes a radical encounter with Jesus that set her on a very different trajectory.
This is our third week in our January sermon series looking at the Gospel promise of transformation— transformation of our lives, our habits, and our communities. Sermon by Justin Earley.
We believe the Gospel promises transformation, but how does it actually happen? Each week in January we’ll feature a story of personal transformation from a member of our congregation.
This week we hear from Richard Nance, from his childhood as a pastors son to his young adulthood battling addiction, and how he changed both dramatically and incrementally through the Lord’s intervening into the man— and husband and father— he is today.
This is our second week in our January sermon series looking at the Gospel promise of transformation— transformation of our lives, our habits, and our communities. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
We believe that the Gospel promises transformation, but how does it actually happen? Each week in January we’ll feature a story of personal transformation from a member of our congregation. This week, we hear from Stephen Jenkins and how he has navigated an absent father, abuse, and the subsequent wounds from those experiences.
DISCLAIMER: This episode includes details of sexual assault and may not be appropriate for younger audiences.
We kick off a new 4-week sermon series this week looking at the Gospel promise of transformation— transformation of our lives, our habits, and our communities. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
We believe that the Gospel promises transformation, but how does it actually happen? Each week in January we’ll feature a story of personal transformation from a member of our congregation, as we explore what it really means to be changed by grace.
This week, we hear from Mary Damon a story of overcoming addiction and social striving, through finding a renewed and renewing relationship with Jesus.
Join us this week as we look at the hymn: Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming. Sermon by Erin Rose.
Join us this Christmas Eve as we look at the hymn, Joy to the World! Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this week as we look at the hymn: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this week as we look at the hymn: O Little Town of Bethlehem. Sermon by Ed Satterfield.
Join us this week as we look at perhaps the most ancient hymn we sing: O Come O Come Emmanuel. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Everybody is singing at Christmas! It seems like no matter what you believe about Jesus, everyone sings at Christmastime more than any other time. But what are these songs really about? And do they still have relevance to us today? Join us this week as we look at the old hymn Come Thou Long Expected Jesus and see what it teaches us about Advent. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Sunday, we’ll be exploring Acts and we’ll draw a direct connection from the heart of mission to our posture of gratitude. Sermon by LJ.
As we conclude our study of the book of Ruth, we see this small story become a story of epic proportions, inviting us to reflect on the themes of this series and ask: “How is my life a part of this big story that God is writing for the world?” Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Credit to Dan Marrota of Redeemer Anglican Church for his great ideas about how the genealogy of Ruth tells a larger story.
In the last chapter of the book of Ruth we find women rejoicing in Naomi - a far cry from where we started in chapter one. We’ll explore what God has for us as we rejoice over others, and he rejoices over us. Sermon by Erin Rose.
We’re taking a little pause this Sunday, being Faith Commitment Sunday, to re-examine a part of Chapter 2 in Ruth to explore it from a slightly different angle: generosity. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week, we’ll start exploring chapter 4 of Ruth. Up to this point, we’ve looked at how, in this book, we see how love works. Love protects. Love provides. Love risks. This week we will discover that Love Redeems. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
Ruth: Love Risks This week, we’ll look at chapter 3 of Ruth, and explore what it looks like to risk in the name of hesed love. Sermon by Nan Clarke.
This week, we’ll look at how God’s providence is on display in the story of Ruth— and how even when he feels absent, he is working all things together for his good and for his glory. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week, we’ll look at how Ruth, Naomi and Boaz show us that hesed love protects the vulnerable and those at great risk. And that love protects others, even at great cost. Credit to Greg Thompson for the “Tag/Base” illustration and for his insight into Church as Sanctuary. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week we start the second chapter of Ruth where we begin to see that after Ruth’s spectacular display of hesed, she then shows that love gets to work, love serves. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week we’ll explore Ruth’s incredible and costly promise to Naomi, and how it is one of the most striking examples of hesed love in all of Scripture. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week we’ll begin to explore how God’s hesed, his loving kindness, his love without limits, comports with the suffering of his people, as we dive into the first chapter of Ruth. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
The Book of Ruth is an incredible ancient story about how three people—Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz—modeled an incredible kind of love that was carried out in terribly difficult circumstances. The story points to the great story of the gospel, and the innumerable ways God has poured out his love to us, a love without limits. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Sunday is our annual “Faith and Work” Sunday, a tradition we keep every Labor Day weekend to explore how our work and vocational lives connect to our faith in Jesus Christ. Sermon by Corey Widmer
We wrap up our series on the BIble this week by focusing on practical ways the Bible can become a part of our everyday lives. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Corey Widmer, Nan Clarke and Becca Payne follow up on Corey’s last sermon by diving deep into what Biblical interpretation is, why it matters, and how it impacts and underpins our lives in so many ways.
Between Two Worlds: Interpreting the Bible
Our second week of our mini-series on the BIble will focus on how we interpret the Bible, and how this forms and shapes not just our theology but our lives. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week, we kick off a short series on the Bible, exploring how we can become more faithful learners and doers of the Word in the complex age in which we live. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Derek Mondeau, Becca Payne, and Tim Latham sit down to discuss a sermon from May 27, 2018 on the 3rd Commandment and its implications for our politics.
This week, we are privileged to have Fakhri Yacoub, Pastor of the Christian Arabic Church preaching on “The One Word,” examining the Great Commandment.
This week we end our series on the 10 Commandments. We’ll explore all the ways that God’s word has convicted and challenged us for these past few weeks. Sermon by Derek Mondeau
This week we will begin our wrap up of our series on the 10 Commandments. We’ll begin to reflect on all the ways that God’s word has convicted and challenged us for these past few weeks. Sermon by Derek Mondeau
Our scripture this week is focusing on the tenth and final commandment— thou shall not covet. Join us as we explore what this looked like to the Israelites, and the bearing it holds for us today. Sermon by David Bailey.
Our scripture this week is focusing on the ninth commandment — do not bear false testimony. We’ll look at how this commandment addresses not only blatant lies, but the attitude of heart’s in what we say about others. Sermon by Ed Satterfield.
Our scripture this week is focusing on the eighth commandment — do not steal. We’ll look at this commandment from the Old and New Testament perspectives, as well as what this could look like for us today. Sermon by Richard Haney.
Our scripture this week is focusing on the seventh commandment — do not commit adultery. We’ll look at this commandment from many different levels — from the specific Old Testament command, to what Jesus says in the New Testament, and how we are-so often- unfaithful to the God who is always faithful to us. Sermon by Tim Latham.
Our scripture this week is focusing on the sixth commandment — you shall not murder. As we’ll explore together on Sunday, this commandment reaches far beyond the act of physical murder, but in how we see one another, speak about one another, and care for one another. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
This week our focus on the fifth commandment, “Honor Your Father and Mother” will demonstrate that this commandment is like an overall summary for the entire second group of commandment and that these commandments relate to all our human relationships. Sermon by Ed Satterfield.
Our scripture this week is Exodus 20:8-10, the fourth commandment, where we are instructed to keep the sabbath holy. We’ll explore what this has historically meant for God’s people throughout the scriptures, and what it may look like for us today.
Our scripture this week is Exodus 20:7, the Third Commandment, commonly referred to as the commandment to not take the Lord’s name in vain.
This week, we’ll look at the second commandment: that we shall make no graven images - we shall make no idols. What do idols look like in our life and times today? How do we continue to worship idols, and how can we redirect our worship?
Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
This week, we’ll look at the first commandment: to make no other gods above the one true God. Sermon by Derek Mondeau
We begin a new sermon series this week called Among American Gods. It is a series that examines the Ten Commandments and how they confront the idols of Our American Life. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
This week, we will look at a passage on Elijah from 1 Kings, and look at a very human story, of a very ordinary man, and what God does to care for him and renew him. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
In his sermon on April 22, Corey said that our hope is not, indeed, heaven but resurrection. What did he mean by that, and how does that change how we think about heaven and death? How does it change our approach to life right now and how we think about the earth, our bodies, our work, and loving our neighbor? Becca Payne joins Corey to ask questions and learn more about what it means to be people who believe in resurrection and the ultimate renewal of all things.
As we look to close out our Cruciform Life series soon, Corey will lead us through the rest of 1 Corinthians 15. We'll explore together what the future of God's ultimate redemption of creation and resurrection of our bodies means for our present. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Sunday, we'll hear from Marilyn Borst, from the Outreach Foundation, as she speaks on Romans 1, and how the global church and the local church need each other.
Easter message by Corey Widmer. The J-Curve” imagery and content of this sermon was taken from Paul Miller’s book “A Loving Life” and used with permission.
In our second sermon on 1 Corinthians 13 in this series, we’ll do a deep dive into the qualities of love that Paul names in verses 4-7. And we'll explore how these ideals are simply not natural to us, and without a deep experience of God’s love in Christ we will get nowhere with love. Sermon by Corey Widmer. Some quotes and content in this sermon came from the book Love Within Limits by Lewis Smede, as well as the four sermons on 1 Corinthians 13 preached by Rankin Wilbourne at Pacific Crossroads Church from Jan 21 to Feb 11, 2018.
Chapter by chapter in this letter to the Corinthians, Paul has been trying to demonstrate how in nearly every situation they are choosing to live by the self-centered practices of the world rather than the self-giving way of Jesus. Now, in the famous 13th chapter, he employs his coupe de grace through his extended meditation on love which we will explore together this week. Sermon by Corey Widmer. Some of the content and quotes from this sermon are drawn from the four sermons on 1 Corinthians 13 preached by Rankin Wilbourne at Pacific Crossroads Church from Jan 21 to Feb 11, 2018.
As Americans, it seems our greatest cultural value is freedom. But what does that mean as followers of Christ? Paul writes of a different kind of freedom, a cruciform freedom. Like everything we have looked at in this series, he commends a way of approaching life and freedom that is completely upside-down. Rankin Wilbourne’s sermon at Pacific Crossroads Church on 11/12/17 was a resource in writing this sermon. Sermon by Corey Widmer
Brooke Winters and Becca Payne join Derek Mondeau to discuss his sermon from March 4 on the Cruciform Body and 1 Corinthians 6. By bringing women into this conversation about God’s design for our bodies, we are not only given a fuller sense of how this topic plays out for our fellow sisters in Christ, but the conversation also greater reflects God’s image as we hear from both men and women.
What does it mean for us to live out the cruciform identity in our physical bodies? This is the question we are looking at this week. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
Each winter, we take a month to get on the same page as a church. We combine our adult Sunday discipleship classes and study an issue together that has bearing on how we live our lives as Christ-followers--no matter what age or stage of life we find ourselves in.
This year, we will gather to look at the theme: The Art of Neighboring. Our goal is to help our church explore what it really means to love our neighbor-- including how to love our neighbors!-- as we launch our Parish Life ministry.
Each winter, we take a month to get on the same page as a church. We combine our adult Sunday discipleship classes and study an issue together that has bearing on how we live our lives as Christ-followers--no matter what age or stage of life we find ourselves in.
This year, we will gather to look at the theme: The Art of Neighboring. Our goal is to help our church explore what it really means to love our neighbor-- including how to love our neighbors!-- as we launch our Parish Life ministry.
What are the marks of a person’s identity that has been shaped by the cross? That’s the question we’re exploring this week. The human ego is constantly trying to establish a sense of self-worth and significance through all sorts of ways, but we are called to entrust our sense of self to the Lord, the one we truly belong to. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Much of the content of this sermon comes from Tim Keller’s book “The Freedom of Self-Forgetfulness,” also with help from Rankin Wilbourne’s sermon at Pacific Crossroads Church on 10/8/17.
In the second chapter of his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul continues to jab at the Corinthians misguided notions of wisdom and power. When it comes to money, power, beauty, leadership, status, security, or a myriad of other issues, are you still living by what the world considers smart, admirable and worthwhile? Paul is calling you back to the foolishness of the upside down wisdom of the cross. Become a fool so you can again be wise. Sermon by Corey Widmer
Each winter, we take a month to get on the same page as a church. We combine our adult Sunday discipleship classes and study an issue together that has bearing on how we live our lives as Christ-followers--no matter what age or stage of life we find ourselves in. This year, we will gather to look at the theme: The Art of Neighboring. Our goal is to help our church explore what it really means to love our neighbor-- including how to love our neighbors!-- as we launch our Parish Life ministry.
If the message of the cross is true, it means the secret to the universe is something we rarely if ever want to believe: that power is meted out through weakness. If the message of the cross is true, it means we who believe it are called to live a cruciform, a cross-shaped, life. This Lent, let’s pray that the Lord renews our vision of the cross and how we can live according to it. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Many thanks for Rankin Wilbourne and Pacific Crossroads Church for permission to use “The Cruciform Life” as our series title. Additionally Rankin’s sermons at Pacific Crossroads Church on 9/17/17 and 9/24/17 were a resource in writing this sermon.
Each winter, we take a month to get on the same page as a church. We combine our adult Sunday discipleship classes and study an issue together that has bearing on how we live our lives as Christ-followers--no matter what age or stage of life we find ourselves in.
This year, we will gather to look at the theme: The Art of Neighboring. Our goal is to help our church explore what it really means to love our neighbor-- including how to love our neighbors!-- as we launch our Parish Life ministry.
In the third episode of our podcast series “Audio Appendix,” Corey Widmer talks with Third member Mark Sprinkle about the age-old faith and science debate, how we can become better readers and interpreters of Scripture, and why the integration of faith and science is important to the mission of the gospel.
For further reading: The Lost World of Genesis One: Ancient Cosmology and the Origins Debate, by John H. Walton The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2-3 and the Human Origins Debate, by John Walton with N.T. Wright Adam and the Genome: Reading Scripture after Genetic Science, by Dennis Venema and Scot McKnight Origins: Christian Perspectives on Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design, By Deborah and Loren Haarsma The Reason for God, chapter 6, “Science Has Disproved Christianity,” by Tim Keller “Sea Slugs and Scorpions: The Art and Science of Christian Education,” by Mark Sprinkle. www.biologos.org
n our last message of this four week series, we are looking at the Beginning of Work. As we’ve been saying throughout this month, we were all made for four key relationships: our relationship with God, self, others and creation. In this final message, we will learn about how God has called us to be cultivators and co-creators with him in our relationship to the created order. Sermon by David Bailey.
This week, we'll look at the beginning of our relationships with others, and how the essence of our personhood, as designed by our Creator, is inherently communal. Sermon by Corey Widmer. Duke Kwan’s sermon at Grace Meridian DC Church on 2/22/15 was a resource in writing this sermon, as well as the chapter 14 “The Dance of God” in Tim Keller’s book The Reason for God."
In the second week of our vision series, we're looking at the beginning of human identity in Genesis 1, and how we were created as image bearers of God and for the flourishing of his created order. Sermon by Derek Mondeau.
This week, we're starting a new vision sermon series, looking at the first two chapters of Genesis - the ultimate beginning of all things. To start, we'll explore the beginning of all creation and how God deemed it all good. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this week as Richard Haney shares with us from the last phrase of the John 1:14 verse: "...full of grace and truth."
Join us on Christmas Eve. It will be a special time together as we celebrate the newborn King, and continue to explore the depth, meaning, and mystery of the incarnation. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us on the morning of Christmas Eve for a special service at 10:00 a.m.. Rick Hutton will share a brief homily, and we'll listen to a special musical presentation of Vivaldi's Gloria.
In this second episode of our podcast series “Audio Appendix,” Corey Widmer and Becca Payne discuss five of their favorite books from 2017.
The books they discuss are How to Think by Alan Jacobs (Currency) The Liturgy of the Ordinary by Tish Harrison Warren (IVP) The Myth of Equality by Ken Wytsma (IVP) The Tech-Wise Family by Andy Crouch (IVP) God’s Very Good Idea by Trillia Newbell (The Good Book Company)
The inescapable and elusive glory of God is finally accessible through the Incarnation, the Word became flesh. This week, we’ll explore what the glory of God, made manifest in the person of Jesus, means for our lives, our relationships, and our work in the world. Sermon by Corey Widmer
God wants to dwell with you. With us. That is one of the great themes of the Scriptures, and all of it is centered in and made possible through the Incarnation of Jesus. This week, we’ll explore this great theme and its implications for our lives, our relationships, and our work in the world. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week we start a new sermon series on Dwell, as we observe Advent and prepare for Christmas. Over the next weeks, we'll have an extended meditation on one verse: John 1:14. This week we begin by looking at the phrase, "the word became flesh." Sermon by Corey Widmer
This Sunday we’ll conclude our series “GIVE: The Surprising Grace of Giving”, by returning to 2 Corinthians 8:1-5. Our theme will be “The Grace of Giving our Lives,” taken from Paul’s lovely phrase, “They gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us.” (2 Corinthians 8:5). Sermon by Fakhri Yacoub.
This week, we're looking at how Jesus challenges our definitions of family and who is in our families, and also how he calls us to be a part of his "family business." Sermon by Corey Widmer.
In the first of this new series “Audio Appendix," Corey has a conversation with Third member Justin Earley on his own struggle with time, vocation, habit and the Christian life.
In this series on giving, we’ve spent the first two Sundays talking about giving our money. But this Sunday we’ll turn to consider what it means to give an even more precious resource: our time. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week, as we prepare for Faith Commitment Sunday, we'll explore how anything we financially give as Christians is a spiritual investment in a future “harvest of righteousness.” Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us as we begin a new sermon series this week -- Give: The Grace of Giving. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This fall, we have surveyed several New Testament metaphors for the church, and this week, we'll gather for the last one as we explore the metaphor of the church as the bride. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This fall, we have surveyed several New Testament metaphors for the church, and this week, we’ll see explore the church as the body of Christ. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This fall, we have surveyed several New Testament metaphors for the church, and this week, we’ll see explore the church as sheep. Sermon by Charles Teixeria.
This week we explore another metaphor of the church-- the field--and how, as the church, our purpose is to receive life and nourishment from Jesus Himself and bear fruit in order to bring life to many. Sermon by Ed Satterfield.
How could we as Third Church be salt and light in our neighborhoods, our city and our world? We’ll explore that together this week. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this Sunday as we continue our series looking at metaphors of the church. This week, we'll explore how the church is now God’s dwelling place on earth, and where people meet him and encounter his shekinah glory. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this Sunday as we look at Ephesians 2 and the metaphor of the church as a household, an image of church as family that calls Christians beyond a once a week meeting to actually living life with one another as an extended family. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this Sunday as we explore God's plan and intent for our work and vocations. Sermon by Justin Earley.
Join us this Sunday as we explore Psalm 107, and how this Psalm helps us reorient our thinking about the suffering in our lives and our world, suffering which seems so at odds with the fact of God’s goodness and steadfast love. Sermon by Nan Clarke.
Join us this Sunday as we explore Psalm 47, one of the "kingship psalms" that celebrates God's lordship over all things. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this Sunday as we explore Psalm 63. This psalm illustrates how David longs for God, and teaches us how we may too long for him, even when it does not come easy. Sermon by Tim Latham.
Join us this Sunday as we explore Psalm 137. Psalm 137 is categorized as an Imprecatory Psalms, one that calls down curses or judgment upon one’s enemies. This week, we'll talk about what do we do with these difficult chapters. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Join us this Sunday as we dig into Psalm 139 and explore how the realities of God (that he is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent) affect the realities of our hardships. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week, we welcome David Bailey to Third where he will preach on Psalm 133 and explore how this Psalm asks us to seek unity with one another. Sermon by David Bailey.
This Sunday, we'll look at Psalm 32, and how this Psalm models to us how we can speak to God when we find ourselves making a mess of our lives through our own foolish and rebellious choices. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Sunday, we'll look at Psalm 77, which is among the group of Psalms that are called “Psalms of Lament.” This Psalm drives us to stare grief in the face without jumping to a solution, but also to look to God as the key to where our hope lies. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
We are seeing in our study of the Psalms how these poems instruct us to learn how to approach the powerful things we deal with in life and the emotions they produce in us. The Psalms teach us to pray. Join us this week as we explore the call of Psalm 46 as it challenges us to cease our striving and rest in knowing God’s mammoth effort to bring us help and how He is a refuge and strength. Sermon by Ed Satterfield.
Last week, we heard from Corey about how the Psalms reorient our hearts, reshaping our emotions in light of who God is. This week, we’ll read Psalm 103 together and hear a song from David late in his life. We’ll see that David is reminded of two fundamental truths: that God is forgiving and that God is faithful. Sermon by Charles Teixeira.
This Sunday we begin a summer series on the book of Psalms. The Psalms are unlike any other book in the Bible because they are meant to be actually used and practiced. Our intent is to learn these Psalms as invitations into prayer and to cultivate a deeper, richer communion and prayer life with God. This week we’ll kick off the series with an introduction to the Psalms, but I’ll also cover Psalm 131, which is one of my most favorite Psalms. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Sunday we have the privilege of having Fakhri Yacoub, the pastor of the Christian Arabic Church as our preacher. Fakhri will be speaking about Jesus’ invitation to his people to join him in caring for people in need in our community, especially the many immigrants and refugees among us. We’ll hear about the work that the CAC is doing and how we might come along side them. Sermon by Fakhri Yacoub.
Up to this point in our Holy Spirit series, we have mostly focused on the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the individual believer. In our final week, Pentecost Sunday, we’ll turn to see the Holy Spirit as The Power, specifically the one who empowers the church for its work and mission in the world. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
All of us have moments and situations in which we cry out for comfort because we are hurting in some way. Likewise, we all taste discouragement and even hopelessness from time to time. On Sunday we will explore how we can experience the Holy Spirit as the One God sends to help encourage and comfort us. Sermon by Richard Haney.
We now have the intimate guiding presence of God available to us any time, any place, through the intimate presence of the Holy Spirit. But how exactly does the Holy Spirit guide us? We’ll see this week that the main way the Spirit guides us is through His Word, as he makes his will plain and gives us the power to live in accordance with it. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Last week we began our 5 week series on the Holy Spirit by seeing that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit “the Helper.” But what does the Spirit help us with? This Sunday we’ll see that one of the main things that the Spirit helps us with is becoming more like Jesus - or what is often called “sanctification.” Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week we begin our new sermon series, Come, Holy Spirit! Over the next five weeks we’ll be exploring in more depth the person of the Holy Spirit, who the Spirit is, and what the Spirit does. As we kick off this new series this week we’ll be looking at those things more broadly by reading from John 15:26 and 16:7-15. Sermon by Rick Hutton
The ascension is the key to the Christian life. The ascension made all the effects of Jesus’ risen life available to us and every believer in every time and place. The ascension is also when the ministry of Jesus shifts from simply being the ministry of a single man to a global community. We explore all these aspects of the ascension of Jesus this Sunday. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week's story invites us to encounter the living Jesus on our own journeys. Jesus promises us that even after he is ascended, “You will see me” (John 14:20). But we often miss the risen Jesus in our every day lives. This story shows us the many reasons we may miss him, but also invites us to ways that we have our eyes open to him more and more. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Guatemalan poet Julia Esquivel wrote a poem called “They Have Threatened Us with Resurrection.” It may sound strange that the message of Easter may be threatening. Everything Jesus is and everything Jesus taught is true and now grasps us with authority, and we will follow him wherever he leads. This Easter, let’s come expecting to meet with the risen Lord. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
As we have journeyed together through the book of Luke for the last 16 months, we have heard Jesus say again and again that he must go to Jerusalem. Now finally, on Palm Sunday, we witness the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem and the beginning of the terrible and wonderful drama of the cross and resurrection. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Listen to the forum with writer, speaker and Professor of Biblical Studies, Wes Hill as we explore why the historic Christian sexual ethic still holds in our current context through the support of radical community. Part 2 of 2.
Listen to the forum with writer, speaker and Professor of Biblical Studies, Wes Hill as we explore why the historic Christian sexual ethic still holds in our current context through the support of radical community. Part 1 of 2.
Our preacher this Sunday is Dr. Wesley Hill. He is the author of the books Washed and Waiting and Spiritual Friendship, and is a frequent contributor of articles to the journals First Things and Christianity Today. Please welcome him to our community!
This week, we look at how Jesus celebrates and welcomes the littlest ones in our society, and how he not only affirms their value, but teaches that we are supposed to become like them! We’ll explore what that might mean for our daily lives.
Revolutions are often won and lost on battlefields by armies. Usually, the stronger soldiers and the superior firepower wins out, but the revolution of the King looks different in our world. This week, we'll look at Luke 19, where we see another unlikely participant in the ongoing movement of God’s kingdom becoming manifest in our world. Sermon by Percy Strickland.
Feb Term 2017 Week 4: Engaging Our Arabic Brothers And Sisters (Corey Widmer + Fakhri Yacoub) by Third Church, RVA
This week, Luke tells the example of another person Jesus meets along his path: a blind impoverished beggar. And yet, this man who is portrayed as a model disciple. We’ll look at why this blind beggar is the model disciple and what it would mean for us to become like him too. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
We continue our journey with Jesus to the cross and the people he encounters along the way. We’ll see his interaction with the “rich young ruler” and how Jesus makes a radical claim on his life.
This week we will study Luke’s Jesus story and learn about prayer as rebellion against the status quo that resists God’s kingdom. Sermon by Richard Haney.
Feb Term 2017 Week 2: Engaging The World Next Door (Lj Jaworski + Dan Reeves) by Third Church, RVA
Feb Term 2017 Week 3: Cross Cultural Relationships In Christ (David Bailey) by Third Church, RVA
The man described in our text this week is subject to the highest of defilement: a Samaritan who was also a leper! It's a scandalous story because Jesus not only heals this man (along with 9 others) but then holds him up as an example of faith because of his response to Jesus. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
In this new series, “The Revolution of the King,” we are looking at the new order of life that Jesus inaugurates in the world through his life, death and resurrection. This week we see one aspect of this revolutionary way of life: forgiveness. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Feb Term 2017 Week 1: God's Vision For Cultural Reconciliation (Corey Widmer) by Third Church, RVA
Because we’re united to Christ we’re united to each other. However, the question remains: are we living out this unity? Join our middle and high school students as they explore this question as they lead us through worship. Sermon by Freddy Pearsall, Seth Armistead, and Bridget Bartley.
We wrap up our series on Renewal this week by looking at the words of Jesus in Matthew 19, where Jesus speaks about the palingenesia (or, renewal) of all things. We’ll look at the fact that the Gospel is not just an internal message that changes each of us individually, but also is a message of Good News for the entire world. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
Renewal 3: Renewing the City
This week, we welcome Eric Jacobsen as our preacher. Eric has much to teach us about how the church, even the bricks and mortar of the church facility and campus, can contribute to the flourishing of the city. Sermon by Eric Jacobsen.
Join us this Sunday to see how God wants to renew us as Third Church. We’ll share about this vision for us broadly, but also share concrete ways we hope to live out this vision in the way we structure our church, and the way we organize our community and facilitate leadership. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
We all have habits, character flaws, and negative patterns in our lives that we wish were different, and the new year seems like a good time to address them. But somehow we always end back in the same place again. Why? We'll kick off our new Renewal series this week looking at a passage from Titus, where we find the ultimate transformation we seek. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
As we continue to look at the images of the Messiah described in Isaiah, this week we’ll looking at the Messiah as The Stream. We'll look at how this stream reminds us of hope in the midst of the deserts of our life.
Join us for the second week of Advent as we prepare our hearts for the coming King by looking at the Old Testament book of Isaiah. This week, we'll look at Isaiah 11:1-10, and "the shoot that will come from the stump of Jesse." Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This Sunday we enter Advent, a season of preparation for welcoming the Christ Child at Christmas. During the four Sundays of Advent and on Christmas Eve we will meditate on passages from the prophet Isaiah. This Sunday we focus on “the mountain,” an image that points to God and His revelation. Sermon by Richard Haney.
This week, we welcome author of A Praying Life, Paul Miller, to speak with us. He'll be sharing on Luke 16:19-31, and Jesus's focus on the toxic danger of wealth without generosity. Sermon by Paul Miller.
This week we'll be looking at a passage from Luke 20, and together we will remind ourselves of our allegiance to Jesus and his Kingdom, and take up our call once again to be an embassy of his Kingdom in the world. Sermon by Corey Widmer.
This week we’re beginning a short 3-week series called the Generosity of the King. We’ll be looking at three passages from the gospel of Luke that focus on Jesus' teaching about money, wealth, and generosity. Sermon by Corey Widmer.