Grace UMC (Greensboro) Sermon Podcast: Recent Episodes
Grace UMC
Listen to sermons from weekly worship at Grace UMC in Greensboro, NC. Join us at 10:16 on Sundays for Embrace Worship!
Today we are talked about the "Mother of Methodism," Susanna Wesley. But Susanna is far more than the mother of John and Charles, she was a strong, independent, godly woman who broke stained glass ceilings centuries before women in ministry was commonplace. To explore Susanna's story, we looked at 1 Corinthians 3:9-11, in which Paul offers guidance about being "co-workers" with God.
Bottom line: Christ is the one foundation, not optional decoration.
On May 14, 2023, High Point University Professor of History Dr. Frederick Schneid was our special guest following worship to discuss how J.R.R. Tolkien's experiences in World War 1 impacted the writing of his Rings trilogy. Dr. Schneid is a military historian and a Tolkien aficionado. This was part of the small group connected to our series The Lord & The Rings. We are grateful to Dr. Schneid for sharing his time and expertise with us!
(This is not a sermon, but many folks could not be present due to Mother's Day obligations and requested a recording.)
Even in a cynical and skeptical age, we are still drawn to the idea of eternity. It pops up in our movies, TV, music, and art. It is certainly a major theme in Tolkien. What is the truth behind this trope? How does the gospel answer this longing? Today we are looking at life after life after death as we explore 1 Corinthians 15:12-19! We'll also make some stops in Middle Earth along the way...
Today we continued our series The Lord & The Rings by looking at the theme of atonement in both Scripture in Tolkien's works. In particular, we will explore 1 John 1-2 while we look at the arc of Boromir, who dies a redemptive death saving his friends. Why does atonement matter? What does it mean for our lives?
Join us as we continue our journey with Jesus into Middle Earth!
Bottom line:
Sin makes forgiveness possible; sacrifice makes forgiveness possible.
(Note: the audio was cut out for the Scripture reading, we apologize for that issue.)
Why do friends matter for the life of faith? What does Jesus own teaching and ministry tell us about the value of relationships? We will look today at Jesus calling the first disciples in Matthew 4, and connect that to the theme of fellowship and friendship in Tolkien's world.
Bottom line:
What Jesus begins by calling friends, we carry on in community.
How do God's people respond when evil is on the rise? This week we looked at Esther's pivotal choice in Esther 4:12-17 as we continued our series on Tolkien's connections to Biblical truth. Just like Frodo deciding to take the Ring to Mordor, Esther faces a choice that will determine the fate of the people that she loves.
Bottom line:
Evil thrives in silence but dies in daylight.
Today we began a new series looking at echoes of the gospel in J.R.R. Tolkien's literary world. We looked at Psalm 8:1-9, as we explored connections between the biblical view of creation and Tolkien's idealized world of the Shire. What does the lifestyle of the Hobbits tell us about our lives as followers of Jesus? Join us as we begin the journey today!
Bottom line:
God's glory shines in the small and the simple.
Easter is our biggest day of the year! Today we looked at the account of Easter from John 20:1-18, comparing the response of Peter and John to Mary Magdalene.
What will Jesus say to you when he calls your name?
Bottom line:
Jesus calls us to believe and go out, not believe and stay put.
How many of the 613 commandments in the Bible are we supposed to follow?
Our Lent series on the Sermon on the Mount continues with a word about obedience, rebellion, and the gospel that goes beyond both. This sermon focuses on Matthew 5:17-20, and what Jesus means by righteousness that exceeds the "scribes and pharisees."
Bottom line: Jesus teaches that the inner person should match our outer presentation.
That person that you can't stand, the one who just gets under your skin, or those people you despise and would do everything in your power to avoid...Jesus loves them.
That is the surprising message at the heart of Jesus' healing of 10 men with leprosy.
Bottom line:
We are often farthest from the people that Jesus is closet to.
Is it possible to be grateful for the difficulties and challenges of life? Today we continue our series From Attitude to Gratitude and look at a powerful message from 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.
Bottom line: We bear our temporary struggles with God's eternal strength.
How are our lives blessing those who come after us? Today we continued our series From Attitude to Gratitude and we look at 2 Corinthians 4:13-15, and the Bible's powerful message about how God's grace extends to others. We also shared some fantastic news about how we have been able to give back to our community this year thanks to our Parking With a Purpose minstry.
Bottom line: Growth in grace means growth in gratitude.
Today we began a new series, From Attitude to Gratitude. We are exploring 2 Corinthians 4 and the Bible's powerful message about gratitude. We begin on All Saints' Sunday with St. Paul's powerful message about our hope in the resurrection of Jesus.
Bottom line: When we remember the saints, we are reminded of the savior.
(Note: we had some streaming issues in the worship service, so Pastor Drew recorded this from his home office later that day. It includes a time of candle lighting; you may want to have a candle nearby to light as you listen.)
We conclude our series on Colossians by looking at Colossians 3:12-15. As Halloween approaches, we think about costumes in light of the 'clothing' that God invites us to put on in Colossians.
Bottom line:
Love is our everyday uniform, not an occassional costume.
How can our words hurt, and how can they heal? In a world in which angry words are the norm, why does our speech still matter? Today we looked at Colossians 4:2-6 and Paul's brief but powerful insight about "seasoned" communication.
Bottom line:
Doors stay open when the mouth stays shut.
Our District Superintendent Rev. Bev Coppley joined us as our speical guest preacher today. In the UMC, DS's work under the Bishop to lead the churches in their respective Districts. As the DS of the Northern Piedmont District, Rev. Coppley oversees and supports the churches and clergy of all the UMC congregations in and around Greensboro, High Point, Reidsville, and Thomasville. She shared a wonderful message about grace from John 1:14-18. Thanks for joining us, Rev. Coppley!
We live in a world that encourages shallowness, and yet we long for depth. Where do we plant our roots?
Today we explored Colossians 2:6-15 for an answer as we continued our series Centered. Thank you for listening.
Bottom line:
Let us not put our private hope in what Christ has publicy conquered.
What do we hold onto when it seems like the world is falling apart? Today we will continue exploring the powerful letter called to the church at Colossae as we focus on Colossians 1:15-23.
Bottom line:
When it looks like the world is coming unglued, look to him in whom all things hold together.
Today we began a new series walking through the small but powerful letter to the Colossians. We look at Colossians 1:1-14 and see how Paul began this powerful word to his church - and discover a powerful word for us today, too.
Bottom line:
We are rescued from the dominion of darkness and reclaimed for the kingdom of light.
The Bible is a large book with a lot of teachings. How do we know what is most important? Thankfully Jesus gave us an answer to that in Matthew 22:36-40. We explored that, and what it means to follow Jesus, in today's sermon.
Today we continued our series about discipleship in the way of the Wesleys.
How does God's love transform and renew us? What does John 1 mean by "grace upon grace" and how does it apply to us? We will look today at the best news of all: the healing medicine of God's free grace!
Today we continuee our series about discipleship in the way of the Wesleys. Today we began with the question: what is wrong with the world? How do we understand the brokenness of our communities, institutions, and planet?
To answer that we looked at Romans 3, 21-24. No matter what is wrong with the world, God's right is making all things new.
Bottom line: Our sin makes us ill, but God's grace makes us whole.
In August we began a new series about discipleship in the way of the Wesleys. In the 18th century, two Anglican priests, brothers and students at Oxford launched a movement that is still transforming lives and communities today. As Methodists, that story is our story! Today we looked at the origins of the Wesleyan revival through the lens of the powerful Letter to Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-20.
We concluded our film series with the latest Pixar favorite, Lightyear. Based on the mega-hit Toy Story franchise, Lightyear is the origin of the Buzz character from the classic series. Jo preached today from 1 Corinthians 12 and explores spiritual themes in this animated hit.
This July, we are At the Movies! Today we look at one of the biggest hits of the year, the long awaited sequel Top Gun: Maverick. We will look to the prophet Isaiah and discover a spiritual message behind this action-packed movie in Isaiah 40:28-31.
Bottom line:
Our strength may fade but God's grace never fails.
Today our At the Movies series continued with guest preacher Dr. Jason Myers. Dr. Myers is a New Testament scholar who teaches at Greensboro College. Today he took us through Philippians 2:5-11 and explored the story of Elvis!
Is our world an accident? What is God's role in creation? Do science and faith conflict, or could they compliment each other? We concluded our series on the Holy Spirit today, looking at the very first verses of the Bible: Genesis 1:1-5. Bottom line: Life is a gift of the Spirit, not a fluke of nature. From the sermon: Video on evolution and faith from BioLogos here.
Today we continued our series on the work of the Holy Spirit and explored how the Spirit grants us vision. In a world of increasing division, the Spirit helps us imagine a very different world. This is promised in Joel 2:23-29, our focus in today's sermon.
Bottom line:
The Spirit grants us vision to see beyond division.
On Trinity Sunday we continued our new series on the work of the Holy Spirit and explored how the Spirt leads us into the truth. We looked at Jesus' promises about the Spirit in John 14 and reflected on God's Triune identity as not just a static belief about God but a goal for our lives.
Today we celebrated Pentecost Sunday! We explored the story of Pentecost from Acts 2:1-13, as we began a new series on the Holy Spirit called The (Other) Gifts of the Spirit. Bottom line:
The Spirit gives us speech to bring the Word to the world.
This Sunday we welcomed a new family in worship and one member of the new family preached! This message came from Dr. Bailey Sanford, focused on the story of Paul and Silas in jail in Acts 16:16-34.
We concluded our series Conversations with a Counselor by looking at Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and addressing how to heal from grief and loss. For more information about Chrysalis or to connect with Dr. Kling, go to https://www.chrysaliscenters.org/
From the conversation:
- Lament for a Son by Nicholas Wolterstoff here.
Today we continued our series about the intersection of faith and mental health. We looked at will look at Romans 12:9-18 and talked about dealing with feelings. We gave special attention to children and students, since it was children's Sunday. For more information about Chrysalis Counseling Center or Dr. Gary Kling, go to https://www.chrysaliscenters.org/
Join us as we continue a new series about the intersection of faith and mental health. This is a conversational series featuring special guest Dr. Gary Kling of Chrysalis Counseling Center. Today we looked at Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and discussed boundaries and healthy relationships from both a biblical and psychological lens.
From this conversation:
- Boundaries by Henry Cloud and John Townsend.
This Sunday was the first part of a new series about the intersection of faith and mental health. Instead of a traditional sermon, this is a conversational series featuring special guest Dr. Gary Kling of Chrysalis Counseling Center. Today the conversation focused on how mental health and faith contribute to one another, and how to know when to seek help - and what kind of help - for yourself or someone else. For more information about Chrysalis, go to https://www.chrysaliscenters.org/
The book recommended by Drew , Are U Ok?, can be found here.
Christ is risen! Easter is a season, not just a single day. This Sunday we explored Jesus' appearance after the resurrection in John 20:19-31. Bottom line: the marks of the cross make the message of Christ credible.
P.S. This was the final Sunday before our worship time change. Beginning May 1, we worship at 10 a.m. and offer small groups for all ages at 11 a.m.!
From this sermon:
- Lecture by Arthur Brooks referenced in the sermon here.
On Easter Sunday we focused on the first preachers of the good news of Jesus' resurrection: the faithful women who encounter angels at the tomb in Luke 24:1-12. We talked about how we look for life in places where there is none to be found, and that, instead, life is found in the One who conquered death. Bottom line: The empty tomb means the fullness of life.
We are a culture that loves conflict, and yet we also know that arguing rarely changes people. On this Sunday we entered Holy Week and concluded our series by looking at Jesus' interrogation by the religious council in Luke 22:66-71. This is part of a series of events that led up to his crucifixion. We explore Jesus' unusual responses to the questioning and ask what that means for our discipleship today. Bottom line:
Words may be abhorred, but grace is hard to ignore.
P.S. The recording begins with a long dramatic reading of Luke's Passion (crucifixion) account, thanks to several volunteers.
How do we know whether the things in which we invest our lives are worth it? This Sunday we looked again to Jesus' friends Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, and the extravagant gift that Mary gives to Jesus in John 12:1-8. We explored the question of value and purpose, with a little help from Tuesdays with Morrie and the Paradoxical Commandments. Bottom line: What is given to honor Jesus is never squandered.
From the sermon:
- Tuesdays With Morrie here.
- The Paradoxical Commandments by Kent Keith here.
For the season of Lent our series looked at the challenge of following Jesus. This Sunday we continued with a story about two sons and their loving father (better known as the story of the Prodigal Son) from Luke 15. This story reminds us that the gospel offers us an entirely different operating system than the world does. In a world that runs on fair, the gospel operates on grace.
Bottom line:
The feast the Father celebrates is the grace the elder brother hates.
For the season of Lent our series explores the joyful challenge of following Jesus. This Sunday we continued with a powerful story called the parable of the fig tree in Luke 13:1-9. What does it mean to repent, and why does Jesus teach and tell stories about it? How do the warnings in these verses connect to a God of love and grace? Bottom line: God prunes sin from us to produce fruit in us.
For the season of Lent our new series looks at the challenge of following Jesus. Today we continued with Jesus' lament over Jerusalem in Luke 13:31-35, and a beautiful maternal image for God that it contains. Bottom line:
Grace empowers but does not override.
For the season of Lent we began a new series, looking at the challenge of following Jesus. Today we open with the biblical story that inspired the season of Lent: Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. How do we understand this story today? How does Jesus' example help us endure testing? We'll talk about all this and more, and worship God together. Join us!
Bottom line:
He was tempted as we will be to make us more than we are.
From this sermon:
- Indistractible book here.
Today's message is from Youth Sunday! Our fantastic students led worship this morning. You'll hear them read Scripture and share some of their thoughts. The message, to conclude our series on spiritual practices, is from our Youth Pastor, Joanna, and focuses on patience.
This Sunday we continued a series looking at the biblical connections to contemporary lifestyle hacks. Long before people wrote articles about "work-life balance," Jews and Christians practiced Sabbath one day a week. To explore the power of rest, we looked to Jesus' visit with Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42. How do we focus on Jesus in a world of endless distraction?
Bottom line: The God who enjoyed satisfied rest has gifted us Sabbath renewal.
From this episode:
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer here.
In this sermon we continued a series looking at the biblical connections to contemporary lifestyle hacks. Today we explored how the popular practice of minimalism connects to Christian simplicity, by looking to Jesus' conversation with the rich young man in Matthew 19:16-22. In this challenging story we find a key to contentment in a world that constantly pushes to want more.
This sermon started a new series looking at the biblical connections to contemporary lifestyle hacks. Today we begin by exploring how the popular practice of mindfulness connects to Christian prayer traditions, by looking to Jesus' teaching about prayer in Matthew 6:5-13. For those who have trouble praying, the good news is that prayer is about quanity of words, but about the quality of presence. Bottom line: Prayer is about availability, not verbosity. From this sermon: * The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer. * The Screwtape Letters by CS Lewis.
On January 30, we concluded our a series on a prayer through which God has transformed millions of lives around the world: the Serenity Prayer. For "the wisdom to know the difference," we looked at at James 3:13-18, a few short verses that contain a lot of guidance on wisdom. Thank you for joining us! We'd love for you to worship with us Sundays at 10:16. Other ways to connect with us:
- Our website here.
- Our Facebook page.
- Our YouTube channel.
We continued our series exploring the spirituality of the Serenity Prayer this Sunday by looking at the second line, in which we ask God for "the courage to change the things we can." We looked at Jesus' powerful words in John 16:33 to see how the Serenity Prayer aligns with Jesus' own teaching and life. We can act boldly in the present because we know who holds the future.
Today we began a new series exploring the spirituality and biblical basis of the Serenity Prayer. Through this prayer, God has transformed millions of lives through the recovery movement. We began by looking at Paul's admonition to "pursue the things that make for peace" in Romans 14:13-21, and how what it means to live not with our own needs first, but with a view to the needs of our neighbors. The good news is that our stumbling blocks, whatever they are, do not get the last word with us. God gives us grace to give up what we can't govern.
In this special service we explored the baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river, and looked at how baptism gives us our identity and value. Later in the service we reaffirmed our baptism as a congregation and welcomed new families into our community. If you are interested in being baptized, please contact the church office.
Today's service went back to the very first Methodists in Great Britain, and is rooted in the Old Testament. This recording includes the sermon, which focuses on the difference between covenants and contracts, and the Covenant Renewal Service itself. As you listen, make the words of this service your own. You can find a full, printable version here.
Our annual Covenant Renewal Service is the perfect way to begin the new year with God at the center.
Many people pray the Covenant Renewal Prayer daily:
“I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,
exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things
to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
thou art mine, and I am thine. So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven. Amen.”
We have more time than ever before, and yet we feel less free. We live in a world of constant hurry and endless worry, and yet God invites us to rest.
This Sunday we continued our new series Rest & ReCreation, taking a fresh look at the Sabbath as a gift of God's Grace. This morning we looked at Sabbath's connection to the Exodus story in Deuteronomy 5:12-15, and the invitation to liberation that God still extends to us today.
Bottom line:
God initiates the Sabbath to liberate us from slavery.
Special guest preacher Shannon Martin, an active member of Grace who directs the Theology Project at Catawba College, began our series on Sabbath by looking at Genesis 2:2-3 and the origin of the Sabbath day.
What does the Bible have to teach us about the origin of evil?
This Sunday we concluded our series Fighting With Jesus by exploring something we Christians often either a) ignore or b) make far too much of: spiritual conflict.
To seek wisdom on this, we looked at Ephesians 6:10-12 and how God equips us for the fight against evil.
What does the Bible have to teach us about questions of war and peace? Today we are continued our series Fighting With Jesus, and it's all about how to find grace in the midst of conflict.
On August 29 we looked at Romans 13:1-4 and look at how we follow Jesus faithfully in a world of injustice and conflict, and explored the two main options open to followers of Jesus: non-violence and the just war tradition.
How do we live as followers of Jesus in a conflicted and divided country? What is God's purpose for the Body of Christ in situations like ours?
This Sunday we continued our series Fighting With Jesus, and it's all about how to find grace in the midst of conflict. Join us as we look at Ephesians 2:11-22 and look at the power of God's grace to overcome everything that divides us!
The church is not immune from conflict. In fact, many people say church conflict is the worst kind they have ever been a part of. What makes church conflict different? And how do we handle conflict with other followers of Jesus?
This Sunday we continued our series Fighting With Jesus. This morning we looked at Galatians 2:1-14 and explored the power of God's grace to overcome everything that divides us.
Bottom line: A conflicted church cannot heal a divided world.
From this sermon:
- The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast by Christianity Today here.
We live in an increasingly conflicted world. Relationships, teams, and workplaces are strained. How do we deal with conflict with others in a way that is healthy for us and loving towards them?
This was part 2 of our series Fighting With Jesus, and it was all about how to find grace in the midst of conflict. Join us this morning as we look at Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18:15-22. Join us!
From this sermon:
- Let's Rumble article by Brene' Brown here.
- The Wise, the Foolish, and the Evil by Dr. Henry Cloud (video lecture) here.
Have you ever felt torn about something? Have you ever been confused by your own actions, or unsure what to do in a major decision?
This Sunday we began our series Fighting With Jesus, and it's all about how to find grace in the midst of conflict. We began this morning by looking at inner conflict in Romans 7:14-25.
We live in a world in which words are often used to harm rather than to heal. We use words to wound rather than build up. In such a world, how do we live differently?
This Sunday we concluded our series BOld Testament by looking at the prophet Nehemiah. Nehemiah's patience under pressure allowed him to be a catalyst for the blessing of God's people.
Though not as well known as many other people in our series, Nehemiah's story is powerful and relevant today. Nehemiah felt a calling from God to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem and re-establish its cultural and religious life. Because the prophet took a pause to pray before he spoke to the king, God was able to use him to bless his people.
Bottom line:
Open your heart to God before opening your mouth to others.
Note: One error in the message to be aware of: Victor Frankl was an Austrian psychologist, not a German psychologist.
How do we live faithfully in a superficial world? How do we attend to our inner lives in a culture that focuses only on what is external?
We continued our series BOld Testament this Sunday by looking at the early part of King David's story in 1 Samuel 16:1-13. David is not the kind of person that the prophet Samuel expected to become a King - but then, God often chooses the people we would least expect. As followers of Jesus, we are called to different values than the world around us.
Bottom line: The Eternal values the internal.
We continued our series BOld Testament by looking at the story of Ruth in Ruth 1:1-17. Our special guest, Rev. Nicole Jones, led us through a powerful meditation on Ruth's life and our calling as the people of God.
This Sunday we turned our attention to an often overlooked figure in the Bible: Aaron, the brother of and assistant to Moses. Moses typically gets most of the credit in the book of Exodus, but Aaron's calling gives us a powerful glimpse of God's grace, and what leadership looks like from a biblical point of view.
Bottom line:
God will furnish what is required to accomplish what God requested.
This Sunday we continued our summer series called BOld Testament, looking at some of the heroes of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Have you ever wrestled with God, or wrestled with your faith when you were going through a difficult season? Today's sermon looked at Jacob wrestling in Genesis 32 and explored what it means for our relationship with God and others. We also announced a new community partnership with a fantastic local non-profit titled Operation XCel and celebrate Communion.
From this service:
- Website for Operation XCel here.
We continued our series BOld Testament by looking at the story of Isaac's (almost) sacrifice at the hands of his father Abraham. We explored Abraham/Abram's call last week, looking at Genesis 12. Here in Genesis 22, it looks like that calling and promise have vanished. One the surface, this is a very difficult story. How could God do this to Abraham? To Isaac? Where is God's love in this.
Short answer: it points us to the cross.
Bottom line: God can ask anything of us, because God has not withheld anything from us.
Note: We experienced some technical issues on this Sunday, and about 30 seconds were lost. If you'd like a written copy of the sermon, please email Pastor Drew or the church office and we'd be happy to provide one.
What does it mean to be blessed? Are blessings something that are for us, or is there a larger purpose for blessings?
To explore these questions we look at the call of Abram (who is later called Abraham) in Genesis 12:1-7. Abram's call reminds us that obedience trumps wordiness, grace is how God operates, and our blessings are not about us.
The promise to Abram also raises thorny questions about the relationship of Biblical promises to contemporary political questions in Israel and Palestine. To address those from a Christian point of view, we welcome a reflection from a retired history professor who specializes in Middle Eastern and African history, who is also a United Methodist.
Finally, we welcome a member of our church (and staff) who has a powerful story of being blessed by someone else's blessing.
Bottom line: God sends and blesses us to serve and benefit others.
We began a series this Sunday called BOld Testament, looking at some of the heroes of the Hebrew Scriptures. Too often, followers of Jesus neglect the Old Testament, and yet this is the Bible that Jesus and the earliest disciples knew and lived from.
To kick off this series we looked at Noah and the flood in Genesis 6:9-22. To many, this is nothing but a sentimental children's story. To some, it is hard to see anything beyond the death and destruction. But we focused on Noah's calling and the flood as a story that tells us about God's passion (for life and for justice) and God's compassion (for people and for creation). Our world puts judgement and grace, love and wrath, against each other, but the holy ways of God teach us this is false.
Bottom line: Grace and judgement are not opposites for a just God.
P.S. We also celebrated a great group of graduates on Sunday. Congrats class of 2021.
From this episode:
The Bible Project video on Genesis.
We concluded our series Buried Treasures by looking at the importance of Scripture and how to read it well. The Bible is neither irrelevant nor simplistic, it is the revelation of a loving God. To explore this, we looked at perhaps the most famous verse in all of Scripture: John 3:16. Along with its surrounding context, it tells us a great deal about how we come to understand God's truth and live from it.
Bottom line: The Bible is a loving God's gift to grow us in grace.
We continued our series Buried Treasures this week by looking at the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2:1-18. Many people today are confused or even doubtful about the work of the Spirit, as were some of the onlookers in Acts 2. But why shouldn't the presence of the living God make an impact on people they can't explain?
We saw last week that Jesus promised something big would happen in Jerusalem after ascended. In Acts 2, Peter defends Pentecost as a fulfillment of what God had promised long ago through the prophet Joel. This promise is not just for disciples from 2000 years ago, or for super-Christians, or certain denominations - the Spirit for every follower of Jesus. Nothing we do as a church is possible without the Spirit.
Bottom line: The Holy Spirit is the promise that keeps us.
From the sermon:
- Here is the Spiritual Gifts inventory Drew encourages everyone to take. Pray over your results and ask God how you should apply them.
We began a new series called Buried Treasures this Sunday by looking at sacraments, specifically the sacrament that Christians call Holy Communion, or the Lord's Supper, or the Eucharist. We looked at Luke 24:13-53, the story of the walk to Emmaus and the ascension of Jesus. It is no accident that Jesus ate and drank with his disciples before the returned to the Father, and in that eating and drinking their eyes were opened to Jesus' identity. Jesus still opens our eyes in the breaking of bread at Communion today.
Bottom line: Jesus ascended in body but is encountered in bread.
We concluded our series UnStung by looking at the renewal of creation beautifully portrayed in Isaiah 11:1-9 and what it means for not just people but for all of creation to be renewed in God's Kingdom. In God's merciful and peaceful Kingdom, as Isaiah portrays it, snakes lose their venom and lions become vegetarians.
Bottom line: When the Kingdom is here, creation is healed.
Is conflict in our world inevitable? Can we evolve beyond it? Is there any hope for peace?
In part 4 of UnStung we took up the question of peace by looking at God's beautiful promise in Revelation 22:1-7. Peace is God's gift, not our doing, but you and I can live into the Kingdom by being peacemakers in our homes, at work, at school, and in our community. Ultimately, this promise is not just about our personal eternal destinies, but God's redemption of the whole world.
Bottom Line: God's Reign is more than my personal hope, it is our global harmony.
From this sermon:
- A powerful true story about the Amish school shooting and the community's response here.
What can a story Jesus told almost 2000 years ago teach us about our relationships with other people today?
We continued our series UnStung by looking at the story often called The Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32. But this powerful parable, which is also about a loving father and an elder brother, challenges us to see every single person - even those we despise - as those who are invited into God's party.
Bottom line: The Reign of God is a celebration, and those you revile get an invitation.
From this sermon:
- The Prodigal God by Tim Keller is a wonderful exploration of the gospel through the lens of this story. Highly recommended.
Are there better options for engaging with the world than naive optimism or pessimistic realism?
We continued our new series UnStung by looking at a powerful passage: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. Here Paul is writing to a church in turmoil, and he urges them on with a powerful message about the power of Christ to reconcile and make new. We looked at what Dallas Willard meant we he said, "Grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning." Our redemption is grace all the way down, but it empowers effort on our part to grow in the love of God and neighbor. And this is the first way God transforms the world: by transforming people.
Bottom line: God begins the restoration of all things by offering reconciliation to all people.
We also announced the name and location of the ZOE Empowers group with whom we are partnering. Learn more about ZOE here.
This sermon began a new series looking at the power of God's Kingdom over death and evil. In 1 Corinthians 15:55, St. Paul, reflecting on the Easter message, asks, "Where, o death, is your sting?"
We know all too well the sting of death. And yet God's Kingdom of life, and hope, and justice is breaking in even now. How do we live in that tension between present reality and future hope? How does the Bible help us understand what has gone wrong in the world, and what is God's solution to it? Do we have a part to play?
To answer these questions we look in the opening chapters of Genesis and Romans 8:17-28. Today laid the groundwork for the rest of the series, but the short version is this: God has not forgotten everything that was created 'good,' and we are invited to participate in God's renewal project called the Kingdom.
What was created good at the start will be completely redeemed by the end.
From this sermon:
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk here.
What does it mean to follow Jesus in a world that is often chaotic and confusing? What kind of people does God call us to be, and what does Easter have to do with that? On this most special day of the church year, we looked at Matthew 28:1-10, and those faithful women who came to serve their dead friend, but instead encountered a living Lord.
Character is falling at Jesus' feet even when the world is falling apart.
Note: we returned to in-person worship this Sunday, so the audio will be different. We are working to upgrade our audio equipment at church to improve the experience for those livestreaming and listening via podcast. Thank you for your patience while we make these improvements.
We concluded our series Heroes by looking at the last and greatest of the virtues: love. There is no greater example of love in Scripture than the cross, so we explored Matthew 27:11-55, and discussed what a Jesus-shaped love looks like in conversation with the classic DC heroine Wonder Woman. In the 2017 hit film Wonder Woman, the title character puts it well: "Only love can save the world." For followers of Jesus, that is the story of the cross.
Love conquers through a cross.
We continue with the three theological virtues this week (from the end of 1 Cor. 13) with a look at faith. Is faith still possible in a skeptical, postmodern world? Where does faith come from? And what do we do if we find our faith mixed with doubt? We explore this and more as we look at Hebrews 11:1-6 and the faith and faithfulness of Samwise Gamgee from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Faith is the incredible gift of the unseen God that brings undeserved grace.
From this sermon:
- Gallup poll finds 87% of Americans say 'yes' when asked if they believe in God - here.
We continued our series Heroes by beginning to look at the three theological virtues: hope, faith, and love. Hope is a popular word today, used in songs, poems, and advertising - but what is real hope? Where does it come from. We looked at Romans 5:1-11 and the granddaddy of all heroes, Superman, to explore hope. Our greatest hope is not in our own goodness, genius, or positive intentions, but in the good news of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.
Our goodness lets us down, but God's grace lets us hope.
From this sermon:
- Jonathan Kent's speech to Clark from Man of Steel here.
This Sunday we looked at the source and importance of wisdom, exploring Proverbs 1:20-23. We talked about the origin of wisdom and the power of wisdom by looking to the example of Yoda in the Star Wars universe. Yoda exemplifies both the humility of wisdom, and the unexpected source of it. Ultimately, wisdom comes from God, and in the cross God used what the world thought was foolish and shameful to bring redemption to the world.
If wisdom is your destination, pride is poor transportation.
From this sermon:
- The Evil, the Foolish, and the Wise by Henry Cloud here.
- Yoda quote about failure here.
This Sunday the Grace Youth led us in worship and and our youth and missions director, Joanna, preached. We turned to another classic, biblical virtue, looking at courage with some help from Harry Potter!
Our new series on the virtues continued by looking at probably the most debated of all the virtues: justice. We looked at biblical and classic definitions of justice, and discussed how the DC Comics icon Batman has a vision of justice that connects with Christian views. Justice is highly contested and controversial in today's world, so we attempted to re-define justice around the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus - whose justice transcends our ideological boxes and and cuts across our political opinions.
Justice is cross and resurrection, not human calculation.
From this sermon:
- NBC News article on Texas prison conditions following the winter storm.
- Scene from Batman: The Dark Knight Drew referenced is here.
We began our new Lent series Heroes on Ash Wednesday with a look at a virtue that helps us define every virtue: temperance. Also known as self-control, this quality of moderation reminds us that every virtue exists in between excess and deficiency. This also fits because Lent is traditionally a season of extra self-control, with many Christian traditions practicing some sort of fasting.
To look more closely at temperance, we look at Princess Leia Organa from the Star Wars universe. Always in control, whether as a diplomat, general, mom, or princess, Leia is a great cultural touchstone for this practical virtue.
What are you fasting from this season? How will you draw closer to God during Lent? The good news is the virtues are not just something that we do, but gifts that God grows in us by the Holy Spirit.
God did not send Jesus to make us comfortable; God sent Jesus to make us holy.
We concluded our series "Precedented" by looking at a spiritual discipline that takes us right into the season of Lent: Fasting. Did you know Jesus assumed his disciples would fast?
In a world that teach us we never have enough, God uses fasting to teach us that God is always enough.
We fast from good things to feast on God things.
Mentioned in this sermon:
- The Weight of Glory by C.S. Lewis.
Giving is not just a good idea, it draws us closer to the God whose very nature is generous, self-giving love.
Long-time friend Rev. A.J. Thomas was our guest preacher this Sunday for part four of our series, "Precedented." Rev. Thomas preached from 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, about the attitude with which God invites us to give. To reap bountifully, we are invited to sow bountifully!
Rev. Thomas works with The United Methodist Foundation of Western North Carolina. More on their ministry here.
We live in a world that says the truth is everywhere - and nowhere.
Followers of Jesus discover that truth is found in God's story recorded in the Bible. But what is the Bible? Can it still be trusted as a source of God's wisdom? How do we read Scripture to grow in God's love? This sermon is all about one of the most basic - "precedented" - ways we encounter God: reading Scripture.
Scripture is the saga of God that equips the servants of God.
From this sermon:
- Drew did a special live Q&A on YouTube after this sermon. Click here to view it.
In John 3:14-27 we see that among Jesus's thoughts as he hung on the cross was for his mother. Some of his last words he gave to his mother were to disciple John. Entrusting his friend to care for her as Jesus himself would this passage is a paradigm for how followers of Jesus are to care for one another today, for the body of Christ.
Family is not limited by biology
In the third part of our Advent series we looked at the angel's announcement to Joseph in Matthew 1. Jesus entered the world through a situation that would have been scandalous, but God's love has always been scandalous. One modern example of this is the forgiveness of the Amish community following the tragedy in West Nickel Mines. Grace remains shocking today.
Scandalous love brought Jesus into the world then, and reveals Jesus to the world now.
In part two of our Advent series, we looked at how the first Christmas came from a situation that was anything but "perfect." We so often try to have a flawless Christmas - or at least, one that appears to be so. But Christmas is so much more than projecting perfect circumstances, it is about celebrating God's presence among us even in the messiness of real life. We based our reflections on the angel's announcement to Mary in Luke 1, and also looked at the interesting people in Jesus' family tree.
God puts the world right through the wrong kind of people.
On the first Sunday of Advent we began a new series that seeks to refocus Christmas on the message of Jesus. Drawing on Isaiah 9:2, 6-7, we looked at how miracles are not just something God did in the past, but something God desires to do today through us!
We also announced our Christmas Miracle Offering, challenging the congregation to give to Zoe Empowers the same amount they spent on Christmas gifts this year. More on Zoe's amazing ministry here.
When we expected a conquering warrior, God came to us as a poor child.
We concluded the Convergence series in November by continuing in Acts 2 and looking at how the three streams of Sacrament, Scripture, and Spirit are present both in the earliest church and in the life of God's people today. This convergence of biblical and historical streams of worship frames our own approach to worship at Grace, rather than an investment in any one style or method. In this way we seek to be faithful to the best of Christian worship, past and present, while being open to new ways of celebrating God's grace.
For more on this vision, see Ever Ancient, Ever New by Winfield Bevins (link here).
In part three of the Convergence series we celebrated the gift of the Holy Spirit both in Scripture and in the life of the church. We read and explored the story of Pentecost in Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit is poured out on the early Christians in Jerusalem. We also looked at the the modern day Pentecostal/Charismatic stream of spirituality which has contributed much to the renewal and revival of Christian witness around the world, beginning with the Azusa Street movement of the early 20th century.
In part two of our Convergence series we looked at the importance of the Bible to Christian life, faith, and worship. In particular, the theology and witness of the Reformation is foundational for this stream of Christian spirituality. To discuss this we explored 2 Timothy 3, in which St. Paul tells Timothy that all Scripture is "God-breathed" and useful for building up the Body of Christ.
On this All Saints Sunday we welcomed a special guest preacher who is also a member of our community: Dr. Ryan Danker, associate professor of Church History and Methodist Studies from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Danker kicked off our series Convergence, focusing on worship, by exploring 1 John 1:1-7, in which John says the message of the gospel that has been handed down is something they have seen, heard, and touched. God is not an absentee landlord; God is revealed in Jesus, at once fully human and fully divine. Today, Jesus is known in bread and cup, and in water - in practices we call sacraments.
God's love is tangible, it is real, we can taste it and touch it, and this is very good news.
In the final sermon of this series we explored our new Vision Statement: "To be a faithful community of servant leaders joining in God's renewal of Greensboro and the world."
We looked at the Lord's Prayer today, and the beautiful image of God's Kingdom being present "on earth as it is in heaven." We talked about the Reign of God as not something that exists only in the future, or on a different plane of existence, but something that was inaugurated by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, something that is present (but not complete) even now. The Kingdom is our vocation, our calling, the ultimate purpose of our daily work. It is God's Kingdom, not ours, but we can join in God's redemption story and play a part here in Greensboro and beyond.
The Kingdom is not a future vacation, but a present vocation.
This Sunday we explored the third part of our mission statement: "to engage with our neighbors as servant leaders." We looked at Matthew 20:20-28, when the mother of James and John asks if her sons can have prime places in the kingdom. When the other disciples, angry that two among them are jockeying for top spots, start to grumble, Jesus reminds them that things are supposed to be different among them. He signals a new vision of leadership altogether when he teaches, "whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant."
As a church, we exist to bless our community, to work side-by-side with our neighbors. We don't do this as people who have all the answers, but as servant leaders seeking to embody the grace of Jesus.
When power is shaped like a cross, leadership looks like service.
This Sunday we looked at the second part of our mission statement: "Empower disciples to follow Jesus."
We talked about a passage usually called The Great Commission. At the end of Matthew's gospel, Jesus' last command to the his followers, and to us, is to "go therefore and make disciples." This means that we as a church don't have to wonder what our purpose is. We don't need to take a year to find our what God wants from us. Jesus made it very clear: we are to be about making disciples. A church can do many good things, but if it is not making disciples, it has veered off course from Jesus' desire.
If we are not discipling, we are drifting.
This Sunday we began a new series, The Way of Grace, celebrating and launching our recently adopted vision and mission statement. The first part of the mission statement is, "Embrace all people with God's love."
Drew preached from Matthew 22:36-40, known as "The Great Commandment." When Jesus was asked what the most important commandment in all of the Bible was, he replied 1) love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and 2) love your neighbor as yourself. Unpacking that further, we also looked at John 12:32, in which Jesus promises to "draw all people" to himself, mirroring again his desire that all people know grace in him and through his followers. And though we try to make exceptions - based on race, class, beliefs, lifestyles, politics, country of origin, you name it! - for Jesus, there are no loopholes or fine print.
There is no asterisk on the all.
In September, while Pastor Drew was on paternity leave, members of our community preached in a TED Talk-inspired series called TEDstimonials.
On this final Sunday of the series, longtime Grace leader Jeff Kerrigan preached from Exodus 3 about the power of choosing faith. Using Moses' call story as a backdrop, Jeff tells a powerful and personal account about the impact of choosing faith throughout his journey.
In September, while Pastor Drew was on paternity leave, members of our community preached in a TED Talk-inspired series called TEDstimonials.
In part four of this series, Shannon Martin, who is on the campus ministry staff at Catawba College, preached from Luke 13:18-21, in which Jesus compared the Kingdom to a mustard seed and to yeast. This parable is a wonderful reminder, when so often our work and ministry seem to have no visible effect, that God is moving powerfully even if we cannot see it, even in those seemingly ordinary moments of everyday life.
In September, while Pastor Drew was on paternity leave, members of our community preached in a TED Talk-inspired series called TEDstimonials.
For the third installment, Chris Wright preached from Matthew 14:22-33, the story of Jesus walking on water. How often does fear of leaving the boat keep us from walking on water, from living the life Jesus intends for us?
God loves us just as we are, but loves us too much to leave us as we are.
In September, while Pastor Drew was on paternity leave, members of our community preached in a TED Talk-inspired series called TEDstimonials.
On the second Sunday in this series, Robert Martin shared a powerful sermon from Psalm 139, and talked about the importance of balancing orthodoxy with orthopraxy.
The world needs Christians who are on the journey, not ones who are standing still.
In September, while Pastor Drew was on paternity leave, members of our community preached in a TED Talk-inspired series called TEDstimonials.
On the first Sunday, Diane Jenkins spoke about her ongoing search for God's purpose in her life, and the power of Christian community in her journey.
Our special guest this Sunday was Rev. Bev Coppley, the District Superintendent of the Northern Piedmont District. In that role, she has spiritual oversight of over 150 churches in and around Greensboro and Guilford County.
On this special Sunday, Rev. Coppley preached from Jeremiah 6:13-16, in which God, speaking through the prophet, says to "ask for the ancient paths." In a world where we look so anxiously to the future, God asks us to remember His faithfulness, and the faithfulness of those who have gone before us, to inspire our witness and work today.
Rev. Mark Portis, retired WNCC pastor, was our guest preacher this Sunday. We looked at John 6:22-35, in which Jesus describes himself as the bread of life and the fountain of living and water.
Jesus is the answer to our deepest desires.
In the final part of These Three Remain, we look at a word that is so often used, we tend to use it cheaply: love. We looked at 1 Peter 4, and the difficult situation of the early church under Nero's persecution, to flesh out what love looks like in practice.
Love is something that we give, something active. 1 Peter says we are "stewards" of God's gifts, which is a high calling. A good steward remembers that all she or he has belongs to God, that we are entrusted with what does not belong to us. Drew used a character from Lord of the Rings to illustrate this biblical idea.
Are we stewarding resources as if they belong to God, or are we hoarding our gifts as if they only exist for us?
My talents become God's gifts when they are given in love for God's glory.
"Faith, hope, and love - these three remain. And the greatest of these is love."
These words conclude one of the most well-known chapters in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13. In our series The Big Three, we look at faith, hope, and love, often called the "theological virtues."
On this Sunday, for part 2, we looked at hope in Romans 5:1-11. Oddly, here hope is presented as the end result of a process that begins with suffering. We talked about the thorny question of suffering and faith, and how the Holy Spirit guides us through dark times in our life.
We can have hope for the future because the Spirit is present.
"Faith, hope, and love - these three remain. And the greatest of these is love."
These words conclude one of the most well-known chapters in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13. In our series The Big Three, we look at faith, hope, and love, often called the "theological virtues."
This Sunday we explored faith by looking at Luke 7:36-50, in which Jesus offers forgiveness to a woman who washes his feet. We explored the old debate about faith vs. works and suggested that maybe this is a false dichotomy.
Faith that saves is faith that works.
Note:
- Here is the link to an article from NC Health News about the Opioid information session through the NC Council of Churches that Drew mentions in the sermon.
We concluded our series on the shortest books of the Bible with a look at 3 John, the last of John's epistles. In just a few verses, John 3 gives us an amazing look at how the church should be, and also how it can go wrong. Called to be a new, loving family in faith, the church sometimes devolves into petty ego contests and infighting. Still, the vision of the early church in 3 John is relevant and inspiring for the church today.
The gospels turns strangers into siblings.
Notes:
- You can find a link to Susan Cain's TED Talk about introverts here. Her book Quiet also contains a great chapter about introverts and the church, which you can find here.
This was the third part in our series on the shortest books of the Bible, called Small But Significant. All throughout this series we read an entire book in worship, an unusual treat due to their unique brevity.
We explored the letter called 2nd John this week, the second of three letters attributed to John, who wrote the gospel by the same name. At the heart of 2 John is a conflict over the identity of Jesus, one that is so severe the integrity of the church is at stake. We discussed the nature of this conflict and why it was so potentially damaging on the 1st century church - and the 21st century church.
Full hope in Jesus requires the flesh of Jesus.
Notes:
- Drew referenced a classic Johnny Cash song in the opening of this sermon. You can listen to "Flesh and Blood" here.
This was the second sermon in our series on the shortest books of the Bible, called Small But Significant. All throughout this series we read an entire book in worship, an unusual treat due to the brevity of these books.
Appropriately, on this Sunday close to July 4, we examined the shortest of St. Paul's letters, Philemon, which is all about the question of freedom within the Christian community. While scholars have debated Paul's request to the slave-owner Philemon for years, we made a case that Paul offered a vision of liberation in Christ that was not only radical in its own time but still a message we need to hear today.
The gospel restores our relationship with God and rearranges our relationship with others.
Notes: Drew quoted Bishop and scholar N.T. Wright in this sermon. You can find a link to him talking in-depth about Philemon here.
This sermon kicked off our series on the shortest books of the Bible, called Small But Significant. All throughout this series we read the entire book in worship, an unusual treat due to the brevity of these books.
We began with Obadiah, the shortest book in the Old Testament. One of the Minor Prophets, Obadiah was a stark reminder that the love God has for God's people sometimes looks like anger, especially in situations of oppression and injustice. We talked a lot this Sunday about the history of Israel and the role of prophets into the faith community.
Love without anger is indifference.
Notes:
The classic book by Rabbi Joshua Heschel that Drew references is The Prophets, which you can find here.
Methodists have a long tradition of appreciated the gifts of laity, and especially of lay preaching. One of Grace's long-time members and leaders, Kent Williams, was the guest preacher this Sunday. His sermon focused on reminding us that the church is the people, not the building. Thanks to Kent for sharing his story and wisdom with us!
We concluded our series on the 23rd Psalm on this Sunday by looking at Holy Communion in relation to the Psalmist's promise about "a table in the presence of my enemies." On the night before he was crucified, Jesus gave sat at a table with his enemies (who were also his disciples) and celebrated the Lord's Supper. Today, Jesus still sets a table for us, even though we forget, hurt, and betray him. That's grace!
At the cross we were reconciled. At the table we are renewed.
We continued our series on Psalm 23 this Sunday, focusing on "the valley of the shadow of death" in 23:4. Many people, religious and not religious, wonder about where God is in the midst of suffering, tragedy, and loss. This is a natural question, and one we see people wrestle with in the Bible, too. We explored these questions today, and celebrated that while we do not get every question answered, we are promised the presence of a loving God in the midst of every valley.
Good people suffer; God's people do not suffer alone.
Notes:
- Kate Bowler's wonderful book, quoted by Drew, is here. Her TED Talk on the same subject is here.
This was the first part of a series on the 23rd Psalm called The Beloved Psalm. For generations, this has been a favorite Psalm of those who are grieving, hurt, or spiritually lost. We focused on Psalm 23:1-3 this Sunday, exploring the character of the Shepherd and what it means for us to be sheep.
Many of us prefer to think of ourselves as independent, not needing anyone else, and self-sufficient. However, everyone follows someone, whether they know it or not.
The Bible refers often to God/Jesus as a Shepherd, and to us as sheep. We might wish we were described as a stronger, more intelligent creature, but if we have a good, wise, and loving shepherd, then being sheep is very good news.
Led sheep are fed sheep.
Notes:
- Emerson's essay Self-Reliance, from which Drew quotes, is here.
We concluded You Are What You Love with a surprising twist: we may not love what we think we love. We learned from Jesus' interaction with the Rich Young Ruler in Mark 10:17-27 that we may sincerely believe we want to follow Jesus faithfully, yet when we are asked to give something up, we discover that some things are more valuable to us than Jesus.
The love in our heads does not matter until it moves into our hands and our hearts.
Notes:
- The story about brain imaging and Apple products is found here.
- James K.A. Smith's book, upon which Drew based this series, is here.
We got to the heart of the series this Sunday, looking at Psalm 135, which teaches that we become like what we worship. If we worship things that damage us, that is very bad news. If we worship the God who loves us, this is very good news.
What we worship today, we become tomorrow.
Our youth took over this Sunday and led in worship, prayer, and preaching. You'll be blessed by the faithful stories of two of our outstanding youth from this special annual service!
This Sunday we continued our Villains series by looking at 1 John 2:1-11 and the danger of anger. We explore anger through the Godfather saga, in which the Corleone family is destroyed by out-of-control anger.
Unlike most of the other vices in this series, anger is not always bad. Jesus, for instance, gets angry when he chases the moneychangers out of the Temple. Anger, stewarded in ways that honor God, helps us fight against injustice and oppression.
Anger is poison when used to hurt, and medicine when used to heal.
We concluded our Villains series on the Seven Deadly Sins on Palm Sunday by looking at Superman's arch-nemesis Lex Luthor. Luthor, as depicted in movies, TV, and comics, hates Superman because he envies Superman's power and popularity. We connected this to Jesus' crucifixion, which the gospels tell us are caused by the envy of Jerusalem's religious authorities.
The solution to envy is to actively practice its opposite: gratitude.
Envy blinds us to our gifts; gratitude opens our eyes to the Giver.
On Easter Sunday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus as the ground of our faith, hope, and love. This was also the beginning of a new series called You Are What You Love.
The empty tomb is full of good news.
The dark Harry Potter villain is our antagonist for part 3 of this series on the Seven Deadly Sins. This Sunday we looked at lust, not just as sexual desire, but as any intense craving that gets in our way of fully experiencing God's love. We explored how Voldemort's own lust for power destroyed him, and took a hard look at the statistics about pornography use in relation to questions of personal holiness, human dignity, and social justice.
Life is found in the Giver, not the gift.
P.S. This Sunday we invited parents, at their discretion, to send older children out for the sermon, as some of the statistics and issues we discuss are disturbing.
What does the tragic character Gollum from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series teach us about greed? This Sunday we continued a Lent series looking at the Seven Deadly Sins through the lens of pop culture villains. Our Scripture for this sermon was Luke 12:13-21, known as the Parable of the Rich Fool. As Gollum demonstrates, greed twists us into something less than what God intended.
Greed turns us from the God we need to the stuff we want.
P.S. Part 1 of this series was on Ash Wednesday and it was not recorded.
Our series Climb concluded this Sunday with a look at the Transfiguration, when Jesus was transformed on the mountaintop and Moses and Elijah appear beside him. What does this mysterious event tell us about Jesus' identity and purpose? How does it relate to events and personalities elsewhere in the Bible? We answer these questions and also explore the meaning of this beautiful, strange story for our day-to-day lives.
Faith does not close our eyes to reality, it awakens us to see his glory.
In the third part of our series on mountaintop encounters with God, we look at Moses coming down from Mt. Sinai with the (second version of) 10 Commandments. Why is Moses transformed on that mountain? How does Moses' experience relate to God's hope for each of us? Odd as it sounds, the answer is in the journey from the porch, to the door, to the house.
God's love meets us where we are, but never leaves us as we are.
We continued our Climb series with Noah this week, looking at the end of the flood story in Genesis 8. We explored the reasons for the flood and the remarkable things we learn about God from this story. Just like the rainbow came after the flood, and the resurrection came after the cross, the we can trust that God never leaves us even in the hardest circumstances.
The worst part of the story is never the last part of the story.
This Sunday we began a new series based on the "mountain-top" experiences in the Bible. We begin with the story of Abraham and Isaac, often called the "binding of Isaac." In this strange story, we discover a beautiful picture of the love of God, and an amazing parallel to the story of Jesus. We also talk about sacrifice, and what God wants from those who love him.
God is most glorified in us when we give God what is most precious to us.
We continued our Bullseye series by looking at Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 to "seek first God's kingdom." In a world that is constantly fighting for our attention and energy, how do we ensure our priorities reflect the kingdom? This Sunday we explored this and more, with some help from Greg McKeown's book Essentialism.
Seek first what will last.
This Sunday, our special guest preacher Rev. Sherri Barnes preached on gifts from 1 Corinthians 12. Did you know that everyone has God-given gifts to share?
Rev. Barnes, since 2012, has served as Pfeiffer’s associate director for university and church relations and director of the Youth Theological Institute, has been lead pastor of two North Carolina congregations, Marshville United Methodist Church and Bethel United Methodist Church and associate pastor for First United Methodist Church, Salisbury. She holds a master of divinity from Duke University, a bachelor of science in business administration from Youngstown State University (Ohio). She is an Elder in full connection in the Western North Carolina Conference.
We continued our Bullseye series by looking at the purpose of disciples (to follow Jesus) and the purpose of the church (to make disciples). Following the work of Simon Sinek, we talked about the importance of having a "why," and saw that our "why" doesn't have to be discovered, because Jesus gave it to us in The Great Commission at the end of Matthew 28. We also had the opportunity to remember our baptism, which is a traditional practice on Baptism of the Lord Sunday.
Disciples are made, not born.
P.S. Here is a link to a great TED Talk by Simon Sinek on his book Start With Why.
In January we began a new series called Bullseye, about staying on target in our lives. Like the Wise Men remind us, the center and focus of our lives is not any what or why, but a who: Jesus. We seek Jesus out not by staying who we are and where we are, but by putting one foot in front of the other and walking with him as disciples.
We can't stay where are and follow Jesus.
On January 30th, we concluded the year with a traditional Covenant Renewal Service. These services go back to the 18th century and the earliest days of the Wesleyan Revival in England. Just as we see in the Old Testament, when prophets or kings would gather God's people together to repent and begin anew with God, we gathered to recommit ourselves to God's work and give the new year to the work of the Kingdom. Rather than a sermon, this service is focused on a series of readings, hymns, and prayers, which you will hear in this recording.
This website provides more of the background to this service, and some of the prayers we utilized.
May God bless you and yours to be a blessing to others in 2019!
In this second part of our Advent series we continue to explore Mary's Song, the Magnificat. What does it mean that God "lifts up the lowly," and how do we actually live that way? We talk about this and more as we celebrate a strange and wonderful God who blesses the lowly and brings down the mighty!
Pride is allergic to God's presence; submission makes room for a Savior.
This Sunday we began the season of Advent with a new series focused on Mary's song in Luke 1. Commonly called the Magnificat, Mary's song - sung while she is pregnant with Jesus - is a beautiful preview of Jesus' teaching, mission, and impact.
This sermon focused on the line where Mary says, "My soul magnifies the Lord."
All of our lives point to what we value. We freely share with others what teams we cheer for, what restaurants we like, and what movies we enjoy. What gets your time, energy, and resources? What do you passionately tell others about? Where does your life point others?
Our lives either magnify Christ or shrink to something less.
Something that people often say when you are going through a hard time is, "God won't give you more than you can handle."
But is that true? All over the Bible we see people getting far more than they can handle - people like Noah, Moses, and Job. Even Jesus in Gethsemane (and on the cross) struggled with the weight of his mission and suffering.
At some point, life will throw more at us than we can handle. The good news is that God helps us to handle more than we knew possible.
The overwhelmed and overstretched are under the mercy of Christ.
P.S. Here is the link to Simon Sinek's excellent book Start With Why that Drew references in the sermon. He also has a great TED Talk here.
Have you ever tried your best not to be judgmental and still ended up doing it anyway?
In this sermon we look at the popular phrase "love the sinner, hate the sin." Though not in the Bible, some Christians use this all the time. How does it hold up to the light of the gospel? Under what conditions can we look at other people's sins? What does it mean for us to follow Jesus' teaching to worry first about the "log" in our own eye, and and only then about the "speck" in someone else's?
The good news is that Jesus loves to spend time with sinners, and he even sets a table for them.
Love all sinners equally; hate your own sins above all others.
P.S. We had a slight audio issue this week - bear with us, we are still working the kinks out. Thanks for your patience!
Is God big enough to handle our questions? This Sunday we looked at the role of questions in the life of faith. We examined the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, and other passages where we see people raise questions. Finally, we talk about the crucial role that questions play in discipleship (even if we don't always get answers).
Faith and questions are friends; faith and certainty are acquaintances.
P.S. The book by Nicholas Wolsterstaorff tht Drew quotes in this sermon is titled Lament for a Son; you can find it here.
This sermon was part of our special All Saints Sunday worship in which we remembered and gave thanks to God for all the faithful women and men whose lives have showed God's love to us. Continuing our series On Second Thought, we explore the common saying "Time heals all wounds."
Does time really heal all wounds? What does healing really mean? We explore these questions and more through the lens of Psalm 34.
Thanks for listening! We'd love to have you and your family join us at Embrace Worship on Sundays at 10:16!
P.S. Here is a link to a great TED Talk by Brené Brown, whose work Drew referenced in this sermon.
This Sunday, we continued our series on everyday expressions by looking at "God helps those who help themselves." Where did this expression come from, if it isn't (hint hint) in the Bible? What does God's help look like? How do we understand grace in a culture that tells us to earn and deserve everything?
We'll explore these questions and more and celebrate God's love for the powerless, the outcast, and the broken in this sermon.
Join us Sundays at 10:16 for Embrace Worship!
P.S. The audio shifts slightly near the end of the sermon; the original recording cut off slightly so we had to go back in and add the conclusion back in.
This Sunday, we began a new series exploring expressions that people use every day but often don't think very much about. Today we explored "Everything Happens for a Reason," something we hear almost daily.
Is this statement true? If so, what does it say about God? Does the Bible say that everything happens for a reason? We explore these questions and more in Part 1 of this series.
Join us Sundays at 10:16 for Embrace Worship!
P.S. Here is the link to Kate Bowler's excellent book Everything Happens for a Reason...and Other Lies I've Loved that Drew references in the sermon.
This Sunday we welcomed Rev. Sherri Barnes from Pfeiffer University as our guest preacher. She preached from Mark 10:17-31 and helped us transition to the next series, On Second Thought.
Rev. Barnes, since 2012 has served as Pfeiffer’s associate director for university and church relations and director of the Youth Theological Institute, has been lead pastor of two North Carolina congregations, Marshville United Methodist Church and Bethel United Methodist Church and associate pastor for First United Methodist Church, Salisbury. She holds a master of divinity from Duke University, a bachelor of science in business administration from Youngstown State University (Ohio). She is an Elder in full connection in the Western North Carolina Conference.
In this concluding sermon to our series Strong Medicine, we look at the warning about "friendship with the world" from James 4. Because God loves us, God wants to be our first love. The world rewards people for fitting in to its ways, but God wants something better for us than the world can ever provide.
Our grandmothers said, "cleanliness is next to godliness." That's not in the Bible, but James makes clear that worldliness is the opposite of Godliness.
Join us for worship at 10:16 on Sundays!
P.S. Here is a link to the "General Rules" of the early Methodists that Drew references in the sermon.
The Book of James contains probably the strongest statement in the whole Bible about the power of words. This sermon, part four of the Strong Medicine series, explores why James' warnings about how we use our words are even more relevant today, and offers some ways we can learn to use words in ways that honor God and build up the people around us.
Words tearing down others cancel out words lifting up praise.
In part three of this series, we look at perhaps James' most famous section: James 2:14-26, which contains the famous verse, "faith without works is dead." We explore the relationship of action to salvation, a question that is central to the Christian faith.
We are tempted to make religion or spirituality something that we just believe, whether or not it corresponds to our outward living. This is not what Jesus intends for us. Our relationship to God is not merely something that exists in our heads.
The gospel is believed and behaved.
Note: you can view the discipleship visual referenced in the sermon here.