University Christian Church Sermons: Recent Episodes
University Christian Church
A community of Christ followers devoted to embodying our mission - to share the love if Jesus in Uptown Cincinnati and to develop lifelong kingdom leaders.
Are there different kinds of truths? Are all facts truthful, all truths factual? How do you communicate truth that can only be seen through the eyes of the heart? In true Marty fashion, we ask questions, seeking to fill our toolbox with a few more tools for engaging the bible well.
Today, Marty invites us to consider how we posture ourselves towards the bible, suggesting that “asking better questions of the bible,” is one way we mature in our discipleship. Marty touches on many themes including: why it’s important to understand the bible as a singular, cohesive narrative; the differences between the bible’s distinct sections and why that matters in the work of interpretation; and what changes when Jesus enters the story.
In order to understand the bible well, apply the bible well, engage the bible well, and utilize the bible well, the bible must be (scary word) “interpreted.” In this second teaching in our, “How We Read the Bible” series, Jeremiah invites us to look closer at how we draw meaning from this collection of ancient voices—that which comes from the Spirit of God and the work of humans.
In this first of a six-part sermon series, Jeremiah invites us to explore how the bible came to be, and what difference the bible can make in our lives today as we learn to love it, absorb it, and allow it to form us.
Weird things happen in the Bible. Including in the story of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. On Palm Sunday, we look closer at Luke 19 and the bizarre events that transpire at the beginning of Jesus’ passion.
A final reflection on Lamentations, guided by Marty Solomon. What needs to die in us? Who might we need to walk with in solidarity through suffering? What new perspective is God showing us? Can we embrace the dying and trust the new life to follow? Let us hope.
We “round the corner” in our 5-part series through Lamentations and ask: is there any hope? Might the circumstances we suffer, the situations that bring us sorrow, the realities that leave us anguished bring us closer to new life? So it was for Jesus. So it might be for us?
The poetry of Lamentations invites us into “the tensive interplay of unresolvable, open dialogue”—with affliction, with grief, with persistent suffering. In week three of our Lamentations series, Katie asks us to consider the role unanswerable questions, incomplete answers, and the more complex aspects of human experience play in our formation into Christlikeness.
Lament is a physical and embodied expression of grief, based on the recognition that things are not as they should be. When we take our pain to God, we proclaim hope—to ourselves and to our communities—that we believe things will change. Today, we continue our series through Lamentations, looking to faithful followers of the past to learn how to practice lament in the present.
To “lament” is to take our sorrows before the Lord. This Lenten season, we’re working our way through the five chapters of Lamentations. Jeremiah kicks-off our series by inviting us to take a closer look at what we do when we encounter suffering—in our own lives, and in the lives of those around us.
Jesus brings transformation into the lives of all who encounter him, into every place he goes. Today, we look at what transpires when Jesus meets God people in three different settings: a private place, a public place, and a hidden place. As we continue our journey through Mark’s Gospel, we invite you to reflect on the ways you’ve already experienced transformative encounters with Jesus, and allow yourself to stay open to new possibilities for experiencing fresh encounters with Jesus today.
Jesus comes onto the scene with power from on High. If we believe Jesus’ authority comes from God Almighty, what are we to make of his teaching? What could change in our lives, if we lived believing there is STILL power in Jesus’ name?
On Christmas Eve morning, Shannon took us on a journey across the arc of scripture, and invited us to reflect in new, deeper ways on the love God has for all his people. Just what kind of love is this? We hope this re-recording of Shannon’s message blesses you as much as it did listeners who gathered on the eve of Christmas.
Today, we continue along in Mark’s Gospel, where we see Jesus driven into wilderness; Jesus proclaiming Kingdom nearness; and Jesus calling his first disciples. What can we learn about the Good News from these three stories?
What can the story of the Magi, these “odd,” star-gazing wanderers, who follow a rising star to Bethlehem, teach us about God? About who God reveals himself to? About how and where God shows up? Much, for the one humble enough and curious enough to go looking.
Listen to fifteen brave and bold sharers tell us how they’ve experienced God’s goodness this year. All the time, God is good!
The Apostle Paul exhorts, “Rejoice always,” (1 Thessalonians 5:16) but what does this mean? And how do we do it? Daniel asks us to consider joy in the light of our Christian faith: what joy is (and isn’t); what can get in the way of experiencing joy; and how we might practice joy in ongoing, sustainable, life-giving ways.
Advent is a season of waiting. Waiting. Waiting. The challenge of Advent is learning how to let the waiting produce something beautiful in us. Perhaps, a deeper faith? Perhaps, a greater hope? This morning, Tyler weaves together the poetry of Shel Silverstein, the drama of Mark’s gospel, and parts of his own personal journey to help us hope more boldly in the Kingdom of God—that which is close at hand, that which will one day come in fullness when Christ returns. Come, Lord Jesus.
What does it mean to be people with sexuality? This week, we broaden our understanding of the word “sexuality,” (its more than “who can do what with whom!”) then take a closer look at Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians to glean what we can from the apostle’s teaching with regard to living in ways that honor God, honor ourselves, and honor one another. Follow along with us.
What does it mean to be made in the image of God? It means we are incarnational. It means we are called to vocations. It means we are made for community. It means we have sexuality. Dive into Genesis 1 & 2 with us this morning.
Striving to become a Jesus-shaped church requires us to pursue unity in the midst of disagreement. Today, we return to Romans 14 to explore how we go about living this out.
To be reconciled in the body of Christ requires us to forgive when we’ve been hurt. But how? This morning, we take a closer look at Romans 14/15 to see what we can glean from the Apostle Paul as it relates to finding unity after (and within) the experience of pain.
How do we find commonality? This morning, we look at Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth to discover what the Apostle suggests ought to be of first importance in our work towards unity.
In this second half of a 2-part teaching on leadership in the church, we look at a story from Acts 15—the early church leaders in communal discernment. What does it look like for us to practice these postures today?
What does it look like to lead more like Jesus? We explore a passage from Matthew 20 this morning to discover four postures we might take as we seek to lead more like Jesus in the church and as the church in the world.
As contemporary Christians, it’s tempting to look at the church depicted in Acts 2, and say, “Yeah! That’s how we need to be!” And yet, with the best of intentions, our attempts to practice the rhythms we see in the early church somehow always fall short. We fool ourselves thinking we can look exactly like the church in Acts. However, what can we learn—as 21st-century, America Christians—by giving the practices of the early church a closer look? Marty invites us into a morning of provocation and reflection.
What does it mean that church is “a family?” Jeremiah takes us on a tour through 1 Thessalonians Chapter 2 to explore this question.
The body of UCC models being the body today, as Marty leads us through the communal reading of five passages of scripture, and helps us reflect upon each. What do we do with passages that suggest that disciples of Jesus will suffer? Face persecution? Imprisonment? Death? Indeed…What do we do with that?
Today, we begin a multi-week series exploring the question: “What is church?” Jeremiah kicks us off this morning with the thought-provoking question: “What if the church looked more like Jesus?”
This week we look at a passage from Isaiah 51 to find God’s instruction for his people in the midst of suffering and struggle. Listen in, be encouraged.
Today we look at a story from Acts 8, the story of Phillip’s encounter with the eunuch from Samaria. How does the prophet Isaiah speak good news to this “outsider.” How does Phillip respond?
Throughout scripture, God asks his people many questions. This week, Jeremiah takes us to 1 Kings 19: 9-18 where we find Elijah in a cave, prompted by God to consider “why he’s there.” What can we learn about ourselves by taking the time to reflect on the questions God asks us? How might learning to listen for God’s voice in silence lead to a deepening relationship with our Creator?
What are the tenants of God’s economy? How do the ways of the Kingdom challenge the systems and structures we exist within in our contemporary, Western society? Jeremiah offers both a confession and an invitation.
Today we look closer at Luke 8, and discover a story about Jesus’ power, a story about great faith, and a story about how Jesus responds to interruption. Megan is joined by Isaac and Sandi who each offer their own story of interruption, and how they saw the “unexpected” lead to Kingdom possibilities.
This morning we look at the Institution of the Lord’s Supper. What is the New Covenant Jesus makes with God’s people? And what difference does it make in our daily life, as 21-century followers?
On April 23rd, Dr. Katie Ranum preached a message on Luke 13, the story of the woman who had been crippled for 18 years. A technical difficulty prevented the sermon from recording that morning. Since then, numerous people have asked for Katie’s message, so she’s graciously recorded it for us at her home. Here it is!
The story of Jesus is the story of people telling stories. This is how the good news travels—through our stories! As you look back on your journey of faith, what difference has knowing and following Jesus made in your life? And how might God be prompting you to share it?
Marty takes us on a journey to discover the "gift of the desert" through an exploration of Psalm 1. The psalmist says, "Blessed is the one who meditates (hâgâh) on the Lord's law day and night." How does a commitment to the text become our pathway to righteousness? We look to Jesus' example (Luke 4) to explore how "consuming scripture" can be our pathway through the wilderness, through the tempter's schemes.
Today, we look at Mark 5, the story of Jesus in the region of the Gerasenes. As we encounter the story, we’re asking: “What sacrifice might God be inviting us to make for the sake of other’s restoration and redemption?”
Leslie Hall has been serving as a missionary in London since 2018. Join us for this conversation as Leslie reflects on her calling, focus, and hopes for 2023.