Jesus turned conventional wisdom on its had declaring that those who give much from a desire to be seen and praised have been outshone by a poor widow gave almost nothing, but it was all she had.

By His own example, Jesus teaches us that no one is beyond His care–nor the care of His church.

When Jesus is in a crowd of people, he can tell that someone touched him and was healed. As he looks around he sees a woman who had been sick for twelve years. She went searching for Jesus and her encounter with him changed her life. This story reminds us that if we earnestly search for Jesus, our lives will also be changed.

In the parable of the great banquet, a host is angry when his invite-only party results in "please accept my regrets" from all the guests. He turns his emotion into an opportunity for radical hospitality as he opens the doors fir any and all to come to the banquet–including those who are low on the social totem pole. On this World Communion Sunday, we use this passage to ask ourselves what steps we need to take to show the same kind of radical hospitality by setting a table that has plenty of sears and room for everyone to gather.

A Christian's Secret to a Happy Life

We read in 1 Corinthians 12 about the many gifts that the Holy Spirit gives to us. Often we tend to think about this passage on an individual, personal level. But what if we think about it as Paul speaking to a congregation, and think about the gifts that the Holy Spirit given to our church.

This timely message from Paul Baxley offers a balance of challenge and hope as our congregation prepares to begin listening sessions in the coming weeks. Listen with open ears and a willing spirit to hear what God is saying to you, but also to our congregation.

Although we rightly focus most often on God's mercy, grace, and love, we need tp be reminded occasionally that God is all powerful and righteous in His judgement.

Like the ancient Hebrew prophet, Jeremiah, God's people today are also called to speak truth to our contemporaries despite our temptation to keep silent.

At a first read through, the story of the woman with a bad back in Luke 13 seems to be a story about making sure we are only doing things to bring honor to God on the Sabbath day. But for Jesus, freeing a woman from her physical captivity of eighteen years is exactly a way to honor God on the Sabbath. This passage is a reminder that as members of the kingdom of God, we shouldn’t wait a single day longer to set the oppressed free, bring release to those who are captives, or be the hands and feet of justice in this world.

The book of Hebrews was written as a reminder for Jewish Christians that even though they are following the teachings of Jesus, the faith of their Jewish ancestors still matters. Our passage for today is a reminder to this group to early Christians and to us that even though we face hardships and challenges, we come from a long line of faithful people who have kept the faith and run the race. Now, it is our turn to run this leg of the journey, carrying on the story of Jesus until we pass off the baton to the saints who will come after us.

In God's covenant with Abram in Genesis 15, God says to Abram, "Do not be afraid, I've got your back". As we focus on these four words of comfort, how can we find ways to let our fears and anxieties have less control over our lives, and to trust fully in these words? Like Abram, when we are facing the unknown, if we turn to God for comfort and guidance, we will find that our fear lessens and our trust increases. We hope this sermon brings your comfort as you listen to its message.

Jesus does not condemn this farmer for being prudent. Every farmer knows abundant years will be followed by lean years. Preparing for lean times is a sign of wisdom. Rather, Jesus condemns a kind of greed that creeps up on us. Without realizing it, we can become self-focused and think we are self-sufficient. Jesus says God called him a fool because he couldn't see beyond himself and enough was not enough.

In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us that we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. In her sermon, Christy breaks down what it actually means to love and pray for those who make it easier to hate them. As we consider this new approach to enemies, who is that you are called to love?

The story of Mary and Martha is one that usually has us frowning upod Martha's actions and praising Mary's. But maybe we shouldn't be so quick to judge Martha. In this sermon, Pastor Jim upacks this passage further and offers a word of challenge and encouragement for us hearing this passage today.

In today's sermon, Pastor Jim focuses on the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. While God appreciates our worship, God also needs our actions in the world in order to change the places that have hurt and need healing. We hope this sermon offers a different insight to this story and moves you to love your neighbor more fully.