Easter Sunday, April 5, 5, 2026 – Acts 10:34-43, Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24, Colossians 3:1-4, Matthew 28:1-10 There’s a story that many of us learned as children about a young George Washington. You probably know it. He cuts down his father’s cherry tree, and when confronted, he says, “I cannot tell a lie.” Now, historians will […]
Sunday, March 29, 2026 – Matthew 21:1-11, Isaiah 50:4-9a, Psalm 31:9-16, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 27:11-54 Years ago, when I was home from college over winter break, I went into Manhattan with two friends to be in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. The crowd was enormous—packed so tightly that we were literally jammed together like
Sunday, March 22, 2026 – Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45 On this day, as we gather in worship, I invite you to open your hearts to a message of hope, of renewal, and of the quiet, unstoppable power of God’s spirit at work in our lives. Our readings today—Ezekiel’s vision in the
Sunday, March 8, 2026 – Exodus 17:1-7, Psalm 95, Romans 5:1-11, John 4:5-42 There is something deeply human about thirst. When we are thirsty enough, everything else fades into the background. The Israelites in our reading from Exodus knew that kind of thirst. They were in the wilderness, far from the familiar world they had
Sunday, February 15, 2926, Transfiguration Sunday – Exodus 24:12-18, Psalm 2, Psalm 99, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Matthew 17:1-9 For the last week or so, I’ve been in the grips of a great spiritual struggle. I share this because I want you to know that even those of us who serve in ministry roles or who
Sunday, February 1, 2026 – Micah 6:1-8, Psalm 15, 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, Matthew 5:1-12 Our first reading today is a well-known section from the Book of Micah. Who was Micah? He was a minor prophet in the 8th-century BC from Judea, known for defending the poor against corrupt leaders and warning of God’s judgment on
Sunday, January 25, 2026 – Isaiah 9:1-4, Psalm 27:1, 4-9, 1 Corinthians 1:10-18, Matthew 4:12-23 Have you ever been in a place of complete darkness? Here in Bradenton, we’re surrounded by streetlights, building lights, and the constant glow of modern life. There’s so much light pollution that we rarely experience true darkness at all. Even
Sunday, November 2, 2025, All Saints Sunday – Isaiah 1:10-18, Psalm 32:1-7, 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4, 11-12, Luke 19:1-10 Let’s be honest—we all know what it feels like to be lost, whether it’s losing our way in life, feeling out of place, or wondering if anyone truly notices us. Sometimes, we feel invisible in a crowd,
Sunday, October 19, 2025 – Genesis 32:22-31, Psalm 121, 2 Timothy 3:14—4:5, Luke 18:1-8 As we gather around today’s readings, a powerful thread emerges: persistence. In Genesis, we encounter Jacob at a crossroads—wrestling not just with a mysterious stranger, but with his past, his fears, and ultimately with God. Out of this struggle comes blessing
One of the things I love most about scripture is how, even thousands of years later, these ancient stories still have the power to surprise us, to challenge us, and to inspire us. Today, as we hear about the healing of Naaman, the Syrian general, and the ten lepers whom Jesus heals, we are reminded
