Sunday, March 1, 2026 Note: Much of this sermon was inspired by a post from Rev. Dr. Mark Sandlin, and I am grateful to him for his witness and his wise guidance that is reflected in this sermon. In a dark time in American history, when oppressed people were overwhelmed with fear, they turned to […]
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 8, 2026 – Isaiah 58:1-9a [9b-12], Psalm 112:1-9 [10], 1 Corinthians 2:1-12 [13-16], Matthew 5:13-20 This is the gospel according to fifth chapter of Matthew beginning with the 13th verse as it appears in the Bible translation called The Message. 13 “Let me tell you why you are here. You’re here to be salt-seasoning
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, January 18, 2026 – Isaiah 49:1-7, Psalm 40:1-11, 1 Corinthians 1:1-9, John 1:29-42 Years ago, I found myself on a journey that changed the way I think about faith and community. In my church in Marietta, Georgia, I joined a small group study based on the book The Edge of Adventure: An Experiment in
Sunday, January 4, 2026 Sirach 24:1-12, Wisdom 10:15-21, Ephesians 1:3-14, John 1:[1-9] 10-18 Have you ever had the experience of buying a new car and then suddenly seeing that car everywhere you go? This can happen with things other than cars too. There seems to be a relationship between us seeing something new and then
Wednesday, December 24, 2025, Christmas Eve – Isaiah 9:2-7, Psalm 96, Titus 2:11-14, Luke 2:1-14 [15-20] Tonight, as we read these familiar texts and sing hymns about the birth of Jesus—born in a humble manger, in a small and insignificant town, to poor people displaced from their home—I want to pause and talk about the
Sunday, December 21, 2025 – Isaiah 7:10-16, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Romans 1:1-7, Matthew 1:18-25 How many of you have a dog? I used to have two dogs. Now I have two cats who I love my cats very much, but I miss my dogs. Sometimes that feeling is so intense that my heart literally hurts.
Sunday, December 14, 2025 – Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 1:46b-55, James 5:7-10, Matthew 11:2-11 What does salvation mean, and what is the role of the Messiah? Today, our scripture readings invite us into the heart of these questions and, even more, into the yearning for a world transformed—a world we still long for today. Isaiah speaks
