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, 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
Sunday, July 27 – Genesis 18:20-32, Colossians 2:6-15 [16-19], Luke 11:1-13 Have you ever been to a carnival fun house? The kind where different mirrors change how you look? Or have you ever looked through a hundred-year-old window where the glass is a little wavy, and everything outside looks wavy too? Well, the truth is,
Sunday, July 20, 2025 – Colossians 1:15-28 This sermon may be better experienced by watching it online, as it incorporated video and music (which are embedded below), as well as contemplative reflection. Today, we’re going to do something a little different. We’re going to use our eyes, ears, and voices to explore and experience our
Sunday, June 22, 2025 – Isaiah 65:1-9, Psalm 22:19-28, Galatians 3:23-29, Luke 8:26-39 I want to begin today with a question: Have you ever felt as though God is far away—perhaps hidden or silent just when you needed God most? One of those childhood games that never seems to go out of fashion is hide
Easter Sunday, April 20, 2025 – Luke 24:1-12 Years ago, I visited a Shroud of Turin exhibit that was housed in the CNN center in downtown Atlanta. The Shroud itself wasn’t there, but large photographs were everywhere that showed very clearly what probably happened to Jesus. It was a very emotional experience. So, when the
