Have you ever met someone who seems to be completely blind to the reality around them? Maybe it’s a child who doesn’t yet fully grasp the impact their words or actions have on other people. Maybe it’s a family member or a friend who can’t see the long-lasting, negative consequences of their alcohol or drug use, or a poor diet is having on themselves, and how it impacts others they love. Maybe it’s someone fretting about something that has been clearly handled and doesn’t warrant that level of concern. Maybe there’s been a point in your life when you look back and think you were blind to the things right in front of you that seem like they should have been obvious.
"Living Water Heals the Parched Soul" (Sermon on John 4:5-26) | March 8, 2026
This has been a bit of a weird winter, rain-wise, hasn’t it? It hasn’t been the super-dry winter we became accustomed to in years of drought, but it also seems to have been feast or famine with the rain. We’ve had like three stretches of a lot of rain, with almost nothing in between. Water might be one of those things we don’t think about much until we don’t have it, when the water restrictions start coming because of a lack of rain, when the thirst suddenly grips us out of nowhere, and we want nothing more than a big glass of water.
"Jesus Is for All; Jesus Is for You" (Sermon on Romans 4:1-5, 13-17) | March 1, 2026
You walk into the break room at work. It’s your birthday, but you’re not sure that anyone at work knows that. But as you walk in, there’s a giant sheet cake on the table, and all of your coworkers are gathered around. Your name is emblazoned in icing on the top of the cake, and everyone yells, “Happy Birthday!” You sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee and a piece of cake, and gather with everyone.
"A Battle Was Lost, but the War Is Won" (Sermon on Genesis 3:1-15) | February 22, 2026
I’m no military strategist, nor do I even have any interest in the history of that area, but even a buffon like me can understand the difference between fighting a battle and fighting a war. There are conflicts that we face, be they literal wars between nations or more figurative wars in our lives, where we need to pick our battles to win the overall goal.
"Jesus' Curse Is Our Redemption" (Sermon on Galatians 3:10-13) | April 18, 2025
Tonight’s service is difficult. It is challenging to try to find a balanced tone within ourselves. We are here to observe something tremendously sad—yet from which all of our hope and joy flow. So, how do we hold both the sadness of Jesus’ death and the comfort that this death paid for our sins? How do we balance the sadness that Jesus suffered hell on the cross and the blessing that he did so for us, so we will never face it? We can try to finesse it, but the reality is there is no “correct” tone for tonight. Sadness and joy sit beside each other tonight as the Son of God gives up his life.
"What Kind of Savior Do You Want?" (Sermon on Luke 19:28-40) | April 13, 2025
Have you been to a casual dining or fast food restaurant that has one of those CocaCola Freestyle soda machines? They’re these big machines with a huge touch screen on them, and if you want to drink soda, you have what feels like near-infinite options. But it allows mixing and matching even more than a traditional soda fountain because, in addition to the base sodas, you can add several different syrups flavors to your drink. So, if you’re not content with normal Diet Coke you can, with the press of a button, make it Orange Vanilla Diet Coke. And if you’re feeling brave, perhaps you add a splash of Dr. Pepper.
"Look at What God Is Doing!" (Sermon on Isaiah 43:16-21) | April 6, 2025
“Hey, watch this!” Depending on who is saying those words, you might have different expectations of what you’ll see. If it’s a very young child, it might be some new-and-a-big-deal-to-them type of physical maneuver or something new they learned that aligns with their growth and development. If someone has been studying sleight-of-hand illusions, you might see something that seems impossible at first glance. And if it’s a layman working on the plumbing at the kitchen sink, perhaps you’ll see a great success or a wild failure as the water gets turned on. But in any case, you want to watch and see, either to encourage, be amazed, or know if you need to get the mop.
"What Condemnation?" (Sermon on Romans 8:1-10) | March 30, 2025
You might hear a call for public condemnation in many places. Perhaps some public official does something that is deemed inappropriate, and so calls come from the public for others in office to denounce and condemn his actions. Perhaps a CEO’s misconduct will lead to condemnation from his company’s board. Perhaps a grassroots campaign will urge you to call your representatives in Sacramento or Washington to condemn some bill moving through the legislature. We’re familiar with condemnation, and even public condemnation, of misconduct or ideas that seem potentially dangerous, unwise, or misguided.
"Seek a Lenten Mindset!" (Sermon on Psalm 85) | March 23, 2025
For some tasks, you just have to be in the right headspace, and if you’re not, perhaps you need to try to manufacture it. For instance, if you know you need to work out or do some cleaning around the house, but perhaps you just don’t feel like it, sometimes putting on the right music, podcast, or TV show can flip that switch and get you going. Perhaps you have a project due for school in the coming weeks, but it feels so far away that you find yourself lacking the drive to get any work done on it. But perhaps setting smaller, more immediate deadlines can help light that fire under you to get started.
"Don't Shrink Away from the Moment" (Sermon on Philippians 3:17-4:1) | March 16, 2025
The basketball player gets the ball. Down by one point, a single made shot wins the game. The defense has panicked, leaving him wide open. The final seconds are ticking down. He lines it up and gets ready to take the shot, but he hesitates. His teammates on the bench are screaming for him to shoot, but he doubts himself and shrinks away from the moment. He sees a teammate open and passes the ball to him, but what he didn’t see was the defender behind him. The defender swats away the pass, grabs the ball, and they lose the game. They would have won if he had just taken and made the wide-open shot, but his hesitation means they didn’t even get a chance to try. Game over.
"Jesus Conquers Satan for You" (Sermon on Luke 4:1-13) | March 9, 2025
We all would like someone to stand up for us. If you’re being bullied at school, having a classmate swoop in and tell the bully off is a relief and empowering experience. Similarly, when you're in a meeting at work and receive stern criticism for your presentation, it’s easier to deal with it when others also praise your thoughts and ideas. Holding an unpopular opinion can feel alienating, but having even one other person who agrees with you is a great comfort and encouragement.
