Sermon: “Stay (A)woke”, Mark 14:32-42 (July 12, 2026)

As we near the end of our sermon series about “disputing with God”, we’ve been given this text, Mark’s version of Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane. It’s pretty clear why this passage wound up in the series: I can’t think of a more intriguing sermon topic than “God arguing with Godself”. I’m sure we’ve all wondered at some point how a prayer from one person of the Trinity to another would work - is it like talking to yourself? Or is it more like a “multiple personality” situation? How can something be both not what Jesus wants, and also what God does want at the same time? There are a lot of fascinating directions that this sort of sermon could take. But as I wrestled with which of these questions I should tackle this week, I found an entirely different one distracting me: why are the disciples reacting SO differently from Jesus in this passage?

Sermon: "The Deepest of Wounds", Matthew 15:21-28 (July 5, 2026)

This weekend (this whole year, really) our country has been celebrating 250 years of independence from British rule - the “birthday” of the United States. But even as we display our sense of national pride with waving flags, parades, and red, white, and blue EVERYTHING, many of us hold our sense of patriotism alongside complicated feelings. It’s not that we don’t love our country; it’s that we recognize a deep and painful divide between ourselves and our fellow compatriots. The wound is deep. Our seemingly insurmountable differences make us question whether we’ll be able to be “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” ever again.

Sermon: "A Snapshot of the Soul", Psalm 88 (June 28, 2026)

In one of his commentaries, John Calvin calls the psalms, “an anatomy of all the parts of the soul,” because he believed that there was no human emotion that can’t be found within this collection of poetry. And he’s right: themes range the gamut from ecstatic joy to sorrowful remorse to righteous anger. In fact, many of the psalms incorporate several emotions all together at once: lament, repentance, thanksgiving, and praise all in one convenient package.  

Sermon: "The Cost of Compassion", Jonah 3-4 (June 21, 2026)

This second half of the book of Jonah may not be a proper dispute with God, as there’s not much direct back and forth between Jonah and God, but there’s certainly a struggle of wills on display here. Many people in Scripture push back when God calls them to prophecy or leadership, but Jonah elevates resistance to an art form. At first, he attempts to literally run away from God’s instructions, which famously lands him inside the belly of an enormous fish. Only then, after God delivers Jonah from his predicament by way of fish vomit, does Jonah begrudgingly make his way to Nineveh to proclaim the message that God had given him. 

Liturgy: Imitating Christ, Philippians 2:1-11 (May 17, 2026)

 *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #652, “A Grateful Heart”

Hymn GTG #720, “Jesus Calls Us”

Hymn GTG #767, “Together We Serve”

Liturgy: Paul's Greeting to the Philippians, Philippians 1:1-18 (May 10, 2026)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #366, “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling”

Hymn GTG #693, “Though I May Speak”

Hymn GTG #546, “Lord, Dismiss Us with Your Blessing”

Liturgy: Paul's Sermon at Athens, Acts 17:16-31 (May 3, 2026)

         *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know that you have either used or adapted it.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #409, “God Is Here!”

Hymn GTG #317, “In Christ There Is No East or West”

Sermon: "People Over Principles", John 4:46-54 (February 8, 2026)

Today’s passage isn’t one that we encounter very often in the context of worship. It’s not in the Revised Common Lectionary at all, and even here in the Narrative Lectionary, it’s usually lumped together with the healing of a different, paralyzed man - a much better-known miracle that IS in the Revised Common Lectionary and usually gets all the attention. In fact, I had a lot of trouble finding ANY sources or commentaries that could provide insight into this story from the end of John 4. Which I think is unfair: why should this man and his son be neglected and forgotten? Sure, as a royal official, he was a Gentile at best and an instrument of Roman oppression at worst - either way, certainly not a member of Jesus’ community - but he was facing one of the most universal, human experiences there is: fear for the life of a loved one.

Sermon: "Tethered to Grace", John 4:7-30 (February 1, 2026)

I’ve been to the Emergency Department exactly once in my life. It was about 12 years ago. I woke up with a slight twinge in my side, which slowly worsened throughout the day, until I figured it wouldn’t be a good idea to ignore it any longer. By the time urgent care sent me to the hospital, it had developed into full-blown, excruciating abdominal pain. I had to sit in the waiting room with this pain for far longer than I would have liked, but the hospital staff eventually got me set up in a room and immediately hooked me up to an IV as they began to run tests.

Sermon: “M.Y.O.B.”, Exodus 2:23-3:15 (September 28, 2025)

Do you remember the first “societal rule” that you were taught? For many of us, it was probably to MYOB - “mind your own business”. The more siblings you grew up with, the earlier and more frequently you probably heard this admonition. But this rule doesn’t just apply to juvenile tattle tales and the fairness police. In our society, “MYOB” is arguably as important a tenet as the Golden Rule (some might even say moreso). When it’s applied consistently and well, it’s one of our best strategies for living together in peace - if it doesn’t affect you personally, the rule says that you’re supposed to just let it go and move on with your life. 

Liturgy: God's Name, Exodus 3:1-15 (Reposted from October 1, 2023)

 *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #442, “Just as I Am, without One Plea”

Hymn GTG #727, “Will You Let Me Be Your Servant” (vv. 1, 2, 4, 6)

Hymn GTG #692, “Spirit, Open My Heart”

Liturgy: The Binding of Isaac, Genesis 22:1-14 (September 14, 2025)

 *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #67, “My Song Forever Shall Record”

Hymn GTG #49, “The God of Abraham Praise”

Hymn GTG #60, “Your Endless Love, Your Mighty Act”

Sermon: "Use Your Words", Genesis 1:1 – 2:4a (September 7, 2025)

Those of you who’ve met my dog, Maya, on the occasions that I’ve brought her into work with me know that she can be a little…vocal. Her three natural states are chilling out on the couch (which is my preference), whining like she’s being criminally neglected, and barking to wake the dead. We’ve tried to teach her the “quiet” command; we’ve tried to respond to her softly and with calm energy; we’ve tried ignoring her until it stops - it just never does. Nothing works.

Liturgy: Creation by the Word, Genesis 1:1 -- 2:4a (September 7, 2025)

*You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #18, “Hallelujah! Sing Praise to Your Creator”

Hymn GTG #24, “God, Who Stretched the Spangled Heavens”

Sermon: "Your Call", Revelation 21:1-6, 22:1-5 (August 31, 2025)

Today’s the last Sunday that we’ll spend in the book of Revelation for a while, thanks be to God, but at least we get to end on a high note. After 20 chapters of doom and gloom, we finally arrive at the payoff of this apocalyptic vision in chapters 21 and 22. The powers of evil are finally defeated, and for the first time, we feel a sense of hope - a new heaven and a new earth are coming!

Liturgy: A New Heaven and New Earth, Revelation 21:1-6; 22:1-5 (August 31. 2025)

   *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #375, “Shall We Gather at the River”
Hymn GTG #374, “O Holy City, Seen of John”

Hymn GTG #266, “Joy to the World”

Liturgy: The Mark of the Beast, Revelation 13 (August 24, 2025)

  *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #707, “Take Thou Our Minds, Dear Lord”
Hymn GTG #839, “Blessed Assurance, Jesus Is Mine”

Hymn GTG #822, “When We Are Living”

Liturgy: The Ascension of Christ, Acts 1:1-11 (May 11, 2025)

   *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #297, “In Christ Called to Baptize”
Hymn GTG #383, “Standing on the Promises”

Hymn GTG #313, “Lord, Make Us More Holy”

Liturgy: Stephen's Witness, Acts 6:8-7:2a; 7:52-60 (May 4, 2025)

   *You are welcome to use or adapt any of my resources for free, but I ask that you provide proper citation AND comment on this post to let me know.*

Hymns

Hymn GTG #267, “Come, Christians, Join to Sing”

Hymn GTG #250, “In the Bulb There Is a Flower”

Sermon: “Factory Reset”, Isaiah 6 (November 17, 2024)

A few weeks ago, I brought my work computer home for Nick to take a look at. It’d been running sluggishly for a while, but it was getting to where I wasn’t even able to get my work done anymore. At some point, its performance had gone from being an annoying inconvenience to being an active hindrance. I'd tried all the tricks I knew to help speed it up a bit – largely by uninstalling programs and deleting unused files – but nothing had made even the slightest bit of difference. So, I decided that it was time to bring in my own personal in-house expert. I didn't love what he had to tell me, though. “I have some newer parts I can install,” he explained, “but even then, the bulk of the problem is probably being caused by stuff that’s already in there and hard to get rid of. Your best chance of fixing it is to do a factory reset.”