"Paul"
August 13 - October 29

​There are so many rich themes found in the letters that are attributed to the Apostle Paul. It is clear from the tone of each text: Paul certainly lacks no sense of urgency or conviction! This man is someone to whom we can look as we strive to follow Christ, while also recognizing the realities of life. Paul was no stranger to suffering for the sake of the Gospel. Amid the temptations of divisions, shallow contentment, or misled teachers, Paul boldly reminds his flocks what a life in God’s economy entails: unity, boldness, and defense of the one true Gospel. These themes are the bedrock for not only Paul’s mission as a devoted follower of Christ and leader of early Christians, but serve as the foundation for us still today. Overall, each of these three themes leads to real transformation.
Everybody loves a story, so we need to tell the story of Paul, weaving into where he was in his writing and his ministry. The chronology makes the story so much more authentic, even shocking. So we will connect the dots of Paul’s life and ministry, dropping down regularly to hear Paul in his letters addressed to the churches in his care.
We will use NT Wright’s chronology of Paul’s ministry. It is as good as any and better than most. It can be found in the back of Wright’s book, Paul.

"Better Together"
​June 25 - August 6

​The Old and New Testaments: two pieces of one whole that tell us who we are and who God is.Yet as Christians we often neglect to realize these are two crucial pieces of the same story. Instead, we see them as separate pieces and neglect to see the threads stretching from Genesis to Revelation that are all telling the same story: the loving, merciful God is in our midst. This summer we will take time to pull at those threads of God’s story and come to find a deeper understanding of these two testaments to God’s gracious actions throughout history.

"More Than Conquerors"
​May 14 - June 18

In the early first century, culturally speaking, everything was positioned around the idea that a nation ought to expand and conquer to accumulate power and influence. In this way, the movement that began with Jesus was positioned well to be a religion that was focused on going out in the world, spreading its message to new nations, and converting others to this system of beliefs. The world was primed for a religious movement that would respond to the great commission, and in effect, go forth and conquer. Yet, the church was not about conquering. It did not hope to extinguish and assimilate every other person and culture. Instead, the early church grew on the basis that it had the ability to universally speak to the human condition of brokenness and offer hope and promise in the wake of that very condition. The church would be more than the conquerors.
Everyone was coming to believe in the promise of God. The Gospel reached into different cultures, differently idioms and languages altogether. In this message, they preached and believed that Jesus would return again, and would return again sooner rather than later. Nobody could have fathomed the idea that 2000 years into the future, we would still be waiting on this return. They were teaching each other lessons and lifting each other up in the hopes that they would be alive to see the grand return. However, those lessons taught have a practicality that transcends any time period.
In growing over this time, the church moved beyond the disciples. What was once an effort of individuals and leaders who had all had direct connections to, and conversations with, the risen Lord now transitioned to a movement of different ages, nations, and races of converted believers who had simply heard the Good News of the Gospel. They would lean on their own spiritual experiences of the divine rather than tangible interactions with God Incarnate. What will leadership look like in this new Church? Who can be a part of this faith movement? What will be required to participate? Most importantly, how do those messages speak to us today?

"Appeared"
April 16 - 30

Easter has come, Christ has been resurrected. We have enjoyed the big celebrations, the Easter egg hunts, and the family meals, but we forget that there was more than an empty tomb after Christ was resurrected. There were more visits than the brief encounter of the women in the garden.
A fully resurrected Christ is a free Christ. Jesus could have gone anywhere and done anything after the resurrection, and yet he chose to search for the disciples. Jesus sought out the ones who abandoned and failed him more than anyone else. The ones who swore loyalty disappeared. The ones who followed in his footsteps for three years turned their backs on the suffering Savior. The ones who pledged to help transform the world abandoned the mission in fear and shame. Yet the story of the cross and resurrection is true for each of us through the power of God’s grace: we are more than our worst moments. The worst thing is never the last thing.
What might those disciples have been feeling after the cross? Can you imagine the deep silence between them? The shared knowledge of their failures? The unrelenting question: “What now?” Brene Brown defines shame as “an intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love, belonging, and connection.” It is not hard to imagine the deep shame of these disciples, one that each of them knew intimately and yet did not want to name. Shame assigns identity based on our worst moments. It thrives on secrecy. It is “the fear that something we’ve done or failed to do, an ideal we’ve not lived up to, or a goal we’ve not accomplished makes us unworthy of connection” (Brene Brown, Atlas of the Heart, 137).
We see over and over again in the Gospels and Acts scenes of redemption and healing through God’s grace. Jesus could have chosen to abandon the ones who left him at the cross, who pretended they did not even know him, to start from scratch with better disciples. Yet in God’s infinite grace and unrelenting love, the disciples were chosen for connection, relationship, and entrusted with the mission of Christ. Jesus confronts their failures head on. This is the Christian story: our deepest shame is redeemed and we are transformed into world-changing disciples

"Inevitable"
February 26 - April 2

​Inevitable. Given the depth and pervasiveness of human rebellion against God, it was inevitable that God would have to step in and take upon himself the burden of putting things right. And God would do this by taking on human flesh, born a faithful Jew. Jesus would do and be for Israel, and, hence, for us all, what only God could do and be. In this Lenten series, Jesus turns his face toward Jerusalem and what awaits him there. It will be a cosmic clash between Jesus’ faithfulness and the dark powers of this world. Thus, as we progress through the series, we will see an ever-fuller portrait of Jesus and his work in this world, culminating in his humiliating death on a Roman cross. Want to know what God is? This is it.

​"Three Short Years"
January 8 - February 19

Within three years, Jesus healed the sick, freed the oppressed, and set a course for all of human history to be made right. As we explore the gospels, we'll dive into a study of Jesus' ministry, meeting those who were on the receiving end of his work, and realize how Christ's work continues to this day.

"Breakthrough"
January 1, 2023

​After nine months of waiting and suspense, the Christ-child arrives into the arms of a new mother. Joseph and Mary are in for the many revelations that first time parents always discover, but even more so they must grapple with the truth: God incarnate has arrived among us in this tiny bundle of joy. This revelation can’t be kept to themselves. Instead, God’s breakthrough into human existence must be shared with everyone, even total strangers who come bearing gifts to honor Christ, the infant King.

"The Thrill of Hope"
November 27 - December 18

As we engage with the words of the prophets throughout this series, we will witness the insistent hope of people who should have given up a long time ago. It carried them through the darkest times and enabled them to witness the arrival of God incarnate, Jesus Christ: the embodiment of relentless hope.

​"Leading People"
November 6 - November 20

​We must learn how to live with one another, care for one another, and build the Kingdom of God together.

"God in Motion"
October 23 - October 30
Where did it all begin? God’s covenant promise is where we discover our roots and begin to understand the source of all our being: God is.



​"Solid Souls"
September 4 - October 9 
Philosophers from Plato to Pixar all assume we have a soul. But what does that actually mean, and why does it matter? We will weave together Scripture, history, theology, and pop culture to reclaim the ancient concept of a soul. A soul is not afterlife vapor but something very real and very specific: the resurrection of the body. Jesus’ message is that the kingdom of heaven is here now. Some think the state of our soul only comes down to one big spiritual decision in life. However, while we depend on the grace of God, our soul is shaped by life’s little everyday decisions, not just a few big ones. These small decisions in our relationships, in our work, and for ourselves put us on a trajectory towards a more solid soul, or a more shriveled soul, one that is isolated from others and God. The choices that we make in every moment lead us toward heaven or away from it. Learn to see your life and the lives of others with eternal eyes, and learn how to live life in such a way that you find yourself on a trajectory toward fulfillment and flourishing.

"More Than the Twelve"
July 3 - August 28, 2022
The Disciples were WAY more than just twelve guys Jesus met along the way...!

"A Worthy Life"
May 15 - June 19, 2022
Ephesians has long held a lofty place in the New Testament canon. It is concise, well- structured, and tightly argued. John Stott noted that “It was John Calvin’s favorite letter. . . .”
William Barclay quotes Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s assessment of it as “the divinest composition of man” and adds his own dictum that it is “the Queen of the epistles.” John Mackay, former President of Princeton Theological Seminary, writing in 1948 called Ephesians “the most contemporary book in the Bible” since it promises community in a world of disunity, reconciliation in place of alienation and peace instead of war.
​Seventy years later, Ephesians is as contemporary as ever. Truly, Ephesians is “doctrine set to music” as Mackay said. Thus, in this series, we will strive to hear this music well, even as we consider how we can play the music in our lives. Ephesians is all about learning to think and live theologically.

"Proving Jesus"
April 24 - May 8, 2022

The Christian faith is unique in the world because our entire belief system is dependent upon one historical fact: Jesus Christ rose from the dead. In order for our beliefs to be true, his body cannot have simply been stolen. It cannot be that he just appeared as a ghost with his body still in the tomb. The claim from the early Christians is simple. Jesus’s body was not in the tomb because he was bodily resurrected. What is our proof for such a radical claim? Our proof is people, those that witnessed the resurrection and lived their lives accordingly. During this series we will get to know three people that were witnesses to the resurrected Christ and how their experience can become our Proof.

​"Yes, He Is Risen!"
Easter Sunday April 17, 2022

We humans are always plagued by worries and anxieties, but the past two years have been an anxiety machine.  Even after two years of pandemic, Jesus is still risen! 

"Every Moment Holy"
March 6 - April 10, 2022
Noise, by definition, is unwanted sound. Can anyone deny that our lives are too noisy today? Social media, divisive opinions, television, podcasts, and other distractions have never been more prevalent in our world than in our current moment in history. In the midst of all this, are we truly hearing the clear signal of God? In the narrative of scripture God chooses to be present in every moment, both big and small. Our response is to turn down the noise and tune in to God, allowing every moment to be holy.

"Seeds"
February 13 - February 27, 2022
​While growth is good, it isn’t an end to itself, but the result of a life spent in the dirt, seeding and sowing. The biblical story begins in the dirt of Eden’s garden and ends in the garden city of God’s kingdom. God has designed us to live and work in the garden, tending and tilling. We’re made of dirt and for dirt. This combination of keeping and creating is a right way of understanding Creation and our work within it. Just as the purpose of fruit Is both joyous feasting and regenerative planting, our purpose is to both enjoy God’s gifts and nurture the presence of Jesus in the world.

"Already One: Baptised in Christ"
​January 2 - February 6, 2022
“…for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” This is not only a future promise from Galatians 3, but it is a current reality. Christ has already made us one: one body, one family, unified in purpose. In the sacraments of baptism and communion, God creates bonds of the Holy Spirit that cannot be easily broken. If this is true, why don’t we act like it? Throughout this series, we will answer the call to live out the truth of our lives: We are already one.

"Everything Is Gonna Be Alright"
​November 28 - December 26

Each person in scripture was given a promise: not of an immediate shift in their fortunes, but a bigger-picture assurance. The promise is that God is with us, so everything is gonna be all right. We will tell stories where things didn’t have to be perfect right then — it would become perfect in the future.  
Christmas is a promise. That promise is simple: God has come. God will win. Glory to the highest heaven! At least we know, everything is gonna be all right.

"A Bigger Story" 
October 31 - November 21

Live into the tension. Any great story requires us to live through tension and anxiety, quickly turning pages and asking what will come next. This year has left us hanging on the edges of our seats as we ask that question of our real lives. As we look toward what tomorrow might bring, God is reminding that we are part of a bigger story. There is hope in the tension; God is calling us to something bigger than ourselves.

"Habits"
September 12 - October 3
​& October 24

"What do you want?" This question, not what you believe or what you do, is Jesus' primary question to us. We are not merely the summation of what we think but how we feel. What we want out of life will shape what we do day to day. We see in the life of Jesus the truest form of what it means to be human, through the habits he chose to practice.
Join us during this series as we explore what  spiritual habits or practices we learn from the life of Jesus, and how these can help us to shape who we are and what we want in life--from the outside in.

"You Can't Always Get What You Want"
​August 8, 15, 22, & Sept 5, 2021

​We all know what it feels like when we do not get what we want. After so many disappointments, how do we move forward as faithful disciples? When we feel like God chooses to be silent, how do we hold on to the hope Christ promises us? What do we do when God doesn’t give us what we want? In these four weeks we will explore the lessons scripture holds for us during these difficult times, holding on to our Christian hope in the process.

"The Good News Of Matthew"
May 30 - August 1, 2021

​We live in a world where promises are made and broken every day. We wonder what we can count on, who we can trust, what agreements are actually sacred. But God is different: God has made promises to humanity from the beginning of time, and those promises were fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and the presence of the Holy Spirit. This summer, we will journey together through the Gospel of Matthew, unearthing the deeply-rooted commitments God made to creation, and the fulfillment of God’s words in Jesus’ teaching and actions. In this deep-dive of scripture, we will find the sure footing all of us are looking for.

Crux
April 11 - May 9, 2021

We tend to look for the satisfaction of a single answer: left or right, pro or con, blue or red. We want one idea to be right and the other idea wrong. The problem is, life isn’t always so clean cut. There are many instances in which it seems impossible to resolve competing claims. The life of following Jesus resists easy either/or thinking. Rather than insisting on one or another, what if we began to think of the big questions differently? In every big question, don’t just look to the usual positions. Look for Jesus. When you find the cross, you find the crux of the matter, and you will experience the fullness of the Christian life.

​Expectaions 
February 21 - April 4, 2021

Join us for a seven-week look into the geography of Jesus, the long-expected Jewish revolutionary Messiah. A virtual tour of the geography of Jesus’ life will give us a fresh perspective on the purpose of Jesus’ ministry and how it overturned people’s expectations of what was going to happen. What Jesus did really mean when he preached that the kingdom of God was at hand, and what false expectations do we carry about what Jesus is going to do for us?

Heavenly Virtues
January 3 - February 14, 2021

Some of our most dominant social values today are education, success, and wealth — what we may call “Achievement Values.”  We may be "successful," but how often do we consider the state of our souls? This seven-week series helps us shift from from achievement values to heavenly virtues, or what author David Brooks calls eulogy virtues. These form the foundation of a life rooted in faith.

Comfort and Joy
November 29 - December 20

Traditions are at the heart of the holiday season. Yet for many of us, the warmth of food, stories, music and gift giving among family is merely aspirational and the reality is that Advent and Christmas might be a time of loneliness and sadness this year. The good news of Christmas is that the story of Jesus is actually a story about finding community, connection, and family — a place where we can both be comfortable in who we are and called to new life.

Everyday Saints
November 1 - 22

When we hear the word “saint” we may think of Catholicism or football players or Mardi Gras. Most of us think of really religious people, perhaps people that are beyond us in terms of their virtue and character--for example, their goodness and ability to forgive. But sainthood isn’t a rank we achieve like a master spiritual level in a game of life. The biblical definition of saint is very simple: “believer.” When you and I put our trust in Jesus Christ, we become saints, made holy through Jesus’ death and resurrection.
If as believers, we are all saints, then what does that mean for our lives? In this series, we address what it means to be a saint. These four attributes help us understand the biblical definition of sainthood and bridge the space between the everyday lives we live and the holiness which we have receive in Christ and to which we are called.
Through faith in Christ, we can be saints.

Grace
October 18 & 25

To understand Wesleyan theology, we need to understand the Wesley story. John and Charles Wesley had a standard approach to their ministry. They would enter a rural, English town square with an entourage of 20-30 friends, singing songs through the streets until people gathered. They’d end up in the town commons, and John would preach on living each day as if it was our last and our first. The first week of this series is a focus on Amazing Grace – the “last” portion of Wesley’s message, and the second week is a focus on Responsible Grace – the “first" portion.

Believing Without Seeing
​October 11

​We want to believe. We want to trust Jesus completely. So we confront our doubts honestly. As part of a believing community, we strive to understand the Bible and the essential Christian beliefs. We want to make some sense of it all. We put the work in. We discuss. And, all the while, we pray, “I believe; help my unbelief.”

Daughters & Sons
September 20 - October 4

The old saying “blood is thicker than water” is a misquote. The full saying is, “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” In other words, in Jesus, we redefine what we mean by blood, from shared DNA of our familial ties to the shared covenant of Christ’s blood shed for us. When we follow Jesus, we inherit a new family of fellow believers. We have a place at the table. We find that we belong. We are a child of a living and loving God. The community of faith is what church is all about.

Community, Cross, and New Creation
August 9 - September 13

We are told the Bible is the source of a more fulfilling life, but it is too complicated to understand without God and God’s community walking through it with you. Understanding the Bible as a set of books in their normal order can seem like an almost impossible task. This series looks at three images that are present in every one of the 27 books of the New Testament. Reading the Bible with these three images in mind reveals a consistent moral vision: the promise of a new creation, only possible through community and the cross.

​A Life of Prayer 
June 28 - August 2

Rev. David Woody is issuing a call to prayer, urging us all to make prayer a priority in our living during this difficult season in our world. This will not happen overnight.
​Even mature Christians will acknowledge the considerable challenges in building a life of prayer. Nonetheless, we, as a church family, begin here. We begin now.

​​Forge
May 24 - June 21, 2020

In this 5-week study of Forge, we will look at how to live a Christian life in the world today. Being a Christ follower is a process of being refined like a precious metal. It is not enough to remain in the dirt as raw ore. Christ wants to refine us into a work of beauty and function. In the series we will learn how to deal with times of anxiety and worry; what it means to follow Jesus in an increasingly “post-Christian” culture; how to navigate temptation; and the power of living in Christian community.

EQUIP
April 19-May 17, 2020

Get the tools you need for a more joy-filled, fulfilling life through this five-week study of practical ideas for daily living. In these five sermons, learn more about your faith, about parenting, how to deal with pain and loss, and how to live in relationship to other people.