Faith Speaks — Reverend Neil Taylor — Sermon Podcast

I Quit Living In Fear!

2 Timothy 1:7 and Exodus 4:1

Welcome back to the I Quit! sermon series from Prince of Peace Anglican Church. I’m so glad you’re here. So far, we’ve talked about quitting excuses and quitting complaining—two habits that can quietly drain our joy and witness. This week, in “I Quit!" we turn to one of the most common struggles we all face: fear. From the fear of loss and failure to rejection and the unknown, so many of us live weighted down by “what if?” But God’s Word says He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Join me as we explore what it means to quit living in fear—and start living in the freedom and faith God offers.

Read Job 10:1 and Philippians 2:14-18

I Quit Complaining!

Have you ever noticed how quickly complaining can take root in our hearts when life feels difficult or unfair? In this message, I Quit Complaining!, we’ll open God’s Word to see what Scripture says about the dangers of grumbling, the costs it can bring, and how it can affect our relationship with God.
Together, we’ll also discover how the Lord teaches us to restrain complaining and replace it with gratitude, trust, and rejoicing in every circumstance. As we listen, may God help us see His provision more clearly, examine our hearts honestly, and take real steps toward a life marked by praise instead of complaints.

Read Exodus 4:10-12 and Luke 14:15-24

I Quit Making Excuses!

What holds us back from responding to God—fear, doubt, or a long list of excuses? In “I Quit Making Excuses!” from Exodus 4:10–12 and Luke 14:15–24, discover how God speaks into our weakness and invites us to step forward in faith.

Read Exodus 20:1-17

Family & Community   |  The Ten Commandments (Part Three)

In the book we call the Bible, God has given us His absolute truth. And one of the clearest places we see that truth is in the Ten Commandments. They help us understand what is right and wrong, what is true and false, and what is upright and what is off track.

But the commandments were never given to keep God’s people in bondage. They were given as protection — to guard our hearts, guide our steps, and keep evil from taking root in our lives. God’s commands are not chains; they are care. They are not meant to crush us; they are meant to keep us safe and lead us into life.

So today, let’s turn together to the commandments God gave to Moses and begin asking the most important question of all: Is God really number one in your life?

Read Exodus 20:1-17

God's Last Name is not D@mn!   |  The Ten Commandments (Part Two)

In the book we call the Bible, God has given us His absolute truth. And one of the clearest places we see that truth is in the Ten Commandments. They help us understand what is right and wrong, what is true and false, and what is upright and what is off track.

But the commandments were never given to keep God’s people in bondage. They were given as protection — to guard our hearts, guide our steps, and keep evil from taking root in our lives. God’s commands are not chains; they are care. They are not meant to crush us; they are meant to keep us safe and lead us into life.

So today, let’s turn together to the commandments God gave to Moses and begin asking the most important question of all: Is God really number one in your life?

Read Exodus 20:1-17; Mark 12:28-31

Is God #1 In Your Life?   |  The Ten Commandments (Part One)

In the book we call the Bible, God has given us His absolute truth. And one of the clearest places we see that truth is in the Ten Commandments. They help us understand what is right and wrong, what is true and false, and what is upright and what is off track.

But the commandments were never given to keep God’s people in bondage. They were given as protection — to guard our hearts, guide our steps, and keep evil from taking root in our lives. God’s commands are not chains; they are care. They are not meant to crush us; they are meant to keep us safe and lead us into life.

So today, let’s turn together to the commandments God gave to Moses and begin asking the most important question of all: Is God really number one in your life?

 

 

Read Matthew 28:16-20

Trinity Sunday

We Cannot Fail

"We Cannot Fail" is a message for anyone who has ever felt small, overlooked, or uncertain. Jesus said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me… And surely I am with you always,” and that changes everything.

What started with 11 disciples, some of them doubting, has become a movement of billions across the world. Historians may explain the growth, but the real answer is simple: Jesus kept his word. When Jesus says, “Go, and I will go with you,” the mission cannot fail.

Read Joel 2:28-32 & Acts 2:14-21

“I Will Pour Out My Spirit On All People"

Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost reminds us that it is always easy to find reasons why God won’t do something, but the greater truth is that God is more willing to pour out His Spirit than we are to receive His outpouring. The problem is never with God; it is always with us. And yet God has more He wants to do in our midst, more grace to give, more power to release, and more hope to awaken in His people.

In these last days, we should not be surprised to find both trouble and blessing. Hard times come, the world shakes, love grows cold, and God’s people face persecution—but even then, the Lord still says, “I will pour out my Spirit in the last days”. That means we are not called to retreat to the sidelines but to catch the wave of the Spirit and live with renewed passion, zeal, and spiritual power.

So today, as we hear the promise of Pentecost again, let us reject the idea that our hope rests in formulas, rituals, or religion itself. Our only hope is in the Lord, and we need Him to ignite a kingdom fire in our hearts today. We have not yet arrived, and God is not done with us yet—so may He pour out His Spirit in our midst, and may each of us be able to pray, “O Lord, begin with me.”

Read Acts 1:6-11

Mission: Unstoppable!

Sunday After Ascension (Year A)

 

Today is our missional rally call.

The Sunday after the Ascension always brings us to this moment—this threshold between what Jesus has done and what He now calls His Church to do. In Acts 1, the disciples are still looking upward, still wondering if this is the moment when everything will be set right. But Jesus redirects their gaze. He tells them that something far greater is about to unfold—not just for them, but through them.

Because what happened in Acts 1 means that we now have something to say.

The risen and ascended Jesus has entrusted His Church with a message—a living, powerful, world-changing message. And now is precisely why we must say what we have to say. This is not a time for silence or hesitation. This is the moment when the Church finds its voice.

Jesus uses a particular word to describe that voice. He says, “You will be my witnesses.”

And a witness, according to the law of the land, is simply someone who speaks from personal experience about what is true. Not speculation. Not theory. Not secondhand opinion. A witness tells what they have seen, what they have heard, and what they know to be real.

Which brings us to the question that sits right in front of us this morning:

How are you doing at telling people the truth about Jesus?

Because a first-hand witness reports what they have personally seen, what they have personally heard, and in some cases, what they have even touched, and the risen Christ has not only revealed Himself to the first disciples—He continues to make Himself known to us.

So if we are His witnesses, then the mission is clear.

The only question is, are we living as if it’s unstoppable?

 

Read Acts 17:16-34

Building Bridges Not Barricades

Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year A)

As we wrestle with a crucial question: if Jesus Christ is truly the only way to the Father, then how do we bring that message to the world around us? How do we tell the city?

In this podcast, we continue that conversation by turning to one of the most fascinating encounters in the book of Acts. In Acts 17:16–34, the apostle Paul shows us how to speak the truth about Christ in a way that genuinely connects with unbelievers.

Picture the scene.

Imagine arriving alone in the capital city of a foreign nation for the very first time. You don’t know anyone. You’re surrounded by brilliant minds, competing philosophies, and countless idols demanding people’s devotion.

There are no churches.
No Christian schools.
No Christian bookstores.
No Christian voice in the public square.

And you realize something staggering: you are the first Christian this city has ever seen.

As you walk through the streets, everywhere you look there are statues to pagan gods. Temples. Altars. Shrines. The city is overflowing with worship—but none of it directed toward the true and living God.

And suddenly your heart breaks.

You become sickened by the darkness around you, and you begin grieving because these people have never even heard the name of Jesus.

So what do you do?

Where do you begin?
How do you find an opening for the gospel?
Who will listen?
How do you speak truth without compromise in a culture drowning in unbelief?

That’s exactly the moment Paul steps into in Athens—and it’s exactly the challenge Christians still face today.

John 14:6 “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The Scandal of Particularity: Is Jesus Really the Only Way to Heaven?

The Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A)

In a world that often bristles at the Christian claim that Jesus is the only way to God—a tension scholars have called the “Scandal of Particularity”—many believers find themselves quietly on the defensive. Those ideas have moved from academic circles into everyday conversations, leaving Christians in workplaces and social settings wary of being labeled ignorant, intolerant, or worse. We may try to brush it off, but the weight of those accusations lingers. In this sermon on John 14:6, I invite you to explore not only the truth of Jesus’ words, but also how we can hold to them with both conviction and grace in a skeptical world.

Read Acts 2:14a, 36-47; Psalm 116:11-16; 1 Peter 1:13-25; Luke 24:13-35

The Third Sunday of Easter (Year A)

But We Had Hoped

On this Third Sunday of Easter, we find ourselves walking a strangely familiar road—the road to Emmaus. It’s a road marked not just on a map, but etched into the experience of every human heart that has known disappointment, confusion, or the quiet temptation to give up hope.

If we listen closely, we recognize this road by a single, haunting phrase: “But we had hoped.” These are the words we speak when expectations collapse, and faith feels uncertain. And yet, it is precisely on this road that the risen Jesus draws near, often unrecognized, gently restoring what we thought was lost. Today, we walk that road again—together.

Read Matthew 28:1-10

Easter Sunday (Year A)

Do Not Be Afraid!

On this Easter morning, Matthew gives us a resurrection scene unlike any other—a moment of holy drama and divine power. The angel who appears at the tomb knows exactly how to make an entrance: a sudden earthquake, blazing like lightning, and a mighty flourish that rolls back the large sealed stone. This is no gentle figure from a greeting card—this is an angel with attitude. He rolls the stone away, then casually sits on it, crossing his great arms as he looks over at the guards—men who are now showing all the symptoms of sheer terror. Matthew says, “they became like dead men.”

But notice—this angel says nothing to them. The message “Do not be afraid” is not for the guards, nor for Caiaphas or Pilate, nor for the powers that tried to hold the Christ in the tomb. For them, the message is on hold. Instead, this angel’s words are reserved for those who seek the Lord—those women who come in love and faith to the place where hope seemed lost. The tomb will not be a prison, and death will not be the Son of God’s final resting place. On Easter morning, God turns every fearful silence into the sound of resurrection.

Read Isaiah 53:4-6

The Sunday of the Passion: Palm Sunday (Year A)

The Suffering Substitute

Why did Jesus die? That question has echoed through the centuries, and Isaiah 53 gives us one of the clearest answers in all of Scripture. The prophet tells us that Christ was “pierced for our transgressions” and “crushed for our iniquities,” showing us that the cross was not an accident, but the saving plan of God for sinners like us.
In this message, we’ll look closely at Isaiah 53:4-6 and see what it teaches us about the burden Jesus carried, the guilt we could never remove, and the grace God freely gives. If you’ve ever wondered what the cross really means, this passage points us to the heart of the gospel: the Servant of the Lord suffered in our place so that we might be brought back to God.

Read Matthew 21:1-10

Liturgy of the Palms Homily (Year A)

Who Is This?

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, Matthew tells us that “the whole city was stirred up, asking, ‘Who is this?’” It’s a simple question—just three words—but it carries the weight of Holy Week. These weren’t the cheering crowds waving palms. They were the city folk, settled into the routines of power and politics, commerce and conversation. They heard the commotion at the gate, saw a small procession of peasants and children crying out “Hosanna,” and wondered, “Who is this?"

Read John 11 and Romans 8:1-11

Fifth Sunday in Lent (Year A)

Set Your Mind on the Spirit 

Today’s message for the Fifth Sunday in Lent is titled “Set Your Mind on the Spirit.” Drawing from John 11, Romans 8:1-11, and 2 Corinthians 6:2, we will listen for God’s voice in the midst of silence, struggle, and hope. In the raising of Lazarus, we see that what looks like delay or distance can become the very place where God’s life and power are revealed. Romans 8 then calls us to a new way of thinking and living—no longer according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit who brings freedom and life. And 2 Corinthians 6:2 reminds us that “now is the day of salvation,” inviting us to respond today to the Spirit’s gracious work.

Read John 9:1-13, 28-38

Fourth Sunday in Lent (Year A) 

Who Sinned?

Welcome to today’s message, titled “Who Sinned?”—a reflection on John 9:1–13, 28–38. It’s a natural question, isn’t it? When something terrible happens, our first instinct is to ask why. Why this city and not that one? Why this person, and not another? Earthquakes, floods, wars, wildfires—each disaster stirs our hearts to cry out, “Why here? Why now? Why them?”

We ask the same question in the deeply personal moments of life: Why did this man get cancer, and his brother didn’t? Why was one spared while another suffered? No question pierces us more profoundly than, “Why me?” The question of why pushes us to wrestle with the connection between God's goodness and the reality of human suffering—a tension that challenges faith for many and even leads some to doubt God altogether.

Into that universal struggle, John 9 opens quietly—with a man born blind, and a question on the lips of the disciples: “Rabbi, who sinned?”

 

Read John 4:5-42

Third Sunday in Lent (Year A)

Revelation Knowledge

“Welcome to today’s message, ‘Revelation Knowledge.’ You and I cannot change our own hearts, and God will not force our minds, but when we choose to change our thoughts, God begins to change our hearts. As we bring Him our doubt, our unbelief, the condemnation we’ve agreed with, and the scars of our past, the Holy Spirit moves through our thinking and into the deep places of who we are. In that mysterious moment, God reveals who He is in our lives and who we truly are in Him—that’s what revelation knowledge is all about.

 

Read John 3:1-17

Second Sunday in Lent (Year A)

Just One More Verse

When Jesus says, “God so loved the world,” it is not a sentimental slogan for coffee mugs and bumper stickers; it is a staggering claim about the very heart of God.  God loves people who don’t love him back, people who would rather stay hidden in the dark, even the very world that will eventually crucify his Son.  If we wanted to feel the shock of John’s language, we might almost hear it like this: “For God so loved the God-hating world that he gave his only Son,” and, “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn even this world that despises God, but so that the world that rejects God might still be saved through him.”
In other words, God’s love is just that audacious and just that unexpected.  Verse 17 pulls back the curtain on God’s motive: “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”  The mission is not condemnation but salvation; Jesus doesn’t show up to point out a problem that wasn’t already there, he comes to address the problem we could never fix on our own.
In this episode, as we sit with John 3:1–17, I want to invite you to lean in with me to “just one more verse”—to see how this famous passage is not about a distant, generic love, but about a relentless, pursuing, saving love for a resistant world, and for people like us.

Read Genesis 2:4-9, 15-17, 25-3:7; Romans 5:12-21; Matthew 4:1-11

First Sunday in Lent (Year A) 

Identity Theft | Satan's Greatest Crime Against Humanity 

On this First Sunday of Lent, it’s a good time to pause and take stock—to reflect on where we are and what’s shaping our hearts. Think back to a moment when you felt inadequate or unworthy. Maybe it was just this past week, or sometime in the last month. Hold that memory in your mind for a moment—that attempt at “identity theft” when something tried to tell you that you are less than God says you are.

Today’s scriptures speak clearly and powerfully against that lie. They remind us that in Jesus Christ, God has declared you—and all of us—to be enough. In fact, more than enough. Because if you are following Christ, God has already claimed you as His own beloved child.

Read Joel 2:1-2, 12, 17; Psalm 103; 2 Corinthians 5:20-6:10; Matthew 6:1-6, 16-21

Ash Wednesday Homily (Year A)

I wish you a holy and joyful Lenten season—a time to grow closer to the Lord and to turn away from sin. The Lord meets us with a unique grace in every season; may the grace He gives us in this Lent not be in vain.

Read Matthew 17:1-9

Transfiguration | Last Sunday of Epiphany (Year A)

The Transfiguration is that extraordinary moment when someone—or something—is seen for who they truly are, in all their beauty and glory. In Matthew 17:1–9, we discover that the Transfiguration isn’t about Jesus changing into something new. It’s about the disciples finally seeing Him as He already is. Transformation is about becoming—like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. But transfiguration is about revealing—it’s the unveiling of reality. It’s the moment we see Jesus not as we imagine Him, but as He truly is.

 

 

Read Matthew 5:13-16

Fifth Sunday of Epiphany | World Mission Sunday (Year A)

God calls every Christian to influence the world around them. Jesus began teaching this concept early in his ministry, telling his disciples that he would make them fishers of men (Matthew 4:19). Then, in the Sermon on the Mount, he used the illustrations of salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16). Both salt and light have properties that affect their surroundings. Salt is used to enhance flavor and as a preservative. To 'be salt' means to deliberately seek to influence the people in one's life by showing them the unconditional love of Christ through good deeds. Light is a symbol of awareness, knowledge, and understanding. To 'be light' means to be a witness to others concerning the truth of God's Word, especially about who Christ is and how he died and rose again for our salvation.

Read John 1:25-34

Second Sunday of Epiphany (Year A)

Our Gospel text today is full of John the Baptist’s powerful words about Jesus. In verse 29, John says that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world:
  “The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”
That’s the best news anyone could ever hear—the eternal Son of God came into the world not to condemn us, but to take away our sin. So if you’re a follower of Christ this morning, I hope you’re living in that freedom from guilt, resting in the forgiveness He gives.
Now, I want us to look at another powerful testimony John gave about Jesus—that He is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.
In verse 33, John says:
  “I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’”

Read Acts 10:36-48

First Sunday of Epiphany (Year A)

Jesus revealed the essence of the Holy Spirit's mission in John 16:14: "He will glorify me."

"The essence of the Holy Spirit's ministry is, at this or any time in the Christian era, to mediate the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ" (J.I. Packer, Keep in Step with the Spirit, p. 55).

In other words, the Spirit is sent to make Christ real to people, and to show us who he really is in his glory, so that we come to love him and trust him and obey him and, in turn, show him to the world. What this means is that the Holy Spirit is more likely to come in power where the truth about Jesus is being lifted up and made plain. The Spirit loves to come and take the truth about Jesus and turn it into an experience of Jesus.

That's what happened in Acts 10:36-48: Peter presented a verbal portrait of Jesus, and the Spirit transformed the portrait into the living reality of Jesus himself.

 

Read Matthew 2:7-12

Second Sunday of Christmastide (Year A)

If you’re someone who really believes the Bible is the Word of God—and that Jesus was truly born of a virgin in Bethlehem, surrounded by angels, shepherds, and Wise Men—it’s still pretty easy to let the Christmas story slip into the category of “something sweet and familiar.” We’d never come right out and say it’s just a story or a myth, but after seeing it acted out year after year in Christmas plays—with the perfect lighting, the adorable kids, the beautiful music, and everything neatly in place—we might start to picture it that way in our minds.
But that’s not how it really was. The first Christmas wasn’t tidy, comfortable, or calm. It didn’t happen on a polished stage but in a messy, ordinary world filled with indifference, fear, and even hostility. When we turn to Matthew 2:7–12 and read about the Wise Men coming to find Jesus, we step into that very real world—a world that desperately needed a Savior but didn’t fully recognize Him when He came.

Read John 1:10-13

First Sunday of Christmastide (Year A)

In a little town called Bethlehem, a baby was born—and at first glance, it looked like any other birth, but this child was different; this was God Himself stepping into our world, taking on human flesh, becoming one of us. That is the heartbeat of the Christian faith: the God who made us came near enough to be held, to be heard, to be rejected or received. Everything else Christians believe, everything we cling to and hope in, flows out of that one stunning truth we remember at Christmastide.

Read Luke 2:15-20

Christmas Day (Year A)

A couple of Christmases ago, as a family, we vacationed in New York City the week before Christmas Eve. Up on 5^th Avenue, right by the Rockefeller Center, there was a life-size Nativity Scene. As expected, it offers all the usual characters; however, if you looked closely, you could see that baby Jesus was chained and bolted to the ground, ensuring that no prankster would carry him off, because, seemingly, it happened every year.

In fact, out of curiosity, I discovered that if you Google "stolen baby Jesus," you will find dozens of news stories of the infant Jesus being taken from manger scenes all across the country. Year after year, in town after town, from church corners to front yards, someone will think it sport to steal baby Jesus out of the manger, and he is often never to be seen again.

Read Luke 2:1-20

Christmas Eve (Year A)

Luke’s literary masterpiece is “the Christmas Gospel”; even secular minds and hearts far from God are moved by its message. The imagery of families gathering the candlelight and carols all reach into lives troubled with pain and despair and offer the incredible promise of hope to people who may show up only once a year. How can this promise be trusted in a world that is lonely and unforgiving?

Herod’s murderous response in Matthew’s Gospel to Jesus’ birth may be more believable to a contemporary society hardened by harsh political realities. Still, the wonder of the Christmas Gospel is not mere sentiment. The question is: how can the strong, gentle truth be told?

Read Isaiah 7:14 and Matthew 1:22-23

Fourth Sunday in Advent (Year A)

“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Augustine of Hippo

There is a great yearning inside every person to know God. From the very beginning, we were made to know God, and there is something in us that wants to know our Creator. We yearn to know that God has broken through into our world, and it is not enough to know that God is "up there" or "out there" somewhere.

We want to know that God has come down to where we are. We want to know that he knows where we live, that he knows our name, that he cares about us, that he has "walked this lonesome valley" the same way we do. We want to know that we are not alone in the universe.

All the prophets spoke of this universal yearning in the human heart. Joel spoke of it, as did Malachi, Hosea, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Zechariah. But no one spoke more eloquently than Isaiah. Seven hundred years before the birth of Christ, during the reign of a king named Ahaz, Isaiah predicted the birth of the One who would be God coming to dwell with humanity.

Read Isaiah 11:1-10 & Matthew 3:1-12

Second Sunday in Advent (Year A)

Advent is a significant season. The Sundays in Advent become a microcosm of all of our Sundays — and, indeed, all of our days. The microcosm of Advent gives us opportunities to discern God’s call; to where we have left the path and to turn once again toward God’s vision.

Read Matthew 24:29-35

First Sunday in Advent (Year A)

The most significant event in Bible prophecy is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It’s an event so significant that there are over 300 separate prophecies about it in the Word of God, making it one of the most crucial doctrines in the Bible: the key that unlocks the door to the future. No Christian can be considered to have a complete faith without understanding the fundamental truths about the Second Coming of Christ. All the roads of history and prophecy converge at this point.

Read Luke 21:5-19

Twenty-Third Sunday After Pentecost (Year C)

The big question from our gospel story is found in v. 16: Is it right to take risks for God's cause?

It may not be right to risk much for personal prosperity or public prestige. Not every risk for God's cause is necessarily right, either. Jesus refused to jump off the temple, and Paul snuck out of Damascus in a basket to escape the governor.

 

Read Luke 20:27-40

Twenty-Second Sunday After Pentecost (Year C)

Let me have a show of hands. Has anyone ever met a Sadducee? No? Me either And that’s not surprising considering that the last one died 2000 years ago. And even back then, there were never very many of them. It was always a very exclusive group akin to a club for the super wealthy.

If you lived in Jericho, you were much more likely to run into a Pharisee than a Sadducee. They were a very select group with some extraordinary views, and that’s part of what makes this story so interesting. It begins with a peculiar question and culminates in a startling answer. If we just skim the surface of this story, we might assume that it has nothing to say to us in the 21st century But we would be wrong about that. This story presents us with an issue of profound importance.

Read Luke 19:1-10

Twenty-First Sunday After Pentecost (Year C)

Our text states that when Jesus visited Zacchaeus' house and Zacchaeus said,

"Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold." And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, since he also is a son of Abraham."

In that moment, Zacchaeus shows great generosity with an entirely unsolicited offer. That moment was made possible at the sycamore tree, not at the house.

The moment that Jesus stood at the base of that sycamore tree and looked up, he said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today." Jesus was telling Zacchaeus, “I am including you today, and you're up a tree because you're excluded, and I am bringing you into my circle because nobody else has ever included you.”

It was at that moment that God began to work in Zacchaeus’ heart. By the time they sat down to dinner at his home, Zacchaeus had completely softened, as goodness leads people to change.

 

Read Luke 18:1-8

Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost (Year C)

Many of the prayers we pray should not be answered because they are so shallow. If God answered every prayer the first time we prayed, we would quickly become complacent in our faith. And so, because God conditions His answers on our persistence, we realize how helpless we are and how totally dependent we are on Him for everything.

Read Luke 17:7-10

Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost (Year C)

Surrender to the Savior.

The first step is to ensure that you are saved and surrendered. After you surrender, you will want to serve Him, not because you have to, but because you get to. You will live as a servant because you love Jesus as your Savior.

Let’s make sure our time, talents, and treasures are at the disposal of the Master. Choose to be a servant, not a volunteer. There’s a difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant.

 

Worship

Read Habukkuk 3:1-19

Join me for the third of a three-part sermon series on the Book of Habakkuk, a profound exploration of faith in the face of uncertainty.

In our modern world, we often grapple with the same questions that Habakkuk faced—questions about justice, suffering, and the apparent silence of God in times of trouble.

As we delve into this prophetic text, we will uncover how Habakkuk challenges us to confront our doubts and embrace the mystery of God’s ways.

In a society that often seeks clear answers and reasons for every hardship, Habakkuk reminds us of the foundational truth of our faith: “The righteous live by faith.”

Together, we will journey through Habakkuk’s anguish and ultimately discover how faith can transform our responses to the chaos around us, giving us hope and assurance that God is always at work, even when we cannot see it.

Waiting

Read Habukkuk 2:1-20

Join me for the second of a three-part sermon series on the Book of Habakkuk, a profound exploration of faith in the face of uncertainty.

In our modern world, we often grapple with the same questions that Habakkuk faced—questions about justice, suffering, and the apparent silence of God in times of trouble.

As we delve into this prophetic text, we will uncover how Habakkuk challenges us to confront our doubts and embrace the mystery of God’s ways.

In a society that often seeks clear answers and reasons for every hardship, Habakkuk reminds us of the foundational truth of our faith: “The righteous live by faith.”

Together, we will journey through Habakkuk’s anguish and ultimately discover how faith can transform our responses to the chaos around us, giving us hope and assurance that God is always at work, even when we cannot see it.

Wondering

Read Habukkuk 1:1-17

Join me for the first of a three-part sermon series on the Book of Habakkuk, a profound exploration of faith in the face of uncertainty.

In our modern world, we often grapple with the same questions that Habakkuk faced—questions about justice, suffering, and the apparent silence of God in times of trouble.

As we delve into this prophetic text, we will uncover how Habakkuk challenges us to confront our doubts and embrace the mystery of God’s ways.

In a society that often seeks clear answers and reasons for every hardship, Habakkuk reminds us of the foundational truth of our faith: “The righteous live by faith.”

Together, we will journey through Habakkuk’s anguish and ultimately discover how faith can transform our responses to the chaos around us, giving us hope and assurance that God is always at work, even when we cannot see it.

Read John 3:30

The Journey

Join me for the second part of a transformative two-part sermon series called "Forgetting You," based on the powerful truth of John 3:30: "He must become greater; I must become less” (NIV).

In a world that often pressures us to focus on our desires, ambitions, and identities, we will explore the freeing journey of surrendering ourselves to God’s greater purpose.

Together, we will examine what it truly means to let go of self-centeredness, allowing Christ to increase His presence in our lives so we can reflect His love and grace to those around us.

Read John 3:30

Second Place

Join me for the first part of a transformative two-part sermon series called "Forgetting You," based on the powerful truth of John 3:30: "He must become greater; I must become less” (NIV).

In a world that often pressures us to focus on our desires, ambitions, and identities, we will explore the freeing journey of surrendering ourselves to God’s greater purpose.

Together, we will examine what it truly means to let go of self-centeredness, allowing Christ to increase His presence in our lives so we can reflect His love and grace to those around us.

Read Jude 1:1-25

How Should We Live In An Apostate World?

“An Apostolic Postcard” is a unique four-week sermon series that explores the four smallest letters of the New Testament, which are essentially postcards: Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

These brief epistles, though short, are brimming with powerful messages of faith, love, and discernment that can profoundly impact and transform our lives today.

 

I invite you to join me in this special series as we delve into the significant influence of these small but profound letters. Together, we will explore the essence of living out our faith with integrity, compassion, and purpose.

Read 3 John 1:1-14

A Story of Three Men

“An Apostolic Postcard” is a unique four-week sermon series that explores the four smallest letters of the New Testament, which are essentially postcards: Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

These brief epistles, though short, are brimming with powerful messages of faith, love, and discernment that can profoundly impact and transform our lives today.

 

I invite you to join me in this special series as we delve into the significant influence of these small but profound letters. Together, we will explore the essence of living out our faith with integrity, compassion, and purpose.

Read 2 John 1:1-13

Balancing Truth and Love

“An Apostolic Postcard” is a unique four-week sermon series that explores the four smallest letters of the New Testament, which are essentially postcards: Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

These brief epistles, though short, are brimming with powerful messages of faith, love, and discernment that can profoundly impact and transform our lives today.

 

I invite you to join me in this special series as we delve into the significant influence of these small but profound letters. Together, we will explore the essence of living out our faith with integrity, compassion, and purpose.

Read Philemon 1:1-25

“An Apostolic Postcard” is a unique four-week sermon series that explores the four smallest letters of the New Testament, which are essentially postcards: Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

These brief epistles, though short, are brimming with powerful messages of faith, love, and discernment that can profoundly impact and transform our lives today.

 

I invite you to join me in this special series as we delve into the significant influence of these small but profound letters. Together, we will explore the essence of living out our faith with integrity, compassion, and purpose.

Read John 17:20-26

The Sunday After Ascension — A Greater Glory

Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus has been stiff-arming human popularity. Up until now, he hadn’t been ready to go big, but now he is. The moment has come for God to be glorified in Christ, Jesus’ relatively localized Palestinian ministry is about to step onto a cosmic stage through the Cross.

The Ascension is a central pillar of Christian doctrine, affirming Jesus' divinity and his role as Lord and Christ. The Ascension is also linked to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. And so, we are in that time now between Ascension and Pentecost. The 10-day period we call Ascensiontide. For 10 days, God's people prayed for the promise of the Holy Spirit to come. For ten days, Jesus' disciples waited and prayed in unity for the Pentecost experience, the time of the Holy Spirit.

Read John 14:21-31

The Sixth Sunday of Easter

One of the most wonderful and sweetest things in the Bible is that just hours before Jesus' crucifixion, he was concerned for his followers' peace, joy, and faith. Think of it, He is about to be tortured to death with one of the most horrific means of torture ever devised, and his burden was to reinforce in the souls of his followers peace, joy, and faith.

 

Read John 13:31-35

The Fifth Sunday of Easter

Sometimes, the most familiar passages in the Bible are the most challenging to preach. This Sunday’s gospel reading is a great example. It contains Jesus’ famous “love command.” It is one of the better-known passages in the Bible, and for that very reason, it is challenging. The passage is so familiar that most assume they know it before hearing it. Moreover, what can you add to “love another”? At the same time, these words are ridiculously easy to understand and ridiculously hard to do.