Sermons
Church Year Seasons
The Christian Year calendar is our guide for worship and Christian faith formation. The beginning of the Christian year is the season of Advent, approximately four weeks before Christmas Day, and continues with special days and seasons following the life of Christ and the mission of the church.
There are two major cycles in the Christian Year. One is the Advent-Christmas-Epiphany cycle that is focused upon Christmas. The other is the Lent-Easter-Pentecost cycle that has Easter as its focus. The other periods in the year are referred to as “ordinary time.” This is not because they are “ordinary” days. Ordinary is taken from the word for “ordinal” numbers. The Sundays during this time are designated by the “first,” “second,” “third,” Sunday after Pentecost, for example. Therefore, they are designated “ordinary” time because of using ordinal numbers to mark them.
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Advent
From the Latin word, adventus, Advent means “arrival” or “coming” and marks the coming of Jesus as human being into the world. Including the four Sundays prior to Christmas day, this season is used as a time of preparing for the coming of the Christ child. Advent marks the beginning of the church year and is the first season in the Christian calendar. While our calendar begins with January 1, the church year begins with Advent.
Christmas
The season of Christmas is actually a period of twelve days which begins on Christmas Day and continues through January 5. We typically think of the season of Christmas as beginning after Thanksgiving and concluding on December 25. However, for the Church, December 25 is the culmination of the waiting, and marks the beginning of Christmas.
Epiphany
The Day of Epiphany follows the twelve days of Christmas. Epiphany, as a day and season of celebration, has been around as long as the celebration of Christmas. Epiphanies are those instances where gods reveal themselves, and make themselves known to humanity. Our January 6 celebration, as Christians, emphasizes the epiphany, or manifestation of God, and represents the revelation of God to the world in Jesus Christ.
Lent
Lent is a season of prayer, penance and self-discipline, beginning on the Wednesday of the seventh week before Easter. The season of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is forty days prior to Easter, not counting Sundays. The sixth Sunday in lent is Palm Sunday, which begins Holy Week. Holy Week includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and officially ends on Holy Saturday. Easter Sunday then begins the season of Easter which lasts for seven weeks.
Easter
Easter Day commemorates the day of resurrection of Jesus following the crucifixion. Easter is more than a day of celebration in the Christian calendar; it includes a period of seven weeks, and is known as The Great Fifty Days. The full period of Easter continues from Easter Sunday to the day of Pentecost.
Pentecost
The day of Pentecost is the Sunday following the end of the fifty days of Easter. The Day of Pentecost commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit to the followers of Jesus in the immediate days after the ascension of Jesus.
Sermons from Advent 2019
The First Sunday of Advent
December 1, 2019
What Are You Waiting For? — Sermon by Janet Cleland
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Sermons from the Season After Pentecost
The 24th Sunday after Pentecost
Gratitude and a Generous Heart — Sermon by Joel Snider
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The 23rd Sunday after Pentecost
The Giver with a Generous Heart — Sermon by Emily Harbin
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The 22nd Sunday after Pentecost
The Gift of a Generous Heart — Sermon by Joel Snider
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The Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost
The Apolitical Jesus — Sermon by Joel Snider
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October 20, 2019
The Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost
In This Together — Sermon by Joel Snider
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October 13, 2019
The Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost
The Vocabulary of Forgiveness — Sermon by Joel Snider
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September 29, 2019
The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Unnecessary Famine — Sermon by Joel Snider
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September 22, 2019
The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost
In the Boat with Jesus — Sermon by Dr. Steven Porter
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September 15, 2019
The Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
On the Turning Away — Sermon by Joel Snider
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September 8, 2019
The Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost
Unexpected Blessing — Sermon by Joel Snider
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September 1, 2019
The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost
Made for Us — Sermon by Joel Snider
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August 25, 2019
The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost
Take Up Your Towel — Sermon by Joel Snider
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August 18, 2019
The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Changes — Sermon by Joel Snider
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August 11, 2019
The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost
Orienting the Gospel — Sermon by Joel Snider
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August 4, 2019
The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
The Gospel Feast — Sermon by Joel Snider
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July 28, 2019
The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost
Looking the Wrong Way — Sermon by Joel Snider
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July 21, 2019
The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Allegiance. Loyalty. Witness — Sermon by Frank Granger
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July 14, 2019
The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
The Desires of Your Heart — Sermon by Joel Snider
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July 7, 2019
The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
Jesus and Pythagoras– Sermon by Joel Snider
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June 30, 2019
The Third Sunday after Pentecost
The Pearl of Great Price — Sermon by Joel Snider
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June 23, 2019
The Second Sunday after Pentecost
Injured Love as the Wrath of God — Sermon by Joel Snider
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June 16, 2019
Trinity Sunday
Pay Attention! You Might Just Learn Something — Sermon by Connie Ivester
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June 9, 2019
Pentecost
A Living Church — Sermon by Joel Snider
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Sermons from Easter
June 2, 2019
Ascension Sunday
What Are You Waiting For? — Sermon by Frank Granger
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May 26, 2019
The Sixth Sunday of Easter
Drowning or Drifting? — Sermon by Joel Snider
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May 19, 2019
The Fifth Sunday of Easter
Loaning Faith — Sermon by Joel Snider
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May 12, 2019
The Fourth Sunday of Easter
The Fabric of Resurrection — Sermon by Emily Harbin
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May 5, 2019
The Third Sunday of Easter
Children and Our Moral Conviction — Sermon by Joel Snider
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April 28, 2019
The Second Sunday of Easter
Repentance and Forgiveness Will Be Preached — Sermon by Joel Snider
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April 21, 2019
Easter
Resurrection in the Middle of Life — Sermon by Joel Snider
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Sermons from Lent
April 7, 2019
The Fifth Sunday in Lent
Persistance: The Beige Virtue — Sermon by Ray Austin
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March 31, 2019
The Fourth Sunday in Lent
The Waiting Father — Sermon by Pam Durso
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March 24, 2019
The Third Sunday in Lent
Jesus’ Question — Youth Sunday Sermon by Zeke Williamson
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March 17, 2019
The Second Sunday in Lent
Decluttering Ourselves– Sermon by Pam Durso
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March 10, 2019
The First Sunday in Lent
Choose Joy — Sermon by Pam Durso
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Sermons from Epiphany
March 3, 2019
The Last Sunday after the Epiphany
Standing Between Journeys — Sermon by Paul Baxley
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February 24, 2019
The Seventh Sunday after the Epiphany
Travel Instructions — Sermon by Paul Baxley
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February 17, 2019
The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany
Redefining Family — Sermon by Paul Baxley
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February 10, 2019
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
Go and Tell — Sermon by Paul Baxley
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February 3, 2019
The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Beyond the Table Into Life– Sermon by Paul Baxley
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January 27, 2019
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
Filled with Fury — Sermon by Paul Baxley
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January 20, 2019
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Discipleship is Risky Business — Sermon by Frank Granger
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January 13, 2019
The First Sunday after the Epiphany
Times of Testing — Sermon by Paul Baxley
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January 6, 2019
Epiphany
Searching — Sermon by Paul Baxley
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Sermons from Christmas
December 30, 2018
The First Sunday after Christmas
Particular Christ, Cosmic Promise — Sermon by Christopher Adams
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