Ready or Not | This is Not Your Cross to Bear

Matthew 16:21-30

August 30, 2026

Rev. Teer Hardy

We like putting words in Jesus’ mouth because the Jesus we invent in our image asks less of us. But Jesus tells his disciples: deny yourself, take up your cross, follow me.

Those words are hard.

But Jesus is not standing at a safe distance pointing us toward the cross. He is already headed that direction.

To Jerusalem.To rejection and suffering.To a hill outside the city where Sin and Death do their worst.And to a tomb that does not get the final word. Not for Jesus. And because of Jesus, not for you.

Following Jesus may cost us something: our comfort, reputation, certainty, need to be right, or insistence on staying safe.

Cost is not the point. Jesus is.

Jesus does not say, “Go find a cross. He says, “Follow me.”

There is a difference.

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Ready or Not | The Unfinished Confession

Matthew 16:13-20

August 23, 2026

Rev. Teer Hardy

The church is built on a confession we barely understand, held together by a grace we did not create.

And that is enough. Not because our confession is small but because Jesus is so much bigger.

The church is unfinished. We are unfinished. And Jesus is still building.

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Ready or Not | The Parable Who Wouldn’t Go Away

Matthew 15:10-28

August 16, 2026

Rev. Teer Hardy

The kingdom of heaven is like a woman who was told she did not belong. She came anyway. And when the church tried to send her away, she kept pushing toward the only one who could save her.

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Ready or Not | Against the Wind

Matthew 14:22-33

August 9, 2026

Rev. Ter Hardy

Jesus does not wait for calm waters. He comes to the frightened disciples. To doubters, to sinners, to those who are tired of treading water or are wondering why even try, and to us he says, “Take heart. I AM. Do not be afraid.”

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Ready or Not | We Have Nothing

Matthew 14:13-21

August 2, 2026

Rev. Teer Hardy

Bring me what you have already dismissed.Bring me you're not enough.Bring me your nothing.

The miracle does not begin with the disciples finding their hidden potential. It begins when what they have is placed into the hands of Jesus.

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Hidden in the Dough

Matthew 13:33

July 26, 2026

Hidden means that God is at work in ways we cannot see, cannot manage, cannot take credit for, and cannot stop.

That is grace.

Grace is a baby hidden in Bethlehem, while Caesar thinks he is ordering the world.

Grace is hidden among fishermen and tax collectors, women and children, lepers and sinners, the sick and the hungry, and the forgotten and the furious.

Grace gets hidden in a crucified Messiah, which is about as unimpressive as God can get.

And from the cross, the Word breathes out his life for the world.

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Ready or Not: The Seed is the Sermon

Matthew 13:1-23

July 12, 2026

Trinity United Methodist Church, Alexandria, VA

The scandal is that the Sower knows all of this and sows anyway.

God does not wait for ideal sowing conditions, or for the rocks to be cleared, or for the thorns to be pruned.

God sows into the world as it is.God sows into the church as it is.God sows into us as we are.

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Rev. Teer Hardy

Ready or Not: No One Misses Out

Hebrews 12:12-15

July 7, 2026

The urgency of grace is first and foremost the urgency with which God pursues us. The grace of God is not waiting for you to become spiritually impressive. Grace is the Shepherd leaving the 99 in search of the one. It is the woman sweeping the house looking for a lost coin. It is the father running down the road toward the prodigal before the boy can begin his rehearsed apology.

Grace is God in Jesus Christ coming into the mess of this world, all the way down into our fear and pride and dead ends, and saying, “You are mine.”

Grace has a face and wounds. Grace is Christ crucified and risen for us while we were still sinners.

Grace loves to travel please share this sermon with someone who needs to hear the good news of God’s love for them.

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The Airing of Grievances: The Final Grievance

Philippeans 1:3-11

June 14, 2026

Rev. Teer Hardy

I have one final grievance: You made me grateful.

Grateful for your love. For my family and me.Grateful for your patience.Grateful for your faithfulness.Grateful for your humor. Grateful for the honor of being your pastor.Grateful for the holy, messy, beautiful, exhausting, grace-soaked work we have done together.

And now, I commend you to the God who began this good work. To the God who sustained and who will bring the work of the Kingdom of God to its completion.

I am grateful. Thank you.

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The Airing of Grievances: You Are Hard to Love

John 13:31-35

June 7, 2026

Rev. Teer Hardy

The gospel is not that we finally become lovable enough for Jesus.

The gospel is that Jesus loves us while we are still a mess.

So, yes, I’ve got a lot of problems with you people. And God help me, I love you. Because Christ first loved us.

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