EFMC SUNDAYS

In the sermon **“Stretch Marks”** from the *Twice Told Truths* series, the story of Peter’s threefold denial and restoration by Jesus in John 21 becomes a powerful picture of grace, humility, and renewed purpose. While the world says, “Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me,” Jesus responds to repeated failure with forgiveness and invitation. Through their threefold exchange—“Do you love me?”—Jesus confronts Peter’s sin honestly, stripping away pride and self-reliance, not to shame him but to restore him to ministry: “Feed my sheep.” The sermon contrasts “cheap grace,” which excuses sin, with “costly grace,” which transforms the sinner through repentance and dependence on Christ. Ultimately, Peter’s story reminds believers that God’s grace meets us in failure, restores us to purpose, and calls us to follow Jesus faithfully—even when the path leads where we do not want to go.

In the sermon **“Great Day in the Mourning,”** based on John 16:16–24, Pastor Chris explores how Jesus transforms grief into lasting joy through the presence of the Holy Spirit, the “Spirit of Truth.” As Jesus prepared His disciples for the sorrow of His departure, He promised that their mourning would turn to joy—a joy rooted not in changing circumstances but in divine truth and relationship with God. True Christian joy, unlike worldly happiness, coexists with pain and hardship because it flows from the Spirit’s work within us. By facing pain honestly, choosing to see Jesus in our suffering, and praying in His name with humility and confidence, believers experience the deep, unshakable joy that only Christ can give—a joy that begins now and will be made complete in eternity.

This sermon, titled “Objection, Counselor,” explores Jesus’ words in John 16:1–11, where He prepares His disciples for rejection and persecution and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit—the divine Advocate who will reveal truth and convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Jesus warns that faith without conviction will crumble under pressure. While comfort may feel safe, it numbs the soul; conviction may sting, but it awakens and heals. The sermon reminds us that conviction isn’t God’s rejection—it’s His rescue. It’s mercy bringing what’s hidden into the light so grace can restore what’s broken.We see that conviction deepens faith, while comfort often dulls it. The Spirit convicts not to condemn but to renew—transforming surface faith into steadfast faith that endures. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit acts as both Counselor and Advocate, uncovering sin, affirming Christ’s righteousness, and declaring the victory already won at the cross.

This sermon, titled **“And For My Next Trick,”** explores Jesus’ “very truly” statement in John 14:12–14, made during His farewell discourse to the disciples. Jesus declares that those who believe in Him will do the works He has been doing—and even greater things—because He is returning to the Father. The sermon cautions against misinterpreting this passage as a blank check for personal desires, emphasizing that prayer “in Jesus’ name” means praying in alignment with His character and for the Father’s glory. By revealing Himself as the great “I AM,” Jesus affirms His divine authority and invites believers into continual, active trust—not just one-time belief. His departure paves the way for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, granting believers His presence, power, and grace to carry out His mission. This greater work is not about personal gain but about living in the reality of His presence, participating in His ongoing work through Spirit-empowered faith and prayer.

Matthew 25:16-20

This sermon emphasizes that while Christians have unique spiritual gifts, all share one mission—the Great Commission: to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Rather than obsessing over finding a singular, individualized “purpose,” believers are called to apprentice under Jesus, learning to live as He lived and do what He did. Drawing from Scripture, statistics, and modern authors, the message challenges Christians to own the mission personally by worshiping Christ as the center of their lives, meeting people in their pain, practicing hospitality, bearing witness through authentic relationships, and living a visibly good and beautiful life. In a culture of loneliness, anxiety, and competing “gospels,” the call is not to correct people as projects but to love them as neighbors—sharing the story of Christ’s grace and demonstrating it practically. Empowered by Jesus’ authority and presence, every believer can participate in God’s slow, transforming work of bringing His kingdom on earth, one relationship at a time.

This sermon reflects on Jesus’ act of washing His disciples’ feet in John 13 as the ultimate picture of humility and love. Though He already had all authority and power from the Father, Jesus lowered Himself to the posture of a slave, even serving those who would betray, deny, and abandon Him. In doing so, He revealed that true discipleship means embracing humility, serving others without discrimination, and resisting the pride that refuses grace. The sermon warns against being drawn into a culture of outrage fueled by “conflict entrepreneurs” and reminds us that our true enemy is not people but spiritual forces of darkness. Just as Jesus loved His disciples “to the fullest extent,” Christians are called to resist division, love one another deeply, and humbly serve in ways that point the world to Christ rather than to ourselves. Ultimately, discipleship comes at the cost of humility, but in lowering ourselves we lift up Jesus, who alone brings hope and salvation.

This Sunday in Part 2 of our Discipled series, we’ll look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

This sermon begins by contrasting the shallow, low-cost nature of “following” on social media with the costly, relational call of Jesus: “Follow Me.” Unlike Twitter or Instagram followers who may know little about us, discipleship in the time of Jesus meant an intimate, all-encompassing relationship with a teacher—laying down one’s own identity to adopt the ways, values, and mission of the rabbi. From the shores of Galilee, Jesus deliberately began His ministry not in the religious hub of Jerusalem, but among Gentiles, sinners, and outsiders, demonstrating that His call was not for the already-righteous but for those in need of transformation. His first call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John reveals the heart of discipleship: repentance, relationship, and reorientation of life around Jesus, the true central figure. Discipleship is not merely knowledge or religious practice but a radical reshaping of one’s identity, leaving behind the familiar in exchange for deeper peace, joy, and purpose in Christ.

The sermon emphasizes that following Jesus always leads to repentance—changing our minds about sin and aligning with God’s truth—but it begins with relationship. Like the early disciples who immediately left their nets and family businesses, the call to follow Jesus summons us into a new identity, even renaming us as His own. This call requires sacrifice, but it also brings profound reward: transformation, purpose, and participation in Christ’s mission. Using the metaphor of casting and mending nets, the preacher highlights that disciples both bring people to Jesus and help mend broken lives through His healing power. Discipleship is daily, relational, and holistic—“all of Jesus, with all of your life.” While costly, it is an exchange of “dirt for diamonds,” as Steve Lawson says. The sermon concludes with an urgent invitation: don’t delay or wait for more knowledge; like the fishermen, respond immediately to the stirring of Christ’s call, for discipleship is not about casual following but about entering a new life in Him.

This sermon, **“The Gospel in Real Life”** from Hebrews 13:1–8, 14–15, emphasizes that following Jesus is not just about right belief but about embodying His love in everyday life through tangible actions like hospitality, mercy, and deep commitment. The writer of Hebrews calls believers to extend *philadelphia* (brotherly love) to fellow Christians and *philoxenia* (love for strangers) to outsiders, including foreigners, the marginalized, and the spiritually lost. True hospitality, the sermon explains, is more than meals or social gatherings—it is opening our homes, lives, and resources to others as God has done for us in Christ. Just as our salvation is rooted in God’s radical hospitality—welcoming us as strangers into His family—we are called to welcome others with sacrificial love, compassion, and justice. Living this out may be inconvenient or costly, but it reflects the unchanging commitment of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Ultimately, hospitality becomes a spiritual discipline and a sacramental act through which God’s grace is made visible in real life.

Isaiah 58:9-14