EFMC SUNDAYS

The sermon *“The Vision of Division”* (Luke 12:49–53) wrestles with Jesus’ startling words that He came not to bring peace, but division, reminding us that following Him is not casual or neutral but costly and life-altering. While Jesus is perfectly good, trustworthy, and compassionate toward the broken, His presence is not “safe” for those clinging to self-righteousness, power, or comfort, because His purifying fire exposes sin and calls for full surrender. This fire of judgment, borne first by Christ on the cross, both refines and restores, offering salvation to all who make Him the center of their lives. Yet this choice to follow Jesus may cause tension—even within families or communities—because divine truth divides. Still, for those who endure His correction and trust His grace, the fire does not consume but frees, bringing peace with God and the hope of ultimate restoration.

The sermon *Seeing Ain’t Believing* from Hebrews 11 encourages believers to hold on to faith when life is not what they expected and God’s promises seem delayed. Using Abraham, Sarah, and other “Hall of Faith” heroes as examples, it reminds us that faith is not built on perfect circumstances or immediate results, but on confidence in God’s character and promises, even when unseen. True faith is not about the potential payoff but about obedience to God because He is God, and it is built “in” our faith, not merely “around” it. We are called to seek God Himself—not just His blessings—with the sincere, eager trust of a child, and to find our reward in Him alone, confident that He is faithful to fulfill His promises in His time.

This sermon explores the deep existential questions raised in Ecclesiastes, where the Teacher (or “philosophy professor”) concludes that life “under the sun”—pursuits like work, pleasure, and even noble causes—is ultimately meaningless if there is nothing beyond the natural world. Through vivid examples and honest reflection, the preacher emphasizes that Ecclesiastes is not meant to give answers, but to provoke thought and spiritual wrestling. The message challenges listeners to confront the illusion that meaning can be self-manufactured and instead invites them to see that true meaning is found “above the sun”—in the Logos, Jesus Christ. While work, joy, and justice may appear futile when viewed through a secular lens, they become purposeful when received as gifts from God and lived in response to His grace. Meaning is not something we earn or create; it is given by the One who created us. Without Christ, everything is meaningless—but with Him, even the smallest effort has eternal significance.

Message by Pastor Mark Scandrett

In *Live It Out, Part 4: Service*, the final sermon in the series and Pastor Mark’s last official Sunday as an employee of Emmanuel, the message centers on the call for every follower of Jesus to live out their faith through service. Drawing from Galatians 5:13–15, the sermon emphasizes that Christian freedom is not a license for self-indulgence, but a call to humbly serve one another in love. The biblical concept of “servant” — often translated from the Greek word *doulos*, meaning “slave” or “bondservant” — reflects a life of complete submission to Christ, much like Jesus modeled when He came not to be served but to serve. Through personal testimony, Pastor Mark recounts surrendering his own life direction to Jesus and embracing a lifetime of service, including 40 years in Alton, IL. He challenges listeners to rethink “service” not as a voluntary, convenient act, but as a lifelong identity rooted in love for Christ. Whether young and deciding their future, or older and contemplating retirement, the invitation is clear: affirm or reaffirm your role as a servant of Jesus, and commit to serving Him for the rest of your life.

Pastor Pat preaches a intriguing message on the "Lord's Prayer" as we contemplate the purpose of saying "amen" as we pray that great prayer and it's interesting subtraction from the actual text.

Jesus tells a story about a man forgiven an unimaginable debt—only to turn around and demand payment from someone who owed him far less. It’s a jarring picture, but one that hits close to home. Too often, we underestimate the weight of what we’ve been forgiven. And when we do, we become quick to judge, slow to show mercy, and reluctant to let go.

In the sermon *Extraordinary Kindness*, the first message in the “Live It Out” series, the focus is on living out the radical and countercultural kindness of the Kingdom of God, as taught by Jesus in Luke 6. Highlighting the difference between merely being "right" and being *kind*, the message confronts the religious impulse to prioritize rule-keeping over compassion and invites believers to embody the generosity, mercy, and grace modeled by Christ—especially toward enemies, outcasts, and those who insult or mistreat us. True kindness, as defined by Jesus, is not transactional or selective but sacrificial and unearned, rooted in the believer’s identity as a child of God. Drawing from examples in Jesus’ ministry, especially His healing on the Sabbath and His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, the sermon calls Christians to live as citizens of a new Kingdom where insults do not destroy identity, generosity isn’t about payoff, and enemies are prayed for and loved. This “ridiculous” kindness—undeserved, transformative, and rooted in grace—is exactly the kind shown to us by God through Christ, and it is the kind we are called to live out daily.

This sermon explores the tension between legalism (or fundamentalism) and true spiritual freedom, using Galatians 5:13–26 as a foundational text. The preacher critiques the tendency of churches—specifically within the Free Methodist tradition—to rely on moral restraint and rigid rule-following as markers of holiness, which ultimately reflects a return to slavery under the law. Drawing from the history of the Free Methodist movement and its core values, the sermon calls for a return not to rule-based righteousness but to a life led by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s message is clear: freedom in Christ is not a license for self-indulgence but a call to Spirit-led transformation that bears internal fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Rather than relying on external behaviors to prove righteousness, believers are urged to remain in Christ’s presence, allowing the Spirit to shape their hearts, relationships, and communities in genuine holiness and love.

In the sermon “An Odd Way to Get There” from "Twice Told Truths vol. 3 pt. 4", the focus is on the transformation of Simon Peter from an impulsive, overconfident disciple into the foundational “rock” of the early church. Using personal and biblical examples of embarrassment and failure, the sermon emphasizes that God doesn’t discard us because of our mistakes—He redeems us through them. Peter’s denial of Jesus, though deeply shameful, became the crucible in which his identity was refined—not through his strength or bold declarations, but through humble submission and total dependence on Christ. The heart of discipleship, as modeled by Jesus in John 13, is sacrificial love, service, and daily surrender. We are reminded that God still writes redemption stories, and like Peter, our brokenness can become the very means through which God builds His kingdom—if we’re willing to let go of pride, embrace humility, and fully trust in Him.

In the sermon *Twice Told Truths: The Greatest*, the speaker challenges the cultural obsession with greatness by contrasting it with Jesus’ definition of true greatness in the Kingdom of God—humble service. Drawing from John 13, where Jesus washes His disciples’ feet on the eve of His crucifixion, the message highlights that even though Jesus was the eternal Creator and rightful Lord, He lowered Himself to do the work of a servant. The disciples, likely young and prideful, often argued about who among them was the greatest, failing to grasp Jesus’ repeated teaching: in God’s kingdom, greatness is measured not by power or position, but by humility and willingness to serve others. Jesus' secure identity in the Father freed Him to serve without needing to prove Himself—and we are invited to do the same. With personal anecdotes and examples, the preacher urges listeners to embrace their identity in Christ, reject worldly definitions of greatness, and follow Jesus by serving others with humility and love.