Today we enter the Sunday of Peace in this sacred season of Advent—a time when we pause to reflect on the peace Christ brings into our world and into our lives.

But this isn’t a passive or complacent peace. It’s not a peace that asks nothing of us. Instead, the peace of Christ is deep, steady, and transformative. It’s a peace that invites us to grow, to mature, and to participate in God’s restoring work in the world.

So as we gather today, I want to challenge us to consider: What does true peace look like for us as Christians? And how might God be calling us to embody that peace in our actions, our relationships, and our communities?

May this be a season of growth, of stretching, and of drawing closer to the One who is our Peace.

Passage: Matthew 3:1-12 CEB

Join us as guest preacher, our Worship Coordinator, Michelle Manzi brings us our sermon this Sunday morning.

I am always grateful for the kind and encouraging words I hear from so many of you after I preach—especially when the topics get a little spicy. Knowing I can speak about generosity with my whole chest tells me something important: this church is not a people who simply go through the motions. You are a church with purpose, with conviction, and with power.

As we wrap up our journey on generosity today, I’m excited to invite all of us into a moment of action—coming together as a family to offer our pledge cards and commit ourselves to the work God is doing among us.

Let us steward this generosity.

Passage: Mark 12:41-44 CEB

I’m beginning to suspect that I might know some of the most generous people on the planet. The Church has always been counter-cultural, and as I watch wealth concentrate into the hands of a few and see more and more cuts to the things that help my neighbors live with dignity, it only becomes clearer: I know incredibly generous people.

Because generosity isn’t about a number. Generosity is about two things:

The love. And the work.

So today, as we gather, let’s talk about what it means to steward that work—faithfully, courageously, and together.

Passage: Romans 12:3-5 CEB

Join us as guest Preacher, Reverend Ed New brings us our sermon this Sunday morning.

Join us as guest Preacher Rick Gebauer brings us our sermon this Sunday morning.

I’m reminded today of the people who included me.

I think of these saints on All Saints Sunday, because they were the ones who reached out, who welcomed me in, who brought me along. And they changed my life.

As we continue our series on generosity, I want to tie a few things together.

May we have a spirit of gratitude for the saints we celebrate.

May that gratitude inspire us to give generously.

And above all, may we give with a heart of evangelism—

a heart that doesn’t just open the door wide, but one that gently says, “Come and see.”

Let us be good stewards of the welcome we have received.

Passage: John 1:40-46 CEB

Friends, I find myself going back in time—digging up old, churchy words.

Words like Eucharist. Membership. Passing the peace.

I feel a little like Indiana Jones—or maybe more like one of those American Picker guys—sifting through dusty artifacts and discovering treasures.

And today, I brought one with me: Stewardship.

The way we talk about generosity in the church has always been wrapped up in this word—stewardship.

Because the truth is, the reason we’re tired, the reason we’re sunburned, the reason we keep showing up—

is because we’re stewards of a dream.

The dream of the Gospel.

So friends, let us steward the dream.

Passage: James 1:16-22 CEB

This is a busy time in the life of the church. And if I’m honest, it’s easy — even as your pastor — to forget our "why".

Today, I want to push back against that forgetfulness. I want to slow down, lean in, and remind myself — and you — of the reason we do all of this.

I’m so grateful for the kind words many of you share about my sermons. But I’ll tell you — the ones that seem to matter most are the ones I’m mostly preaching to myself.

In all the planning, the preparing, the pouring out — I need to remember: our why is always worth fighting for.

Because when the church is united in mission — nothing can stop her.

Passage: Ezekiel 37:1-7 CEB

All throughout Scripture, the pages are overflowing with dreams—divine encounters, angelic visions, and heaven-sent messages. From Joseph to Daniel, from the prophets to the apostles, God has used dreams to speak, to guide, and to reveal His heart.

When we talk about dreams, we often think of what happens while we sleep. But today, let’s lean in a little deeper—because God also has dreams for us. Not just in the night, but in the light of day. Dreams that shape purpose. Dreams that stir calling.

Ready or not... God has dreams for you. So let’s step into that together.

Passage: Genesis 28:11-19 CEB