JR.'s Sermons

Healthy relationships require us to invest time in them. But not all time is equal. How can we ensure the time we share with others is quality? How can we make the most of our relationships?

Easter is about much more than going to heaven after we die. By raising Jesus from the dead, God shows us that God is faithful. How can we trust that we can die to ourselves and live for someone else? Because God raised Jesus after he gave up his life for us! Easter invites us to a better way to relate to each other – one grounded in God’s faithfulness!

Failed expectations can really hurt our relationships. What happens when we get disappointed with God? Palm Sunday invites us to ask the question: Do we think God is on our side? Or are we making sure we're on God's side?

What do you do when you hear someone tell a racist joke? Speaking up is hard - it makes us all feel awkward. And it's even worse to be called out. Why don't we just keep to ourselves? Paul's confrontation with Peter in Antioch illustrates why we have to speak up: God calls us all to be one, and we can't be one until we have justice. So what does that look like?

We've seen the promise of growth that can happen when we stay where it's awkward. But how do we endure it? Paul's encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus illustrates the importance of humility - not thinking too much or too little of ourselves, but rather not thinking of ourselves at all.

We're learning to value empathy as a culture, but just being able to understand another person isn't enough. Understanding without connection leads to contempt. David's encounters with Bathsheba, Uriah and Nathan show us why we need no just understanding, but kindness.

Especially when we discuss sensitive topics like race or gender, things get awkward fast. This is what experts call our ‘growing edge’. This is the place we have the most potential to transform because it’s where the gap between where we are and who we want to be is in the light. The story of Judah and Tamar shows us what it looks like when we brave our growing edge.

Why do we feel awkwardness? And when we feel it, what, exactly, are we feeling? The first awkward moment in the Bible, Genesis 3, shows us both the danger and opportunity of awkwardness. How can we refuse to hide or flee, and instead stay in the awkward promise of the cringe?

There's a gap between how we see ourselves and how everyone else experiences us. Mostly that gap is invisible - until it's not, and then things get awkward. But in awkwardness is a gift: to see beyond our self-deception to who we really are. And if we see ourselves through God's eyes, we find the path toward healing and wholeness. Our Lenten journey begins here!

We’ve spent two months talking about how to talk about Jesus with pretty much anyone. But none of that matters unless we actually DO it. Jesus’ transfiguration reminds us that God calls us out of our comfort zones to the places where people actually need to hear good news. So let’s go!