When Nineveh repents, you'd think Jonah would be thrilled. Instead, he's angry that God showed mercy to his enemies. How often do we feel the same way?

This sermon explores the tension between our desire for justice and God's heart of compassion. It challenges us to see people as God sees them - not as enemies to be punished, but as children to be loved. Whose side are we really on - our own, or God's?

When Jonah finally arrives in Nineveh he preaches a half-hearted sermon that is exactly nine words long. As representatives of God, are we sometimes just as half-hearted in our obedience?

This sermon challenges us to examine how we're representing Jesus in our daily lives and interactions. Are we truly reflecting God's heart for the world, or are we, like Jonah, just going through the motions?

After spending some time in the belly of a fish, Jonah finally decides to do what God told him to do. But he isn't exactly enthusiastic about it.

But Jonah's half-hearted obedience highlights the gap between our words and our hearts. And in this sermon, we'll learn the importance of aligning our inner attitudes with our outward actions as we serve God and others.

As a new week begins, many of us continue to wrestle with the events that unfolded at a campaign rally in Butler, PA. In this sermon, we'll hear our pastor's perspective on these heinous events and think about how we as individuals, as followers of Jesus, and as a nation move forward.

In the book of Jonah, God calls Jonah to preach to Nineveh - Israel's sworn enemy - but Jonah runs the opposite way. There are times we want to do the same thing.

But Jonah's story reminds us that God's love extends to all, even those we struggle to love. So how will we respond when God calls us to love those we'd rather avoid?

Holy Week begins on Palm Sunday with crowds cheering "Hosanna!" and welcoming Jesus like a king. But by Good Friday the cheers of "Hosanna!" were replaced by calls to "Crucify him!" So what happened during those 5 days?

The crowds realized that instead of being who they wanted him to be, Jesus was different. And Jesus wanted them and us to become more like him.

In the book of John, a woman named Mary annoints Jesus' feet with a bottle of perfume that costs about as much money as the average person makes in a year. And Mary was willing to do that because of everything Jesus had done for her (including raising her brother from the dead).

Jesus laid down his life for us. So what are we willing to give for him?

Every kid may dream of winning an Olympic medal or a Super Bowl ring...but no one dreams of coming in last. But Jesus tells us, "The first will be last and the last will be first."

And this isn't just something Jesus said, it's something he did when he laid down his life for us on the cross. So, if we want to be more like Jesus, we have to learn how to put ourselves last and to put God and others first.

We all know that our world can be a messed up place filled with violence and hatred. But none of us want the world to be that way. So is there some way that we can overcome violence with mercy? Is there some way that we can learn to love instead of hate?

Jesus tells us there is. But just because there's a way to do it, that doesn't mean it's easy...but it is possible if we practice what Jesus preached.

We’ve all experienced things that have caused us to lose our temper or hold a grudge. We've all experienced things that have made us bitter.

But, if we want to be more like Jesus, we have to let go of our bitterness. Instead, we need to learn to be more kind, more compassionate, and more forgiving.