Midway Christian Church sermon for August 31, 2025

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY 

Worship Series: “Five Smooth Stones: Building a Relationship with God”

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17: 38-40

This passage is just a small bit of David’s story. It tells of David’s interactions and conversations immediately before he is to meet Goliath. Although David tried to put on armor to fight Goliath, it didn’t work. The need for unbendable hard metal to protect him was not who David was just as the hard and harsh ways of the world are not God’s ways. Instead, David chose five smooth stones to defeat the giant. He “was able to bring down Goliath not with sword and shield but with faith grounded in lived experience of God’s care and love”. And in doing so, he changed the world.

Part 5 - Praise: More than Words

Psalm 103: 1-11As people of faith, we are people of praise. As the psalmist says, “Let my whole being bless the Lord! Let everything inside me bless God’s holy name!” God has done amazing things for us. God has provided us with life. God has claimed us and named us as Beloved Children of God. God has kept God’s promises. God has made a way out of no way. We come to church, we lift our voices in praise not because of what we have done but because of what God has done, because of who God is, because we know God is at work in this world. At the heart of our faith is this: we praise God from whom all blessings flow!

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Midway Christian Church sermon for August 24, 2025

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY 

Worship Series: “Five Smooth Stones: Building a Relationship with God”

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17: 38-40

This passage is just a small bit of David’s story. It tells of David’s interactions and conversations immediately before he is to meet Goliath. Although David tried to put on armor to fight Goliath, it didn’t work. The need for unbendable hard metal to protect him was not who David was just as the hard and harsh ways of the world are not God’s ways. Instead, David chose five smooth stones to defeat the giant. He “was able to bring down Goliath not with sword and shield but with faith grounded in lived experience of God’s care and love”. And in doing so, he changed the world.

Part 4 - Obedience: Only Kindness Matters

1 John 5: 1-5

In our text, when the author of First John references obedience, he is not talking about coercive power. He is defining obedience through our experience of and with God’s love. He knows that “when we love one another as God’s commandments and Jesus’ teachings call us to do, we realize that it is no longer about us as individuals. Rather it is about us as community.” John is reminding us that obedience to God’s commandments, obedience to Jesus’ teaching always comes down to one question: In any situation, what is the loving thing to do?”

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Midway Christian Church sermon for August 17, 2025

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY 

Worship Series: “Five Smooth Stones: Building a Relationship with God”

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17: 38-40

This passage is just a small bit of David’s story. It tells of David’s interactions and conversations immediately before he is to meet Goliath. Although David tried to put on armor to fight Goliath, it didn’t work. The need for unbendable hard metal to protect him was not who David was just as the hard and harsh ways of the world are not God’s ways. Instead, David chose five smooth stones to defeat the giant. He “was able to bring down Goliath not with sword and shield but with faith grounded in lived experience of God’s care and love”. And in doing so, he changed the world.

Part 3 - Courage: Love Conquers All

Philippians 4: 4-13

“Spiritual bravery is about not letting fear be in charge of you. You move forward anyway, even though you’re scared. In fact, it’s an act of spiritual bravery to explore your fear instead of attempting to suppress it. When you do this regularly, you begin to trust that you will still be standing after the fear moves through you.”

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Midway Christian Church sermon for August 10, 2025

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY 

Worship Series: “Five Smooth Stones: Building a Relationship with God”

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17: 38-40

This passage is just a small bit of David’s story. It tells of David’s interactions and conversations immediately before he is to meet Goliath. Although David tried to put on armor to fight Goliath, it didn’t work. The need for unbendable hard metal to protect him was not who David was just as the hard and harsh ways of the world are not God’s ways. Instead, David chose five smooth stones to defeat the giant. He “was able to bring down Goliath not with sword and shield but with faith grounded in lived experience of God’s care and love”. And in doing so, he changed the world.

Part 2 - Trust: One Day at a Time

Jeremiah 17: 5-8

Trust in God is an active choice, something we choose to do and live out every single day. “Trust in God does not ensure outward success. Nor does it promise that we will not face difficulties in our lives. What trust in God will do is enable us to rise above despair and cynicism. It will keep us connected to God even in the most difficult circumstances. It will produce fruit even in what looks like unproductive soil.”

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Midway Christian Church sermon for August 3, 2025

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY 

Worship Series: “Five Smooth Stones: Building a Relationship with God”

Saul clothed David with his armor; he put a bronze helmet on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail. David strapped Saul’s sword over the armor, and he tried in vain to walk, for he was not used to them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot walk with these, for I am not used to them.” So David removed them. Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in his shepherd’s bag, in the pouch; his sling was in his hand, and he drew near to the Philistine. 1 Samuel 17: 38-40

This passage is just a small bit of David’s story. It tells of David’s interactions and conversations immediately before he is to meet Goliath. Although David tried to put on armor to fight Goliath, it didn’t work. The need for unbendable hard metal to protect him was not who David was just as the hard and harsh ways of the world are not God’s ways. Instead, David chose five smooth stones to defeat the giant. He “was able to bring down Goliath not with sword and shield but with faith grounded in lived experience of God’s care and love”. And in doing so, he changed the world.Part 1 - Faith: Meaning, Hope, & Direction

Hebrews 11: 1-11, 17-34, 39-40

As followers of a Risen Savior, it is our faith which shapes how we view the world. It is our faith which shapes how we act, how we speak, how we perceive and answer the question of who is my neighbor. It is our faith which calls us to make justice, not just for a select few but for all of God’s people. It is our faith which binds us together in community. It is our faith which reminds us time and time and time again that no matter what, love and light will always overcome.

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July 20, 2025 sermon:

“Don't Knock It!"

Luke 11: 1-13, July 27, 2025

Guest Preacher: Rev. Mark Anderson, Midway Christian Church,Midway KY

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July 20, 2025  sermon:

“Our Weedy Seedy Garden”

Matthew 13: 24-30, 36-43

Guest Preacher: Rev. Bill McDonald, Midway Christian Church,Midway KY

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“You are Lacking One Thing” Mark 10: 17-31, July 6, 2025 

Inheriting eternal life has nothing to do with wealth and money. Rather instead it has everything to do with being in relationship with God and with one another. It has everything to do with realizing that we cannot and we do not earn God’s love. Rather it is about responding to that life giving, world changing love by sharing it with others because we cannot do anything else. This love is not ours to hoard or to keep. It is to be shared, to be given, used to empower, to make justice, to care for the least of these. This love, God’s love is the vehicle which brings transformation, helping us to become the people God created us to be, calls us to be for a time such as this.

"You are Lacking One Thing"

Mark 10: 17-31

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, MidwayChristian Church, Midway KY

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“Treasures in Heaven” Matthew 6: 169-34, June 29, 2025 

Stop worrying about things you cannot control. Focus on what you can do. Focus on how you feel and process those emotions. Focus on your actions and words. Focus on how you respond, It is that last part which draws me back to this text again and again…as Jesus disciples, we are called to focus on how we respond. It is not that Jesus is ignoring the injustices of hunger and poverty in the world. Rather, he is asking us as his disciples to think about how we will respond to those injustices. Will we buy into the larger narrative of power and greed and hoard resources? Or will we live into the values of the Beloved Community and know that there is more than enough to not only support life but to thrive?"Treasures in Heaven"

Matthew 6: 19-34

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, MidwayChristian Church, Midway KY

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“We Wish to See Jesus” John 12: 20-21b; Proverbs 29: 19, June 22, 2025

Guest preacher, Rev. Phil Case, brings us today's sermon:

"We Wish to See Jesus"

John 12: 20-21b; Proverbs 29: 19

Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks. So these came to Philip, who was there from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.”

Where there is no vision the people perish, but blessed are those who keep the law.

Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

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