Palms Presbyterian Sermons

Gratitude (Part 2)

Colossians 3:12-17 & Daniel 6:1-16

Sunday, November 8, 2026

Daniel’s steady prayer and gratitude, even when he faced the lion’s den, offer a model of faithfulness in difficult circumstances. Small acts of thanksgiving—in prayer, generosity, and service—can reflect God’s grace and send ripples of love into the world.

Associate pastor Cassie Todd preaching.

Current Series: Gratitude

Gratitude is more than saying “thank you” when we feel appreciation for something. Gratitude is a deep well, a resource for the spirit—a way to see the world and a way to live in it. Drawing deeply from that well helps us to recognize how much of life truly is a precious gift, and has the power to transform how we think and what we do.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Gratitude (Part 1)

Deuteronomy 24:19-22 & Ephesians 2:1-10

Sunday, November 1, 2026

God’s grace is more than a single gift of salvation; it is present throughout our lives, calling us to remember how deeply we depend on God. Gratitude grows from that remembrance and takes shape in generous lives that help others to experience grace.

Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching.

Referenced in this sermon:

• Diana Butler Bass, Grateful (2019)
• Robert Farrar Capon, Kingdom, Grace, Judgment (2002)

Current Series: Gratitude

Gratitude is more than saying “thank you” when we feel appreciation for something. Gratitude is a deep well, a resource for the spirit—a way to see the world and a way to live in it. Drawing deeply from that well helps us to recognize how much of life truly is a precious gift, and has the power to transform how we think and what we do.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Holy Habits (Part 7)

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-18 & Matthew 6:25-34

Sunday, October 25, 2026

Simplicity is learning to say “enough” in a world that always urges us toward more—not merely tidying our homes, but decluttering our hearts of misplaced desire, distraction, and trust. By seeking God’s kingdom first and trusting God to provide our daily bread, we become free to recognize and enjoy what truly brings life.

Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching.

Referenced in this sermon:

• Marie Kondo, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2014)

Current Series: Holy Habits

Devout Christians have long sought after something called “holiness.” We have misunderstood this pursuit as a striving toward perfection, which is obviously out of our reach in this life. Holiness is better understood as spiritual strength or fortitude, and our spirits are not made strong overnight, nor are they fortified without our intentional effort. Spiritual disciplines are habits that function like exercises for the soul to make us more faithful disciples, more loving neighbors, and more resilient Christians.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Holy Habits (Part 6)

Isaiah 6:1-8 & John 4:19-26

Sunday, October 18, 2026

Worship is a deliberate response to God’s invitation—not merely showing up, but participating with heart, mind, and will in honoring the God who has already chosen and loved us. Even when we do not feel like worshiping, faithfulness in that practice can reorient us toward God’s truth and open us to unexpected grace and new possibilities.

Associate pastor Cassie Todd preaching.

Current Series: Holy Habits

Devout Christians have long sought after something called “holiness.” We have misunderstood this pursuit as a striving toward perfection, which is obviously out of our reach in this life. Holiness is better understood as spiritual strength or fortitude, and our spirits are not made strong overnight, nor are they fortified without our intentional effort. Spiritual disciplines are habits that function like exercises for the soul to make us more faithful disciples, more loving neighbors, and more resilient Christians.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Holy Habits (Part 4)

Mark 2:1-12

Sunday, October 4, 2026

We often think of community as something that just “happens,” that it’s not the sort of thing we have to work at. In certain settings, this may be true. Christian community, however, is of such a special character that it doesn’t just happen—it has to be tended, cultivated, nurtured…like a discipline.

Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching.

Current Series: Holy Habits

Devout Christians have long sought after something called “holiness.” We have misunderstood this pursuit as a striving toward perfection, which is obviously out of our reach in this life. Holiness is better understood as spiritual strength or fortitude, and our spirits are not made strong overnight, nor are they fortified without our intentional effort. Spiritual disciplines are habits that function like exercises for the soul to make us more faithful disciples, more loving neighbors, and more resilient Christians.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Holy Habits (Part 3)

Isaiah 55:6-13 & Colossians 3:1-11

Sunday, September 27, 2026

The Christian tradition has often seesawed between too great an emphasis on the mind—imagining that we can know God with scientific certainty—and too little emphasis on the mind—scorning theology as heartless and fruitless, seeking refuge in the passions alone. The discipline of study—both of scripture and of the great teachers of the church—helps us navigate this tension by opening us to new and life-giving insight while at the same time keeping us humble and honest about what can (and can’t) be known with certainty.

Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching.

Referenced in this sermon:

• C.S. Lewis, "On the Reading of Old Books" in The Grand Miracle (1986)

Current Series: Holy Habits

Devout Christians have long sought after something called “holiness.” We have misunderstood this pursuit as a striving toward perfection, which is obviously out of our reach in this life. Holiness is better understood as spiritual strength or fortitude, and our spirits are not made strong overnight, nor are they fortified without our intentional effort. Spiritual disciplines are habits that function like exercises for the soul to make us more faithful disciples, more loving neighbors, and more resilient Christians.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Holy Habits (Part 2)

1 Kings 19:11-13 & Exodus 3:1-6

Sunday, September 20, 2026

The quintessential spiritual discipline is prayer. But for all its importance, and despite broad cultural familiarity with it, we persist in holding a very narrow view of what prayer is—and what it is meant to do. Prayer begins when we, like Moses, realize that we are standing on holy ground.

Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching.

Referenced in this sermon:

• "Beauty and how to see it" (Zac Koons, The Christian Century, September 2026)
• Henri Nouwen, The Genesee Diary (1981)

Current Series: Holy Habits

Devout Christians have long sought after something called “holiness.” We have misunderstood this pursuit as a striving toward perfection, which is obviously out of our reach in this life. Holiness is better understood as spiritual strength or fortitude, and our spirits are not made strong overnight, nor are they fortified without our intentional effort. Spiritual disciplines are habits that function like exercises for the soul to make us more faithful disciples, more loving neighbors, and more resilient Christians.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Holy Habits (Part 1)

Deuteronomy 6:1-9 & 1 Timothy 4:6-10

Sunday, September 13, 2026

We have an intuitive understanding of the importance of physical health. So we try to make the right choices, but even when we don’t, we understand that we may be courting adverse consequences. The same is not usually true for our spiritual health. We tend to treat it—if we think of it at all—as something that doesn’t need a whole lot of maintenance, and we imagine that the consequences of neglect are minimal. The Christian tradition has long understood that this is not true, but life in the modern world does not often lend itself to the cultivation of our spiritual well-being.

Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching.

Referenced in this sermon:

• Andy Crouch, The Life We're Looking For (2022)
• The Good Faith Podcast (August 13, 2026)
• Matthew Crawford, The World Beyond Your Head (2016)

Current Series: Holy Habits

Devout Christians have long sought after something called “holiness.” We have misunderstood this pursuit as a striving toward perfection, which is obviously out of our reach in this life. Holiness is better understood as spiritual strength or fortitude, and our spirits are not made strong overnight, nor are they fortified without our intentional effort. Spiritual disciplines are habits that function like exercises for the soul to make us more faithful disciples, more loving neighbors, and more resilient Christians.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Leviticus 25:1-7,19-23 & Luke 4:14-21

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Associate pastor Cassie Todd preaching.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.

Summer Road Trip: The Missionary Journeys of Paul (Part 11)

Micah 6:6-8 & Acts 20:17-22, 28-35

Sunday, August 23, 2026

Paul says his farewells before making his way to Jerusalem, which more or less marks the end of his missionary efforts (as recounted in the book of Acts). And his parting words offer us a clear and simple distillation of the gospel: it is better to give than to receive.

Pastor Bryant Anderson preaching.

Current Series: Summer Road Trip

The Apostle Paul did a daring thing in the years after Rome executed Jesus of Nazareth: he traveled around the Roman Empire spreading the message that Rome—despite its great power—was no match for the good news of God made known to the world in Jesus. Paul worked to establish and nurture communities that were committed to the embodiment of this good news. His missionary travels reveal the power of the gospel, the challenges of being its messenger, and the amazing things that happen when the world and the gospel collide.

Palms Presbyterian Church is a church of the Presbyterian Church (USA) located in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. To learn more about us, visit us at palmschurch.org.