John 2:1–11 | Matthew 13:31–32 | First Sunday in Lent

At a wedding in Cana, the wine runs out. Instead of shame or scarcity, Jesus brings abundance. Instead of tightening boundaries, he widens the table.

In this Lenten sermon, we explore what the miracle at Cana and the mustard seed parable reveal about joy, justice, and the kin-dom of God. What does it mean to practice joy as resistance in a culture shaped by fear? How do we embody courageous love for immigrants, students, and neighbors in uncertain times?

The good news isn’t fragile. It’s disruptive. It’s abundant. And it still catches us by surprise.

James 2:1–9; Matthew 23:23–24

Not every Bible verse carries equal weight.

In this sermon from The Bible They Never Told You About series, Rev. David Wheeler explores what Jesus called the “weightier matters” of the law: justice, mercy, and faith.

How we read Scripture shapes who gets a seat at the table — and who gets pushed to the margins. The Bible has been used to defend power and to proclaim liberation. Same text. Different lens.

In a time of political anger, polarization, and spiritual exhaustion, this message wrestles with forgiveness without surrendering justice — and asks what happens when we choose love, not fear, as our interpretive lens.

If your faith feels strained by culture wars, this sermon offers a deeper way forward.

Love as the lens.

What do we do when the Bible seems to contradict itself?

In this sermon, Rev. David Wheeler explores two foundational questions many people are quietly asking today: how to read biblical contradictions with honesty, and how to confront verses that have been weaponized against LGBTQ+ people, people of color, and women.

Drawing from Genesis 1–2 and Acts 15, this message shows how the Bible itself models faithful disagreement—and how the early church chose love over control when Scripture was contested. We examine how certain passages have been misused to justify slavery, racism, exclusion, and patriarchy, and why those interpretations were always more about power than faithfulness.

This sermon is especially for:

Rather than defending or dismissing the Bible, this message invites listeners into a more honest, humane, and life-giving way of engaging Scripture—one rooted in justice, humility, and love.

Because love is the point.

What happens when faith steps out of the sanctuary and onto streets marked by fear?

After traveling to Minneapolis to witness the impact of immigration enforcement firsthand, Pastor David reflects on what he saw — and how two ancient scriptures suddenly felt urgently alive. Drawing from Micah’s call to “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly” and Jesus’ surprising list of who is truly blessed, this message explores what discipleship looks like when real lives are at stake.

It's not about politics. It's about following Jesus when mercy and courage matter most.

In part 1 of this Advent series, Rev. Wheeler suggests that in every era, the world has had leaders, like Herod, who led unjustly, hoarded wealth and power for themselves, and let the real needs of their people go unaddressed. In times like these, we long for God to "break in" and set the wrongs to right. But what if God has already been breaking in? What if God works through us instead of through proverbial lightning bolts from the sky?

This was Rev. Wheeler's Reign of Christ/Christ the King Sunday sermon on November 23, 2025. Based on Luke 23:33-43, he suggests that the world will never be transformed by the love of power; only the power of love can transform it! Christian Nationalism and other coercive forms of attempts at change do nothing but add to the noise and division. Can we love our way into a better world?

In this final sermon (part 4 of 4) in the Rooted and Rising series, Rev. Wheeler uses Isaiah 43:18-19 and John 15:1-5 to make the case that God is always doing a new thing. Can we trust that as we do our part today, new growth and fresh fruit will flourish for generations to come through our whole community's active participation?

In part 3 of the Rooted and Rising series, Rev. Wheeler draws from Isaiah 40:28-31 and John 16:33 to encourage the church to be a daring community that serves boldly, stands for justice, and embodies compassion in tangible ways. Courage is expressed when we use our resources, voices, creativity, and hands to build ministries that reflect God's love in the world.

In part 2 of the Rooted and Rising series, Rev. Wheeler draws on Acts 2:42-47 and Ephesians 3:16-19 as illustrations of how the early Christian communities lived out their faith together. Our own roots are deepened when we show up for one another, bring our diverse gifts to the table to be shared, and embody love in action.

Rev. Wheeler presents Part 1 of the new "Rooted and Rising Series," based on Psalm 1:1-3 and Colossians 2:6-7, this sermon explores grace as the soil that nourishes us. Offering our gifts of time, talents, and treasures, we provide a countercultural witness that roots us deeply in grace, giving us strength to resist shallow religiosity and live out a deeper discipleship.