The United Church of Canandaigua

Jesus heals a man paralyzed for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda, asking him the penetrating question: Do you want to get well? The healing on the Sabbath sparks controversy and leads Jesus to claim equality with God the Father, revealing his true identity. This sermon challenges us to examine where we might be stuck in our own lives and invites us to respond to Jesus' power to heal and transform us.

The Gospel of John records fascinating miracles that point us to who Jesus is. This sermon explores Jesus’ miraculous healing of an official’s son, with all of its rich implications. Many today respond to these miracle accounts like they did back then: some with no response, others in misunderstanding the miracles and who Jesus was, and yet others who respond in faithful obedience to Jesus our Lord. Some even believe in Jesus without seeing miracles at all! For us at The United Church, we are called to faith in Jesus, the one who performed and performs miracles. May we respond in wonder, and worship!

Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well and offers her living water that satisfies forever. He crosses every social and religious boundary to reach someone the world had written off, revealing himself as the Messiah and Savior of the world. The sermon invites people who feel unworthy or beyond God’s reach to receive the living water Jesus offers, reminding us that no one is outside the reach of his grace.

On Transfiguration Sunday, this sermon explores John 12:20-36, contrasting mountaintop glory with the true glory revealed through Jesus death on a cross. Using the image of a grain of wheat that must die to produce a harvest, Jesus shows that true glory comes through sacrifice and that he will be lifted up to draw all people to himself. The application calls the congregation to look to Jesus on the cross and trust that they simply need to believe in him for salvation.

This Sunday we explore Jesus' nighttime conversation with Nicodemus about being born again. Jesus teaches that entering God's kingdom requires a spiritual birth that only God can give, worked by the Spirit like wind and water that cleanses. The passage culminates in John 3:16-17, reminding us that God sent his Son not to condemn but to save through the cross. Our worship should reflect themes of transformation, new life, the Spirit's work, and God's saving love.

Jesus cleanses the temple with zeal, demonstrating that worship is not a transaction but an encounter with the living God. He declares that his body is the new temple where heaven and earth meet, pointing forward to his death and resurrection. This sermon challenges us to examine whether our faith is based on what Jesus can do for us or on who he truly is. He is the Messiah who died to save us and rose to give us life.

At the wedding in Cana, Jesus performs his first miracle by turning water into wine. This sign reveals his glory to the disciples and points beyond their immediate needs to his greater mission as the Messiah. We are invited to bring our concerns to Jesus while recognizing that he offers us something far greater than solutions to our problems. He offers us himself and true life in his name.

This sermon explores Jesus' invitation to come and see as he calls his first disciples in John 1:35-51. We'll watch as different people respond to this invitation. Some come curious, others skeptical, but when they encounter Jesus, he reveals himself as the Son of God. The message calls skeptics to come experience Jesus for themselves and longtime believers to see him afresh with wonder.

John the Baptist models humility as he points away from himself to Jesus. This sermon explores John's testimony about Jesus' identity as the Messiah, the sacrifice for sin, and the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit. We are challenged to follow John's example by deflecting attention from ourselves and pointing others to Jesus, recognizing that our role is to be witnesses, not the main attraction.

In a world drowning in words we can't trust, John's Gospel introduces us to the one Word that changes everything: Jesus, the eternal Word who became flesh and dwelt among us. This sermon traces John 1:1-14, showing how the Creator entered his creation full of grace and truth. The call is simple but profound: will we receive this Word and become children of God?