Listen to the August 31, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Colossians 3:12-17

Why do we pause in worship to greet one another? At first glance, the “Passing of the Peace” may feel like a simple hello—or even an awkward interruption. But the truth is, this practice runs deep in Christian history and has profound meaning for our lives today.

This week’s message traces the roots of passing the peace from Jesus’ first words after the resurrection, through Paul’s letters, to the worship practices of the early church. Far more than a casual greeting, passing the peace is a way of sharing Christ’s forgiveness, reconciling with one another, and remembering that we are not alone.

When we offer the peace of Christ, we practice community in a divided world. We train our hearts to forgive, to reconcile, and to remember the presence of Christ among us.

The invitation is simple but powerful: Peace be with you.

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the August 24, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Psalm 100

This week, we continue our series on liturgies—the patterns of worship that shape the way we live. From ancient hymns to contemporary praise songs, music has always been at the heart of the church’s worship.

Why do we sing? Because music is a gift from God. It connects our heart, soul, mind, and strength in a way nothing else can. It binds us together as a community—even with people we might not agree with—and it opens us to the presence of God in a unique way.

In this sermon, we reflect on the history of church music, from Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley to the modern worship movement, and explore how singing invites us to join in the eternal praise of God. The invitation is simple but profound: don’t just listen—lift your voice. Praise is not a warm-up act. Praise is the heart of worship.

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the August 17, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Romans 12:1-3 (the Message translation)

When you think about worship, what comes to mind? A favorite hymn, a creed, the Lord’s Prayer, or maybe even the offering plate being passed down the row. These repeated patterns—our liturgies—do more than mark our time in church. They shape how we understand God and how we carry faith into everyday life.

At the center of worship is offering. Not just money, but our voices, our prayers, our attention, and our very lives. From the sacrifices of Cain and Abel to the worship of the early church, the act of offering has always been the heartbeat of worship. For Christians, it points us to God’s greatest gift—Christ’s offering of himself for us.

Scripture calls us to present our “everyday, ordinary lives” before God—our routines, our work, even our small habits. Like liturgies of technology that imprint us without us noticing, our patterns of worship can reorient us back to God’s presence in all things.

Through stories of worship in Haiti, reflections on habits that shape us, and even a prayer card you can carry into your week, we are reminded that worship isn’t confined to one hour on Sunday. The heart of worship is offering our lives to the One who delights in us.

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the August 10, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Romans 8:1-14 (the Message translation)

We live in a culture that prizes achievement.

Good grades, sports wins, career success—everywhere we turn, the pressure to perform is relentless.

Drawing from Malcolm Gladwell’s Revenge of the Tipping Point and conversations with retired high school principal Tim East, this week’s message takes a candid look at the fine line between healthy motivation and destructive pressure. The truth is, too much pressure can crush the spirit—especially in our kids.

But the gospel offers a different way.

Paul’s words in Romans 8 remind us: There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. No condemnation means no endless loop of shame. No fear of never being enough. Instead, we are invited into grace—God’s unconditional love; peace—the rest that comes from trusting what God has already done; delight—the joy God takes in us; and presence—the comfort of knowing God is with us, especially in our struggles.

This is a message for anyone feeling weighed down by expectations—whether from school, work, church, or yourself. You are not defined by your performance. You are loved. And God’s delight in you is unshakable.

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the July 27, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

John 10:1-10

What if joy and laughter were part of your spiritual life—not distractions from it?

In Week 7 of our summer series The Way We Love, Rev. Kimberly King invites us to rediscover play as a sacred practice. Rooted in Jesus' promise that he came so we might have life “to the fullest,” this sermon explores how playfulness, creativity, and fun are not only good for us—they’re godly.

We talk about sheep and shepherds, stress and silliness, neuroscience and John Cleese. And yes—there were beach balls in the sanctuary. Why? Because sometimes joy is the sermon.

You’ll leave this message reminded that the fullness of life Jesus offers includes rest and delight, curiosity and creativity, community and play.

Because play isn’t the opposite of work—it’s the antidote to burnout.

And church? Church can be fun.

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the July 20, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Acts 2:42-47

What does a folktale about soup have to do with the early church? This week, we look at the simple story of Stone Soup and see echoes of its lessons in Acts 2:42–47—where a community of believers gave generously, shared life together, and let God’s grace guide their love.

Loving our neighbors doesn’t stop at acts of service. It also shows up in how we give—our time, attention, compassion, and yes, sometimes our resources. When we open ourselves up in generosity, everyone benefits—the one receiving and the one giving.

In this message, you’ll also hear from members of our Discipleship Team and youth returning from a mission trip, sharing how the practice of giving is shaping their spiritual growth.

So what does it look like for you to give today—with joy, with purpose, and with love?

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the July 13, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Acts 9:36-42

This week in The Way We Love series, we explored what it means to love God with all our strength—not just physical power, but every part of ourselves that can be offered in service.

We began with Samson, a man whose strength was legendary but often self-serving. Then we turned to Tabitha (also called Dorcas), whose strength was found not in muscle, but in hands guided by compassion. Her gifts of sewing clothed the poor and cared for widows. When she died, her community—those she had served—gathered in grief and faith. Their plea to Peter, their love for her, and their shared witness led to one of the most unexpected miracles in the book of Acts: Tabitha’s resurrection.

We also looked back to the creation of the tabernacle in Exodus, where women “wise-hearted with their hands” wove sacred garments—spirit-filled artisans whose offerings were filled with God's fullness. That same Spirit fills us, too, when we offer our gifts in love.

Whether you're a teacher, a carpenter, a quilter, a caregiver, or someone simply willing to show up and serve—your strength matters. Your gifts, no matter how small, are vessels for something sacred when offered to God.

God fills what we bring. So how are you offering your strength?

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the July 6, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Genesis 32:22-32

What does it mean to love God with all your mind?

In this week's message from The Way We Love series, we took a deep dive into the story of Jacob wrestling with a mysterious figure through the night—a story filled with ambiguity, tension, and transformation. While the struggle is physical, the questions it raises are deeply intellectual: Who was Jacob wrestling? Why did it happen this way? What does this blessing really mean?

We explored how this strange encounter invites us into a faith that thinks. A faith that questions. A faith that wrestles. Because loving God with our minds doesn’t mean turning off our doubts or fears—it means bringing our full intellectual selves to the story of God. Asking hard questions is not a sign of weak faith—it’s part of growing deeper in love.

Jacob held on until the blessing came. So can we.

NOTE: During the service, we shared a powerful video from The Bible Project explaining how this section of scripture is designed as Jewish meditation literature. We do not have the rights to share that video online, but you can watch it directly at: https://bibleproject.com/videos/bible-jewish-meditation-literature-h2r

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the June 29, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Psalm 63:1-8

What does it look like to live out love, not just as an idea, but through daily practices that shape us? Using six active verbs—Worship, Pray, Learn, Serve, Give, and Play—we’ll discover how to love God and neighbor with our full selves: our hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Each week invites us to a deeper discipleship, rooted in Jesus’ greatest commandment and lived out through real, tangible rhythms of grace.

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the June 22, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN.

Revelation 5:1-14

What comes to mind when you think of worship? A favorite song? A church sanctuary? A moving message? This week, we step into a deeper conversation—not just about how we worship, but why we worship.

In the book of Revelation, we’re given a breathtaking vision of God’s throne room—where all of heaven and earth sing one word again and again: Worthy. Not because worship is a duty or a ritual, but because it’s a response to the unmatched grace and glory of God. This is where true worship begins—not in our worthiness, but in God's.

Together, we explore how worship shapes our hearts, reframes our reality, and draws us into unity with all of creation. We hear from both our outgoing and incoming worship directors, Kiki and Fran, who share their personal experiences and reflections on what it means to worship from the heart.

In a world full of division, distraction, and fear, worship reminds us who holds the future—and who is truly worthy of our attention, our affection, and our lives.

!https://www.zumc.org/sermons