Pep Talk

Pep Talk

At first glance, Jesus’ words about self-denial, sacrifice, and taking up the cross hardly sound like a summer message. But what if Matthew 10 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=%20Matthew%2010%20&version=NRSVUE]is actually a kind of pep talk? In this sermon, “Pep Talk,” we explore Jesus’ challenge to his disciples as they prepare to go into the world proclaiming good news and embodying God’s kingdom. Like a coach preparing a team for a championship run, Jesus reminds his followers that meaningful achievements often require sacrifice. The path to a significant life is not found in comfort, acquisition, or self-protection—it is found in self-giving love. Drawing on examples from sports, business leadership, family life, and contemporary culture, the message reflects on Jesus’ surprising claim that those who try to save their lives will lose them, while those who give their lives away will find them. As summer begins, we are invited to consider how small acts of generosity, patience, service, and sacrifice might become seeds of goodness that bear fruit far beyond what we can imagine.

Making Vows in New Canaan

What do we owe God when life is good? In this Confirmation Sunday message, “Making Vows in New Canaan,” we explore Psalm 116 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%20116&version=NRSVUE] alongside Moses’ warnings to Israel as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. While hardship often drives people toward God, abundance can tempt us to forget the source of our blessings. The sermon reflects on the meaning of New Canaan’s name and its connection to the biblical land flowing with milk and honey. Against that backdrop, the Psalmist asks a profound question: “What shall I return to the Lord for all his bounty to me?” The answer is found in remembering God through faithful living and keeping the promises we have made. As confirmands affirm their baptismal vows, the entire congregation is invited to remember its own commitments—to follow Christ, pursue justice, grow in faith, and participate in the life of the church. Because faith is sustained not by occasional inspiration, but by daily practices of remembering.

The Physician and the Tax Collector

Matthew had wealth, security, and influence—but he may also have been imprisoned by the very life he had built. In this message, “The Physician and the Tax Collector,” we explore Matthew 9:9–13 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%209%3A9%E2%80%9313&version=NRSVUE] and Jesus’ surprising call to one of the most despised people in Capernaum. Looking beyond the familiar story, we consider how Matthew’s tax booth may have functioned as both a place of employment and a symbol of spiritual captivity. Jesus describes himself as a physician sent to those who are sick. Rather than avoiding broken people, he moves toward them with healing, holiness, and freedom. The sermon explores how many of us become trapped by identities, habits, relationships, fears, or choices that no longer reflect who God created us to be. The good news is that Jesus still stands at the door and calls people into freedom. Like Matthew, we are invited to leave behind what confines us and step into the life God intends for us.

The Next Mountain

What happens when you reach the summit only to discover there is another mountain ahead? In this sermon on Matthew 28:16–20 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2028%3A16%E2%80%9320&version=NRSVUE], Jesus meets his disciples on a mountain in Galilee after the resurrection and gives them what we now call the Great Commission. Though they worship him, they also doubt—a powerful reminder that faith and uncertainty often coexist. Drawing on a story about a business leader who was always looking toward the next challenge, this message explores how the disciples were called to continue Jesus' mission even when they felt exhausted and unprepared. What does it mean to "make disciples" today? It means more than sharing beliefs; it means embodying the way of Jesus through prayer, compassion, hospitality, justice, and love. As individuals and as a church, we are continually invited to look beyond the mountain we've climbed and toward the next one God places before us—trusting that Christ goes with us every step of the journey.

Making Room for the Spirit

Before the flames. Before the rushing wind. Before the miracle of understanding across languages—there was waiting. In this Pentecost message, we reflect on Acts 2 [https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%202&version=NRSVUE] and the surprising truth that the church began not with certainty or strategy, but with prayerful uncertainty and openness to the Holy Spirit. The disciples did not fully know what would happen next. They simply stayed together, waited, listened, and trusted. As churches today wrestle with change, discernment, and an uncertain future, this sermon explores the difference between planning and true spiritual discernment. Pentecost reminds us that the Spirit often moves not after we have clarity, but while we are still waiting. This message is an invitation to slow down, listen deeply, remain open to surprise, and trust that God is still guiding the church forward—just as the Spirit has done for generations.