Sowing Seeds of Abundance - July 12, 2026

Sowing Seeds of Abundance - July 12, 2026

This week, we will take a look at one of Jesus’s best-known parables, one that appears in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It is sometimes called the parable of the seed or the parable of the soil, but the author of Matthew’s gospel names it the Parable of the Sower. As Jesus explains, sower throws out seed and it lands in different places. The seed that lands on rocky, dry, or weed-infested soil dies; the seed that lands on good soil takes root and produces a harvest that is thirtyfold, sixtyfold, or even one hundredfold more than the original seed. It’s easy to see this as a story of different kinds of soil, and a reminder that we need to be the good soil that allows God’s word to flourish. But that’s not actually the main point of Matthew’s version of this parable. His focus is less on the soil, and more on the abundance at the harvest. It’s a parable that reminds us that God’s love is active in our world, and God’s harvest will come in time, even if we can’t see it right now. It’s also a powerful reminder that we should keep sowing God’s word, even if not all of our efforts come to fruition. We will explore this story and its context in worship this week. Hope you will join us, in person or online, this Sunday. First Christian Church of Lawrenceville is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia in Gwinnett County. Find out more by going to our website at https://lawrencevillechristianchurch.org/

The Easy Yoke - July 5, 2026

As you know, Teresa and I usually preach from the Revised Common Lectionary, which gives us a sequence of scriptures for the different seasons of the church year. Some of the lectionary scriptures are familiar stories that are enjoyable to retell and connect to our lives of faith. At other times, the lectionary pushes us out of our comfort zone and into passages that are perplexing, or hard to understand. That's definitely the case this week. The gospel reading from Matthew begins with Jesus addressing a crowd who have been criticizing both him and John the Baptist. He uses the image of children to shine a light on the failings of Jewish society. In a prayer to God, he reminds all who are listening that those who understand God are not the leaders or the powerful or the well-educated, but the lowly and innocent who trust in God. And then he closes his preaching with a passage of comfort: "Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest... for my yoke is easy and my burden is light." That last passage has been misunderstood over the ages. It's not a promise of an easy Christian life. As we know, living out our faith an be difficult, especially when others fail to understand or challenge our reasons for following the example of Jesus. Instead, Jesus is promising that those who follow him will be freed from onerous work that they are not well-suited for, and instead will find meaningful work that fulfills them. So how does this connect to our lives today? It's a promise of God's grace, and also a call to find ways to use our own skills and interests and passions to create a world where God's kingdom is realized and God's grace is extended to everyone. We will dig into this confusing and challenging passage, and see how it can guide us as a church. Hope you will join us in person this Sunday. First Christian Church of Lawrenceville is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia in Gwinnett County. Find out more by going to our website at https://lawrencevillechristianchurch.... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbmRjOFNxNlRYS3lMeWdhcGc1UnhuREc5djhGQXxBQ3Jtc0tsa1JYYS1fYm95blo0RVVvX3VWdk9YX0VTM1NrNzFkd1BLZmNBMkZkZjBPMDZhMlY1WVNTN3BOaDRReXdZd201b0J6Q1FLWXRGMFdxRVJ5MDh6T280SDktRXlTS1BDQXZFa1JseEtpTXlHM2xMQ2k3Yw&q=https%3A%2F%2Flawrencevillechristianchurch.org%2F&v=SlqGKAYcuZ4]

A Big Table - June 21, 2026

As we continue our Honest Conversations this week, we will shift our focus to Jesus’s parable of the great banquet. In this simple story of a man who invited the poor and lame to his banquet after the invited guests backed out, we will hear important instructions on how to offer hospitality and welcome to others. As Jesus reminds us, those who are considered unimportant or invisible today are the very ones who will be welcomed into God’s Great Banquet in the kingdom to come. We will learn more about Jesus’s instructions on being a good host, and we’ll explore how this parable connects to our Land of Plenty journey, where we imagine a ministry that includes “the least of these.” We look forward to worshipping with you. Hope you will join us, in person on online! First Christian Church of Lawrenceville is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia in Gwinnett County. Find out more by going to our website at https://lawrencevillechristianchurch.org/

Compassion That Organizes (Part 4) - June 14, 2026

This week we’ll gather around Mark 6: 30–40, Mark’s brief but powerful introduction to the feeding of the five thousand. Unlike the other gospels, Mark begins with weary disciples returning from mission and a tired Jesus seeking rest. Yet when the crowd arrives, Jesus is “moved with compassion”, not just to feel something, but to do something. As Barbara Brown Taylor reminds us, “Jesus doesn’t just feel compassion; he does compassion.” Mark shows us a Savior whose compassion organizes people, gathers them, teaches them, and prepares them to share in the work of feeding one another. It’s a story about abundance, yes, but also about partnership, shared responsibility, and the miracle that happens when everyone brings what they have. This connects beautifully with our Land of Plenty journey, where we imagine ministry that grows through collaboration with our neighbors and community partners. Mark’s telling reminds us that God’s abundance often emerges through many hands working together. Join us this Sunday as we explore how Mark’s vision of compassion can shape our life together and how God continues to multiply what we offer when we offer it in community. We look forward to worshiping with you. Hope you will join us, in person on online! First Christian Church of Lawrenceville is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia in Gwinnett County. Find out more by going to our website at https://lawrencevillechristianchurch.org/

A New Passover - June 7, 2026

This Sunday, we return to our sermon series on feeding the hungry, where we are examining the story of Jesus feeding the 5,000 in the different gospels. Our focus this week is on the story in the gospel of John. This story has a lot in common with the versions found in the other gospels, but also some unique parts. Did you know that this is the only feeding story that gives credit to a young boy for providing the bread and fish that fed thousands of people? Did you remember that John’s version placed the feeding miracle in Galilee close to Passover — at a time when devout Jews would be traveling to Jerusalem for the festival? Why would John include these kinds of details, and why are they not in of other versions of the story? And what does this story tell us about the nature of God and Jesus, and about our responsibility to help ensure that everyone has the food they need? As we continue our Honest Conversation discussions in Sunday school, we will dig into this story and its meaning for our faith and our congregation. Hope you will join us, in person on online! First Christian Church of Lawrenceville is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia in Gwinnett County. Find out more by going to our website at https://lawrencevillechristianchurch.org/