HPUMC - Sanctuary Sermons (Traditional Worship)

Are You Envious Because I Am Generous?

There Is No One Else There

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. “What does ‘humble’ mean?” That’s the question before us in this sermon. It is a question that many of us have asked throughout our lifetime. Humility is something that we hear about all throughout the Bible and is a common theme in Jesus’ life. Though the disciples saw pure humility in their lives of following Jesus, in Matthew 18 we see them challenge it with human pride, competition, and comparison. Despite everything they had seen, they wer...

The Single-Minded Soul

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. What is the last thing you purchased for the purpose of improving your life? Every day, we encounter hundreds of proposals about how we should spend our money, time, and attention. Advertisements, products, and opportunities promise to make our lives better—healthier, happier, more successful, or more fulfilled. Each of these proposals asks us to run a kind of cost–benefit analysis: Is this worth it? Will this truly improve my life? Jesus offer...

The Land

Imperceptible to Undeniable

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31–33 reveals that the kingdom of God often begins in ways that seem small, hidden, and insignificant but ultimately become transformative and far-reaching. Just as a seed absorbs water, soil, and light to become something new, Jesus’ ministry began in the obscure village of Nazareth within the vast Roman Empire. What started small grew into a movement that outlasted empires and changed the world...

Transformation

For Forty Days

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Resolutions often fail because they demand an undefined, lifelong commitment; “forever” feels overwhelming. Lent, however, offers a grace-filled, 40-day invitation to intentional change. Rather than relying on sheer willpower, we lean on God’s strength. It is a season of formation—a time to prepare for Easter by saying “yes” to what deepens our life with God and “no” to what distracts or diminishes it. At the heart of this week’s message is Jes...

Living in a Field of Tension

Have the Conversation

God Is the Point

Thy Kingdom Come

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus offers abundant life. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, this should be a familiar concept. The only way to have an abundant life is through a relationship with Jesus and reorienting our lives around our faith. When we try to work our faith into the corners of our lives, the forces that try to work against human thriving are given more room to take hold of our hearts and minds. These forces subtly distort truth, inflame disordered de...

In the Boat

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Luke 5 opens with Peter, a skilled fisherman, exhausted after a night of empty nets. It is in the midst of this frustration that Jesus steps into Peter’s boat, meeting him in his ordinary work. When Jesus tells him to go into deep water and lower his nets, Peter chooses trust over relying on his own expertise (Luke 5:5). His obedience results in an overwhelming catch that nearly sinks two boats. Rather than celebrating, Peter falls to his knees...

The Final Four: A New Beginning

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Life is full of beginnings and endings. Most of the time, we get more excited about the former. With relationships, opportunities, careers, etc., there is a level of excitement and expectation with something new. Hope abounds. With endings, not so much. There is a finality to endings that often seems unsettling. There is a fear of uncertainty that can be particularly debilitating. But what if our perspective on both was just a bit off? What if ...

The Final Four: Inside Out

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Have you met many shepherds lately? Seems like a dying profession. They’re out there, but they don't get much press. Which is a shame, because Jesus thought the work of a shepherd was mission-critical. Turns out, it still is. The work of a shepherd is intentional, tedious, and repetitive. A shepherd knows their flock, how many are supposed to be there, and notices when one wanders off. You’ve got to know your flock well to notice when just a si...

The Final Four: The Best Definition

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. What do you think about when you think about God? Is God tall or short? Mean or kind? Present or distant? Angry or content? All of the above? At some point, we all consider what God is like. Even the most confident atheist had to come up with an understanding of God that they would decide to reject. So, one more time, what do you think about when you think about God? What you believe about God also shapes how you see yourself. If God is loving,...

The Final Four: As You Are

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. The comparison trap can be harmful. That insatiable allure of being more like someone else than who we are meant to be. Why is it so difficult to believe in ourselves? We were fearfully and wonderfully made, and we tend to forget that when comparison seeps in. We look around constantly at the masterpieces that God created, forgetting that we are also a masterpiece created by God. Humans were specifically and intentionally created by the God of ...

A Legacy of Light

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Epiphany marks the moment when God’s love was revealed to the world through Jesus Christ, as the Magi followed a star to the Christ child. It is the story of God’s light shining in the darkness and making God known to all people. In this sermon, we invite you to worship with us as we explore what it means to live a legacy of light. The Magi were guided by the star to Jesus, but their journey didn’t end there. After encountering Christ, they ret...

Do You Hear What I Hear?

The Gift of Peace

The Possibility of Peace

Lessons and Carols 2025

The Amazing Power of Rejoicing!

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Following Jesus is serious work. But have you ever met someone who seems to take themselves way too seriously in the process? In all their religiosity, there’s no laughter, no whimsy, no joy—just a rigid seriousness they assume God must clearly require for approval. Churches do this, too. Sometimes, in the name of reverence, we create environments with no room for passion and emotion. Just keep your head down and be quiet. God can't possibly wa...

Real Peace

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Got any storms in your life? Of course you do. This world is full of chaos and turbulence—unexpected waves that crash into our plans, sudden winds that shake our confidence, and silent pressures that weigh on our hearts. Sometimes that chaos rises from within us. And sometimes that chaos originates in the world around us. If only we could find some peace. Christmas reminds us that God sees our storms. God knows our chaos and cares deeply about ...

Hope in the Hidden Places

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. As we begin this Advent season, many of us carry places in our lives that feel hidden, heavy, or dim. We don’t always name them out loud—pride, resentment, fear, exhaustion, comparison, old wounds that still ache—but they quietly shape how we see the world and how we experience God. In this sermon, we’ll explore a hope far deeper than optimism or holiday cheer. In John 1:1-9, we’re reminded that Christ is the Light that shines in every dark pla...

Thanksgiving and the People We Share It With

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Thanksgiving is a time for abundant activity. And for many, one of the more common activities is getting together with THOSE PEOPLE. You know what I mean—THOSE PEOPLE—the ones you don't get along with, agree with, or even enjoy being around. The good news is, being around those people doesn't have to be a bad experience. In fact, Jesus gives us a pretty good model for being around people who were nothing like him. So whether it's during Thanksg...

One More Lesson From David

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. I am my own worst enemy! Have you ever felt that way about yourself? Maybe in one of those moments when you end up somewhere you really don't want to be because you've done something you really didn't want to do, but you did it anyway. We all have moments when we realize that we are solely responsible for a decision that we've made. But we're not alone. As we conclude our look at David in 1 & 2 Samuel, we'll talk about one more lesson from ...

The Inheritance

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. This week, we are finishing the story of the Good Samaritan—a story that begins with a question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” That’s a big question. It is a question that many of us have wrestled with at some point on our journey of faith. And the lawyer who asked it was about to find out what happens when what he thinks is obvious is placed in the Son's light. The question seemed straightforward. The lawyer wanted a clear answer a...

The Road Ends in Jericho

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Everyone knows the story of the Good Samaritan. They could practically tell it in their sleep. It’s the classic tale of helping your neighbor. There’s nothing to add to it. But what if we looked at the story from the viewpoint of a new journey? A journey that ends in Jericho. If there is another way of looking at it, maybe this story is like one of those pictures where you see one thing, then either turn it around or focus on a different part o...

Dealing With Guilt

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Have you ever done something and then felt guilty about it? Whether we deny it or face it head-on, we’ve come up with a million ways to deal with the guilt. Guilt can be something that comes so easily but is so hard to move on from. Learning to move on from guilt doesn’t mean forgetting what we did; it means understanding, taking responsibility, and using the experience for growth. Guilt can be heavy and dark, but the good news is we don't need...

Not What I Planned

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. God is good, all the time! And, all the time, God is good! We believe that. We proclaim that. But c'mon... Aren't there days when you feel like you've lost all momentum when it comes to experiencing the goodness of God? You've been following God, worshiping God, and praying to God just like you were told, and your life seems to be anything but good. What then? If you have ever wondered where the goodness of God has gone, you'll want to hear thi...