Send us a text Freedom takes on profound new meaning when examined through the lens of Paul's letter to the Galatians. Beyond the political liberty we often celebrate, Paul reveals a deeper spiritual freedom that liberates believers from the burden of religious rule-following toward an authentic relationship with God. The message unpacks how early Christianity navigated its Jewish roots while establishing a distinct identity. Paul's nuanced contrast between "law" and "faith" wasn't rejecting div...
Jul 06, 2025•20 min
Send us a text A simple email from David Keddle with seven words—"I'm going to need to hear your feelings around the LGBTQ issue"—set the stage for one of the most meaningful pastoral relationships I would form during my first year at this church. David, a warm man of deep faith who also happened to be homosexual, challenged me to address LGBTQ issues at least once during the year. On June 29th, nearly one year after my arrival, I fulfilled that promise. The sermon explores Micah 6:8, a profound...
Jun 30, 2025•24 min
Send us a text How do we recognize God's presence in our daily lives? Where do we turn when the divine feels distant? What actions can bring us closer to our spiritual purpose? Tim Bonds, a longtime church member and RAND Corporation senior fellow, opens his heart in this intimate conversation about faith, purpose, and presence. With remarkable vulnerability, Tim shares how his professional work supporting military families and personal experiences with family challenges have shaped his understa...
Jun 15, 2025•21 min
Send us a text Have you ever found yourself proudly declaring, "God and I are good on our own" only to discover the painful limitations of spiritual isolation? This soul-stirring journey explores the transformation from fierce independence to the healing embrace of community faith. The path begins with childhood church wounds and a Simon & Garfunkel soundtrack—"I am a rock, I am an island"—as spiritual self-sufficiency becomes both armor and prison. When cancer strikes, that carefully constr...
Jun 08, 2025•19 min
Send us a text We explore Jeremiah's prophetic journey as a young boy called to deliver difficult messages during Israel's national crisis, drawing parallels to today's graduates facing uncertain futures. God's affirmation that he equipped Jeremiah despite his youth offers powerful encouragement for young people wondering about their purpose and ability to make a difference in challenging times. • Jeremiah delivered his prophecy during Israel's fall to Babylon, making his message particularly di...
Jun 01, 2025•8 min
Send us a text What does it mean to truly embrace diversity within Christianity? John Wesley, Methodism's founder, offered a revolutionary answer in his sermon "On the Catholic Spirit" that still challenges us today. Against the backdrop of post-Reformation religious division, Wesley chose an unexpected path. Rather than demanding theological uniformity, he found wisdom in the biblical exchange: "Is your heart right as my heart is with your heart? If it is, give me your hand." This seemingly sim...
May 25, 2025•20 min
Send us a text John Wesley's vision of social justice provides a framework for understanding Jesus's teachings in the Beatitudes and challenges us to transform personal faith into active compassion. • Social justice defined as the belief in equal rights, opportunities and treatment for all people regardless of characteristics • The Beatitudes begin with blessing those who seem least blessed—the poor in spirit, mourners, the meek • Spiritual poverty, mourning and meekness often become moments whe...
May 19, 2025•21 min
Send us a text What does a mother's love on Mother's Day reveal about divine grace? Drawing this powerful parallel, today's episode explores grace as unconditional love that finds us even when we're struggling with our own imperfections. Looking at cultural images of "perfect mothers" from June Cleaver to Roseanne, we acknowledge that real parenting involves both triumphs and struggles – just like our spiritual journey. The letter to Ephesians provides our scriptural foundation, reminding us we'...
May 12, 2025•24 min
Send us a text John Wesley's disciplined approach to faith created a movement that continues to influence millions of Christians worldwide today. His journey from Oxford professor to founder of Methodism reveals how personal faith experience shaped an entire denomination. • Wesley's "Directions for Singing" reveal his intense, methodical personality and high expectations • At Oxford, Wesley and his brother Charles formed "holy clubs" focused on prayer, scripture study, and accountability • Durin...
May 04, 2025•21 min
Send us a text What's a pastor to preach after Easter? With Earth Day approaching, the answer seemed obvious – celebrate God's gift of creation during this feasting season. But any honest environmental sermon must confront an uncomfortable truth: we haven't been the best caretakers of God's garden. Genesis establishes humanity's purpose with startling clarity – God placed us in the garden "to till it and to keep it." We are stewards, not owners, of this remarkable planet. As Psalm 24 reminds us,...
Apr 27, 2025•26 min
Send us a text What does a gardener have to do with Easter? Everything, as it turns out. Moving beyond the familiar imagery of empty tombs and stone rolled away, we explore how John's gospel subtly portrays the risen Christ as a gardener – a profound theological statement inviting us back into Eden, but this time with Jesus tending the garden alongside us. Having journeyed through Lent using the Grace of Les Miserables as our guide, we reflect on the powerful garden imagery throughout scripture....
Apr 20, 2025•8 min
Send us a text Gardens hold a sacred place in our spiritual journey - they're where humanity first walked with God, where Jesus prayed before his sacrifice, and where Revelation promises we'll return to paradise. In this powerful culmination of our Les Miserables series, we explore how gardens serve as transformative spaces where divine encounters reshape human hearts. Victor Hugo's masterpiece consistently returns to the garden as a place of healing and renewal. For Jean Valjean, working in the...
Apr 13, 2025•23 min
Send us a text We explore the challenge of loving our enemies through the lens of Les Misérables, wrestling with how Christians can fight injustice while still loving those who oppose us. Jesus' radical command to love enemies confronts us with perhaps our most difficult spiritual challenge, especially when facing those who actively work against what we believe is right. • The French rebellion in Les Misérables represents the ongoing struggle between empowering institutions versus respecting hum...
Apr 06, 2025•23 min
Send us a text The bright spot in our Lenten journey through Les Misérables has arrived as we explore God's gift of love through the romantic relationship between Cosette and Marius. Their love story unfolds against a backdrop of revolution and upheaval, offering a glimpse of hope amid darkness. Victor Hugo's masterpiece reveals multiple dimensions of love throughout its narrative. We witness romantic love between young Cosette and Marius, familial love through Fantine's ultimate sacrifice for h...
Mar 30, 2025•29 min
Send us a text The unnamed antagonists in our lives—systemic forces like poverty, racism, corruption, and trauma—shape our stories in ways we often fail to recognize. Drawing from personal experiences fostering rescue dogs, teaching high school students, and insights from Victor Hugo's Les Misérables, this message explores how these invisible forces impact those Jesus calls us to serve. Guest Preacher Ryan Blanck introduces us to Polly, a rescue dog whose fear of men revealed a history of abuse ...
Mar 23, 2025•22 min
Send us a text The tension between justice and mercy creates one of life's most profound spiritual dilemmas. Through the character of Inspector Javert from Les Misérables, we explore what happens when justice becomes divorced from mercy, and a system of rules becomes an idol. Javert's obsessive pursuit of Jean Valjean spans decades, even as he witnesses evidence of Valjean's transformation and redemption. Born into poverty himself, Javert responds by becoming rigidly committed to upholding the l...
Mar 17, 2025•26 min
Send us a text Grace transforms even the most broken souls, but only if we dare to believe we're worthy of it. This powerful truth emerges as we begin our Lenten journey through Victor Hugo's masterpiece, Les Misérables, examining how theological concepts manifest in this beloved narrative. Jean Valjean's story captivates us from his first appearance—a man imprisoned nineteen years for stealing bread to feed starving children. His graceless existence changes forever when a bishop not only forgiv...
Mar 09, 2025•26 min
Send us a text Are there moments in your life where you felt a divine presence? Join us as we explore the power of recognition through personal stories and biblical narratives that resonate with our experiences today. From brushes with greatness involving celebrities to the profound moment of transfiguration, we delve into how these experiences shape not only our perspectives but our faith journeys. Discover why we need to engage with the extraordinary in our ordinary lives and how each encounte...
Mar 02, 2025•15 min
Send us a text The episode delves into the challenging teachings of Jesus from the Sermon on the Plain, highlighting the complexities of loving one's enemies and the struggle between instinctual responses and the call to resilience through love. It explores the nature of true power and encourages trust in the divine teachings to foster humility and authentic relationships. • Reflecting on the Walk to Emmaus experience • Exploring the essence of the Sermon on the Plain • Jesus’ call to love the u...
Feb 23, 2025•21 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message from 2/16/25, "Setting Course: Getting Outside Our Walls." Support the show
Feb 17, 2025•22 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 2/9/25: "Setting Course: Leave Everything and Follow." Support the show
Feb 10, 2025•20 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 2/2/25, "A Better Life: Getting Inside and Outside." Support the show
Feb 03, 2025•19 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 1/26/25, "The Better Life: Why This?" Support the show
Jan 27, 2025•25 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 1/19/25, "Seeing the Need." Support the show
Jan 20, 2025•24 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 1/12/25, "It Is Well." Support the show
Jan 13, 2025•22 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 12/22/24, "Promise." Support the show
Dec 22, 2024•18 min
Send us a text Audio of our Christmas Cantata, "Appalachian Winter," presented by the Chancel Choir -- Gloria Hilliard, musical director -- on 12/15/24. Support the show
Dec 14, 2024•44 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 12/8/24, "Passion." Support the show
Dec 08, 2024•21 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 12/1/24, "Preparations." Support the show
Nov 30, 2024•13 min
Send us a text Audio of Pastor Darren's message on 11/17/24, "Do Not Be Alarmed." Support the show
Nov 17, 2024•18 min
