Series: Sunday Sermons

In his sermon titled “Drenched,” Pastor Wes reflects on Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17, emphasizing the transformative and communal nature of baptism. He likens the twists and turns of the River Jordan to the meandering paths of our own lives and invites us to embrace God’s grace, which claims us as beloved even before we prove ourselves. Pastor Wes encourages us to remember our baptism daily, listening for God’s presence in the ordinary moments of life and opening ourselves to renewal and love.

Pastor Wes reflects on Matthew 2 and the journey of the Magi, exploring their unique gifts and the deeper truths of the Epiphany story. He highlights the Magi’s status as outsiders and how their search for the Christ child reflects our own spiritual journeys. Through humor and insight, Pastor Wes considers their mistaken visit to Herod’s palace and the dangers of power, contrasting it with the humility of Christ’s birth. He invites us to ask three guiding questions for the new year: “What are you searching for? Why are you searching for it? How are you searching?” Reminding us of God’s grace when we lose our way, he inspires us to follow God’s light with faith and purpose.

Pastor Wes explores the bold beginning of the Gospel of Mark, contrasting its message with the political “good news” of the Roman Empire. Unlike the festive narratives of Jesus’ birth in other Gospels, Mark launches with the declaration of good news amid the wilderness, a setting of struggle and transformation. Pastor Wes highlights the tension between the world’s headlines—stories of conflict, disaster, and personal challenges—and Mark’s announcement of God’s presence through Jesus Christ.

This good news confronts both external oppression and the internal stories we tell ourselves, offering hope and grounding in God’s transformative presence. Pastor Wes invites the congregation to reflect on their own “wilderness” experiences and examine the headlines of their lives, encouraging them to hear and live out the true good news that speaks to the heartlines of all people.

Pastor Wes reflects on Isaiah’s imagery of “beautiful feet,” challenging the conventional notions of beauty and perfection. Drawing parallels between cosmetically flawed produce and human imperfections, he emphasizes that beauty lies in purpose and message rather than appearance. Through Isaiah’s words, he connects the struggles of ancient exiles to our modern experiences of instability and uncertainty, urging the congregation to reflect on where they stand spiritually and where they are headed. The sermon concludes with an invitation to embrace faithfulness—growing in God’s image for the sake of others—even with life’s inevitable “bumps and bruises.”

Pastor Wes reflects on the centrality of water in scripture, from creation’s chaos to Christ’s baptism, connecting these images to our lives. Drawing from Isaiah 43, he reminds us we are both beloved and broken, living in a world of care and conflict. Water symbolizes life and struggle, while fire represents passion and destruction. Both invite us to examine where we’re thriving, struggling, or flickering. On Stewardship Sunday, Pastor Wes challenges us to consider where our “buckets” are full or empty and to embrace God’s call to give and serve generously.

In today’s sermon, Pastor Wes reflects on Isaiah 40’s message of hope to a people in exile—those feeling homeless, helpless, and hopeless. He parallels this with our own challenges, inviting us to consider where we find comfort today, through community, connection, and acts of love. Reflecting on the church’s 70-year legacy of compassion and justice, Pastor Wes calls the congregation to keep embodying these values, offering comfort and commitment as they journey forward together in faith.

The sermon, inspired by Isaiah 11:1-9, uses familiar nursery rhymes like Humpty Dumpty as metaphors for the brokenness we encounter, especially in grief and social challenges. Pastor Wes reflects on how, like Humpty, we often can’t be “put back together.” Yet Isaiah’s vision offers hope, symbolized by a sprouting twig from a stump, showing resilience rooted in God’s strength. This vision aligns with the lives of the saints, whose light and faith continue to inspire, reminding us to live in God’s world of possibility despite brokenness.

This sermon explores the dual nature of faith and healing through the story of Bartimaeus, the blind man. Using the metaphor of “two sides of a coin,” Rev. Ellen Marsey highlights Bartimaeus’s healing as both a physical restoration and a spiritual call. Bartimaeus’s act of reaching out exemplifies humility and dependence on God, challenging our self-sufficiency. The message concludes with a call for discipleship, where even in our own woundedness, we can find strength to serve others.

In this sermon, inspired by Isaiah 9:2-7, Pastor Wes reflects on how, like Isaiah, we live in challenging times filled with fear, exhaustion, and brokenness. Isaiah offers hope by presenting God’s promise of peace through the image of a child and names such as “Wonderful Counselor” and “Prince of Peace,” which represent God’s wisdom, strength, and love. The pastor invites listeners to open themselves to God’s presence, seeking peace and support amidst life’s difficulties.