Topic: Discipleship

In “Spice of Life,” Pastor Wes draws parallels between the everyday, ordinary nature of salt and light and the calling of Christians to embody faithful discipleship. Just as salt enhances flavors and light guides our paths, Jesus invites followers to embrace their roles in ways that are often mundane yet transformative. Pastor Wes emphasizes the importance of balance, warning against “too much” salt or light that can overwhelm rather than heal or inspire. He highlights the collective responsibility of the church to be agents of love, justice, and belonging in a world often clouded by cynicism and negativity. The message concludes by reminding the congregation that God, the head chef, continues to guide and shape the church’s identity, blending both familiar and forgotten “spices” for meaningful service and community.

In today’s sermon, “Can We Do This?” Pastor Wes introduces the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-11), emphasizing how Jesus’ Beatitudes challenge societal norms and invite us into God’s radical vision of discipleship. Drawing parallels to the emotional multitudes at Disney World, Pastor Wes illustrates how our personal experiences shape our response to Jesus’ teachings. The Beatitudes call us to embrace vulnerability, uplift the marginalized, and live counter to worldly values like wealth and power. Pastor Wes challenges the congregation to reflect on whether their lives and actions evidence true discipleship and invites everyone to read the Sermon on the Mount weekly as a spiritual practice throughout February.

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.

Pastor Wes reflects on Luke 5:1-11, where Jesus calls Simon, James, and John to follow him after a miraculous catch of fish. He highlights Simon’s initial feelings of failure and doubt, the vulnerability of “deep water” as a metaphor for faith, and Jesus’ call to ordinary people to discipleship. Pastor Wes emphasizes that living our belovedness involves not only personal growth but also participating in community. He challenges the congregation to embrace discipleship as a shared journey, marked by welcoming, worship, caring, belonging, justice, and faithfulness, growing in the image of God for the sake of others.