Ash Wednesday February 18, 2026 [Readings and Psalm] Joel 2:1–2, 12–17 ⠂Psalm 51:1–17 ⠂Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21 ⠂2 Corinthians 5:20b–6:10 Introduction — The Cross We Wear Today Today we carry a mark that’s hard to miss—a dark cross, right on our forehead, where everyone else can see it before we can. It tells the truth about us: our limits, our humanity, our belonging to God. And into that truth, we hear these rich scriptures from Joel, the psalmist, Jesus, and Paul. Each one urg

Transfiguration Sunday February 15, 2026 [Texts] Exodus 24:12–18 · Psalm 2 · 2 Peter 1:16–21 · Matthew 17:1–9 Epiphany blessings to you. We just heard {read} four powerful texts, each helping us see what Matthew is showing us on the mountain. Moses enters the cloud on Sinai to receive the law, known as the Ten Commandments— words that find their fulfillment in Jesus, the Son of God. The psalm declares, “You are my Son,” a promise that echoes forward to the voice the discipl

Light & Salt 5 Epiphany • February 8, 2026 Matthew 5:13–20 • Isaiah 58:1–12 • Psalm 112:1–10 • 1 Corinthians 2:1–13 Epiphany blessings to you. Each week, it’s my hope and prayer that we discover again and again the many ways we meet a God who chooses how to show up—quietly in our personal lives, and faithfully in the shared life we’re growing into together. Some of you know that, in order to keep worship within a reasonable time, the pastor occasionally has the option to sho

Matthew 5:13-20 No need to pretend Simply to be seen and to be felt Why does Jesus use salt and light? Because both are ordinary, everyday things—and yet both have extraordinary impact when they’re doing what they’re meant to do. Jesus chooses images that: everyone in the crowd would understand don’t depend on wealth, education, or status reveal how small things can change whole environments point to identity, not achievement Salt and light don’t try to be influential. Th

Step by Step in Love Preschool Chapel, 2/3-4, 2026 Texts: Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11 Song: The Wise Men Built His House Up on the Rock (Matthew 7:24-27) 1. Opening: Something They Know (1 minute) (Hold up a block or pretend to hold one.) Friends, have you ever built something with blocks? If you build on something wobbly, it falls down. But if you build on something strong, it stays up. 2. Sing the Song With Motions (2 minutes) Let’s sing a song about a wi

Come & See: A Journey of Faith and Love 1/18/2026 [Texts] Isaiah 49:1-7 The servant brings light to the nations Psalm 40:1-11 I love to do your will, O my God. (Ps. 40:8) 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 Paul’s greeting to the church at Corinth John 1:29-42 Revelation of Christ as the Lamb of God Epiphany blessings to you, siblings in Christ. Beloved in Christ, I want to begin with a simple check-in. What’s been weighing on you these days? What lingers with you from morning

Children’s Message: Our Story John 1:29-42 1/18/2026 Today we’re going on a little field trip—right here inside the church. We’re going to visit three special places that help us grow in God’s family. And at each place, Jesus says to us, “Come and See.” As we walk together, let’s look closely, notice what’s happening, and say a few things out loud together. 1. Come and See… the Baptismal Font (Invite the children to walk with you to the baptismal font. Let them gather close.)

God Certifies the Called 1.11.2026 [Readings] Isaiah 42:1–9 — The servant of the Lord brings justice Psalm 29 — The voice of the Lord is upon the waters Acts 10:34–43 — Jesus’ ministry after his baptism Matthew 3:13–17 — Revelation of Christ as God’s servant God’s beloved, What’s the best love story you’ve ever known? (examples: your own, movies, novels, documentaries, etc.) Whenever I return to the story of Jesus’ baptism, I become more convinced that the Bible is the gre

Children's Message 1/11/2026 ✨ [Texts] Matthew 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–22; John 1:29–34 At home, parents are invited to help children hold water in their hands and watch it flow down. Then, they can say: “That’s a little like God’s love—always moving, always reaching us.” When Jesus was baptized, God’s love poured over him, and God said, ‘You are my beloved.’ And God says that to us, too. Dear friend, I want to tell you a story about how we hear God's calls to us—kind

God refuses to look away. Texts for 1.4.2026 Isaiah 60:1-6 Nations come to the light Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 All kings shall bow down before him. (Ps. 72:11) Ephesians 3:1-12 The gospel’s promise extends to all Matthew 2:1-12 Revelation of Christ to the nations of the earth Epiphany blessings to you. Epiphany is the season when the Church celebrates that God’s saving presence becomes visible in the world, not just to a few, not just to one nation, but to all peoples. That's how

The Offering - Our offering Matthew 2:1–12 Children’s Message Dear friends, How was your Christmas ? What was your favorite gift? Today we end the Christmas season with a special Sunday called Epiphany. Epiphany means God’s Secret is shown to us. And today, God’s Secret is shown through three gifts : The gifts the three wise men brought to baby Jesus. Each gift had a meaning. Each gift had a purpose. 1. Gold Let’s start with gold. Gold is like money. It helps people get what

12.24.2025 [Texts] Isaiah 9:2-7 Light shines: a child is born for us Psalm 96 Let the heavens rejoice and the earth be glad. (Ps. 96:11) Titus 2:11-14 The grace of God has appeared Luke 2:1-14 [15-20] God with us God’s beloved, May the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of God be with you. Just three days ago, we concluded the Advent season. We named the Good News that carries us through every season. This Good News is the same tonight as it was last Sunday: Jesus was not

A Joyful Movement Children Message December 24, 2025 I want to tell you something special about the words we say tonight: Merry Christmas. First, the word merry . Do you know what merry means? It means happy, joyful, full of gladness — the kind of feeling that makes your face light up. So when we say merry, we’re talking about a feeling in our hearts. Now let’s look at the big word Christmas . It’s such a big word that we sometimes say it without thinking. But Christmas is ac

God Refused to Give Up Fourth Sunday of Advent, Year A Sunday, December 21 Texts: Isaiah 7:10–16 — The sign of Immanuel Romans 1:1–7 — Paul’s greeting to the church at Rome Matthew 1:18–25 — A God near at hand The Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of God be with all God’s beloved in worship today. As we come to the end of Advent and prepare to enter the Christmas season on Wednesday, the word before us is Love . And not just any love—the Love that reveals who God is. Scripture

Children’s Message on 12/21/2025 Today we’re talking about angels. But before we talk about angels, we need to talk about a very important word: message . 🌟 A message is something someone wants you to know, or hear, or remember. When your grown‑up says, ‘Time to clean up!’ — that’s a message. When your teacher says, ‘Take your seats!’ — that’s a message. And every Sunday, when I talk with you right here, I’m sharing a message too. Now, someone who carries a message is call

🎄 Preschool Chapel Time 🎄 Christmas Story (Luke & Matthew) ✨Part 1: The Angel and Mary One day, a bright angel came to Mary. The angel said, “Mary, you will have a very special baby. His name will be Jesus. He is God’s Son!” Mary said, “Yes, I will do what God wants.” So, Jesus’ name means God keeps us safe . (God saves. Yahweh saves.) 🌟 You say: “What is Good News?!” 🌟 Children respond: “God keeps us safe.” ✨Part 2: The Angel and Joseph Joseph was worried. But one ni

Advent 2 – December 7, 2025 Readings: Isaiah 43:19–21 • Psalm 121 • James 5:7–10 • Matthew 11:1–11 Advent blessings to you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This Advent, we continue with the theme from Sanctified Art, which invites us to face uncertainty in life with the gifts God gives—hope, peace, joy, and love. Last week, we reflected on Hope. In times of uncertainty, one common shared emotion is fear. Fear may cause us to waver in faith.

🌟 Children’s Message: Advent Journey from Hope to Love Introduction This colorful tablecloth is made of many strips woven together—some dark, some light, some bright and cheerful. Each little square is like a person’s story, a family’s story, or a group’s story—a piece of their faith journey. When we bring all those stories together, they become one beautiful piece, just like we become one family in Christ. On top of this cloth, we place the bread and the cup—the meal Jes

11.30.2025 Advent 1 When Fear Prostrated to Hope [Readings] Lamentations 3:55-57 Psalm 121 Romans 13:11-14 Luke 1:5-13 Advent blessings to you in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This Advent, we are following a theme from Sanctified Art that invites us to face our fears with the gifts God gives—hope, peace, joy, and love. Each week we take one gift and let it guide us. In the first week, we meet fear with Hope. In the second, we meet fear with Peace. In the thi

🌟 Children Message This Advent we have four gifts from God: Hope, Peace, Joy, Love. For the next four Sundays, we’ll hear stories about how God’s gifts help us when we feel afraid. Today we start with Hope. 🌟 The Story of the Two Wolves - (Shared last Sunday in the adult sermon) A child once asked their grandpa: “ Grandpa, why do I feel scared sometimes, and my tummy gets tight? ” Grandpa smiled and said: “ My child, inside every person are two wolves who wrestle. ” The chi