Sermon Archives
Our sermon archives is a resource for you wherever you are in your faith journey.
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A Faith That Sings (July 21, 2024)
There is evidence all throughout the Bible of how singing has salved the struggles we face. In Exodus, the Israelites marched through the wilderness after escaping enslavement from Pharaoh, and they were led by a song leader, Moses’ sister Miriam. And all throughout the plight of enslaved African-American people, the Negro spirituals buoyed their spirits and brought them in solidarity with each other, a melodic defiance against the systems of racism that held them. The life of Mahalia Jackson is filled with reminders that in our darkest and toughest moments, it can be a song that lifts our eyes toward hope and inspires us to struggle toward brighter days.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What do you think makes singing such a powerful form of individual and communal expression?
2. What songs have been most inspiring to you throughout your life?
3. How familiar are you with the music of Mahalia Jackson? How might you listen to her music over the coming days?
Today's Music:
The Majesty and Glory of Your Name – Tom Fettke
©1979 Wordspring Music
Goodness of God
Ben Fielding, Brian Johnson, Ed Cash, Jason Ingram, Jenn Johnson
© 2018 Capitol CMG Paragon | SHOUT! Music Publishing Australia | Fellow Ships Music | So Essential | Bethel Music Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)
CCLI #1026477
Onelicense.net #A-724828
Voices of Inspiration:
Great Lives that Light Our Way
What Is The Cost of Following Jesus? (June 30, 2024)
What if following Jesus was costly and not comfortable? Would that make you reconsider? For Dietrich Bonhoeffer, following Jesus meant wrestling with his morals, his calling, and ultimately giving his life in resistance to the evil of Nazi Germany. His life seems inimitable. But there is something in his story for us to learn about the cost of discipleship.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Who have been the significant “voices of inspiration” in your own spiritual journey?
2. What is something new you learned about the life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer?
3. How will you follow Jesus more closely this week?
How to Make A Difference (July 7, 2024)
Almost all of us have probably heard of Mother Teresa. A name synonymous with doing good deeds and loving others. Sometimes when we aspire to be like her, or any other person we might look up to, it can be hard not to fall into a trap of comparison. But you may not know is that Mother Teresa has a lot more in common with you and me than you think.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What is “Your Own Calcutta?” How will you practice and compassion and mercy to others?
2. In what ways can you be more persistent in doing the work Jesus calls you to do?
3. What lessons can you learn from Mother Teresa in how she named and dealt with doubt?
Taking Action With Your Faith (July 14, 2024)
What injustice in the world breaks your heart? Have you ever wondered how to channel that frustration or pain towards change? Howard Thurman was a 20th century Black mystic, writer, and theologian who laid the ground work for the non-violent movements that would mark the middle of the 20th century. Through his life and legacy we can learn how to resist evil and injustice with peace.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What group or person is it most difficult for you? How might you practice seeing the divine in them?
2. How have you or will you build a relationship with the disinherited?
3. How can you dismantle discrimination? Specifically, what action will you take?
Hard to Believe:
Essential Yet Challenging Aspects of the Faith
How Can Three Equal One? (May 26, 2024)
The Christian faith is filled with many wondrous propositions, each of which stretch our thinking and remind us that God is beyond our ability to fully comprehend. At the same time, these ideas can be so challenging that they prompt moments of skepticism, and even disbelief. Each of these Sundays explores a different, central aspect of the Christian faith and unpacks it using the resources of Scripture, tradition, experience, and most importantly, reason. The result will be an ability to embrace the tenets with a freshly constructed – or reconstructed – framework for belief.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps.com
Reflection Questions:
1. What are the hardest questions about the faith that you wrestle with?
2. What is your favorite image of the trinity?
3. How will you live a trinitarian life this week?
Divine Or Human Or Both? (June 2, 2024)
We can embrace the fact that believing in the full humanity and divinity of Jesus, is essential, but also mysterious. It is a mystery to believe that 1+1=1, one fully human nature plus one fully divine nature can exist as one nature in Jesus. And we can even have our own preferred image of Jesus, from the Savior God whose power throughout the universe is displayed, to the God who walks with us and talks with us and tells us that we are his own. But at the end of the day, it is essential to believe in this mystery, as hard as it is. Because it is in the full humanity and divinity of Jesus that we can be saved.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Do you tend to have a “high” or “low” image of Jesus?
2. What significance does the full divinity and humanity of Jesus have for you?
3. How will you deepen your love and appreciation for Jesus this week?
Can We Fully Know God? (June 9, 2024)
Today, we explore the profound paradox of our faith: God is both knowable and unknowable. Through Jesus, the Bible, the church, and the natural world, we gain glimpses of who God is. Yet, there is always a divine mystery beyond our understanding. Discover how the early church grappled with God's omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, and omnibenevolence, and learn from personal stories of encountering God's nature. Join us and stay tuned in for next week, as we tackle another hard-to-believe aspect: why is there evil in the world?
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Who are people who have embodied a quality of God for you?
2. Which attribute of God do you have the hardest time understanding or accepting?
3. When have you experienced the omnibenevolence of God?
Suffering, Evil, and Tragedy (June 16, 2024)
It's a question we ask all the time: How can God be omnipotent and omnibenevolent in the presence of all the suffering, tragedy, and evil in the world? This paradox is a huge reason as to why many have either left the faith or simply do not wish to believe in something that seemingly allows all of this to happen. As we discuss this hard-to-believe question, we are reminded that, though you may be going through hard times, God is still always with you.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. When have you wrestled with God’s relationship to human suffering?
2. What has given you strength during times of hardship? Where do you think God was?
3. How have you experienced God transforming your suffering into something positive?
How To Pray Powerfully (June 23, 2024)
There are some common question that arises when we discuss the topic of prayer: What good does it do? Does it even matter? Pastor Justin LaRosa has 3 key things to discover how to pray powerfully. And, in the end, it's not a question of if prayer even works, but a question of how we align our will with God's will.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What is the mountain you’d like to move?
2. How has the power of prayer changed you? The world?
3. Who do you need to forgive?
Life’s Highs and Lows:
Navigating the Landscapes of the Soul
The Journey Up (and down) the Mountain (April 7, 2024)
We love mountain-top moments. But it is the ascent and descent that can teach us the most about life itself. They remind us that there is both grace and caution in every moment of life, whether it is an incline, a decline, or most often, a combination of the two. To pay attention, to slow down your pace, and savor the presence of God, who is not just there to meet you at the top of the mountain, but to walk alongside you, every step along the way.
HydeParkUMC/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What are your most memorable “mountain top” moments?
2. How does an “uphill climb” and a “downhill descent” help you focus on God and slow your pace?
3. How will you let God help you keep your highs from getting too high, and your lows from getting too low?
"Thou Art With Me" (April 14, 2024)
The 23rd Psalm is one of the most iconic scriptures in our Bible. It is one of those passages you recognize simply by reference. Tucked amid the tranquil and lush images, between green pastures, still waters, and a dwelling place with God forever, there is this inescapable, unavoidable reality of life. The Valley, of the Shadow, of Death. It is in the valley that we can experience God most closely and most personally. As painful and as inescapable as the valleys of our lives are, they can be and often are the most transformational moments in our lives, because that is where we discover a relationship with God who is with us.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What valleys are you experiencing right now?
2. How will you shift from talking about God to connecting personally with God?
3. How will you remember that God is with you?
God's Steadfast Love (April 21, 2024)
Do you believe that God loves you? I know that might seem like an odd question. But what would your life look like if you truly believed that God loves you. In the words of Michael Card, we have no right to expect or demand anything from God, yet God loves us fully and deeply. If that were not true, then nothing else matters. And because it is true nothing else matters.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What are your most vivid memories of being in a desert?
2. Which of the four metaphors in Psalm 107 best describes what you are struggling with?
3. Do you believe that God loves you? What difference does that make for you?
Finding Your Balance (April 28, 2024)
Life is full of balances. Take the sun. It is necessary for life on Earth of function. We love the warmth and light it gives off. However, too much sun and we can definitely feel the burn. As we continue our series, Psalm 19 helps understand that even something as vital as the sun is ultimately not a being itself but is a product of God’s handiwork. The sun runs its course because God has set its course. God is in control.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1) Which of the three parts of Psalm 19 do you most resonate with—nature, scripture, or personal reflection?
2) What are ways you have found scripture, particularly the Old Testament, to be life-giving?
3) Where do you need balance in your life today?
The Choices We Make (May 5, 2024)
The author of Psalm 1 said that they "delight in the law of the Lord." How do we exactly achieve something like that? How do we know that what we are living a good life? Well, it's in the decisions that we make. They don't have to be big decisions, but it's the actions and choices we make for ourselves throughout the day, every day.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Among the 1000s of decisions you make everyday, can you think of a time where you felt really close to God, certain that you were on the right path with God, and felt deeply connected to the Holy. What was that like?
2. In what ways are you choosing to delight in the God’s instructions?
3. How might God be inviting you to change your thinking, your meditating, and/or the path you’re walking on, so as to bring renewal and refreshment to your life?
Life's Highs & Lows, Part 6 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // May 12, 2024
Choosing a path of faithfulness means that we have fidelity to the journey of God’s love in any landscape—whether on a mountain, in a valley, in a desert, at or in a river, or in the skies. Love is the divine path. We must cling to loving God in each landscape. We must cling to loving others. And often, we must ask God to help us to love ourselves and ignore the self-criticism and hate that so many of us have running in our thoughts. This kind of divine love is fierce. It is powerful and gentle. It pierces and heals. It can come as a whisper or powerful wind. And being faithful to it is simple yet not easy. But it will lead to abundant life.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What landscape are you currently in?
2. What does setting God’s ordinances before you look like in your life?
3. How can you choose faithfulness this week?
In the Shadow of the Cross:
Joining Jesus on the Road to Calvary
Riding With Your Emotions (February 18, 2024)
How do you handle your emotions? Spoiler alert: It is a hard thing to do. What if you could control your emotions and channel them for good. When we realize that we are both fully human and made in the image of God, we have the capacity to integrate our very human emotions with the loving kindness of God.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions
1. What lessons did you learn as a child regarding handling your emotions in a healthy way?
2. What emotions do you most struggle with channeling in a positive way?
3. How will you better integrate the fact that you are fully human, made in the image of God?
To Take Up Your Cross (February 25, 2024)
There are some passages in the Bible where it is just hard to come to terms with what God is saying or wants us to do. Today, we wrestle with one of those passages. Jesus tells us to "take up your cross" and follow him, meaning that our journey to be more Christ-like is going to be difficult. But there are some ways that we can go about dedicating our time and energy in keeping to the path.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions
1. How are you alike and unlike the life of Peter in the gospels?
2. In what ways does Jesus’ phrase “Take up your cross” make you feel unsettled, even challenged?
3. How will you be more intentional and diligent in your practical commitments to Jesus?
Overturning Toxic Theology (March 3, 2024)
There are times when Christianity shines and truly shows what God wants for us. However, there are other times when Christianity becomes a focal point for toxic theology and does more harm than good. As we study the story of Jesus overturning the tables in the temple, we are reminded that social injustice and corruption has no place in the church or ourselves.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. For what reasons do you think Jesus would overturn tables today?
2. How do you think the vendors responded? The religious leaders? The disciples?
3. In what ways can you be a part of a faith community at its healthiest and best?
Healing From Our "Venom" (March 10, 2024)
John 3:16. You've probably heard it or seen it on a bumper sticker or behind home plate. "For God so so loved the world..." Easy. Right? What is this verse actually saying and what does it mean for you to believe this or consider believing the words of Jesus in this verse?
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
HydeParkUMC.org/Easter
Reflection Questions:
1. What does being born from above or born again mean to you?
2. In what ways do you recognize your need before God?
3. What are your powerful takeaways from the text?
Go Down To Go Up (March 17, 2024)
Life is a constant cycle of endings and beginnings. Of losses, grief, and farewells. Sometimes these are literal endings. Sometimes these deaths are spiritual. In each of these cases, and in so many other ways, life is a series of little deaths. That is the hard reality for each of us. But it is also the good news. For Jesus said to us in John 12 that when we find the courage to close these chapters in our lives and move through them, that’s when we can begin to find new life. A new chapter can then unfold within us. A new way of being that is the abundant life God intends for us.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
HydeParkUMC.org/Easter
Reflection Questions:
1. What is the most challenging aspect of these words of Jesus for you personally?
2. Who has modeled for you servanthood and self-sacrifice?
3. What are the “little deaths” that you are experiencing right now? How might they be the gateway to new life?
From "Hosanna!" To "Crucify Him!" (March 24, 2024)
History buffs know that behind many pivotal moments is a deeper historical resonance. The cries of "Hosanna!" on Palm Sunday would have reminded the Jewish people of a moment 200 years earlier when they were saved from a tyrant. Hosanna! God, save us!
And then, just 5 days later, the cries would become, "Crucify him!" How quickly we can turn from being the ones in need of saving to the tyrants enacting judgment on others.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
HydeParkUMC.org/Easter
Reflection Questions:
1. For what reasons are you praying “Hosanna” today?
2. How might your daily prayer time include both verse 24 and 25 of Psalm 118?
3. How will you participate in the services and observances of Holy Week this week?
The Rock of Salvation - Easter Sunday (March 31, 2024)
Life has its high points, and life has its low points. But this is the hope of Easter: that those low points in life, are the not the end of the story. Consider the grand, sweeping timeline of your journey on earth, its bright spots and its shadows, and you will very likely discover the same truth. It is a truth that was central to John Wesley’s understanding of grace: God has always been at work in your life, God is working in your life, and God will always be at work in your life.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What boulder-type burdens are you carrying today?
2. Where have you seen evidence of God’s love at work in your past? In your present?
3. In what way will you move forward and claim the new life God is preparing for your future?
You are Not Alone:
Spiritual Insights for Creating Community
Longing for Community (January 7, 2024)
It is not good for humans to be alone. Despite all of the new technology designed to bring people closer together, it seems that loneliness and all of the other condition associated with it, are on the rise. As we begin this series "You Are Not Alone", perhaps you would make one of your New Years' resolutions to seek out and be more involved in community.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Who is the person (or the people) in your life that make you feel ‘known’?
2. What is one thing you can do to help alleviate another person’s isolation and make them feel that they are ‘of worth’?
3. Name two things you can do to cultivate or nurture your primary relationships this week?
Baptized Into Community (January 14, 2024)
Your baptism is a gift from God. It is not just a singular moment in time from the past. It is an enduring reminder of God’s love for you—how God will always be by your side, no matter what you face. And it is a reminder of how we, as the church, are together as one community of love and support.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What is your favorite memory of a baptism?
2. What do you think God is doing in a baptism?
3. What difference does baptism make for you, in how you think, act, and relate to others?
How To Build Stronger Families (January 21, 2024)
Families can be the most supportive and the most chaotic when it comes to relationships. But they are an essential part of building and maintaining community. According Paul, an early Christian leader, stronger families will mean stronger homes. Stronger homes can mean stronger communities of faith. And a stronger church, a stronger body of Christ, will mean a stronger witness of love and compassion to others, resulting in a stronger, more loving world.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. What is the best thing about your family? What is the hardest thing about your family?
2. How will drawing closer to Jesus help each member of your family draw closer to each other?
3. How do you think stronger families can improve your community?
The Power of Friendship (January 28, 2024)
Do you ever flip through the Bible and hope for practical advice? Maybe about how to maintain friendships? Well then you're in luck because an ancient wisdom author once wrote about the valuer of good company and how companionship can make us stronger.
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. In what ways has your number of friends or closeness of friendships changed over the last several years?
2. Who are your close friends? How can you be a better friend to them?
3. How will you practice constancy, carefulness, candor, and counsel in your friendships?
A Stronger Social Fabric (February 4, 2024)
Perhaps the greatest cause of our loneliness and disconnectedness is the tense political and social climate. What if there was a way to bridge differences and have civil conversations about tough issues? What would that look like and could we model that new way of being?
HydeParkUMC.org/NextSteps
15 Practical Guidelines from Romans 12:9–21
1. Our love for each other will be genuine.
2. We will hate what is evil.
3. We will make goodness our bond.
4. The only competition between us will be to see who can show the other greater honor.
5. Together, we will put God first, even when we don’t feel like it.
6. We will be hopeful, not cynical.
7. We will be patient, even when our differences make things difficult.
8. We will never stop praying for each other or for the world.
9. We pledge to be welcoming to strangers, people who are different from us.
10. We will not speak ill of each other; instead, we will speak words of blessing.
11. We will choose harmony with each other over arrogance.
12. We commit to being with those who are less fortunate, less privileged, and less powerful, so that we can learn humility ourselves.
13. We will not respond to evil by doing evil ourselves. We commit to the most noble actions and motivations.
14. We will have hearts of peace for each other, rather than revenge.
15. We will not overcome evil with evil, but by doing good.
Mat Hotho
mhotho@hydeparkumc.org
Reflection Questions:
1. When have you had difficulty relating to a person based on partisan differences?
2. How can Christians be politically engaged, without devolving into polarizing partisanship?
3. What valuable insights have you gained about relationships throughout this worship series?
The "Thin Places" of Life (February 11, 2024)
Even if you aren't a Christian, you cannot deny that there are certain places or moments in life that have a more significant feeling than others. Some would even call it a divine experience. This Sunday marks a transition away from focusing on what Jesus can do (e.g. miracles), and more on who Jesus truly is: The Messiah.
HydeparkUMC.org/NextSteps
Reflection Questions:
1. Can you remember a time when you were so overcome with beauty or joy that you were rendered speechless? What was that like?
2. When was the last time you were “lost in wonder, love, and praise” of God because you felt the Lord's present so closely?
3. What is pulling on your heart (or calling to you), as we begin this season of Lent?
