Sermon from Palm Sunday 2024 (The Parable of the Vineyard Owner and the Wicked Tenants)
by Joel Wentz on March 26th, 2024
I can remember sitting with a friend, years ago, in a restaurant. On the screens surrounding us was a televised political debate (I honestly can’t remember who was even in it at the time) - but I do remember one moment in which I looked at my friend (who wasn’t a Christian) and said, “I can’t imagine a single one of those politicians climbing up on a cross for me.” The reason this came to mind for...  Read More
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Sermon Q&A: The Parables of the Tower-Builder & the Warring King
by Joel Wentz on February 6th, 2024
Two questions were submitted in response to the sermon from February 4th on Luke 14, the parables of the Tower-Builder and the Warring King.1) How does the challenge to 'renounce your possessions' (verse 33) connect with the challenge to 'hate his own father, mother, wife and children' (verse 26)? I'm glad someone asked about this, because it gives me a chance to underline a point that I glossed o...  Read More
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Sermon Q&A: The Parable of the Rich Fool
by Joel Wentz on January 26th, 2024
Two questions were submitted during the sermon on the "Rich Fool" from Luke 14.....1) What is 'Mammon'?I'm glad someone asked about this, as I realized after my sermon that I probably did not provide enough context and definition for what is an unusual-sounding word. "Mammon" is the Anglicized version of the Greek word "mammona," which is a personal name. This word/name only appears in two chapter...  Read More
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12/31 Sermon Q&A: The Parable of the Soils
by Joel Wentz on January 5th, 2024
 Three great questions were submitted during the sermon on the Parable of the Soils from Luke 8. My responses are below....How does the image of not hiding a lamp relate to the parable of the treasure in the field, that a man finds, covers, and hides?The parable being referenced here is found in Matthew 13.44. Interestingly, Matthew 13 is a chapter full of parables and images from Jesus, including...  Read More
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New Sermon Series: Parables of Jesus
by Joel Wentz on December 27th, 2023
Every season between Christmas (Jesus' incarnation/birth) and Easter (Jesus' death and resurrection), I like to spend time preaching from one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus' life and ministry. This year, I'm very excited to share that we will be following the parables of Jesus, specifically according to the gospel of Luke. Luke includes some of the more famous parables, such as the Good Samaritan...  Read More
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New Sermon Series: Prayers of Advent
by Administrative Coordinator on November 28th, 2023
Welcome to the season of Advent!According to church tradition, this is a season in which we are invited to practice waiting, hoping and longing, specifically for the coming of Christ. While it is tempting to rush ahead into the joys of celebrating Christmas, I find that setting aside some time in these weeks before December 25th to "lean into" our longings and our hopes actually increases the joy ...  Read More
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Jonah 2 Q&A
by Administrative Coordinator on November 27th, 2023
Happy Friday everyone! I got a doozy of a question from the previous sermon, and have been thinking about it a lot this week. I wanted to provide a response here....So, if Jonah did not repent (in his prayer), and God tells him again to go to Nineveh, did he, (do we?) really have free will?Ah, the "free will" question!! First, let me say very emphatically that I won't resolve this with a paragraph...  Read More
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Jonah 1 Q&A
by Administrative Coordinator on November 27th, 2023
Happy Wednesday everyone! Two questions were submitted last Sunday, on Jonah chapter 1, and I wanted to offer some responses here.....If the text says fish, why do we all assume it's a whale?This was a fun question to research! It's true that the most accurate translation of the ancient Hebrew word (the language in which Jonah was originally written) found in Jonah 1:17 is the general English word...  Read More
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