Second on the Mount

Luke 18:1-8
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

Luke 12:13-22
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, April 26, 2026.
"The problem is not that the man had a good year. The problem is that he could not imagine that his life still belonged to God. And so his world shrank… to himself.
"But when God is present—really present—everything changes.• Abundance becomes opportunity.• Resources become relationships.• And life becomes something to give… not just something to store."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

John 21 (selected verses)Part VIII and conclusion of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/ 

John 20:1-10Part VII of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026.
"We belong here… you and I.
• "Whether our faith feels strong or uncertain,• Whether our life feels settled or unresolved,• Whether we are celebrating with confidence,or simply hoping something true might still meet us.
"Easter is not just a celebration at the end of a journey. It is a celebration at the beginning, too.
"Easter does not require that our faith be complete or our life be resolved. It declares something that is true before we fully understand it:that Christ is risen—for all of us."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

John 18:1-14Part VI of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

Matthew 16:21-27Part V of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, March 22, 2026.
"This rebuke isn’t just for [Peter]. It’s for us—when the path feels too hard. It shows up in small, ordinary moments.
"When we know we need to say something that is true—
but we soften it so much that it is no longer true anymore.
When we need to have a hard conversation—
and we keep putting it off.
When we sense God calling us to step into something—
and we quietly step back instead.
When we think we’re being kind—
when we’re really just being careful.
"Not because we don’t care,          but because it might cost us."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/ 

Matthew 16:13-20Part IV of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at:https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

Matthew 16:13-20Part III of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, March 8, 2026.
"The church is not built on Peter’s person or perfection. It is built on the grace that kept calling Peter back. • Peter confessed boldly.• He failed publicly.• And he was forgiven again and again.
"And that is the kind of church Jesus builds.• A human one.• A community whose Founder already knows we will fail—and still calls us anyway."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/ 

Matthew 14:22-33Part II of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, March 1, 2026.
"Let’s return to Peter’s shining moment—the moment when he truly models faithfulness. No, it is not when he steps onto the water. It is when he cries out, 'Lord, save me!' That is where he shines. The moment he knows he cannot save himself. 
"Faith is not proven in walking on water. Faith is revealed in knowing whose hand to grasp when you begin to sink."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

Luke 5:1-11Part I of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, February 22, 2026.
"Simon is not exaggerating here. He is simply telling the truth. His truth. The truth of someone who has reached the limit of his own capacity. 'Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.' I can imagine Simon leaving a pregnant pause, hoping Jesus would say, 'No worries. I know you’re tired. We can pick this up another time.' But he didn’t. Nothing was said. Nothing was shared, except a gaze that lingered between Jesus and Simon, a gaze penetrating and inviting—penetrating Simon’s heart and inviting his soul.
"Then, out of the heavy silence, Simon adds five words that change everything."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/