Second on the Mount

Exodus 14:10-16
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, September 7, 2025.
"The ways in which God is calling you to show your faith might surprise you. It might require courage. It might require you to risk comfort and convenience for the sake of love. It might require you to silence the bickering noise of the world and courageously take one step forward—and then maybe another."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/ 

Matthew 4:1-11
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, August 31, 2025.
"The temptations Jesus faces may sound distant from our lives—turning stones to bread, leaping from a tower, bowing to the devil—but what they represent is very real, and just as present in Roanoke as they were in the wilderness. . . . Just as a tuning fork causes an internal string to vibrate, these three temptations strike chords within us as they did with Jesus—our desires, our fears, our arrogant self-righteousness, our certainties, our longings for significance, control, or reassurance."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/ 

Matthew 5:13-16
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from our Rally Day Picnic on Sunday, August 24, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

Scripture: Luke 12:49-53
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, August 17, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"By Faith" – Hebrews 11:1-10, 12:1-2
Sermon by Nancy O. Gray, Parish Associate for Visitation, from Sunday, August 10, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"The Armor of God" – Ephesians 6:10-20
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, August 3, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"Grace in Letting Go" – John 12:20-26, Philippians 3:7-14
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, July 27, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"Why?" – Luke 13:1-9
Sermon by Nancy O. Gray, Parish Associate for Visitation, from Sunday, July 20, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"God's Consolation" – II Corinthians 1:3-7
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, July 13, 2025.
"Your self is a good gift. It helps you dream, build, grow and relate, live your life. But it’s a perishable item.
"Thank God you are not just a self with a shelf-life. You are a soul—named, known, and beloved, not because of what you do, but because of who God is.
"And when the self is lost, the soul remains. That… is God’s consolation."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"Burdensome Work" – Galatians 6:1-16
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, July 6, 2025.
"The life of faith was never meant to be lived in silos of self-sufficiency. It is a web of interdependence—each carrying their own load, yes, but never bearing the overwhelming burdens alone. But this burdensome work isn’t limited to individuals. Paul’s letter is saturated with communal responsibility. He says, 'Whenever we have an opportunity, let us work for the good of all.' Not just for the insiders. Not just for the ones who fit the mold. . . . Not just for those who carry the right label or check the right theological or political boxes. For the good of all."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/