Second on the Mount

"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/ 

"Let Go, Let God" – Matthew 6:25-34
Sermon by Nancy O. Gray, Parish Associate for Visitation, from Sunday, June 29, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"The Blame Game" – Luke 8:26-39
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, June 22, 2025.
"Friends, this moment calls us to something deeper. Something braver. Because we live in a world of scapegoating. A world eager to name enemies so we don’t have to name our fears. A world quick to assign blame so we don’t have to shoulder responsibility, shoulder any responsibility for our economic instability, our divided communities, our imbalance of power and wealth, our climate disasters, our fragile mental health."But we must not play along.
Who have we chained so we don’t have to face our collective anxiety?
Whose torment are we tolerating to maintain the illusion of homeostasis?
Whose name have we replaced with our fear?
And what would happen if we stopped? If we listened? If we asked with compassion, 'What is your name?' and stayed long enough to hear the truth beneath the trauma?
What if the ones we’ve tried to silence are the very ones Jesus sends back to us, clothed and in their right mind, to proclaim what God has done?"
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at:https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/ 

"Saving Time for What?" – Ephesians 5:15-16, Luke 10:38-42
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, June 15, 2025.
"Ephesians reminds us that if all our time-saving just leads to more rushing and more anxiety, maybe we’re not saving time at all. Maybe we’re losing it. To 'make the most of time' is not to fill every moment, but to remember that time itself is a gift from God. 
"It’s a subtle distinction, but • do we rush to save time to spend it, • or do we live wisely within the time God has given us?"
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"Endurance" – Job 42:1-6, James 5:7-11
Sermon by Dr. Ed McLeod, our Evening VBS guest speaker, from Sunday, June 8, 2025.

"What Makes Patience a Virtue" – Romans 8:18-25
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, June 1, 2025.
"...all of us are living with situations we can’t fix. Never mind the global problems, or the social or political realities we’d love to see change. We live with people we can’t change. Pain we can’t escape. And in those places, what might hopeful endurance look like?
"What difference might patience make in a relationship that can’t, right now, be fixed? Well—
How many friendships survived and grew stronger because an argument ended with a comma, not a period?
How many marriages celebrate anniversaries because one or both refused to give up when marital stress was real?
How many children were empowered because they had parents who waited, prayed, and hoped—when a diagnosis, behavior, or a season made that hard?
"...when someone waits with love that often groans—waits not passively, but prayerfully—things can change."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"Peace Be With You" – John 14:23-29
Sermon by Nancy O. Gray, Parish Associate for Visitation, from Sunday, May 25, 2025.
"Jesus, who promised peace to his disciples the night before his own crucifixion, never promised us a life without hardship or a world without troubles, but he did offer us a way forward through the gift of his deep and abiding peace. No matter what difficulties we face in our lives or what challenges the world presents, we can trust in the powerful peace of Christ that comes from the love of God."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"Who Goes With You?" – Revelation 21:1-6
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Senior Recognition Sunday, May 18, 2025.
"'I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.' And in that declaration, God makes a claim—not just over cosmic history, but over your story.
"When your beginning feels uncertain, or your ending unclear, God still speaks: 'I am with you. I am your beginning and your end.'
"There has not been a place in your story where God has not already been. And there is not a moment ahead where God will not be waiting for you."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"Teach Me How to Pray" – Luke 11:1-4
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, May 11, 2025.
"What difference would it make to remember God is in the room?
"It doesn’t necessarily mean you stop being frustrated or stop being angry. That awareness doesn’t mean silencing conviction. Stay honest. Keep caring about what you believe is right and true. But remembering God’s presence might also slow your speech. Open your ears. Inspire humility. Help you see your own blind spots. Soften your heart just enough to wonder what grace might ask of you."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/

"A Calling Passed On" – Micah 6:6-8, Matthew 6:19-20
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Legacy Sunday, May 4, 2025.
"What does it mean to live well when you believe in a God who loves selflessly—and calls you to love others the same way? The boy, in his conversation with the mole, leaps right to Micah’s answer.
"'What do you want to be when you grow up?'
"The boy doesn’t say he wants to be a
superhero or famous athlete,
astronaut,
jet pilot, race car driver, or train conductor,
general, or president, or veterinarian.
"He knows the question isn’t about doing. It is about being. And he wants to be… kind."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/