SERMON | John 4:1-42 | "See Her" by Lauren Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana

SERMON | John 20:19-23 | PENTECOST - "He Breathed On Them" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana This is the arrival of the Holy Spirit in John. At first hearing we might think, “Well, that’s boring.” “No sound? No fire? No speaking in foreign languages? No Peter giving a testimony that leads to 3,000…

SERMON | 1 Peter 3:13-22 | A LIVING HOPE - 5. "Always Be Ready" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana Daily we should be remembering that Christ IS Risen That the world is in conflict while evil is uprooted and removed That we are a part of this process in our daily living Maybe we aren’t facing autho…

SERMON | 1 Peter 2:2-10 | A LIVING HOPE - 4. "Like Living Stones" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. There is a freedom available to you through our resurrected Lord. When you remember, and spend time remembering regularly, that you are a living stone being built into a spiritual house alongside J…

The sermon material comes from umcdiscipleship.org

SERMON | 1 Peter 1:17-23 | A LIVING HOPE - 2. "Loosening the Bonds" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. Do you know you are loved? Our full display of LOVE is God coming to us in Jesus Christ… to tell our story in a new way… to bring healing to our very hearts, minds, souls, and bodies… to face and…

SERMON | 1 Peter 1:3-9 | A LIVING HOPE - 1. "Fullness of Joy" by Rev. Dr. Gary Schaar at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. Yes, of course, rejoice. And there are times when I can rejoice. Times when things are going well, and I can contemplate the fullness of the promise of eternity. Then, yes, I can look inward and rejoi…

SERMON | John 20:1-18 | IN AWE OF GRACE - Easter Sunday "The End That Wasn't" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana.JOHN 20:1-18Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark…The WORD of God moves again…and new life bursts forth…He was mistaken for the gardener…a throwback to the first hu…

SERMON | John 13:1-17, 31b-35 | IN AWE OF GRACE - Maundy Thursday "Commanded to Love" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana Jesus seized the opportunity to love his disciples…his friends… because why wouldn’t he? THIS is God glorified. to give of God’s self for God’s children. The foot-washing is just…

SERMON | Matthew 21:1-17 | HOLY WEEK - IN AWE OF GRACE - 1. "This Is the Day" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IndianaTHIS IS THE DAY!!Palm Sunday!Hosanna!We have begun Holy Week.Our Lenten journey has brought us here…to this week.We have traversed the wilderness…and we have arrived at the heart of God’s…

SERMON | Ezekiel 37:1-14 & John 11:1-45 | LENT - LEARNING TO LIVE INSIDE OUT - 5. "Who Could Stand" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana Learning to Live Inside Out — a Lenten journey with Jesus… toward the cross… toward the death of sin and self… following Jesus… until what we KNOW in our hearts bec…

SERMON | 1 Samuel 16:1-13 & John 9:1-41 | LENT - LEARNING TO LIVE INSIDE OUT - 4. "In the Presence" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana Learning to Live Inside Out — a Lenten journey with Jesus… toward the cross… toward the death of sin and selfWe’ve talked about fasting…About a life of faith taking…

Learning to Live Inside Out — a Lenten journey with Jesus… toward the cross… toward the death of sin and selfWe are fasting alongside of Jesus in the wilderness… but the fast we choose is that of God…to nurture righteousness in our hearts. The word for righteousness is the word for justice is the word for piety. δικαιοσύνη: righteousness, what is r…

SERMON | Genesis 12:1-4a & John 3:1-17 | LENT: LEARNING TO LIVE INSIDE OUT - 2. "Go From Your Country" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IndianaHere we are in our own journey of faith.Have we become a settled people?Have we been holding tightly to what is familiar and comfortable?Have we been open to wher…

SERMON | Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-11 | LENT: LEARNING TO LIVE INSIDE OUT - 1. "If We Fall Down" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. LENT: The Season of journeying to the cross. Similar to Advent—Advent is not Christmas, but preparation for it—Lent is NOT Easter. But first…before the resu…

SERMON | Matthew 5:21-37 | GLIMPSES OF THE KIN-DOM: 6. "But I Say..." by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. Jesus is inviting his disciples into a new way of living…A new Kin-dom…with a new rule…Not a list, tablet, or scroll, but WAY of Life.The early church called our faith “The Way” because it was …

Glimpses of the Kin-dom: Kin-dom - the activity and influence of God here and now through the people of God, the body of Christ in the church. Kin-dom - where heaven and earth overlap and coexist.We catch glimpses of it in and through the church — where the Reign of God is fully present and embraced by the Kin-dom family.We are born anew through ba…

Glimpses of the Kin-dom: the Kin-dom is the activity and influence of Godpresent here on earth in the work of the church, the body of Christ, now…today…among us and through us.The Christian faith is centered on following Jesus Christ as a disciple who is committed to the Kin-dom. We spend our lives learning and growing as a human beingalongside of …

GLIMPSES OF THE KIN-DOM:A series on what it means to be the people of God through whom the activity and influence of God is made present in the world. We are in Ordinary Time (green) — we are outside of the main seasons: Advent, Lent, and Easter.A time to deepen in our understanding of a life in the Kin-dom.We strive to make the our mission an ordi…

GLIMPSES OF THE KIN-DOM: A series on what it means to be the people of GodKin-dom: what is this word?Why not Kingdom?It’s a fair question…Sometimes we use a word often enough that it loses its meaning.The word AWESOME, for instance. extremely impressive/daunting, inspiring admiration, apprehension, or fearI’ve heard people describe a television sho…

SERMON | "Happy New Year!" by Mark Ritter at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | John 1:1-14 | PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD - 4. "Testifying to the Light" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | Matthew 3:1-12 | PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD - 3. "Are You Ready to Be Prepared?" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | Luke 1:57-80 | PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD - 2. "The Hand of God" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | Luke 1:5-17 | PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE LORD - 1. "Your Prayer Has Been Heard" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | Luke 23:33-43 | FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS - 4. "Scoffers On A Hill" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | Luke 21:5-19 | FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS - 3. "Open-Mouthed Tourists" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | Luke 20:27-38 | FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS - 2. "Band of Puzzlers" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN

SERMON | Luke 19:1-10 | FACE TO FACE WITH JESUS - 1. "Man Out On a Limb" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. We walk through 4 face-to-face encounters with Jesus and the unexpected challenge and invitation in each occasion. We begin with Zacchaeus as an example for us all--whether we identify with …

SERMON | 2 Timothy 4:6-8, 16-18 | NOT ASHAMED - 4. "Poured Out" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana We wrap up our series looking at the world through Paul's eyes -- people, God, self, church, living, suffering, and even dying. We are to "keep the faith" as Paul did, always remembering the core iden…

SERMON | 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 | NOT ASHAMED - 3. "Itching Ears" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN Paul encourages Timothy to remember what he has come to know and believe...and then stay true to it. Scripture has all we need to instruct us so that we might find salvation in our faith in Jesus Christ. But…

SERMON | 2 Timothy 2:8-15 | NOT ASHAMED - 2. "Present Yourself to God" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana The gospel is simple, to Paul: Jesus is God's ruler over everything, raised from the dead, a descendant of David. For a young Jewish Christian, like Timothy, this simple gospel makes all of the…

SERMON | 2 Timothy 1:1-14 | NOT ASHAMED - 1. "ReKindle the Gift" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana Paul addresses his protege, Timothy, during a difficult time. Paul is in prison and Timothy is facing all sorts of pressure in his culture to step away from everything Paul has taught him. Paul urges…

SERMON | Micah 4:1-4 | "Kingdom Dreams, Violent Realities" for National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana There is a master plan for reality. God has given us the Kingdom Dream, the blueprint (Jesus), and it is up to us to adjust our personal/communal game-pla…

SERMON | Luke 6:1-13 | HAVING WORDS WITH JESUS - 3. "Debts Are Tossed" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana We are to be clever with our world and its resources. We are to be as clever AS the world with its resources, but not clever IN THE SAME WAYS. How are we using money and time and power and infl…

SERMON | Luke 15:1-10 | HAVING WORDS WITH JESUS 2. "Finding the Lost" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana We continue in the large scene in the middle of Luke; Jesus has some hard truths to offer those who are intent to hold tightly to their perspective on God and faith. Jesus is transforming people…

SERMON | Luke 14:25-33 - HAVING WORDS WITH JESUS 1. "Counting the Cost" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. We begin a 4-week series looking at four passages from our third Gospel account that are, frankly, difficult to sit with. Did Jesus really mean what he said? Are we seriously expected to foll…

SERMON | Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16 - "Mutual Love; A Response to Crisis and Change" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana In an earth-shaking moment of chaos, a biblical teacher reaches out to a group in shock to help them move forward. By interpreting Jesus Christ through the lens of the Temple, animal s…

SERMON | Isaiah 5:1-7 - PROPHET MARGINS 5. "Yielding Wild Grapes" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana To be pastoral or prophetic...?? That is the question. We wrap up our Prophet Margins series considering the consequences of our choices. Our pain becomes our lesson and our lesson becomes our hope …

SERMON | Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 - PROPHET MARGINS 5. "Learn to Do Good" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana We are to practice what we preach... to let our actions match our worship. We all need to work on doing good. While we have much to confess, we also have great hope for the days ahead.…

SERMON | Matthew 22:36-40 - "LOVE GOD, LOVE NEIGHBOR" Annual Conference Report by Janet Werle, Elizabeth Hardy, and Connie Schlieker at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana

SERMON | Hosea 1:2-10 - PROPHET MARGINS 3. "Risky Love" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana We are called to be faithful in our love and commitment to God. This commitment is most purely expressed in the way we take care of the most vulnerable. The calling of Hosea is tricky and difficult to accept,…

SERMON | Amos 8:1-12 - PROPHET MARGINS 3. "Living In a Bitter Day" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. Are we rehabilitating from our self-serving ways of sin? We must confront ourselves honestly if we hope to truly be connected to The Kingdom of God. If we want truth, life, and to be healed/saved,…

SERMON | Amos 7:7-17 - PROPHET MARGINS 2. "What Do You See?" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana. Israel is in trouble, in Amos' day. They have become corrupt from the very top of the structure of leadership--both the king and priest. The system of Israel is crushing the vulnerable to build up those…

SERMON | 2 Kings 5:1-14 - PROPHET MARGINS 1. "Wash & Be Cleaned" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana We begin a 9-week journey through the prophets to wrestle with with the uncomfortable, hard, and necessary truths which lead us to the joy, hope, of faith to which we are called. We begin with Elisha…

SERMON | 1 Kings 19:1-18 - "From Madness to Stillness" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana We turn to the story of Elijah running for his life and encountering the presence of God in the most unexpected way. Examining what happened and how it happened gives us insight into our own realities we face …

SERMON | Ephesians 5:1-2, 15-20 - "The Mercury 13" by Mark Ritter at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana

SERMON | Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31 - "Does Not Wisdom Call" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, Indiana Lady Wisdom comes to us on this Trinity Sunday to woo us away from another kind of lady (from Proverbs 7). These ladies are 100% rhetorical and metaphorical, but we should not lose the overwhelming femininity…

SERMON | Acts 2:1-21 & Genesis 11:1-9 - "Overcoming Babel" by Rev. Joseph Sanford at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN We celebrate Pentecost by honoring the work of God to bring humanity back together through the work of the Holy Spirit. Our diversity is stamped with approval; we are to be united, not uniform. Are we open to o…

SERMON | "Part-Time Missionary; Full-Time Follower" - Coach Perry Hunter from Cornerstone Hoops at Sellersburg United Methodist Church in Sellersburg, IN