Archive for category: Sermon Video

We often focus on the first pillar of Micah 6:8—Doing Justice. We talk about setting the world right and putting skin in the game. But as Pastor Tabatha reminds us this week, the prophet Micah didn’t stop there.

Two-thirds of God’s instruction remains: To Love Mercy and to Walk Humbly.

In this message, we explore the difference between simply being kind and actually loving mercy. Through a powerful story about Bishop Julius Trimble and a “pastoral confession” about left-lane drivers, we are reminded that every person we meet is a child of the Most High God—whether we like them or not.

Key Takeaways from the Message:
The Image of God: You will never meet someone who is not made in the image of God. How would our world change if we treated everyone accordingly?

Identity over Discouragement: “Lift up your head, for you are a child of the most high God.”

Ethical Relationships: Authentic faith requires us to show the same mercy and kindness that we are shown by God.

 

 

In the third week of our “Renewed Strength” series, Pastor Tabatha invited us into the “liminal space”—that precarious place of uncertainty, fear, and heartbreak where hope often feels fragile. Drawing from the moving essay by Rev. Jennifer Harris Dalt in the book Still a Mother, we explored what it means to hold onto faith after significant loss. Pastor Tabatha shared her own journey through four years of consecutive family losses, reminding us that life can often leave us “boneweary” and without words.

Through the lens of Isaiah 40, we looked at the biblical precedent for lament. The people of Israel were living in an “apocalyptic hellscape,” feeling abandoned by God. Yet, the poet reminds us that while we grow weary, God does not. Faith is found in that tension of waiting with hope in our hands, trusting that those who wait upon the Lord will indeed find their strength renewed.

 

 

Rev. Laura Phillips launched our “Renewed Strength” series by exploring what it truly means to be “rooted and grounded” in God’s love. Drawing on the scientific and indigenous wisdom of Robin Wall Kimmerer, we looked at how forest networks—the “Wood Wide Web”—ensure communal flourishing through shared resources and support. Much like a training plan for a half-marathon, a resilient faith requires intentional spiritual practices: engaging with scripture, reliance on the Holy Spirit, and participating in a community where love is practiced. We are reminded that we are not isolated individuals; we are a network of roots, grounded in a love that surpasses knowledge and sustained by a God who intends for us to flourish together.

 

 

We are wired with a “negativity bias”—a survival instinct that makes us dwell on one piece of criticism or a late-night loop of past mistakes. In a culture that curates fear to keep us exhausted, Christmas Eve offers a better story. Pastor Tabatha contrasts the power of Caesar’s decree—focused on control and conquest—with the vulnerability of God made flesh in a feeding trough. We learn that joy is an act of resistance. Like the shepherds who sang on a terrifying night, we are invited to let joy overflow and witness to a light that the darkness cannot overcome.

 

When our cherished plans—for our lives, careers, or families—disintegrate, it’s natural to question everything, including our faith. This week, we look to the immense suffering and doubt of John the Baptist in prison, who sends a desperate message to Jesus: “Are you the one?”. Pastor Tabatha affirms that John’s crumbling hope is not a failure of faith but a moment of profound suffering. The sermon reminds us that God is still at work in the darkness, and hope is found not in visible success, but in the assurance of God’s compassionate presence.