Seekers recognizes that any member of the community may be called upon by God to give us the Word, and thus we have an open pulpit with a different preacher each week. Sermons preached at Seekers, as well as sermons preached by Seekers at other churches or events, are posted here, beginning with the most recent.
Click here for an archive of our sermons.
Feel free to use what is helpful from these sermons. We only ask that when substantial portions are abstracted or used in a written work, please credit Seekers Church and the author, and cite the URL.
“Humble and Kind” by Larry Rawlings
February 7, 2021
The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany
The following is a transcript of Larry’s spoken words as recorded on video. The transcriber apologizes for any errors.
Okay, good morning.
As a young boy, I remember seeing my beloved grandmother kneel down, join her hands, close her eyes and pray. It was a silent prayer. I didn’t know what she was saying or thinking. But I knew who she was praying to her love of God, and of her children and her grandchildren was evident in her daily life.
I remember many years ago, working in a tobacco barn. My grandmother looked at me and she gave me the most amazing smile. To my surprise, she was able to save enough money to buy herself a set of dentures. She proudly showed them off to me that day.
Although not a regular churchgoer, she was dedicated to Billy Graham, through radio and television. Just as I saw her kneel down to pray, I also watched her put money in an envelope and mail it to his organization. She believed in him and trusted his word. More importantly, you know, she was an amazing woman. And she taught me to skill and finesse of flipping a pancake without making a mess. I took me a while to get that. Her full name was Helen Sims Rawlings. She passed away on April 8, 1986. You know, I love her and I miss her and I send her this prayer.
“A Different Kind of Hope” by Michele Frome
January 31, 2021
The Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany
Our theme for this season here at Seekers is “Radiant Hope.” In our Gospel reading this morning, Jesus went to a synagogue in Capernaum, did some teaching, and removed an unclean spirit from a man, restoring him to health.
What’s the hope in this passage? At first glance, I’d say the hope is this: if you’re unhealthy & happen to go to the right synagogue at the right time, God will heal you.
But I want to dig deeper than that. To do so, I need to look at these events in their context. This gospel passage is from the first chapter of Mark. Mark was the first gospel to have been written, and it presents today’s story as the first public appearance in Jesus’s ministry.
“Welcome to Nineveh” by John Morris
January 24, 2021
The Third Sunday after the Epiphany
I’m going to be preaching a sermon that I’ll bet is similar to the ones being preached in thousands of pulpits across the United States this morning. Not only do we Christians have a common lectionary, we all lived through the same week, we share a national story that pulls us all along in its wake, and what happened on January 20th can’t be neglected, at least not by me. How well I remember the heavy feeling of doom that seemed to descend on me on January 20th, 2017. It felt like the clouds would never break – and indeed, it has been a long long four years. But to everything there is a season, and now the moment of jubilee, however temporary, has come.
And if anyone among us isn’t rejoicing at the inauguration of this particular president, surely we can all, Democrat or Republican, conservative or progressive, celebrate that the transfer of power was safe, secure, and part of an unbroken chain of such democratic moments stretching back to 1796. So, can I get a HALLELUJAH!? Hallelujah!
“Not Thinking about God” by Amy Moffitt
January 17, 2021
The Second Sunday after the Epiphany
Thanks again for the opportunity to preach. A couple of things to note before I begin:
- If you end up checking out or distracted during this sermon, Cynthia Burungi’s children’s message last week pretty much sums up what I’ll say here, so you’re good.
- If I come across as a little overly animated or impassioned in my presentation today, that is both because that’s how I talk, and because I’m preaching to myself as much as anyone. I know this sermon is going to land with at least *one* person, and that person is me.
One of the really great things about the Bible is all the little details about people in the stories that aren’t absolutely necessary to what the story is trying to convey. They lend the Bible stories an air of authenticity and make them more relatable.
“A Sign of Call” by Marjory Bankson
January 10, 2021
The First Sunday after the Epiphany
As the terrible events of this week unfolded, I could not imagine how the baptism of Jesus was relevant, but I think the temptation to make the attack on the capitol the center of our attention is exactly what was intended – and we will be better served by focusing on the questions raised by our lectionary text – so here we go.