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.
A Reflection by Bettina Del Sesto
September 4, 2016 Sixheenth Sunday after Pentecost Bettina Del Seston shared from her journey and reflected on the lectionary passages for this Sunday. The full text of her sharing is not available.
A Sermon by Michael Gelfeld
August 28, 2016
Fiftheenth Sunday after Pentecost
Good morning and thank you all for having me here today. I’d like to begin my message with a verse from Revelations. Now, Revelations is a book of the bible that I, being Jewish, don’t often have much to say or think about. But when scouring the bible for a verse that summed up my message Revelations ended up having an overwhelming amount of candidates, hopefully you’ll agree that this one fits it well. Revelations 2:10 tells us,
“Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.”
Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I find this to be an interesting challenge as it is implied that said suffering is unavoidable, yet we are instructed not to fear it. Doesn’t that make it even more frightening?
“Nevertheless, With God, Is Always More Than Enough” by David Parker
August 21, 2016
Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost
1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
6 And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.
8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord.
9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken:
10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.
11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.
(Luke 5: 1-11 KJV)
We find a vast crowd of people flocked about Jesus as the Scripture signifies; they showed respect to His teaching, though not without some rudeness to His person because they pressed upon Him. Some would consider this a discredit to Jesus: to be cried up by the vulgar when none of the rulers nor the Pharisees believed in Him. However, Jesus considered it an honor because their souls were as precious as the souls of the “grand,” and it was, and is, His aim to bring not so much the mighty but the many sons, and daughters to God.
“Self-Reflection; Saying No When There is a Greater Yes” by Will Ramsey
August 14, 2016
Thirtenth Sunday after Pentecost
ItI want to invite you on my journey of learning to say no. Seems like a simple concept: Just say no. Luke 12:49 and Hebrews 12:1 are the scriptures for this week which caused me to meditate around the task of saying “no”. I was somewhat embarrassed that saying no is such a superficial topic; but I was relieved to discover that this is but a part of a larger mission. I decided to continue with the topic of “Saying No When There is a Greater Yes,” When placed in the context of a spirit-filled life, I concluded this is a respectable strategy for Godly living. In this sermon, I will suggest four phases of emotional and spiritual maturity and conclude with a suggestion for how we can provide mutual support in our individual journeys.
A Sermon by Dee Dee Parker Wright
August 7, 2016
Twelth Sunday after Pentecost
It is with great joy and low-level terror that I am here with you this morning. As I hope to make clear with my words, I am trying to embrace vulnerability as a way of experiencing God’s love in new ways. I am endlessly grateful for His grace and now, yours. I want to share with you how I almost missed the full experience of being known and loved by God.
The first words of today’s Gospel reading caught my heart and mind quickly when I started preparing to speak here: “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” It jumped out at me for at least 2 reasons – I am often afraid and I love children. I was blessed to grow up happily and comfortably in the middle of America, in a middle class family, and in the United Methodist Church. And while I didn’t always quite fit with my family or my small town, I fit really well with my Methodist church. I found support and friendship and growth there through youth group, church camp, Vacation Bible School and all the ways a young person hangs around and soaks up church teachings and community. The Methodist church also shaped and shared my vision for myself in the world – open and generous, accepting and celebrating all, seeking justice and serving the poor and vulnerable. I always knew that it was my responsibility to show God’s love through my work and how I interact with people. I felt like I really got it and sure acted like I did! I chose social work as a profession, I am friendly and caring with almost everyone I meet, and I am always hoping and praying for the world to find healing and goodness for the most vulnerable people. So how does this relate to that first phrase – Do not be afraid?