Elizabeth City EMC Podcast

The Lord gave ministry gifts to equip the church for the work of service, to build up the body of Christ, and extend the kingdom of God. Reflections Before pastoral sabbatical. Speaker: Sean Scribner Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

Sermon #5 of the EMC’s 2025 Spring Revival. Series: 2025 Spring Revival Speaker: Bill Ury Scripture: Ezek. 47:3-9; John 7:37-39

Sermon #4 of the EMC’s 2025 Spring Revival. Series: 2025 Spring Revival Speaker: Diane Ury Scripture: Psalm 103

Sermon #3 of the EMC’s 2025 Spring Revival. Series: 2025 Spring Revival Speaker: Bill Ury Scripture: I Thess. 5: 12-24

Sermon #2 of the EMC’s 2025 Spring Revival. Series: 2025 Spring Revival Speaker: Diane Ury Scripture: Genesis 1

Seeing the face of God, being transformed by the Lord’s holiness. Putting aside all idols. The encounter that Moses had with the Lord. Sermon #1 of the EMC’s 2025 Spring Revival. Series: 2025 Spring Revival Speaker: Bill Ury Scripture: Exodus 34:1-7, 29-35

It is a life-transforming experience to learn once and for all that Jesus doesn't prepare the feast—Jesus is the feast. Only those who dine on him by faith will be satisfied. Series: Jesus Appearing Speaker: Sean Scribner Scripture: John 21:1-14

The church cannot be guilty of hiding its confession behind lock and key. There are too many people who need to hear a clear defense of the facts of the resurrection, but they also need Spirit-filled Christian lives to be the interpretive lens through which to understand it. Series: Jesus Appearing Speaker: Sean Scribner Scripture: … Continue reading Why Are You Still Here? →

In the already but not yet of Jesus’ movement from the grave to the sky, he presented himself to the eyes, ears, and heart of Mary Magdalene. The risen Jesus still calls people by name and invites them to let go of their own expectations and join him in his victory over sin and death. … Continue reading Don’t Cling to Me! →

Life is filled with disappointing ends: Dreams that never come true; hopes and expectations that are never met. Sometimes it seems like all we ever do is strike out. But Easter declares that with God there are no dead ends or hopeless situations. The misery of Friday and the silence of Saturday only set the … Continue reading The Exalted Servant →

The one who hung on the middle cross on Good Friday hung there in the place of everyone around him. By his blood, he offers both forgiveness and life to all who look to him in faith. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: The Way of Sorrows Scripture: Luke 23:32-43

Speaker: Richard Meservey Series: The Way of Sorrows Scripture: John 19:23-24

Speaker: Courtney White Series: The Way of Sorrows Scripture: Luke 23:28-31

God is orchestrating the circumstances of your life to bring you to a face to face encounter with Christ and his cross. His call is to follow him on his way, surrendered to the Father's will for the sake of the world. He will provide everything needed for you to see it through. Speaker: Sean … Continue reading Simon of Cyrene →

As Jesus takes up his cross to head to his execution, he does so as the new Isaac, giving himself over to the Father’s will. He is truly God, but also truly, fully, perfectly, and substitutionally man. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: The Way of Sorrows Scripture: John 19:17

Jesus told the truth, not just about himself, but about everyone else, so much that they wanted to kill him for it. Your eternal destiny hinges entirely upon your attitude toward him. He is the light of the world. In his presence, you will either fall down to worship him or do everything you can … Continue reading True Truth →

The central exhortation of the book of Hosea is the call in 14:1 for Israel to “return” to the Lord. What follows is the substance, the content, of returning. It is more than mere sentiment. It is a decisive action of the will to confess sin, seek forgiveness, render the praise God is due, all … Continue reading The Way Home →

Hosea reminds us that the God who is a “betrayed spouse” is ultimately a loving Father who refuses to give up on or abandon the son he loves. He will do whatever it takes to bring him home again. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Unrequited Love. Scripture: Hosea 11:1-11

What is the hope for a people who are like a half-baked cake, an old man past his prime, a silly, witless dove, or a crooked bow? A shepherd who can lead them out of their faithlessness, giving them a heart undivided. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Unrequited Love. Scripture: Hosea 7:8-16

God wants to be known by you; to give life that lasts forever to you; to forgive your every sin; to heal everything that is broken; and to reconcile you to himself. The desperate times of our sinfulness called for the desperate measures of the cross. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Unrequited Love. Scripture: Hosea 6:1-6

Through Hosea, God not only reveals his willingness to do whatever it takes to buy back his errant bride, but also whatever it takes to break the pattern of sin that keeps leading her astray. He heals his beloved’s past and makes possible new beginnings that the marriage might last forever. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Unrequited … Continue reading Of Raisin Cakes and Men →

The story of Hosea is not just Israel's story, it is humanity's story. All of us have sinned and turned our backs on God. Yet to every one of us is given a message of warning and of wooing, that we might turn back to God in faith and experience his mercy, forgiveness, and love. … Continue reading A Scandalous Love | Pastor Sean Scribner →

A Sanctity of Human Life Sunday sermon. Speaker: Karl Bowden Scripture: Ephesians 4:2

The baptism of Jesus in the Jordan river inaugurated the coming of his messianic kingdom. In this kingdom can be found forgiveness for sins, power for new life, and the fulfillment of God’s eternal purposes to make for himself a people conformed to the image of his Son. Speaker: Sean Scribner Scripture: Luke 3:21-22

A short message for Covenant Renewal Sunday. Speaker: Sean Scribner Scripture: Ephesians 5:15-17

The true transformation we seek at the start of a new year can only be found in Christ as we submit ourselves totally to him as living sacrifices pleasing unto God. Speaker: Courtney White Scripture: Romans 12:1-2

What would it take for you to believe that God loves you? That he delights in you with wordless adoration? That he sings and rejoices over you from a place deep within his own heart? To know this with certainty, look no further than the manger at Christmas, which points directly to the cross. Speaker: … Continue reading →

“The people of God are called to be a people who rejoice. We rejoice because Christ's first Advent means Immanuel, God with us, but also because at his second Advent we will rest in safety, forever; our souls will not be left among the dead, but will be raised to everlasting life; and he will … Continue reading Joy →

In his son, Jesus Christ, God has withheld no spiritual blessing. Everything pronounced over Israel in Aaron's blessing at the foot of Mt. Sinai can be found fully in him alone. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Christmas Gifts Scripture: Numbers 6:22-27

The God of surprises calls his people from every generation to make their home in the center of his will, to be about his missional work in whatever “cities” they find themselves in, and to put their hope in the future he has in store for them. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Christmas Gifts Scripture: Jeremiah 29:4-14

The call to the faithful on Christ the King Sunday is to relent in whatever pride, stubbornness, or focus on the things of the world we might have, and to lift our eyes to heaven, that we might behold with the eyes of faith the Most High God and see reality as it really is. … Continue reading The Most High God →

The church awaits the return of Jesus to establish his kingdom upon the earth in a final, climactic way. But it is not idle in its waiting. Rather, it remains busy, putting to work what has been entrusted to it, in order to see hearts transformed and the kingdom established. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: The Christian … Continue reading Faithful Presence →

Speaker: Richard Meservey Series: The Christian Citizen Scripture: Romans 13

Speaker: Richard Meservey Series: The Christian Citizen Scripture: Ephesians 4:1-16

God is not just concerned with what Christians will do at the ballot box, but who Christians will be. Not one human heart has ever been transformed by the outcome of an election. Heart transformation only comes about by the grace of God at work through the Spirit filled and sanctified church. We will never … Continue reading Blessing That Leads to Blessing →

The church is the physical embodiment of Jesus Christ in the world by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit. Peter refers to its individual members as “temporary residents and foreigners” who are in the world, but not of the world. As such, they are called to not only live by, but embody, the values … Continue reading Embodying Kingdom Values →

The reaction of the church in Acts to the growing tension and hostility it faced in the public sphere was to pray. Their prayer centered on the sovereign God of providence, superintending his world. It acknowledged not only who he is but that they too had a part to play. Their prayer desired before and … Continue reading Trusting the God of Providence →

Speaker: Rev. Troy Gentry Scripture: Isaiah 6

Speaker: Richard Meservey Series: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Scripture: I John 3:18

New life in Jesus changes all of our relationships. He reconciles sinners back to the Father, incorporates them into the community of faith, then equips and sends them to be his witnesses in the world. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Scripture: Acts 9:10-19

The account of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch reinforces the truth that deep intimacy with Jesus, coupled with radical yieldedness to his will, always results in eternity-impacting encounters. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Scripture: Acts 8:26-40

The unprecedented circumstances surrounding the inclusion of the Samaritans into the Christian church demanded the exceptional methods of Acts 8:17. Perhaps it was the only way the two sides of the Samaritan curtain could have ever found both Christ and each other. Who is your Samaria? Who does God want you to be reconciled to? … Continue reading The Samaritan Believers →

Sermon #2 of the series, “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” from John 4:1-26. Speaker: Robert Jackson Series: Won’t You Be My Neighbor? Scripture: John 4:1-26

What is the one essential thing that matters most when it comes to this business of eternal life? It is to trust, to follow, and to be with Jesus. He has done for us what no one else can do. By his work on the cross, he releases us from the curse of the law, … Continue reading The Good Samaritan →

Those who await the return of Christ must never give up nor give in. We must seek first the Kingdom of God, pursue holiness, be about the Father’s business, and make wise, eternal investments with every moment of life. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Roots Scripture: Matthew 25:1-13

The wedding feast that God has prepared for his son at the end of time is open to all who will come, but only if they come in the right manner. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Roots Scripture: Matthew 22:1-14

We live in an evil, broken world—full of hardship, suffering, and injustice. But the Scriptures call those who belong to God to live (and pray) in faith—faith that says even though God may not do what is right in the timing or manner we demand, he will certainly do it in the end! Speaker: Sean … Continue reading The Parable of the Persistent Widow →

Jesus taught that one’s eternal fate is fixed at the point of death, and that fate is determined by choices made in this present life. How are you using every moment today in preparation for the future? God helps those who repent and call upon the name of the Lord to be saved. Speaker: Sean … Continue reading The Rich Man and Lazarus →

God is not the grouchy old man who offers salvation purely out of pity for the misery of man’s lostness. He is also not the benevolent benefactor, whose charity is impersonally extended to those in need from a distance. He is a Father who has sent his Son and Spirit to rescue and to save … Continue reading The Lost and Found →

The teachings of Jesus come with a challenge: Will you listen and do what he says, or not. The difference between those answers is the difference between being wise and being foolish, between blessing and catastrophe, between life and death. Speaker: Sean Scribner Series: Roots Scripture: Matthew 7:24-27

Jesus used parables to communicate the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, which gave his listeners the opportunity to choose whether to draw nearer to him or withdraw further from him. The question is not whether truth is being revealed, but whether hearts are open to receiving it. Jesus didn’t come to offer a religious … Continue reading The Parable of the Sower →