Menlo.Church - Sermon Audio

Happy Easter! In this climactic episode of our "I AM" series, we gather to celebrate the most life-changing news in history. But we aren't just looking at an empty tomb; we're looking at the God who meets us in the shadows of grief and confusion. Hosts Matt and Phil dive into John 20:1-18, focusing on a moment so personal it changes everything: the moment the resurrected Jesus stands in the garden with Mary Magdalene.

The women come to the tomb expecting closure. Instead, they meet the risen Christ—alive, personal, and present. The darkest place in history becomes the dawn of eternal nearness. God is not distant. He is risen, and He is here. Text Us (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Welcome to a powerful and timely episode of the Menlo Midweek Podcast. This week, host Matt Summers is joined by special guest Vince Vitale to unpack a message that hits home for anyone feeling the weight of the world on their shoulders. As we continue our "I AM" series, we travel to the Garden of Gethsemane. It's here we see the ultimate contrast between the crushing weight of human expectation and the sustaining presence of God.

In Gethsemane, Jesus prays “not my will, but yours.” Even as God in flesh, He wrestles—and chooses intimacy over escape. This week, we follow Jesus into the garden where closeness to the Father led Him toward the cross. Text Us (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Welcome to a very special edition of the Menlo Midweek Podcast! This week, we reach a beautiful and intimate turning point in our series, "I AM: The God Who Gets Close." Taking inspiration from Luke 22:14-30, Phil and Matt move the conversation from the mountain-tops and caves directly to the dinner table. In a uniquely cinematic weekend message featuring four chairs—each representing a different perspective at the Last Supper—we explore how Jesus chooses to be with us in our moments of greatest transition, tension, and even betrayal.

Jesus shares a table with tax collectors, sinners, and doubters. The intimacy of a shared meal breaks down shame and separation. God doesn't wait for our perfection—He sits with our mess. Text Us (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

Welcome back to the Menlo Midweek Podcast! This week, hosts Phil EuBank and Carly O'Rourke go behind the scenes of our current series, "I AM: The God Who Gets Close." We're moving past the "big and loud" moments of faith to explore the profound truth that God meets us personally and unexpectedly—not just in theory, but in the middle of our real, often quiet lives. This episode centers on the story of Elijah from 1 Kings 19 and what happens when we find ourselves waiting for God in the silence.

Elijah's moment on Mount Horeb shows that God isn't always in the loud, dramatic, or obvious. Sometimes He comes as a whisper. For anyone who feels forgotten or ignored—this week is a quiet reminder that presence doesn't have to shout. Text Us (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

This week, we continue our "I AM" series by stepping into one of the most iconic stories of the Old Testament: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When life gets "seven times hotter" and the pressure to conform feels overwhelming, where is God? We're looking at Daniel 3 to discover that God's nearness isn't proven by the absence of the fire, but by His presence in it. Next Steps Looking to take your faith journey deeper? Here are some great next steps: Need Prayer or Have Questions? Text us at (650) 600-0402. Support Hope for Everyone Thank you for your generosity! Support Menlo Church's mission to reach 3% of the Bay Area with the message of hope in Jesus. Learn more or give at: http://www.menlo.church/hope. Listen to Menlo Midweek Podcast Want a behind-the-scenes look at this week's sermon? Tune into our Menlo Midweek Podcast where we break down the sermon, themes, and other personal insights not covered on Sunday. Listen at: http://menlo.church/podcasts. Get Connected We'd love to connect with you and help you get plugged into Menlo Church. Visit http://menlo.church/connect and fill out a quick form so we can reach out. Stay Connected with Menlo Church Kids (Preschool–Grade 5): https://menlo.church/kids Students (Grade 6–12): https://menlo.church/students Explore All Ministries: https://www.menlo.church/ministries Follow Us on Social Media Instagram: @menlo.church Facebook: Menlo Church Website: http://www.menlo.church Musicbed Sync ID: (MB014RCECFXJCWL) Musicbed Sync ID: (MB01EKBUICB4NLC)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego weren't delivered from the furnace—but in it. The fourth figure in the fire reminds us that God's nearness isn't proven by avoidance of pain, but by faithfulness through it. Text Us (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

This week on Menlo Midweek, we dive into the second installment of our "I AM" series, focusing on the powerful promise: I am with you in the fight. Whether you're facing internal struggles or external challenges, we explore what it means to wrestle with God.   It was also a high-energy weekend across our campuses as we celebrated Baptism Weekend and Student Weekend! We witnessed incredible stories of transformation and welcomed the next generation into the heart of our church.  

Jacob's story at the riverbank is not about winning—it's about being seen. God shows up in the form of a wrestling match, not a throne room. Sometimes closeness comes through confrontation—and God still blesses us in the limp. Text us (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

God calls Moses from a burning bush—not in Egypt, not in the promised land, but in the desert of exile and shame. God introduces Himself not with instructions, but with presence: “I Am.” The journey of closeness begins not in clarity, but in confusion. Text Us: (650) 600-0402 | Connect With Us

We close out our Love Is series by getting back to the heart of what love means, and how we are constantly being formed and deformed. Mark Morinishi also shares more about his transition, reminisces on some of the amazing moments we had together and gives one last bit of encouragement. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Our world treats sex like a product or a secret shame. But God created it as covenant glue, a powerful and sacred act that shapes souls, not just bodies. This week invites us to dismantle lies about sex and reclaim God's design for intimacy, holiness, and flourishing. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we dive further into the story of Ruth, and Jevon shares how our upbringing, culture and learned love can be at odds with or in step with a biblical picture of love. Want to love better? This is for you. Connect with Us | Text Us (650)600-0402

Many treat dating as trial-and-error shopping for “the one.” But Scripture frames it as a process of discernment, boundaries, and patience. Ruth and Boaz remind us that God honors faithfulness, integrity, and trust. Love is worth waiting for, and God uses waiting seasons to shape us. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Christian from Mobilize Love swings by to chat through the amazing impact Mobilize Love is making in the city, and now on the peninsula. We get to support them through the For The Bay 5k happening on 3/28 at Shoreline Park! Connect with Us! | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Love is… is a series for anyone who's ever asked, “What even is love anymore?” Culture says love is chemistry, a feeling, or a quick swipe. But God paints a bigger picture: love as a sacrifice, intimacy as holy, and dating as a form of discipleship. Together, we'll reclaim what love truly is and discover how His love shapes who we are becoming. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Is “Abolish ICE” becoming the next cultural flashpoint where outrage replaces nuance and everyone is forced to pick a side? In this episode, we cut through the noise to explore how immigration enforcement got here, why the extremes are so tempting, and what a Christ-centered “third way” might look like that holds both safety and human dignity together. If you're exhausted by the binary and looking for wisdom instead of hot takes, this conversation is for you. Truth Over Tribe Book Connect with Us | Text US: (650)600-0402

What if your identity was never something you had to earn? In the final week of the PERFCT series, we explore what it means to live as God's children—not striving for approval, but resting in love. Through Scripture and the powerful image of fridge art, this message confronts performance-based faith and invites us to receive our identity as a gift, not a grade. Because of Jesus—the one perfect Son—we're free to stop hiding, stop striving, and run to the Father. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Jeremy and Raymond from Rise Against Hunger join us to share dsome excitement around the upcoming project we have happening at every campus on 1/31, giving some pro tips, what to expect, and behind the scenes stories on the impact you will make by helping us reach our goal of packing 315,000 meal kits! Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we are diving into how to be perfect parents - and how connection is central to heart of parenting. We chat parenting in different stages, with asides of monopoly and inception. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Colossians reminds us that children and parents are in formation together. This week looks at the difference between performance-based parenting and grace-based guidance. No one gets it all right, but with humility, we can create safe spaces for growth. When we are willing to admit that we all need Jesus in our families we can grow at our pace and in our place of life. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we are chatting through marriage, relationships, unpacking what it means to submit, and how time forces change! Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Genesis gives us a picture of marriage not as a fairytale, but as a holy partnership. We'll look at the call to “leave and cleave,” and how modern relationships often struggle to prioritize what God intended. This week offers hope for the married, divorced, or dating. In a culture that has seen the abuses and misuses of marriage, it is easy to abandon all of it, but the original prescription is worth revisiting and welcoming Jesus back into the work of being our center, together. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we chat about perfectionism, how materialism is especially alluring in the Bay Area, talk family systems theory and get some important, practical tips on how to find Jesus' hope through our imperfection. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

David's family was blessed and broken, marked by spiritual calling and generational dysfunction. This week unpacks how family legacy doesn't have to define your future. We'll explore why grace is not just for individuals, but for systems, stories, and generations. We choose the stories we tell ourselves about the life we have been given and the one we are living. Together, we will examine that story and assess its impact on our futures. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This Christmas Eve we see how the arrive of Christmas pulls it all together. Jesus came not just to confirm the beliefs of the devout—but to awaken the hearts of the doubtful, the disconnected, the hurting. His arrival is grace made flesh—for all of us. SEE YOU ONLINE ON 12/28! Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Mark and Jennifer stop by this week to chat all things Christmas, how to combat loneliness, what it means to be discounted and chat through ways to make the most of the Holiday Season. SEE YOU AT CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES

The shepherds were nobodies. Unseen. Uninvited. And yet they're the first ones God sends the birth announcement to. Mark Swarner, our Menlo Park Campus Pastor, delivers a message speaks directly to those who feel left out, overlooked, or disconnected. SEE YOU AT CHRISTMAS EVE SERVICES!

This week we learn to how combat anxiety, explore what it means to want, and get some clarity on how to navigate the upcoming holidays well. We also give some key tips on how to invite someone to come to church with you this Christmas. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Joseph's world is thrown into chaos by Mary's pregnancy—and his plan is to fix it quietly. But God invites him into peace not by solving everything, but by trusting God's bigger plan. This week speaks to the high-functioning anxious among us. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we continue our Advent Journey with parenting advice for all ages, how to navigate decision making and key in on what it means to be joyful, not just happy. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

The birth announcement to Mary includes joy—but it also includes cost. This week we explore the emotional disorientation of carrying a call from God that others won't understand. For those facing joyless circumstances this Christmas, Mary's story gives us permission to feel deeply while trusting boldly. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

We get the run down on all things December, Christmas, and do a devotional together out of the Come All Ye Faithless Reading Plan! Connect with Us | Text US: (650)600-0402

The holidays are supposed to be joyful, but for many they feel heavy—filled with unmet expectations, quiet pain, or spiritual drift. The good news? Jesus didn't come for the ones who had it all together. This Advent, we're flipping the script on a familiar carol. Come All Ye Faithless is a reminder that the invitation to meet Jesus isn't just for the strong, but for the struggling. If you're hopeless, joyless, anxious, or lonely… you're exactly who Christmas is for. Thank you Dr. Jo Vitale from Kardia Questions for helping start our series! Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we celebrate one year of our Hope for Everyone Campaign, and try to give you some ammo for the conversations that are going to happen around the holidays. Here is the link for the Good Questions Convo and the link to the 20 questions. Text Us: (650)600-0402

In the parable of the prodigal son, the father doesn't waste the waiting. He's doing what faithful love does—watching the road, preparing the house, and running toward redemption when the moment comes. This message invites us to see our commitments not as one-time transactions, but as ongoing acts of faithful anticipation. While we wait to see all the fruit of Hope for Everyone, we are not passive. We're participating in the preparation—believing the best is still ahead and behaving like it. Whether you're reaffirming your “yes” or stepping in for the first time, the invitation is the same: step into the work God is already doing—because hope isn't just coming home. Hope is building the welcome. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This we further explore the timeliness and importance of our Hope for Everyone Campaign using Haggai as our framework. We see the parallels of a culture who placed value on something then stopped - and how it cautious us no to do the same. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

For over 150 years, Menlo Church has been part of something bigger than itself—generation after generation choosing to invest in hope they might never fully see. Hope for Everyone is more than a campaign; it's a declaration that God's not done yet. In this two-week series, we'll revisit the vision that launched a bold step of faith last year—and celebrate how far we've come. But more than that, we'll explore what it means to keep going. To believe again. To keep building even while we wait. Whether you've been with us since the beginning or are just joining the journey, now's the time to lean in. God is still working. And He's still using people like us to bring hope to everyone. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

In this special episode, Jo and Vince from Kardia Questions joins us to help ease the anxiety we might all be feeling when imagining the conversations around the holidays. They help set helpful framework for what good questions are, give practical examples and tangible ways to navigate conversations, and share their heart for bringing Jesus into every conversation.  Text Us: (650)600-0402 | Connect with Us      

As we close out our series on Jonah we have Matt Summers joining us to talk sumo wrestling, the dangers of comfort, the importance of friendship and the difference hope can make.

In Jonah 4, we meet a bitter prophet and a compassionate God. Jonah is angry that God cares too much, and if we're honest, we've been there, too. This message will call us to choose compassion even when it hurts, and let God soften the places we've grown hard. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we dive deeper into Jonah 3, recap how to approach holidays like Halloween, ask how to make sense of God's requests, and ways we can start to see our world around us through the lens of bringing hope. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Jonah 3 is the moment Jonah shows up. But is his heart in it? This week explores the disconnect between action and intention. Can we obey God while still growing in love for what He loves? It's a hard but hopeful message for those stuck in duty without desire. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week Jevon Washington dives deeper into Jonah 2 where we talk about grace, rock bottom, drug church, and listen to some of his original music he made to pair with this series!  Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Jonah 2 is raw and poetic—a cry from the depths. It reminds us that rock bottom isn't the end of the story; it's often the place of clarity. This week invites the church to sit honestly in pain or regret, and recognize the mercy that still meets them there. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Phil, Suzy and Mark explore quiet quitting, running from the calling of God, and how in many cases we are more similiar to Jonah than we like to admit. We also get some practical steps on how to help identify when we are numb, and ways to start claiming our hearts back. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Jonah wasn't just running from a mission; he was running from feeling. He was numb to Nineveh, bitter toward mercy, and disengaged from his calling. In this four-week series, we'll trace Jonah's emotional and spiritual journey as a mirror for our own: a warning against apathy, a call to compassion, and a God who keeps pursuing even when we shut down. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week Alisha is back, and Troy Patterson Jr. makes his first appearance to help us unpack what it means to have a strong foundation, how to battle with doubt, and look ahead to what's coming next! Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402