Scottsdale Nazarene

What do we do in response to the ascension? What does Jesus mean when he tells the disciples to preach a message of a changed heart and life? This sermon from Luke 24:44-53 considers what comes next for the disciples and for us. 

We hear Jesus say "Whoever loves me will keep my word," and we have long misunderstood what Jesus means. We think we need to prove that we love God, but that is not what this passage is about! This sermon from John 14:23-29 considers what Jesus meant by these words. 

Jesus' one and only command is to love each other - but what does this mean? This sermon from John 13:31-35 considers what it means to learn to love as Christ loves us. 

The Easter Season invites us to reflect on two questions: What kind of Messiah do we want Jesus to be? And what kind of Messiah IS Jesus? This sermon from John 10:22-30 explores these questions. -May 8th 2022

We have heard the good news of resurrection, but now what? What comes next? This sermon from John 21:1-19 considers these questions and the way God works in and through the ordinary to bring about resurrection and the renewal of all things. 

We are often so caught up in the things we think we should hope for (like success and power and status) that we ail to realize the way God is at work. This sermon from Luke 24:13-35 considers what true Christian hope is, and how God's work is revealed through resurrection even though our imaginations are limited. 4-24-22

It Certainly feels as if death has the final word - but Easter tells us it is resurrection that has the final word. This sermon from Luke 24:1-12 tells the story of Resurrection Sunday and considers the role memory plays in helping us to understand resurrection. - April 17th 2022

Palm Sunday is a day of celebration in the midst of Lent - but it also serves as a warning to us. It warns us just how quickly we can (and do) change our allegiances, and it warns us what can happen when we change our allegiances. But it also reminds us that there is hope for us when our allegiances change. This sermon from Psalm 18:1-2, 19-29 considers the warning of Palm Sunday. 

In light of our circumstances, it is easy to be irritated with Psalm 126. It might be hard to believe that God can, will, or even wants to change your circumstances for the better. But even if you are annoyed with Psalm 126, this psalm is good news. It is good news because even now, against all odds, God is at work and making all things new. This sermon argues that it is okay to be annoyed with this psalm and urges us to make this psalm our prayer anyway. 

Confession is a common theme throughout scripture, and confession has been an important part of the church since the beginning. So why does confession give us so much anxiety? This sermon on Psalm 32 explores what confession is and is not. Is confession an invitation to disgrace or humiliation? Is confession an invitation to rejection? Or does confession invite us to come home? 

There is a theme of "protection" in the Lenten psalms. But what does God protect us from? This sermon on Psalm 63:1-8 considers the ways we might try to answer this question and the importance of obedience. 

As we continue through the season of Lent, we pray through Psalm 27. Listen as Pastor Corey gives a beautiful sermon on finding Hope in the Lord in the midst of trying times. 

We often misread texts like Psalm 90:1-2, 9-16. We think these words promise us that the "truly faithful" do not suffer. We have used these words to justify the belief that our suffering means we don't trust God enough or that we are not faithful enough - but that is not what his psalm promises. This sermon, preached on the first Sunday in Lent, considers how faithfulness and suffering coexist, and asks the question of where God is in our suffering. 

In 2 Corinthians 3:12-4:2, Paul writes, "where the Lord's Spirit is, there is freedom." But what exactly is this freedom? We have been taught to understand freedom in certain ways, but is our understanding of freedom what Paul is talking about? This sermon seeks to answer these questions and considers how the freedom of the Spirit is not just a freedom FROM, but a freedom FOR something. 

If resurrection is the ultimate end, then why does this life matter? Are we just passing through this life? Are our lives and the problems we face insignificant? This sermon from 1 Corinthians 15:35-50 considers what resurrection means for this life. God is the God who makes all things new, not all new things - which mean this life does matter. 

Resurrection is an essential part of our faith. But sometimes, we emphasize resurrection to the point of downplaying death- which has led to the belief that we do not have permission to grieve. This sermon from 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 considers what it means to practice resurrection hope and grief.

In 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Paul stresses the importance of the good news. Paul's words point to faith - but what IS faith? This sermon (from 2/6/22) explores some of the ways we have come to understand faith, and considers how faith is embodied as trust and ultimately calls us to delight. 

This sermon is about the greatest gift - love. 1 Corinthians 13 is all about love, but what exactly does Paul mean by "love?" This sermon considers some of the ways to define love, and it explores which type of love Paul writes about in this passage. It reminds us that we love because God first loves us, and it calls us to be known for how we love one another. 

In 1 Corinthians 12:12-31a, Paul seems to contradict himself. We have long understood Paul's body analogy to mean there is a hierarchy in the church. But is that what Paul means? Is Paul even the first person to use this analogy? What is Paul REALLY saying? This sermon considers these questions, reminds us that our differences come from the one Spirit, and celebrates the beauty we find in our diversity. 

This Sermon (preached on January 16th) is about 1 Corinthians 12:1-11. We often think the beauty of his passage lies in the spiritual gifts- but the real beauty of his passage is in the way it draws our attention to the Giver and calls us to delight. This passage invites us to ask, "what is good? What is beautiful? And what is true? 

The epistle to the Ephesians mentions God's secret plan several times, which has led up to ask, "What IS God's secret plan?" This sermon from Ephesians 3:1-12 reminds us that we need to look at Ephesians as a whole, that God's plan is for ALL of us, and the God's plan is good news. This sermon was preached on Baptism Sunday, this sermon also considers how baptism is one of the ways we respond to God's plan. 

In Ephesians 1:3-14, Paul sparked a lot of debate and anxiety in the church when he said "God destined us." These words leave us with some big questions! Did God really destine US? And what does God destine us for? This sermon, preached on January 2nd, 2022, seeks to answer these questions. 

We have been conditioned by the Myth of Efficiency, and this conditioning has caused us to think of stories like the one found in Luke 2:41-52 as unnecessary or unimportant. This sermon considers why stories like this one matter, and why we ought resist the Myth of Efficiency. 

It seems we have come to think about the circumstances surrounding Jesus' Birth as a stumbling bock to God's plan. But is that really what is going on here? Who is really in control - God, or the empire? This sermon from Luke 2:1-20 considers these questions and celebrates the way God works through the ordinary. 

When Mary visits Elizabeth (in Luke 1:39-45), Elizabeth believes what God is doing without requiring any proof. It seems Elizabeth doesn't need proof to believe, but we do Perhaps we, like Mary and Elizabeth, already have all the proof that we need. 

John the Baptist preached a message of repentance and judgment - both of which are words that we find unsettling and perhaps even frightening. In the midst of impending judgement, the crowds ask John the same question we ask: What should we do? This sermon from Luke 3:7-18 considers how John answers this question and also considers how repentance and judgement are good news. 

Scripture often reminds God's people to remember who God is and what God has done. And yet, we often forget to remember. Even so, the good news is that the God of the people who forget is the God who remembers. Rev. Matt Codd preaches a FANTASTIC sermon from Luke 1:67-79

When we hear passages like Luke 21:25-36, we might want to skip over these words. But while these words seem scary at first, we actually find a lot of home in them. There is a great hope in God's future, and there is even greater hope in knowing that even now, God is bringing all things towards that future - and we get to be a part of it! Rev. Jaime Waldron Levi preached this GREAT sermon on November 28th, 2021. 

Pastor Corey preached a beautiful sermon from John 18:33-37. In this sermon, we are reminded that our lives are filled with inconsistencies, but in spite of the inconsistencies, the ups, and the downs of life, one truth constantly remains: Christ IS King. 

In Mark 13:1-8, Jesus talks to the disciples about THE END. But what IS the end? Is Jesus talking about the end of the world? This sermon seeks to answer these questions by considering God's telos (the Greek word Jesus uses that we translate here as "end"). There is hope to be found in God's end. 

For so long, Mark 12:38-44 has been interpreted as a means of encouraging people to give everything that they have, even if it leads to suffering. But is that really what this passage is about? This sermon from the first Sunday of Advent considers a different way to interpret what Jesus says about what the poor widow gives. 

The story of Lazarus (Found in John 11:32-44) is a beautiful story that teaches us what it means to faithfully grieve, lament, and express our hope. This sermon considers some of the reasons why we may feel we do not have permission to grieve, and considers faithful grief in light of the Gospel. Resurrection is good news, but the good news is also found in knowing that God grieves with us. 

This week's Gospel reading is from Mark 10:32-45. This is the third time in the Gospel of Mark tat Jesus tells the disciples what is going to happen to him and what it means to follow him, and the disciples respond by asking Jesus for status. The disciples STILL don't get it. But what exactly is it that makes us uncomfortable about this passage? This sermon seeks to answer that this passage is really about. 

In Mark 10:16-31, Jesus looks at a rich man and loves him and tells him to go sell all of his possessions. The rich man leaves discouraged; and we might feel discouraged, too. Rev. Matt Codd preaches a GREAT sermon about our desire for security, our greater need for obedience, and the fact that nothing is impossible for God. 

It is a joy and a gift to be accepted and loved without needing to prove our usefulness. And yet, we tend to equate "worth" with "usefulness". This sermon from Mark 10:2-16 explores the myth of usefulness, and considers our inherent value is our belovedness. 

This passage talks about cutting off limbs to avoid sin and hell. These words seem really harsh! But what doe Jesus really mean here? What is sin? And how do we avoid sin? This sermon on Mark 9:38-50 attempts to answer these questions and considers how the way of sin leads to self-destruction, but the way of Christ leads to peace and inclusion. 

What is greatness? We might think of it as power, status, or success, but Christ redefines what we think it means to be the greatest. This sermon from Mark 9 considers what greatness is as defined by Christ. 

Who do we say Jesus is? And who are we called to be in light of who Jesus is? This sermon on Mark 8:27-38 considers the answers to these complex questions. 

Why do we rely so much on human leaders? This sermon considers this question by exploring doubt, hope, and the bold proclamations of Psalm 146.

Who can dwell in God's presence? Our first reaction might be to say, "No one!", but is that really the answer to this question? This sermon considers what Psalm 15 is really about. 

It is clear from the scriptures that wisdom is important, but what IS wisdom? This sermon explores what it means to live our lives wisely according to Ephesians 5, Psalm 34, and Proverbs 9. 

We have heard it said that "good Christians" don't feel or express anger, frustration, or sorrow, but is that really true? This sermon from Ephesians explores what it means to be fully human and express our emotions as people who imitate Christ. 

This sermon debunks some of the myths about unity and explores what it means for us to sustain the unity of the Spirit by accepting each other with love. 

There is hope in knowing our broken, untrustworthy, and unjust kingdoms aren't how God's Kingdom runs. Come Listen to another great sermon from Pastor Mary Beth. 

Today, Pastor Mary Beth gives a wonderful sermon and reinterpretation of the well known Psalm 23. There is incredible comfort in knowing we aren't alone in the face of suffering, pain, tragedy and doubt. 

Pastor Mary Beth preaches an amazing first sermon for her first sermon today as lead Pastor. Today's sermon dives into the beheading of John The Baptist, a challenging scripture that may lead you wondering "Where is The Good News?" Until Pastor Mary Beth sheds new light on significance over success and how weak the Empire really is compared to how things may look on the surface. 

Not Matt's last sermon ever, probably, but his last one as the Lead pastor of Scottsdale First Church of the Nazarene. (Matt will still be around, still be a part of the church, but is shifting away from being THE lead pastor.) Based on Mark 6:1-13. Here are some major thoughts from this sermon: Permission to doubt Grace is mediated - God forms partnerships Faith in a BIG God of BIG love… “praise God from whom ALL blessings flow” Let us be people who are saying “Change is possible!” and are throwing out demons (all kinds of demons), smearing oil on many people (blessings of power), and healing (rightly imagined).  A God who is love, who is safe, and in whom everyone belongs.

Lots of danger, lots of the number 12, some Death Cab, a bit of Gandalf, and very good news in the middle of it all. Part of this rethinks "healing" just a bit - part of it rethinks contamination.

Pastor Mary Beth preaches a great sermon from Mark 4. 

Jesus' family and religious leaders accused Jesus of being out of his mind and possessed by evil. Pastor Mary Beth preaches a great sermon from a section of Mark 3. 

What does being born again mean for people already in the faith, who already believe?