Taylorville UMC Sermons

We believe that God is always present, which means that every moment is an opportunity to experience His grace! Scriptures: Psalm 121 and Exodus 34:29-35. Sermon from May 17, 2020.

We believe that God is always with us, and it's easy to feel that during good times, when everything seems to be going right. But what about when your strength starts to fade? Or what about when you’re just tired? You know God says that faith the size of a mustard seed can move mountains, but what about when you feel like you can’t even move your own tongue to pray? This week, we talk about finding God when your faith starts to weaken. -------------------- First Scripture: 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He jammed the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them against Egypt.” - Exodus 14:21-25 (NIV) Second Scripture: 22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” - Matthew 14:22-33 (NIV)

Chances are pretty good that you've never been threatened with death by blazing furnace, but you know what it means to walk through the fire! This week we look at where God is in times of danger. Sermon from May 3, 2020. Scriptures: Psalm 27:1-5 and Daniel 3:13-33.

We believe that God is with us through every situation, whether good or bad, whether easy or hard. But what about when we fall short? Is there anything we can do that's bad enough to make God leave us? Sermon from April 26, 2020.

What does Jesus save us from? Sermon from March 29, 2020.

Sermon from March 22, 2020.

Where do you place your trust? Sermon from 3/15/2020.

Where can we find satisfaction in a world that just leaves us wanting more? Sermon from March 8, 2020.

Christ has given you a second chance! What will you do with it?

Jesus didn’t just come for his friends or neighbors, but so that everyone could know his life-changing grace!

Can we come to Jesus even when we feel like outsiders? Have you ever wondered, “how can I come back from this?” Sermon from 2/9/2020

Thankfulness is more than just writing a note — it’s about truly appreciating what’s been done. As it turns out, that’s a good starting point for faithfulness! Scriptures: 2 Kings 5:9-15 and Luke 17:11-19.

There are several times in scripture that Jesus heals people, and not just physically — the healing of Jesus is for spiritual problems too! Scriptures: Acts 19:11-18 and Mark 1:29-34.

If we’re looking for ways that God has revealed Himself, why not look at the miracles that Jesus worked? This week, we look at His first miracle and see how God uses ordinary things in extraordinary ways.

One of the best ways for us to see God’s will in our lives is to spend time in prayerful reflection of the ways He’s worked before.

How does God show us His will? How can we act faithfully in our everyday lives?

The first people invited to see the newborn Jesus weren’t kings, but shepherds. This week, we consider what we can hear in the invitation to come and see.

To Herod, the news that a savior was coming did not seem like good news. In order to protect the newborn Jesus, Mary and Joseph has to go on the run.

The people of Israel went to John the Baptist expecting a distraction, but what they found was a powerful message of hope instead!

The prophets came to proclaim freedom to Israel, but it wasn’t just immediate freedom — in Jesus, the world found salvation and true freedom forever!

As we conclude our stewardship sermon series, we think about the powerful statement, “Jesus is Lord,” and what it means to make our whole lives an offering to God

What skills do you have? Has God gifted you the ability to sing? To paint? To build? Regardless of your talents, the most important question is this: how can you use them in service of the Kingdom? Scriptures: Proverb 22:29 and Matthew 25:14-30. Sermon from 11/10/2019.

When we think about generosity, we mostly think about giving away money. But stewardship is about so much more than financial donations -- it's about how we use all of the resources we've been blessed with! We start this series on generosity by talking about how we can use our time well in service of the Kingdom of God. Scriptures: Mark 13:28-37 and Colossians 4:2-6. Sermon from 11/3/2019.

Resisting temptations in our lives is important, but it isn't the end. The apostles didn't just resist demons as they travelled -- they cast them out wherever they found them! We're called to have an outward faith that fights for good in the world by rejecting evil. Scriptures: Acts 16:16-21 and Romans 12:9-21. Sermon from 10/27/2019.

There is evil in our world, and you don't have to look far to see it -- just turn on the news and you'll see stories of violence and tragedy. How can the Church stand against those forces of wickedness, and how can we, with the power of Jesus Christ, resist the temptations in our own lives? Scriptures: John 10:7-13 and James 4:1-7. Sermon from 10/20/2019.

What does Jesus say about helping other people? How can serving our neighbors help us experience renewal?

Since the earliest days of the Church, Christian community has been built around celebrating Holy Communion. Transformation happens when we gather at the Lord's Table! This week, we talk about the ways that regularly receiving the sacrament of Communion can help you experience the renewing grace of Jesus Christ. Scriptures: 2 Kings 2:19-22 and Mark 14:22-25. Sermon from 10/6/2019.

Christian fellowship is such an important part of our faith, but it can be hard to know exactly what that looks like. This week, we talk about building and maintaining Christian community in service of God’s Kingdom. Scriptures: Matthew 18:15-20 and Galatians 6:1-11.

Of all the common spiritual disciplines, fasting is perhaps the least popular and least discussed, yet it's found all throughout the Bible! This week we're talking about how fasting can be incorporated into your life, how it can bring renewal, and how it's sometimes good to be a little uncomfortable. Scriptures: Joel 2:12-15 and Luke 4:1-4. Sermon from 9/22/2019.

There's something special about coming together with other people to praise the Lord, and worshipping regularly can be a refreshing and uplifting practice. This week, we talk about how we can take worship beyond the sanctuary and into our relationships, communities, and every part of our lives.

There's a big difference between knowing about someone and actually knowing them -- this is true with everyone you meet, and it's true with God as well. Thankfully, we can come to actually know God through prayer, and a prayer-centered life is one that's being drawn closer to Him with every passing moment. Scriptures: 2 Chronicles 6:20-21 and James 5:13-18. Sermon from 9/8/2019.

It's said that the habits we keep form the people we become, and that's very true -- the things we repeatedly do when we have time to be intentional lead to the things we do when we don't have the time or energy to think before we react. If we want to be people who naturally look toward God at all times, then, shouldn't we build habits that direct our eyes toward heaven? This week we talk about the first such habit, studying the Bible. Scriptures: Isaiah 55:10-12 and 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5. Sermon from 9/1/2019.

Living a faithful life is hard, but God gives us gifts to keep us safe and protected. Paul talks about these gifts as the "Armor of God," but they aren't just meant to keep us safe as we stand by -- they're meant to keep us safe as we go into a dark world to spread the good news of Christ! Scriptures: Deuteronomy 31:7-8 and Ephesians 6:10-18. Sermon from August 25, 2019.

The Holy Spirit comes as a light in our lives and in a world darkened by hopelessness. How can we wake up and see what God is showing us? Scriptures: Micah 3:5-8 and Ephesians 5:8-20.

Each of us is given gifts and talents from God, and the Church is given teachers and leaders so that we might be more effective! Scripture: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 and Ephesians 4:7-16.

Like a tree needs a strong root system to grow tall, our faith grows best when it's firmly rooted in love -- both the love of Christ and love of our neighbors. Scriptures: Jeremiah 31:1-6 and Ephesians 3:12-21. Sermon from 8/4/2019.

Through Jesus, we are reconciled with God so that we can know what it means to fully live. But being brought into God's household brings some challenges and responsibilities, especially with people we don't get along with! This week we talk about forgiveness and how to experience the peace that Jesus calls us to. Scriptures: Luke 17:1-6 and Ephesians 2:12-22. Sermon from 7/21/19.

Paul tells us that we have a great inheritance through Jesus Christ, but that we don’t yet understand the magnitude of it. As we start our study of Ephesians, we’ll look at what exactly it means for us to be “Claimed” by God. Scriptures: Psalm 89:1-4 and Ephesians 1:17-21.

When we celebrate the good work that God is doing in our lives and our communities, the joy that overflows into the world stirs up revival in those around us. Unfortunately, we're so often reserved about spreading the Gospel because we don't want to be "undignified" -- it can be awkward, embarrassing, and vulnerable to do so, after all. This week, we look at the story of David dancing in the streets as we consider how we can let revival in our own lives impact the lives of our friends and neighbors. Scriptures: 2 Samuel 6:14-22 and Isaiah 65:17-19. Sermon from 6/30/2019.

Revival in a church or community is bound to revival in the lives of individuals. How can we ensure that we aren’t just seeing growth, but true Spirit-led revival? Scriptures: Ephesians 3:20-21 and Nehemiah 8:1-6; 9-12. Sermon from 6/23/19.

When Peter spoke on the day of Pentecost, the people were "pierced to the heart" by his message and rallied into what can only be called a revival. How can we allow the Spirit to move within us and our communities in the same way today? Scriptures: Acts 2: 36-39 and Acts 2:42-47. Sermon from 6/16/19.

Scripture tells us a lot about God, and it tells us a lot about His will for Creation. In fact, there are many passages in the Bible that tell us what things will be like when God finishes restoring us to perfection, and knowing what we're being drawn toward can help us know how to live now. Scriptures: John 5:24-27 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Sermon from 6/2/2019.

From the beginning of the Bible, we see clearly that God did not design us to go through life alone. So often it seems as though everything is driving us away from one another, yet a community built on Jesus can bring us together in an amazing way. In Christ, we can find a Church where we can go through life and grow in faith together. Scriptures: Ecclesiastes 4:8-12 and Hebrews 12:1-3. Sermon from 5/26/19.

As we talk about finding our hope in Jesus Christ, we continue our discussion of how the Good News of Easter Morning can draw our hearts and spirits towards an attitude of happiness and eternal joy that's stable even in terrible circumstances. God doesn't promise us meager or temporary hope -- He wants us to overflow with it! Scriptures: Psalm 42:4 and Romans 15:7-13. Sermon from 5/19/2019.

God blesses us in so many different ways, but they can be difficult to see in stressful or difficult times. This week, we look at how we're blessed through Jesus' promises, how blessings become real in our lives, and how we can begin to see the blessings all throughout the world. Scriptures: Psalm 34:4-10 and Luke 6:20-23. Sermon from 5/12/19

We spend so much time and energy trying to figure out how to have a good and fulfilled life, and at the end of the day, everyone just wants to be happy. It turns out, the Bible has a lot to say about that! This week we talk about Jesus' promise to give us new life that's better and fuller than we could ever imagine in the first sermon of our new series, "Happiness!" Scriptures: Psalm 126:1-3 and John 10:7-10. Sermon from 4/28/2019.

Nobody knew what to make of the empty tomb -- had someone stolen the body? Was this all just an elaborate trick? Who were the two glowing men who greeted the women? Something amazing and hard to believe happened on Easter morning, and the world would never be the same again. Scriptures: John 20:1-10 and Luke 24:1-12. Sermon from April 21, 2019.

Upon seeing Jesus die on the cross, a centurion who was standing nearby proclaimed, "Surely this man was the Son of God." On Good Friday, before we experience the joy of Easter morning, how can we find the Gospel in the death of Christ? Scripture: Matthew 27:45-54. Sermon from April 19, 2019. Recorded in The Grove.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the people welcomed Him with enthusiasm and celebration, singing songs and waving palm branches as he rode by even though nobody knew what was about to happen. How can we prepare the way for Jesus in our communities and in our own lives? And how can we live so that our whole lives are acts of praise? Scripture: John 12:12-19. Sermon from 4/14/19.

We're halfway through Lent now! As we continue making our way through this season of repentance, we turn our eyes toward the grace that comes with Easter and consider how fasting and self-reflection help prepare us to hear the full message of the Gospel. This week, we look at the "New Things" that God is doing in our lives and our world, paying special attention to how God sustains us through trial and hardship. Scriptures: Philippians 3:7-14 and Isaiah 43:16-21. Sermon from 3/31/2019.

The Bible is full of weird sayings, one of which is the command to "put off your old self" and "put on your new self." This week, we'll look at what that means, what God desires for us, how we prosper in His presence, and what traits the "new self" has. Scriptures: Jeremiah 29:11-13 and Ephesians 4:22-32. Sermon from 3/24/2019.