HPUMC - Cornerstone Sermons (Contemporary Worship)

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Before David was a king, he was a shepherd. In the quiet fields, he learned to guide, protect, and care for sheep—lessons that would later define how he led God’s people. Psalm 23 reveals that before David could lead others, he first had to be led by God. David knew what it meant to depend on the Shepherd who restores, guides, and provides. His leadership flowed from intimacy, not authority—from being cared for, not from striving to control. Centuries later, Jesus called himself the Good Shepherd—the One who knows his sheep by name and lays down his life for them. Jesus leads not through power or position, but through love and service. To lead like Jesus, we must have a willingness to follow—learning what it means to be led by the Shepherd. We cannot lead others well if we are not first following well.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. David knew God had called him to be king—but that promise didn’t come to pass quickly. Around 15 years passed between David’s anointing and the moment he finally took the throne. David faced 15 years of uncertainty, running, hiding, and trusting that God was still at work. We often think of faith as a belief we hold—but Scripture shows us that faith is meant to shape how we live. The life of David in 1 and 2 Samuel offers us a vivid picture of what faith looks like in real time: not only in great victories, but also in the long stretches of waiting. Last week, we looked at one of the fruits of faith: courage. This week, we focus on another: patience rooted in trust. In 1 Samuel 24, David has the perfect opportunity to take matters into his own hands. Saul—the king trying to kill him—falls right into the cave where David and his men are hiding. David can end the threat and get the crown, but instead of seizing power, he chooses restraint. He refuses to harm the one God had appointed for that season. David waits—trusting that the promise would be fulfilled in God’s timing. David shows us that waiting well is not passive—it’s a courageous act of faith.  

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. When David faced Goliath, he wasn’t the strongest, tallest, or most experienced warrior on the battlefield. He wasn’t even supposed to be there—he was just delivering supplies to his brothers. But David showed up. And when the moment came, he offered what he had: a sling, a few stones, and a heart confident in God. David didn’t try to wear Saul’s armor or fight with someone else’s weapons. He knew who he was and trusted that God could use his own unique gifts and experiences for a greater purpose. What seemed small in the world’s eyes became powerful in God’s hands. The story reminds us that God isn’t asking us to be someone else. He’s asking us to show up with what we have—regardless of the odds. Our gifts, our stories, and our faith can all be used by God when we step forward in trust. Victory doesn’t come from our strength but from our willingness to let God work through us.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In 1 Samuel, God sends His prophet to anoint a new king. Everyone assumes the next leader will look impressive—someone strong, tall, and commanding. But God reminds Samuel, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). When God chose David, the youngest and least expected son of Jesse, He revealed something essential about His Kingdom: God’s concern is not appearance, status, or performance—it’s the condition of our hearts.  Later in life, having faced his own failures, David prayed in Psalm 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” The same man chosen for his heart learned that a heart for God requires continual renewal. Our hearts are shaped not by perfection, but by repentance—a willingness to be remade by God’s grace. This week’s sermon challenges us to ask: How’s your heart? Is it teachable, humble, and open to the leading of the Spirit? God still searches hearts today—raising up people who are less concerned with outward appearances and more devoted to His presence and purposes.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This prayer isn’t just words—it’s an invitation to live as people shaped by God’s kingdom. Likewise, in 1 Chronicles 29:10-13, King David reminds the people that everything—power, greatness, glory, and majesty—belongs to the Lord alone. Both passages call us to orient our lives around God’s reign, God’s power, and God’s glory. Through Project Mockingbird, HPUMC is seeking to embody this prayer and confession right here in Dallas. From the corner of Mockingbird Lane, we long to see God’s kingdom take root—in raising up new leaders, strengthening families, serving the vulnerable, and sending disciples into every corner of the city. This vision isn’t about building our name or power, but about declaring with David, “Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the glory and the majesty.” As followers of Jesus, our calling is not just to pray “Your kingdom come” but to live it out: in Dallas as it is in heaven, by God’s power, and for God’s glory.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In Matthew 4:1-11, Jesus faces temptation in the wilderness. Offered shortcuts to comfort, recognition, and power, he responds each time with God’s Word and chooses obedience to the Father. His testing shows us that true ministry flows not from ease or compromise, but from faithfulness and dependence on God. In the same way, Project Mockingbird calls our church to trust God with a bold vision. It’s not simply about buildings or numbers—it’s about creating spaces of worship, raising up leaders, and serving our city so that God’s Kingdom comes in Dallas as it is in heaven. For each of us, the call is personal. Just as Jesus resisted the temptation to take the easy path, we too are invited to surrender our comforts, our pride, and our desire for control, choosing instead to live by God’s Word. This means asking: Where am I tempted to take shortcuts in my discipleship? Where is God calling me to trust Him more deeply? As we give, serve, and pray, we participate not only in a church-wide vision but also in the ongoing work of God’s Kingdom in our own lives and in the city we call home.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus teaches us to pray not just for our own needs but for God's Kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven—including right here in Dallas. This is a call to live in alignment with heaven's values: relationship with God, justice, mercy, forgiveness, and daily provision. HPUMC’s Project Mockingbird puts this prayer into action—by investing in the church, equipping leaders, and partnering with the community to bring hope, healing, and renewal to our city.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. When Jesus taught his disciples to pray, he gave them words that were both simple and revolutionary: “Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” This prayer is more than words—it’s a vision for life under God’s reign. The Lord’s Prayer reminds us that we don’t just pray for heaven to come; we step into God’s mission and embody His kingdom wherever we live, work, and play. Dallas can be a place where glimpses of heaven break through, and we believe God wants to begin that work right here, right now, within us, and through us. We believe that God has big plans for what He wants to do on our street corner and from our street corner at 3300 Mockingbird Lane, and we are invited to be part of His mission in our city and beyond!  

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. We all carry worries—not just about what might happen in the future, but about how we’re doing in the present. Am I doing enough? Am I the spouse, parent, friend, or follower of Jesus that I should be? These questions weigh heavily on many of us. In Matthew 28:18-20, often called the Great Commission, Jesus meets us with both grace and clarity. Instead of leaving us to guess what truly matters in life, he tells us plainly: “Go and make disciples… baptizing them… teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” Jesus gives us direction and purpose—not a rigid checklist, but an invitation to be with him, become like him, and do what he did. If we are leaning into this commission—helping others know Jesus, growing together in obedience, and trusting his presence—we are right where we need to be. The pressure to “measure up” is lifted, because Jesus not only tells us what to do but also promises to be with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). So, when the worries creep in, we can rest in this truth: life is not about perfect performance but about faithful participation in Jesus’ mission with the assurance that he is with us.  

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Before giving the Great Commission, Matthew tells us that when the disciples saw the risen Christ, they worshiped him—but some doubted (Matthew 28:17). It’s a striking moment: face-to-face with the resurrected Savior, both worship and doubt existed side by side in the hearts of his followers. Matthew doesn’t hide this tension, and Jesus doesn’t rebuke them for it. Instead, he meets them right there—in the mixture of faith and uncertainty—and entrusts them with the greatest mission in history. There is a myth that if we do not understand everything, we cannot believe anything. However, in reality, our doubts do not disqualify us from discipleship. The disciples’ story shows us that faith and doubt can coexist and that Jesus still calls us to follow him. When we are rooted in the firm foundation of what we do know, we can be honest about our questions without being paralyzed by them. Like those first disciples, we are invited to move forward in obedience, trusting Jesus’ promise that he is with us always (Matthew 28:20). Even without all the answers, we worship and move forward in faith, trusting Christ to transform us into his likeness.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus began his public ministry with a clear and urgent message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 4:17). The kingdom is not distant—it is God’s reign breaking into the world through Jesus. When we pray, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,” we are aligning our lives with his mission. Jesus’ ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing shows that God’s kingdom is holistic—addressing spiritual as well as physical needs. As his church, we are called to embody that same mission, praying for and working toward God’s will in our lives, our church, and our city. To pray “Thy kingdom come” is to offer ourselves as God’s hands and feet. Much like the first disciples, we are invited to step out in faith and step into the story, joining his transforming work in the world around us. In the year ahead, may we be a people devoted to seeking God’s will and living on mission.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul urges believers to live in a way that pleases God and to keep growing more and more in their walk with Christ. This is not about reaching a point where we’ve “arrived,” but about continually maturing in three key areas: faith, hope, and love. We grow in faith by obeying God’s Word and pursuing holiness, trusting Him in every area of life. We grow in hope by fixing our eyes on the risen Lord, who conquered death. We grow in love by encouraging and building up one another, speaking truth, offering comfort, and walking together through life’s challenges. Paul’s vision for the church is a community that keeps growing and pressing forward, more and more, until the day Christ returns to make all things new.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. How do you respond when life turns up the heat—when the trials and tribulations inevitably come? Do you find yourself reacting in fear, scrambling for answers and stability? Or are you able to respond with faith, drawing from a place of preparation and strength? In his second letter to Timothy, the Apostle Paul offers a powerful reminder: Scripture is not merely a sacred text or a religious tradition—it is the very word of God (2 Timothy 3:16). It’s alive, authoritative, and divinely designed to shape every part of who we are and how we live. Paul’s words are a call to spiritual readiness. He makes it clear that if we want to stand firm in the face of adversity, we can’t afford to be passive or spiritually unprepared. We must be people who are trained in the Word—letting Scripture teach us, correct us, strengthen us, and prepare us for whatever lies ahead. Training doesn't begin in the fire; it begins long before. So that when the trials come, we can respond in faith and stand firm in God’s truth.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In this week’s sermon on Matthew 5:9-10, we explore the deep meaning of shalom—a peace that is more than just the absence of conflict but the presence of wholeness, justice, and the right relationship with God and others. Jesus calls us to be peacemakers, not by passively avoiding confrontation, but as active agents of reconciliation in a broken world. True peacemaking often leads to resistance, even persecution, because it challenges systems of injustice and selfishness. Yet Jesus reminds us that those who pursue peace and righteousness are blessed and belong to the kingdom of heaven. As followers of Christ, we are called to embody God's peace wherever we go. Is there a specific issue or injustice you feel deeply passionate about? That burden may be more than a feeling—it could be God’s invitation to lean in, take action, and bring shalom to the world around you.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Do you ever struggle to see how God is at work? Not just in the world, but in your own story? Though God is never mentioned by name in the book of Esther, His presence is unmistakable through every twist and turn of the story, revealing that God is at work even when we can’t see it or understand. This week’s sermon shifts our perspective and reminds us that God isn’t part of our story—we are part of His redemptive story, and it is still being written. We’re invited to join God in His ongoing purpose of restoring what is broken and making things whole.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. During difficult or trying seasons, there’s power in showing up. All of us are moved by stories of people who go beyond their own security and sense of comfort to show up for people in need. In this message, we’re asking ourselves this question: What does it look like to be people who show up for others but also as those who are fully alive in our own stories? Esther’s story reminds us that, while there is often a cost to showing up for others, there is also a cost to not showing up. Esther’s boldness in the face of unimaginable fear inspires us to move from comfort to courage in our own lives so we can show up and make a difference for others.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. In the midst of suffering and tragedy, the example of Stephen in Acts 7:55–56 offers a profound glimpse of hope and perspective. As he faced death, Stephen, "full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God." Even while being unjustly stoned, he fixed his eyes on the risen and exalted Lord. This vision reminds us that in our darkest moments, Christ is not distant—he is with us.  Together with John 16:33, where Jesus assures us that though we will have trouble, he has overcome the world, we are able to acknowledge and face suffering with steadfast faith. The risen Lord is our peace in trials, our source of wisdom, our strength in weakness, and our hope beyond tragedy.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. We all face moments in life when we feel uncertain, overwhelmed, or simply unsure of what to do next. Whether it’s a major decision, a season of suffering, or a quiet struggle, those moments can leave us feeling stuck or unprepared. In this week’s sermon, we learn what it looks like to couple wisdom with action to navigate the difficult seasons of life. It’s not enough to just know what’s right—we need the courage and capacity to live it out. What we need is wisdom to know what to do, strength to actually be able to do it, and hope to know God is with us no matter what.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Have you ever asked, “Why am I going through this? What is God doing?” No matter the season we’re in, testing is inevitable. Some trials come from our own decisions; others are allowed—or even designed—by God to shape us. James 1:2-4 urges us to “consider it pure joy” when we face these trials, because they produce endurance and maturity. But let’s be honest, finding joy in hardship isn’t our natural response. That’s why perspective matters. Perspective can change everything, from the way we think to the way we live. And when we begin to view our circumstances with an eternal perspective, it also changes how we view the trials we walk through. In this week’s sermon, we explore Genesis 22, the story of Abraham and Isaac, to better understand what it means to look to Jesus, especially in difficult times.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. All of us make decisions all the time. You make thousands of small decisions every day, a handful of important decisions every year, and a few truly life-altering decisions throughout your life.  The environment we create is a direct result of the source of wisdom that we allow to influence our decisions. Where are you getting the wisdom it takes to make the best decisions for yourself and for those around you? In this week’s sermon, we learn a framework to help us live by wisdom from above.