HPUMC - Sanctuary Sermons (Traditional Worship)

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus was asked many questions throughout his life. In fact, most of his teachings come as responses to what people asked or assumed. But here, just before his final week, Jesus turns the tables and asks a question himself—twice, in two different conversations: “What do you want?” First, a mother comes on behalf of her sons, asking for places of honor in his kingdom (Matthew 20:20-28). Then, two blind men cry out from the roadside, simply asking to see (Matthew 20:29-34). It’s a familiar question, but Jesus invites a deeper answer, one that moves beyond surface desires to the longings underneath. Placed side by side, these stories invite us to compare and reflect. One asks for power, and the other asks for sight. One reveals a kind of blindness despite proximity to Jesus, and the other demonstrates true spiritual vision despite physical blindness. Both, however, need Jesus to open their eyes in different ways. Through these moments, Jesus redefines life in his kingdom: greatness is not found in status or control but in service, sacrifice, and surrender—the way up is down. He not only teaches this truth but lives it, moving toward the cross and praying, “Not my will, but yours be done.” His invitation is to examine what we want, uncover what we really want, and bring those desires honestly to him. As we follow Jesus, we trust that he will reshape our desires according to his will.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Generosity. This is something that can be controversial to think about. Generosity can easily give rise to jealousy and envy in the human heart instead of grace and gratitude. Something in our hearts leans more toward jealousy when we see or hear about other people's generosity, even if it is a generosity that we are a beneficiary of. We serve a God who is gracious and generous beyond comprehension. This generosity is on display in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 20:1-16.  This parable reminds us that Jesus is all about bringing people into the work of God. There is always work to be done, and whether someone comes in at the first hour or the eleventh hour, God wants them there and will be generous with them in turn. And we’re called, like God, to be generous with others in return, people who receive the blessings of God with an open hand and share the blessings of God with an open hand. We are called to be generous in the big moments of our lives and the smallest moments of our lives.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. “What does ‘humble’ mean?” That’s the question before us in this sermon. It is a question that many of us have asked throughout our lifetime. Humility is something that we hear about all throughout the Bible and is a common theme in Jesus’ life. Though the disciples saw pure humility in their lives of following Jesus, in Matthew 18 we see them challenge it with human pride, competition, and comparison. Despite everything they had seen, they were still measuring greatness the way the world measures it. And don’t we do the same? We compare. We compete. We seek recognition. We want to be seen, valued, and elevated. The disciples’ struggle with humility isn’t distant from us—it mirrors our own hearts. Their question reveals something deeply human: the pull toward pride and self-importance. Jesus responds in a way that completely redefines greatness. He calls a child to himself and says that unless we become like little children—lowly, dependent, and unassuming—we cannot even enter the kingdom of heaven. In other words, humility is not optional in the Christian life. It is essential. Let’s explore what it means to be humble together as we continue our Lenten journey toward the cross and the empty tomb.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. What is the last thing you purchased for the purpose of improving your life? Every day, we encounter hundreds of proposals about how we should spend our money, time, and attention. Advertisements, products, and opportunities promise to make our lives better—healthier, happier, more successful, or more fulfilled. Each of these proposals asks us to run a kind of cost–benefit analysis: Is this worth it? Will this truly improve my life? Jesus offers a different kind of proposal. In Matthew 13:44, Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man discovers the treasure, he joyfully sells everything he owns in order to obtain it. Jesus is telling us that there is one thing worth everything. It is as valuable as buried treasure. It is like a precious pearl. The “it” Jesus is pointing to is life in the kingdom of God through discipleship to him. It is a life spent knowing Jesus, learning his ways, and becoming like him. The invitation of the parable is simple but profound: Consider the cost. Consider the benefit. Decide whether it is worth it. The life Jesus offers—one filled with love, joy, peace, and purpose—is the greatest treasure we could ever discover.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed in Matthew 13:31–33 reveals that the kingdom of God often begins in ways that seem small, hidden, and insignificant but ultimately become transformative and far-reaching. Just as a seed absorbs water, soil, and light to become something new, Jesus’ ministry began in the obscure village of Nazareth within the vast Roman Empire. What started small grew into a movement that outlasted empires and changed the world.  Jesus understood that his Father’s kingdom is ever-expanding, and he continues this seed-like work in human hearts today—absorbing pain, shame, addiction, and sorrow and transforming them into hope, forgiveness, healing, and love. The central message is that the world changes one human heart at a time. Though individual lives may feel small and insignificant in the face of seemingly overwhelming global problems, God works through quiet, faithful transformation, turning surrendered hearts into catalysts for change in families, communities, and beyond.  

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Resolutions often fail because they demand an undefined, lifelong commitment; “forever” feels overwhelming. Lent, however, offers a grace-filled, 40-day invitation to intentional change. Rather than relying on sheer willpower, we lean on God’s strength. It is a season of formation—a time to prepare for Easter by saying “yes” to what deepens our life with God and “no” to what distracts or diminishes it. At the heart of this week’s message is Jesus’ parable of the wheat and the weeds. A weed called darnel, also known as wheat’s evil twin, looked like wheat at first but proved poisonous with its roots entangling and choking the crop. It mirrors our lives: the “weeds” we tolerate often seem harmless, even good, at first, but eventually entangle our hearts and harm others. Still, the field belongs to the Son of Man. Though good and evil grow side by side, Jesus continues planting “children of the kingdom,” marked by forgiveness, patience, grace, and truth. The parable then moves into the present. Jesus is still sowing good seed in our homes, workplaces, and communities, forming us to think and act in step with his heart. We are sent into the ordinary spaces of life as his representatives. The invitation for Lent is simple: let these 40 days be a season of growth. Ask God to expose the weeds and cultivate his fruit in you. His life sets the pattern, his death brings forgiveness, and his resurrection provides the power to change.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Jesus offers abundant life. If you’ve been a Christian for a while, this should be a familiar concept. The only way to have an abundant life is through a relationship with Jesus and reorienting our lives around our faith. When we try to work our faith into the corners of our lives, the forces that try to work against human thriving are given more room to take hold of our hearts and minds. These forces subtly distort truth, inflame disordered desires, and tempt us to build our lives around lesser kingdoms, like success, comfort, control, and approval.  When faith is confined to a compartment of life—Sunday mornings, occasional prayers, moral checklists—those opposing forces are given space to shape the rest of our hearts and habits. Abundant life requires full integration. It calls for building our entire lives around Christ rather than attempting to fit him into the margins. When Jesus becomes the center—informing our decisions, relationships, work, ambitions, and even our suffering—our lives gain coherence. When we lay down our kingdom—our demand for control, our self-made identity, our ultimate allegiance to our own plans—we make room for his kingdom. In losing our lives, we find it.  

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Luke 5 opens with Peter, a skilled fisherman, exhausted after a night of empty nets. It is in the midst of this frustration that Jesus steps into Peter’s boat, meeting him in his ordinary work. When Jesus tells him to go into deep water and lower his nets, Peter chooses trust over relying on his own expertise (Luke 5:5). His obedience results in an overwhelming catch that nearly sinks two boats. Rather than celebrating, Peter falls to his knees in awe and confesses his unworthiness. Jesus responds with a new calling: “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people” (Luke 5:10). Peter leaves everything to follow him, showing that true life is found in following Jesus, not clinging to the blessings he has provided. This week’s message invites us beyond shallow safety into deeper trust with God and reminds us that our everyday places (work, school, and home) are where Jesus calls us to join his mission. He steps into our boats first, meeting us where we are, before we ever prove ourselves worthy.  

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Life is full of beginnings and endings. Most of the time, we get more excited about the former. With relationships, opportunities, careers, etc., there is a level of excitement and expectation with something new. Hope abounds. With endings, not so much. There is a finality to endings that often seems unsettling. There is a fear of uncertainty that can be particularly debilitating. But what if our perspective on both was just a bit off? What if beginnings and endings were far more connected than we realize? New things cannot begin if something else doesn’t end. Life goes in seasons of life, death, and resurrection, or in other words, beginnings, endings, and new beginnings. We see that new beginnings mean new blessings and new mercies from God. Endings do not always have to have a negative connotation; there can be a glimmer of hope.

Click/tap here to view the Sermon Reflection Guide. Have you met many shepherds lately? Seems like a dying profession. They’re out there, but they don't get much press. Which is a shame, because Jesus thought the work of a shepherd was mission-critical.  Turns out, it still is. The work of a shepherd is intentional, tedious, and repetitive. A shepherd knows their flock, how many are supposed to be there, and notices when one wanders off. You’ve got to know your flock well to notice when just a singular sheep goes astray. That’s how God knows us.  That's why, nearly 100 years ago to the day, Dr. Umphrey Lee decided that Jesus' Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15:1–7) should be the featured Scripture adorning the walls of our Sanctuary. As we go through week three of “The Final Four,” we'll take a look at this marvelous story and why it's more relevant than ever.