EFMC SUNDAYS

This sermon, titled “Objection, Counselor,” explores Jesus’ words in John 16:1–11, where He prepares His disciples for rejection and persecution and promises the coming of the Holy Spirit—the divine Advocate who will reveal truth and convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Jesus warns that faith without conviction will crumble under pressure. While comfort may feel safe, it numbs the soul; conviction may sting, but it awakens and heals. The sermon reminds us that conviction isn’t God’s rejection—it’s His rescue. It’s mercy bringing what’s hidden into the light so grace can restore what’s broken.We see that conviction deepens faith, while comfort often dulls it. The Spirit convicts not to condemn but to renew—transforming surface faith into steadfast faith that endures. Ultimately, the Holy Spirit acts as both Counselor and Advocate, uncovering sin, affirming Christ’s righteousness, and declaring the victory already won at the cross.

This sermon, titled **“And For My Next Trick,”** explores Jesus’ “very truly” statement in John 14:12–14, made during His farewell discourse to the disciples. Jesus declares that those who believe in Him will do the works He has been doing—and even greater things—because He is returning to the Father. The sermon cautions against misinterpreting this passage as a blank check for personal desires, emphasizing that prayer “in Jesus’ name” means praying in alignment with His character and for the Father’s glory. By revealing Himself as the great “I AM,” Jesus affirms His divine authority and invites believers into continual, active trust—not just one-time belief. His departure paves the way for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, granting believers His presence, power, and grace to carry out His mission. This greater work is not about personal gain but about living in the reality of His presence, participating in His ongoing work through Spirit-empowered faith and prayer.

Matthew 25:16-20 This sermon emphasizes that while Christians have unique spiritual gifts, all share one mission—the Great Commission: to “go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Rather than obsessing over finding a singular, individualized “purpose,” believers are called to apprentice under Jesus, learning to live as He lived and do what He did. Drawing from Scripture, statistics, and modern authors, the message challenges Christians to own the mission personally by worshiping Christ as the center of their lives, meeting people in their pain, practicing hospitality, bearing witness through authentic relationships, and living a visibly good and beautiful life. In a culture of loneliness, anxiety, and competing “gospels,” the call is not to correct people as projects but to love them as neighbors—sharing the story of Christ’s grace and demonstrating it practically. Empowered by Jesus’ authority and presence, every believer can participate in God’s slow, transforming work of bringing His kingdom on earth, one relationship at a time.

This sermon reflects on Jesus’ act of washing His disciples’ feet in John 13 as the ultimate picture of humility and love. Though He already had all authority and power from the Father, Jesus lowered Himself to the posture of a slave, even serving those who would betray, deny, and abandon Him. In doing so, He revealed that true discipleship means embracing humility, serving others without discrimination, and resisting the pride that refuses grace. The sermon warns against being drawn into a culture of outrage fueled by “conflict entrepreneurs” and reminds us that our true enemy is not people but spiritual forces of darkness. Just as Jesus loved His disciples “to the fullest extent,” Christians are called to resist division, love one another deeply, and humbly serve in ways that point the world to Christ rather than to ourselves. Ultimately, discipleship comes at the cost of humility, but in lowering ourselves we lift up Jesus, who alone brings hope and salvation.

This Sunday in Part 2 of our Discipled series, we’ll look at Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:29: “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” We’ll unpack what it means to take on His yoke, why discipleship isn’t about striving harder or proving ourselves, and how real rest is found in walking with Jesus. We’ll also see how His gentleness and humility meet us in our weakness, and how His promise of rest gives us hope not only for today but for the future God has promised. At the heart of it, this week is about discovering that true rest only comes by following Jesus.

This sermon begins by contrasting the shallow, low-cost nature of “following” on social media with the costly, relational call of Jesus: “Follow Me.” Unlike Twitter or Instagram followers who may know little about us, discipleship in the time of Jesus meant an intimate, all-encompassing relationship with a teacher—laying down one’s own identity to adopt the ways, values, and mission of the rabbi. From the shores of Galilee, Jesus deliberately began His ministry not in the religious hub of Jerusalem, but among Gentiles, sinners, and outsiders, demonstrating that His call was not for the already-righteous but for those in need of transformation. His first call to Peter, Andrew, James, and John reveals the heart of discipleship: repentance, relationship, and reorientation of life around Jesus, the true central figure. Discipleship is not merely knowledge or religious practice but a radical reshaping of one’s identity, leaving behind the familiar in exchange for deeper peace, joy, and purpose in Christ. The sermon emphasizes that following Jesus always leads to repentance—changing our minds about sin and aligning with God’s truth—but it begins with relationship. Like the early disciples who immediately left their nets and family businesses, the call to follow Jesus summons us into a new identity, even renaming us as His own. This call requires sacrifice, but it also brings profound reward: transformation, purpose, and participation in Christ’s mission. Using the metaphor of casting and mending nets, the preacher highlights that disciples both bring people to Jesus and help mend broken lives through His healing power. Discipleship is daily, relational, and holistic—“all of Jesus, with all of your life.” While costly, it is an exchange of “dirt for diamonds,” as Steve Lawson says. The sermon concludes with an urgent invitation: don’t delay or wait for more knowledge; like the fishermen, respond immediately to the stirring of Christ’s call, for discipleship is not about casual following but about entering a new life in Him.

This sermon, **“The Gospel in Real Life”** from Hebrews 13:1–8, 14–15, emphasizes that following Jesus is not just about right belief but about embodying His love in everyday life through tangible actions like hospitality, mercy, and deep commitment. The writer of Hebrews calls believers to extend *philadelphia* (brotherly love) to fellow Christians and *philoxenia* (love for strangers) to outsiders, including foreigners, the marginalized, and the spiritually lost. True hospitality, the sermon explains, is more than meals or social gatherings—it is opening our homes, lives, and resources to others as God has done for us in Christ. Just as our salvation is rooted in God’s radical hospitality—welcoming us as strangers into His family—we are called to welcome others with sacrificial love, compassion, and justice. Living this out may be inconvenient or costly, but it reflects the unchanging commitment of Jesus, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Ultimately, hospitality becomes a spiritual discipline and a sacramental act through which God’s grace is made visible in real life.

Isaiah 58:9-14 Sermon overview- This week we’re looking at Isaiah 58:9–14, where God confronts worship that looks right on the outside but is empty at the heart. Judah thought fasting and rituals would obligate His blessing, but Isaiah shows true worship means loosening chains, feeding the hungry, lifting burdens, and showing mercy. Israel couldn’t live this out on their own—they needed new hearts and God’s Spirit. That promise is fulfilled in Christ, whose death and resurrection reconcile us to God, and in the Spirit who empowers us to walk in step with Him. Spirit-led worship produces fruit and restoration: lives reflecting Christ’s likeness, communities renewed, and people who become repairers and restorers in a broken world. Isaiah ends with Sabbath rest—laying down striving, finding joy in the Lord, and trusting Him as provider. This passage asks whether our worship is just going through the motions or Spirit-shaped, Christ-centered, and bearing fruit that brings light and hope to the world.

The sermon *“The Vision of Division”* (Luke 12:49–53) wrestles with Jesus’ startling words that He came not to bring peace, but division, reminding us that following Him is not casual or neutral but costly and life-altering. While Jesus is perfectly good, trustworthy, and compassionate toward the broken, His presence is not “safe” for those clinging to self-righteousness, power, or comfort, because His purifying fire exposes sin and calls for full surrender. This fire of judgment, borne first by Christ on the cross, both refines and restores, offering salvation to all who make Him the center of their lives. Yet this choice to follow Jesus may cause tension—even within families or communities—because divine truth divides. Still, for those who endure His correction and trust His grace, the fire does not consume but frees, bringing peace with God and the hope of ultimate restoration.

The sermon *Seeing Ain’t Believing* from Hebrews 11 encourages believers to hold on to faith when life is not what they expected and God’s promises seem delayed. Using Abraham, Sarah, and other “Hall of Faith” heroes as examples, it reminds us that faith is not built on perfect circumstances or immediate results, but on confidence in God’s character and promises, even when unseen. True faith is not about the potential payoff but about obedience to God because He is God, and it is built “in” our faith, not merely “around” it. We are called to seek God Himself—not just His blessings—with the sincere, eager trust of a child, and to find our reward in Him alone, confident that He is faithful to fulfill His promises in His time.

This sermon explores the deep existential questions raised in Ecclesiastes, where the Teacher (or “philosophy professor”) concludes that life “under the sun”—pursuits like work, pleasure, and even noble causes—is ultimately meaningless if there is nothing beyond the natural world. Through vivid examples and honest reflection, the preacher emphasizes that Ecclesiastes is not meant to give answers, but to provoke thought and spiritual wrestling. The message challenges listeners to confront the illusion that meaning can be self-manufactured and instead invites them to see that true meaning is found “above the sun”—in the Logos, Jesus Christ. While work, joy, and justice may appear futile when viewed through a secular lens, they become purposeful when received as gifts from God and lived in response to His grace. Meaning is not something we earn or create; it is given by the One who created us. Without Christ, everything is meaningless—but with Him, even the smallest effort has eternal significance.

Message by Pastor Mark Scandrett In *Live It Out, Part 4: Service*, the final sermon in the series and Pastor Mark’s last official Sunday as an employee of Emmanuel, the message centers on the call for every follower of Jesus to live out their faith through service. Drawing from Galatians 5:13–15, the sermon emphasizes that Christian freedom is not a license for self-indulgence, but a call to humbly serve one another in love. The biblical concept of “servant” — often translated from the Greek word *doulos*, meaning “slave” or “bondservant” — reflects a life of complete submission to Christ, much like Jesus modeled when He came not to be served but to serve. Through personal testimony, Pastor Mark recounts surrendering his own life direction to Jesus and embracing a lifetime of service, including 40 years in Alton, IL. He challenges listeners to rethink “service” not as a voluntary, convenient act, but as a lifelong identity rooted in love for Christ. Whether young and deciding their future, or older and contemplating retirement, the invitation is clear: affirm or reaffirm your role as a servant of Jesus, and commit to serving Him for the rest of your life.

Pastor Pat preaches a intriguing message on the "Lord's Prayer" as we contemplate the purpose of saying "amen" as we pray that great prayer and it's interesting subtraction from the actual text.

Jesus tells a story about a man forgiven an unimaginable debt—only to turn around and demand payment from someone who owed him far less. It’s a jarring picture, but one that hits close to home. Too often, we underestimate the weight of what we’ve been forgiven. And when we do, we become quick to judge, slow to show mercy, and reluctant to let go. This message explores what it really means to live as forgiven people—how grace reshapes our hearts, confronts our pride, and calls us to let go of control. Forgiveness isn’t easy. It feels costly because it asks us to release our right to be repaid. But when we grasp the depth of God’s mercy toward us, it frees us to extend that same mercy to others. Forgiveness isn’t something we ration—it’s something we live. And in a world hungry for justice but aching for grace, our willingness to forgive may be one of the clearest ways we reflect the heart of our Father.

In the sermon *Extraordinary Kindness*, the first message in the “Live It Out” series, the focus is on living out the radical and countercultural kindness of the Kingdom of God, as taught by Jesus in Luke 6. Highlighting the difference between merely being "right" and being *kind*, the message confronts the religious impulse to prioritize rule-keeping over compassion and invites believers to embody the generosity, mercy, and grace modeled by Christ—especially toward enemies, outcasts, and those who insult or mistreat us. True kindness, as defined by Jesus, is not transactional or selective but sacrificial and unearned, rooted in the believer’s identity as a child of God. Drawing from examples in Jesus’ ministry, especially His healing on the Sabbath and His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, the sermon calls Christians to live as citizens of a new Kingdom where insults do not destroy identity, generosity isn’t about payoff, and enemies are prayed for and loved. This “ridiculous” kindness—undeserved, transformative, and rooted in grace—is exactly the kind shown to us by God through Christ, and it is the kind we are called to live out daily.

This sermon explores the tension between legalism (or fundamentalism) and true spiritual freedom, using Galatians 5:13–26 as a foundational text. The preacher critiques the tendency of churches—specifically within the Free Methodist tradition—to rely on moral restraint and rigid rule-following as markers of holiness, which ultimately reflects a return to slavery under the law. Drawing from the history of the Free Methodist movement and its core values, the sermon calls for a return not to rule-based righteousness but to a life led by the Holy Spirit. Paul’s message is clear: freedom in Christ is not a license for self-indulgence but a call to Spirit-led transformation that bears internal fruit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Rather than relying on external behaviors to prove righteousness, believers are urged to remain in Christ’s presence, allowing the Spirit to shape their hearts, relationships, and communities in genuine holiness and love.

In the sermon “An Odd Way to Get There” from "Twice Told Truths vol. 3 pt. 4", the focus is on the transformation of Simon Peter from an impulsive, overconfident disciple into the foundational “rock” of the early church. Using personal and biblical examples of embarrassment and failure, the sermon emphasizes that God doesn’t discard us because of our mistakes—He redeems us through them. Peter’s denial of Jesus, though deeply shameful, became the crucible in which his identity was refined—not through his strength or bold declarations, but through humble submission and total dependence on Christ. The heart of discipleship, as modeled by Jesus in John 13, is sacrificial love, service, and daily surrender. We are reminded that God still writes redemption stories, and like Peter, our brokenness can become the very means through which God builds His kingdom—if we’re willing to let go of pride, embrace humility, and fully trust in Him.

In the sermon *Twice Told Truths: The Greatest*, the speaker challenges the cultural obsession with greatness by contrasting it with Jesus’ definition of true greatness in the Kingdom of God—humble service. Drawing from John 13, where Jesus washes His disciples’ feet on the eve of His crucifixion, the message highlights that even though Jesus was the eternal Creator and rightful Lord, He lowered Himself to do the work of a servant. The disciples, likely young and prideful, often argued about who among them was the greatest, failing to grasp Jesus’ repeated teaching: in God’s kingdom, greatness is measured not by power or position, but by humility and willingness to serve others. Jesus' secure identity in the Father freed Him to serve without needing to prove Himself—and we are invited to do the same. With personal anecdotes and examples, the preacher urges listeners to embrace their identity in Christ, reject worldly definitions of greatness, and follow Jesus by serving others with humility and love.

This sermon draws a powerful parallel between assembling a crooked bookshelf without directions and the way we often try to build our lives on our own terms—ignoring God’s instructions, clinging to control, and resisting surrender. Using John 12 as a foundation, it emphasizes that Jesus redefined glory—not through status or conquest, but through surrender, suffering, and obedience to the Father. Just as a seed must die to bear fruit, Jesus’ path to glory was through the cross, and He calls us to follow that same path of daily surrender. The message challenges us to examine what we’re clinging to—comfort, recognition, even good things like ministry or family—that may be keeping us from full obedience. Through examples like Peter and Judas, it shows that the condition of our hearts, not just our failures, determines the fruit our lives produce. In the end, true freedom and lasting impact come only when we let go of our own ambitions and allow Jesus to take root and bear fruit in us. The question remains: will we surrender to Him, or continue building something that eventually collapses under its own weight?

In this sermon titled "Gateway to the Best", the pastor Chris uses the graduation season as a heartfelt moment to remind the congregation—especially graduates—of the deep love and prayers of their church family. The message then transitions into the latest installment of the “Twice Told Truths” series, focusing on Jesus’ “truly, truly” statement in John 10:1–18, where Jesus declares Himself the Good Shepherd and the Gate. Through cultural context, scriptural insights, and vivid imagery, the pastor contrasts Jesus’ sacrificial love and intimate knowledge of His sheep with the self-serving false shepherds condemned in Ezekiel 34. He emphasizes that every person follows the voice of their true master—whether Jesus or the destructive voices of the world—and challenges listeners to examine which voice they are truly following. Though we are often foolish, fearful, and prone to wander, Jesus knows us fully, values us immensely, and lays down His life to bring us safely home.