Advent Reflections on Human Rights Violations in Florida

Isaiah 11:1-10; Matthew 3:1-12 As if we needed it, Advent is the annual reminder that the world is not as it should be. But it is also our reminder that God is not finished with this world yet. It’s a reminder that God has plans for this world, and you and I are a part of those plans. Advent is a holy tension.

Advent Hope in a Child's First Year

Isaiah 2:1-5 On this first Sunday of Advent, the beginning of the church year, we do what Christians have done for nearly two thousand years: we begin not with resolutions, but with a vision. Not with our predictions for the future, but with a word from a prophet who could see farther than his moment. We begin our year with Isaiah.

Luke 20:27-38 This morning, we gather in a sacred circle of love with parents and grandparents, their family and friends, and the wider church family to dedicate ourselves to God and to one another. We will make promises this morning to support a family as they raise their daughter in love, envelop her with mercy, teach her the stories of our faith, and to resist the powers and authorities that would deny her life.

Join Me in Supporting Lynchburg’s Kids!

Luke 19:1-10 I will forever be grateful for the way Shirley Paxton and Linda Burger graciously welcomed me into their homes. Even when they were not feeling their best, they opened their doors wide.  And instead of talking about their ailments, as I expected, Shirley and Linda only wanted to talk about me, how I was doing, how my family was doing.

M4K Lynchburg improves the quality of life for local children through individual fundraising, partnering with local charities and businesses, and having a little bit of fun with facial hair.

Just Love on a Plate

Luke 18:9-14 You know, it’s a strange thing to be called unholy for trying to love like Jesus. I believe I shared that time with you when I was called “a demon” in a resturant in Fort Smith, Arkansas. This stranger who disapproved of the sexuality of the person with whom I just finished sharing a meal, approached me as I was leaving with a question: “You do know what the law says about her don’t you?” I said, “Arkansas law?” He said, “No, God’s law.”

Luke 18:1–8; Jeremiah 31:27–34 If you’ve been around the church for a while as I have, you’ve probably heard every kind of stewardship sermon under the sun. And even if you haven’t, you have probably heard a TV preacher or two whose sermons always seem to be about giving. Some appeal to guilt: “If you don’t give, how will we keep the lights on and the camera rolling?”

When faith meets science, miracles still happen

Luke 17:11-19 I want to begin this sermon talking a little bit about preaching. There are basically two kinds of sermons you’ll hear in churches today. One starts with a thought the preacher has. They then hunt through the Bible to find a verse or two to back up that thought. The second kind starts, not with the preacher’s idea, but with the scripture itself.

The Bible Is Not God

Jeremiah 8:18-9:1 My joy is gone. Grief is upon me. My heart is sick. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? O that my head were a spring of water, and my eyes a fountain of tears, so that I might weep day and night for the slain of my poor people. How many of you can feel the enormous grief of the prophet?

Luke 15:1-10 This morning, I’ve got a simple sermon. Now, don’t get too excited. I didn’t say short! I said simple. It’s about one word. Just one word. And I believe it may be the most hopeful word in scripture. Jesus is confronted by grumbling Scribes and Pharisees: “Jesus, why do you insist on hanging out with people everyone knows are sinners?

Luke 14:1, 7-14 Year after year, churches in our country love to plan their worship services around certain secular holidays. Every Mother’s Day churches pass out roses and honor the youngest or oldest mother in the congregation. When Father’s Day arrives, churches give the dads mini screwdrivers or flashlights. When Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, and the Fourth of July roll around, worshipers wave flags, sing patriotic hymns, and sermons are preached about love of God and country.

In Luke 13:10-17, Jesus heals a woman who had suffered for eighteen years, symbolizing his rejection of societal norms that accept oppression. He emphasizes the Sabbath's purpose as restoration, urging action against systems that keep people bent down. The message advocates for justice, mercy, and uplifting marginalized communities today.

Luke 12:49-53 When we first hear Jesus ask in Luke 12, “Do you think I have come to bring peace on the earth?” I think most of us instinctively want to answer, “Yes, of course! That’s exactly why you came and why we are here! We have come into this sanctuary to escape a stressful world so Jesus can bring us some of that peace that the world cannot give.”

The Gospel Does Not Banish Poor People. It Sets Them Free

Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 At this hour last Sunday, Lori and I had just been forced off the “Fun Ship” called “the Carnival Sunshine” which had returned to Norfolk from an 8-day Caribbean cruise. Now, I only say “forced off” in jest, but there was a part of us that really didn’t want to get off that boat. For we had just experienced a week of extravagant leisure, a week where our biggest decisions were: The buffet or the dining room?

Luke 10:38-42 I recently received some advice from a concerned friend, and I quote: “Jarrett, as a pastor you’d be better off to just preach the gospel and stay out of politics. Just stay in your lane.” And as you are probably aware, I am not the only preacher who has been told this. Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, when preachers spoke the names of Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols, or Sandra Bland from their pulpits, or when they dared to say out loud, “Black Lives Matter,” many congregants responded with discomfort or outright anger, telling pastors they were being “too divisive,” and yes, “too political.”

Reflections from Moral Monday Rally in Memphis, Tennessee, July 14, 2025

Galatians 6:1-16 As our country’s freedom is celebrated this weekend, I believe we’re called as people of faith to remember the painful truth of our history and to acknowledge that freedom has never been free. It has been and must continually be fought for. Our remembering is especially important as history itself is under attack with a dangerous push to whitewash the truth.

Luke 9:51-62 Jesus seems a little stressed in our gospel lesson this morning. And who could blame him? Luke tells us his face is set toward Jerusalem, not toward comfort or safety, not toward respectability or popularity, but toward the seats of power that believe the love he proclaims is weak, the empathy he demonstrates is a sin, the mercy he shows should get him deported, and his grace—His radical inclusion and acceptance of the marginalized?