Epiphany: Matthew 2: 1-12 & Baptism of Jesus: Mark 1: 9-13; The Rev. Pam Stewart Tomoka UMC “Epiphany” is the Greek word for ‘a sudden revelation’, or an ‘Ah Ha!’ moment. If I plunk the heel of my hand against my forehead [demonstrate], that reminds you of what? The commercial for V8 juice,…
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 25:31-46 Today, we celebrate the end of the liturgical year with the feast of Christ, the King. We will reflect upon what this Gospel reading tells us about Christ, the King, who rules over all. When we understand the King we serve, then we can appreciate the judgments He makes. We will also…
Scripture: Matthew 25:14-30 NIV Today, I want to remind us all of the truth that we sometimes forget. God expects you and me to reach our fullest potential as we grow and produce fruit according to the resources He gives to us. This principle is at the forefront of our gospel reading today, the Parable…
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 22: 34 – 46 When Pastor Jose asked me to share the message with you this week, he sent me the reading from the liturgical schedule, and after reading it, I actually became pretty excited about what I was reading. So I went back and reread all of chapters 21, 22, and 23,…
Scripture: Matthew 22:15-22 (CEB) In last week’s reflection, I shared with you how God has given us Jesus as the Cornerstone of His building project. The building is His church. God adds new stones by extending His salvation to all people, even those who are hard-hearted toward Him. As our Cornerstone, Jesus is a real…
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 21:33-46 In our Scripture passage today, Jesus presents a parable directed toward the chief priests and elders in Jerusalem. In so doing, Jesus gives these religious leaders a second chance to understand the depth of their hypocrisy and hard-heartedness. Without such an understanding, they cannot receive Him or His mission. The Parable of…
Scripture: Matthew 21:23-32 NIV In our passage today, we find Jesus teaching in the temple courts in Jerusalem. When the chief priests and elders question His authority to do so, Jesus perceives that they have hard hearts. They hold a grudge against Jesus, probably due to how popular He had become with the crowds. The…
Scripture: Matthew 20:1-16 Let me start this reflection with this story. Two brothers were called by God to give up all they had and serve humanity. The older responded to the call generously, even though he had to wrench his heart away from his family and the girl he loved and dreamed of marrying. He…
Scripture: Matthew 16:13-20 (CEB) May I begin my sermon by asking you a personal question? What is your first thought when you wake up in the morning? Some of you wake up with a positive attitude, expecting the best for the day. You say to God, “Good morning, Lord!” Others of you wake up feeling dread and anxiety, worried about…
Scripture : Matthew 15:21-28 CEB In our passage today, we find a woman who did all she could to gain Jesus’ attention for the sake of her daughter. Her experience reminds me of another story about a man who also did what he had to do to be heard. In this story, a man and…