Discipling Life

This sermon was preached on March 22, 2026, at Ebenezer UMC and Black Creek UMC for the Fifth Sunday of Lent. The scriptures of the day are: Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, John 11:1-45 . 1. Being Stuck Have you ever felt truly stuck? It is a sensation that defines so much of our human condition. We often use the word metaphorically—we are stuck in a career, stuck in a grief that won’t lift, or stuck in an old pattern of behavior. But whether it is emotional, mental, or physical, being stuck is a form of paralysis. It is that heavy, suffocating moment when something wraps itself around your heart or your spirit and simply refuses to let go. This state of being bound creates a barrier between the person you are and the life God intended for you to live. I remember when I was at Duke Divinity School and I was serving as a student pastor for three churches in Sampson County. It was a long two-hour drive between the two, and to maintain my sanity amidst the rigors of study...

There are days when the world feels heavy. News headlines, personal struggles, and uncertain futures can stir up anxiety in our hearts. There are moments in life when the heart feels crowded with questions. What will happen next? How will this turn out? Where am I going, and how will I get there? Sometimes those questions are small and everyday. Sometimes they come in hospital rooms, at kitchen tables, or in the quiet of the night when sleep will not come. Into that very human space of worry and uncertainty, Jesus speaks these words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me” (v. 1). [ See all of John 14:1-6 here .] Jesus speaks these words to his disciples on the night before the cross. They sense that change is coming, and not the kind of change they want. He has just told them that he will be leaving them, and their hearts are shaken. Yet Jesus does not scold them for being afraid. Instead, he invites them to trust. Our faith in Christ does not re...

This week we have been looking at the scripture texts assigned by the lectionary for this Sunday — the Fifth Sunday of Lent. Ezekiel 37:1–14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6–11; John 11:1–45 Each of these scriptures points us to the heart of God’s promise: death does not have the final word . Lent leads us through times of emptiness, confession, and longing, but always with the whisper of resurrection waiting ahead. In Ezekiel’s vision, God brings the prophet to a valley full of dry bones. It is a place that once held life but now lies silent and bare. God asks, “Can these bones live?” Only God knows the answer. Then the breath of God moves through the valley, and the bones rattle together, rise, and live again. The Spirit brings life where there was only death. The breath of God brings renewal. What seemed hopeless is restored. Psalm 130 echoes that same cry—from the depths of despair, the psalmist waits for God’s mercy. “I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope.” Even...

During Lent we often focus on the journey toward the cross. It is a time of reflection, repentance, and walking through the darkness of sorrow. However, the story of Jesus and his friend Lazarus reminds us that this journey does not end in death; it leads directly to the bright hope of resurrection . When Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Martha met Jesus with a cry of honest grief that many of us recognize: “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” It is a prayer born from heartbreak—the wish that God had come sooner or that the pain could have been avoided. Jesus did not offer Martha empty words of comfort or some abstract theological lesson. Instead, he met her exactly where she was and pointed her toward a truth greater than her circumstances. He invited her to trust not just in what he could do, but in who he is . Jesus made a astonishing declaration: “I am the resurrection and the life.” This is a profound shift in ...

In the middle of one of the most powerful miracles in the Gospel of John , we find two simple words: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). It is often known as the shortest verse in the Bible, yet it carries a profound truth about the nature of God. Before Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead or calls him out of the tomb, he stands beside his grieving friends and lets his own tears fall. When Jesus arrived in Bethany, his friend Lazarus had already been dead for four days. Martha and Mary were heartbroken, and the crowd was grieving. Even though Jesus knew he was about to bring Lazarus back to life—knowing the ending would be one of joy—he still stopped to weep. He wept because he loved Lazarus, because he saw the pain of those he cared for, and because he recognized that death is real and grief is heavy. These two words tell us something essential: God is not distant or unmoved by our suffering . In Christ, God feels what we feel, knowing the ache of loss and the heaviness of sorrow. The hu...

Not sure about you, but I seem to automatically switch to more of a forensic mindset when I turn to Paul’s writings – especially the Letter to the Romans. I see Paul as a more literal minded writer. Jesus told parables. Paul makes arguments. But Paul also paints his arguments with metaphors. So, what I want to do today is to step back and take in the big picture that Paul paints for us in today’s text. Romans 8:6-11 (NRSVue): “To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law — indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised...