Guest Preacher

Zephaniah 3:14-20 is known as “A Song of Joy,” a drastic difference from the earlier chapters of Zephaniah that are full of violence, disaster, and destruction. The Song of Joy is an unexpected promise by the Holy that God’s people will be “gathered and brought home.” What does it mean for us to be “gathered…

In Mark 10:35-45, James and John command Jesus, ““See to it that we sit next to you, one at your right and one at your left, when you come into your glory.” Jesus responds in a curious way. Can James and John drink the same cup as him? Can they be baptized in the same…

This week, Lydia explores Ephesians 6:10-20, where Paul famously writes about how we need to “put on the armour of God:” the belt of truth, the breastplate of justice, and carry the shield of faith. This passage can often come across as violent, but is it actually? What armour do we normally wear to face…

After the death of King David, Solomon takes the throne. In 1 Kings 2:10-12, 3:3-15, God meets Solomon in a dream, asking, “What would you like me to give you?” “A discerning heart,” Solomon replies. This week, Lydia explores the story of God’s heart-to-heart with Solomon, and how this intimate conversation transforms Solomon’s own heart.

The passage this week is the story of the death of David’s son, Absalom, found in 2 Samuel 18. David, usually depicted as a strong King and warrior, is a parent in this passage, vulnerable and in grief over the death of his son. Lydia explores through this story what grief is, and how important…

This week Lydia focuses on the question: “What must we do to perform the works of God?” This is a question that the crowd asks Jesus in John 6:24-35. Jesus gives a surprising response, “This is the work of God: to believe in the whom God has sent.” So, how do we “believe”? How do we have…

The story of the feeding of the five thousand found in John 6:1-21 mirrors the story of Elisha feeding one hundred in 2 Kings 4:43-44. How does reading these two passages side-by-side help us see each in a new way? And, what do these passages tell us about the character of God?

This week, Lydia explores Ephesians 2:1-10, considering the meaning of “grace.” How does grace “save” us? What does it mean to follow the way of God rather than “the ways of the world”?

The text this week is 2 Samuel 6:1-23, the moving of the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem, a complicated text that includes celebrations, trumpets, cakes, blessings as well as a death, some fear, and a spousal disagreement. In the sermon this week, Lydia focuses on the death of Uzzah, exploring the meaning of the…

In 2 Corinthians 12:2-10, Paul declares, “power is perfected in weakness,” and “for when I am weak, then I am strong.” These are confusing phrases, yet powerful ones. This week, Lydia considers how weakness (“astheneia” in Greek) implies “unravelling.” How can unravelling give us strength? How can untangling ourselves lead to wholeness and new life?