Sermon Summary
May 24, 2026
“The Spirit Finds a Way”
Text: Acts 2:1–21

On the day of Pentecost, Jerusalem was already crowded. Pilgrims had gathered for Shavuot, a familiar festival that drew people from across the world. They came for tradition, for celebration, for community. Nothing in the story suggests they arrived searching for a spiritual breakthrough. Life was simply unfolding as expected.

Sermon Summary
“When Faith Feels Like Waiting”
May 17, 2026
John 17:1–11

Many of us assume that faith should make life clearer and more manageable. We expect that trusting God will lead to visible progress, resolved situations, or at least a sense that things are moving forward. But often, our experience is quite different. We find ourselves in seasons of waiting, where answers are unclear, and life feels unfinished.

 Session 10 explores Chesterton’s startling claim that modern skepticism has already reached its end. When everything is questioned, even reason itself begins to collapse, leaving humanity uncertain not only about truth, but about meaning, morality, and even the self. Chesterton then turns to the modern worship of will and personal desire, asking whether freedom without limits can ever truly guide human life. Along the way, this reading wrestles with ego, imagination, morality, and the restless search for meaning in an age determined to keep every possibility open.

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Sermon Summary
“Finding a Way to Say It”
May 10, 2026
Acts 17:22–31

Many of us are comfortable with what we believe about God, but less certain about how to express that faith in a world that no longer shares the same assumptions. The language, tone, and starting points that once felt natural do not always connect in the same way today. That can leave us feeling hesitant, unsure, or even silent, not because our faith has weakened, but because we are not always sure how to say it anymore.

In Session 9 of The Paradox of Common Sense: Walking with Chesterton, we follow Chesterton into one of his sharpest critiques of modern thought: the moment when reason begins to question the very tools that make reasoning possible. From materialism and evolution to pragmatism and the worship of change itself, Chesterton argues that some philosophies do not merely challenge belief—they undermine thought, standards, and even the idea of objective truth. Along the way, we consider whether modern humanity has mistaken endless adjustment for genuine progress, and whether, like sweepers in the sport of curling, we have begun subtly altering not merely the path, but the target itself. 

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Sermon Summary
“When the Heart Gets Crowded”
May 3, 2026
Text: John 14:1–14

In John 14:1–14, Jesus spoke to his disciples at a time when their hearts were deeply troubled. The night before his crucifixion, confusion and fear filled the room. Jesus had spoken about betrayal, denial, and his coming departure. The disciples sensed that something terrible was approaching, but they did not yet understand its meaning. Into that anxiety, Jesus spoke simple but powerful words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me.”

²⁷ But Barnabas took him, brought him to the apostles, and described for them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ So he went in and out among them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ He spoke and argued with the Hellenists, but they were attempting to kill him. ³⁰ When the brothers and sisters learned of it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. ³¹ Meanwhile the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was built up. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.

Acts 9:27-31

In his book Retrieving the Human, José Comblin observes that evangelization is not a program but a way of life, the natural expression of people whose lives have been changed by Christ. In his words, “the new person acts,” and that action becomes the good news others can see.

Sermon Summary
“When You Feel Like a Number”
April 26, 2026
Text: John 10:1–10

Many people know the experience of feeling like a number. In a world of systems, institutions, and constant noise, it is easy to feel anonymous, overlooked, or reduced to a line in a database. Even when life seems to be functioning on the surface, many people quietly carry the sense that something deeper is missing. Life can begin to feel thin rather than abundant.

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Sermon Summary —
“A Little Encouragement”
April 12, 2026
Text: 1 Peter 1:3–9

Encouragement is a simple gift, yet it carries remarkable power. In a world quick to criticize and slow to affirm, a word of encouragement can strengthen a weary heart and remind someone they are not alone. The film Unbroken captures this truth in a powerful scene where Olympic runner Louis Zamperini, weakened and nearly defeated in a prisoner-of-war camp, finds the strength to continue because fellow prisoners quietly encourage him. Their words restore his courage in a moment when it is almost gone.

Welcome.
I’m glad you’re here.

This is Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton, using the Project Gutenberg edition—red slowly, aloud, and in company.

These readings aren’t lectures, and they aren’t explanations. They’re an invitation: to listen carefully, to follow an argument that wanders on purpose, and to allow surprise to do some of the work. So, let’s take our time—and see where Chesterton leads us today.

Last time we followed Chesterton into a rather uncomfortable place, the mind of the madman, and found, somewhat to our surprise, that madness is not the loss of reason, but a kind of reasoning that has become… trapped. Complete, even convincing, but somehow cut off from the wider world.

Sermon Summary
April 5, 2026
"The Doorway We Don’t Expect"
Matthew 28:1–10

Easter morning often feels triumphant and clear. Yet Matthew’s account of the resurrection reveals something more honest and more human. The women arrive at the tomb expecting death, not new life. Instead, they encounter an earthquake, an angel, an empty grave, and a command: “Do not be afraid… go and tell.” They leave with fear and great joy mixed together. The empty tomb is not a resting place. It is a doorway.

“We love because God first loved us.”
1 John 4:19

Scholar, teacher, novelist, and poet Robert Penn Warren once told a reporter that “a young man’s ambition is to get along in the world and make a place for himself. Half your life goes that way… then, if you’re lucky, you make terms with life and you get released.”

Sermon Summary
March 31, 2026
“Words That Heal”
James 5:13–20
Passion/Palm Sunday

In James 5:13–20, the apostle speaks not to skeptics but to believers. He asks simple, direct questions: Are you suffering? Pray. Are you cheerful? Sing. Are you sick? Call for the elders. And then comes the invitation that unsettles us: “Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed.” James assumes something we often resist. He assumes that healing happens in an honest community.

Sermon Summary
March 22, 2026
Aggressive Words
(James 4:1–3)

Conflict is not hard to find. It shows up in families, friendships, churches, and communities. Most of us do not intend to start fights, yet we often find ourselves in tense conversations, repeated arguments, and strained relationships. James asks a penetrating question: “What causes fights and quarrels among you?” His answer is surprising. The problem is not primarily external. It is internal. Our desires battle within us.

 Full Transcript Below.

Welcome.
I’m glad you’re here.

Sermon Summary
"Encouraging Words of Mercy"
March 8, 2026
James 2:1–17; Mark 2:17

Most of us know what it feels like to be judged by a quick glance. Often without meaning to, we size people up and make quiet decisions about who belongs, who matters, and who is worth our attention. These judgments are rarely loud or cruel, but they are powerful. Our words, our tone, and even our silence tell a story about what we value, and that story has consequences.

 Full Transcript Below.

Welcome.
I’m glad you’re here.

This is Orthodoxy by G. K. Chesterton, using the Project Gutenberg edition—read slowly, aloud, and in company.

These readings aren’t lectures, and they aren’t explanations. They’re an invitation: to listen carefully, to follow an argument that wanders on purpose, and to allow surprise to do some of the work. So let’s take our time—and see where Chesterton leads us today.

Last time we contemplated the sanity of useless things and the madness of extreme logic.

Today we walk with Chesterton as he moves from the logic seated in insanity to the razor-point logic of materialism.

Sermon Summary

“Respond to the Word”
March 1, 2026
James 1:17–27

In a world overflowing with words, advice, and opinions, many people quietly wonder why real spiritual change can feel so slow. We hear Scripture read, sermons preached, and prayers offered, yet growth often seems harder than expected. James speaks directly into this tension, not to shame the church, but to tell the truth about how faith can drift when familiarity replaces transformation.

Greetings! In Psalm 34:8, the psalmist says:

“Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.”

Sometimes I like to check out the one-star reviews on Amazon when I’m buying a book or product. Recently, I purchased Your Designed Body by Steve Laufmann and Howard Glicksman. Out of curiosity, I clicked on the one-star reviews. As expected, they were negative, but something more telling quickly became apparent: none of the one-star reviewers had actually purchased the book. None mentioned having read it.