Emmaus Road Church Fort Collins Colorado Podcast

Sermon Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2, Matthew 28:16-20, 2 Corinthians 13:11-13 As we have been focused on the power and work of God the Father and God the Son through Easter, and of course the empowering work of God the Spirit last week on Pentecost, it is right for us to take a moment to pause in worship and honor the mysterious Triune God whom we wors…

Sermon Scripture: Acts 2:1-21 Pentecost marks the moment when the church received its empowerment for the work of God and his Kingdom and so to ask ourselves, what does this mean? The work of God all throughout history has been in planning this party and the last thing you or I should do would be to limit who can join us in the celebration. God is …

Sermon Scripture: John 14:15-21 Through the Spirit of God, his love and action can be touched, felt, and made known anywhere you or I may be. By responding to God choosing you, by entering into his reciprocal vow of love, by enacting the Jesus Way through the enabling and empowering of the Spirit within us, we become the comforter and advocate that…

Sermon Scripture: 1 Samuel 7:12 Join us for our Annual Church Meeting where we hear the stories and look at the evidence of all that God is doing among us at Emmaus Road. We will hear from our pastor, treasurer, and each of our ministry leaders the details of our ministry over the last year and the amazing opportunities that lay before us. This is …

Sermon Scripture: John 14:1-14 Just as it was for the disciples of Jesus gathering around the table in the upper room centuries ago, life can be challenging for us. Many circumstances we face are difficult and require us to pause and consider what we know to be true of God and His work of peace and grace among us. We consider what it means to trust…

Sermon Scripture: John 10:1-10 Jesus is a true shepherd, not only in the spirit of David, but reflective of God’s own providential love. Jesus’ relationship with his followers is one of intimacy and trust. They listen to his voice and recognize him. He brings them no harm but protects them. They willingly follow him, and he brings them to the sourc…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 24:33-35, John 15:1-11 The best way to engage in the consolation of the peace of Christ in the wake of fear and doubt is to rehearse what he said and to put it into practice. Among the many things that Jesus shared with his closest friends and family at the table of the last supper, the night before his crucifixion, was the f…

Sermon Scripture: John 20:19-31 In the Easter season we celebrate the biggest mystery of faith: that Jesus willingly took upon himself death on a cross, providing victory over the sins of the world and the curse of death as he rose from the grave. This fact of faith, compared to all the other fantastic stories about Jesus (healing miracles, walking…

Sermon Scripture: Luke 24:1-12, 13-32, 48-49 Have you been moving toward doubt, fear, anger, frustration, impatience, annoyance these days? Or have you been moving toward greater faith, hope, love, kindness, peace, and patience? The consolation of God is not simply an optimistic view of the resurrection for us here in holy week. The consolation of …

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 21:1-11, Matthew 27:20-26 As we consider the crowds who met Jesus in praise and later condemned him for not suiting their needs, I hope we can humbly ask ourselves, “In what ways (big or small), do we push Jesus aside when his Kingdom does not align with our kingdoms?” May we say NO to our preferential kingdoms, no to the …

Sermon Scripture: Ezekiel 37:1-14 One of the most poignant passages of scripture is found in our Lectionary passage for today, Ezekiel chapter 37. This passage is describing the predicament the nation of Israel had found itself in as a result of their exile and their subsequent turning away from the God who saved and sustained them. The prophet Eze…

Sermon Scripture: John 4:3-30, 39-42 The Kingdom of God has a purpose, to bring redemption and life to the entire world, and so it needs all kinds of witnesses. Today we meet a woman who stands as a contrast to Nicodemus, but in her own right, she plays an important role in the beautiful work of the Kingdom.…

Sermon Scripture: John 3:1-21 This week we hear the story of Nicodemus. A successful and self-confident man, he plays a leadership role in his community. His imagination is caught by Jesus, but he wants to compartmentalize whatever faith he has. Nicodemus is not yet ready to declare his faith in the light of day, not prepared to let it change his l…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 4:1-11, Romans 5:12-19 The life of a follower of Jesus is not about perfection or infallibility, it is about confession and humility. When we sin, may we be quick to confess our shortcomings and diligently work to remove the temptations which lead us into these sins. We seek forgiveness when we fail, receive strength in ou…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9 Like baptism and sanctification, the transfiguration of Christ is a prelude to the transformation that all followers of Christ may have when encountering the thin places between heaven and earth. It gives strength, hope, and courage in the face of the frightening and hardest aspect of our lives. Moses and Elijah wer…

Sermon Scripture: Deuteronomy 30:15-20 So often we need to remind ourselves of all that we have come to know and experience about loving God and loving others. Why do we so often digress? Likewise, we often need to gird ourselves up for taking these truths into the harsh reality of the world. Presumably where there will be challenges and where it m…

Sermon Scripture: Micah 6:1-8 One timeless question that many people have pondered and asked time and again is “What is God’s will?” We pondered this question last week as we considered God’s promises and their fulfillment both with creation and to mankind. What you have received, freely give to others. We are all beneficiaries of God’s love, mercy…

Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 9:1-4, Matthew 4:12-23 The Messiah came to enact love and restoration to the world that he loves; including creation and humanity. Learning to trust in the voice of God is not just an intellectual act, but a whole body experience for us because every human bears the image of God. Just as we relate to our closest friends and…

Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 49:1-7, John 1:29-42 As we continue the season of Epiphanytide which acts as a bridge between the events of Advent and Christmas and the leading up to God’s victory over sin and death on the cross and in the resurrection, we focus on the ways in which Jesus demonstrated the ways and means of God’s Kingdom. In doing so our a…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17, Isaiah 42:1-4 Why did Jesus, son of God, the Word that was from the beginning, Immanuel, God with us, need to be baptized? Because Jesus is God with us! Sinless, yet baptized in water. All powerful, yet anointed from on high with the Holy Spirit. Through taking up our mantle as Christians baptized through water an…

Sermon Scripture: John 1:1-14 John’s account of the incarnation takes a radical approach, saying nothing of mangers, animals, shepherds or angels, rather talks of time and space, light and dark, heirs and servants, word and flesh. When you read, or hear John’s incarnation account, it causes you to begin asking questions, and these questions are so …

Sermon Scripture: Luke 4:14-21, Isaiah 61:1–4 Love is our culminating Advent theme as Jesus, God with us, enacted the power of love to bring freedom, restoration, and healing to all who would receive it. As Jesus takes the mantle of love upon himself, he does so in a very specific way. Once again fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 61, Jesus reveals …

Sermon Scripture: Isaiah 35:1-10, John 15:9-17 Happiness and joy are often considered interchangeably, but they are actually two completely different things. The key point being that God promises joy, but he never assures happiness. We might look on these promises about God’s power to heal with cynicism when we see them in light of life as it stand…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 1:18-24, Luke 1:11-20, Luke 1:26b–38 When Heaven speaks it can be quite an unsettling experience. There is a reason that every time an angel shows up in scripture the command is, “Peace be with you.” It’s because angels are not of this world, and very likely their proclamation is about to turn your life upside-down! May we…

Sermon Scripture: Jeremiah 33:14-18, Isaiah 2:2-5, Romans 8:18-26, Psalm 37:3-5 Celebrating the life of Christ through the Christian Calendar and intentionally celebrating the season of Advent with hope and expectation allows us to rearrange the sacred back to the center of our lives. What Advent does is it point the unresolved hopes that we have i…

Sermon Scripture: Colossians 1:11-20 (NLT) In honoring Christ or King and his good Kingdom we consider what Jesus is looking for in his followers. He is looking for people like you and me who may not have it all figured out, but who recognize that their source of hope in this world comes from the love and mercy of Jesus who met us in our darkest of…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 13:10-17, 34-35 Jesus seems to be dividing those who hear about the hopeful, redemptive Kingdom of God into two categories: those who receive and those who reject. How can we protect ourselves from falling into the folly of the rejectors? We must be diligent at keeping our eyes and ears open to the simple truth of God whic…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 13: 44-46 Join us as we delve into the layers of meaning found in the parables of the Treasure and Pearl. Each layer reveals a new understanding of God’s truths and issues a call to action.

Sermon Scripture: Matt. 13:31-33 The Kingdom of Heaven is like a seed, or a measure of yeast, it is imperceptible and much of its growth is unseen, then seemingly overnight you see the tree or the risen dough. We have all heard of the compound effect, or the butterfly effect. This idea says that small, seemingly insignificant forces can have dramat…

Sermon Scripture: Matt. 13:24-30, 36-43 NRSV

Sermon Scripture: Matt. 13:1-9, 18-23 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 9:18-34 Learning about who Jesus healed can tell us more about the Kingdom of God than can speculating about how or what Jesus did. Jesus’ miracles are surrounded by many myths and meanings, and it’s important to distinguish between the two if we wish to be among the community of faith that follows Jesus through these diff…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 9:9-17 If we are to be followers of the Way of Jesus, then we must be willing to do as Jesus did. This means seeking out the stigmatized and abrasive among us in order to share love and mercy. We must also be quick to leave behind our own sin and boldly invite others to the table of grace that we have found.…

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 9:1-8 Jesus heals a paralyzed man, overturning the Jewish notion of sin and forgiveness. We are challenged to accept the authority of Jesus and to model our lives and ministry as agents of forgiveness.

Sermon Scriptures: Matthew 8:23-34, Hebrews 11 Consistently throughout his ministry Jesus challenged those around him in regards to their faith. Either encouraging them to strengthen their faith or questioning them regarding their lack of faith. Join us as we consider what it means to have faith that shapes and guides our lives — especially in our …

Sermon Scripture: Matthew 8:18-22 Together we will examine the drastic statements of Jesus in this Scripture and consider how we embody the love of Jesus in the world as disciples of Jesus.

Sermon Scriptures: Matthew 8:1-11,13 Please take a moment to download the sermon notes (https://bit.ly/3KNCPEY) for this week. In the accounts of healing of the leper and the Roman Centurion’s servant we see the authority, compassion, and restoration of Jesus. Likewise, we see the power of faith to lead and guide our lives. As we ponder these thing…

Sermon Scriptures: Matthew 7:24-29 Jesus intends that we structure our lives upon his teaching and his demonstrated life. This is to become the firm foundation by which we thrive and weather the storms of life. We all have schedules, habits, rhythms, and routines in our lives, but do they match up with the teaching and life of Jesus? Let us conside…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt 7:13-23 As we draw to the close of the Sermon on the Mount, the call to action Jesus is proving us is to live as the Kingdom of Heaven citizens he has been describing. Here he shares three parting warnings for those who will take up his journey. 1. Take the Scenic Route, Not the Highway 2. You Can’t Always Trust the Signs 3.…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt. 7:1-5 What does the Scripture mean when it tells us to ask, seek, and knock in prayer? Join us as we consider how prayer is cooperative - where we partner with God and commune with God. Prayer is a way to join God’s Kingdom work in the world and embody the message of the Sermon on the Mount.…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt. 7:1-5 Jesus warns that anonymous judgment is dangerous to our hearts. Imagine the moral watchdogs, the fault finders, those who are ready to point the finger of judgment at others with no effort to involve themselves in helpful ways with the growth process to overcome these faults in those they condemn. Honor is the call to…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt. 6:9-15 This passage is all about money and things that money can buy. Jesus gives guidance about this topic addressing how one should live if you have it and what to do if you don’t. In both cases, how we respond is a reflection of the condition of our spiritual heart. Finally, Jesus gives the principles of the kingdom – se…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt. 6:9-15 Tiina Mitchell will share from her deep, personal history with The Lord’s Prayer, and share with us the challenge that God gave to her. To allow the beautiful simplicity of Jesus’s instruction on pray to shape our hearts and lives, inviting us into a meaningfully contemplative practice of praying the words Christ gav…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt 6:1–6, 16-18 Join us as we consider Christ’s admonition in faithfully engaging in three core practices of the Christian Faith: giving, prayer, and fasting.

Sermon Scriptures: Matt 5:13-16 Jesus says, I want you to be salt. Kingdom disciples in the midst of all kinds of religious and moral options out there, and don’t worry about how big or small your opportunities may look, if you are faithfully representing me, the Kingdom will be there in a potent way. If Jesus were here living through me in my situ…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt 5:9-12 Do we have any idea of the parameters of the Kingdom of God? How can we recognize the people who live there, and will we be comfortable among them? One way to answer these questions is to look for people doing the hard and troublesome work of making peace.

Sermon Scriptures: Matt 5:6-8 Like the preamble to our U.S. Constitution the Beatitudes proclaim what is, in the light of the Kingdom of Heaven, unassailably true. Our first and primary identity is as citizens in the Kingdom of God, steeped and formed by our Kingdom identity. We should live everyday benefitting from the ideals, systems, and structu…

Sermon Scriptures: Matt 5:3-5 The blessings that Jesus is announcing in The Beatitudes are not saying ‘try hard to live like this’ but are announcements for the people who already ARE like that and it’s good news for them. Those who follow Jesus are to begin to live by this rule here and now - that’s the point of the sermon on the mount and the bea…

Sermon Scriptures: Proverbs 8:1-4, 22-31, Psalm 8, Romans 5:1-5, John 16:12-15 Join us as we celebrate the mystery of faith and unity of the Holy Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit through a series of readings and reflections.

Sermon Scripture: Acts 2:1-21, John 14: 15-21 The Day of Pentecost is thought of as the birthday of the church. On Pentecost Sunday, we celebrate the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the disciples. God’s power and purpose in our lives are built upon the active experience of God’s presence (the Holy Spirit) in our lives. This presence is not some e…