Stand-Alone Sermons
Are you “over the hill”? That phrase can have different meanings, and in this message, based on Mark 9:2-9, we’ll hear how Jesus invites his disciples and us to go “Over the Hill.”
ONE WORSHIP SERVICE @ 10 AM
Join us as we explore a covenant written by the founder of Methodism, John Wesley, and renew our own vows as followers of God.
As the Christmas season begins, we will take a look at the classic Christmas movie “Miracle on 34th Street.” The movie examines the commercialization of Christmas, the intersection of faith and doubt, and the question of how does Santa work? In this message we will see how these three themes of the movie point us toward the real Christmas story.
Being grateful for someone is an emotion we can all relate to. But gratitude is not just an attitude, it’s something that needs to be expressed.
Based around 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, “Living Letters” will help us to remember those Asbury members who died in the last year who have been “living letters,” communicating their message of faith and love. As they made a difference in our lives, we carry on their witness as Christ’s “living letters” today.
Have you ever felt as if you’re on the sidelines in life? Do we notice others who are? The experience of Bartimaeus in Mark’s Gospel gives insight into our experiences and faith in Pastor Evelyn’s message this Sunday “On the Sidelines”.
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We all want to be known for something. What we really need is to be known by someone. A large church like Asbury is not going to be like ‘Cheers,’ where everyone knows your name. But it is a place where someone should know your name.
Join us as we welcome Rev. Dr. Bill Lentz in worship. Rev. Dr. Lentz served 36 years of ordained ministry in small, medium, and large church settings, including 17 years at Wesley UMC in Bethlehem. His ministry has focused on preaching, teaching, and entrepreneurial leadership; skills that he’s continued to employ following his retirement from the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference of the United Methodist Church in 2022.
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There is a famous adage that says “nothing lasts forever.” For the most part that is true, and if you have been on this earth long enough, you can give a number of examples. But there is one thing that will last forever – the Church. Just as Jesus predicted over 2000 years ago the church is still around today. But what does it mean to become part of the church?
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On the day of Pentecost, the Jesus followers in Jerusalem were filled with the Holy Spirit and they poured into the streets of Jerusalem proclaiming the Good News of Jesus. Sometimes this seems like an ancient story that doesn’t have any relevance for 21st century believers. Just like Jesus’ first century followers, we all need help, and there is a way to get access to the same helper Jesus relied on.
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The Rev. Dr. Becky Beckwith is the Pastor Emerita of St. John’s UCC, Fullerton. She has recently completed her ministry as the PNEC, United Church of Christ Sabbatical Conference Minister. She also enjoys serving as the Intentional Interim Pastor, or Church Consultant/Coach for churches in discernment. Becky and Bob Beckwith just celebrated 50 years of marriage! They are the parents of Brad (Alyssa) and Jill (George Williams). Becky is proudly known as Nona to her grandchildren, Maya, Aubrey, and Lucas.
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Join us as we welcome Rev. Dr. Jeff Raffauf in worship. Rev. Dr. Raffauf served for 22 years as Lead Pastor at West Lawn United Methodist Church before retiring in June 2022. He grew up in the West Lawn area and attended West Lawn UMC as a child; and following retirement, he and his wife, Cheryl, remain active in the West Lawn community.
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People ultimately weren’t convinced to follow Jesus because of what he taught. They became convinced because of what they saw.
Join us as we welcome Rev. Dr. Sue Pizor Yoder in worship. Rev. Yoder leads Blank Slate, an emerging spiritual community in the Lehigh Valley. Previously, she served as the pastor of The Barn church.
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Most people are fans of Jesus and they like his teachings.
Very few people have anything negative to say about Him.
However, we are not just called to be fans of Jesus, we are called to be his followers.
So what does it take to be a follower and not just a fan?
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ONE WORSHIP SERVICE @ 10 AM
Christmas day will feature a special video message from our Bishop, John Schol.
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The movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” is a beloved Christmas classic. It’s the story of an angel sent from Heaven to help a desperately frustrated businessman by showing him what life would have been like if he had never existed. Join us this Christmas Eve as we look at how this movie points us toward the real Christmas story.
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How do we give thanks in times of uncertainty and struggle – those situations that prompt us to ask “What now?”
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The Rev. Dr. David DeRemer is the recently retired Director of Supervised Ministry and Director of Enrollment at Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem PA. In 2014 he concluded more than 18 years as Senior Pastor of St. John’s United Church of Christ in Nazareth PA. In 1985, DeRemer was the founding director of New Bethany Ministries in Bethlehem. Created by the Episcopal Diocese, this ecumenical, social ministry organization grew from one program to a continuum of housing services in his ten-year leadership. He served as pastor of First UCC Bethlehem from 1979 to 1985.
Recently, DeRemer been providing consulting services through Penn Northeast Conference UCC to congregations in transition.
He is married to Kathy. They live in Macungie PA.
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We work alongside, go to school with, and live next door to people of other religions, yet most of us understand little about their faith. In this series we explore where there is common ground between Christianity and other religions, as well as where they differ from one another.
Hinduism is the world’s oldest religion, according to many scholars, with roots and customs dating back more than 4,000 years. Today, with about 900 million followers, Hinduism is the third-largest religion behind Christianity and Islam. Roughly 95 percent of the world’s Hindus live in India. Join us as we discuss the core beliefs of Hinduism, its common ground with Christianity, and how they are different.
Buddhism is one of the world’s largest religions and originated 2,500 years ago in India. Buddhists believe that the human life is one of suffering, and that meditation, spiritual and physical labor, and good behavior are the ways to achieve enlightenment, or nirvana. Join us as we discuss the core beliefs of Buddhism, its common ground with Christianity and how they are different.
Judaism is the world’s oldest monotheistic religion, dating back nearly 4,000 years. Followers of Judaism believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient prophets. The history of Judaism is essential to understanding the Jewish faith, which has a rich heritage of law, culture and tradition. Join us as we discuss the core beliefs of Judaism, its common ground with Christianity and how they are different.
The word “Islam” means “submission to the will of God.” Followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims are monotheistic and worship one, all-knowing God, who in Arabic is known as Allah. Followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah. Join us as we discuss the core beliefs of Islam, its common ground with Christianity and how they are different.
Many people believe that “all religions are the same.” After examining four of the world’s most popular religions, today we turn our attention toward Christianity. So what is it that separates Christianity from the other four world religions?
