Sermon

Held Down

What burdens do you carry? How do they keep you from living the life that you were intended to live? How can we let go of that which holds us down, and live fully into who God has created us to be?

Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10, Read by Suzie Harder
New Testament Reading: Hebrews 12:18-29
Gospel Reading: Luke 13:10-17, Read by Rev. Leanne Masters

Sermon preached by Rev. Leanne Masters, Pastor. 

When No One's Around

Jesus tells us to keep our lamps burning and be ready for action. What does that mean for our daily living and our daily being? How and who are we to be while we are waiting for God's call in/to our lives? 

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 1:1, 10-20 - Read by Suzie Harder
New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Gospel Reading: Luke 12:32-40 - Read by Rev. Leanne Masters

Sermon preached by Rev. Leanne Masters, Pastor.

References:
Invisibilia
(Specific episode, "The Personality Myth")
New York Times article about Olympic Swimmer Yursa Mardini

Where Can I Find You?

There are days...Oh, there are days...when the road seems too rough and the journey too hard. What do we do when we just want to give up?

In the wake of a week of horrible news, (yet another mass shooting where innocent lives were lost, a small child from a neighboring community lost while happily splashing on vacation, hate, hurt, anger and vitriol streaming across the airwaves into our homes and into our minds), we are tired and hurting and...just looking for God to speak to us in these moments.

Today, we look for God's grace and mercy in a world where it is hard to see.

---

Old Testament Lesson: 1 Kings 19:1-15a. Read by John Dahm.
New Testament Lesson: Luke 8:26-39.

Sermon Preached by Rev. Leanne Masters - Pastor, Southern Heights Presbyterian Church

On the Other Side of the Fence

We want what others have...but it isn't so much about the stuff, is it?

Scripture Readings: 1 Kings 21:1-21a and Galatians 2:15-21

Old Testament Lesson read by Marj Jeambey
New Testament Lesson read and Sermon preached by Rev. Leanne Masters

---

A Note from Pastor Leanne:

A year and a half ago, I started recording my sermons on my cell phone while I was preaching, editing it from the voice recorder function on my phone, and then uploading it to the feed. The quality was…okay, I guess, but, at the time, that process was what I had at my disposal.

About a year ago, that process became a bit tedious, and it became increasingly difficult to update the podcast with any consistency. And so, this podcast became a bit…abandoned.

I apologize for that.

However, recently, I’ve been able to upgrade some hardware as well as software, and…I think you’ll agree, the quality is much, much better.

So, starting with the posting of last week’s sermon, we will be bringing you each week’s Sunday Sermon on the following Monday, complete with the scripture readings that accompany the sermon.

I hope you enjoy!

Please, if you have any thoughts or comments, email me at southernheightspresbyterian@gmail.com.

Oh, and PS: I've attempted to update the artwork. Please refresh your podcast artwork to get the latest and greatest! :-)

Can You?

The disciples wanted to be great, and don't we all? We all want to be recognized and respected, if not just thanked, for the work that we do in this world. And yet, it's about so much more...Join us as we explore Mark 10:35-45 and ask ourselves the question: Just what is it that we are called to do and to be in this world?

Preached by Rev. Leanne Masters, Pastor at Southern Heights Presbyterian Church.

Feeling Forsaken

This week, we explore the most difficult of times that we face, personally and communally,  and ask the question: Where is God in this? Join us as we ask that question, and seek God in the midst of the whirlwind.

Scripture this week is Job 23:1-9, 16-17 and Psalm 22:1-15. Preached by Rev. Leanne Masters, pastor at Southern Heights Presbyterian Church.

Like a Child

After a hiatus, our Podcast is back with this Sermon from October 4, 2015. Here, we explore the relationship between Jesus' answer to the Pharisees' questions regarding divorce and his exhortation to allow the little children to come to him...all while asking the question: What does this mean for us today?

Based on Mark 10:2-16, this sermon was preached by Rev. Leanne Masters, pastor at Southern Heights.

Intentional Community

"Community." It's a word that we use a whole lot, in a whole lot of different contexts, to mean a whole lot of different things. But what does it mean for us, as Christians, to live in Community, with each other and with our neighbors? What can the Acts Church teach us about living in community?

Inspired by Pastor's experiences living and working in Intentional Christian Community, and the recent On Being interview with Fr. Greg Boyle (which you can find on the On Being Website), this sermon explores living in community, and how it can impact our lives and our relationships.

Scripture readings are Acts 4: 32-35 and John 20:19-31.

Preached by Rev. Leanne Masters, Pastor

The Passion According to Mark...and a Question for Us

This week, we started Holy Week with the story of Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem (not included here), and the story of his final days, arrest, trial, and crucifixion as told through the words of Mark in chapters 14 and 15 (read here from the Common English Bible). 

Join us on the journey to the cross as we ask ourselves an important question...

Preached by Rev. Leanne Masters, Pastor