Gray Memorial United Methodist Church Sermons

Are you carrying the burden of a family secret? Are there parts of your self or your life that you are trying to keep hidden? Psalm 51 pushes us to unburden ourselves with the God who loves us so that we can step into the freedom of a clean slate, described by the Psalmist as a clean heart and a new and right spirit. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

The author of Psalm 23 had a gift for painting a picture with words--green pastures, still waters, dark valleys, and more. Seeing that our life is stretched before us like a blank canvas, we can become co-creators with God. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Job asked "why?" and God responded with "who!" Pastor Beth offers a personal testimony about how the UMC General Conference of 2019 left her asking "why" and how God answered her prayers in a powerful way. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Esther shows us what can happen when just one person has courage. When we look at our world today, we know we can't fix every problem, but that's no excuse to not fix what we can. We pray "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," and God answers that prayer one courageous person at a time. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Nehemiah 8:1-12 Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

King Josiah instituted renewal during his time as one of the few good kings of Judah. (Pastor Beth explains why he was the king of Judah and not the king of Israel.) Like Josiah, John Wesley understood the importance of covenant renewal. We use his covenant prayer to help us understand what covenant promises are all about. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

In 1 Chronicles 29, King David models a robust theology of giving. It is based in the idea that everything we have and everything we are is a gift from God. If you think about it, it's the opposite of what we learn in the game of Monopoly, but in this sermon Pastor Beth shares that it's exactly what was originally intended by the game's inventor, Lizzie Magie. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

The idea that God would become human and experience death so that humanity would know nothing separates us from God--not even death, is so wonderful it can seem too good to be true. But it really is true. Pastor Beth uses the story of Naaman from 2 Kings 5 to help us see that God works in ways that can seem too good to be true, but we can trust God and step into the river. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Palm Sunday, our annual celebration of the day Jesus entered Jerusalem to the cries of "Hosanna! Hosanna!" The people were sending out an SOS, asking God to save them. That was exactly was God was doing. It was the very reason Jesus had come to Jerusalem. But it didn't turn out the way anyone expected. What do we mean when we send out our SOS? Do we really want to be saved? Are we saved from (or for) something? If so, what? Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

In 1 Samuel 25 we meet a fool named Nabal and a peacemaker named Nabal. Abigail teaches us about how God wants the world to work and God wants us to work in the world. We may live in a world full of Nabals, but we can choose to be Abigails. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Ruth is from Moab, a place where the people have loops in their family trees. In other words, Ruth is no one from nowhere. And yet, God brings her from loss to legacy. Her decision to be faithful and loyal is a decision that changes the world. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Judges 4 tells us that God empowered and called Deborah, Barak, and Jael to end the oppressive ways of Sisera and his king, Jabin. God empowers and call us to end oppression in our own time and place. How can you be a torch-bearer for the light of the world? Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

The book of Joshua is filled with conquest and victory ... and genocide. Pastor Beth explores how we can temper the message of Joshua (be strong and courageous because God is with you) with the words of Jesus and make it even stronger. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

In Numbers, Moses asks, rhetorically, "What does the Lord require?" We need to treat people the way God treats us--with mercy, compassion, loving kindness, and humility. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

The Israelites faced a roadblock in Numbers 13 when the scouts came back and reported that the Promised Land was filled with dangerous giants. Only two scouts had enough faith to believe that God would make a way for them--as God had done day in and day out for more than a year. We all face roadblocks in life. How can we build our faith so that we never forget that God will see us through? Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

We continue our one-year journey through the Bible. This is the start of a 4-week sermon series called "Road Rules." We're looking at the rules of the road the Israelites learned as they moved through the wilderness in Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua. Today's road rule is: Give God Your Best. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Exodus 20:1-21 Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme. God gives us principles for living in community with each other and God. We make a mistake if we replace God with the rules or use the rules as excuse for indifference. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Exodus 14:13-31 Sometimes we want to stand still when God is actually telling us to keep moving. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Genesis 32:22-32 In this message, Rev. Beth Demme looks at the story of Jacob wrestling with God and becoming Israel and how it teaches us that even when life is hard, God's blessing is present. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org

Pastor Beth Demme begins our year-long journey through the Bible using The Bible Year by Magrey DeVega. Sermon by Rev. Beth Demme For more information, visit www.graymumc.org