Concord United Sermons

Know Your Role | Rev. Brooke Hartman

From Abraham’s family onward, the Scriptures portray the family as the foundation of both faith and society. God’s covenant with Abraham includes the call to instruct children and descendants “to keep the way of the Lord.” In the ancient world, faith was passed down person-to-person within families, with parents, grandparents, as well as single persons called unique forms of spiritual leadership.

Scripture - Genesis 18:17-19

Know Your Family Story | Rev. Brooke Hartman

Family stories communicate who we are and where we come from—building emotional resilience and belonging. The Bible is filled with stories of God’s faithfulness, calling us to see ourselves as part of God’s great family. In 1 Peter, the scattered early Christians are reminded that despite suffering, they have an inheritance in Christ and belong to the family of God. Knowing our biblical story is foundational to living faithfully in today’s world.

Scripture - 1 Peter 2:9-10

Know Your Family Story | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Family stories communicate who we are and where we come from—building emotional resilience and belonging. The Bible is filled with stories of God’s faithfulness, calling us to see ourselves as part of God’s great family. In 1 Peter, the scattered early Christians are reminded that despite suffering, they have an inheritance in Christ and belong to the family of God. Knowing our biblical story is foundational to living faithfully in today’s world.

Scripture - 1 Peter 2:9-10

Jealousy: Evil’s Secret Weapon | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Social media has made jealousy into an epidemic, thought honestly jealousy was doing just fine long before Zuckerberg monetized it. The command not to be cover the possessions of our neighbor is the negative version of the positive command to be content and grateful with what God has given us. This doesn’t mean we have to be content with everything about our lives. We may find ourselves rightfully impassioned by the holy desire to better develop and utilize the gifts God has given us, but it does mean we do not sit around wishing we had the life of our neighbor rather than appreciating all the good things we have been given.

Scripture - Exodus 20:17

Jealousy: Evil’s Secret Weapon | Rev. Brooke Hartman

Social media has made jealousy into an epidemic, thought honestly jealousy was doing just fine long before Zuckerberg monetized it. The command not to be cover the possessions of our neighbor is the negative version of the positive command to be content and grateful with what God has given us. This doesn’t mean we have to be content with everything about our lives. We may find ourselves rightfully impassioned by the holy desire to better develop and utilize the gifts God has given us, but it does mean we do not sit around wishing we had the life of our neighbor rather than appreciating all the good things we have been given.

Scripture - Exodus 20:17

The Truth About Lies | Rev. Sabine Collins

Many of us wouldn’t call ourselves creative people. But if you are placed in a situation where you can get out of trouble by bending the truth a little bit, you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll become as creative as any Hollywood playwright. We discover this creative impulse early. Every parent has choked back laughter and tried to keep a straight face while hearing their child tell almost unbelievably creative lies in order to get out of trouble.

The command to not bear false witness establishes morality as a higher set of practices than doing what is practical in the moment. Those who choose to follow this commandment discover that it leads them to live a life based on integrity rather than getting ahead. Not surprisingly those who seek integrity often find fulfillment, but those who give up their integrity in search of fulfillment seldom find it.

Scripture - Exodus 20:16

The Truth About Lies | Rev. Wil Cantrell

Many of us wouldn’t call ourselves creative people. But if you are placed in a situation where you can get out of trouble by bending the truth a little bit, you’ll be amazed how quickly you’ll become as creative as any Hollywood playwright. We discover this creative impulse early. Every parent has choked back laughter and tried to keep a straight face while hearing their child tell almost unbelievably creative lies in order to get out of trouble.

The command to not bear false witness establishes morality as a higher set of practices than doing what is practical in the moment. Those who choose to follow this commandment discover that it leads them to live a life based on integrity rather than getting ahead. Not surprisingly those who seek integrity often find fulfillment, but those who give up their integrity in search of fulfillment seldom find it.

Scripture - Exodus 20:16

Don’t Take What Ain’t Yours | Rev. Wil Cantrell

The commandment not to steal is found in almost all ancient societies with written laws. Why is it so prevalent? Well, there was no way then or now to protect all your stuff all the time. If you couldn’t count on your stuff being protect, there was no real way or motivation to do business with others. And society would spiral out of control. Seems like motivation enough.

Yet, in God’s commandment, we find more than common sense. The commitment to not take what isn’t ours – in all areas of life, whether it’s taking money from someone or taking credit for something we didn’t do – is rooted not in common sense, but in the belief that God will provide what we need so we don’t have to take it from others.

Scripture - Exodus 20:15

Don’t Take What Ain’t Yours | Rev. Brooke Hartman

The commandment not to steal is found in almost all ancient societies with written laws. Why is it so prevalent? Well, there was no way then or now to protect all your stuff all the time. If you couldn’t count on your stuff being protect, there was no real way or motivation to do business with others. And society would spiral out of control. Seems like motivation enough.

Yet, in God’s commandment, we find more than common sense. The commitment to not take what isn’t ours – in all areas of life, whether it’s taking money from someone or taking credit for something we didn’t do – is rooted not in common sense, but in the belief that God will provide what we need so we don’t have to take it from others.

 

Scripture - Exodus 20:15

Honor Your Parents | Rev. Brooke Hartman

God created the family as the primary building block for society. To have a flourishing human society, parents must make great sacrifices to raise their children and instill in them a strong Christian character and children must make great sacrifices to respect their parents even when they disagree and to care for their parents in their old age.

Scripture - Exodus 20:12