Pastor Michael Mathews has become a beacon of hope and guidance for many through his recent sermons. His messages resonate deeply, offering practical wisdom and spiritual encouragement that inspire meaningful changes in daily life. This blog post explores the key themes from his impactful sermons, highlights memorable quotes, and shows how these teachings can be applied to enrich everyday living. Pastor Michael Mathews delivering a sermon in a warmly lit church Embracing Fait

The Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 13, 2026 Sermon: “Whether We Live or Die, We Are the Lord’s” Romans 14:1–12 Sudden and tragic deaths happen all the time. ... But we don’t have to live in fear because of what God promises us in Christ.

The Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost – September 6, 2026 Sermon: “The Kingdom of Heaven and Earthly Kingdoms” Matthew 18:1–20; Romans 13:1–10 God rules in the world through both the church and the state. God has created them both but for different purposes, and He exercises His power through both but in different ways.

Pastor Mick Mathews was on vacation August 23 and 30, and guest pastors filled in. Their sermons are not available to post.

The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost – August 16, 2026 Sermon: “A Great and Humble Faith in an Abundant Lord” Matthew 15:21–28 Last week we heard Jesus say to Peter, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). This week, Jesus said to a Canaanite woman, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 14:28). That’s quite a contrast - especially considering the 2 people involved.

The Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost – August 9, 2026 Sermon: “Doubt and Faith” Matthew 14:22–33; Romans 10:5–17 What is faith? Where does it come from? How do we make our faith stronger? How do we deal with doubt, which seeks to undermine our faith? All of these issues are addressed in the Gospel reading for today about Jesus and Peter walking on the water.

The Tenth Sunday after Pentecost – August 2, 2026 Sermon: “You Give Them Something to Eat” Matthew 14:13–21 The last few weeks, we’ve been listening to some of Jesus’ parables about the kingdom of heaven. Today we look at how Jesus fed over 5000 people with only 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. This miracle also teaches us about the coming of the kingdom of heaven.

The Ninth Sunday after Pentecost – July 26, 2026 Sermon: “The Kingdom of Heaven Is Like …” Matthew 13:44–52 This morning we heard three short parables of Jesus about what the kingdom of heaven is like: the treasure hidden in a field, the pearl of great value, and the net gathering every kind of fish.

The Eighth Sunday after Pentecost – July 19, 2026 Sermon: “Weeds among the Wheat” Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43 Jesus told the parable of the weeds among the wheat to give us a different perspective on why God continues to allow evil in the world along with the suffering it causes.

The Seventh Sunday after Pentecost – July 12, 2026 Sermon: “God Sows the Seed of His Word” Matthew 13:1–9, 18–23 You’ve probably heard Jesus’ parable of the sower before. In biblical times, they didn’t have giant John Deere machines to use to plant their fields. A person would have to go out into the field and spread the seeds by hand.

The Sixth Sunday after Pentecost – July 5, 2026 Sermon: “Rest for Your Souls” Matthew 11:25–30 God created human beings to be able to do work. When He created the first human beings, Adam and Eve, He put them in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. So work has been a part of human life from the beginning. But God did not intend for us to work all the time.

The Fifth Sunday after Pentecost – June 28, 2026 Sermon: “Not Peace but a Sword” Matthew 10:34–42 Jesus said to His twelve apostles as He sent them out to preach that “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 10:3). He also said something that still sounds shocking to us today: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” (Matthew 10:34).

The Fourth Sunday after Pentecost – June 21, 2026 Sermon: “Do Not Fear Them, Fear Him” Matthew 10:21–33 Jesus warned His disciples about the severe opposition they would face as they continued to work for Him and spread His message – and it’s a reminder to us to expect the people around us to sometimes be opposed to us when we speak about Jesus as well.

The Third Sunday after Pentecost – June 14, 2026 Sermon: “Disciples and Apostles” Matthew 9:35–10:20 The Twelve men that Jesus chose are sometimes called disciples and sometimes called apostles. So what’s the difference? What is a disciple, and what is an apostle?

The Second Sunday after Pentecost – June 7, 2026 Sermon: “Mercy, and Not Sacrifice” Matthew 9:9–13 One of the men that Jesus called to follow Him was a man named Matthew. Matthew was a tax collector.

The Feast of the Holy Trinity– May 31, 2026 Sermon: “The Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” Matthew 28:16–20 On this first Sunday after Pentecost, we celebrate that God has made Himself known to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Three Persons and yet One God. The church has created the word "Trinity" to sum up this teaching.

The Day of Pentecost– May 24, 2026 Sermon: “Oh, That All the Lord’s People Were Prophets” Numbers 11:24–30 The Feast of Pentecost did not begin as a celebration among the New Testament church. Its roots go back to the time when God used Moses as His prophet to lead the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt and then brought them to Mount Sinai.