First Houston United Methodist Church

Acts 17 is one of Lance’s favorite chapters in Acts, and that’s because there’s a lot going on beneath the text. Paul’s heart is grieved for the world around him. What is breaking your heart in the world around us? The world is open to the Word of God, but who is going to teach them the resurrection if not us? Acts 17:16-34 fmhouston.com

Lance dives into Acts 16, where Paul and Silas are punished for having the faith to save a girl tormented by demon, and find themselves flogged and sent to prison, not that they let it get them down. “Sometimes the only way through it is a hallelujah.” To praise even in the face of punishment and torment - that’s difficult to do. But their faith had an impact. Can ours have the same? Acts 16:16-40 fmhouston.com

As we look at the story of a Gentile church in crisis in Acts, Lance talks about the way political differences have divided the church in the wake of Covid. Lance is reminded of a church he served at, and how one fateful decision sealed the direction of the church. The choices we make drive us towards or away from relationship with our neighbors. Living in community requires choice. What is going to be the thing that holds us together in community? Acts 15:1-35 fmhouston.com

Lance talks about a time he ended up in Vegas and made a tentative attempt at gambling at a slot machine, which ended poorly. But prayer, he reminds us, is not gambling. You aren’t just putting coins in a slot machine and hoping something good comes out. And the story today, of Peter being rescued from prison in the Book of Acts, is a clear example of the power of prayer. Acts 12:1-24 fmhouston.com

Lance takes a look at a church in Acts that where people were coming from everywhere and all walks of life - and asks what we can do to create the same movement. We are a missionary movement. There is still good to be done. Are you looking at the gifts that are all around us? There are so many people here we can lift up. God is weaving together a tapestry made out of all of us to make a beautiful church. Acts 11:19-30 fmhouston.com

In the book of Acts, Peter is given a vision from heaven of every type of food, letting the Jewish people that he has declared everything clean. But the picture is much bigger - Jesus was letting Peter know that everyone was invited, and everyone was invited just as they are. Jesus asks us to invite everyone into his church. Lance challenges us to extend that invitation with an open hand. Why do we expect people who have never sat at the feet of Jesus to act like Jesus? Acts 10:1-48 fmhouston.com

When Paul first began preaching in the streets, it was clear immediately that something incredible was happening. People’s lives were being transformed. When the Holy Spirit is doing something, he calls for us to jump in and become a part of it. We can’t ask people to join something unless we’re already in it ourselves. Are we willing to go? Are we willing to go deeper? Are we willing to go all in? Acts 9:19-31 fmhouston.com

Amanda tells the story of Saul being blinded, healed, and transformed to become Paul, a faithful disciple of Christ. She compares it to the Choose Your Own Adventure books she grew up with - except that in the Book of Acts, we learn that anything is possible. In the same way that God called Paul on the road to Damascus, He calls us to lift our eyes and see the world the way He sees it. Where is God trying to turn things upside down? Acts 9:1-19 fmhouston.com

This week’s scripture, the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch, is one that Lance struggles with. But like the Ethiopian in the story, he doesn’t give up - he keeps wrestling with it. The Ethiopian eunuch in this week’s scripture was excluded from Jewish life, but Philip recognized that God had called him to witness to him, because God calls us to liminal spaces. Wouldn’t we all do well to go when and where God sends us? fmhouston.com Acts 8:26-40

It’s Father’s Day, which gives Lance a chance to start off the sermon with a few dad jokes, to great appreciation from the congregation. Lance explores a conflict within the early church, and casts that same conflict forward to today’s church. We each have a calling from God, and it’s important for each of us to live that calling. That’s the only way the church will grow. Acts 6:1-7 fmhouston.com

On Father’s Day, Brant reminds something his father once told him: “conflict exists everywhere - the choice we have is how we deal with it.” Today’s Scripture is about the early church’s decision to meet conflict head-on. To unwrap what’s happening in today’s Scripture, Brant explains the concept of “gongysmos” - which is a real Greek word and not just a growl, he insists. Acts 6:1-7 fmhouston.com

Lance tells the story of the apostles being dragged before the Sanhedrin, and how they rejoiced to be suffering on behalf of the Lord. “Wherever the word of the Lord is, it brings freedom with it.” Acts 5:12-42 fmhouston.com

Lance launches into a new series, “World Upside Down,” exploring the events of the book of Acts. And we begin with an act of faith and boldness: the healing of the crippled man by the disciples. Acts is not really the acts of the apostles, it’s the acts of the Holy Spirit. The power to do miracles, the power to do ANYTHING doesn’t come from us - it comes from the Holy Spirit. Acts 3 & 4 fmhouston.com

On Pentecost Sunday, Lance reminds us that when the church began, Jesus told them to wait on the Spirit. He didn’t send it until the church was ready. Even as the world gets trapped more and more in their echo chambers, the Holy Spirit doesn’t work like that. What it brings always has an external impact. Acts 2 fmhouston.com

As we wrap up the series, Lance tells the story of Gideon, and how often live our lives afraid to trust in God’s promises. But if we remember all the God has done, we will know that the God Who Was… Is. God sees us according to our potential. He sees in us the image of God, not in our human frailties. Judges 6 fmhouston.com

Joshua 24 fmhouston.com

When the Israelites entered the Promised Land, Joshua asked them if they were really going to be devoted to God - and he wanted a real answer. You might have seen today's Scripture on a plaque at Hobby Lobby. But you might not understand what it was Joshua was really asking. Joshua 24 fmhouston.com

Lance tells the story of the Battle of Jericho - and shows us not just what the story is, but what the story is not. God doesn’t need to work through human means, God will work how God wants to work. Geat ready. Because the walls are about to start tumbling down. Joshua 5 & 6 fmhouston.com

Today’s message is about remembering the promises of God, and so Lance looks back to his own history to recall the way his grandmother first taught him to be faithful. Why did God repeat miracles? Because he wanted His people to remember. When you’re struggling - look back. Remember all the ways God has been with us in our past and be certain that he is with us going forward. Joshua 3 & 4 fmhouston.com

Living a life that’s dedicated to God’s path requires is to create a rhythm of giving our whole self. Description: On Senior Sunday, Amanda tells the story of the Israelites stepping forward into the Promised Land through Dr. Seuss’ “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” As we travel on God’s path, we can count on being pulled up from our slumps - because God goes with us. Deuteronomy 31:1-3a, 6-8 fmhouston.com

Amanda takes us to where the Israelites stand, just short of the Promised Land, after a long period of wandering in the desert. It’s a lesson in how God pulls us back to him, back into relationship. He shows up in our lives, and in our church. Like the Israelites, sometimes we find yourself out of sync with God. Those moments are opportunities. Deuteronomy 6:1-12, 20-25, 7:6 fmhouston.com

On Easter Sunday, Lance reminds us that we get a chance to tell the world the good news. “God is up to something. Do you feel it?” Revival is happening. Let us be a part of what God is up to. John 20:1-18 fmhouston.com

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, didn’t ride in on a war horse - in fact, this was a caricature of the way Roman emperors would ride in on a white horse when they arrived. His entrance showed that God’s power is not coming in judgment; but it is coming in humility to those who will receive it. Exodus 33:7-23, 34:1-10, 27-32 fmhouston.com

The Israelites make a golden idol, and Moses responds on behalf of God - but he’s clearly acting on his own. Ken talks about the difficulty with history and finding the work of God within the story. Plus, an apology. Exodus 32:1-35; 33:1-6 fmhouston.com

Today’s text is about the bridge-building between God and humanity. When the Israelites forget God’s promises and seek out a replacement in the shape of a golden idol, God sends Moses to bring them back to repentance. But Moses fails the assignment. Exodus 32:1-35; 33:1-6 fmhouston.com

As the Israelites wait at the foot of the mountain to hear from God, Ken sees The Source in the same place - in the wilderness, but waiting in a place of purpose, listening for a calling. Exodus 19 & 20 fmhouston.com

Today, we come to the mountaintop with Moses. This is the fulcrum of the whole book of Exodus - there is a long wilderness on either side of this place. What God gives here is more than just a set of laws - it is a vocation, a call to be a holy priesthood. Exodus 19 & 20 fmhouston.com

Ken has learned that he is, medically speaking, hypervigilant. And now he is wrestling with a reality: vigilance is good, but it can get in the way of being present and trusting God. The world calls us to hypervigilance, but God calls us to rest. It’s funny that rest is the hardest thing we have to do, yet rest was was instilled in us from the very beginning. Exodus 17:1-7 fmhouston.com

It’s Lance’s “favorite” Sunday: Spring Forward Sunday. And ironically, today he’s talking about rest. He tells the story of the Israelites, alone in the desert, feeling thirsty and Godforsaken, and how they had forgotten how they were provided for. When we are in our wilderness places, that is an opportunity that God will use to point to Him. In the miracle of the water from the rock, God reminded the Israelites that they were not alone. God was already there with them. We need to seek God on the mountaintop and the valley. Exodus 17:1-7 fmhouston.com

Lance begins our series on the wilderness with the story of God taking the Israelites across the Red Sea. When God moves us from one place to another, it can feel like we haven’t made much progress. It takes time to break old habits. We need to be still and know that God is God. And God will lead us safely home. Exodus 13 & 14 (Selected Verses) fmhouston.com

Lance talks about the revival happening at Asbury, and the lessons we can draw from it. When we experience God’s presence and power, we need to speak, to share it, to bring revival to this land. God is calling you, and he is sending you. Romans 10:5-17 First Methodist Houston is the oldest Methodist church in Houston, Texas. We continue to evolve through the years and have been serving the communities of Downtown Houston, Texas and Westchase District. Please join us any Sunday for our worship services at one of our campuses. To learn more about our worship services, please visit our website at http://fmhouston.com

How do we carry the love of God to the world in tangible ways? Lance tells some of the lessons he first started learning as a college student in Juarez, Mexico, helping to building homes with hand tools, and the way he started to see God’s love in action. Service is one of the hallmark practices of the Christian faith. So how do we carry the love of God to the world in tangible ways? Matthew 25:31-35 fmhouston.com

Lance looks at the book of Ephesians to see what God asks of us about service. As Lance goes over what Paul wrote to the Ephesians about service, he reminds us that we use the gifts that God has given us to serve. But he wants to root service in something much deeper. Ephesians 4:1-6, 11-13, 15 fmhouston.com

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Serving your church doesn’t mean you have to do the same things you do all week. It’s important to find your passion, to see where it is that makes you excited to serve God. “What are the gifts that we are bring to build up not just this church, but the entire kingdom of God?” Today’s scripture reminds Amanda of her childhood being a latchkey kid - and the stern words she and her siblings sometimes heard when her parents got home. But Paul’s direction to serve your church doesn’t mean you have to do the same things you do all week. We are each gifted by the Holy Spirit. It’s important to find your passion, to see where it is that makes you excited to serve God. “What are the gifts that we are bring to build up not just this church, but the entire kingdom of God?” 1 Corinthians 12:4-14, 27-31 fmhouston.com

The worship service itself isn’t the chief goal of our life together. It’s not about preaching or music, it’s about all of us coming together and growing our relationship to God - together. Relationship changes us. We have to make time for it. And the church is a place to make that happen. As Lance points out, “wherever 2 or more Methodists are gathered together, there is a covered dish.” Acts 2:41-47 fmhouston.com

This Sunday, Dr. Brant Wallace opens up our new sermon series "Be The Church" You may have noticed when Pastor Lance Richards gives a benediction, he always concludes it with "go and be the Church." But what does that mean? Brant dives into this series with tough questions about prayer. Get Connected! First Methodist Houston is the oldest Methodist church in Houston, Texas. We continue to evolve through the years and have been serving the communities of Downtown Houston, Texas and Westchase District. Please join us any Sunday for our worship services at one of our campuses. To learn more about our worship services, please visit our website at http://fmhouston.com

Remembering the wise men as we bring the Christmas season to a close. fmhouston.com

Our choir loft was completly full for this service!

Luke 1: 39-56 “My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me— holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants forever, just as he promised our ancestors.”

Luke 1: 26-38 The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God. First Methodist Houston is the oldest Methodist church in Houston, Texas. We continue to evolve through the years and have been serving the communities of Downtown Houston, Texas and Westchase District. Please join us any Sunday for our worship services at one of our campuses. To learn more about our worship services, please visit our website at http://fmhouston.com

The story of Zechariah is a story of patience rewarded, of stepping out of the shadows into the light. It is a story of deliverance. Luke 1:57-80 fmhouston.com

As Lance encourages us to prepare our hearts for this Advent season, his suggestions are practical, and therefore appropriately Methodist. But one theme runs through them all: that we should commit to grow in grace. Colossians 1:9-14, 21-23, 28 fmhouston.com

For Lance to explain justifying grace, he tells the story of the two Wesley brothers who founded Methodism, and how they came to learn the true depths of God's grace for us. Romans 5: 1-11 fmhouston.com

Lance begins our series on grace by exploring prevenient grace - the expression of grace that comes before we can even do anything to respond. “God always takes the first step.“ Description: Lance begins our series on grace by exploring prevenient grace - the expression of grace that comes before we can even do anything to respond. He starts with the book of Ephesians and what it means to say “by grace you have been saved through faith.” Ephesians 2:1-10 fmhouston.com

Duke professor and bishop candidate Laceye Warner visits and speaks to us on Jonah and refusing God’s call on your life. Jonah 4:1-11 fmhouston.com

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Lance introduces his audience to “koinonia,” true community in Christ - the giving of ourselves to one another that allows us to enact the power of the Holy Spirit. “Worship isn’t the centrality of the church, small groups are.” Lance introduces his audience to “koinonia,” true community in Christ - the giving of ourselves to one another that allows us to enact the power of the Holy Spirit. “I’m a product of small groups and Sunday School” Acts 2:42-47 fmhouston.com/one-together

In order to sharpen one another, we need to have actual conversations with flesh and blood human beings. Description: Today’s scripture talks about the truly massive power we are offered through Christ - the power of resurrection. Paul wants us to be filled with the power that raised Jesus from the dead! But in order to sharpen one another, we need to have actual conversations with flesh and blood human beings. Ephesians 1:15-23 fmhouston.com 8:20