First Houston United Methodist Church

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

God is inviting us into relationship. Bring what you have and it will be enough. In the story of the loaves and the fishes, Jesus looks at a tiny amount of food and declares it enough for a multitude. Where others see lack, God sees an abundance. If we believe that with God, there is more than enough, are we willing to have enough faith to be rooted in that promise of abundance? God is inviting us into relationship. Bring what you have and it will be enough. John 6:1-14 fmhouston.com

This sermon marks the beginning of a new series, and also the beginning of a stewardship campaign. This month - and this year - we learn how to be "one together." That requires us to bear with each other in love, but that is the work of our life, and of the church. And that is what the world is longing for. Ephesians 4:1-7 & 4:11-13 fmhouston.com

Lance finds the culmination of all these stories of encounters in Jesus’ meeting with Zaccheus. Don’t underestimate the way people’s lives can be transformed at a table together. We have walked through a number of stories throughout the “Encounters” series, but Lance sees the culmination of most of these stories in Jesus’ meeting with Zaccheus. It’s the story that shows us Jesus’s plan to seek and to save the lost. fmhouston.com

Lance talks about the anti-gravitational principle when it comes to following Christ: the one who is brought low will be lifted up. Lance tells the story of Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus, and the things that Jesus called him to. And to tell that story, he illustrates it with a very country story about fishing back home. John 3:1-17

Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? Luke 5:17-26 fmhouston.com

As we explore this passage in Luke, we get to the heart of this series: a life Christ-centered is one that consistently stays focused on Him. We must take up our cross DAILY. It’s not something thrust upon us. It is a choice, every day. This is grace fully realized. Luke 9:21-27

John 15:1-17 fmhouston.com

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Lance tells the story of Mark 4:35-41 - where the disciples battle a storm while Jesus sleeps in the back of the boat. He reminds us that often we, like the disciples, end up shouting at God, "don't you care?" But Lance has seen God's hand, in each place that his journey has taken him, and he knows that no matter where it is that he travels to, he has Jesus in the boat with him. fmhouston.com

Amanda steps up to the pulpit to return our focus to The Main Thing: living and loving like Jesus did. fmhouston.com

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“Have y’all ever seen a ghost?” Legacies can be full of joys, but they also can be full of pain and regret. We want to lock away our pain, but in doing so we bury some of ourselves. Matthew 1:1-17 fmhouston.com

There’s one theme that Jim’s been hitting this whole series - and on his last Sunday, he’s going to hammer it home one more time. When we read this beatitude, we are struck by the depth of hope. What does Jesus mean? To be a peacemaker is more than just eliminating warfare - it’s “shalom.” It’s wholeness. It’s a complete and joyous life before God. Matthew 5:9 fmhouston.com

What do you call a fish in a bow tie? "SoFISHticatied" This special Father's Day sermon begins with some awful dad jokes, and turns to what it means to be "pure of heart" - and how any inner purity can only come from Christ himself Matthew 5:8 fmhouston.com

It's Jim Welch's last few days on the job, and before he leaves, he sits down with Ben to talk about what he's seen in his time here, what he's excited about for the church, and the changes that he hopes to see coming. Ask us a question! You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

It's Jordan's last podcast, and so she and Ben continue on to part two of their tournament, debating the best comebacks in the New Testament. Fill out your own bracket! https://www.fmhouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Best-Clapbacks-In-The-Bible-NT.jpg Ask us a question! You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

Jim explores what it really means to “hunger and thirst” for righteousness, and why the words used here are so important. The problems of the translation we read is not the accuracy of it, but the scope of it. We need to see righteousness as a much bigger thing. Matthew 5:6 fmhouston.com

For Jordan's last podcasts, she and Ben return to an idea that they've been wanting to do for months - having a tournament of the best clapbacks in the Bible. What's a clapback? Tune in and see. Fill out your own bracket! https://www.fmhouston.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Best-Clapbacks-In-The-Bible-OT-copy.jpg Ask us a question! You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

As much as it’s important to not be angry at the wrong times, it’s just as important to be angry at the right times. Jim talks about watching his nieces play sports and realizing that they are the same ages as the children of Uvalde. Studying “blessed are the meek” means breaking down the word we translate as “meek” and seeing what it is that Jesus really meant. Matthew 5:5 fmhouston.com

Amanda shows us the peace that Jesus talked about - a peace that is different from the one the world offers. fmhouston.com

After the shooting in Uvalde, Ken and Ben ditched their podcast plans and sat down to talk about how to respond to a tragedy like this, and what a Christian's response to events like these should be. Ask us a question anytime. You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

Are you a mourner and not a moaner? Jim preaches on “blessed are those who mourn,” which he points out is not a beatitude that anyone wants to preach on. But, it is Jesus himself who establishes mourning as a holy attribute. There are those who see their tears become hospitals and churches and missions. These things are motivated by deep caring about what God cares about. There is much that is broken in the world. What are you going to do about it? Matthew 5:4 fmhouston.com

Answering a question about evangelism, Jim, Ben, and Jordan end up speaking about matters of physics, the beginnings of the universe, the sheep and the goats, Pascal's wager, Nietche's "God is dead," and a whole lot of other stuff we didn't expect when we hit record on this podcast. Enjoy! Ask us a question! You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

As we dig into what the Bible says about mourning, Ken reminds us: it’s not a curated experience. As he considers “blessed are those who mourn,” Ken tells the story of the Israelites in exile, and how God promised to comfort not just them, but to the ends of the earth. We are called, as a church, to comfort. We have grief. We have broken pieces. But we can invite God to build something new from them. Matthew 5:4

A reader sends in a Twitter link about a possible mistranslation of a Scripture passage, and it leads to some combatitiveness over different Biblical translations, trying to read multiple* Biblical translations, and a surprising argument over whether we should be bothering to read the Old Testament at all. *https://twitter.com/lllogannnnn/status/1520393475790979072, though it looks like the user has moved to private. Ask us a question! You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

As he continues through the Beatitudes, Jim defines what it means to be “poor in spirit” - and the things we need to guard against. “Poor In Spirit” is often a misunderstood phrase. Jim warns us against allowing our ego to fill up the room without our noticing. Humility is a rare thing. Our instincts are to create our own divinity and push God out of our lives. True humility is lifting others up. Each and every day. Matthew 5:3

Jim is glad to be out of prison, and to be starting a new series on the Beatitudes. He asks, “are you happy with your life?” Then he breaks it down further, teaching us about “the happiness quotient,” and the ways we find meaning in our life. “Life is made up of wobbling and hobbling along the way.” fmhouston.com

On Confirmation Sunday, Amanda tells a story about a man who tried to make a pond ready for the fish - and what happens when you aren’t intentional. It also reminds Amanda of what Timothy wrote, trying to help a church that had gone all “cattywampus,” despite being a young man whose advice they might not yet respect. 1 Timothy 4:11-17 fmhouston.com

When Jesus came out of the tomb, he said the most important thing that could have said to Mary: he called her by name. He showed her that he knew her. But Mary had a lesson to learn, even as she had finally found him: she had to learn how to not lose Jesus, even when he went away. “When hope fades, we lose the ability to see what’s right in front of our face.” John 20:1-18 fmhouston.com

The phrase "He descended into hell" was removed from the Apostles' Creed a long time ago, and a listener wants to know the reason why. Of course, that leads to a lot of much bigger questions about the nature of hell, the humanity of Jesus, and what answers preachers are supposed to give to tough questions. Ask us a question! You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

Jim is struggling with Murphy’s law, as everything goes wrong for him before he steps up to preach today. Sometimes life is more than just a bit of bad luck, though. Sometimes, storms do come into our lives. At the moment that Jesus came into the city, Jesus brought with him the perfect storm. Luke 19:28-40 fmhouston.com

With Palm Sunday approaching, a question comes in of whether we're celebrating the day completely wrong. Why is it a joyous celebration if we're remembering the crowds that turned on Jesus only 5 days later? Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/streets

The waves that rock the boat are going to come for us. But as Jesus said to his disciples, “let us not be afraid.” After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? As Holy Week approaches, Jim focuses on a steady faith. He tells the story of Jesus asleep on the boat, and how we can learn to have faith that God’s protection is with us, even in the most difficult storms. Luke 8:22-25 fmhouston.com

Part two of our conversation, and it turns out there's almost nothing that Jim can't talk about for hours on end, and it's a fascinating ride. We start with "what's going to be happening at the church?" and end up at "is there a true limit on the universe?" in very short order. Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/streets

Our new interim pastor, Jim Welch, introduces himself to the church and dives right into the story of Elijah fleeing into the wilderness in fear. There, God shows Elijah His awesome power - and shows him that he does not have to be afraid of what the world brings. Likewise, Jim sees the same for our church - the need to have a chance for God to come and show us his limitless power, and to learn to trust a loving God who is watching out for us. 1 Kings 19:3-18 fmhouston.com “Look to the light.”

If you've been aware of what's been happening at First Methodist, you'll know: it's been a very topsy-turvy week. Here to hopefully settle some things down is interim pastor Jim Welch, who answers some questions and allows us to start getting to know him a little bit. Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/streets

Waiting On God: “Waiting On Hope and Confidence” - Bishop Scott J. Jones As he looks at the story of Elijah teaching the King to pray and wait on God, Bishop Jones considers the properties of hope. “Hope is not optimism.” And evil is powerful in the world. Bad things happen. Sometimes the world all around us seems dark. But God is at work in our world. I Kings 18:41-48 fmhouston.com

Amanda, Ken, Jordan, and Ben talk about some positive sides to how their ministry has changed over the course of Covid, while admitting that they've seen the church atrophy in some ways over the past two years. Ask us a question! We'll address it on the show. You can reach us at fmhouston.com/streets.

A listener talks about how a betrayal from a long time ago has left them unable to forgive the person who wronged them. The group talks about the difficulty of forgiveness, how to work towards reconciliation, and the things inside ourselves that keep us from moving forward. Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/streets

Some of the Scripture is about finding a way to humility. Ash Wednesday we got a taste of that. “What God may be waiting for is a faith response on our part.” Sometimes we need to have these conversations on God’s timetable than our own. Exodus 2:23-25; 32:1-6

A member comes from a faith tradition that doesn't allow for female clergy, so they're asking whether there should be pastors who are women or not. Jordan and Amanda talk about female preaching and leadership in the Bible, their journeys to get to where they are now, and some of the road bumps they've run into. Oh, and if you're looking for the Instagram picture we're talking about, it's here. Ask us a question! fmhouston.com/streets