Sermons from St. George's

Do you ever feel like our affirmation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is hard to grasp? Confusing? Maybe not even necessary? St. George’s former Senior Associate Rector and author Tim Jones has explored such questions for decades. He has made some exciting discoveries about how much difference this ancient Christian belief can make, bringing to our praying a new vitality. And how it answers our deepest questions about our being loved. Guest teacher the Rev. Timothy Jones joined us for this 3-part teaching in January 2025.

Rector's Forum | Class 5 (02-19-23) by St. George's Nashville

Rector's Forum | Class 4 (02-05-23) by St. George's Nashville

Rectors Forum | Class 3 (01-22-23) by St. George's Nashville

Rectors Forum | Class 2 (01-15-23) by St. George's Nashville

Rector's Forum | Class 1 (01-08-23) by St. George's Nashville

The prophet Isaiah describes that God will do a new thing - he will create a new heaven and a new earth. In this sermon, Colin explores God’s promise and what it means for us here and now.

The prophecies of the Old Testament aren’t just about this world as we know it. They are about something God is doing, something so good that we are almost too afraid to imagine. Sermon from the 11:00am service on 11/6/22.

Sermon from the 8:45am service on 10/30/22.

Habakkuk 1:1-13; 2:1-4 “O LORD, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen?” The prophet Habakkuk is baffled by the injustice that surrounds him. And yet, despite his confusion, he remains faithful to God. Habakkuk’s words and action guide us when we find ourselves baffled before God. Sermon from The Table on 10/30/22.

Sermon from The Table on 10/23/22.

Sermon from the 8:45am service on 10/23/22.

The thing is, prayer doesn't have to be perfect to be effective. In fact, a prayer muttered with all our fears and short-sighted demands — and even selfish requests — affects life powerfully. Sermon from the 8:45am service on 10/16/22.

Luke 18:1-8 Prayer is like a walking exercise. It is a spiritual exercise. The more you pray daily, the stronger you become. Persistent praying in faith on a particular subject produces an eventual expected result — just like the persistent widow in the gospel reading. Prayer is simply talking to God like a child would with his parents. Pray in a simple, innocent, and honest way. Not doubtful, but persistent, until the expected result is achieved, or until you are appeased appropriately. This is how our prayer relationship with God is supposed to be. Sermon from The Table on 10/16/22.

Sermon from the 8:45ams service on 10/9/22.

Sermon from The Table on 10/9/22.

Sequence Hymn • 671 Amazing grace! how sweet the sound Psalm 137 1 By the waters of Babylon we sat down and wept, * when we remembered you, O Zion. 2 As for our harps, we hung them up * on the trees in the midst of that land. 3 For those who led us away captive asked us for a song, and our oppressors called for mirth: * "Sing us one of the songs of Zion." 4 How shall we sing the Lord's song * upon an alien soil. 5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem, * let my right hand forget its skill. 6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, * if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy. 7 Remember the day of Jerusalem, O Lord, against the people of Edom, * who said, "Down with it! down with it! even to the ground!" 8 O Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, * happy the one who pays you back for what you have done to us! 9 Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, * and dashes them against the rock!

Sermon from the 8:45am service on 9/25/22.

Addressing the topic of money, St. Paul says there is “great gain in godliness combined with contentment” and encourages us to be charitable. Sermon from The Table on 9/25/22.

God desires for everyone to be saved. What a beautiful insight into the heart of our Savior! What does it mean? Sermon from The Table on 9/18/22.

It seems God isn't interested in a tidy, prissy, stingy, respectable response to his love. Sermon the 8:45am service on 9/18/22.

"God converts the foolishness of the world into the foolishness of the cross." Sermon from 9/11/22 at 11:00am.

1 Timothy 1:12-17 What does it mean to believe in God’s forgiveness? In this sermon Fr. Colin discusses the inexhaustible nature of God’s love and the promise this holds for us. Sermon from 9/11/22 at The Table

Jesus has challenging things to say about how disciples should view their family, possessions, and life itself. Sermon from the 8:45am service on 9/4/22.

The question each one of us most longs to ask is “Can you see the real me?” We want to be known as we are. Simultaneously, that same question frightens us more than almost any other. Vulnerability is a risk, but depth of relationship demands it. Sermon from 8/28/22.

The strange truth about our status with God is that it is not deserved. It relies completely on his grace, his forgiveness, his healing, and his hospitality. Sermon from The Table on 8/28/22.

The passage about Jeremiah’s call to ministry is one of many narratives in the Bible known as “call stories.” If you read a sampling of them – say the call of Abraham, or Moses, Joshua, Samuel, Jonah, Isaiah, Mary, Paul (and the list goes on), you'll notice that each of these stories is incredibly unique. God tailors his call to each person. We may not get quite as dramatic a call story as those recorded in the Bible; we might not come across a burning bush in the desert or have the angel Gabriel appear to us. But each of us in our own way has a unique part to play in God’s story, whether we are laypeople or clergy, long time Christians or new ones, old or young. In talking with people about their sense of call, I’ve come across three common myths about God’s call on our lives – three ways in which we misunderstand the way God’s call works. In contrast to these myths, Jeremiah’s call story reveals a truer, fuller picture of how and why God extends a call to us. Sermon from 8/21/22.

You are set free from your ailment. Sermon from 8/21/22.

Luke 12:49-56 In this sermon, Fr. Colin reminds us that to be in relationship with the living God means not only to engage with a God of the lilies but also to engage with a God of fire. Sermon from 8/14/22.

The joy that sustains Jesus’ faith is us. From The Table on 8/14/22.

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the Kingdom” (Luke 12:32).

Sermon from 8/7/22.

Jesus tells a parable of a rich man whom God calls a fool. The man is a fool because he has missed the meaning of life. He is clueless as to what life is really about, wrongly thinking that life consists in the abundance of possessions. As Christians we believe that our “life is hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3). Is this true for you? We must all ask the question, “What does my life truly consist of?” Sermon from 7/31/22.

Material wealth will only ever pass through fingers, but becoming rich in God can never be taken from you. And it can make you generous like him. Sermon from 7/31/22.

So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; search and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you” (Luke 11:9). Sermon from 7/24/22 at The Table

Jesus frees us from spiritual bondage and lets us live the good life in that freedom. Colossians 2:6-15 Sermon from 7/24/2.

Unless you consume, unless you eat, not only can you never give, but you can’t even really live. Sermon from 7/17/22.

Based on the text from Colossians 1:15-28. The 'thrones, dominions, rulers, and powers' mentioned in Colossians 1:16, may be read as Satan's fallen angels camouflaging as light in the invisible realm to deceive those seeking God's light outside of Christ and the Church. Paul emphasized that Jesus is the only true God, who has saved us from these dark forces and brought us into the true light of his kingdom. Sermon from 7/17/22 at The Table.

Margery Kennelly: The Power of a Message by St. George's Nashville

Sermon from 7/10/22 at The Table

Sermon from 7/3/22 in the Nave.

Sermon from 7/3/22 at The Table.

On his way to Jerusalem, Jesus meets three potential disciples. The three conversations he has with these men challenge our understanding of what it means to follow Jesus. Are we willing to be the type of disciples that Jesus desires? Sermon from 6/26/22.

The strategy Jesus uses in building his kingdom is not to take out the enemies. It is to make disciples. Sermon from 6/26/22.

"There is a calling that is far too great for you to accomplish, and God says, 'Do not stop; I will provide.'" Sermon from 6/19/2022.

"Let us with a gladsome mind praise the Lord, for he is kind. His mercies I endure, they last forever. He is ever faithful. He is ever sure." Sermon from 6/19/2022.

John 16:12-15 Jesus promises us that the Spirit of truth will teach and guide us in our day to day lives. How does the Spirit teach us? And how can we discern if it is God’s Spirit directing us versus our own desires and imaginations? Sermon from 6/12/22.

The life of the Christian is inescapably, unalterably Trinitarian. We live and breathe in the power and grace and love of the Trinity. Sermon from 6/12/22.

Despite abundant religious alternatives, and despite the dangers of becoming a follower of Jesus, and despite the ignominious death of the leader of the movement, Christianity swept the far reaches of the Roman empire and beyond like fire. Why? Sermon from 6/5/22.

If the dramatic “fireworks” of the Holy Spirit seem strange or intimidating or us, that’s understandable, but that doesn’t mean we get a pass on learning about the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit’s presence work in our lives looks more like a fire that’s burning in a fireplace that grows slowly, builds over time, and burns steadily over the long run. This fire looks like our hearts and minds becoming more like Jesus as we follow him throughout our lives. Sermon from The Table on 6/5/22.