Travelers Rest United Methodist Podcast

Second Sunday after Easter Sermon: Let Me See Your Hands Scripture: John 20:19-23Sometimes life doesn’t look the way we expected it would.Even after good news… even after hope… we can still feel unsure, guarded, or just trying to get through the day.The disciples knew something had changed—but they were still behind closed doors.Maybe we’re not so different.We carry things. Stress. Worry. Old wounds. The parts of life we’d rather keep hidden.And yet, when Jesus shows up, He doesn’t ignore any of that— He meets them in it. He even shows them His hands.So maybe we pause and ask:Where am I feeling closed off right now? What am I holding onto that I don’t need to carry alone? What would it look like to be honest about where I am—even the hard parts?Because even in the middle of ordinary days, grace has a way of showing up.Not asking us to have it all together— but meeting us right where we are… and reminding us we don’t have to stay there.Worship Schedule8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

Easter Sunday Sermon: Easter Eyes Scripture: John 20:1-18Easter has a way of meeting us in unexpected places—in quiet mornings, in moments of grief, in places where hope feels lost.Mary went to the tomb expecting death. What she found was something she didn’t recognize at first. Maybe we’re not so different.We can stand right in the middle of resurrection and still miss it— caught in our assumptions, our sorrow, or simply not expecting new life to be possible.So we might ask ourselves: Where might I be overlooking signs of new life? What am I expecting that could be keeping me from seeing clearly? What would it look like to see with “Easter eyes”? Because the truth of Easter is this: Jesus is alive—and still meeting us, calling us by name, opening our eyes to something new.Even when we don’t recognize Him at first…He is there.Worship Schedule 7:00am: Sunrise Service8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

Palm Sunday Sermon: Losing Focus Scripture: Luke 19:29-42Palm Sunday has a way of grabbing our attention—crowds gathering, palms waving, expectations rising. It’s a moment full of energy and excitement.But it’s also a moment where it’s easy to lose focus. Maybe we’re not so different.We can get caught up in the noise, the expectations, the pace of life—and before we know it, we’ve lost sight of what really matters.So we might ask ourselves: Where am I losing focus right now? What expectations or distractions are keeping me from seeing Jesus clearly What might it look like to truly recognize Him at work in my life? Even in the noise, even in the crowd—Jesus is still present. Still moving. Still inviting us to see, to understand, and to follow.Palm Sunday ProcessionAll children, youth, and anyone who would like to participate are invited to gather in the narthex/lobby before worship to be part of our Palm Sunday procession. Together, we’ll enter the sanctuary waving palms as we remember and celebrate Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

Fifth Sunday of Lent Sermon Series: 40 Days of Growth Sermon: He Sows. Scripture: Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23Lent has a way of slowing us down—inviting us to pay attention to what’s beneath the surface of our lives. Not just what we’re doing, but what’s taking root within us.Jesus tells a story about a sower scattering seed—some falls on the path, some on rocky ground, some among thorns, and some on good soil. The same seed, but very different outcomes.So we might ask ourselves: What is taking root in my life right now? What distractions or worries are crowding out what God is trying to grow? How can I be more open to receiving what God is planting? God is always at work—scattering seeds of grace, truth, and new life in ways we may not always notice. Because in every season, God is still sowing—and something new can grow in us.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

Fourth Sunday of Lent Sermon Series: 40 Days of Growth Sermon: Means of GraceScripture: 2 Peter 3:18; Romans 12:2Lent continues—not just in the wilderness around us, but in the quieter work God is doing within us.Grow into the people God calls us to be. But real growth rarely happens all at once. More often, it happens slowly—in the small, steady rhythms of everyday life.So we might ask ourselves: Where do I actually make space for God in my week? What habits are shaping my heart right now? Am I being formed more by the noise of the world… or by the grace of God? In this week’s message from our 40 Days of Growth series, “Means of Grace,” we’ll reflect on the simple practices that help shape our faith—prayer, worship, scripture, and community—and how God meets us there, again and again.Because sometimes growth doesn’t come from one big moment. Sometimes it comes from the quiet ways we keep showing up.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

Third Sunday of Lent Sermon Series: 40 Days of Growth Sermon: Cleaning HouseScripture: John 2:13-22Lent continues—not just in the wilderness around us, but in the deeper rooms of our own hearts. This week, in Gospel of John 2:13–22, we encounter a different image of Jesus. Not quiet. Not withdrawn. But turning over tables in the temple courts.And if we’re honest, that feels familiar.We live in a world that fills every corner of our lives. Calendars overflow. Notifications ping. Opinions shout. Expectations pile up. Before we know it, the sacred spaces within us—our attention, our priorities, our worship—are cluttered with things that don’t truly give life. And into that cluttered space, Jesus still walks.He looks at our carefully arranged tables—the habits we’ve justified, the priorities we’ve misplaced, the distractions we’ve normalized—and asks hard but loving questions: What doesn’t belong here? What has taken up space that was meant for prayer? What needs to be cleared out so something deeper can grow? In this week’s message from our 40 Days of Growth series, “Cleaning House,” we’ll explore what it means to let Christ reorder our hearts—overturning what distracts us so that what is holy can take center stage again.Sometimes growth doesn’t begin with adding something new. Sometimes it begins with making room.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

Second Sunday of Lent Sermon Series: 40 Days of Growth Sermon: DenyScripture: Mark 8:31-38Lent continues—not just in the wilderness around us, but in the deeper wilderness within us. In Mark 8:31–38, Jesus speaks hard words to his disciples: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.In a world that tells us to protect ourselves, promote ourselves, and put ourselves first, Jesus invites us into a different way. “Deny” isn’t about self-rejection—it’s about re-centering. It’s about loosening our grip on control, ego, and comfort so we can truly follow him.In this week’s message from our 40 Days of Growth series, we’ll explore what it means to let go in order to grow. Because sometimes the path to real life begins with surrender.Join us as we continue the Lenten journey together.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

First Sunday of Lent Sermon Series: 40 Days of Growth Sermon: TemptationScripture: Luke 4:1-13Lent begins not in comfort, but in the wilderness. Before Jesus teaches, heals, or calls disciples, he is led into a place of testing. Hungry. Alone. Tempted. In Luke 4:1–13, we see that temptation isn’t just about dramatic choices—it’s about subtle compromises, shortcuts, and the quiet pull to trust ourselves instead of God.In this Sunday’s sermon, “Temptation,” we begin our new series 40 Days of Growth by exploring what it means to face the wilderness honestly. Jesus shows us that temptation often meets us at our weakest points—when we’re tired, anxious, or wanting quick relief. Yet he also shows us how to stand firm, grounded in God’s Word and God’s promises.Join us as we begin the Lenten journey together, learning how even seasons of testing can become seasons of growth.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

We begin the season of Lent with our Ash Wednesday Worship Service. This meaningful service invites us into a time of reflection, repentance, and renewal as we remember our need for God’s grace and mercy.

Transfiguration Sunday Sermon: Open Mouth, Insert FootScripture: Matthew 17:1-9Life doesn’t just overwhelm us with busy schedules—it also trips us up in what we say and how quickly we react. We speak before we think, rush to explain, and try to manage holy moments with our own words. In Matthew 17:1–9, Peter does exactly that on the mountaintop, blurting out a response in the middle of God’s glory. And honestly? We’ve all been there.In this Sunday’s sermon, “Open Mouth, Insert Foot,” we’ll explore this powerful moment of the Transfiguration and what it teaches us about listening, humility, and letting God be God. When the disciples want to do something, God invites them simply to listen to Jesus. Join us as we reflect on how often our words get ahead of our faith—and how Christ gently calls us to quiet our voices, open our hearts, and pay attention to what truly matters.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

5th Sunday after the EpiphanySermon Series: Finding Balance for our Chaotic Lives Sermon: Balance by Lightening your LoadScripture: Matthew 11:25-30Life often feels like a balancing act — work, family, commitments, expectations, and the constant hum of “what’s next?” Jesus speaks directly into that struggle in Matthew 11:25-30, inviting us to bring the weight of our weary hearts to Him. In a world that prizes doing more and carrying our burdens alone, Jesus offers something radically different: rest, ease for our souls, and a way of life that lightens our load.This Sunday we’ll explore what it looks like to find true balance — not by juggling better, but by leaning into the gentle and humble heart of Christ. Join us as we discover how Jesus calls us to exchange our heavy yokes for His softness and strength, and learn what it means to walk in freedom, rest, and renewed balance.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service

2nd Sunday after the EpiphanySermon Series: Finding Balance for our Chaotic Lives Sermon: Balance, Not StressScripture: Psalm 56:2-13As we move deeper into the season of Epiphany, this Sunday invites us to reflect on how God meets us in the midst of everyday life—especially when life feels pressured, crowded, and stressful. In a world that rarely slows down, faith calls us to a different way of living, one rooted in trust rather than fear.In the sermon “Balance, Not Stress,” we will turn to Psalm 56, a prayer spoken from a place of anxiety and uncertainty. The psalmist does not deny fear but brings it honestly before God, discovering that balance is found not in the absence of trouble, but in placing our lives in God’s steady hands. “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.”As we continue the series Finding Balance for Our Chaotic Lives, this Sunday reminds us that balance does not come from managing everything perfectly. It comes from choosing trust over panic, prayer over pressure, and remembering that God walks with us—even in the moments when stress feels overwhelming.Worship Schedule 8:45am: Contemporary Service10am: Sunday School11am: Traditional Service