Saint Matthew United Methodist Church

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  • Love Boldly: Growing with God

    Jason Hardy
    Categories:
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    Watch the full service online by clicking here.

    Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

    Can people really change? Can hearts that have been hardened, distracted, or overwhelmed become fertile ground for God’s work?

    As the Love Boldly series came to a close, Rev. Mary Teague returned to Jesus’ Parable of the Sower with a hopeful reminder: none of us is just one kind of soil. Throughout our lives, we experience seasons when God’s Word struggles to take root, but we also experience seasons of remarkable growth. The condition of our hearts is not fixed, and our past does not determine our future.

    Rather than dwelling on failures or missed opportunities, we are invited to recognize God’s grace at work in every season. God never stops planting seeds of hope, forgiveness, and new life. As we learn to receive that love for ourselves, we become people who can share it more freely with others.

    Where might God be preparing your heart for new growth today?

    Matthew 13:1-9 NIV
    The Parable of the Sower
    13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

    Matthew 13:18-23 NIV
    18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

  • Love Boldly: Seeds

    Jason Hardy
    Categories:
    YouTube player

    Watch the full service online by clicking here.

    As we continue our journey through Love Boldly, Jesus reminds us that a fruitful life begins with a prepared heart. In the Parable of the Sower, the seed remains the same, but the condition of the soil determines whether it takes root and bears fruit. The invitation is not simply to hear God’s Word, but to receive it in ways that shape our lives.

    Rev. Mary Teague encouraged us to think about the “soil” of our own hearts. Distractions, worry, and shallow faith can keep God’s Word from growing, but intentional spiritual practices help us become good soil. Spending time in Scripture, praying with openness, and seeking to understand God’s voice are not tasks to complete. They are ways we deepen our relationship with Christ and prepare ourselves to love God and others more fully.

    As a church family, we are called to love boldly through lives that are rooted in God’s grace. When we make space for God to work within us, our faith naturally bears fruit through compassion, generosity, service, and love. Preparing our hearts today allows God to grow something lasting for tomorrow.

    Take Time to Reflect

    • What distractions might be keeping God’s Word from taking deeper root in your life?
    • What spiritual habit could help you become more attentive to God’s voice this week?
    • How is God preparing you to bear fruit through love, service, and faith?

    Matthew 13:1-9 NIV
    The Parable of the Sower
    13 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

    Matthew 13:18-23 NIV
    18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

  • Your Huddled Masses

    Jason Hardy
    Categories:
    YouTube player

    Watch the full service online by clicking here.

    Jesus’ invitation is simple and powerful: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” In this week’s message, Rev. Mary Teague reminded us that these words were first spoken to ordinary people living under heavy burdens, people weighed down by religious expectations, political oppression, and the struggles of daily life. Christ’s invitation was not reserved for the powerful or the successful. It was offered to everyone who longed for hope, healing, and peace.

    Drawing on the familiar words engraved at the base of the Statue of Liberty, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,” Mary reflected on how those words echo the heart of Jesus. Christ welcomes those the world often overlooks. Our worth is not found in our nationality, status, accomplishments, or failures. We are welcomed because we are God’s beloved children, created in God’s image and invited into a life of grace.

    As followers of Jesus, we are called to extend that same welcome to others. The church becomes a place where burdens are shared, strangers become neighbors, and every person is invited to experience the love of Christ. Together, we continue learning to open our hearts, offer hospitality, and live as a community where all can find rest, belonging, and hope.

    Take Time to Reflect

    • Where have you experienced Christ’s invitation to find rest in the middle of life’s burdens?
    • How can you help Saint Matthew become a place where others experience welcome, belonging, and hope?
    • Who might God be calling you to notice, welcome, or encourage this week?

    Matthew 11:28
    28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

  • What’s God Up To in Ordinary Times?

    Jason Hardy
    Categories:
    YouTube player

    Click here to watch the full service online.

    Most of life is lived in ordinary moments. We move through familiar routines, carry responsibilities, and sometimes face long seasons of waiting or uncertainty. Yet Scripture reminds us that God is not absent in these everyday moments. God’s steadfast love never ceases, and God’s mercies are made new every morning, offering hope even when we cannot yet see what God is doing.

    In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus notices a woman who had lived with suffering for eighteen years before healing her on the Sabbath. While others focused on rules and expectations, Jesus saw a beloved child of God and responded with compassion. Her story reminds us that God’s work is often unfolding long before we recognize it. Even in seasons that seem ordinary, God is present, faithful, and at work in ways we may not yet understand.

    As followers of Christ, we are invited to trust God’s faithfulness in every season. We do not have to wait for extraordinary experiences to encounter God’s presence. Through worship, prayer, acts of kindness, and the daily rhythms of discipleship, God continues to shape us, strengthen us, and lead us forward with hope.

    Take Time to Reflect

    • Where have you noticed God’s faithfulness in the ordinary rhythms of your life recently?
    • Is there a season of waiting where God may be inviting you to trust rather than lose hope?
    • How can you help someone else recognize God’s presence in an ordinary moment this week?

  • Love Boldly: Who Will Help Us?

    Jason Hardy
    Categories:
    YouTube player

    Watch the full service online here.

    As Jesus traveled from town to town, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the good news, he looked upon the crowds with compassion. He saw people who were weary, searching, and in need of care. In response, Jesus told his disciples that the harvest was plentiful, but the workers were few. His words remind us that God’s work in the world continues, and that Christ calls ordinary people to participate in sharing hope, love, and grace with others.

    Rev. Mary Teague reflected on how often we assume ministry is for someone else, someone more experienced, more gifted, or more qualified. Yet throughout Scripture, God repeatedly calls ordinary people to serve. The disciples were not chosen because they had all the answers. They were chosen because they were willing to follow. God continues to work through people who offer their gifts, their time, their prayers, and their presence in service to others.

    As a church family, we are invited to consider how God may be calling us to love boldly beyond these walls. Whether through prayer, hospitality, service, encouragement, generosity, or simply showing up for someone in need, each of us has a role to play in God’s mission. When we trust that God will equip us for what lies ahead, we can respond with faith and confidence, saying, “Here I am, Lord. Send me.”

    Matthew 9:35-38 NIV

    The Workers Are Few

    35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”