Sermons

In our Rooted in Discipleship journey, we turn to the vow of presence. Presence is more than attendance—it is showing up with our whole selves for God and for one another. Drawing from Hebrews, we are reminded that faith was never meant to be lived alone. When we gather, encourage, and remain engaged, grace flows between us. Presence costs us time and vulnerability, but it is where transformation happens and where God meets us in community.

There’s something quietly beautiful about a tree that didn’t plant itself. No tree ever chose its soil; it was placed there—by a gardener’s hand, a scattered seed, or a passing wind. Scripture begins not with ceaseless striving, but with fruitfulness rooted in grace. Jesus says, “I am the vine; you are the branches.” Discipleship begins not with our effort, but with God’s invitation. We are planted by grace, called to abide, and formed to bear fruit in God’s season.

The story of Mary and Martha lingers because it refuses easy answers. Are we called to sit at Jesus’ feet like Mary, or to serve faithfully like Martha? What if this passage is not a choice between faith and works, but an invitation to hold both together? Jesus does not condemn service—he calls us to a rhythm where our doing flows from our being, and our work becomes an offering shaped by presence, not anxiety.