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God Cares Jonah 3:10–4:11 Introduction — A Five-Word Sermon 1. Have you ever wondered who the most successful preacher in all of Scripture was? Peter, perhaps? Paul? Those great names come quickly to mind—but, surprisingly, it seems the honor belongs to Jonah, a man whose entire sermon was just five words in Hebrew, barely a single sentence in our own language. 2. Jonah’s sermon was exactly five words; translated, it amounts to only this: “Forty more days, and Nineveh

Genesis 50:15–21 What Should We Fix Our Eyes On? Sojourners in a Strange Land Dramas about family conflict are a recurring theme. Stories among siblings, between mothers- and daughters-in-law, sisters-in-law, and in-laws are the most familiar experiences of the lives we live — clichéd, perhaps, and yet stories that keep drawing our interest all the same. In this respect, Genesis holds many bundles of stories. If we were to erase "God!" and "faith!" and simply read the Bible,

Turn, and Turn and Go Ezekiel 33:7–11 (NRSV) Introduction As you may have seen on TV, what makes the flooding in Nepal so horrifying is not simply the damage from overflowing water, but the damage caused when soil and rocks and trees clump together and come rushing down — half water, half mud — at tremendous speed. A similar kind of flood happened not long ago at the Grand Canyon. Rain fell on ground that was already soaked with rain, and in the same way the saturated earth g

To the Place He Leads Text: Matthew 16:21-28 A Week's Reversal, and a Single Word Last week we read how Jesus praised Peter because of his confession. We remember Peter as the rock of the church, the one who receives the keys of heaven — the very picture of Jesus' foremost disciple. Yet in the passage we read today, Peter receives a completely different verdict; he is rebuked by Jesus. "Get behind me, Satan." What could possibly have caused such an extreme reversal? Did Peter

Finding What Is Hidden Matthew 16:13–20 Why the Road Home Goes So Quickly I took my son to his school in Manhattan, New York, and came back. What we picture in our minds and what we actually meet always seem to be two different things. I had assumed he would walk in boldly, but I sensed a slight awkwardness in his face. I suppose it hit him that this was the real beginning. I dropped my daughter off at her school in Pennsylvania and hurried back just last evening. Coming home

The Gospel That Crosses Boundaries Matthew 15:21–28 Jesus crosses over, a woman crosses to him, and the church crosses together. The Boundary We Cross Alone, the Gospel We Cross Together Summer seems to have slipped away, and before we knew it we have arrived at the threshold of autumn. Time always runs ahead of our awareness, and the seasons seem to push their way into our lives in an instant, crossing over the boundary of a single moment. Before we have had the chance to pr

Lord, Save Me! Text: Matthew 14:22–33 Is There Anyone Without Suffering? (Introduction) Recently I have heard the difficult stories of several of our church members. To say someone is going through a hard time is, put another way, to say that they are being tested. As we live our lives we may think, "Is there anyone who has no suffering?" — and yet, when suffering actually comes upon us, it takes hold of the whole of our life. Recently my own mother, too, has been going throu

He Had Compassion Matthew 14:13-21 13 When Jesus heard the news, he withdrew from there by boat to a deserted place by himself. But when the crowds heard of it, they came out from the towns and followed him on foot. 14 When Jesus stepped ashore and saw the great crowd, he had compassion on them and healed those among them who were sick. 15 As evening drew near, the disciples came to him and said, "This is a deserted place, and it is already late. So send the crowds away to th

Completely, Unchangingly, Forever Text: Romans 8:26–39 Where We Begin Today Today, for the first time, we are worshiping under the name of Traditional Worship. We felt the need to set aside a time to worship according to the church's traditional liturgy, rather than in the format our praise team has been leading, and we have been preparing since earlier this year to begin in the second half. This is not about doing something new. As I mentioned briefly last week, this came ou

A Hope That Will Not Break Romans 8:12–25 (NRSV) Opening — A Last Dance Not Yet Finished The 2026 World Cup is now reaching its final days. I don't think there has ever been a World Cup as thrilling as this one. It was a disappointment that our own Korea went out early — but as far as the sheer joy of the game goes, I wonder if any World Cup has ever given us more. And at the center of all that joy stands one man: Lionel Messi. They are calling this tournament his "last dance

The Door Already Opened Isaiah 55:10-13 When Comfort Cannot Be Heard There are moments in life when words of comfort simply cannot reach our ears. When trials come crashing in and suffering presses down on us, the comfort someone offers can sound hollow. To a person whose heart has collapsed, being told, "Try to see it this way, try to turn your heart around," is not welcome. No — it does not even enter the ear. In such moments, the person we are most grateful for is not the

Knowing God Zechariah 9:9-12 Introduction — The Baejae High School Story Last week, a baseball game in Korea became national news. During a match between Baejae High School and Gwangju Il High School, a hateful remark crossed the line, sparking major controversy. The 5.18 Gwangju Democratization Movement still seems to sit like an open wound in Korean society. In this year's World Cup, apparently even covering your mouth with your hand while speaking on the field results in a

To Whom Will You Give Yourself? Text: Romans 6:12–23 Introduction — The Deposed King 1. There was once a king in a certain nation. But that king was deposed. He lost the war, he was dragged down from the throne, and a new king took his place. Legally, he is no longer king. There is no longer any duty to bow before him, and no longer any reason to obey his commands. 2. But then a strange thing happens. This deposed king does not leave the palace. He lingers around the old pala

Grace Has Already Been Prepared Scripture: Jeremiah 20:7–13 The Unity Retreat Story The Unity Retreat has come and gone again this year. Every year as we prepare for it, there has not been a single year when the preparation felt easy. Because this is a joint retreat, a director is appointed from among the associate pastors and youth to lead the planning. The young adults who serve as directors are, in fact, the very ones who grew up receiving grace through this retreat. Even

Scripture: Hosea 5:15–6:6 Title: Knowing God More and More Introduction 1. Even after years of faith, you may find it hard to explain exactly what it means to 'know God.' If someone asked you to describe it, you might not know where to begin. You pray, you worship, you listen to sermons — and you assumed that the longer you were part of church life, the more it would make sense. But when someone actually asks you to explain it, a surprising sense of bewilderment can set in. 2

The Church Built by the Holy Spirit 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13 | Pentecost Sunday A Question on the Church's Birthday Today is Pentecost Sunday. In the church calendar, we can call this the church's birthday. On the fiftieth day after Jesus' resurrection, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples who were gathered in the upper room, and after Peter preached, three thousand people were baptized that very day. That event marked the beginning of the Jerusalem church. And the church th

The Blessing of Living by the Word (Psalm 1:1–3 | May 17, 2026 | UP Series) Everyone knows that in order to understand the age we are living in, we must first understand the prevailing philosophies of that time. Today, we are said to have moved beyond modernism and postmodernism into an era called metamodernism — an age of oscillation, randomness, and contradiction. It is an era that seeks new meaning amid great complexity and confusion, one that acknowledges diversity while

One Name Acts 17:22–31 Introduction: My Son Cried Last week, my son's sports season came to an end. It was the last official game of a sport he had played for four years. I wasn't able to drive him to every single game, but I tried my best to make it whenever I could. After the games were over, I would drop off all the kids who came along before heading home, and it would usually be close to 10 o'clock at night by the time I walked through the door. With last week's game, tho

Another Stephen Acts 7:55–60 | Sunday Worship, May 3, 2025 ▸ Introduction — Does What I Do Even Matter? 1. Have you ever found yourself thinking this — maybe in the middle of serving at church: "Does what I do here even matter?" Practicing an instrument week after week with the worship team, ladling rice in the kitchen, scrubbing the church bathroom... What does any of that have to do with the Kingdom of God? 2. I think Stephen's story today has an answer to that questi

John 10:1-10 "Do You Know This Voice?" A Familiar Passage That Feels Unfamiliar Today's passage is one we've heard before. The Good Shepherd, the gate for the sheep, abundant life. These are stories anyone who has spent time in church has encountered at least once. Yet as I prepared this passage, I found myself realizing that what I thought was familiar had never truly sunk in — it had simply felt comfortable. I want to share with you today how directly this passage speaks to