Midway Christian Church Sermon Podcast

"Witnesses to These Things" Luke 24: 36b-48, April 14, 2024

As ones who have experienced the Risen Savior in our lives, who know a Savior who showed us a new way, who have accepted Jesus as our Lord who showed us death and brokenness do not have the last word, as ones who are the Body of Christ here on Earth, we are witnesses to all these things. 

"Witnesses to These Things"

Luke 24: 36b-48

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

"Have Life in His Name" John 20: 19-31, April 7, 2024 

The gift of the empty tomb is the physical reminder that this world will not, does not, have the last word; that we as disciples are called to share the Good News of God’s grace and love so that all will have life in his name. The gift of the empty tomb is a physical reminder that we have a choice, that as disciples we are at a crossroads moment for our faith, for our congregation, for ourselves.

"Have Life in His Name"

John 20: 19-31

Part 7: God is Doing Amazing Things! Are You UP For It? March 31, 2024

Rather than focus on the busyness of church, we are called to focus on the business of the empty tomb by embracing the knowledge that Light and Love overcame the darkness, that God is still working, still writing the story of love and grace that transforms us into the people God created us to be. "Look Up"

Mark 16: 1-8

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Part 6: God Is Doing Something Amazing! Are You UP For It? March 24, 2024

On this Palm Sunday, John is inviting us, calling us, as Jesus’ followers, to sit up and observe, to sit up and see, to sit up and take notice of the coming of the Kingdom of God. For it will come to us as we gather around the table at the Last Supper. For it will come to us as we gather beneath the cross at Golgotha. For it will come to us when Jesus is laid in the tomb. "Sit Up"

John 12: 12-26

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Part 5: God is Doing Amazing Things! Are You UP For It? March 17, 2024

The author of John understands that it is only through the act of Jesus being lifted up, that we as his followers, as his disciples, as the people of God, can see the significance of that moment upon our lives, upon our faith, and upon our world.

"Lift Up"

John 12: 20-33

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Part 4: God is Doing Something Amazing! Are You UP for it? March 10, 2024

The light which John talks about in today’s scripture is the Light of the World. It is an invitation to allow our journeys through life to serve as a witness for others. Rather than following the narrative of this world that tells us to hide our imperfections, to deny our fully human selves, it invites us to share our light with others. This Light of the World invites us to be up to something good in our community. This Light of God’s love and grace invites us, no it tells us, to let our light shine. "Light Up"

John 3: 14-21

Part 3: God is Doing Something Amazing! Are You UP for It? March 3, 2024

We rise up because we know who holds us and surrounds us with love and grace; because we are grounded in the peace which passes all understanding; and because of God’s enduring presence in our lives. We rise up as a testimony to God’s grace and Spirit moving in and among our world, bringing healing and wholeness. We rise to take the world to its feet and move mountains, not because of who we are but because of who our God is – loving and steadfast, faithful, and compassionate. We rise because we know the story is not finished yet.

"Rise Up"

Psalm 102: 1-13

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Part 2: God is Doing Something Amazing! Are You UP For It? February 25, 2024

As disciples of Jesus, we are given an invitation to participate in the work of building up God’s Beloved Community by taking up our cross and following Jesus. This invitation is a reminder that our faith is not a lifestyle choice or passing fade. It is a calling which shapes everything about us; our words, our actions, our relationships. It shapes how we view the world, how we engage each other as Beloved Children of God.

"Take Up"

Mark 8: 31-39

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Part 1: God is Doing Something Amazing! Are You UP For It? February 18, 2024

Lent is often known as a time of giving something up in order to make room in our lives for spiritual pursuits. Rather than just “giving up” in Lent, the scriptures ask us to consider all that Jesus is “up to” and all that he asks us to be up to in his name. Instead of bemoaning what we can’t do, or used to do, in a culture where “measuring up” to external standards seems impossible, this Lent we will celebrate the small things that we can do right now to respond to God’s call in our place, for our time. "Store Up"

The Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 (Part 4) February 11, 2024

Being a disciple of Christ takes willingness – a willingness to invite, to allow, and to open ourselves up to the power of transformation that the good news has upon our lives; a willingness to effect change in our lives, in our communities, and in others; a willingness to cross borders and engage issues of racism, sexism, and discrimination. Being a disciple of Christ takes a willingness to become whole, a willingness to grow, and a willingness to welcome.

"I Am Willing" Mark 1: 40-45

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

The Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 (Part 3) January 28, 2024

The Beloved Community that Jesus taught to his disciples is inclusive and authentic, and not like the systems of our world today which are designed to separate and divide. This Beloved Community shows us that there is a new way to live, a new way to be in relationship with one another, and a new way to understand community.

"A New Teaching" Mark 1: 21-28

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

The Gospel of Mark Chapter 1 (Part 2) January 21, 2024

The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 1 (Part 1) January 14, 2024

The baptismal waters which wash us clean are the same waters of justice which roll down and shape the landscape. shape the people, and shape our relationships into the Beloved Community of God. These waters of justice, waters of life, waters of our baptism remind us that our primary identity is as God’s Beloved in whom God is well pleased.

"Beloved" Mark 1: 4-11

It's A Wonderful Life (Part 4), December 24, 2023 When we gather on this fourth Sunday of Advent, we come to hear the familiar, beloved stories of God’s love dwelling among us, to remind us that as people of faith there is a different way to be, a different way to be in relationship with one another, a different way to be in community with one another. "Treasure It!" Luke 2: 1-20

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

It's A Wonderful Life (Part 3), December 17, 2023 As people of faith, we have been given words of joy from our God who loves us more than we could ever imagine, words which remind us over and over again, that when it seems like the darkness is closing in, like we don’t have the strength to carry on, that is exactly when the Kingdom of God breaks in and shakes us up, wakes us up to the hope, to the peace, to the very joy which has been promised to us by our God since the beginning of time. "Enjoy It!" Isaiah 35: 1-10

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

It's A Wonderful Life (Part 2) December 10, 2023

We have been given the promise that in the days to come, our future will contradict our present, that one day, all nations will stream to the Lord’s House and be ready, be willing to listen, to hear, to be taught, to be immersed in God’s way of love and grace, that one day, power and might, greed and money will not be the narrative which drives all interactions between the nations of the world.

"Find Peace in It!" Isaiah 2: 1-5

It's A Wonderful Life (Part 1) December 3, 2023

Advent is a time when we as Christians wait, when we hear once again the promises given to us, when we expectantly hope for Christ’s coming again, when we anticipate the fulfilment of God’s Belove Community here on Earth through the birth of Jesus Christ. While we wait, we are called to find meaning, to find purpose in the everyday moments of our lives, and to realize that it truly is a wonderful life!

"Hope in It!" Isaiah 11: 1-10

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

November 26, 2023

Using our Bibles and our experiences we, as Disciples of Christ, are called to proclaim to the world who we know Jesus to be. He is our Christ, our King, our Lord of Lords. He is the one who died upon the cross so that we might live. As Disciples of Christ, we as individuals are the authorities when it comes to matters of theolog and are called to make profound statements of faith about who Jesus is and why his coming to the world was necessary.

"All the Nations Will Be Gathered in Front of Him" Matthew 25: 31-46 Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

November 19, 2023

On this Thanksgiving Sunday, we gather to praise God and give thanks for His blessings and gifts. As we will learn, Luke’s message today challenges us to think about what it means to say thank you to those who extend to us acts of kindness offers of grace.

"With Thanksgiving" Luke 17: 11-19 Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

November 12, 2023

"Roads of Transformation" Acts 9: 1-9

Guest Preacher: Rev. Dr. Kris Bentley of Lexington Theological Seminary

Good Grief (Part 5) November 5, 2023

By talking about grief within our community of faith, we begin to realize that “when we bring space and warmth to our painful emotions, they are free to arise, do their little dance, and move on. We also know that by bringing space and warmth to our painful emotions, we are also creating room for the presence of God in our midst.” We are opening ourselves up to the possibilities of new life. We are inviting the light and love of God to bring healing and wholeness to our hurts. "God, Will You Help?" Psalm 46

Good Grief (Part 4) October 29, 2023

We can hold on to the promise that God is there for us and that God is there with us. And as people of faith in a true, authentic relationship with God, we can hold God accountable. We have every right to “remind God of God’s faithfulness, to remind God of God’s involvement in the world, to plead with God to change the world, and to believe strongly enough in our anger that God will in fact respond.” "God, Why Have You Abandoned Me?" Psalm 22

Good Grief (Part 3) October 22, 2023

Our sacred text constantly reminds us that our God is big enough to handle our doubts, to handle our fears, to handle our worries, to handle our anger, to handle our questions and still…and still be in relationship with us, and still show us grace upon grace upon grace. "God, Why Are You Punishing Me?" Job 3

Good Grief (Part 2) October 15, 2023 As as we begin to process our grief, we are in the unique position to connect the pain and suffering in others’ lives to Jesus’ pain and suffering. Because what we discovered and experienced in our own grief is the healing power of the Gospel message, that our God, who cares for us, sits with us, and surrounds us, continues to fill us with light and love. "God, Do You Care" Psalm 139: 1-18 Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Good Grief (Part 1) October 8, 2023 Whether a loss is from a physical death, divorce, declining health, bankruptcy, life transitions, finding gray hair and more wrinkles on our faces when we look in the mirrors, grief from our children growing up and becoming more independent and needing us less and less to some other wound or hurt we have experienced in our lives or in our world, every loss deserves a fitting grief, deserves a good grief. "God, Are You Even There" Psalm 13 Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Sacred Earth, Sacred Worth (Part 6) September 24, 2023 It simply not enough to say we will love one another. We are called to practice what we preach, practice the example given to us by Our Creator which is one of surrender, of humility, of grace, and of connection.

"Healing Relationships" 1 John 4: 7-21

Sacred Earth, Sacred Worth (Part 5) September 10, 2023

There is so much hate in this world especially against people who look differently from us, think differently from us, or have different life styles than us. Too often we assume that if we all look alike, think alike, dress alike, live alike, then we will achieve peace while in reality when the Spirit calls to be one, it is calling us to unity, not uniformity. "Glorious Diversity" Genesis 11: 1-9

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Sacred Earth, Sacred Worth (Part 4) September 3, 2023

As people of faith, we are called not to look around for someone else to deal with the brokenness and hurt that fills our world but Rather as co-partners in working to bring about God’s beloved community here on Earth. We are that someone.

"Sacred Creative Vocation" Isaiah 6: 1-8

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Sacred Earth, Sacred Worth (Part 2) August 20, 2023

When we begin the work of reconciliation and healing in compassion, literally meaning “with passion”, with the energy of love, we are drawn into relationship with those around us. We begin to embrace our connections to each other, to the world around us. We begin to see others, see Creation as good, as ones which reflect the light and love of God. "Spirit of Compassion" Mark 12: 28-34 Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Sacred Earth, Sacred Worth (Part 1), August 13, 2023

The Creation story shows us a model of shared power, shared capacity, shared obligation for tending. It reminds us that “genuine interaction and interdependence are characteristics of God’s creative activity.

"Creation as Blessing" Genesis 1-2: 4

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

July 30, 2023

“Then you shall know that I the Lord have spoken and will act.” We speak about unconditional love, but do we act it? We can count on God for unconditional love for us, but we can also count of God to do the same through us.

"Dem Bones" Ezekiel 37: 1-14

Lessons from Paul's Letter to the Romans (Part 3) July 23, 2023

Because of God’s grace and love, because we have been transformed, because we know that this world does not have the last word, as disciples of Christ, we are invited, not just to have a passive faith in a deity some light years away, but to be encouraged to embody a life grounded in the promises of the resurrection, in the hope of the good news. Lessons from Paul's Letter to the Romans (Part 3) "Hope of Resurrection" Romans 6: 1-14

Lessons from Paul's Letter to the Romans (Part 2) July 16, 2023

Paul says that those who have been justified by faith have been set in right relationship with God, not because of anything we did do deserve it. But rather we are in right relationship because of who God is…a God who is slow to anger, a God who is faithful from generation to generation, a God who in steadfast in love. Lessons from Paul's Letter to the Romans (Part 2) "God's Love Poured Out" Romans 3: 28-30; 5: 1-11

Lessons from Paul's Letter to the Romans (Part 1) July 9, 2023

As people of faith, we struggle to name what the Gospel actually means. We struggle to name how it transforms our faith. And we struggle with words like salvation, especially in relation to the good news.

"Gospel as Salvation" Romans 1: 1-17 Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

The Awakened Traveler (Part 1) June 4, 2023

God intentionally led the people of Israel out of Egypt by a roundabout way, reminding us that sometimes the best part of the journey is not arriving at the destination but what we learn along the way, the people we meet, the experiences we have, the opportunities to try something new because as the people of Israel soon learn “beginning a journey involves leaving ‘home’–whether that is a physical place in order to explore another part of the world, or changing a mindset that is keeping us from expanding our spiritual capacity.” "Leaving Home" Exodus 13: 17-21

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

May 28, 2023 This is Pentecost...where the old is made new, where the celebration which honors the first fruits of the harvest takes on new meaning, where all the people of God are reminded of our connection to and for each other.

"The Day of Pentecost" Acts 2: 1-21 Scripture Reading: Pastor Rick Smith, Historic Second Christian Church, Midway KY Sermon: Rev. Heather McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

May 21, 2023

Jesus leaves his disciples with, leaves us with, this. . . a reminder that “it is in living out God’s love for the world that we have oneness with God, that we have oneness with each other.” This oneness is not uniformity. It is unity. 

"Made Your Name Known" John 17: 1-11

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

May 14, 2023

We were given the Spirit of Truth to guide us, to ground us in God’s Wisdom, and to help us find our way as we become the embodiment of God’s love as we live out the vision of God’s Beloved Community coming to fruition here on Earth.

"Spirit of Truth" John 14: 15-21

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

May 7, 2023

As people of faith, we know that we are not alone, that we are surrounded by a community of brothers and sisters who walk with us, that we have the promise that there is nothing that can ever separate us from God's love. "This is true hope, even when our hearts are troubled."

"Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled" John 14: 1-14,

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

April 30, 2023

At the Table, the disciples catch a glimpse of the Kingdom of God, which invites them to hear again that death does not have the last word. That in the Kingdom of God, all are seen as Beloved Children of God, that at the Table, there are no seats of power or honor, there are only opportunities for all to be embraced as equals.

"How Did We Not Know?" Luke 24: 13-35

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

April 16, 2023 - Earth Sunday

Our scripture this morning is not a typical Earth Sunday passage. Rather it is a confrontation and a conversation about the ways of world, specifically in how we care for the land and care for others in crisis.

"The Church Needs to be A Joseph" Genesis 41: 14-36

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Measure Your Life in Love (Part 7) April 9, 2023

For Mark, what matters is that we have the promise that transformation, that the new life of the empty tomb, meets us in every single minute of every single day. For Mark and for us…the story is still being written. "How Do You Measure Transformation" Mark 16: 1-8

Measure Your Life in Love (Part 6) April 2, 2023

We need to hear again, that this world does not have the last word; that to know that God is still at work in our world; that for times such as these, as people of faith, we are called to preach the good news always, using words when necessary; that just when it seems hopeless, like the darkness has won, like it is all too much, the Kingdom of God will always find us.

Palm Sunday sermon Matthew 21: 1-11 ("How Do You Measure the Life of A Woman or A Man?")

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Measure Your Life in Love (Part 5) March 26, 2023

Grace is often so intangible that we don’t know we need it until after we have experienced it.

"How Do You Measure Grace" John 3: 1-21

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY

Measure Your Life in Love (Part 4) March 19, 2023

Authentic community, the Beloved Community of the the Kingdom of God is based on unity, not uniformity. "How Do You Measure Community" Matthew 18: 10-20

Rev. Dr. Heather W. McColl, Midway Christian Church, Midway KY