The United Church of Canandaigua is a wonderful church family with rich traditions and history in the community of Canandaigua, NY. Our mission is: That All Might Know, Love, and Follow the Lord Jesus Christ as Their Personal Lord and Savior . Enjoy our library of sermons dating back to 2011. https://www.unitedchurchcanandaigua.com/
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This final sermon in the Philippians series looks at Paul's short but weighty closing words, greetings extended to every believer by name and even into Caesar's own household. It's a reminder that the gospel is never contained, no matter the circumstances, and a direct charge for the congregation to consider where God is calling them to live and carry it this week.
In Philippians 4:10-20, Paul redefines contentment as a gift learned through experience and given by God, not conjured from within. Through the lens of the Philippians' sacrificial partnership, the sermon calls the congregation to participate in God's mission and trust God's promise to meet every need.
Anxiety is not a modern invention, and Paul's letter to the Philippians offers a timeless path through it. From standing firm in conflict to praying with gratitude to guarding what fills our minds, Philippians 4:1-9 gives the church a practical and gospel-grounded response to anxiety. The promise at the center is not that circumstances will change but that the peace of God will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Paul writes from prison as a man mid-race, not yet at the finish line, pressing on toward the goal Christ has called him toward. This sermon follows his movement from honest concession to forward-leaning hope, and challenges the congregation to forget what is behind, fix their eyes on their heavenly citizenship, and come to the Lord's Table as fellow runners still running the race.
Paul has the most impressive religious resume imaginable, and he calls it garbage. This sermon follows Paul’s journey from confidence in his own achievements to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ, and challenges the congregation to honestly examine what they are trusting for their standing before God.
As Paul sends Timothy and Epaphroditus back to Philippi, he offers the church two real-life examples of what it looks like to put others first and keep the gospel at the center. The sermon challenges the congregation to honor those who have poured into them and to consider how God is calling them to pour into others.
Paul's call to work out our salvation with fear and trembling raises a question at the heart of the Christian life: how much is our effort and how much is God's? This sermon holds that tension and invites the congregation to faithful, joyful cooperation with God.
Paul completes the Christ Hymn by announcing that because Jesus humbled himself to death on a cross, God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name. Rooted in Isaiah 45, the confession that Jesus Christ is Lord is both a cosmic declaration and a daily posture, one that calls the congregation to seek neither power nor prestige but to humble themselves as Christ humbled himself.
As citizens of heaven, we are to live our lives in a way that is characteristic of those of the kingdom. Our humility as Christians should cause the world to pay attention to the humility of Christ. Let us strive for an honor, not understood from the world, that embodies love and service toward others.
In his first command to the Philippians, Paul calls the church to conduct themselves as worthy citizens of the gospel: united, unafraid, and expecting that suffering is part of the journey. Grounded in all they have already received in Christ, the congregation is challenged to live counter-culturally, putting others first in humility rather than seeking status or self-promotion.
Facing an uncertain future in prison, Paul models what it looks like to trust God when you don't know how things will turn out. This sermon explores the tension Paul holds between his own desires and God's purposes, calling the congregation to place Christ at the center of life and hold everything else with open hands.
Paul writes from prison not with bitterness but with joy, because his chains have only served to advance the gospel. This sermon explores how God uses our most difficult circumstances as conductors of his power, and calls us to the same gospel-centered freedom Paul modeled.
Paul's opening to the Philippians is a letter of deep affection and confidence, not in circumstances, but in the God who finishes what he begins. This sermon launches our summer series through Philippians by grounding us in partnership, joy, and Paul's prayer that our love would abound more and more in wisdom and bear fruit through Jesus Christ.
On Pentecost Sunday we conclude our journey through the Gospel of John. Jesus appears to his frightened disciples on Easter evening, breathing on them and commissioning them as a sent people empowered by the Holy Spirit. John's Pentecost story connects the breath of new creation in Genesis and Ezekiel to the mission Jesus gives his followers. As we close this series, the congregation will be invited to consider whether they are living as sent and equipped people, carrying the message of forgiveness to a world that needs to hear it.
On the night before his crucifixion, Jesus prays an intimate prayer that pulls together everything John has been showing us since chapter 1. We will explore how Jesus defines eternal life not as a destination but as a relationship with God that begins right now. Come ready to hear the invitation that is on every page of John's Gospel and discover that his prayer on the night before the cross was prayed for you.
In this sermon from John 14:15-21, Jesus promises his disciples on the night of his arrest that he would not leave them alone, but would send the Holy Spirit to be their permanent advocate, guide, and presence. The sermon traces the inseparable connection between love and obedience, showing how loving Jesus expresses itself in keeping his commands, and how that obedience opens the door to the indwelling life of the Spirit. Worshippers will be challenged to stop living the Christian life in their own strength and to lean into the presence and power of the Holy Spirit who lives in them.
This memorable passage shows the relationship between Jesus (the Son) and The Father. We also learn about who Jesus is in relation to us (The Way, The Truth, The Life). Just like how Jesus is IN The Father, and The Father is IN the Son, we are also IN them, and them also IN us. What does this mean? It means we are not alone, we are empowered, and we become a distinct people that look like Jesus in a world that so badly needs it.
In John 10:1-18 Jesus identifies himself as both the gate and the good shepherd who knows his sheep by name and lays down his life for them. He draws a sharp contrast between himself and the thieves and hired hands who exploit or abandon the flock. As we hear this passage we are invited to recognize the voice of the one who calls us by name and to trust that his sacrificial love is the foundation of our relationship with him.
After Jesus' changed world history and resurrected from the dead, many of Jesus’ followers returned to everyday life. For some of his disciples, the resurrected Christ re-encountered them right where he first met them - fishing! At first they didn’t recognize him. Still, Jesus tended to their needs, and gave them instruction. May we be ready to recognize Jesus during our everyday lives, and follow his instructions, for he is our resurrected king.
This sermon follows Thomas's journey from doubt to worship as Jesus appears a second time to the disciples specifically for Thomas's sake. The passage culminates in John's purpose statement (20:30-31), which has been the theme verse for our entire series through John's Gospel. The application invites the congregation to see themselves in the story and to receive the same invitation that John extends, to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and find life in his name.
On Easter Sunday we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus as told through John's account of the empty tomb, Mary's encounter with the risen Lord, and Jesus appearing to his disciples. The sermon walks verse by verse through John 20:1-20, highlighting the eyewitness testimonies of those who saw the empty tomb and the risen Christ. We are invited to believe this testimony and receive the eternal life Jesus offers through his death and resurrection.
Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to crowds waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna, but they completely misunderstood what kind of king he came to be. They wanted a warrior on a war horse who would overthrow Rome, but Jesus rode a donkey as the prince of peace who would defeat death through the cross and resurrection. We are challenged to receive Jesus as the king he actually is rather than trying to make him fit our expectations, trusting his way of salvation even when it doesn't match what we think we need.
Jesus delays two days before going to Lazarus, teaching us that God's timing is perfect even when it feels painfully slow. When Jesus arrives and sees the devastation of death in this fallen world, he weeps with outrage and love before raising Lazarus to life. We are called to trust God's timing in our suffering, knowing that his purposes are bigger than our immediate circumstances and that he is working to restore all that sin has broken.
In John 9, Jesus heals a man born blind, revealing himself as the light of the world through both physical and spiritual sight. As the man's understanding grows from calling Jesus a prophet to worshiping him as Lord, the Pharisees who claim to see remain spiritually blind. This sermon challenges us to examine whether we truly see Jesus for who he is and calls us to move from spiritual blindness to worship.
Jesus heals a man paralyzed for 38 years at the Pool of Bethesda, asking him the penetrating question: Do you want to get well? The healing on the Sabbath sparks controversy and leads Jesus to claim equality with God the Father, revealing his true identity. This sermon challenges us to examine where we might be stuck in our own lives and invites us to respond to Jesus' power to heal and transform us.
