I'll Be There For You Sermon Series Concludes This Sunday, I will finish my sermon series, I'll Be There For You, with Part 3 - "Reality is an Acquired Taste." As you may recall, the series is inspired by the tremendously popular TV show Friends and the memoir of one of the show's stars, Matthew Perry, Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing. This final sermon is also inspired by Jesus' touching reminder, "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Jesus wants us to pay attention to the things that matter most, recognizing that God's love inspires us and motivates us through life's toughest challenges.

This Sunday, my sermon series, I'll Be There for You, continues with Part 2, "God Is Everywhere." This series is inspired by the sitcom Friends and the memoir of Matthew Perry, one of the show's stars. This week's sermon title is a quote from Mr. Perry's book. Despite the raw language and multiple sad stories, a surprising amount of spiritual hope is woven throughout the pages of his memoir. We will also hear from two of my favorite scriptures, Psalm 139 and 1 Peter 3, which speak metaphorically of God's willingness to go to hell to find us if necessary.

New Sermon Series - I'll Be There for You I begin a new three-part sermon series on January 7 titled I'll Be There for You. You may recognize the title, the iconic theme song for the popular '90s sitcom Friends. The inspiration for the series comes from reading former Friends star Matthew Perry's autobiography, Friends, Lovers, and The Big Terrible Thing. I'm approaching this series through the TV show and Matthew Perry's poignantly haunting memoir. His open and honest approach to his struggles provides valuable insights. Part 1 is titled "Can I Interest You in a Sarcastic Comment?" That is a quote from Chandler, the Matthew Perry character, who unfortunately does not have much wisdom but has a lot of sarcasm! The sermon is also based on John 15: 12-17, which contains the beautiful words of Jesus to his disciples: " I do not call you servants any longer...but I have called you friends." Emily Rogers, our Director of Digital Content, Strategy, and Worship Coordinator, noted that this series will help us see how this ancient word still has powerful meaning in our contemporary world.