From The Pulpit of DUMC
276 episodes - English - Latest episode: 6 days ago - ★★★★★ - 5 ratingsSermons and Scripture delivered from the Pulpit of Davidson United Methodist Church, Davidson, NC
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Episodes
#226. Rev. Jim Humphries - May 29
June 01, 2022 13:15 - 15 minutes - 35.1 MBAccording to Acts 1: 1-11, the resurrected Jesus spent 40 days with his disciples, teaching them about the kingdom of God before ascending to heaven. So on the church calendar, we celebrate the Ascension of the Lord each year on the 40th day of the season of Easter (this year, May 26). Throughout Christian history, the Ascension of the Lord has been a celebrated, honored holiday and feast day -- though good luck finding any “Ascension Day” cards at the Hallmark store today. We tend to gloss o...
#225. Rev. David Hockett - May 22
June 01, 2022 12:33 - 18 minutes - 41.2 MBIn this week’s reading from the gospel of John (John 14:23-29), Jesus comforts his friends by encouraging them to not be afraid. The phrase “fear not” or “do not be afraid” appears at least 100 times in Scripture. While we may acknowledge that there are things which frighten us, Scripture urges us to not be controlled by fear. Instead, we are called to love, trusting that love casts out fear. Fear narrows the circle of our lives. It constricts, and it can choke the life out of us as indi...
#224. A Place at the Table - Episode 2, May 18
May 18, 2022 16:29 - 27 minutes - 62.6 MBDavidson UMC Youth hosts Sarah Payne and Anna Liz Turner talk with graduating high school seniors Shelby Liebler and Mitch Dreffer. The four discuss the importance of being engaged with the church as students, share some of their memories, and also what their plans are for the future. You won't want to miss this fun and insightful episode.
#223. Rev. David Hockett - May 15
May 18, 2022 16:25 - 16 minutes - 38.4 MBOn Sunday, we listen in as Jesus says to his disciples, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”(John 13:34-35) Discipleship is the name we give to the process of our becoming, of how, in spending time with Christ we become more like Christ and reflect Christ’s will and way in the world. As Eugene Peterson points out, “Christ...
#222. Rev. David Hockett - May 8
May 10, 2022 17:06 - 15 minutes - 36 MBIn this week’s gospel reading (John 10:22-30) Jesus calls us sheep. It was a reference folks in his context could identify with and understand. Beyond that, I think he did so for a couple of reasons. He knows that we need someone, or something to define the way for us, to lead us, to push us forward, to call us in the way that we should go. He also knows that we have a tendency to wander off. It may not even always be intentional, but sometimes we become absorbed with what’s in front of ...
#221. Rev. David Hockett - May 1
May 10, 2022 17:04 - 15 minutes - 35.9 MBSunday will be a beautiful day at Davidson UMC as we celebrate the confirmation of almost 40 youth. For several months they've learned together and journeyed together, growing deeper in their faith. We are grateful for the energy, creativity, and gifts they bring to our life together. They make us a better church. This week we will focus on the Gospel of John and Peter's second call. As we celebrate with our youth and their families, we are reminded that we are all, as Church, called to foll...
#220. Rev. Brad Hinton - April 24
May 10, 2022 17:03 - 17 minutes - 39 MBLocation. Location. Location. Many of us have heard location is a very important aspect in real estate. This week as we continue in the Easter season we will be looking at the passage from John 20. This passage is the story of Jesus meeting the disciples in the locked home. He offers them peace and they rejoiced. This is also the passage with the well-known story about doubting Thomas, who wants to see the marks of crucifixion on Jesus’ hands and side. Thomas is often the theme of this pa...
#219. A Place at the Table - Episode 1, April 18
May 10, 2022 17:00 - 25 minutes - 45.8 MBDavidson UMC Youth, featuring hosts Sarah Payne and Anna Liz Turner, have started a podcast for youth! On this first episode they talk to DUMC's Senior Pastor David Hockett and discuss his calling, what his job is like, and the weirdest thing that has happened to him on the job.
#218. Rev. David Hockett - April 17
April 19, 2022 17:46 - 12 minutes - 11.6 MB“New creation has begun, and you are invited to be a part of it.”(NT Wright) This is the good news the women shared with the disciples upon returning from the tomb that first Easter morning.(Luke 24:1-12) In the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God has re-ordered the rhythm of this world, has re-ordered creation, and we are invited to be a part of that new order. Easter is, in a way, God’s magnum opus, God’s symphony, in which all of creation is invited into a new rhythm, a new way of being ...
#217. Rev. David Hockett - April 10
April 12, 2022 13:51 - 16 minutes - 15 MBFollowing Jesus is an extraordinary gift, and it can be costly and demanding. As we draw near to Christ, become members of his body, and follow him more closely we become more generous, loving, and free. In following Jesus, we become a people who are salt and light, a foretaste of the Kingdom of heaven on earth, the very hope of the world. On Sunday we begin our Holy Week journey focusing our attention on Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The celebratory scene of Jesus riding into t...
#216. This Thing Called Church - Episode 21, April 6
April 07, 2022 16:15 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBDavid, Kevin, and Karen are back together again for a Lenten check-in and a look ahead to Holy Week. As usual, there are laughs and an assortment of other conversations.
#215. Rev. Brad Hinton - April 3
April 06, 2022 16:21 - 17 minutes - 16.1 MBAs we continue to prepare for Easter on this fifth Sunday in Lent, we will be reflecting on the passage from John where Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with costly perfume. We will hear about Judas Iscariot complaining about the cost of the perfume and then we will hear Jesus’ response. You are invited to join us in-person or online as we reflect on this passage together.
#214. Rev. David Hockett - March 27
March 31, 2022 15:17 - 19 minutes - 18 MBIn this week’s reading (2 Corinthians 5:16-21) we encounter the Church in Corinth. Corinth was a difficult, often wild, and impenitent place. Paul founded the church there and his relationship with the Corinthian Christians was often difficult and bittersweet. Paul loved them, felt responsible for them as a father in the faith, and often wrote to them giving advice, counsel, and correction. In this section of the letter, Paul reminds the Corinthian Christians of the new creation work that...
#213. This Thing Called Church - Episode 20, March 23
March 24, 2022 19:07 - 34 minutes - 31.2 MBKevin and Karen are joined with two delightful guests - Davidson College student Catie Holshouser and Cindy Turner (yes, Kevin's wife!). Catie is the Campus Ministry Intern and Cindy is the Lay Leader for Campus Ministry. The four have conversations about being a Davidson College student, faith, and Davidson Wesley Group updates. And they tell us who else has been involved in Davidson Wesley and where they are today.
#212. Rev. David Hockett - March 20
March 21, 2022 13:42 - 15 minutes - 13.8 MBIn this week’s gospel reading from Luke (13:1-9), we encounter a world-view shared by many of Jesus’ contemporaries – tragedy, sudden death, illness, and suffering are punishment for sin. Likewise, good health, success, wealth, and prosperity are signs of God’s blessing and favor and are the result of a person’s goodness or righteousness. In his interaction with a crowd, Jesus responds by rejecting the idea that the offer of God’s love and mercy are somehow related to our goodness or lack...
#211. Rev. Dianne Lawhorn - March 13
March 14, 2022 14:51 - 19 minutes - 17.7 MBWe take a step further in our journey to the cross on this Second Sunday of Lent. Last week, we focused on Jesus’ temptation. This week, we will focus on Jesus’ sorrow. Our scripture comes to us from Luke 13:31-35. It begins with a warning from the Pharisees for Jesus about Herod’s plan to kill him, but it becomes a reflection on the nature of Jesus’ life and mission. It highlights the tragic role played by Jerusalem in the life of Jesus. Jerusalem had a history of rejecting the Messiah...
#210. Rev. David Hockett - March 6
March 08, 2022 20:36 - 16 minutes - 15.3 MBOur gospel reading for the First Sunday in Lent is Luke 4:1-13, where Luke tells the story of Jesus being tempted. As we enter into the season of Lent, a season of reflection and fasting, a season of preparation for our annual celebration of Easter, what does Jesus being tempted in the wilderness have to do with us? Most of us would probably not claim that Satan or some adversary had come to us and tempted us to engage in this or that behavior, especially temptations like Jesus faced - turn...
#209. This Thing Called Church - Episode 19, March 2
March 03, 2022 14:03 - 35 minutes - 32.6 MBOn this special episode, David, Kevin, and Karen have the opportunity to talk with Pastor Jozef Bartos, from Metodysci w Krakowie, and Kate Werner who both live in Krakow, Poland. They discuss the current situation with Ukraine and Russia and how it is affecting life and people in their area. DUMC choirs traveled to Krakow in 2015 and performed at Pastor Bartos' church.
#208. Rev. David Hockett - February 27
February 28, 2022 16:32 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBThis week we conclude our series on Jesus’ parable of the father who had two lost sons. We’ve noted who was gathered that day listening to Jesus teach – both people of questionable reputation, people on the margins of faith and life, and the Pharisees and religion scholars, and everyone in between. We saw how Jesus directed much of what he had to say at those who were considered the good, moral, religious people of the day. We noted that, while it doesn’t appear in the story, the word prod...
#207. This Thing Called Church - Episode 18- February 23
February 28, 2022 16:30 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBNext week is Ash Wednesday and David, Kevin, and Karen discuss the meaning behind it and how you can prepare to keep a holy Lent. Kevin shares a new prop for 2022 and they also recap the recent youth episode and talk bananas.
#206. Rev. Dianne Lawhorn - February 20
February 23, 2022 13:36 - 16 minutes - 15.2 MBThis week we progress in our study of The Prodigal God by Tim Keller based on Luke 15. We have encountered two different spiritual paths in the older and younger brother’s examples. Now, we will look at the character who was left out of the story. This person provides an example that is radically different than either of the other two. This week, we discover the unique path that our true elder brother, Jesus, offers us. As we discover the way that Jesus provides for us, we will find our ...
#205. Rev. David Hockett - February 13, 2022
February 14, 2022 14:52 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBThis week we continue our series on the parable of the father who had two sons found in Luke 15. We’ll focus our attention more closely on the elder brother and his response to the gracious welcome his younger, wayward brother receives from the father. Here Jesus wants us to consider what it means to be spiritually lost. It’s clear to those listening in that little brother is lost, but Jesus suggests that both sons are far from the father’s love; both sons aren’t truly home. So, how is th...
#204. Rev. David Hockett - February 6
February 07, 2022 14:39 - 17 minutes - 15.9 MBOn Sunday we continue our exploration of the parable of the father who had two sons, paying particular attention to Luke 15:11-18, 25-29a. Here Jesus depicts the sin of both sons, not only the younger, wayward brother. Of course, the younger brother’s alienation from his father seems obvious. And yet, what Jesus hopes we’ll see is that both sons are caught in their own sin and brokenness and the elder brother is equally lost, only in a different. And so, the story is about a father who lo...
#203. This Thing Called Church - Episode 17. February 2, 2022
February 02, 2022 21:13 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBWhat happens when Kevin and Karen are replaced by their daughters on the show? Find out on this special episode of This Thing Called Church when David sits down with Anna Liz Turner and Sarah Payne. They discuss what it's like being a youth at DUMC and how they would like others to see their perspective of being a teenager and a Christian.
#202. Rev. David Hockett - January 30, 2022
January 31, 2022 18:30 - 17 minutes - 16.4 MBThis week we begin our series focusing on the parable Jesus tells in Luke 15:1-3, 11-32. We’re, of course, using Tim Keller’s book, The Prodigal God, as our reference. I commend the book to you and hope you’ll read along as it really is a kind of primer on the Christian faith. So, over the next five weeks we’ll explore how in this parable, Jesus is doing so much more than merely interpreting the dynamics of an ancient family. In fact, the story helps us understand what it means to be lost...
#201. Rev. David Hockett - January 23
January 24, 2022 17:53 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBBecause of Jesus, who is the embodiment of the reign and will of God, the Kingdom is already among us, it is already here, today. Christ makes this claim in this week’s gospel (Luke 4:14-21), drawing on Isaiah 61. It’s hard to ignore and we should probably pay attention. The promise of freedom, of good news for the poor, of the ability to see as God sees, and of liberation for all who are oppressed is fulfilled, in Jesus, TODAY. And yet, there is also a distance, a gap, between what alrea...
#200. This Thing Called Church - Episode 16 - January 19, 2022
January 20, 2022 15:34 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MBDavid, Kevin, and Karen are back and kick off 2022 with a new episode! On today's episode the three recap the holidays and then discuss the new churchwide book study that is starting at the end of the month. The book is called The Prodigal God and it's not too late to get a copy, join a small group, or follow along on your own. A book study is a great to start your new year!
#199. Rev. Jim Humphries - January 16, 2022
January 18, 2022 17:09 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBThis Sunday in worship we will read John 2: 1-11, the story of Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. This is one of the most well-known narratives of the Bible, to be sure. And because it's such a familiar story, perhaps we've never asked ourselves: Why would Jesus do such an odd thing? We're accustomed to reading about Jesus' healings and other miraculous deeds, but turning water into wine seems like a very different kind of miracle, does it not? Perhaps there's some...
#198. Rev. Jim Humphries - January 9, 2022
January 10, 2022 15:26 - 15 minutes - 13.9 MBThis week we gather and hear the story of Jesus’ baptism. Like Jesus, who was claimed at his baptism as God’s beloved Son, in baptism, we too have been claimed by God. The most basic truth about who we are comes not from what we have, or what we do, or even what we’ve failed to do, but our truest and most basic identity comes from whose we are. Like Jesus we are God’s own beloved sons and daughters. No matter what identity we have claimed for ourselves, no matter the identity others have ...
#197. Rev. David Hockett - January 2, 2022
January 04, 2022 18:06 - 17 minutes - 16 MBOn Sunday we will hear the story of the Magi from Matthew’s gospel. It’s often read around January 6th, or a holy day, that in Eastern Christianity, rivals Christmas as a day of celebration and significance. In some traditions it is known as Three Kings Day. We have it on our calendars as the Feast of the Epiphany. The word epiphany simply means appearing or appearance, or to make manifest, or to reveal. So, this particular day and season of the Christian year is the time when the Church...
#196. This Thing Called Church - Episode 15 - December 15
December 16, 2021 17:55 - 35 minutes - 32.7 MBFor the last episode of the year, David, Kevin, and Karen discuss the meaning of incarnation, if Jesus was really human, and why it is so important to understand. Kevin features his special holiday apparel which also ties into what "national day" it is. Thank you to everyone who has watched and supported us this year. We wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year!
#195. Rev. David Hockett - December 12
December 16, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBWhile the world is scrambling around trying to buy happiness, Mary, the favored one of God, sings. She sings not a song of sentimental Christmas happiness, but a song of joy, because she expects that things will be different, things will change through the birth of her son. Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1:46b-55) is the radical proclamation that, in her son, the world is forever changed, turned upside down. She boldly sings of what God has done, especially for people we don’t normally think of a...
#194. Rev. David Hockett - December 5
December 05, 2021 20:05 - 16 minutes - 14.9 MBOur lives are pointing to something or to someone. We are telling a story by the way we live. And make no mistake about it, our neighbors are listening to what the Church says, and are watching what the Church does. Right or wrong, fair or unfair, they are drawing conclusions about the truthfulness and the usefulness of the gospel based upon what they see and hear in us. They’re drawing conclusions about Jesus, based upon the lives of Jesus’ people. This Sunday we encounter Zechariah who,...
#193. This Thing Called Church - Episode 14 - December 1
December 02, 2021 16:34 - 35 minutes - 32.9 MBDavid, Kevin, and Karen recap their Thanksgivings, and Karen gifts David another cup for his coffee cup collection. We are now in the season of Advent and the three discuss preparing for this special time and what it means. David and Kevin also give some tips on how to keep a holy Advent and not be caught up in the busyness and stress of the holiday.
#192. Rev. David Hockett - November 28
November 30, 2021 02:07 - 18 minutes - 16.5 MBOn Sunday, we enter the season of Advent, or the Church’s four-week-long season of preparation for our celebration of the birth of Jesus. We’ll begin the season exploring a passage from the prophet Jeremiah who, in the face of devastation, imagines an alternative reality: the restoration of Israel, the practice of justice and righteousness, and the flourishing of life in the land that God has promised. Not because of any strength or wisdom or intelligence that Jeremiah possesses, but becaus...
#191. Rev. Dianne Lawhorn - November 21
November 30, 2021 01:15 - 12 minutes - 11.8 MBThis Sunday, November 21, we celebrate Christ the King Sunday. This Sunday marks the bridge between ordinary time after Pentecost and the beginning of Advent that starts the new church year. This Sunday’s purpose is to celebrate the reign of Christ as King. This service will use scripture and song to offer a worshipful reflection on the fulfillment that Christ brings to the reign of God. Our scripture for the day will be Psalm 93, which is called an “enthroned” or “royal” Psalm. It was c...
#190. This Thing Called Church - Episode 13 - November 17
November 18, 2021 19:17 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBSunday is Christ the King Sunday and David, Kevin, and Karen discuss its meaning as well as its significance. Kevin brings something for show and tell which helps explain the discussion around the liturgy calendar and how the church calendar year works.
#189. Rev. David Hockett - November 14
November 14, 2021 20:30 - 17 minutes - 16.3 MBIn this week’s reading from the Gospel of Mark, Jesus and his disciples are in the Temple in Jerusalem. The disciples took all of what they could see before them, the grand and ornate Temple complex, as a sign and symbol of the presence of God’s Kingdom – a Kingdom they believed would be grand and powerful – much like the Kingdoms we build. But Jesus was unimpressed saying, “Not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down.” Jesus is not anti-building per se. Rather, h...
#188. Rev. Brad Hinton - November 7
November 07, 2021 17:27 - 21 minutes - 19.4 MBThis week we will be discussing missions. We will reflect on Psalm 127, a theology of missions, how our church lives out missions, next steps for missions, and where God may be calling us to serve. Missions is part of the framework of our church and this Sunday we will reflect on how we live out missions and where we are going.
#187. This Thing Called Church - Episode 12 - November 3
November 04, 2021 19:54 - 35 minutes - 32.3 MBDavid, Kevin, and Karen start with a conversation about Halloween candy and Karen shares how much candy people purchase and consume. They move on to discuss this past Sunday's All Saints' worship service. Kevin talks about what goes into the beautiful music that was performed by the choirs and orchestra and David explains the meaning behind All Saints' and why we celebrate it and the differences between All Hallows, All Saints', and All Souls.
#186. Rev. Jim Humphries - October 24
October 24, 2021 15:16 - 18 minutes - 16.8 MBCompleting our sermon series last week on The Five Practices of Fruitful Living, we now return this Sunday to the Revised Common Lectionary, looking specifically at Mark 10:46-52; a familiar and beloved story to many readers of the Bible. Jesus' years of ministry are drawing to a close as he and his disciples begin leaving Jericho, making their way to Jesus' last stop in Jerusalem. But before they can depart Jericho, a beggar named Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus, seeking healing of his blindne...
#185. This Thing Called Church - Episode 11 - October 20
October 24, 2021 14:28 - 42 minutes - 38.9 MBToday may be the oddest National Day "item" as David, Kevin, and Karen get off track on that discussion. "The sacraments" are the real topic for today's episode and David and Kevin do an extraordinary job of explaining why baptism and communion are significant and what they mean on a deeper level. They also share some comical stories of baptisms gone awry. David gives a brief highlight of the Lands of Bible Cruise he will be co-leading next year which is open to everyone to join and Kevin giv...
#184. Rev. David Hockett - October 17
October 18, 2021 18:49 - 18 minutes - 17.3 MBWe’ve come to the final week in our series on Bishop Robert Shnase’s book, Five Practices of Fruitful Living. Radical hospitality, passionate worship, intentional faith development, risk-taking mission and service, and extravagant generosity represent a wholistic way of life, a way of experiencing God’s love, and living a life that matters, a life of meaning and purpose that makes a difference in the world. This week we’ll focus on John 15:1-11 and how abiding in Christ, through the practic...
#183. Rev. David Hockett - October 10
October 12, 2021 13:33 - 19 minutes - 18.1 MBThis Sunday we’ll explore extravagant generosity or the fifth practice in our series on Five Practices of Fruitful Living. Bishop Robert Schnase defines extravagant generosity as “…our un-selfish willingness to share and give from all of our resources in a way that exceeds all expectations. Extravagant generosity describes lavish sharing, sacrifice, and giving in service to God and our neighbor.” Being extravagantly generous people and an extravagantly generous church is one of the ways we...
#182. This Thing Called Church - Episode 10 - October 6
October 07, 2021 15:28 - 32 minutes - 30.3 MBDavid, Kevin, and Karen record in-person in a new location! During the weekend recap, learn how Kevin saved the day during the Fernando Ortega concert. The topic for this episode is The Way of Salvation. David and Kevin break down what it means, how is it that God saves us, and how can we continue working on salvation.
#181. Rev. Dianne Lawhorn - October 3
October 03, 2021 14:25 - 12 minutes - 11.7 MBAs we move along in our Church-Wide Study on Bishop Schnase’s Five Practices of Fruitful Congregations, this week we will be looking at the fourth practice: Risk Taking Mission and Service. We will learn from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 16 verses 24-27, what it really means to be a disciple. Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will fi...
#180. Rev. David Hockett - September 26
September 26, 2021 14:32 - 21 minutes - 19.2 MBAn encounter with God in worship is a foretaste of a deeper, more intimate relationship with God. Cultivating a mature life in Christ requires more than weekly worship. It involves our faithful attention to the means of grace, or staying in love with God by setting aside regular and intentional time for listening to God in prayer, for the study of Scripture, for fellowship and holy conversation in community, and for learning from those who are wiser than us in the faith. This is intentiona...
#179. This Thing Called Church - Episode 9, September 22
September 23, 2021 14:28 - 44 minutes - 40.7 MBOn this special episode of This Thing Called Church, David, Kevin, and Karen are together in-person and recorded the show in front of the DUMC PrimeTimers audience! They answered a wide range of questions submitted from the audience from how did they meet their spouses, where did they go to college, and is there purgatory, to taking the Bible too literally, Methodist theology, and an update on the Way Forward. As always there are some of the "finer moments" (bloopers) at the end of the episode.
#178. Rev. David Hockett - September 19
September 19, 2021 17:23 - 20 minutes - 18.6 MBOn Sunday we continue exploring five practices that shape and define a faithful and fruitful life. Last week we explored the practice of radical hospitality, of welcoming God’s love into our hearts and lives recognizing that the most basic truth about us is that we are first, finally, and forever loved by God – and then extending God’s love and radical welcome to every person we meet. This week we turn our attention to the practice of passionate worship. As Bishop Schnase observes, “worshi...
#177. Rev. David Hockett - September 12
September 12, 2021 15:20 - 23 minutes - 21.8 MBThis week we begin our church-wide study and a series of sermons focusing on Bishop Robert Schnase’s book, Five Practices of Fruitful Living. Bishop Schnase asks, “How do we cultivate lives that are abundant, fruitful, purposeful, and deep? What are the commitments…and practices that open us to God’s transforming grace, and that help us discover the difference God intends for us to make in the world? And how do we live the fruitful flourishing life of a follower of Christ?” We lean into t...