Hyde Park United Methodist
677 episodes - English - Latest episode: 7 days ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsSermons and talks from Hyde Park United Methodist. Making God's Love Real. Find out more at hydeparkumc.org
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Missions Celebration, Go . . . Again // Derrick Scott III // October 17, 2021
October 18, 2021 11:00 - 21 minutes - 15.1 MBThe work of missions is tiring, difficult work at times. You may feel exhausted and worn out, in need of encouragement. Or maybe you are wondering what God has called you to do in the world. Derrick Scott from Campus City to Wesley in Jacksonville, FL encourages us to embody the Holy Spirit, practice repentance, and live into our ordination as people called to serve God.
All In, Part 5 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // October 10, 2021
October 11, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.32 MBThis is simultaneously the easiest and hardest of the Great Commandment. It is one thing to love God, which we can render easier in our minds as simpler to do. But to love someone we can see, with consequences that we can more readily experience, that can be harder. Especially if that person is, in our minds, harder to love. But there is a reason that this is the ultimate conclusion of the Great Commandment. Loving others as ourselves is not only easier, but possible, when we love God with o...
All In, Part 4 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // October 3, 2021
October 04, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.16 MBPaul’s letter to the Philippians tells us that whatever we do, we should do it for the glory of God. Every action, every moment of rest, every initiative we take, ought to be done through the filter of loving God and others. To do otherwise is to miss the mark, and it might even mean sin. The beauty of the Great Commandment is that it understands that none of these four aspects of our being (heart, soul, mind, and strength) can be offered to God in isolation. To give God our whole activity, ...
All In, Part 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // September 26, 2021
September 27, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.65 MBFaith and reason are not contradictory. Religion and science, long considered opposites, are actually complementary. As Christians in the Wesleyan tradition, we believe that “reason” is one of three primary ways we interact with and understand the authority of scripture. Loving God with our minds also means allowing room for doubt and questions. Our minds, after all, have a finite capacity in terms of understanding an infinite God. So embracing mystery can be a worshipful acknowledgement of ...
All In, Part 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // September 19, 2021
September 20, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.76 MBWe often think about soul as something separate from our bodies, but what if is more than that? Explore how to fully reflect the breath of God in the way we live, finding alignment with the way and will of God.
All In, Part 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // September 12, 2021
September 13, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.21 MBWhen the Bible refers to a person’s heart, it is not just talking about the muscular organ in our bodies that pumps blood. Kardia is the Greek word for heart and refers to a person’s whole being. In a biblical sense, giving God our heart means allowing God to work in the most private and protected areas of our lives. It also means surrendering to God our honest and raw emotions, both the positive and negative feelings, but also the deeper ones like passion and longing. Ultimately, to trust G...
Questions Jesus Asked, Week 6 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // September 5, 2021
September 06, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.15 MBWe conclude our series “Questions Jesus Asked” with the very first question Jesus asked in the gospel of John. In this passage, some followers of John the Baptist expressed an interest in learning more about Jesus, whose ministry John had been preparing the world to receive. The disciples of John approached Jesus with curiosity, humility, and openness, and discovered that Jesus was ready to meet them right where they were. Likewise, God is honored by our earnest seeking, and we can approac...
Questions Jesus Asked, Week 5 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // August 29, 2021
August 29, 2021 11:00 - 18 minutes - 12.9 MBLove your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you… are you kidding me, Jesus? But the truth, Jesus is not kidding. Indeed, he is prescribing an ethic of generosity for Christians living in a hostile world. Hope you’ll join us this Sunday as we ponder the question: Who will you love?
Questions Jesus Asked, Week 4 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // August 22, 2021
August 22, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.86 MBThis was one of Jesus’ most famous and most important questions: What does it profit a person to gain the whole world but lose their soul? The answer, of course, is that nothing is worth compromising one’s faith, integrity, or conviction. God desires nothing less of us than the full and complete surrender to God’s will. Anything we hold onto for ourselves will not last. But everything we yield over to God will make an eternal impact in the countless lives who come after us. And who doesn’t w...
Questions Jesus Asked, Week 3 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // August 15, 2021
August 15, 2021 11:00 - 16 minutes - 11.3 MBIn Luke’s version of the Sermon on the Mount, he offers the same teaching as that in Matthew: Do not worry. God’s got this. If God is able to care for the flowers and the birds, who do not worry one day to the next about their provision and security, “how much more” does God care about us? It is the promise within that famous equivocation that we often take for granted. Flowers and birds might not worry because they are not conscious of the choice they have to make not to worry. We, however,...
Questions Jesus Asked, Week 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // August 8, 2021
August 08, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.4 MBThis passage is Matthew’s version of Jesus calming the storm. As the disciples were cowering in fear over the wind and the waves, Jesus seemingly rebukes them for their lack of faith. If we are honest, we would have very much the same reaction that the disciples did. We evaluate with our senses the conditions of the world, and come to a reasonable conclusion about the threats that are present around us. But Jesus calls us to extend our faith past our senses, and take heart in the presence of...
Questions Jesus Asked, Week 1 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // August 1, 2021
August 01, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutes - 10.1 MBThe Transfiguration of Jesus serves as the hinge or pivot point in Mark’s gospel. There are the teachings and miracles of Jesus that take place before then, followed by the predictions of Jesus’ death and promise of resurrection that take place after. Directly preceding the Transfiguration is an important conversation between Jesus and the disciples, whom Jesus asks about public opinion. Only Peter appears to answer the question correctly: “You are the Messiah.” That response is the key in M...
The Boy Who Would Be King, Week 4 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // July 25, 2021
July 25, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.09 MBDavid is nearing the end of his life, and he recognizes that because of his warlike nature, God has forbidden him from building the Temple. His final words therefore not only seal his achievements and summarize his life, they also serve as a transition to Solomon and his reign. More significantly, in the next chapter, David decides to build an altar of praise and confession to God, praying for an end to the plague. That act of contrition cements that location as the very place where the plag...
The Boy Who Would Be King, Week 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // July 18, 2021
July 18, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.59 MBThe very first thing we learn about David is that he is a worshiper. From his days out in the field to his final years on the throne, he worshiped God. Worship should be a whole-life expression for us, too. Many of the Psalms are attributed to him, and in them we see the intersection between human pathos (the breadth of the human experience) and divine pathos (the purpose and will of God). In 2 Samuel 6, we see David’s actions in relation to the entrance of the ark of the covenant. He exhibi...
The Boy Who Would Be King, Week 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // July 11, 2021
July 11, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.45 MBDavid’s hubris and his inability to practice self-control led to his greatest downfall. He committed adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah. But his downfall began even before these events occurred. It began with his arrogance, his delusional belief that he was the source of his accomplishments and could therefore acquire and achieve anything he desired. He was so blinded by his delusion that Nathan’s indictment of him caught him completely off guard. Sin is like that. I...
The Boy Who Would Be King, Week 1 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // July 4, 2021
July 04, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBEvery quintessential hero story has a “rite of passage” moment, in which the hero explodes onto the scene with a captivating, high-profile achievement. This is what the story of David and Goliath is. It is a story of good vs. evil, underdog vs. oppressor, hope vs. despair. David was able to conquer Goliath because of God’s presence and power. But even before that, he exhibited bravery based on his remembrance of what God had done for and through him in the past. We can learn how to conquer a...
Comeback: Faith to Move Forward, Week 4 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 27, 2021
June 27, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.6 MBPeter is one of the more notable figures in the New Testament, in part because he represents us so well. Like him, we are impatient, ambitious, and think more highly of ourselves than we ought. It often got him into trouble. John’s gospel ends with a powerful, private conversation between Jesus and Peter, in which Peter gets a second chance. As a result, he preached the sermon of his life and became a pivotal figure in the birth and development of the church.
Comeback: Faith to Move Forward, Week 3 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // June 20, 2021
June 20, 2021 11:00 - 17 minutes - 11.9 MBNo person had it worse in the Bible than Job. His story does not fit cleanly into the chronology of the Bible. He is a kind of helpless pawn between God and the forces of evil, maybe in a way that we sometimes feel so helpless. But even though Job’s world fell apart, God’s presence and power became more real to him in the middle of his suffering. Job teaches us how to trust in God.
Comeback: Faith to Move Forward, Week 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 13, 2021
June 13, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.5 MBSince birth, Moses was fighting against the odds. He narrowly escaped murder by Pharaoh because of the sacrifice of his family. He lived a life of privilege but had to suppress his ethnic heritage. After committing murder, he was a lost soul on the run. But God found him, called him, and believed in him. The story of Moses is a reminder that each of us are part of God’s grand design. All we have to do is trust that God will help us do our part.
Comeback: Faith to Move Forward, Week 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // June 6, 2021
June 06, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9.07 MBFew people had it worse in the Bible than Joseph. He was despised by his brothers because of his father’s favoritism. He was cast from the family into slavery, framed by a high official’s wife, cast into prison, and long forgotten by his family. But Joseph not only persevered; he maintained his faith and integrity. He is a model to us of how to keep going, no matter what hardship we are facing.
Trinity Sunday // The Rev. Magrey deVega // May 30, 2021
May 30, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.84 MBThe Sunday after Pentecost is traditionally known as Trinity Sunday, the only holy day of the year named after a doctrine of the church, rather than a biblical event. The Holy Spirit which touched the earth on Pentecost is still active in our lives and throughout the world today. But for many, the Holy Spirit is the most mysterious member of the Trinity, one we often overlook when it comes to thinking about God. We will discover together new understandings and appreciation of the Holy Spirit...
A New Creation, Pentecost Sunday // The Rev. Magrey deVega // May 23, 2021
May 23, 2021 11:00 - 14 minutes - 10.4 MBWhen the Holy Spirit touched down 2,000 years ago, it sparked a brush fire of energy and excitement that continues to draw people to follow Jesus from all over the world. The new creation that God is doing is nothing less than the entire redemption of this whole creation back to its originally intended order. And when we live into the vision of Hyde Park United Methodist, we participate in the work that God is doing all around the world.
A New Creation, Week 6 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // May 16, 2021
May 16, 2021 11:00 - 15 minutes - 10.7 MBBecause we are connected to God, we can be connected to each other. In a time when we feel pulled apart from each other due to divisions and disagreements, we are called to lean into our connection. Together, we can be an interdependent, interconnected community of people, strengthening and encouraging each other.
A New Creation, Week 5 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // May 9, 2021
May 09, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.46 MBJohn says that belief in Jesus brings us everlasting life. It is a kind of life that isn’t relegated to the time after we die. It is something we can begin living here and now. We can live out the abundant, everlasting life now, because of the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. How might we be open to God’s grace, which fashions us to be more like Jesus every day.
A New Creation, Week 4 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // May 2, 2021
May 02, 2021 11:00 - 12 minutes - 8.78 MBWe do not face life alone. No matter what we go through, we are connected to God just as a branch is connected to the vine. We only have to be open to the work of God in our lives, and participate in the disciplines that strengthen and nourish our relationship with God. Doing so enables us to bear the fruit of goodness and beauty that the world needs.
A New Creation, Week 3 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // April 25, 2021
April 25, 2021 11:00 - 11 minutes - 7.7 MBDespite all that grips us with fear and grief, we can take solace in Jesus, who serves as our “Good Shepherd.” Together, we’ll learn how to hear his voice and lean into his comfort and protection to face all that threatens us.
A New Creation, Week 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // April 18, 2021
April 18, 2021 11:00 - 11 minutes - 7.83 MBThe epistle of 1 John emphasizes right behavior, which complements the gospel of John’s emphasis on belief. Together, we get a well-rounded view of the kind of life that God wants us to live. Today, we will be looking at 1 John 3, in which we hear the importance of love as the center of our being. And we’ll discover the significance of what it means to be a child of God.
A New Creation, Week 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // April 11, 2021
April 11, 2021 11:00 - 13 minutes - 9 MBAfter the miracle of Easter, there were still some of the disciples who did not believe that Jesus was really resurrected. They needed more proof. Maybe you do too.
Cultivating Hope in the Garden // The Rev. Magrey deVega // April 4, 2021
April 04, 2021 11:00 - 10 minutes - 7.47 MBAfter six weeks of cultivating Christian character qualities and letting go of obstacles to faith, we join this Sunday in the celebration of the resurrection. Easter reminds us that in Christ, sin and death are not the last word, as God has conquered the grave and raised Jesus from the dead. Join us in remembering the Easter story, to make it a living reality in our lives today.
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 6 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // March 28, 2021
March 28, 2021 16:00 - 12 minutes - 8.3 MBAt the Last Supper, in the Upper Room, Jesus modeled servanthood for his disciples. Discover how cultivating servanthood and letting go of ourselves can bring us joy.
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 5 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // March 21, 2021
March 21, 2021 16:00 - 11 minutes - 8.22 MBMary’s act of was one of such complete self-abandonment that it would mark her in the community for the rest of her life. They would never mention her name again without a reference—by story, by gesture, or by innuendo—to this day. Mary’s gift of perfume was large, but not to be compared with the gift of herself.
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 4 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // March 14, 2021
March 14, 2021 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBThe reality is that both brothers live inside of us, the responsible one and the prodigal one. It is an uneasy coexistence made worse by the reality that neither is perfect, and that both make real mistakes. The good news is that we also get to hear the truth: God is waiting to come running down the road and welcome us back. Dutiful son, prodigal son, or a little bit of both … God knows us already, and God can’t wait for us to come home.
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 4 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // Mar. 14, 2021
March 14, 2021 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.87 MBThe reality is that both brothers live inside of us, the responsible one and the prodigal one. It is an uneasy coexistence made worse by the reality that neither is perfect, and that both make real mistakes. The good news is that we also get to hear the truth: God is waiting to come running down the road and welcome us back. Dutiful son, prodigal son, or a little bit of both … God knows us already, and God can’t wait for us to come home.
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // March 7, 2021
March 07, 2021 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.32 MBWe think we have all the answers. But what do we do when unexplained suffering becomes part of our story. How do we respond and how do we let go of the uncertainty suffering brings?
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Mar. 7, 2021
March 07, 2021 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.32 MBWe think we have all the answers. But what do we do when unexplained suffering becomes part of our story. How do we respond and how do we let go of the uncertainty suffering brings?
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Feb. 28, 2021
February 28, 2021 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.83 MBThe antidote to fear is hope. Discover how Jesus teaches us to be hope-filled people of faith.
Cultivating & Letting Go, Week 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Feb. 21, 2021
February 21, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.33 MBThe Scripture for this Sunday contains the story of Jesus’ temptation by the devil. Jesus essentially endures a season of Lent in his 40 days in the wilderness. How does this time prepare him for his ministry? How might we, too, be shaped and emboldened in this Lenten season?
The Greatest Sermon Ever, Week 6 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Feb. 14, 2021
February 14, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.52 MBJesus gives us the keys to living the wise life, rather than the foolish one. It begins with being non-judgmental, and concludes with building our lives on Jesus.
The Greatest Sermon Ever, Week 5 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // Feb. 7, 2021
February 07, 2021 17:00 - 14 minutes - 9.86 MBWe are consumed with worry about things that, in light of eternity, really do not matter. Once we release our priorities to God, we are more easily able to release our worries to God. Therein likes the power of something like the Wesleyan Covenant Prayer, which puts into proper perspective who we are, to whom we belong, and all that we have.
The Greatest Sermon Ever, Week 4 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Jan. 31, 2021
January 31, 2021 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.45 MBThe Lord’s Prayer as we know it today is drawn from a few different gospels, and has variations among different faith traditions. Praying the Lord’s Prayer draws us together in communion with God and community with each other. It properly sets the framework of prayer as being first an act of praise to God before it is an act of petition. It acknowledges our faults and confesses our sins, and notes the impact that our behavior has on others. And it ends with a claim on hope, and the certainty...
The Greatest Sermon Ever, Week 3 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Jan. 24, 2021
January 24, 2021 17:00 - 11 minutes - 8.09 MBJesus calls out those who flaunt their charity and their piety in front of others. They need to be governed by an inner motivation that is right with God, a “hidden holiness” that is sourced from a pure heart. Our external behavior needs to be consistent with our inner motivation.
The Greatest Sermon Ever, Week 2 // The Rev. Sally Campbell-Evans // Jan. 17, 2021
January 17, 2021 17:00 - 18 minutes - 13 MBThese verses contain some of the most unsettling and radical ideas in the entire Sermon on the Mount. Jesus takes Old Testament commandments about murder, adultery, divorce, oath-keeping, and revenge and takes them one step further. It is not enough, according to Jesus, to simply keep the letter of the law. That is just the starting point. To truly fulfill the law, we need to pay attention to what is in our hearts, our motivations, and be governed by a spirit of love.
The Greatest Sermon Ever, Week 1 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Jan. 10, 2021
January 10, 2021 17:00 - 16 minutes - 11.8 MBFew passages in the gospels are as iconic as the Beatitudes, the opening verses of the Sermon on the Mount. The key, repeating word is “Blessed.”. These are also radical inversions of contemporary wisdom, in which we are unsettled (and even disturbed) by what Jesus is calling us to. This Sunday, we will go through each of the beatitudes, and discover their power in and through us.
“It’s a New Year! Thank God!” // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Jan. 3, 2021
January 03, 2021 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.13 MBAs we celebrate the new year, help us grieve all we have lost and left behind in 2020, anticipate the year ahead, and guide us in recommitting our hearts to God.
“Amen, Hallelujah!” // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Dec. 27, 2020
December 27, 2020 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.96 MBAs we draw the year to a close, we also conclude our amazing, year-long journey through the Bible. The book of Revelation reminds us that by looking back and looking forward, we can gain the hope, courage, and resilience to live fully in the present.
Living Christmas, Christmas Eve // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Dec. 24, 2020
December 27, 2020 01:00 - 9 minutes - 6.71 MBChristmas is the incarnation of a paradox—Jesus—fully human and fully divine. Two seemingly incompatible ideas held together in one person. Jesus models a way of being that embraces the tensions and messiness of our lives.
Living Christmas, Week 4 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Dec. 20, 2020
December 20, 2020 17:00 - 12 minutes - 8.79 MBLiving with Love means sharing the gift of God’s love, through faith in Jesus Christ. We love God and others because of the truth of God’s love revealed to us in Jesus Christ. Failure to believe in Jesus will lead to a lesser expression of love, even hatred and division. And loving God means taking the truth of our faith and making it impactful on the lives of others.
Drive-Thru Nativity Narration - Dec. 18 & 19, 2020
December 18, 2020 02:00 - 12 minutes - 8.88 MBJoin us from 6p - 8p on Friday, Dec 18 and Saturday, Dec. 19 at our Hyde Park campus (500 W Platt Street, Tampa, FL 33606) for a drive-thru nativity featuring our youth and children's ministries. Be sure to pause and play the narration as you drive through each scene.
Living Christmas, Week 3 // The Rev. Justin LaRosa // Dec. 13, 2020
December 13, 2020 17:00 - 15 minutes - 10.8 MBLiving with joy means seeing suffering and tribulation as opportunities, not simply as challenges. Hardship happens to all of us. What should distinguish us as followers of Jesus is our response to that suffering, and James offers some surprising advice: consider suffering as an opportunity for joy. How? Because hardship can make us stronger.
Living Christmas, Week 2 // The Rev. Magrey deVega // Dec. 6, 2020
December 06, 2020 17:00 - 13 minutes - 9.19 MBLiving with peace does not mean avoiding conflict, but holding one’s truth lovingly. The two key points in this passage are to pray for everyone and live in God’s truth. Paul was writing to Timothy in a time when there were many false teachers, and such heresy, blasphemy, and idolatry were a significant threat to new Christians and leaders in the church.