Maitland Presbyterian Church
Maitland Presbyterian Church
Friends growing together as we continue to Love Like Jesus. Listen to our Sunday Sermon's as we dive deep into The Bible and discuss various topics.
Episodes
Break Camp and Advance | Vanessa Urban | October 11, 2026 | Deuteronomy 1:6-7; John 10:10
Break Camp and AdvancePreacher: Vanessa UrbanOctober 11, 2026Deuteronomy 1:6-7; John 10:10Summary:Vanessa Urban looks at Moses' words to a new generation of Israelites, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain," and at the Hebrew word nasah, which means pulling up a tent stake and moving on. Drawing on her own return to college after more than two decades, she asks what comfort is costing us and what the abundant life of John 10:10 actually promises. She asks individuals and churches to name the mountain they're camped at and to treat comfort as a question rather than a sin.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Too Much to Lift | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | October 4, 2026 | Exodus 4:24–26
Too Much to LiftThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsOctober 4, 2026Exodus 4:24–26; Genesis 17; Matthew 28; Luke 22Summary:Starting with a story about a pine armoire and a balcony, Pastor Megan picks up Moses in Exodus 4 and one of the strangest passages in the Bible: the night God meets Moses on the road and tries to kill him, until Zipporah circumcises their son, which she connects to communion as a physical, communal sign that we can't carry the heaviest things alone.Learn more or read past sermons: https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Class Traitors: Exodus 2 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | September 27, 2026
Class TraitorsThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsSeptember 27, 2026Exodus 1:22; Exodus 2:4–25Summary:Exodus 2 is crowded with women who quietly defy Pharaoh, and the sermon follows Pharaoh's daughter, the Bible's first "class traitor," who raises Moses in both worlds on purpose. Moses becomes the second, siding with the oppressed in Egypt and again in Midian. The sermon asks what we're teaching our kids about which side they're on, and notes that God isn't named until verse 23, after five women had already chosen to do the right thing. Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Tov in the Middle of the Noise | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | September 20, 2026 | Exodus 1:15–2:3
Tov in the Middle of the NoiseThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsSeptember 20, 2026Exodus 1:15–2:3Summary:This week's sermon moves through the noisy opening chapters of Exodus — Pharaoh's order to the midwives Shiphrah and Puah, and the birth and hiding of baby Moses. Along the way, the Hebrew word tov (the same word God uses over creation in Genesis 1) surfaces in the account of Moses' birth, revealing God quietly at work in the middle of atrocity. Pastor Megan reflects on how God breaks through the noise of our lives through ordinary people, and how Sabbath rest is a temporary ark — not a permanent hiding place.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
The Groan That Started It All: Beginning Exodus | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | September 13, 2026 | Exodus 1:7, 1:8, 1:12, 2:23-25
The Groan That Started It All: Beginning Exodus The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsSeptember 13, 2026 Exodus 1:7, 1:8, 1:12, 2:23-25SummaryKicking off a new series through Exodus, Pastor Dave traces how the book has repeatedly been cut, softened, or spiritualized by people in power — from an 1807 slave Bible that removed the story of the people's liberation to today's fights over what gets taught in schools. After a quick overview of the whole book, he lands on Exodus 2:23-25, where the Israelites' groaning and crying out... not a prayer, not the right words...is what it takes for God to hear, remember, look, and take notice. The same pattern shows up again in Jesus: liberation first, teaching second.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Not Alone in the Wilderness | Elders Christina Sparks & Bill Oelfke | September 6, 2026 | Jeremiah 29:4-7, Ezra 3:8-13
Not Alone in the Wilderness Preacher: Christina Sparks With Bill Oelfke September 6, 2026 Jeremiah 29:4-7, Ezra 3:8-13SummaryThis episode opens with an announcement from Bill Olfke on a new solidarity initiative for Haitian and other immigrant asylum seekers: church members mass-producing and wearing symbolic ankle monitors as a visible act of standing with those going through immigration proceedings. Bill dedicates the project to the memory of Pierre Damas Bell Pierre, a Haitian student who died by suicide in August after speaking publicly about the humiliation of wearing an immigration ankle monitor.From there, guest preacher, Elder Christina Sparks, a therapist and church member, connects the announcement to September's Suicide Prevention Month before turning to her sermon. Tracing Israel's story from exile in Babylon to the rebuilding of the temple, she shows how God calls people to build, plant, and grow even in seasons that were never part of the plan. Drawing on her own story of plans that fell apart and a life that looks nothing like she expected, she makes room for the grief and joy that so often show up together, and asks where we might be holding back, waiting for normal to return instead of planting roots right where we are.
Joseph's Bones | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | August 30, 2026 | Genesis 50:22-26
Joseph's Bones The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsAugust 30, 2026 Genesis 50:22-26
Fleeing Sin, Living in Grace | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | August 23, 2026 | Genesis 39, Matthew 5:21-29
Fleeing Sin, Living in GraceThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsAugust 23, 2026Genesis 39; Matthew 5:21-29Summary:Joseph's flight from Potiphar's wife gets read as a purity lesson, but Rev. David Collins argues it's really a story about power. People who have been harassed know all about what it costs to refuse someone who holds all the leverage. From there the sermon moves through Jesus's teaching in Matthew 5 on anger and lust, and into Bonhoeffer's distinction between cheap grace and costly grace: freely given, but never without cost.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Joseph, Jesus and the Pit | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | August 16, 2026 | Genesis 37; 39:21; 41:41; 50:19–21
Joseph, Jesus and the PitThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsAugust 16, 2026Genesis 37; 39:21; 41:41; 50:19–21 (with a word-study detour into 2 Samuel 13)Summary:Finally into the Joseph story, Rev. Megan Collins traces Joseph from his father's favor and his "special outfit", through betrayal by his brothers, the pit, slavery in Egypt, a false accusation, and prison, all the way to Pharaoh's court. Along the way she notices how rarely God speaks in this story — and how, like Joseph, we usually only recognize God's presence looking back. She closes by tracing Joseph's story forward to Jesus, one of the first clear glimpses in the Old Testament of who is still to come.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Defiled and Washed | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | August 9, 2026 | Genesis 34-35
Defiled and Washed The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsAugust 9, 2026 Genesis 34-35SummaryGenesis 34 is the chapter nobody preaches. Dinah is assaulted, her brothers slaughter a city in response, and the word "defiled" runs through all of it three times, a purity word rather than a moral one. Rev. David Collins looks at what happens to people once they decide their enemies aren't dirty but contaminating, and what it costs when the only other option in the room is an old man who stays quiet and calls it wisdom. Then Genesis 35, where God doesn't render a verdict, and hands the family something to do with their hands instead. Bury the gods. Wash. Change your clothes.Part of the Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible at Maitland Presbyterian Church.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Listening to the Women | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | August 2, 2026 | Genesis 30 & 34
Listening to the Women The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsAugust 2, 2026 Genesis 30 & 34Excerpt:"We know women are often still silenced today. Stories of trauma and assault are swept under the rug out of an insistence for polite conversation or to protect powerful people at their expense. And not just about assault. Women’s voices are ignored in businesses, in doctor’s offices, in the pulpit, in their own homes. How can we hear the stories of assault if we aren't listening to their stories in general?If we take a closer look at Genesis, the ancient writers in Genesis are actually doing better than we are. They record the women's names and their stories. So we can insist on the bare minimum of what we see in Genesis: that the stories of these women are told, that the stories of others with a story like theirs, is told. But we have to look to Jesus. And the bare minimum was never where Jesus stopped. Jesus went looking for the women no one else was listening to. These women speak. And Jesus listens to them."Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Heel-Grabber | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | July 26, 2026 | Genesis 28-33
Heel-GrabberThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsJuly 26, 2026Genesis 28–33Summary:Jacob's story runs from a womb-grab to a wrestling match by a river — Bethel on the way out, Peniel on the way back, with twenty years of scheming, marrying, and running in between. Rev. David Collins traces how the very trait that made Jacob a "heel-grabber" (never letting go) is the same trait that finally gets him truly blessed.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Esau (and Jacob) | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | July 19, 2026 | Genesis 25-32 & Hebrews 12
Esau (and Jacob)The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsJuly 19, 2026Genesis 25-32; Romans 9:13; Malachi 1: 2-3; Numbers 20:14-21; Obadiah 1:10; Ezekiel 25:14; Hebrews 12:1-2, 16Summary:Rebecca's twins wrestle before they're even born, and by the time Esau trades his birthright for a bowl of stew, it's clear this family history is more complicated than the Sunday school version. Rev. Megan Collins follows Esau's name through Malachi, Romans, and Hebrews to sit with the Bible's harshest language about him, and asks what it means for those of us who married into this story rather than being born into it. The sermon lands in Hebrews' call to hold onto what matters and keep showing up for each other, even when the world makes that feel impossible.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
The Abraham Paradox | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | July 12, 2026 | Genesis 22:1-13
The Abraham ParadoxThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsJuly 12, 2026 Genesis 22:1-13SummaryGenesis 22 is one of the hardest stories in the Bible. God gives Abraham a son, and then commands him to sacrifice that son on a mountain. For centuries, Christians have tried to explain the story away, or to hold it up as a model of faithful obedience. Neither move does the story justice.Rev. David Collins works through the standard readings and their real damage, then turns to the paradox underneath the whole chapter: God gave Abraham the promise, and then God commanded him to sacrifice the fulfillment of that promise. That same paradox sits at the heart of the Christian life. God has promised the Kingdom. Jesus has commanded us to love our enemies, refuse the sword, and live like lambs in a world of wolves. The promise and the command are opposed. And most of us cheat by dropping one to keep the other.But the people who have known God the deepest have been the ones who stayed inside the tension. Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Which Abimelech? | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | July 5, 2026 | Genesis 20 & Judges 9
Which Abimelech? The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsJuly 5, 2026 Genesis 20 & Judges 9SummaryTwo leaders. Same name. Completely different legacies. On this July 4th weekend, we dig into Genesis 20 and Judges 8–9 to meet two men named Abimelech — one who leads with integrity even outside the covenant, and one who buys his throne with temple money and murders his way to power. What do we do when the leaders in our lives don't earn our trust? And what does it look like to find — or become — a tower of refuge for the people who need one? A sermon on leadership, power, and the one true King who sees it all.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Outgrowing the Oldest Theology | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | June 28, 2026 | Genesis 18 & 19
Outgrowing the Oldest TheologyThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsJune 28, 2026Genesis 18 & 19 (Sodom & Gomorrah) SummaryThe story of Sodom and Gomorrah is one of the most misread texts in the Bible — and the Bible itself knows it. In this sermon from the Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible, Pastor David Collins looks at what the story actually says, why Genesis 18 was placed in front of Genesis 19 on purpose, and what it means that Abraham stood in God's way and argued. For people who have been told this story was about them. For people who have a list of who deserves the fire. For anyone who has ever looked at the way the world works and thought: that can't be right.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Hagar in the Wilderness | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | June 21, 2026 | Genesis 16 & 21
Hagar in the WildernessThe Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsJune 21, 2026Genesis 16 & 21SummaryWhat do you do when you find yourself in a season that makes you want to run, hide, or give up? In this message, Pastor Megan Collins explores the wilderness — not just as a place, but as an experience every one of us knows.Drawing on the story of Hagar in Genesis 16 and 21, we encounter one of the Bible's most overlooked characters: an enslaved woman who is used, abused, and ultimately cast out — not once, but twice. Through the lens of womanist theologian Delores S. Williams and her landmark work Sisters in the Wilderness, we discover that Hagar's story is one of remarkable courage, survival, and an extraordinary encounter with God.Hagar becomes the only person in the Old Testament to name God directly — El-roi, the God who sees — and her experience speaks across the centuries to anyone who has ever felt unseen, alone, or without a way forward.It doesn't matter how you got to the wilderness. What matters is this: God will meet you there.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
The Church Was Not Born to be Vague : Pentecost, truth-telling, and the kind of community the Spirit creates | May 24, 2026 | Acts 2
The Church Was Not Born to be Vague Pentecost, truth-telling, and the kind of community the Spirit creates Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsMay 24, 2026 Acts 2SummaryPentecost is the birthday of the church, but Acts 2 is more than an origin story. It shows us what the church is supposed to become: a people shaped by the Spirit, where failure is not the end of the story, the truth is told clearly, real community is practiced, and love becomes visible.In this sermon on Acts 2, Rev. David R. Collins reflects on Peter’s first sermon, the miracle of being understood, the courage to name what is actually broken, and the Spirit’s call to become a different kind of people in the middle of a corrupt generation.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
More Than the Sign | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | May 17, 2026 |Genesis 15 & 17; Deuteronomy 10 & 30; Galatians 5; Colossians 2
More Than the Sign The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsMay 17, 2026Genesis 15 & 17; Deuteronomy 10 & 30; Galatians 5; Colossians 2SummaryWhat is the difference between wearing the symbol of a relationship and actually living into that relationship?In this sermon, Rev. Megan Collins begins with childhood friendship bracelets, then moves through the biblical story of circumcision as a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham. But from Moses to Paul, Scripture keeps pushing deeper: God wants more than religious symbols and good intentions.God wants to change our hearts.Through Genesis, Deuteronomy, Galatians, and Colossians, this message explores the gap between who we want to be and how we actually live ... and the good news that God can cut away what keeps us from love, courage, repentance, and real life. Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Pessimistic Hope | Genesis 13 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | May 10, 2026
Pessimistic Hope Genesis 13 The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsMay 10, 2026SummaryIn Genesis 13, Abram and Lot stand in the boarding line of history: with too much fear, too little space, and everybody grasping for what they can get. Lot chooses the obvious opportunity. Abram chooses trust. In this sermon, Rev. David Collins explores the difference between optimism, pessimism, despair, and hope…and why biblical hope is not confidence that things will work out, but that God is faithful.“Pessimistic Hope” wrestles with politics, scarcity, compromise, the promises of God, and what it means to walk toward a future we cannot yet prove. Because the future is not closed yet.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Introducing Abraham | Genesis 12 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | May 3, 2026
Introducing Abraham Genesis 12 The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsMay 3, 2026Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Babel: When God Breaks the System | Genesis 10-11 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | April 26, 2026
Babel: When God Breaks the System Genesis 10-11 The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsApril 26, 2026SummaryWhat if the Tower of Babel isn’t about punishment…but about liberation?In Genesis 10–11, Babel is stitched into a larger story of human diversity. Instead of explaining where languages come from, it exposes what happens when people consolidate power and build systems that depend on control.God doesn’t destroy the tower…God takes away the workforce.And when the system stops…people are set free.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
When Everything Changes | Genesis 9 & Matthew 15 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | April 19, 2026
"When Everything Changes" Genesis 9 & Matthew 15 The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsApril 19, 2026SummaryWhat do you do when everything starts to change?This sermon explores one of the Bible’s most confusing and misused passages—Genesis 9—and how it has been twisted to justify injustice. Tracing the story from Noah to Jesus and the Canaanite woman, we see a shift from exclusion to radical inclusion.Change is inevitable. The question is how we respond: resist it, or look for where God is at work and join in.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
The Flood | Genesis 6:1-9:19 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | April 12, 2026
The Flood | Genesis 6:1-9:19 The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsApril 12, 2026SummaryWhat do we do with a story where God floods the world… and then promises never to do it again? This sermon explores the tension at the heart of Noah’s story, challenges easy answers (...dumb ones too) and uncovers a deeper truth: the problem isn’t what we think it is, and neither is God.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Show Up at the Tomb | Easter 2026
Rev. Megan CollinsApril 5, 2026Luke 24: 1-10What do you do when something in your life feels too far gone?In this Easter message, Pastor Megan explores a simple but powerful idea: resurrection doesn’t happen to people who have everything figured out...it happens to people who show up.The women who first discovered the empty tomb in Luke 24 weren’t expecting a miracle. They came with spices to tend to a dead body. And yet, that ordinary act of faithfulness became the moment they encountered something completely unexpected: new life.From neglected plants on a balcony to lost hope, broken relationships, and fading faith, this sermon invites you to consider:What if the most important thing you can do is simply show up?You may not find a dramatic, instant miracle. But you might begin to see small resurrections and glimpses of new life where you thought there was none.And maybe, that’s enough to believe the bigger story too.
Bonhoeffer and What We Do Next
Rev. David CollinsMarch 29, 2026This Palm Sunday sermon follows the Gospel of Mark through the tension of Holy Week…from the crowds waving palm branches to the cross where Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”We explore how Jesus’ life, his confrontation of injustice, and his refusal to turn away...even when it cost him everything,...reveal a different kind of God than many of us were taught to believe in.Along the way, we reflect on the witness of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who wrestled with what it means to follow Jesus in a world that feels like it’s coming apart…and what it looks like to remain faithful when there are no easy answers and no last-minute miracles.Because at some point…knowing something is wrong has to turn into doing something about it.
Lamech - Genesis 4:17-26 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | March 22, 2026
Lamech - Genesis 4:17-26The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsMarch 22, 2026SummaryLamech is usually a person who gets skipped over on the way from Cain and Abel to Noah and the Flood, and for an understandable reason. He was the first polygamist in the Bible, and doubled down on Cain's foundation of violence and vengeance. But we should skip past him so quickly. His story, and the way that Genesis shows an alternate version of him, shows us the importance of the foundations we build on. Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Cain & Abel - Genesis 4:1-16 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | March 15, 2026
Cain & Abel - Genesis 4:1-16The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsMarch 15, 2026SubjectsGenesis 4, Responsibility, Resentment, Violence, BrotherhoodSummaryThe story of Cain and Abel is more than the Bible’s first murder. It’s about resentment, responsibility, and the question that still echoes today: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Genesis 4 shows how violence begins—and how God ultimately answers it through Jesus.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Genesis 3:16-19 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | March 1, 2026
Genesis 3:16-19The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsMarch 1, 2026SubjectsGenesis 3, Sin and Grace, Image of God, Breaking Patterns, Hope, Romans 5, Spiritual GrowthSummaryWhy do we keep doing the very things we know won’t end well?From carrying too many grocery bags in one trip (and cleaning tomato sauce off a church parking lot) to repeating the same unhealthy patterns in our relationships and in our world, this week’s message asks a deeply human question: Why am I like this?Genesis 3 isn’t just an ancient story about Adam and Eve—it’s our story. It’s the story of human beings made in the image of God who keep settling for less. It’s about consequences that describe the brokenness of the world, not prescribe it. And it’s about a pattern we repeat over and over again.But that’s not the end of the story.Looking at Paul’s reflections in Romans and Corinthians, we discover a powerful “but”: sin is real, dust is real, brokenness is real—but none of it is stronger than God. If Adam represents the pattern, Jesus breaks the pattern. We may have dust on us, but dust is not our destiny.If you’ve ever asked, “Why do I keep doing this?”—or “Why does the world keep doing this?”—this conversation is for you.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Genesis 3:1-13 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | February 22, 2026
Genesis 3:1-13The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsFebruary 22, 2026SubjectsSin, Temptation, Original Sin, The Fall, Adam and Eve, Garden of Eden, Genesis 3:1-13SummaryIn this episode, we take a fresh look at Genesis 3 — the story of Adam, Eve, the serpent, and the garden — and ask a different question than the one many of us grew up with. What if this story isn’t trying to explain why hurricanes form or why the world is broken… but instead holds up a mirror to what people are like?We explore how temptation rarely feels evil, how trust erodes slowly, and how most of us ignore good advice because what we want seems reasonable. Along the way, we challenge the idea that this chapter exists mainly to defend God or explain Original Sin, and instead focus on what it reveals about instinct, justification, shame, and hiding.But the story doesn’t end with blame and exile. It ends with a question: “Where are you?” And that question changes everything.This episode connects the garden to our own lives — and even to our national life — before ultimately pointing to the cross and resurrection as God’s response to our hiding.If Genesis 3 is a mirror, this conversation invites you to look honestly… and step out from behind the tree.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Genesis 2:18-24 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | February 15, 2026
Genesis 2:18-24The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsFebruary 15, 2026SubjectsCreation, Loneliness, Women, Patriarchy, Hebrew, God, Genesis 2:18-24SummaryBirthdays used to mean new privileges. Now they mean colonoscopies—and sometimes ruined pumpkin spice candles. This week’s sermon begins with humor but moves into something deeper: how beautiful things can become “contaminated by association.”For many, the Bible is one of those things.Focusing on Genesis 2, we confront a passage that has been used to justify patriarchy...especially the word “helper” in the creation of woman. But when we slow down and read carefully, we discover a very different story. The Hebrew word ezer is most often used to describe God as rescuer. The problem in Eden isn’t hierarchy—it’s loneliness. The design isn’t patriarchy—it’s partnership.This message invites us to reclaim Scripture from lazy and harmful interpretations, to challenge systems that diminish others, and to hold fast to the sweeping story of God’s love and human dignity. Before sin enters the picture, the only thing God calls “not good” is isolation.You were never meant to be alone. And that’s a story worth fighting for.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Genesis 1:31-2:3 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | February 8, 2026
Genesis 1:31-2:3The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsFebruary 8, 2026SubjectsSabbath, Rest, the Nature of God and the Universe, Creation, Genesis 1:31-2:3SummaryIn this sermon from The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible, Rev. David Collins explores a deeply common belief many of us were taught…that everything that happens in the world must be the will of God. Turning to Genesis 1:31–2:3, he challenges that assumption by looking closely at the kind of God the creation story actually reveals.Rather than a micromanaging or detached deity, Genesis shows us a God who speaks, blesses, names, and ultimately rests. Creation is called “very good” not because it is perfect or finished, but because it is trustworthy…capable of response, responsibility, and relationship. God’s rest is not a footnote, but the climax of the story, revealing a goodness that includes freedom, trust, and risk.From there, the sermon connects Sabbath to both justice and care…naming rest as resistance in a world driven by endless production, and as grace for those living with anxiety and exhaustion. If the way things are is not automatically the way God wants them to be, then Sabbath becomes an invitation…to rest, to trust, and to take responsibility for how we live in the world God loves.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Genesis 1:26-31 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | February 1, 2026
Genesis 1:26-31The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsFebruary 1, 2026ScriptureGenesis 1:26-31SummaryIn this sermon, Pastor Megan begins with a childhood story about wanting the power of being a patrol...and discovering instead the responsibility that comes with it. Turning to Genesis 1, we explore what it really means to be made in the image of God and entrusted with “dominion.” Far from domination or control, Scripture consistently defines dominion as shepherding: caring for the vulnerable, protecting those at risk, and using whatever influence we have for the good of others. From Genesis to the Psalms to Jesus the Good Shepherd, the message is clear—your life matters, you are here for a reason, and God chooses to show up in the world through you, right where you are.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Genesis 1:2-23 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | January 25, 2026
Genesis 1:2-23The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsJanuary 25, 2026ScriptureGenesis 1:2-23SummaryGenesis 1 isn’t about scientific certainty. It’s about hope in the middle of chaos.This sermon explores how bad biblical readings shaped faith, power, and community, and how Genesis offers a different vision: light without violence, life before usefulness, and God present even in exile.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Genesis 1:1-2 | The Untitled, Open-Ended Study Bible | January 18, 2026
Genesis 1:1-2The Untitled, Open-Ended Study BiblePreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsJanuary 18, 2026ScriptureGenesis 1:1-2SummaryWhere did "In the beginning God" go in updated Bible translations like the NRSVUE and why? Join Rev. Megan Collins as she digs into what it means that creation didn't just happen once. Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
By the Rivers of Babylon: Memory, Exile, and the Making of Scripture | Psalm 137 | January 11, 2026
By the Rivers of BabylonMemory, Exile, and the Making of ScripturePreacher: The Rev. David CollinsJanuary 11, 2026ScripturePsalm 137SummaryThis sermon launches a multi-year project exploring what the Bible is and isn’t, and how it has been used, misused, and sometimes rescued in moments of crisis.Beginning with the image of a box of memories and turning to Psalm 137, we look at how Israel’s experience of exile shaped the Hebrew Scriptures. Rather than being written from a place of power or stability, the Bible took shape as people tried to make sense of devastating loss, preserve their identity, and hold onto hope that God was still with them.This message reflects on grief, rage, memory, resistance, and the slow work of faithfulness…offering a way to read Scripture that helps people survive without losing their souls.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Grace for the New Year | Luke 15:11-32 | January 4, 2026
Grace for the New YearPreacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsJanuary 4, 2026ScriptureLuke 15:11-32SummaryThe start of a new year often comes with big hopes—and a heavy dose of exhaustion, self-criticism, and pressure to do better. In this sermon, Rev. Megan Collins invites us to begin the year not with shame or impossible resolutions, but with grace. Drawing on Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in Luke 15, she reminds us that God meets us exactly where we are—with compassion, welcome, and a fresh start—long before we have it all figured out.This message encourages listeners to practice grace toward themselves and others as the foundation for any meaningful change. It also introduces an exciting, long-term journey for the church: a thoughtful, honest walk through the entire Bible, read through the lens of Jesus, love, context, and community. If the new year has you feeling behind, worn out, or unsure where to begin, this sermon offers a different starting point—grace first, then hope, then the next faithful step.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Living Faithfully in the Middle | A Christmas Eve Sermon about Hope, Peace, and Unfinished Stories | Luke 2:1-15 | Dec. 24, 2025
Living Faithfully in the MiddleA Christmas Eve Sermon about Hope, Peace, and Unfinished Stories Preacher: The Rev. David CollinsChristmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2025ScriptureLuke 2:1-15SummaryWhat do you do when the world feels unfinished…when peace feels partial, hope feels fragile, and answers don’t come quickly?On Christmas Eve, we gather around a familiar story and discover that the good news doesn’t skip over the middle of things. God begins what will be finished, not with force or certainty, but with a child. This sermon reflects on Luke 2, the angels’ song of peace, and what it means to live faithfully in the tension between promise and fulfillment.This is a message for anyone carrying hope and fear at the same time…and learning to trust that God is still at work.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
The Incarnation According to Mary | God With Us: The Doctrine of the Incarnation, Week 3 | Luke 1:46–55 | Dec. 14, 2025
The Incarnation According to Mary God With Us: The Doctrine of the Incarnation,Preacher: The Rev. Megan CollinsThird Sunday in Advent- Dec. 14, 2025ScriptureLuke 1:46–55 SummaryIn this Advent sermon, Rev. Megan Collins explores Mary’s song—the Magnificat—not as a sentimental Christmas poem, but as a bold declaration about what the incarnation really means.Using a surprising analogy from early computer programming, Megan invites us to consider how we often reduce the mystery of Christmas into something small, manageable, and safe. But Mary saw something much bigger. In her song, she proclaims a God who lifts the lowly, feeds the hungry, scatters the proud, and topples unjust power—not someday far off, but beginning now.Drawing on the richness of the biblical text, including the Greek verb tense behind the Magnificat, this sermon reframes Christmas as the beginning of a revolution already in motion. Jesus is not just a baby in a manger—he is God with us, still at work in the world and in our lives.This message invites us to trust God’s promises, borrow a little of Mary’s faith, and partner with God in the ongoing work of justice, restoration, and hope.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Saying Yes to Your Life | God With Us: The Doctrine of the Incarnation, Week 2 | Luke 1:26–38 | Dec. 7, 2024
Saying Yes to Your LifeGod With Us: The Doctrine of the IncarnationPreacher: Rev. David CollinsSecond Sunday in Advent — December 7, 2024Scripture Reading:• Luke 1:26–38Summary:This Sunday we return to the Annunciation, not as a familiar Christmas card scene but as a story with real tension—one that touches our own instinct to say “no” to the lives we didn’t plan. Mary receives a declaration that upends her world, and her bewildered “How can this be?” becomes the doorway into God’s quiet work of beginning small…as small as a single cell.We explore how often we resist our own reality, waiting for life to be perfect or foolproof before we trust it. Mary’s yes wasn’t perfect or fearless, but it made room for God to grow something holy within her. And in Communion we remember that the same God who once took flesh now meets us in simple bread and cup, inviting us to say our own small yes to the life before us.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Estrangement and the God Who Moves In | God With Us: The Doctrine of the Incarnation, Week 1 | John 1:14, Isaiah 64:1, Isaiah 2: 2-4 | Nov. 30, 2025
Estrangement and the God Who Moves InGod With Us: The Doctrine of the Incarnation — Week 1Preacher: Rev. David CollinsFirst Sunday in Advent — November 30, 2025Scripture Readings:• John 1:1–5, 14• Isaiah 64:1• Isaiah 2:2–4Summary:This Advent we begin by exploring the ache of estrangement—in our families, our country, and throughout Scripture. Israel’s story was shaped in exile and displacement, and Advent echoes this longing as we wait for Christ’s return. Instead of tearing open the heavens in power, God chooses incarnation: becoming flesh, moving into the neighborhood, and healing distance through presence rather than force.Learn more or read past sermons:https://www.maitlandpres.org/blog/categories/sermons
Elder Sunday, Nov. 23, 2025
All 9 of our elders share their stories and passages of scripture that speak to their lives and faith.
Money & Your Heart | Matthew 6:19-25, Luke 12:15-22 | Rev. Megan Collins | November 16, 2025
Money & Your Heart Matthew 6:19-25, Luke 12:15-22 Rev. Megan Collins November 16, 2025
Guest Preacher, Rev. Dr. Bill Barnes, on the Making of the Miracle of Shepherd's Hope | Nov. 9, 2025
Guest Preacher, Rev. Dr. Bill Barnes, on the Making of the Miracle of Shepherd's Hope Nov. 9, 2025
Chronic Hope | Lamentations 3:29 | Rev. David Collins | November 2, 2025
Chronic Hope Lamentations 3Verses 1-2, 7-9, 16-18, 21-29, 31-33Rev. David Collins November 2, 2025
Gentleness & Self-Control | Stay Close, Week Six | John 8:1-11 | Rev. Megan Collins | Oct. 26, 2025
Gentleness & Self-Control Stay Close, Week Six John 8:1-11 Rev. Megan Collins Oct. 26, 2025
A Special Message from Dr. Robert Gamble and Olya Balaban
A Special Message from Dr. Robert Gamble and Olya BalabanThis Child HereUkraine
Goodness | Stay Close, Week Five | Luke 19:1-10 | Vanessa Urban | Oct. 12, 2025
Goodness Stay Close, Week Five Luke 19:1-10 Vanessa Urban Oct. 12, 2025
Kindness | Stay Close, Week Four | Luke 6:35-38 | Rev. David Collins | Oct. 5, 2025
Kindness Stay Close, Week Four Luke 6:35-38Rev. David Collins Oct. 5, 2025
Patience | Stay Close, Week Three | Rev. Megan Collins | Sept. 28, 2025
Patience Stay Close, Week Three Rev. Megan Collins Sept. 28, 2025