Zionsville United Methodist Church
Zionsville United Methodist Church
Weekly sermons from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Welcome to Zionsville United Methodist Church! We believe love is the most powerful force in the world and the truest reflection of who God is. Love shapes our words, our worship and the way we see one another. Together, we bring our perspectives and rhythms of faith to form something beautiful—a story anchored in grace, redemption and care that has been told and retold for generations and is continuing to unfold in us today. We’re still growing, still learning, still becoming who God created us to be. And thro...
Episodes
Learned Trust
Listen to the October 11, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. He was the runt of the family. His own father didn’t even call him by name when the prophet showed up to anoint the next king of Israel. And yet David went on to be mentioned more than 600 times in Scripture, author half the Psalms, and preside over what history remembers as Israel’s golden age. More importantly, he’s the only person in the Bible described as “a man after God’s own heart.” This message takes a close look at the most famous battle in history — not to retell a familiar Sunday school story, but to pull out five specific, transferable lessons for anyone facing something overwhelming right now. A giant isn’t always nine feet tall and wearing bronze armor. Sometimes it’s a diagnosis, a habit, a fear, a financial hole, or a voice in your head that keeps telling you you’ll never get past this. The five smooth stones David carried into that valley are available to anyone willing to pick them up.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Portraits of Faith, Week 6 - Resilience
Listen to the October 4, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. She's been called a prostitute, a secret lover, a reformed adulteress. None of it holds up to careful reading. Mary Magdalene was something far more interesting than any of those labels — she was the first person to see the risen Christ, precisely because she refused to leave. When the disciples went home, she stayed. When the tomb was empty and her grief was overwhelming, she kept asking her question: where have they taken him? And when Jesus finally spoke her name, her eyes were opened to see what she had been searching for. This message — preached on Worship in Pink Sunday, as the congregation honored those who have faced cancer, and at the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week — uses the parallel between Mary's story and the Song of Songs to explore what resilience actually looks like. Not strength without pain. Not faith without tears. But the stubborn, persistent, searching love that stays in the waiting until it hears its name called.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Portraits of Faith, Week 5 - Inclusion
Listen to the September 27, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. AJ Jacobs spent three years tracing his family tree and ended up with 190 million relatives. His conclusion: if you go back far enough, pretty much anyone could be family. Matthew's Gospel makes a similar argument in its opening chapter — except the family tree belongs to Jesus, and the people Matthew deliberately inserts into it are two women nobody would have expected to see there. Rahab was a Canaanite sex worker from Jericho who hid Israelite spies and risked everything for a people not her own. Ruth was a Moabite widow who refused to abandon her mother-in-law and walked into a foreign land with nothing. Both were outsiders. Both were included. And the argument this message makes is that their inclusion wasn't accidental — it shaped the very character of the men who came after them, all the way to the greatest king in Israel's history and ultimately to Jesus himself. This is a message about what inclusion actually costs, what it actually opens up, and why it has always been at the heart of God's story.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Portraits of Faith, Week 4 - Guidance
Listen to the September 20, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. It's one of the most familiar stories in the Old Testament — a young boy named Samuel hearing his name called in the night, shuffling down the hall to his mentor Eli, saying "here I am." It sounds like a gentle story about faith passing from one generation to the next. But read a few more verses and the picture gets complicated fast. God wasn't calling Samuel to comfort him. He was calling Samuel to deliver devastating news about the family that had raised him. This message takes an honest look at the full story — the moral collapse of Eli's household, the corruption of his sons, and the judgment God was about to bring — and finds inside it a pattern that runs all the way through Scripture: when God brings something to an end, he has already quietly started growing what comes next. Three responses emerge for anyone in a season of transition: look for what God is growing, listen for what he's calling you to, and let it be — releasing your grip on what's ending and trusting that God's eyes are on what's ahead.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Portraits of Faith, Week 3 - Praise
Listen to the September 13, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. When Moses told the Israelites to pack up and leave Egypt in the middle of the night, they had hours to grab everything they'd need for an uncertain journey into the desert with an army at their heels. Food. Water. Clothing. Shelter. And somewhere in that chaotic packing, Miriam grabbed a tambourine. So did a lot of other women. They hadn't crossed the Red Sea yet. They hadn't seen Pharaoh's army drown. They just believed that God was going to give them something worth celebrating — and they packed accordingly. This message from Pastor Dave uses that small, easy-to-miss detail from Exodus 15 to make a case for anticipatory praise — the kind that doesn't wait for the problem to be solved before it starts worshipping. Drawing from two years living in Haiti, a week on the Camino, and the wisdom of worship leader Matt Redman, this is an honest and hopeful look at what praise actually does for the human soul — and why it matters most when life is hardest.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Portraits of Faith, Week 2 - Legacy
Listen to the September 6, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. There are nearly a hundred portraits hanging in the lobby of Zionsville UMC right now — faces of church members, collected over the summer, each one representing a story God is telling. This message launches a sermon series built around that idea, anchored in a scene from Luke 2 that most people associate only with Christmas: the moment Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple and encountered two elderly strangers named Simeon and Anna. What happened in that moment was an exchange — two people near the end of their lives and two young parents just beginning theirs, each offering the other something the other desperately needed. Hope. Assurance. The reminder that they were part of something bigger than their own story. Pastor Dave weaves that ancient scene together with a visit to a church member named Donna, who spent her summers as a docent at Yosemite and who told him, quietly and with complete conviction, that God is just so good — and that the older she gets, the more clearly she sees it. A legacy, it turns out, isn't something you leave. It's something you grow.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Portraits of Faith, Week 1 - A Great Cloud of Witnesses
Listen to the August 30, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. What does it mean to have faith when we cannot yet see how the story will turn out?Hebrews 11 gives us a "Hall of Faith," a long list of people whose lives were shaped by trust in God. Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, Rahab, and many others accomplished remarkable things, but the author of Hebrews keeps pointing back to the same thing: they lived "by faith." Their faith did not mean life was easy. Some experienced great victories, while others endured suffering, uncertainty, persecution, and loss. Many died without seeing the fulfillment of the promises they had trusted.Yet they understood that their lives were part of a much bigger story. They trusted God's faithfulness, even when they could only see the promise from a distance. And Hebrews reminds us that we are not running our race alone. We are surrounded by a "great cloud of witnesses," those who have gone before us and whose faith still encourages us today.What would it look like to live faithfully when the outcome is still unseen? Who are the people whose faith has shaped your own? And what kind of legacy of faith will you leave for those who come after you?Keep your eyes on Jesus, throw off what weighs you down, and run the race with perseverance. There is a great cloud of witnesses cheering you on.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
What’s Your Brand?
Listen to the August 23, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Cam Newton had a brand. Bill Belichick had a brand. Peyton Manning definitely had a brand. And whether you've thought about it or not, so do you — and so does your church. But this isn't really a message about logos and slogans. It's a message about what it means for a brand to be real — to match the life behind it — and about the gap between how the church sees itself and how the world outside actually experiences it. It closes with a reminder that goes deeper than any rebrand: the earliest Christians didn't flourish because of a marketing campaign. They flourished because they were an uncommon community of unconditional love. And Jesus has already given us a brand. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples — if you love one another.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 18: Wait. Teach. Kiss
Listen to the August 16, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. When we talk about the Great Commission, we usually mean Matthew 28 — go, make disciples, baptize, teach. But Dr. Jack Levison, New Testament professor and seminary mentor to Pastor Dave, points out that there are actually three Great Commissions in the New Testament, and they couldn't be more different from each other. Luke's says wait — stay put, don't go anywhere, power is coming and you're not ready yet. Matthew's says go — but not with bells and whistles or spellbinding sermons; just learn everything Jesus commanded and teach it to others. And John's — the one translators have been too timid to render accurately — says something that stops you in your tracks. When the risen Jesus breathed on his disciples in that locked upper room, the Greek word used is the same one used when God breathed life into Adam, when Elijah lay on a widow's dead son, when the breath of God animated Ezekiel's valley of dry bones. It wasn't a polite gesture. It was life itself, passed from one person to another. Which of these three is God's invitation to you right now — wait, teach, or be kissed back to life?https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 17: Tourist or Pilgrim?
Listen to the August 9, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. The average visitor to the Grand Canyon spends twenty minutes there. There's nothing wrong with that — but it's a tourist's way of moving through the world, not a pilgrim's. A tourist consumes, goes faster, expects ease, and feels entitled when things don't deliver. A pilgrim slows down, embraces adversity as the thing that actually changes you, travels lightly, and meets the journey with gratitude instead of expectation. Drawing from the Camino, the Grand Canyon, the redwoods, and a summer of reading and reflection, this is a message about what it means to be, in the ancient Greek sense of the word, a parepidemos — one who is present with the world around them, not just passing through it.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 16: Who Gets Counted?
Listen to the August 2, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Matthew says Jesus fed 5,000 people — then adds "not counting women and children." One New Testament scholar noticed that phrase and couldn't let it go. This message asks who gets counted, who gets noticed, and what it looks like when a church takes seriously the gifts that children bring rather than just the gifts adults bring to children.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 15: The Path of Grace
Listen to the July 26, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. You can read about a solar eclipse. You can study it, look at pictures, watch videos. But you can't actually experience one unless you get yourself on the path. Rev. Doug Anderson — retired elder, pastor, and mentor to Pastor Dave — used that image from his own 2017 eclipse trip to Nashville to make a case about grace: the amazing, unending, unearned love of God that surrounds us before we even know we need it. Drawing from John Wesley's theology of grace, this message traces three movements — prevenient grace that woos us before we know God exists, saving grace that meets us when we finally say yes, and sanctifying grace that keeps shaping us toward love for the rest of our lives. Then it gets practical: seven means of grace that keep you on the path. And it closes, unexpectedly and memorably, with Walk the Moon's "Shut Up and Dance" — and why that song is actually a pretty good description of what it feels like to follow Jesus.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 14: From Grace to Mission
Listen to the July 19, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. IListen to the July 19, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. When the eleven disciples made their way back to Galilee to meet the risen Jesus, they weren't a room full of people who had it all figured out. Some worshipped. Some doubted. Both responses came from the same group, standing in the presence of the same risen Savior. And then Jesus commissioned all of them — doubters included — to go and make disciples of all nations. This message walks through the Great Commission through three lenses: welcome, worship, and wonder. It asks what baptism actually means and whose idea it was in the first place. It sits honestly with the tension between doubt and devotion that shows up in every church, every Sunday. And it lands on a question worth carrying into the week: where is your mission field? Because discipleship isn't the reward for certainty. It's the place where faith grows.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 13: Hospitality
Listen to the July 12, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Imagine showing up to a dinner party where the parking spots closest to the door are all taken by the hosts, nobody greets you at the entrance, the best seats are already claimed, and when the food comes out nobody explains what anything is. You'd feel invisible. You'd slip out the moment dinner ended and nobody would notice you were gone. This message from Yvonne Gentile — Director of Guest Experiences at Church of the Resurrection, the largest United Methodist church in the country — makes the case that this exact scenario plays out in churches every single Sunday. Not because anyone means harm, but because friendly and radically hospitable are not the same thing. Drawing from Scripture and hard-won experience, this is a warm but honest conversation about the difference between inwardly focused and outwardly focused churches, what it actually feels like to walk through a church door for the first time, and the simple, concrete things any congregation can do differently starting next Sunday.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 12: Going Through It
Listen to the July 5, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. "We're going on a bear hunt. We're not scared." If you've ever read that book to a kid, you remember the refrain — every obstacle met with the same answer: can't go over it, can't go under it, gotta go through it. This message takes that simple childhood story and pairs it with the Apostle Paul's letter to the Philippians, written while he was chained eighteen inches from a Roman soldier, waiting two years for a trial that could end in his execution. Somehow, from that circumstance, Paul wrote one of the most joy-filled letters in the New Testament. This message unpacks how he did it — by asking three questions in the gap between what happens to us and how we respond: where is my focus, what is my identity, and who are my people. Whether you're in a season of grief, uncertainty, or just trying to find your footing, this one offers a real, practical way through.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 11: Grand Lessons
Listen to the June 28, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. The average visitor to the Grand Canyon makes two stops and stays for a total of 20 minutes. They look over the edge, say "that's cool," take a picture, and drive away. John spent four days on the Colorado River and hiked nine miles — one vertical mile — out of the canyon. The difference between those two experiences, it turns out, is a pretty good picture of the difference between a life of faith that stays at the surface and one that goes deep. Drawing from his whitewater rafting and hiking adventures, this message offers ten lessons that map onto the spiritual life in ways that are honest, practical, and at times quietly convicting — from packing lightly and replenishing yourself along the way, to being gentle with fellow travelers who are carrying heavier loads than they appear, to the simple invitation to stop standing at the rim and actually join the adventure.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 10: The Prodigal Son
Listen to the June 21, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. A four-year-old boy once grabbed the wrong man's pants leg in a crowded room, confident he was holding onto his dad — until he looked up and realized his mistake. This Father's Day message starts there and asks a deeper question: where did your picture of God the Father actually come from? For most of us, it's tangled up with our picture of our earthly father — good, absent, complicated, or somewhere in between. Using Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, this message paints a strikingly different picture: a father who lets his son walk away, who never stops watching the horizon, and who runs — undignified, ankles showing, completely unconcerned with what the neighbors think — the moment his son turns toward home. Whether your relationship with your own father is a source of comfort or something you're still working through, this message offers an honest, gentle invitation to consider what it means to be held by a Father who never gives up.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 9: Love Your Enemies
Listen to the June 14, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. In March 1965, a group of voting rights marchers tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and were met with horses and bullwhips. The nation watched it happen on the evening news. Within days, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put out a call for help — and a classroom full of seminary students in Boston had to decide whether to answer it.One of them was a second-year student from South Dakota named Kent Millard.He boarded an overnight bus to Selma not knowing if he'd come home. He marched to the courthouse steps, surrounded by hecklers and state troopers, paired up with a woman from Selma who looked at his face and said, "You march with me and you'll be alright." And then, before they marched, a pastor asked everyone to bow their heads — and pray for the people across the street who wanted to hurt them.Twenty-five years later, Rev. Dr. Kent Millard told that story to a room full of Alabama pastors. Afterward, a man came up to him in tears. He had been one of the highway patrolmen that day. And he wanted to explain what had happened to him since.This Sunday's message, preached at Zionsville UMC during Pastor Dave's sabbatical, is Rev. Millard's firsthand account of what it actually looks like to take Jesus seriously when he says to love your enemies and pray for those who are against you — not as a nice idea, but as the only thing that has ever truly changed a hardened heart. In a country that often feels just as divided now as it did then, this one is worth sitting with.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 8: VBS Sunday
Listen to the June 7, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. A volunteer stopped at Starbucks on her way to VBS and sparked a conversation about faith that was still going when she left. A little girl went home and told her mom they thanked God every day for Cheez-Its. These are the kinds of stories that come out of a week like this one. This Sunday's message recaps Rainforest Falls VBS at Zionsville UMC — not just the highlights, but the heart behind why we do it in the first place. Because faith in kids doesn't work like a light switch. For some it's an alarm clock, one moment of sudden clarity. For others it's a sunrise, slow and steady and just as real. Either way, what children need most are caring adults who show up, share their own stories, and create space for questions. Oh — and the kids raised $4,300 for Mission Guatemala. Not bad for a week's work.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 7: Transformational Worship
Listen to the May 31, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. A man once called his worship pastor not to complain about the music — which apparently does happen — but to ask for a recommendation for a voice teacher. Not because he wanted to join the choir. Because he wanted to become a better worshiper. That story opens a message that takes a serious and surprisingly practical look at what worship actually is, why it matters, and what gets in the way. Drawing from the book of Revelation's glimpses of worship in heaven, this message walks through what it looks like to worship with focus, with passion, and with the kind of generosity toward others that sets aside personal preference for the sake of something bigger. Whether you've been going through the motions on Sunday mornings or genuinely want to go deeper, this one gives you something concrete to work with.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 6: I’ve Got Questions
Listen to the May 24, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Almost everyone knows the story of Jonah and the whale. Fewer people know how the book actually ends. It ends with God asking a question — one the author never answers. And that, it turns out, is entirely the point. Youth Director Zach Cheeseman walks through the complete book of Jonah, from the cowardly prophet running to Spain to the pagan sailors who showed more faith than the man of God, to a city of enemies who repented in sackcloth — cattle included — to Jonah sitting outside the city, furious that God was too merciful to do what Jonah wanted. What emerges isn't a tidy lesson about second chances. It's a layered, surprising story about loving your enemies, the danger of having your faith all figured out, and why the questions we're embarrassed to ask might be exactly where God meets us.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 5: Craig MacFarlane
Listen to the May 17, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Craig McFarland lost his sight at age two in a backyard accident in a small town in northern Ontario. What followed was a life that defied nearly every expectation placed on him — seven consecutive national wrestling championships, water ski jumping as a professional athlete, keynote speeches in over 30 countries, and a 35-year friendship with a US president. But this isn't a story about gold medals. Delivered on Graduation Sunday at Zionsville United Methodist Church, Craig's message challenges graduates — and everyone else in the room — to ask whether the dreams they once had are still big enough to get them out of bed in the morning. As Helen Keller once said, the only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 4: Mother’s Day
Listen to the May 10, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. There's a moment in nearly every hard season of life when you realize you can't get through it alone. This week's message weaves together two stories — the biblical account of Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth during two impossible pregnancies, and a personal story of a grandmother who dropped everything and moved across the country to care for a family facing terminal illness. What emerges is a conversation about the kind of relationships that actually carry us: the ones that show up without being asked, that remind us of God's faithfulness when we've lost sight of it ourselves, and that speak into our lives from a place of hard-won wisdom. If you're in a season where you're running low and need to be reminded that you're not alone, this one is for you.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 3: Worry
Listen to the May 3, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. There's something worth paying attention to when teenagers stand up in front of a congregation and talk honestly about feeling disconnected from their faith. This week's message was delivered entirely by five high school students for Youth Sunday, and it might be one of the most grounded takes on Matthew 6 you'll hear. They're not pretending they have it figured out. One of them admits she sometimes can't remember the last time she prayed. Another wrestles with a question his dad was once asked by a man in Haiti — a man with far less than most of us, who somehow had more trust. The message moves through worry, busyness, hope, and what it looks like to believe that God provides — not because life is easy, but because God is present in it anyway. Whatever stage of life you're in, this one is worth your time.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 2: Sabbatical
Listen to the April 26, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Most of us don't stop until we have no choice. We push through, we give more, we tell ourselves the right moment to rest is just around the corner. And then one day we end up under the broom tree — exhausted, depleted, and wondering what went wrong. This message draws on one of the Bible's most surprisingly human stories: the prophet Elijah, who pulled off one of the greatest spiritual victories in the Old Testament and then immediately fell apart. God's response wasn't a pep talk or a to-do list. It was a meal, a nap, and a still small voice. Using Elijah's story as a backdrop for a pastoral sabbatical sendoff, this message asks a question worth sitting with — are you living an obedient, listening life, or an absurd, noisy one? And what would it actually take to slow down enough to hear God again?https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Wide Open, Week 1: The Gift of Rest
Listen to the April 19, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Most of us don't stop until we have to. We let the calendar fill up, let the noise crowd in, and somewhere along the way we lose touch with the things that actually feed us — genuine worship, real connection with others, and that wide-eyed sense of wonder that reminds us the world is bigger than our to-do list. This week Pastor Dave shares about an upcoming three-month sabbatical and the three words at the heart of it: worship, welcome, and wonder. But this isn't really a message about one pastor's travel plans. It's an honest reflection on what happens when good people in demanding roles don't tend to their own souls — and what it looks like to choose replenishment before you hit empty. If you've been feeling weary, stretched thin, or just disconnected from the things that matter most, this message has something for you too.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Grace That Finds Us
Listen to the April 12, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. We know the story of Doubting Thomas — but we've probably missed what it's really about. It's not just a story about one man's skepticism. It's a story about a room full of frightened, grieving people who had heard the best news in human history and still couldn't bring themselves to believe it. Sound familiar? This week's message, delivered by Indiana Conference United Methodist Bishop Tracy S. Malone, takes a close look at what happened in that locked room — and what it means that Jesus walked right through the door anyway. Not to confront anyone's failure. Not to demand more faith. Just to offer peace. If you've been in a season where fear feels louder than hope, where you're going through the motions but the doors are still locked on the inside, this message was preached for you.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Easter 2026 - Faith, Hope, and Love
Listen to the April 5, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Most of us know the Easter story. But knowing a story and being moved by it are two different things. This message takes a fresh angle on the resurrection by working through three of the most familiar words in the Bible — faith, hope, and love — and showing how the events of that first Easter weekend give each one its weight and meaning. It starts with the cross, where love went further than anyone thought possible. It moves to the empty tomb, where hope was handed back to people who had completely given up on it. And it ends with an unfinished story — an angel pointing toward Galilee and an invitation to believe, even when you can't yet see. Whether you're a longtime believer or someone who showed up today not quite sure what you think, this is an honest conversation about what it looks like to trust when the fog hasn't lifted yet.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Gridlock, Week 6: What Does the Messiah Do?
Listen to the March 29, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Courtroom dramas fascinate us because they're where truth and justice are supposed to win. But what happens when the court itself is corrupt? This week we walk through one of history's most unjust trials — Jesus before the Sanhedrin — where rules were broken, witnesses contradicted each other, and an innocent man was condemned anyway. But the deeper story isn't really about them. It's about us. Because the same impulses that drove that courtroom — self-protection, the twisting of truth, the silencing of the innocent — are ones we recognize if we're honest with ourselves. And yet the most remarkable part of the story is what happened next: the one person who had every right to condemn us chose instead to absorb the punishment himself. This is a message about guilt, grace, and what it means to have someone go to bat for you when you have no defense of your own.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Gridlock, Week 5: What Does God Desire
Listen to the March 22, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. We live in a world full of protests, counter-protests, and constant conflict — and most of us are somewhere between deeply compelled to act and completely exhausted by it all. This week we look at one of history's most famous acts of defiance: Jesus walking into the temple and flipping over the money changers' tables. It wasn't random anger. It was a response to real exploitation — the religious system was preying on the poor, marking up offerings tenfold and squeezing people who had the least. What drove him to act? And what can his example teach us about how and when to take a stand in our own lives? We explore three things that have to work together — a heart that breaks for others, a clear sense of what's right, and the willingness to absorb the cost of standing up. If you've ever wrestled with whether to speak up or stay quiet, this one's worth your time.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Gridlock, Week 4: Who is First?
Listen to the March 15, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Why do people compete for honor, influence, and recognition?In Mark’s Gospel, two disciples ask Jesus for the highest places of honor in his kingdom. Their request reveals a deep human drive, the need to be seen, valued, and favored. Yet Jesus responds by turning the entire idea of greatness upside down.In God’s kingdom, greatness is not measured by status or privilege. It is measured by humility, sacrifice, and service. Jesus points to the overlooked and the vulnerable and calls his followers to welcome them, serve them, and restore their dignity.This message explores how our desire for honor can fuel comparison, competition, and conflict. But when we follow the example of Christ, who emptied himself and became a servant, we begin to see another way forward. Instead of fighting for favor, we learn to extend God’s favor to others, especially those who feel unseen or forgotten.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Gridlock, Week 3: What Makes Someone Unclean
Listen to the March 8, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. "What’s eating you?" It’s a question we often ask when someone seems conflicted, but it points to a deeper spiritual reality: the things we consume can end up consuming us.In this week’s message, we look at the tension between Jesus and the religious leaders over the "Cleanliness Code." While the Pharisees focused on external rituals and outward appearances, Jesus redirected the conversation to the heart. We explore how our internal appetites—what we feed through our attention and habits—shape our character and our responses to conflict.Today we discuss:Ritual vs. Moral Purity: Understanding why Jesus prioritized the "clean heart" over external washing.The "Beast at the Door": Insights from the story of Cain and Abel on how anger and sin seek to master us.The Power of "Thou Mayest": The profound freedom we have to choose a different path, even when we feel overwhelmed by negative emotions.The Path of Surrender: Why owning our struggles is the first step toward God’s healing and renewal.Whether you are struggling with outrage, anxiety, or a persistent "mad face," this service offers a way to move toward the peace and clarity that only a clean heart can provide.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Gridlock, Week 2: What Is the Sabbath For?
Listen to the March 1, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Conflict is an unavoidable part of being human, but it doesn't have to be destructive. In this special Confirmation Sunday service, Youth Director Zach Cheeseman and our pastoral team explore a "Practical Theology" framework for resolving conflict.By examining the story of Jesus healing a man on the Sabbath in Mark 3, we look at how to move beyond "gridlock" and into a deeper understanding of God’s will. We discuss why Jesus prioritized restoration over rigid rules and how his "upside-down kingdom" calls us to put relationships first.In this video, we cover:The Four Phases of Practical Theology: Descriptive, Interpretive, Theological, and Practical steps for resolving disagreements.The Conflict in the Synagogue: Why healing on the Sabbath was such a flashpoint between Jesus and the Pharisees.Love as the Fulfillment of the Law: Understanding the core principle that guides Christian behavior.The Reality of the Church: Acknowledging that while no church is perfect, working through conflict leads to true community.Confirmation Vows: A look at the commitment to resist evil and trust in God’s grace.Whether you are dealing with tension in your family, your workplace, or your church, this message offers a realistic and hopeful way to find a path forward together.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Gridlock, Week 1: Old vs New
Listen to the February 22, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Conflict is unavoidable, but it doesn't have to lead to gridlock. As we begin our Lenten series on the conflicts found in the Gospel of Mark, we look at the tension between the "old ways" of legalism and the "new wine" of Jesus’ grace.Using the research of John Gottman alongside the parables of Jesus, we explore why we often "clench our fists" to protect what we value, and how that defensiveness can prevent us from seeing what God is doing right in front of us.In this service, we discuss:Conflict vs. Gridlock: Understanding why 69% of relationship conflicts are perpetual and how to move past the "Four Horsemen" of criticism and defensiveness.The Calling of Levi: Why Jesus chose a tax collector—a social outcast—to be a disciple and what that says about God's priorities.The Parable of the Wineskins: A breakdown of why new wine requires flexibility and why the "old dog, new tricks" mentality can hinder our spiritual growth.The Power of Confession: How admitting we might be wrong opens the door for peace and restoration.Join us as we learn to open our hands and hearts to the transformative power of grace, even in the midst of our most difficult disagreements.https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Who Is This Man? Week 6: Authority
Listen to the February 15, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. We all encounter voices of authority every day, but whose voice truly commands our lives? In this week’s message, we examine the authority of Jesus—not as someone who is simply "bossy," but as the one who holds the power and the right to command.Through the lens of Mark 1, we see Jesus encounter a man in need and demonstrate a forcefulness of truth that leaves the crowd absolutely stunned. We look at how God has entrusted Jesus with dominion over all things and why His authority is fundamentally different from the leaders we see in the world today.Key Takeaways:Defining True Authority: Understanding the difference between holding a title and having the right to command.The Character of the King: Why Jesus’ authority is shown through gentleness and care rather than harshness.Evaluating the Voices We Follow: Practical questions to help you determine if the authorities in your life are leading toward unity and wholeness or toward fear and division.A Transformed Life: How the teachings of Jesus—like loving our enemies and seeking justice—are meant to change our daily behavior.Join us as we ask the question that drove the early church: Who is this man who even the wind and the water obey?https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Kids Take Over Sunday
Listen to the February 8, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. This week's service will be a little different. Pastor Dave and Children's Director Tracy Vermillion lead some of our 4th and 5th-graders through a conversation about the four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. There are some gaps in the audio as the students think about the questions they are being asked or complete tasks that they've been asked to accomplish.Have you ever felt "unseen"? In this message, we step into the ruins of Capernaum to look at a famous moment from the Gospel of Mark: the healing of a paralyzed man.When a crowd blocked the way to Jesus, four determined friends didn't give up. They carried their friend to the roof and lowered him right into the middle of Jesus' teaching. We look at how Jesus responded to this interruption—not with annoyance, but with a compassion that addressed the man's heart and his physical needs.Today we discuss:The Reality of Obstacles: What it feels like when we can't reach the help we need.The Power of Friendship: How we can "carry" others when they are struggling.The Vision of Jesus: Why Jesus sees us even when we feel alone or forgotten.The Dual Healing: Understanding why Jesus offers both forgiveness and physical restoration.This service reminds us that we are never unseen by God and challenges us to see the needs of those around us with the same compassion Jesus showed in Peter’s house.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Who Is This Man? Week 5: The Son of God
Listen to the February 1, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. This week, we look at the definitive declaration made at the foot of the cross: "Surely this man is the Son of God."To understand what this means for us today, we look back at the three roles in the Old Testament that required anointing: Priests, Prophets, and Kings. Through the lens of the Gospel of Mark, we see how Jesus fulfills all three.As Priest: Jesus is the intercessor who bears our burdens and offers himself as the final sacrifice for our sins.As Prophet: Jesus speaks truth to power, stands in solidarity with the oppressed, and models a life of non-violent resistance against injustice.As King: Jesus enters the battle against the forces of evil and death, emerging victorious to lead a kingdom of everlasting peace.Join us as we pull these threads together to see Jesus not just as a historical figure, but as our Savior, our Advocate, and our King.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Who Is This Man? Week 4: The Messiah
Listen to the January 25, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. At the center of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus asks a question that changes everything, “Who do you say that I am?” When Peter names him as Messiah, it sounds like the right answer. But almost immediately, it becomes clear how misunderstood that title really is.The Messiah many hoped for was a king who would restore national power, defeat enemies, and bring peace through strength. Jesus accepts the title, but reshapes its meaning. Instead of armed revolt, he speaks of suffering. Instead of victory through force, he calls for surrender. Instead of taking power, he takes a cross.Set against the backdrop of Roman rule, false messiahs, and centuries of expectation, this moment reveals the tension between God’s promises and human expectations. Jesus remains faithful to God’s promises, even when that faithfulness leads to rejection, suffering, and death.The invitation is to examine where we still try to remake Jesus in our own image, anointing leaders as saviors, defending our side, and resisting the way of self-giving love. Following Jesus means laying down our need to win and trusting a King whose reign is marked by sacrifice, mercy, and faithfulness.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Who Is This Man? Week 3: The Prophet
Listen to the January 18, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Who Is This Man, Week 23: The ProphetJesus is known as a healer, but Mark’s Gospel also presents him as a prophet. A prophet who speaks truth, exposes false loyalties, and calls people back to God’s kingdom, even when that message is hard to hear.In Nazareth, Jesus is rejected not because of what he says, but because of who he is. Familiarity turns into offense, and offense shuts down transformation. Through stories of Elijah, Elisha, and those seen as outsiders, Jesus reveals how God’s grace refuses to stay contained within comfort, control, or insider status.This passage raises hard questions about hearing truth in a divided world. About how truth and love must remain connected. About how to tell the difference between a prophetic voice and harmful noise. And about why Jesus himself becomes the standard by which every prophet must be measured.Rather than rushing to defend or dismiss, the invitation is to pause, listen, repent where needed, and allow God to reshape what we love, what we trust, and how we live.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Who Is This Man? Week 2: The Healer
Listen to the January 11, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Who Is This Man, Week 2: The Healer In the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus draws crowds for one clear reason: people believe he can heal. Bodies, minds, souls, whole lives. Yet the healing Jesus offers goes deeper than quick fixes or public displays. He meets people where they are, names what is broken, and restores them toward wholeness. This message reflects on Jesus as healer by looking at real lives in Mark’s Gospel and the real wounds we carry today. Trauma that still grips us. Exhaustion that drains our souls. Shame that keeps us hidden. Aimlessness that leaves us off course. Jesus does not rush past these places. He brings compassion, authority, and grace, inviting honest hearts to receive healing that reaches every part of who we are.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Who Is This Man? Week 1: Baptism
Listen to the January 4, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. What if faith is not about having all the answers, but about learning to follow?The Gospel of Mark tells the story of Jesus in a very different way than the other Gospels. Jesus heals, teaches, and changes lives, yet his identity remains unclear for much of the story. People encounter him, respond to him, and follow him without fully understanding who he is or what he has come to do.In this message, we begin a new sermon series in Mark by paying attention to that mystery. Mark invites us into a faith that starts with questions, leads to searching, and slowly opens us to deeper truth. We explore what it means to prepare the way for the Lord, how God’s promises shift meaning across time, and how Jesus is both the Way we follow and the face of God revealed to us.This sermon also reflects on baptism as an outward sign of an inward mystery. Baptism marks the beginning of a lifelong walk with God, shaped by grace, guided by the Holy Spirit, and sustained even when understanding feels incomplete.Faith in Mark is not about certainty. It is about trust, movement, and staying open to where God leads next.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
The Wonder of Christmas, Week 5: Treasure and Ponder
Listen to the December 28, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Listen to the December 28, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. As Advent comes to an end, we return to Mary, whose quiet faith bookends the Christmas story. After the shepherds leave and the celebration settles, Mary treasures and ponders all these things in her heart.This sermon invites us to slow down in the space between Christmas and the new year. It explores what it means to treasure the gifts God has given us and to ponder the questions we carry forward. Through shared reflections on family, friendship, joy, grief, and hope, we are reminded that faith grows when we make room to notice where God has been at work.Treasuring and pondering are not one time acts. They are habits we return to in every season of life. As we reflect on the past year and look ahead, this message encourages us to hold our gratitude and our questions together, trusting that God is still present and still faithful.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
The Wonder of Christmas, Week 4: Joseph
Listen to the December 21, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Joseph thought he knew the right thing to do. According to the law, his path was clear. But when an angel appeared in a dream, Joseph discovered that God was doing something far bigger than he could see.This sermon traces Joseph’s story alongside an ancient story from the book of Numbers, where a prophet is stopped by an angel and shown a truth he could not see on his own. In both stories, God interrupts a well planned path and invites a deeper obedience.We explore what the angel revealed to Joseph, why naming Jesus mattered, and how Joseph’s quiet decision shaped the story of salvation. Along the way, we reflect on righteousness, love, responsibility, and the kind of wonder that comes when we realize God is at work beyond our understanding.This message invites us to leave room for wonder, especially in moments when God’s way challenges what we thought was right.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
The Wonder of Christmas, Week 3: Children’s Musical - Star Stomp
Listen to the December 14, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Shoot for the stars with this fantastically fun, faith-filled Christmas Musical. Our children will sparkle and shine as heavenly stars in Star Stomp, getting front row seats to the excitement ensuing on Earth…the coming of the Savior! The stars have aligned on this silent night…and all of our sparkly friends can feel it! It’s time for a very important baby to be born…It’s time for the stomp we’ve all been practicing for!!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
The Wonder of Christmas, Week 2: The Magnificat
Listen to the December 7, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Luke 1:39-56Have you ever felt like hope was out of reach? Like certain doors in your life had been shut for so long that nothing new could grow? Today’s Advent message brings us into the meeting between Elizabeth and Mary, two women who carried the start of God’s work inside them. One held the wonder of new possibility. The other held the wonder of God’s favor.Elizabeth had lived through years of silence and disappointment. Mary was young and had no status at all. Yet God chose both of them to carry good news that would change the world. Their stories remind us that God’s compassion reaches into places we have given up on. They also show that God’s favor settles on people who never expect it.This sermon invites you to think about the parts of your life that feel stuck and the parts where you question whether God could truly work. You will hear how Scripture ties God’s compassion to the image of a womb, a place where growth takes time and care. You will hear how Mary received God’s favor even when she had nothing to offer in return. And you will be encouraged to make space in your own life where hope can grow.If you feel worn down, or unsure, or ready for a fresh sense of God’s presence, this message is for you. Advent is not only about waiting. It is about letting your heart open again so God can bring new life.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
The Wonder of Christmas, Week 1: Hanging of the Greens
Listen to the November 230 2025, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Luke 1:26-38Have you ever felt like the pace of December squeezes out the very thing your heart needs most? Mary shows us another way. When the angel came to her, she didn’t panic or brush it off. She paused. She wondered. She held space for God to do something she didn’t expect.This message explores how wonder can shape our faith and why it matters for Advent.You will hear:How Mary’s response opened the door for trustWhy wonder needs time and attentionHow the pace of life can push out holy momentsSimple ways to slow down and notice GodHow Advent helps us see the world with fresh eyesIf you want to reclaim the heart of the season, or you feel pulled in every direction right now, this message will help you find a calmer, clearer path. It all starts with making space for wonder.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Stories of Treasure, Week 5: The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
Listen to the November 23, 2025, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Matthew 13:44-46Have you ever asked how to know what really matters in life? Jesus gives two short stories that cut right to that question. A farmer finds treasure in a field. A merchant finds a pearl worth more than everything he owns. Both choose to give up a lot to gain something far better.This message walks through what Jesus is getting at and why these stories still speak to us.You will hear:Why we look for worth in the wrong placesWhat it means to find something that is worth the costHow faith shapes what we treasureWhy surrender to God is risky but goodHow these stories point to Jesus own gift of his lifeIf you have ever wondered how to tell if faith is worth it or how to name what matters most, this message will help you think it through in a steady, practical way.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Stories of Treasure, Week 4: The Parable of the Lost Coin
Listen to the November 16, 2025, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Luke 15:8-10Some gifts seem small until you understand their meaning. Jesus tells a simple story about a woman who loses a single silver coin. It isn’t rare. It isn’t worth much. But she searches her dark home with determination, sweeping every corner until she finds it.Jesus says this is what God is like.In this week’s message, we look at the lost coin through a different lens: the image stamped on it.Just as Caesar’s image was pressed into Roman currency, God has pressed His image into us. We are meant to reflect His goodness, His creativity, and His love to the world. But sin fractures that image. We find ourselves in dark places, unsure of how to return.And yet, God searches anyway.We explore what it means to be found by a God who refuses to give up on us, and how Jesus—God’s perfect image—restores what has been cracked or lost.Then we take one step further: Jesus hands His mission to us. The church becomes the lamp in dark places, the seeker of lost coins, the people who reflect God’s light for others to see.This is why we serve.This is why we give.This is why we reach out in mission.Not to feel good about ourselves, but to help others recover the image God placed in them from the beginning.When we join God in searching for the lost, His light shines all the brighter in us.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Stories of Treasure, Week 3: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Listen to the November 9, 2025, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Matthew 18:23-31Debt is something most of us understand all too well. From mortgages to student loans to credit cards, it can weigh us down and shape how we live. But Jesus’ parable of the unforgiving servant takes debt to another level—a servant owes his king a sum so large he could never repay it.Miraculously, the king forgives the debt. Yet the servant still ends up in prison—not for what he owed, but for what he refused to forgive.In this week’s message, we look at the three debts that remain even after forgiveness:A debt of honor—recognizing the value of others.A debt of gratitude—living in thankful response to grace.A debt of mercy—extending forgiveness as we’ve received it.You’ll hear stories from Scripture and real life, including a reminder of what it means to show honor this Veterans Day, and how releasing old debts may be the most freeing act of all.When we pay forward the grace we’ve received, our hearts find freedom too.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons
Stories of Treasure, Week 2: The Parable of the Mustard Seed
Listen to the November 2, 2025, 2025 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Mark 4:30-34How can something as small as a mustard seed reveal the greatness of God’s kingdom?In this week’s sermon, “The Kingdom of God and the Power of Small Things,” Pastor Dave invites us to see that God’s work in the world often starts small—through daily acts of kindness, faith, and love that may seem ordinary, but carry eternal impact.Jesus used the mustard seed to teach that the kingdom of God doesn’t grow through power or control, but through compassion and humility. Like a tree that grows as wide as it is tall, God’s kingdom provides shelter and belonging for all who seek rest in its shade.Life, too, is made up of “mustard seed moments”—quiet conversations, shared meals, helping hands, and words of encouragement. These are the small things that reveal God’s presence and plant the seeds of His kingdom in our world.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons