Rooted in the Right Place and Space
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Release Date: 05/04/2026
The Thin Sound of Silence
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
The Thin Sound of Silence | 1 Kings 19:1–18 & 2 Timothy 4:6–8, 16–18 Where is God when you've given everything you have—and you have nothing left? After one of the great triumphs of his ministry, Elijah suddenly finds himself running for his life. Exhausted, frightened, and convinced that all his faithfulness has accomplished nothing, he enters the wilderness and tells God, “It is enough.” In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway reflects on the weariness that comes when faithful effort seems to lead nowhere. Parents, caregivers, teachers, volunteers, people working for...
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Not Just Any Time
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Exodus 20:1–17 & Luke 6:1–11 What if rest isn't time wasted—but time made holy? We measure our lives in hours, days, years, deadlines, appointments, and accomplishments. But Scripture invites us into another experience of time: Sabbath. In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway explores Sabbath as far more than a day governed by religious rules. Rooted in both creation and liberation, Sabbath reminds us that there is more to life than what we produce and that our worth does not depend upon what we accomplish. We stop our labor to create “breathing room so that God may labor in us.”...
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Ablaze but Not Consunmed
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Ablaze but Not Consumed | Exodus 3:1–12 What if the life that sets you on fire doesn't have to burn you out? By the time Moses encounters the burning bush, he knows what it feels like to be burned up and hollowed out. His attempt to fight injustice has ended in violence and failure, and he has spent decades in exile. Then, in the wilderness, he encounters a fire unlike any he has known before—a bush ablaze with heat and light, but somehow still alive. In this sermon, Rev. Lucy Baum explores the difference between the fires that consume us and the life God calls us toward. Violence, hatred,...
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Running from the Truth
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Jonah 4:1–11 & Mark 1:29–39 Sometimes the hardest truths aren't the ones we don't understand. They're the ones that demand something of us. Jonah knows exactly what God is like: gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. But when God extends that mercy to the people of Nineveh—Jonah's enemies—he is furious. He wants God's compassion for himself, but God's judgment for them. In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway explores our human tendency to draw boundaries around grace and contrasts Jonah's resistance with the ever-widening ministry of Jesus, whose...
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Divine Currents in the Universal Stream
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Divine Currents in the Universal Stream | Jonah 3:1–10 & Mark 1:21–28 What forces are shaping our lives—and how can we recognize where God is moving? In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway explores what he calls the “divine currents in the universal stream of life”: the movement of God's healing, forgiving, and saving grace through the world. Jonah struggles against that current because he cannot accept God's mercy toward people he considers undeserving. Jesus, by contrast, embodies God's redemptive movement. In Mark's Gospel, his healing of a man with an unclean spirit becomes...
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Standing at the Back of the Line
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
No One Left Out | Matthew 20:1–16 & Genesis 12:1–3 What if God's grace isn't fair? In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Chuck Williamson explores one of Jesus' most surprising parables, where workers hired at the very end of the day receive the same wage as those who labored from sunrise. Rather than teaching us about economics or fairness, Jesus invites us to see the world through the eyes of a generous God—a God who refuses to rank people according to worth, achievement, or status. Drawing on stories from a Civil Rights pilgrimage, reflections on Carl Sandburg's observation that "the ugliest...
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Defining Moments
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Defining Moments | Jonah 1:1–17 & Mark 1:14–20 There are moments that change the direction of our lives—a door opens, another closes, and suddenly we're faced with a choice about where to go next. In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway reflects on the defining moments when God's call asks us to respond. Jonah hears God's call and runs. The disciples hear Jesus say, "Follow me," and leave behind what is familiar. Most of us probably find ourselves somewhere between the two. But calling isn't reserved for pastors or church leaders. Our vocation is the life we live in response to God,...
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Reaching Life's Goal
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Reaching Life's Goal | Proverbs 3:1–8 & Philippians 3:4–14 The Christian life isn't a sprint—it's a lifelong journey of becoming more like Christ. In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway reflects on Paul's image of running a race and reminds us that while following Christ requires intention and discipline, it always begins with grace. Christ has already claimed us; our calling is to keep pressing forward, trusting that God is at work within us. Lewis explores three practices that have shaped Christians for generations: worship, prayer rooted in Scripture, and lives marked by...
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Being in the Right Mind
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
Being in the Right Mind | Psalm 1 & Philippians 2:1–11 In a world that often rewards pride, certainty, and self-interest, what would it look like to have the mind of Christ? In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway reflects on Paul's letter to the Philippians and the beautiful hymn describing Christ's humility. Rather than calling Christians to think alike, Paul invites us to share a common way of living—one marked by compassion, service, and self-giving love. Drawing on stories of ordinary people whose quiet acts of kindness transformed those around them, Lewis explores how the pattern...
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A Life Worth Living
Say Grace: A First Presbyterian Church Podcast
A Life Worth Living | Jeremiah 15:15–21 & Philippians 1:1–11, 27–30 What keeps us grounded when life feels uncertain? In this sermon, Rev. Dr. Lewis Galloway reflects on Paul's letter to the Philippians and the prophet Jeremiah, exploring what it means to live a life rooted in faith, strengthened by community, and worthy of the gospel. Along the way, Lewis introduces a striking idea: that we can suffer from a kind of spiritual amnesia—forgetting who we are, where we've come from, and the God who has remained faithful through every season. Drawing on stories from everyday life, the...
info_outlineWhat if faith isn’t something you have to manage… but something that grows? In this week’s sermon, Rev. Lucy Crain reflects on the familiar words about the fruit of the Spirit and invites us to hear them not as a checklist to achieve, but as a gift to receive. Through a personal story about stepping into something that felt overwhelming, we are reminded how easy it is to believe we have to get everything right—to keep everything thriving on our own. But fruit isn’t forced. It’s grown. Drawing on Galatians 5 and Psalm 1, and the image of a tree planted by living water, this message explores what it means to be rooted in God rather than in our own striving. When we are grounded in that love, something begins to grow within us—not by effort, but by grace. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Generosity. Faithfulness. Gentleness. Self-control. Not as expectations—but as signs of life. This sermon is a gentle but powerful invitation to release the pressure of “being enough,” and to trust that God is already at work within you—nourishing, tending, and bringing forth fruit in its own time. Because you don’t have to force what God is already growing.