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Some things cannot simply be revised, repaired, or rearranged. Sometimes transformation requires bringing something to an end. In Abolition, we consider the kind of change that asks us to confront what should no longer continue. Whether in our own lives or in the structures that shape our communities, meaningful transformation sometimes requires more than improvement. It requires the courage to imagine a future without what has held us back. This final sermon concludes Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., an eight-week series exploring the many ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in our lives.

Not every transformation begins with gaining something. Sometimes change asks us to give something up. In Renunciation, we consider what it means to release the things we have come to depend on, whether expectations, attachments, or old ways of understanding ourselves. Letting go is rarely easy, but it can create space for a different kind of life to emerge. Part of Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., a sermon series exploring the different ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in us.

Sometimes change begins with a single act that sets something larger in motion. In Catalysis, we explore how transformation can begin through the courage, persistence, or unexpected actions of one person. What starts as a small disruption can challenge what has been accepted, move others to respond, and open the possibility of something different. Part of Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., a sermon series exploring the different ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in us.

Sometimes transformation requires releasing what we have held onto and making room for something different. In Dispensation, guest preacher Rev. Christopher M. Lee explores what it means to encounter change through release, permission, and the possibility of a different way forward. Part of Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., a sermon series exploring the different ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in us.

Change can be disorienting. The things we thought were settled can shift, familiar patterns can break apart, and the order we depended on can suddenly feel uncertain. In Derangement, we consider transformation as disruption. Sometimes becoming different requires more than adjusting what already exists. It means allowing old arrangements, expectations, and ways of understanding ourselves to be unsettled so that something new can emerge. Part of Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., a sermon series exploring the different ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in us.

Some forms of change come through effort. Others begin when effort finally gives way. In Capitulation, we consider transformation through surrender, what happens when we stop trying to control the outcome, defend the old version of ourselves, or win the struggle on our own terms. Sometimes the way forward begins not by trying harder, but by releasing what we have been determined to hold. Part of Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., a sermon series exploring the different ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in us.

Change does not always require leaving the past behind. Sometimes it means returning to what has already happened and learning to understand it differently. In Revision, we consider how transformation can change the way we interpret our stories, our assumptions, and what we thought we already knew. Faith gives us a new way to read what came before and imagine what might come next. Part of Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., a sermon series exploring the different ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in us.

Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night looking for answers, and Jesus tells him that he must be born again. But transformation does not always happen all at once. In John 3:1–10, Jesus invites Nicodemus into a new way of understanding change, one shaped by the mysterious movement of the Spirit. Latency explores the space between when transformation begins and when we can finally see its effects. This sermon begins Be Born Again. And Seven Other Ways to Change., a series exploring the different ways transformation takes shape in Scripture and in us.

Jesus closes the Sermon on the Mount with an image of two houses. Both encounter rain, floods, and wind, but only one remains standing. In Matthew 7.24–27, Jesus reminds us that hearing his words is only the beginning. Faith becomes a foundation when those words are put into practice. Foundation in the Storm considers what it means to build a life capable of enduring when the storms inevitably come. This sermon concludes Hear These Words, a four-week series exploring what the words of Jesus ask of us today. Sermon by: Rev. Dr. Noel Schoonmaker

Jesus asks his disciples a defining question: “Who do you say that I am?” Peter’s answer leads to words about a rock, a church, a set of keys, and the power to bind and loose. In this sermon from Matthew 16.13–20, Loosed on Earth considers what Jesus entrusts to his followers and the responsibility that comes with it. What do we hold onto? What do we release? And what might our answers reveal about the kind of community we are becoming? Part of Hear These Words, a four-week series listening again to the words of Jesus and considering what they ask of us today. Scripture: Matthew 16.13–20 Sermon by: Rev. Amos Disasa

A Canaanite woman comes to Jesus asking for mercy, refusing to let silence, rejection, or boundaries end the conversation. In this sermon from Matthew 15.21–28, we encounter a persistent plea for healing and the remarkable exchange that follows. Crumbs of Mercy invites us to consider faith that keeps asking, mercy that reaches beyond expected boundaries, and what can happen when someone refuses to be ignored. Part of Hear These Words, a four-week series listening again to the words of Jesus and considering what they ask of us today. Scripture: Matthew 15.21–28 Sermon by: Rev. Dr. Charlene Jin Lee

What happens when faith takes a step and still ends in sinking? In the first sermon of Hear These Words, Peter steps out of the boat toward Jesus, only to become frightened by the storm and begin to sink. But Jesus does not condemn Peter for his insufficiency. He catches him. Through Peter’s story and the familiar image of a child learning to walk, this sermon explores fear, failure, and the grace that reaches us when we discover we cannot save ourselves. In the kingdom of God, falling is not failing. Part of Hear These Words, a four-week series that listens again to the words of Jesus and considers what they ask of us today. Scripture: Matthew 14.22–33 Sermon by: Rev. Amos J. Disasa

Isaiah imagines a future that seems impossible. A tree has been cut down, its strength gone, its future erased. Yet from the stump, a new shoot begins to grow. In the closing sermon of Eshel: Preaching the Trees, we reflect on one of Scripture's most enduring images of hope. God does not ignore what has been lost, but neither does loss have the final word. Even where life appears finished, God is already bringing forth something new. This message explores restoration, renewal, and the quiet promise of resurrection. The kingdom of God often begins where we least expect it, not from strength or success, but from what remains after everything else has been stripped away. The story of Scripture is not simply about endings. It is about God's faithfulness to bring new life from places that seem beyond repair. Part of the Eshel: Preaching the Trees series. Subscribe for weekly sermons from First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. fpcdallas.org

The cypress is one of Scripture's enduring evergreens, a tree that remains vibrant when other trees have lost their leaves. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promises to replace the thornbush with the cypress, transforming places marked by hardship into signs of lasting hope. In this sermon from Eshel: Preaching the Trees, we explore the cypress as a picture of God's renewing work. Hope is not wishful thinking or the denial of suffering. It is the confidence that God continues to bring beauty, faithfulness, and life where the world expects only barrenness. This message reflects on restoration, perseverance, and the promises of God that endure through every season. The cypress reminds us that God's faithfulness is not temporary. It remains steadfast, becoming a living witness to the work God is doing in and through God's people. Part of the Eshel: Preaching the Trees series. Sermon by Rev. Amos J. Disasa. Subscribe for weekly sermons from First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. fpcdallas.org

Before Amos was a prophet, he was a shepherd and a caretaker of sycamore fig trees. He did not come from the royal court or the religious establishment. He came from ordinary work. In this sermon from Eshel: Preaching the Trees, we consider the sycamore tree as a reminder that God's call often comes through everyday lives. Scripture repeatedly shows that faithfulness is not reserved for the powerful or accomplished. It is cultivated in ordinary places through ordinary people who are willing to respond. This message reflects on vocation, humility, and the dignity of honest work. God is not searching for extraordinary résumés. God calls people who are present, faithful, and willing to follow wherever that call may lead. Part of the Eshel: Preaching the Trees series. Sermon by Rev. Dr. Charlene Jin Lee Subscribe for weekly sermons from First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. fpcdallas.org