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What if the hardest part of the Bible isn't understanding it, but living it? A new sermon series on practical faith from the book of James begins here. On this episode of the North Raleigh United Methodist Church Behind the Scenes podcast, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with Senior Pastor Rev. Kevin Johnson to open the book of James and dig into James 1:19 to 27. As Pastor Kevin puts it, it doesn't take a divinity degree to understand James. The hard part is putting it into practice. In this episode: • Why James is one of the most practical books in the Bible, and why it makes a natural next step after our Belong, Become, Be Love purpose series • Who wrote James, and what this letter shows us about the earliest Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem • "Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry" in a world of escalating conflict, heated emails, sibling rivalries, and tension with coworkers • What it means to welcome "the word planted deep inside you" • The mirror test: hearing God's word on Sunday and living it on Monday morning • Why James sees God's law as a gift of freedom, not a burden Chapters: 0:01 Welcome and a new series 1:07 Why James, and why now 3:26 Who wrote the book of James? 7:59 Prayer 8:26 Reading James 1:19 to 27 9:41 Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger 14:39 Who was James writing to? 16:24 Doers of the word, not hearers only 19:33 Sunday faith, Monday living Read along: James is only five chapters long, so it's a great book to read through over the next few weeks as the series unfolds. Scripture: James 1:19 to 27 (Common English Bible) Host: Kevin Van Hall Guest: Rev. Kevin Johnson, Senior Pastor Visit us in North Raleigh: North Raleigh United Methodist Church 8501 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh, NC Sundays: 8:30am Blended (with weekly Communion), 9:45am Contemporary, 11am Traditional Kids Church and Sunday School available nrumc.org Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode, and share this one with someone who's ready for a faith that shows up on Monday morning.

To be love or to do love? In the final message of the Purpose Unveiling series, Rev. Laura Johnson of North Raleigh United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC, explores 1 John 4:7 to 21 and what it means to Be Love for God's World. Starting with a roadside flat tire and a stranger whose "help" didn't feel much like love, Pastor Laura unpacks the difference between doing loving things out of obligation and becoming people whose love flows naturally from the Holy Spirit within us. In this episode: - Love is from God, and God is love - How God's love forgives us and makes a home for the Holy Spirit (what John calls "abiding") - Why being "perfected in love" is central to United Methodist and Wesleyan theology, including the historic questions every Methodist clergy person answers at ordination - How God's love gives us assurance, boldness, and purpose - The story of NRUMC's Blessing Initiative, an anonymous $2 million gift with one instruction: give it all away to people in need "Love, as God reveals it to us, is self giving and self sacrificing." A question to carry into your week: Are you abiding in God's love so that God's love abides and flows through you? Scripture: 1 John 4:7 to 21 (also 1 Corinthians 13) Series: On Purpose | Purpose Unveiling Preacher: Rev. Laura Johnson, Senior Pastor Next steps: Find a way to serve: nrumc.org/events Get our weekly email: nrumc.org/subscribe Explore membership: nrumc.org/nextsteps Watch this message on the NRUMC YouTube channel Visit us in North Raleigh: North Raleigh United Methodist Church 8501 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh, NC Sundays: 8:30am Blended (with weekly Communion), 9:45am Contemporary, 11am Traditional Kids Church and Sunday School available nrumc.org Follow the podcast so you never miss a message, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear that they are loved.

What does it mean to be love for God’s world? In this episode of Behind the Scenes, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with Rev. Laura Johnson to preview her upcoming sermon, “Be Love for God’s World,” the final message in North Raleigh United Methodist Church’s series exploring its new purpose: Belong as you are. Become like Jesus. Be love for God’s world. Together, Kevin and Laura explore 1 John 4:7–21, one of the Bible’s most powerful passages about the love of God and what it means for Christians to put that love into action. At the center of the passage is the declaration that God is love, along with the call for those who know God to love one another. The conversation begins by looking at the historical setting of 1 John and the challenges facing the early Christian church. Laura explains how the letter emphasizes that Christian faith is not simply about spiritual ideas or beliefs. Because God became incarnate in Jesus, Christian love is meant to be expressed through concrete, physical acts of love toward other people. Kevin and Laura then explore how this passage connects directly to NRUMC’s new purpose statement and to Wesleyan and United Methodist theology. Laura explains how prevenient grace, justifying grace, and sanctifying grace correspond to the movement from belonging, to becoming, to being love for God’s world. Prevenient grace reminds us that God’s love and invitation come before anything we do. Justifying grace describes the experience of turning toward Christ and receiving God's grace and forgiveness. Sanctifying grace is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, continually shaping us to become more like Jesus. In the Wesleyan tradition, that ongoing transformation ultimately means becoming increasingly perfected in love. The conversation asks an important question: How do we know that we are growing in our faith? According to Laura's reading of 1 John, one measure is love. Are we becoming more loving toward God? Are we becoming more loving toward the people around us? Are we learning to love not only those who love us, but also people who are different from us or difficult for us to understand? Kevin and Laura discuss the passage’s powerful statement that “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.” They explore the relationship between fear, judgment, grace, and Christian assurance, including John Wesley’s own search for a deep sense of assurance in God’s love. The episode also considers how fear can create division and distance between people. Rather than responding to people we do not understand with fear, Laura suggests that curiosity can itself be a form of love. The conversation explores what it might look like to approach other people with openness, compassion, forgiveness, and a desire to understand. At the heart of the discussion is the difference between believing in God’s love and actually living out God’s love. 1 John does not leave love as an abstract theological idea. It calls Christians to concrete love for one another. As Laura explains, the love of God is self-giving and self-sacrificial, modeled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. That brings the conversation back to the final part of NRUMC’s purpose: Be Love for God’s World. If we belong because God first loved us, and if we are becoming more like Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit, then the natural movement of Christian faith is outward. We are called to embody God's love in the world through the way we treat other people, care for our neighbors, respond to those who are different from us, and participate in God's work of healing and reconciliation. Kevin and Laura also discuss why this vision of love matters for the church today. Christian faith is not simply about having the right beliefs or securing our own salvation. It is about becoming people whose lives reflect the love of God. Scripture: 1 John 4:7–21 Sermon: “Be Love for God’s World” Preacher: Rev. Laura Johnson Host: Kevin Van Hall Church: North Raleigh United Methodist Church (NRUMC) Behind the Scenes is a weekly podcast from North Raleigh United Methodist Church that takes listeners deeper into the week’s Scripture and sermon through conversation with our pastors and ministry leaders. Each episode explores the biblical text, theology, questions, stories, and practical implications behind the sermon, helping listeners continue the conversation beyond Sunday worship. Topics include: Be Love for God’s World, 1 John 4, God is love, Christian love, loving your neighbor, Wesleyan theology, United Methodist theology, prevenient grace, justifying grace, sanctifying grace, holiness, sanctification, Christian discipleship, spiritual growth, Christian assurance, fear and faith, forgiveness, reconciliation, self-sacrificial love, and North Raleigh United Methodist Church.

What does it mean to become like Jesus? In this episode of Behind the Scenes, host Kevin Van Hall takes a deeper look at Rev. Kevin Johnson’s sermon “Become Like Jesus,” the second message in North Raleigh United Methodist Church’s series exploring the church’s new purpose: Belong as you are. Become like Jesus. Be love for God’s world. Drawing from Galatians 5:22–25 and the fruit of the Spirit, Kevin explores what Christian discipleship really means. Becoming like Jesus is not about trying harder, becoming perfect, or checking off a list of spiritual accomplishments. Instead, it is about allowing the Holy Spirit to grow something new in us and through us. The conversation explores the familiar words of the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Kevin emphasizes that Paul describes this as one fruit, not a checklist of individual traits we have to master one at a time. Spiritual transformation is the natural result of a life rooted in God and open to the work of the Holy Spirit. The episode also explores the Christian concept of holiness and what it means to be sanctified, or set apart for God. Kevin shares a personal story about practicing centering prayer and repeatedly falling asleep, reflecting on the temptation to measure our spiritual lives by how well we perform religious practices. The good news, he explains, is that becoming like Jesus is ultimately not something we accomplish through human effort alone. From there, the conversation moves into an important part of United Methodist and Wesleyan theology: personal and social holiness. Kevin explains why Christian faith involves both growing closer to Jesus personally and allowing that relationship with Jesus to shape the way we care for other people and the world around us. Drawing on the ministry of John Wesley and the early Methodist movement, the sermon connects personal spiritual practices such as prayer, Scripture, worship, and Christian community with a life of service. Wesley famously taught that there is no holiness without social holiness, and Kevin explores why the two should never be separated. The episode considers what Christians are saved for, not simply what they are saved from. Following Jesus means more than believing the right things. It means becoming the kind of people whose lives increasingly reflect the character of Jesus and whose faith makes a tangible difference for people who are vulnerable, marginalized, or in need. Kevin also explores the difference between belief and transformation. Jesus' concern throughout the Gospels is not simply whether people have the right answers, but who they are becoming. The fruit of the Spirit becomes evidence of a life being transformed by God's presence. So how do we actually become like Jesus? Kevin points to the spiritual practice of yielding our lives to God. Rather than trying to manufacture holiness through our own effort, we open our lives to the Holy Spirit and learn to “keep in step with the Spirit.” Becoming like Jesus involves letting go of selfish desires and allowing God to reshape our lives. And what happens when a church community begins to live this way together? Kevin imagines a North Raleigh United Methodist Church marked by a contagious fruit of the Spirit: a community characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A community where people encounter the healing and joy of Jesus and want to share that experience with others. May we become full of the contagious fruit of the Spirit. May we become like Jesus. Scripture: Galatians 5:22–25 Sermon: “Become Like Jesus” Preacher: Rev. Kevin Johnson Host: Kevin Van Hall Church: North Raleigh United Methodist Church (NRUMC) Behind the Scenes is a weekly podcast from North Raleigh United Methodist Church that takes listeners deeper into the week’s Scripture and sermon through conversation with our pastors and ministry leaders. Each episode explores the biblical text, theological ideas, questions, stories, and practical implications behind the sermon, helping us continue the conversation beyond Sunday worship. Topics include: becoming like Jesus, Christian discipleship, spiritual growth, fruit of the Spirit, Galatians 5, holiness, sanctification, Wesleyan theology, United Methodist theology, personal holiness, social holiness, John Wesley, spiritual practices, prayer, Scripture, Christian transformation, the Holy Spirit, following Jesus, Christian faith, and life at North Raleigh United Methodist Church.

What does it mean to truly belong? In this episode of Behind the Scenes, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with Rev. Laura Johnson to explore her September 13, 2026, sermon, “Belong as You Are,” the first message in a new sermon series about North Raleigh United Methodist Church’s purpose: Belong as you are. Become like Jesus. Be love for God’s world. Laura begins with a personal story about discovering a United Methodist church where people from different backgrounds, cultures, abilities, and life experiences could worship together without having to fit a particular mold. That experience helped shape her understanding of what it means to create a community where people can truly belong. The conversation explores the difference between belonging and fitting in. Fitting in requires us to change ourselves to match the people around us. Belonging means being known and loved as we are. Laura explains why belonging comes first in NRUMC’s new purpose statement and why the church seeks to be a place where people can belong even when they have different viewpoints, backgrounds, cultures, or theologies. At the heart of the sermon is Galatians 3:25–28, where Paul challenges the boundaries that separated people in the early Christian community. Laura examines Paul’s declaration that all are one in Christ Jesus and considers what this radical vision of belonging means for the church today. The conversation explores how Christianity began as a movement within Judaism, the conflict surrounding Gentile inclusion, and Paul’s insistence that belonging in Christ is not based on conformity to a particular set of cultural or religious requirements. Laura also shares a childhood story about getting caught stealing cookies from the church kitchen. Instead of being shamed or excluded, she and her friend were given grace. That simple experience became a powerful example of what it means to know that you belong, even when you get things wrong. The episode asks important questions about Christian community, church belonging, grace, inclusion, conformity, and the way we welcome others. What does it look like to create a church where people do not have to believe everything before they belong? How can we make space for people who are skeptical, questioning, different from us, or simply figuring out where they fit? And what does it mean for every person at North Raleigh United Methodist Church to help cultivate a culture of belonging? Laura concludes by emphasizing that belonging does not happen automatically. It must be intentionally cultivated and protected by the whole church through genuine welcome, grace, care, openness, and a willingness to honor people who may see things differently. Scripture: Galatians 3:25–28 Sermon: “Belong as You Are” Preacher: Rev. Laura Johnson Host: Kevin Van Hall Church: North Raleigh United Methodist Church (NRUMC) Behind the Scenes is a weekly podcast from North Raleigh United Methodist Church that takes listeners deeper into the week’s Scripture and sermon through conversation with our pastors and ministry leaders. These conversations offer additional context, questions, stories, and insights to help us continue thinking about faith long after worship ends. Topics include: belonging, Christian community, church inclusion, grace, Galatians 3, Galatians 3:28, United Methodist Church, Wesleyan Christianity, Christian discipleship, church culture, faith and doubt, welcoming others, conformity vs. belonging, radical belonging, and North Raleigh United Methodist Church.

What does it mean to be the church God is calling us to be? In this special episode of Behind the Scenes, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with North Raleigh United Methodist Church Senior Pastors Rev. Kevin Johnson and Rev. Laura Johnson to introduce NRUMC’s new purpose statement: Belong as you are. Become like Jesus. Be love for God’s world. Developed through a season of discernment and conversation among leaders at North Raleigh, this new purpose statement seeks to name who we are as a church and how we believe God is calling us to live out our Wesleyan Christian faith. In this conversation, Kevin and Laura explain where the purpose came from, why it matters, and how it can help guide the church’s ministry, discipleship, mission, and life together. The conversation focuses especially on the first two parts of the purpose: Belong and Become. What does it mean to truly belong in the church? Looking at Galatians 3:25-28, the pastors explore Paul’s powerful declaration that in Christ there are no barriers that determine who is in and who is out. Everyone belongs in Christ. They talk about the ways churches and communities can unintentionally create boundaries and consider what it means for North Raleigh to be a place where people can belong as they are because God made them and loves them. The conversation then turns to Become and the call to become more like Jesus. Through Galatians 5:22-25 and the familiar passage about the fruit of the Spirit, Kevin and Laura explore Christian discipleship, spiritual growth, sanctification, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. Becoming like Jesus is not simply a self-improvement project or something we accomplish through our own effort. It is an ongoing journey of allowing God to shape us into the people God created us to be. Drawing on Wesleyan Methodist theology, they talk about prevenient grace, sanctifying grace, the image of God, the fruit of the Spirit, and the idea that salvation is not simply about what happens after this life, but about being transformed here and now into a reflection of Christ. Together, Belong, Become, and Be Love describe a movement of faith: we belong as we are welcomed by God’s grace, we become more like Jesus as we grow in faith, and we are sent into the world to be love through the way we live and serve others. This special Behind the Scenes conversation offers a deeper look at the heart behind North Raleigh United Methodist Church’s new purpose and invites us to consider what it might mean for each of us to live into it. Scripture: Galatians 3:25-28; Galatians 5:22-25 Purpose Statement: Belong as you are. Become like Jesus. Be love for God’s world. Guests: Rev. Kevin Johnson and Rev. Laura Johnson Host: Kevin Van Hall Church: North Raleigh United Methodist Church, Raleigh, NC Behind the Scenes is a weekly podcast from North Raleigh United Methodist Church exploring Scripture, sermons, Christian faith, discipleship, and what it means to follow Jesus in everyday life.

Sabbath: A Gift, Not a Burden | Rev. Kevin Johnson What if Sabbath isn't another thing to accomplish—but a gift from God? In this Labor Day weekend sermon, Rev. Kevin Johnson explores Jesus' teaching about the Sabbath in Mark 2:23–3:6 and invites us to reconsider what it means to truly stop, rest, and delight in God's presence. In a culture obsessed with productivity, efficiency, and “maxing out” every part of life, Sabbath offers a radically different way of living. Kevin begins by reflecting on his own sabbatical experience and the surprising realization that he had started trying to “max” his sabbatical—creating a list of things he needed to accomplish each day in order to do rest correctly. But Sabbath isn't about accomplishing rest. It's about becoming fully present to God, creation, relationships, and the gifts already surrounding us. The biblical word Sabbath means “to stop,” but Scripture also connects Sabbath with delight. God created a rhythm of work and rest not because God needed a break, but because we need one. Sabbath reminds us that we are more than what we produce and that the world will continue without us working every minute of every day. Kevin explores the Sabbath commandments in Exodus and Deuteronomy, highlighting two important reasons God gives Israel this practice: God rested, and God rescued them from slavery. Sabbath becomes an act of resistance against anything that tries to make us slaves again—including consumerism, constant availability, work, technology, and the pressure to always be productive. When Jesus' disciples are criticized for picking grain on the Sabbath, Jesus responds, “The Sabbath was made for humans, not humans for the Sabbath.” Later, when Jesus heals a man with a withered hand, he demonstrates that Sabbath is ultimately about life, wholeness, and restoration, not legalism. This message invites us to move from being human doings to human beings and to rediscover Sabbath as a practice of experiencing God's love. What would you do if your only directive was to enjoy and delight in God's presence and God's world? Maybe Sabbath begins there. 📖 Scripture: Mark 2:23–3:6; Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 5 🎙️ Preacher: Rev. Kevin Johnson 📅 Labor Day Weekend | September 6, 2026 ⛪ North Raleigh United Methodist Church Key themes: Sabbath, Christian rest, Sabbath practice, spiritual rest, Jesus and the Sabbath, Mark 2, Mark 3, productivity, busyness, slowing down, Christian discipleship, God's creation, delight, work and rest, spiritual disciplines, sabbatical, human being vs. human doing, United Methodist faith, and living in God's love, maxxing

In this episode of Behind the Scenes, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with Rev. Kevin Johnson to explore the Sabbath as God’s gift to us. As we enter Labor Day weekend, Kevin and Kevin talk about why God commands us to rest and what that commandment means in a world that never seems to slow down. Looking at Deuteronomy 5:12-15 and Mark 2:23-3:6, they unpack Jesus’ reminder that “the Sabbath was created for humans” and consider how we can recover a healthy rhythm of rest, worship, connection, and renewal. Why has Sabbath become so difficult to practice? How has technology changed our relationship with work and rest? And what might it look like to intentionally create Sabbath in our lives today? This conversation challenges us to consider whether busyness has become a badge of success and invites us to rediscover the freedom of knowing that we are more than what we produce or accomplish. Sabbath isn't meant to be another burden or a list of rules. It is a gift from God, inviting us to stop, breathe, worship, enjoy the people and world around us, and trust that everything does not depend on us. Scripture: Deuteronomy 5:12-15; Mark 2:23-3:6 (CEB) Series: The Sabbath, God’s Gift to Us Guest: Rev. Kevin Johnson Host: Kevin Van Hall Subscribe to Behind the Scenes from North Raleigh United Methodist Church for weekly conversations that go deeper into Sunday's scripture and sermon, helping you connect faith with everyday life.

Here I Am | Rev. Laura Johnson | Exodus 3:1-12 What does God’s calling feel like? In this sermon, Rev. Laura Johnson explores the story of Moses and the burning bush in Exodus 3:1-12 and invites us to consider how God may be calling each of us in this season of our lives. While Moses receives an unmistakable call from God, complete with a burning bush and a voice calling his name, Laura reflects on how our own experiences of calling are often much less dramatic—and sometimes much more persistent. Moses responds, “Here I am,” before he even knows what God is about to ask of him. But when God sends him back to Egypt to confront Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of slavery, Moses immediately begins offering reasons why he isn't the right person for the job. His story reminds us that feeling unprepared, inadequate, or afraid doesn't mean we aren't called. Laura shares from her own journey of calling to ministry, including the “burning” she first felt as a young teenager and the years it took before she could confidently say, “Here I am, Lord.” She reminds us that calling isn't only for pastors or church leaders. Every one of us is called to use our unique gifts, experiences, and passions in service to God and others. The sermon invites us to pay attention to the “burning bushes” around us—the people, opportunities, passions, and persistent nudges that may be pointing us toward where God is calling us next. Sometimes discerning a call means stepping outside our comfort zones, trying something new, and trusting God one step at a time. Most importantly, Moses' story reminds us that God doesn't call the equipped; God equips the called. As you listen, consider the question Laura poses: What does God's calling feel like today? 📖 Scripture: Exodus 3:1-12 🎙️ Preacher: Rev. Laura Johnson ⛪ North Raleigh United Methodist Church Key themes: calling, vocation, Moses and the burning bush, Exodus 3, discerning God's call, faith, courage, spiritual gifts, serving God, Christian discipleship, prevenient grace, finding your purpose, stepping outside your comfort zone, and trusting God.

Behind the Scenes: Here I Am | Exodus 3:1-12 What does it mean to answer when God calls? In this week’s Behind the Scenes podcast, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with Pastor Laura Johnson to explore the familiar story of Moses and the burning bush. But this conversation looks beyond the burning bush itself to consider Moses’ response: “Here I am.” Together, Kevin and Laura discuss Moses’ unlikely calling, his many reasons for believing he wasn’t the right person for the job, and God’s powerful response: “I’ll be with you.” They explore what the burning bush might represent, why God calls ordinary and imperfect people, and how Moses’ story can help us recognize God’s calling in our own lives. How do you know what God is calling you to do? And what do you do when you feel unprepared, uncertain, or afraid? The conversation reminds us that God doesn’t necessarily call the equipped—God equips the called. Sometimes discerning our calling begins with a small tug, a persistent passion, or simply the courage to take the next step and try something new. Join Kevin and Laura as they explore Exodus 3 and ask: What might God be calling you to do—and are you ready to say, “Here I am”? 📖 Scripture: Exodus 3:1-12 🎙️ Host: Kevin Van Hall 🎙️ Guest: Pastor Laura Johnson

Big Answers Are Found in Small Questions | Rev. Kevin Johnson What can one small question reveal about faith? In this sermon, Rev. Kevin Johnson explores one of the most important questions Jesus ever asked: “Who do you say that I am?” In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus first asks his disciples what others are saying about him. Then he makes the question personal. Peter responds with a bold confession: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” But this question isn't just for Peter. At some point in every faith journey, we are invited to wrestle with it for ourselves. Rev. Johnson reflects on why we don't have to have all the answers before coming to Jesus. God is already at work in our lives, drawing us closer through what United Methodists call prevenient grace—God's grace that reaches for us before we even know how to reach back. This message also explores what it means to confess Jesus as more than a source of comfort or a casual part of our lives. If Jesus is truly Lord, that confession shapes how we live. And Jesus doesn't simply ask us to say the right words; he calls the church to become his body in the world, showing others what God's kingdom looks like through the way we live together. Through Peter's confession, the power of the church, and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, this sermon invites us into a deeper question: Who do you say Jesus is—and how does your life answer that question? 📖 Scripture: Psalm 124; Matthew 16:13-20 🎙️ Preacher: Rev. Kevin Johnson Key themes: questions and faith, who do you say I am, Peter's confession, Jesus the Messiah, Matthew 16, Christian discipleship, prevenient grace, United Methodist faith, the church, Holy Spirit, spiritual growth, following Jesus, Christian community, and living out your faith.

Behind the Scenes: Big Power Lives in Small Words What can our words reveal about the state of our hearts? In this week’s Behind the Scenes podcast, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with Pastor Laura Johnson to explore Matthew 15:10-20 and Jesus’ challenging teaching about what truly makes us “clean” or “unclean.” Kevin and Laura unpack Jesus’ confrontation with the Pharisees, the tension between religious tradition and the heart of God, and why Jesus shifts the focus from outward rules to what is happening within us. They also talk about the surprising power of our words—how something that seems small can have a profound impact on others and reveal what’s happening in our own hearts. As part of our Small Things, Big Impact series, this conversation asks an important question: What do the words we speak tell us about the state of our hearts? Listen in as Kevin and Laura dig deeper into the Scripture behind this week’s sermon and consider what it means to live a life shaped not by rules and restrictions, but by love, service, kindness, generosity, and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. 📖 Scripture: Matthew 15:10-20; Ephesians 4:29–5:2 🎙️ Host: Kevin Van Hall 🎙️ Guest: Pastor Laura Johnson

Big Faith Begins with a Small Step | Rev. Beth Hood What do you do when you don’t know what to do? In this sermon, Rev. Beth Hood explores the story of Peter walking on water in Matthew 14:22-33 and invites us to consider how fear can either paralyze us or propel us toward Jesus. Peter takes one small step out of the boat when Jesus says, “Come.” For a moment, his faith carries him across the water—but when he becomes distracted by the wind and waves, he begins to sink. Yet sinking isn't the end of Peter's story. Jesus reaches out, catches him, and reminds us that even our moments of doubt and fear do not put us beyond God's care. Rev. Hood encourages us to think about the small steps of faith we can take in our own lives: reading one verse of Scripture, praying one simple prayer, giving a little more generously, asking for help, or stepping into a new opportunity to serve. God rarely gives us the whole map, but God does show us God's presence. We are never alone in the storm. Drawing from her own experience weathering Hurricane Florence in Wilmington, Rev. Hood also reflects on how stepping into places of need can become opportunities to experience and share the hands and feet of Jesus. When one person takes a courageous step toward Jesus, that faith can inspire and strengthen an entire community. Scripture: Matthew 14:22-33; Romans 10:5-15 Preacher: Rev. Beth Hood, Assistant to the Bishop for the Office of Clergy Life Key themes: faith, fear, taking a step of faith, Peter walking on water, trusting Jesus, doubt, courage, Christian discipleship, prayer, spiritual growth, God's presence, community, hope, and following Jesus. Listen as we consider the question: What is one small step you can take toward Jesus?