Apex United Methodist Church Podcast

Today is Holy Saturday, when we remember that horrific day between Jesus’ death and resurrection, when there was nothing but grief and the silence of the grave.  Today Pastor Laura Johnson invites you to sit in this valley of waiting by reflecting on the valley of dry bones described by the prophet Ezekiel.

In today’s Good Friday podcast, Pastor Laura Katherine is going to walk us through that moment when Jesus’ breathed his last and the world was forever changed.

Christians call today Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday, “maundy” derived from the Latin mandatium novum, meaning “new commandment.”  Today we remember when Jesus shared the Lord’s Supper with his disciples, washed their feet, and gave them a “new commandment” to love one another as he has loved them.  In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson remembers Jesus at the Last Supper, reflecting on that moment when he offered bread and wine as his body and blood.

Today we hear from Pastor Laura Katherine as she reflects on the meaning and heartbreak of Judas’ betrayal.

In today’s episode Pastor Sheila invites us to trust in God’s good plans, even when things look frightening or bleak - after all, that’s when God does God’s best work.

In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson explores the story of Jesus cleansing the Temple in Jerusalem during the first Holy Week, and encourages us to do some soul spring cleaning of our own.

In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson reflects on Mary of Bethany's gratitude when she anoints Jesus' feet in the days before his death, offering love unbound to the one whose love would save the world.

In today's Cultivating Grace Lent podcast we’ll hear from Pastor Sheila Ahler as we reflect on our reasons for gratitude in light of those powerful words from Scripture: God’s steadfast love endures forever.

All that we are and all that we have come from God. How often though, do we forget or neglect to be thankful in our dizzying, fast paced world?  In today’s podcast, Norma Wallace, one of our Children’s Ministry Leaders, invites us to be mindful of all the gifts bestowed on us by a kind, and loving Lord.

Scripture tells us to live with gratitude in our hearts.  This is easier said than done, so in today's podcast we hear from Norma Wallace, our Associate Director of Children’s Ministry, who will help us consider how to put these instructions into practice.

Why is it that sometimes we respond to good things in life with gratitude and other times we do not?  In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson reflects on this question in the light of the story about one grateful person and the nine who were too busy to give thanks.

How do you show your gratitude to God?  Today’s reflection is on one of David’s psalms of gratitude and praise, and it’s brought to you by our Youth Coordinator Tanner Johnson.

Day 28 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

Listen as Rev. Kara Matthews reflects on Jesus’ powerful pronouncement of forgiveness as he died on the cross.

Day 27 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

In today's episode Rev. Kara Matthews help us understand the connection in God’s eyes between forgiving others and being forgiven.

A common piece of marriage advice is to never go to bed angry, which comes directly from today’s Scripture reading.  In today's episode our Lead Pastor Laura Katherine will help us reflect on forgiving just as readily as we are forgiven.

Day 25 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

Listen as Pastor Laura Johnson reflects upon what Jesus has to say regarding our own willingness - or unwillingness - to forgive those who have wronged us.

Day 24 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

In today's episode Tanner Johnson helps us imagine the enormous depth and width of God’s forgiveness.

Day 23 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

You know that feeling of relief and elation when you receive forgiveness?  In today's episode Pastor Laura Johnson discusses Davis’ joy over God’s gift of forgiveness. 

Day 22 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

Listen as Rev. Kara Matthews reflects on forgiveness with Jesus’ timeless parable about the lost sheep in today's episode.

In today's episode our lead pastor Laura Katherine reflects on the importance of laying aside cowardice, laziness, and arrogance as we approach God.

In today's episode of Cultivating Grace our lead pastor Laura Katherine reflects on repentance in light of Jesus’ statement that he came to care for the sinners, not the righteous.

Day 19 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

In this episode Pastor Laura Johnson reminds us that God prefers a repentant hot mess over a self-congratulatory model citizen.

Day 18 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

Listen as Ellen Griffin helps us hear anew the story of Paul's repentance in this retelling of Saul/Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus.

Day 17 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

In this episode Pastor Laura Johnson explores the story of Zacchaeus, his repentance, and the prevenient grace of God.  f

Day 16 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

In this episode Pastor Sheila Ahler finishes this week's focus on lament with a reflection on Psalm 30 and the promise that joy comes in the morning.

Day 15 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

In this episode Pastor Laura Johnson continues our focus on lament by reflecting on Paul's lament over the human condition in Romans 7:15-25.

Day 14 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode continues our focus on lament as Rev. Kara Matthews considers the powerful lament in Psalm 22:1-5.

Day 13 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode continues this week's reflection on lament, with Pastor Laura Katherine Stern discussing Jesus lament over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37-39.

Day 12 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

In today's episode in our daily Lent podcast series Pastor Laura Johnson reflects on grief as a form of lament, focusing on Jesus' own lament over the death of his friend.

Day 11 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode begins this week's focus on lament, with Pastor Laura Katherine Stern's reflection of Psalm 137.

Day 10 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode continues this week's focus on temptation, with Pastor Laura reflecting on how temptation produces endurance as described in James 1:2-4. 

Day 9 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode continues this week's reflection on temptation, with Pastor Laura Katherine Stern discussing Jesus' own experience with temptation as described in Hebrews 4:15-16.

Day 8 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode continues this week's reflection on temptation, with Pastor Laura Johnson reflecting on Jesus' prayer in the garden of Gethsemane in Luke 22:39-44.

Day 7 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode continues this week's reflection on temptation, with Pastor Laura Katherine Stern discussing Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 10:13.  

Day 6 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode continues this week's reflection on temptation, with Pastor Laura Johnson discussing Jesus' parable of the seeds and sower in Luke 8:4-8.

Day 5 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series.

This episode from Rev. Sheila Ahler is a reflection on temptation and Matthew 6:13.

Day 4 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode is on Prayer (Matthew 6:5-8) with Rev. Laura Johnson.

Day 3 of the Cultivating Grace Lent Series

This episode is on Service (Isaiah 58:6-11) with Rev. Kara Matthews.

Day 2 of the Cultivating Grace Lent series.

This episode is on Fasting (Matthew 6:16-18) with Ellen Griffin.

Day 1 of the Cultivating Grace Lent series.  

This episode is on Confession (Psalm 51:1-5) with Pastor Laura Johnson.

Pastor Laura Johnson talks about the importance of prayer as being essential for a true, living faith.

This week, Pastor Sheila Ahler's sermon speaks for itself.

"Once you see something, you can't unsee it."

Our behaviors matter.  James offers timeless advice -  "be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger."  These words are simple in theory, but hard to put into practice.  Let us consider together what this looks like in our own faith life.

In this week’s message, we find out what courage and initiative are through the example of Nehemiah.

Reverend Doug Anderson, a retired United Methodist pastor from the Indiana Conference, preaches on "The Path of Grace."

Pastor Laura Johnson delivers the message in the last in the sermon series, Abide.

Abide in Hope

Abide In Faith

Abide in God.