Sermons
Turning Grief Into Action
Pastor Chris Seay calls upon all in our Ecclesia family to serve in some particular ways as we continue to grieve with all those touched by the shooting at Santa Fe High School. We are called to respond as those covered in the grace and mercy of our Savior, to transform shame, especially in the lives of young people in vulnerable circumstances.
Rescued
Guest preacher Ines Franklin shared a powerful message following our Exodus series and the tragic killings at Santa Fe High School. In times of trial, we often forget our rescue. In remembering, we are re-centered in the hope and endurance that sustains us through trauma and grief.
Two Sides Of Freedom
Pastor Sean Palmer concludes our Exodus series by asking the important question; once we have freedom, what do we do with it? Will we use our own freedoms to oppress others, or use them to contribute toward the freedom of those still held in all manner of bondage? Will we continue to sing of what God has done?
Land of Queso and Baklava
Pastor Chris Seay closes our series in the Exodus as we examine how we can miss out on life by hardening our hearts to God. When we allow our lives to become routine, we do not stop to mourn or celebrate and we lose empathy. Our call to action is to rely on God daily, pursue daily adventure, live well, chase our passion and feel the joy & pain of others.
No Whining In The Wilderness
Pastor Chris Seay continues our series in the Exodus; reminding us of the importance of a grateful heart and the danger of an ungrateful one. When we focus on what we don't have and complain about what we do — like the Israelites grumbling over meat and manna — we undermine our faith in God's wisdom and provision. Our call is to receive with a joyful spirit; reminded that God knows, better than we do, what it is we need.
Exceedingly Good
Pastor Sean Palmer returned to our ongoing series in the Exodus. He invites us to consider the excuses we make and the ways we settle for just "good enough", when God is calling us to more; the true promised land that can only be entered when we're willing to commit through the inevitable hardships along the way.
Eucharist & Reconciliation
It's always a deep blessing to be joined and taught by our brother, Gideon Tsang. Gideon shared a message on the ways we cling to judgement and keeping score, and in doing so, forget the very nature of Jesus' definitive act of reconciling love for all people, and our call back to the table which serves to remind us.
Church At The Ballpark
Pastor Chris Seay shares a message from the home of our World Champion Houston Astros; casting vision for the season ahead, and the opportunities we have to cultivate and deepen relationships as we provide hospitality and invite others into the stories that God is writing in our midst.
Easter Sunday: Our Silent Sisters
Pastor Chris Seay offers an Easter message from Magdala on the Sea of Galilee about the vital roles of women in the Resurrection narrative. What do the experiences of Mary the Mother, Salome, and Mary Magdalene have to teach us about strength in trauma, the support offered by women in our own lives, and our call to pass on our stories of faith? We're also joined by writer/speaker Amena Brown, who shares a story of an important woman in her life, and the profound gift of her spoken word poetry.
Exodus For All: Impact & Impression
Pastor Sean Palmer continues our Lenten series as we begin our walk through Holy Week, teaching about the ways we've allowed the world to twist our definition of success. Like Moses, we are consumed with comparison and how we're viewed by others; more concerned about seeming impressive than we are with simply being faithful to what God has placed before us.
Exodus For All: Spiritual Amnesia
Pastor Chris Seay continues our Lenten series with a message about our forgetfulness. As we return to the Eucharist, tell our stories, and mark our lives and surroundings in remembrance, we are reminded of God's unfailing love and deliverance.
Exodus For All: The Meaning Of Free
Pastor Sean Palmer continued our Lenten series in the story of the Exodus with a crucial word on freedom. We're not made to be free from every restraint; but when we accept the invitation to hold God above all, we open ourselves to experience true liberation from the powers that corrode our souls and keep our lives in bondage.
Uncommon Unity
Guest preacher Nancy Ortberg shares a much needed word on the unique witness of the Church in a divided world. When we truly embrace our unity in and under God, stop comparing, and simply serve one another, lives are transformed in ways that we can never predict or anticipate.
Exodus For All: Runaway Slaves
This week, Pastor Sean Palmer continued our Lenten series in the story of the Exodus. Like the Israelites in this story, we find ourselves enslaved to lies and habits versus being uncomfortable. From scriptures, we find rejoicing in the news that Jesus gives us the option towards freedom versus slavery.
Exodus For All: I Can't Make You Love Me
Pastor Chris Seay continued our Lenten series in the story of the Exodus; sharing an important and heartfelt word on God's desire for intimacy with us. We've been raised to merely follow rules, when what God truly wants from us is relationship
Exodus For All: Stockholm Syndrome
Pastor Chris Seay begins a conversation that we pray will guide us through the upcoming season of Lent. How might the weeks ahead be for us an exodus from the pharaohs that have taken hold of our hearts and lives?
Love Is Foolishness
Pastor Sean Palmer considered what the story of the paralyzed man and the film Lars And The Real Girl have to teach us about the demands of love, and how communities are called to carry the lost and hurting by way of loving acts that may seem radical, or even foolish, to the world.
It Has To Be Something
Pastor Sean Palmer closed our series in Nehemiah with a challenging message of the nature and purpose of worship. We are designed to orient our lives around worship; but if we choose not to worship God, we will either worship ourselves, or idols that will inevitably devour us.
Lead Like Nehemiah
Pastor Chris Seay continued our series in Nehemiah, considering the various ways he modeled leadership, and how we are a people called into rhythms of curiosity, hospitality, focus, and celebration.
A Wall Is Just a Wall
This week, Pastor Sean Palmer follows last week's message by defining what is a wall in our lives. As we examine Nehemiah's story of faithfulness and continue to build our wall, we learn from Nehemiah the need to discover the why.