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Gaylord First Congregational United Church of Christ

Gaylord First Congregational United Church of Christ

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Gaylord First Congregational United Church of Christ
Gaylord First Congregational United Church of Christ

Sermons

Home / Sermons
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June 15
Wisdom: Acknowledging What We Don’t Know

Scripture: Psalm 8; Proverbs 8: 1-4, 22-31

June 8
Wild

Worship Leader: Laura Hotelling
Scripture: Song of Songs 2: 1-7, 10-13
Acts 2:1-4
Printed Sermon

June 1
Breaking Chains

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Acts 16: 16-34; John 17: 20-26
Printed Sermon

May 25
Ministry Has Left the Building

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Acts 16: 9-15; Revelation 21: 10,
22-22.5
Printed Sermon

May 18
Imagine

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: John 13:31-35; Revelation 21: 1-7
Printed Sermon

May 11
The Meaning of “M.O.T.H.E.R.?”

Worship Leader: Helen Crandall
Scripture: Proverbs 31:25-31;Luke 1:39-45
Printed Sermon

May 4
The Way Forward

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Acts 9: 1-20

Apri 27
Righteousness and Mercy

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Isaiah 43: 15-21; Luke 19:1-10

April 20
The Mutterings of the Delirious

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 118:1-2,14-24:Luke 24: 1-12
Printed Sermon

April 13
Shouting and Silence

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 118: 1-2; 19-29;
Luke 19: 29-40

April 6
The Counting, Seeking, Finding, Celebrating Sheep Owner


Worrhsip Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Luke 15: 1-7; Luke 13: 29-35
Printed Sermon

March 23
Rest and Growth

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 116; Luke 13:6-9
Printed Sermon

March 16
Doing and Being

Worship Leader: Judy Gatewood-Keim
Scripture: Pslam 15; Luke 10:38-42
Printed Sermon

March 9
Stranger and Neighbor

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Luke 10: 25-37

March 2
Power of Prayer

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 99; Luke 9:28-36

February 23
Love My Enemies?

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 37: 1-11; 39-40; Luke 6: 27-38

February 16
The Heart of the Matter

Worship Leader: Maggie Wallin
Scripture: Jeremiah 17:5-10; Luke 4:21-30

February 9
Into the Deep

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Isaiah 6: 1-8, 9-13: Luke 5: 1-11

February 2
The Unexpected

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Jeremiah 4: 1-10; Luke 4: 21-30

January 26
Lincoln, Shakespeare and the Bible

Worship Leader: Rokko Jans
Scripture: Psalm 19: 1-4A; 7-11;
2 Timothy 3: 14-17

January 19
Road of Faith

Worship Leader: Laura Bantens
Scripture: Isaiah 55: 8-9 ; Mark 4:35-41 
Printed Sermon

January 12
We Can’t Go Alone

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12 ; Ruth 1
Printed Sermon

January 5
The Road Isn’t Straight

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Isaiah 43:16-21: Matthew 2:1-12
Printed Sermon

December 29
Practice Joy

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Luke 2:10 and Isaiah 9: 2-3 ;
Psalm 126: 1-3 and Isaiah 55: 12-13 

December 24
Love Knows Your Name

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Isaiah 9:6, Luke 2: 1-20
Printed Sermon

December 22
Hope is Worth the Risk

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Luke 1:46-55; Matthew 1: 18-25
Printed Sermon


December 15

Do the Good That Is Yours To Do

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Luke 3: 7-16; Isaiah 58: 9-12 
Printed Sermon

December 8

You Are A Blessing

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Isaiah 43: 1-7; Luke 1:26-38
Printed Sermon

November 24

Thanksgiving Service

Worship Leaders; Rev. Megan Couch, Rev. Pam Lenartowicz, Rev. Ian MacInnes-Green, Rev. Greg. Watling


November 24

Restore

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: John 21:1-19; Genesis 33:1-17
Printed Sermon

November 17

Reimagine

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Mark 12: 38-44 ;
Leviticus 19: 9-10; 25: 8-12 
Printed Sermon

November 10

Release

Worship Leader: Maggie Wallin

Scripture: Deuteronomy 15:1-11;
Matthew 19: 16-22
Printed Sermon

November 3

Remember

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Exodus 16: 1-18 ; Luke 22: 1-23 

Printed Sermon

October 27

The Soul

Worship Leader: Don Storing

Scripture: John 3: 3-13 ; John 17: 20-26 

October 20

Spirituality is Key

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Matthew 6: 5-8 ; Matthew 14: 13-21 

Printed Sermon

October 13

What Must I Do?

Worship Leader: Helen Crandall

Scripture: Hebrews 4: 12-16 ; Mark 10:17-31

Printed Sermon

October 6

To Love Is To change

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Matthew 4: 12-17

Printed Sermon

September 29

Growing Through Adversity

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Isaiah 38: 9-20 ; Matthew 26: 36-46 

September 22

As a Village

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Romans 12: 1-21; Galatians 6: 1-10
Printed Sermon

September 15

Strength In Weakness

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture:2 Corinthians 12: 8-10 
1 Corinthians 1: 26-28 

September 8

The Dance of Hope

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Isaiah 40:26-31; Romans 15:1-13

September 1

Be Love

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ;
James 1: 17-27

August 25

My Name Shall Be There

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 84; 1 Kings 8: 22-30;
 

August 18

YWou’ve Got To Do It

Worship Leader: Laura Hotelling

Scripture: Proverbs 9:1-6; John 15: 9-12

August 11

Be Imitators

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 130; Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2
Printed Sermon

August 4

Bread of Life

Worship Leader” Maggie Wallin

Scripture: Exodus 16: 2-4, 9-15; John 6: 24-35 



July 28

Losing Our Zing?

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: 1 Samuel 3: 1-10 ; Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon

https://vimeo.com/988066907?share=copy

July 21

Hold the Light

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Luke 9: 57-62; Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon



July 14

Goodness, Gracious

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Philippians 2: 1-13 ;Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon

https://vimeo.com/980088269?share=copy

July 7

Be Peaceable, Be Free 

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon

June 30

Pax Christi or Pax Romana?

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Jeremiah 8: 8-13: Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon

June 23

Heart and Sight

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Luke 11: 33-36 ; Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon

June 16

Choosing What to Wear

Worship Leader: Laura Bantens

Scripture: Psalm 33: 1-9, 20-22 

June 9

Unearned, Undeserved, Unowned

Worhips Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm136: 1-9, 23-26;
Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon

June 2

Seek Justice

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Micah 6: 6-8 ; Matthew 5:1-16
Printed Sermon

May 26

This Land Is God’s Land

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 37: 1-22 :Matthew 5:1-16

May 19

The Great Reversal

Worship Leader: Greg Watlng
Scripture: Isaiah 61: 1-4; Matthew 5:1-13
Printed Sermon

May 12

They Told Me This Was Easy

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Genesis 32: 22-31 ;
Matthew 5: 1-13 
Printed Sermon

May 5

Love and Duty

Worship Leader: Judy Gatewood-Keim
Scripture:Deuteronomy 6: 5-7;
Matthew 22: 34-40
Printed Sermon

April 28

Who Would We Exclude

Worship Leader: Rev. Rosemary Gibson 
Scripture: Acts 8:26-40 ; John 4:7-21, John 15:1-8 

April 21

The Noble Shepherd

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 23; John 10: 11-18 

April 14

Hands and Feet

Worship Leader: Laura Bantens
Scripture: John 13: 5, 14-17; Genesis 1:27
Printed Sermon

April 7

Here’s My Heart

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Luke 5: 1-11 : John 21:1-19

Easter

Could It Really Be True?

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 118: Luke 24: 1-12

March 28

Maundy Thursday

March 24

From Where I Stand

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: John 12: 12-16;

March 17

Doing the Math

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 119: 9-16; Matthew 18: 15-22 

March 10

When We Get It Wrong

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Matthew 16:21-23;
Psalm 107: 1-3:17-22

March 3

Who Do You Say That I Am

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 19: Matthew 16:13-20

February 25

Courage, Doubt, Faith

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 22:23-31; Matthew 14:22-23

February 18

Jesus Seeks Me

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Psalm 25:4-10; Luke 5:1-11

February 11

Don’t Talk About It

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture:2Kings 2:1-23; Mark 9:2-9

February 4
10 Ways to a Peaceful Mind in Unsettling Times

Worship Leader: Rokko Jans
Scripture: Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 6:25-34A

January 28

Intricately Woven

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 139: 1-6; 13-18

January 21

Fellowship 101

Worship Leader: Joe Wambold
Scripture:Proverbs 3:21-26; Deuteronomy 31:7-8

January 7
My Dearly Beloved

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Luke 3:21-22

December 31

Rooted in Ritual

Worship Leader: Greg Watling

Scripture: Luke 2:23-38; Luke 1: 57-66

Christmas Eve 2023

Make Room

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Luke 2:1-20

December 24

Sing a Song

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture:1 Samuel 2: 1-10: Luke 1: 67-80; Luke 1: 46-55

December 17

She Said Yes!

Worship Leader: Rosemary Gibson
Scripture: Psalm 126; Luke 1:57-66

December 10

Shall I Rejoice?

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Isaiah 40: 1-11; Luke 1:24-45

December 3

How Can this Be?

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture:Psalm 80: 1-7, 17-19; Luke 1:1-23
Printed Sermon

November 26

Look!


Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Revelations 1: 1-8; Daniel 7: 9-14

November 19

A Cloud of Witnesses

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 104:1-9, 33-35;
Hebrews 12:1-2

November 12

This Little Light of Mine

Worship Leader: Pastor Rosemary Gibson
Scripture: Amos 5:19-24; Matthew 25:1-13

November 5

God’s Ceasefire in the Clouds

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture:Matthew 16:1-3; Genesis 9:8-27

October 29

The Heavens Are Telling and Annual Congregational Meeting

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 19; John 20:19-23
Printed Sermon

October 22

Every Tree a Tree of Life

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Jonah 4:1-11: Revelations 22:1-6
Printed Sermon

October 15

Love: Nothing More, Nothing Less

Worship Leader: Don Storing
Scripture:1 John 2:3-6; 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

October 8. 2023

Tree Medicine

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Luke 19:1-7; 1 Kings 19:1-14
Printed Sermon

October 1, 2023

Strangers Among Us

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Genesis 18:1-10; Genesis 23:1-20
Printed Sermon

September 24

On the Third Day

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Genesis 2:4-9
Genesis 1:9-13
Printed Sermon

September 17

Are You Spiritual or Religious?

Worship Leader: Rokko Jans
Scripture: Matthew 5:17-19;
Matthew 14:13-23A
Printed Sermon

Be patient – it will turn itself!

For the Beauty of the Earth

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Mark 4:26-29; Genesis 2:4-9

September 3

To the Holy Land

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 48; Deuteronomy 34:1-8
Printed Sermon

August 27

There is no sound for the first 3:30 minutes

Climbing Mountains with Jesus


Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9; Mark 3: 13-19a

August 20

The Living Mountain

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Exodus 3:1-12; Exodus 34:1-9
Printed Sermon

August 13

The Three Rules of Mountaineering

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Matthew 4: 1-11; Genesis 12: 1-9
Printed Sermon

August 6, 2023

Unity with Diversity

Worship Leader: Maggie Wallin
Scripture: Acts 1:6-14
John 17:1-11
Printed Sermon

July 30, 2023

Fire: a Panorama of the Promised Land

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Psalm 97:
Job 28:1-6
Printed Sermon

July 23, 2023

A Watershed Moment

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture: Ezekiel 47:6-12:
Revelation 21:1-7
Printed Sermon

July 16, 2023

Living Waters

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture:  John 7:37-39; Luke 3:21-22
Printed Sermon

July 9, 2023

Mother River

Worship Leader: Greg Watling
Scripture:  Exodus 2:5-10; Amos 5: 22-24
Printed Sermon

July 2, 2023

Mirror…Mirror

Worship Leader: Laura Hotelling
Scripture:  Matthew 10:40-42;
1 Peter 2: 13-16
Printed Sermon

June 25, 2023

Your Faith Has Made You Well

Worship Leader: Helen Crandall
Scripture:  Matthew 9:18-25;
1 Samuel 2:1-10
Printed Sermon

June 18, 2023

The Source

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Genesis 2; Job 28: 9-28
Printed Sermon

June 11, 2023

Indoor Outdoor Service –
Learning God’s Language

Worship Leader: Don Storing
Scripture:  Psalm 33: 1-12; “Footprints”

June 4, 2023

The Waters from the Waters

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Genesis 1:1-8; Peter 3:1-5
Printed Sermon

May 28, 2023

God’s Two Books

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Job 12: 7-13 ; Romans 1:18-23
Printed Sermon

May 21, 2023

The Good Samaritan

Worship Leader: Rev. Dr. Lillian Daniel
Scripture:  Psalm 68:1-10; 31-35; John 10:25-37

May 14, 2023

I Will Not Leave Your Orphaned

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  John 14:15-21; Acts 17:22-31
Printed Sermon

May 7, 2023

The Carp Dance

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  John 14:1-14; Psalm 31:1-5; 15-16
Printed Sermon

April 30, 2023

In Search of God

Worship Leader: Maggie Wallin
Scripture:  Deuteronomy 4:29-31;
Romans 10:20-21
Printed Sermon

April 23, 2023

You Show Me

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Luke 9: 57-62; Luke 24:13-35
Printed Sermon

April 16, 2023

Yeah…Um…Doubtful!

Worship Leader: Laura Hotelling
Scripture:  1 Peter 1:3-9; John 2-:19-29
Printed Sermon

April 9, 2023

Mistaken Identity

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Psalm 118; John 20:1-18
Printed Sermon

April 2, 2023

Riding on a Donkey

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Psalm 118:1-2;19-29;
Matthew 21:1-11
Printed Sermon

March 26, 2023

Beyond All Hope

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Ezekiel 37:1-14; John 11:1-44
Printed Sermon

March 19, 2023

An Unlikely Prospect

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  1 Samuel 16:1-13;
Ephesians 5:8-14
Printed Sermon

March 12, 2023

Better Protected from Mayhem

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Exodus 7: 1-7;
John 4:5-20; 39-42
Printed Sermon

March 5, 2023

Scholarly Scruples

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  John 3:1-17; Psalm 121
Printed Sermon

February 26, 2023

Moses, Jesus and Lent

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Psalm 91; Matthew 4:1-11
Printed Sermon

February 19, 2023

I’ve Changed

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Matthew 17:1-9;
Acts 9:1-9; 19b-22
Printed Sermon

February 12, 2023

Blinded by Innocence

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Act 6:8-15; Luke 10:25-37
Printed Sermon

February 5, 2023

Today’s Christian Church –
Should I Run?

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Acts 4:13-22; Matthew 8:28-34
Printed Sermon

January 29, 2023

Seeing God in Surprising Places –
Even Church

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Acts 3:17-26; Psalm 23
Printed Sermon

January 22, 2023

Loving Church

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  2 Corinthians 12:12-27;
John 15:9-17
Printed Sermon

January 15, 2023

Tired of Apologizing

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Acts 2:43-47; John 15:1-10
Printed Sermon

January 8, 2023

Beginning as Beloved

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Matthew 3:13-17
Printed Sermon

December 31, 2022

An Invitation

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Psalm 148; Matthew 2:13-23

December 25, 2022

Christmas Day

Worship Leader: Rev. Greg Watling
Scripture:  Isaiah 52:7-10

Location

218 W. Second Street
Gaylord, MI 49735
(989) 732-5726

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  • Home
  • About
    • About

      The history of the church

      Reaching In

      Activities within the church

      Reaching Out

      Activities in which the church reaches out to the community, etc.

      Women’s Fellowship

      Activities of the women’s group in the church

      Newsletter

      Monthly newsletter of the church

      Gallery

      Photos of various happenings of the church

      Annual Report

      2023 Annual Report

  • Staff
  • Sermons
    • Sermons

      Videos of the services for the last several months

      Funerals

      Videos of funerals that have been recorded

  • Music
  • Youth
  • Calendar
  • Donate
    • Donate Now

      Click here to go to the donation page

      Donation Dashboard

      A record of what you have donated to the church

  • Contact