Westlake United Methodist Church

Westlake United Methodist Church

Weekly sermons from Westlake United Methodist Church in Austin, TX.

  1. Blinded by Fear (John 9:1–7)

    3D AGO

    Blinded by Fear (John 9:1–7)

    In this sermon from the Gospel of John, the healing of the man born blind shifts the focus from blame to revelation—what God is showing us through the moment. Drawing on insights from My Body Is Not a Prayer Request by Amy Kenny, the message reframes healing as wholeness rather than cure, and examines how fear and discomfort shape our responses to others’ pain. Where might fear be limiting your ability to see clearly—and how is God still at work there?

    17 min
  2. Give Me This Water (John 4)

    MAR 11

    Give Me This Water (John 4)

    In this sermon from John 4, Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at a well in the heat of the day—a place where isolation, shame, and daily survival intersect. Rather than condemning or ignoring her, Jesus offers something unexpected: living water that restores dignity and opens the possibility of a different life. Reflecting on the biblical story alongside other “well” moments in history—places where people briefly reclaimed their humanity in the midst of hardship—this message explores how trauma, loss, and the pressures of the world can shape our sense of identity. Yet the encounter at the well reminds us that Christ already knows our stories and still offers renewal. Worship becomes a kind of well for the community of faith: a place where the dominant narratives of fear, division, and worthlessness are challenged by a different story—the promise that in Christ we are known, loved, and invited into new life.

    22 min
  3. Blinded by What We Were Taught (John 3:1–17)

    MAR 1

    Blinded by What We Were Taught (John 3:1–17)

    What if the very things we were taught about God are the things keeping us from seeing clearly? In this week’s Blinded series, we encounter Nicodemus — a deeply educated religious leader, formed by tradition and confident in what he knows. Yet when he comes to Jesus under the cover of night, he is invited into a new way of seeing: to be “born from above,” to loosen his grip on certainty, and to recognize that the Spirit moves more freely than he imagined. Together, we consider the assumptions we have inherited — about God, Scripture, and even ourselves — and how the Wesleyan Quadrilateral (Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience) can help us discern what is true. What might need to be unlearned so that we can see again?

    17 min
  4. Blinded by Temptation (Matthew 4:1–11)

    FEB 22

    Blinded by Temptation (Matthew 4:1–11)

    At the beginning of Lent, we turn to Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. Immediately after his baptism—after the voice from heaven names him “beloved”—Jesus is led into a season of testing. This sermon explores how the temptation narrative is less about spectacle and more about identity: Who is Jesus, and what kind of Messiah will he be? Drawing on Deuteronomy, the Exodus story, and Philippians 2, we consider how Jesus resists coercive power, refuses to exploit divine authority, and chooses the path of humility and love. His responses in the wilderness reveal a Messiah grounded in tradition, shaped by Scripture, and committed to abundant life for others. As we begin our Lenten series Blinded, we reflect on what keeps us from seeing clearly—decision fatigue, cultural pressures, the lure of power, and the noise that drowns out the quieter way of Christ. Like hikers watching for blazes on the trail, we are invited to remember who we are and to act accordingly: beloved people called to walk the path of mercy, humility, and love.

    19 min
  5. Dust to Dust (Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21)

    FEB 19

    Dust to Dust (Matthew 6:1–6, 16–21)

    On Ash Wednesday, we begin Lent with a sober reminder: we are dust, and to dust we shall return. In light of that truth, Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 take on sharper meaning. This sermon explores Lent not as a season of public performance or ritualized guilt, but as a quiet return to what matters. Giving, praying, and fasting are not spiritual displays; they are practices meant to reshape the heart. The question is not what we can prove to others, but what God is doing in secret within us. Rather than simply giving up chocolate or Diet Coke, Lent becomes an invitation to honest self-examination. What has come between us and God? Where do pride, resentment, distraction, or avoidance need to be named? What practice might draw us closer to wholeness? “Dust to Dust” reminds us that our mortality clarifies our priorities. In these forty days, we are invited to release what diminishes life and take up what leads us toward deeper faith, reconciliation, and renewed devotion—so that when Easter arrives, we are not the same.

    8 min
  6. Stewardship of Time (Acts 2:42–47)

    FEB 19

    Stewardship of Time (Acts 2:42–47)

    In the final week of our stewardship series, we turn to what may be our most limited and most revealing resource: time. Drawing from Acts 2:42–47, this sermon explores the early church’s intentional rhythms—worship, shared meals, prayer, generosity—and what they teach us about how we order our days. Time is not just something to manage; it is something to steward with purpose. We consider four invitations: growing deeper with God, investing in real community, serving through acts of mercy, and practicing Sabbath in a culture that resists rest. If we are mortal and cannot do everything, then our choices about time become spiritual decisions. What might change if we lived not as “human doings,” but as human beings—trusting that even of time, there is enough?

    18 min
  7. Giving with Good Vibes (2 Corinthians 9:7–9)

    FEB 9

    Giving with Good Vibes (2 Corinthians 9:7–9)

    In this week’s message from our stewardship series, Abundant Life: Trusting God and One Another, we turn our attention to treasure—the financial resources we share to support life together in Christ. Drawing from Acts 2 and 2 Corinthians 9, this sermon explores how the earliest Christian communities practiced generosity not out of pressure or guilt, but out of deep commitment to one another. Giving was woven into daily life, sustaining community, meeting real needs, and making space for the work of God to flourish. This message invites us to see financial stewardship not as an obligation, but as a joyful and thoughtful response to God’s abundance. As we reflect on what we want to do together in the year ahead, we are reminded that generosity—offered freely and with intention—helps the church move from merely surviving to truly thriving.

    16 min
  8. Fully Alive Together (1 Corinthians 12)

    FEB 9

    Fully Alive Together (1 Corinthians 12)

    This week we begin our stewardship series, Abundant Life: Trusting God and One Another, by reflecting on talent, the gifts, skills, perspectives, and experiences God has woven into the life of the church. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 12, this sermon explores the biblical vision of the body of Christ: many members, one body, each indispensable to the whole. From spreadsheets to music, teaching to hospitality, advocacy to prayer, we are reminded that no gift is insignificant and no person is unnecessary. In a moment marked by division, violence, and compassion fatigue, this message calls the church to respond not with fear or paralysis, but with love, grounded in community, shaped by Christ, and expressed through the particular talents God has entrusted to each of us. As Paul reminds us, love is not optional; it is the way we make our gifts matter for the common good.

    19 min
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About

Weekly sermons from Westlake United Methodist Church in Austin, TX.

Information

  • Creator
    Westlake United Methodist Church
  • Years Active
    2015 - 2026
  • Episodes
    300
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Westlake United Methodist Church

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