Idlewild Presbyterian Church Idlewild Presbyterian Church

How might we experience the revelation of God in our lives and the world?

In Acts 9:1-9, Saul is the primary antagonist of the Apostles; breathing threats of murder against them and other early disciples of Jesus, until Jesus speaks to Saul in a holy episode on the road to Damascus. For Saul, the revelation of Jesus on the road to Damascus becomes the transformational experience of Saul’s life; completely changing his heart and making him a devoted disciple of Jesus. In this sermon, we explore the ways in which we claim that Jesus reveals himself even now.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on June 16, 2024.

What does it mean to be saved by Jesus? In Acts 4:8-12, the religious authorities confront Peter and John about how they healed a man who had been lame from birth. Filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter was forceful in his public declaration to the authorities and onlookers that the man was healed by the name of Jesus Christ. Going further, Peter declared that salvation could be found in none other than Jesus.

In this sermon, we wrestle with the doctrine of salvation, Peter’s salvific claims about Jesus, and the holy ways Jesus brings salvation in our lives and the world.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on June 9, 2024.

The doctrine of sin is foundational to Reformed theology, but few Presbyterians can articulate it in a way that is both thorough and accessible. Many churches focus so much on personal sin that they neglect the evils of corporate sin while others focus so much on corporate sin that they fail to take seriously the evils of personal sin. In Romans 7:14-25a Paul articulates his personal struggle with sin. As he describes the internal and external life of sin, we will reckon with the sin that we navigate personally and are entangled in corporately.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on June 2, 2024.

As we celebrate Trinity Sunday, we read John 1: 1-5, 9-14, 16-18, and explore what it means to say we worship one God in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are coequal, coeternal, and consubstantial.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on May 26, 2024.

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell upon the people of God in a divine and dizzying display. In Acts 2:1-13 people from all across the region were gathered in Jerusalem when a sound like the rush of a violent wind made known to them the presence of the Holy Spirit. Without warning, each person began speaking in a foreign language yet they could understand each other perfectly. As we contemplate the Spirit’s presence amongst us, we will wonder together about how the Holy Spirit is empowering our church to both hear the voices of our neighbors and to recognize the calling of our God.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on May 19, 2024.

Amongst deep divides and seemingly endless wars, what does it mean for the Christian to embody a faith which is steadfast in its claim that death has been swallowed up in victory? In 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 Paul admonishes those who deny the resurrection of the dead by proclaiming that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, “death has been swallowed up in victory.” In a world where death is an all too familiar reality, Paul proclaims a gospel where the sting of death is nullified by Christ’s victory over the grave. We will wrestle with how we claim the victory of Christ over death amid the realities of our city and world.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on May 12, 2024.