North Raleigh United Methodist Church Podcast

North Raleigh United Methodist Church
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Behind the Scenes is your all-access pass to the heart of ministry at North Raleigh United Methodist Church. We publish the Sermons for easy listening each week. Each "Behind the Scenes" Podcast episode takes you beyond Sunday morning with behind-the-scenes insights, theological reflections, and sermon previews that bring Scripture to life.  Whether you’re looking to deepen your faith, explore the "why" behind our worship, or get a sneak peek at what’s coming next, this podcast is your companion for thoughtful conversations and spiritual growth. Tune in as we journey together, asking big questions and discovering God at work in our everyday lives. 

  1. 2d ago

    Sermon: All Saints Sunday

    A Glimpse of Heaven | Revelation 7:9-17 | All Saints Sunday What is heaven really like? On All Saints Sunday, Rev. Laura Johnson preaches on Revelation 7:9-17 and the hope we hold for the loved ones who have gone before us. Pastor Laura begins with a book of children’s ideas about heaven, full of the kind of honest, funny, and surprisingly wise answers only kids can give. Then she turns to John’s vision in Revelation 7: a crowd too big to count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, waving palm branches and celebrating God’s victory. Revelation can feel confusing or even frightening, but Pastor Laura explains that it was written to real churches facing real persecution near the end of the first century. Its message to them, and to us, is that God is at work behind the scenes, even when evil seems to be winning. She compares the scene to a heavenly victory party, a lot like the celebration at the Lenovo Center when the Carolina Hurricanes won the Cup. That crowd includes the saints we know by name, from Peter and Paul to John Wesley, and yes, Dolly Parton. But it also includes the ordinary saints: the loved ones who fought illness, carried grief, stumbled sometimes, and kept their hearts turned toward Jesus. In God’s presence, they are whole, and God wipes every tear from their eyes. And while we wait for that promised future, we have a purpose here. When we pray “thy kingdom come, on earth as it is in heaven,” Pastor Laura reminds us, we are asking God to work through us to give others a glimpse of heaven right now. Not in big, flashy ways, but the same quiet, faithful way the saints we remember lived and loved. For anyone grieving or struggling, she offers this word of hope: “If you find despair at the end of your story, then your story isn’t over yet.” Visit us in Raleigh If you’re in the Raleigh area, we’d love to meet you at North Raleigh United Methodist Church, 8501 Honeycutt Road. Sunday worship is at 8:30 (blended, with weekly communion), 9:45 (contemporary, with Sunday School during the service), and 11am (traditional, with Kids Church during the service). Can’t make it in person? Watch full services on our YouTube channel and find every sermon on our podcast. At NRUMC, we hope you’ll belong just as you are, become more like Jesus, and be love for God’s world. Belong. Become. Be Love. Plan your visit at https://nrumc.org Get weekly updates at https://nrumc.org/subscribe #AllSaintsSunday #UnitedMethodist #Sermon All Saints Sunday, All Saints Day sermon, Revelation 7:9-17, Book of Revelation, what is heaven like, communion of saints, grief and hope, church triumphant, Lamb of God, Lord’s Prayer, ordinary saints, Rev. Laura Johnson, United Methodist sermon, Wesleyan theology, UMC Raleigh, North Raleigh church, Raleigh NC church, North Raleigh United Methodist Church, NRUMC

    Sermon: All Saints Sunday

  2. Oct 28

    Podcast: Behind the Scenes: All Saints Sunday Nov 1; (Rev 7:9-17)

    Who are the saints, and what does Revelation really promise us? Rev. Laura Johnson joins moderator Kevin Van Hall to preview All Saints Sunday, November 1, at North Raleigh United Methodist Church. Full episode notes Who are the saints, and what does Revelation really promise us? On this week’s Behind the Scenes podcast, moderator Kevin Van Hall sits down with Rev. Laura Johnson to preview All Saints Sunday, one of Pastor Laura’s favorite Sundays of the year. They start with the history. All Saints began in the early church as a way to remember the martyrs and has taken many shapes since. In the United Methodist tradition, we don’t have an official process for naming saints. As Pastor Laura explains, the saints are all who have died in Christ, including the ordinary, faithful people who will never have a building named after them but who shared the light of Christ with us. Then they turn to Revelation 7:9-17, a vision of a crowd too big to count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, gathered in victory before God’s throne. Pastor Laura walks through what makes Revelation so hard to read: it’s apocalyptic literature, full of symbolism, written to Christians facing horrific persecution at the end of the first century. Its purpose was to give them courage and hope that God is victorious, even when every sign pointed the other way. Along the way, they unpack the Lamb and the Passover, the image of God sheltering the faithful like a tent in the wilderness, the Good Shepherd thread running from Psalm 23 through John 10, and why this vision isn’t a literal picture of sitting on clouds playing harps forever. For anyone grieving, this passage offers a picture of the better place, where God will wipe away every tear. Pastor Laura also offers a helpful word of caution: Revelation is best read alongside a reputable guide, and she’s glad to recommend some. What to expect Sunday Everyone is invited to come forward and light a candle in memory of someone they have loved and lost, whether this year or many years ago. During communion, we will read aloud the names of NRUMC members who have died since last All Saints Sunday, and their families are invited to light a candle in their memory. Sunday is also the first service with our new sanctuary sound system. Thanks to the hard work of the Waveform team, the new speakers, soundboard, and microphones will be in use, so thanks in advance for your patience as we fine tune things. Screens are still in progress. Next week, we begin All You Can, a three week series on John Wesley’s famous teaching about money: earn all you can, save all you can, and give all you can. Join us this Sunday in Raleigh We’d love to have you at North Raleigh United Methodist Church, 8501 Honeycutt Road. All Saints Sunday is celebrated in all three services: 8:30 (blended, with weekly communion), 9:45 (contemporary, with Sunday School during the service), and 11am (traditional, with Kids Church during the service). Can’t make it in person? Join us on the livestream or catch the sermon on our YouTube channel and podcast later in the week. At NRUMC, we hope you’ll belong just as you are, become more like Jesus, and be love for God’s world. Belong. Become. Be Love. Plan your visit at nrumc.org  Get weekly updates at nrumc.org/subscribe

    Podcast: Behind the Scenes: All Saints Sunday Nov 1; (Rev 7:9-17)

  3. Oct 28

    Sermon: Pursue Wisdom From Above

    Can we be “just enough” Christian? In the final week of our Practical Faith series, Rev. Kevin Johnson preaches on James 3:13-4:10 and the difference between the wisdom of the world and the wisdom from above. Full episode notes There isn’t much wisdom in our world today. So much of what we read and watch is built to help us escape, get us to click, or generate buzz. In the final week of our Practical Faith series, Rev. Kevin Johnson makes the case that James is really a New Testament book of wisdom, and that wisdom is what practical faith looks like: doing the word and not just hearing it, caring for the poor, watching what we say, and treating one another well. James describes two kinds of wisdom. The wisdom from below is driven by jealousy and selfish ambition. Pastor Kevin compares it to Bing Crosby’s line in White Christmas, “everybody’s got an angle,” and the Black Friday rush for stuff at Best Buy. It’s the wisdom of our culture and our economy: get yours and look out for number one. The wisdom from above looks different. It is pure, peaceful, gentle, merciful, fair, and genuine, and it shows up in how we treat people. As Pastor Kevin puts it, “Wise people make peace. They don’t hope that peace just comes to them.” It’s the vision of the beloved community Dr. King preached about and the dream that carried Archbishop Desmond Tutu through apartheid. Then James asks a hard question: are we friends of God or friends of the world? Pastor Kevin names the quiet game many of us play, trying to be just enough Christian to get the benefits. He points us back to John Wesley’s 1741 sermon “The Almost Christian,” preached at Oxford, where Wesley called people to give their whole lives to Christ. Early Methodists were known for that kind of complete devotion to loving God and loving neighbor. The good news is that James doesn’t leave us there. God “gives us more grace,” and the invitation is simple: come near to God, and God will come near to you. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Pastor Kevin leaves us with a question for the week: “One way is a far better way, friendship with God. But one way is a far easier way, friendship with the world. Which one will you give your life to?” Visit us in Raleigh If you’re in the Raleigh area, we’d love to meet you at North Raleigh United Methodist Church, 8501 Honeycutt Road. Sunday worship is at 8:30 (blended, with weekly communion), 9:45 (contemporary, with Sunday School during the service), and 11am (traditional, with Kids Church during the service). Can’t make it in person? Watch full services on our YouTube channel and find every sermon here on the podcast. At NRUMC, we hope you’ll belong just as you are, become more like Jesus, and be love for God’s world. Belong. Become. Be Love. Plan your visit at nrumc.org  Get weekly updates at nrumc.org/subscribe

    Sermon: Pursue Wisdom From Above

  4. Oct 21

    Podcast: Behind the Scenes: Pursue Wisdom from Above; (James 3:13-4:10)

    Which voices of wisdom are you listening to? Rev. Kevin Johnson joins moderator Kevin Van Hall to preview Sunday’s sermon on James 3:13-4:10 as our Practical Faith series wraps up. Full episode notes Which voices of wisdom are you listening to? On this week’s Behind the Scenes podcast, moderator Kevin Van Hall sits down with Rev. Kevin Johnson to preview Sunday’s sermon, “Pursue the Wisdom from Above,” the final week of our Practical Faith series on the Book of James. The two Kevins start by stepping back to look at James as a whole. Martin Luther famously called it an “epistle of straw,” worried it leaned too hard on works. Pastor Kevin makes the case that James and Paul aren’t rivals at all. They come at faith from different angles, and we’re richer for having both. That both/and instinct runs deep in our Wesleyan tradition, where faith and good works belong together. Then they dig into James 3:13-4:10. James describes two kinds of wisdom. One is driven by jealousy and selfish ambition and leaves disorder behind it. The other comes from above: pure, peaceful, gentle, full of mercy and good actions. Pastor Kevin notes how much that list sounds like Paul’s fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, and explores why James cares so much about wisdom that builds up the whole community, not just the individual. They also wrestle with one of the tougher lines in the passage: “friendship with the world means hostility toward God.” Pastor Kevin doesn’t hear it as a call to retreat from the world, but as a question of priorities. As he puts it, “Christians should live with distinct priorities.” And in the middle of all that challenge, there’s grace. James reminds us that God “gives us more grace” and that when we come near to God, God comes near to us. That’s the heart of what we call sanctifying grace in the United Methodist tradition: God at work in us, shaping us to become more like Jesus. Along the way: why James may be pushing back on early Gnostic claims to secret wisdom, why he might be the only New Testament writer to quote Proverbs, and why so many people at NRUMC have said this series sent them back to read the whole book. Sunday’s readings are Psalm 1 and James 3:13-4:10. Hear the full sermon this Sunday If you’re in Raleigh, we’d love to have you with us at North Raleigh United Methodist Church, 8501 Honeycutt Road. Sunday worship is at 8:30 (blended, with weekly communion), 9:45 (contemporary), and 11am (traditional). Kids Church and Sunday School are available for the whole family. Can’t make it in person? Watch the livestream or catch the sermon on our YouTube channel and podcast later in the week. At NRUMC, we hope you’ll belong just as you are, become more like Jesus, and be love for God’s world. Belong. Become. Be Love. Plan your visit at nrumc.org  Get weekly updates at nrumc.org/subscribe Keywords / tags James 3:13-4:10, wisdom from above, Book of James, Practical Faith, Psalm 1, Rev. Kevin Johnson, sermon preview, Behind the Scenes podcast, James and Paul, faith and works, fruit of the Spirit, sanctifying grace, Wesleyan theology, United Methodist podcast, UMC Raleigh, North Raleigh church, Raleigh NC church, North Raleigh United Methodist Church, NRUMC

    Podcast: Behind the Scenes: Pursue Wisdom from Above; (James 3:13-4:10)

  5. Oct 19

    Sermon: Watch Your Mouth

    What kind of world are your words creating? In week 3 of our Practical Faith series, Rev. Laura Johnson walks through James 3:1-12 and the surprising power of the words we speak, text, and post. Full episode notes What kind of world are your words creating? In week 3 of our Practical Faith series on the Book of James, Rev. Laura Johnson explores James 3:1-12, where James compares the tongue to a horse’s bit, a ship’s rudder, and a small flame that can set a whole forest on fire. We live in a culture that celebrates saying whatever is on our minds, as loudly as possible. James calls us to something countercultural: to bridle our speech and let our words be shaped by God’s grace. Using three pieces of modern wisdom, Pastor Laura offers practical ways to live out our faith through how we talk to and about one another. 🗣️ Think before you speak. Is it true, helpful, inspiring, necessary, or kind? If not, it might be what Pastor Laura calls “an inside thought.” 💋 Do you kiss your mama with that mouth? A favorite Southernism becomes a question of integrity: “Do you praise your God with that mouth?” When we bless God and then tear down people made in God’s image, our blessing rings hollow. 🌍 Words create worlds. Drawing on Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, Pastor Laura reminds us that our words can create hell on earth or reveal heaven on earth. “Every word you utter contributes to someone’s experience of hell or heaven on earth. That is the power you have.” ✨ The good news: we cannot tame the tongue on our own. In the Wesleyan tradition, we call this sanctifying grace, the Holy Spirit at work within us, growing us in holiness of heart and life. As Pastor Laura puts it, “The Holy Spirit who lives within us can and will tame the tongue when we invite the Spirit to do so.” 🙌 This week’s challenge: Pick one of the three sayings and let it anchor every conversation, email, text, and social media post this week. Notice what changes. 📍 Visit us in Raleigh If you’re in the Raleigh area, we’d love to meet you in person at North Raleigh United Methodist Church, 8501 Honeycutt Road. Sunday worship is at 8:30 (blended, with weekly communion), 9:45 (contemporary), and 11am (traditional). Kids Church and Sunday School are available, so the whole family has a place. 🔗 Learn more and plan your visit at nrumc.org 📺 Watch full services on the NRUMC YouTube channel 📧 Get weekly updates at nrumc.org/subscribe North Raleigh UMC is a United Methodist congregation in Raleigh, NC, where you can belong just as you are, become more like Jesus, and be love for God’s world. Keywords / tags James 3:1-12, taming the tongue, Book of James sermon, Practical Faith, power of words, Rev. Laura Johnson, United Methodist sermon, UMC podcast, Wesleyan theology, sanctifying grace, Holy Spirit, holiness of heart and life, Christian speech, integrity, North Raleigh United Methodist Church, Raleigh church, NRUMC

  6. Oct 6

    Sermon: Doers > Hearers

    James isn't hard to understand. It's hard to do. In the first message of our new series on the book of James, Rev. Kevin Johnson of North Raleigh United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC, preaches on James 1:19 to 27 and asks the question at the heart of this practical letter: Are you going to do it? After spending hours studying a passage about being slow to anger, Pastor Kevin confesses he still lost his temper with his daughter that same night. That honest moment sets the tone for a sermon about faith as a "skill in living," grounded in everyday life, how we treat the people closest to us, and how we treat the people on the outside. In this message: - Why James reads like one long answer to Jesus' question in Luke 6: Why do you call me Lord, and not do what I tell you? - Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to grow angry, and what it might look like to be slow to type, text, post, and comment in an election season - The gift of active listening, and why escalation never ends well, from family arguments to global conflict - Cramming for a test vs. letting God's word actually form us - The two sons in Matthew 21 and why Jesus taught for action, not just knowledge - True devotion: caring for orphans, widows, and everyone on the outside of the circle - Dietrich Bonhoeffer on cheap grace vs. costly grace "When we become insiders in God's church, we immediately become concerned with who is outside of the circle." This week's practice plan from Coach James: Be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to grow angry. Do the word, don't just hear it. Take care of the outsider. Read along: Pastor Kevin invites you to read all five chapters of James this week. Scripture: James 1:19 to 27 (Common English Bible), with Luke 6 and Matthew 21 Preacher: Rev. Kevin Johnson, Senior Pastor Visit us in North Raleigh: North Raleigh United Methodist Church 8501 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh, NC Sundays: 8:30am Blended (with weekly Communion), 9:45am Contemporary, 11am Traditional Kids Church and Sunday School available nrumc.org Follow the podcast so you never miss a message, and share this episode with someone who's ready for a faith that shows up on Monday morning.

    Sermon: Doers > Hearers

  7. Sep 29

    Podcast: Behind the Scenes: Doers>Hearers; (James 1-19-27)

    What if the hardest part of the Bible isn't understanding it, but living it? A new sermon series on practical faith from the book of James begins here. On this episode of the North Raleigh United Methodist Church Behind the Scenes podcast, host Kevin Van Hall sits down with Senior Pastor Rev. Kevin Johnson to open the book of James and dig into James 1:19 to 27. As Pastor Kevin puts it, it doesn't take a divinity degree to understand James. The hard part is putting it into practice. In this episode: • Why James is one of the most practical books in the Bible, and why it makes a natural next step after our Belong, Become, Be Love purpose series • Who wrote James, and what this letter shows us about the earliest Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem • "Quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to grow angry" in a world of escalating conflict, heated emails, sibling rivalries, and tension with coworkers • What it means to welcome "the word planted deep inside you" • The mirror test: hearing God's word on Sunday and living it on Monday morning • Why James sees God's law as a gift of freedom, not a burden Chapters: 0:01 Welcome and a new series 1:07 Why James, and why now 3:26 Who wrote the book of James? 7:59 Prayer 8:26 Reading James 1:19 to 27 9:41 Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger 14:39 Who was James writing to? 16:24 Doers of the word, not hearers only 19:33 Sunday faith, Monday living Read along: James is only five chapters long, so it's a great book to read through over the next few weeks as the series unfolds. Scripture: James 1:19 to 27 (Common English Bible) Host: Kevin Van Hall Guest: Rev. Kevin Johnson, Senior Pastor Visit us in North Raleigh: North Raleigh United Methodist Church 8501 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh, NC Sundays: 8:30am Blended (with weekly Communion), 9:45am Contemporary, 11am Traditional Kids Church and Sunday School available nrumc.org Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode, and share this one with someone who's ready for a faith that shows up on Monday morning.

    Podcast: Behind the Scenes: Doers>Hearers; (James 1-19-27)

  8. Sep 27

    Sermon- On Purpose: Be Love for God's World

    To be love or to do love? In the final message of the Purpose Unveiling series, Rev. Laura Johnson of North Raleigh United Methodist Church in Raleigh, NC, explores 1 John 4:7 to 21 and what it means to Be Love for God's World. Starting with a roadside flat tire and a stranger whose "help" didn't feel much like love, Pastor Laura unpacks the difference between doing loving things out of obligation and becoming people whose love flows naturally from the Holy Spirit within us. In this episode: - Love is from God, and God is love - How God's love forgives us and makes a home for the Holy Spirit (what John calls "abiding") - Why being "perfected in love" is central to United Methodist and Wesleyan theology, including the historic questions every Methodist clergy person answers at ordination - How God's love gives us assurance, boldness, and purpose - The story of NRUMC's Blessing Initiative, an anonymous $2 million gift with one instruction: give it all away to people in need "Love, as God reveals it to us, is self giving and self sacrificing." A question to carry into your week: Are you abiding in God's love so that God's love abides and flows through you? Scripture: 1 John 4:7 to 21 (also 1 Corinthians 13) Series: On Purpose | Purpose Unveiling Preacher: Rev. Laura Johnson, Senior Pastor Next steps: Find a way to serve: nrumc.org/events Get our weekly email: nrumc.org/subscribe Explore membership: nrumc.org/nextsteps Watch this message on the NRUMC YouTube channel Visit us in North Raleigh: North Raleigh United Methodist Church 8501 Honeycutt Road, Raleigh, NC Sundays: 8:30am Blended (with weekly Communion), 9:45am Contemporary, 11am Traditional Kids Church and Sunday School available nrumc.org Follow the podcast so you never miss a message, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear that they are loved.

    Sermon- On Purpose: Be Love for God's World
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About

Behind the Scenes is your all-access pass to the heart of ministry at North Raleigh United Methodist Church. We publish the Sermons for easy listening each week. Each "Behind the Scenes" Podcast episode takes you beyond Sunday morning with behind-the-scenes insights, theological reflections, and sermon previews that bring Scripture to life.  Whether you’re looking to deepen your faith, explore the "why" behind our worship, or get a sneak peek at what’s coming next, this podcast is your companion for thoughtful conversations and spiritual growth. Tune in as we journey together, asking big questions and discovering God at work in our everyday lives. 

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