Progressive Christian Sermons with Rev. David Wheeler

Rev. David Wheeler
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Expansive faith rooted in compassion, justice, and thoughtful engagement with scripture. Questions welcome. Doubt allowed. New sermons every week. Preaching from New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

  1. 1d ago

    "Don't Stop Believin'", Songs That Changed the World Part 7 of 10

    Don't Stop Believin'  Scripture Reading: Romans 5:1-5 What happens when life gets heavy, certainty fades, and "just believing" feels difficult or overwhelming? In Part 7 of our summer sermon series, Songs That Changed the World, we bring Journey’s classic 1981 rock anthem "Don't Stop Believin'" into conversation with Paul's deep reflections on grace, suffering, and hope in Romans 5:1-5. Journey’s anthem is famously written for "unfinished people living unfinished lives"—and it uniquely delays its famous title chorus until the very end of the song, mirroring how resolution, clarity, and healing so often come late in our real lives. Drawing on the insights of New Testament scholar Marcus Borg, we explore how Christian faith is far richer than merely giving intellectual assent to a list of statements. True faith is about trust, loyalty, a new vision of reality, and giving our hearts to what we hold dear—or "be-loving". Losing certainty isn't the same as losing faith; often, it is simply losing arrogance and gaining deeper compassion. Join us as we discuss: The "Late Chorus" of Life: Why a delayed resolution isn't no resolution, and how Journey's song structure reminds us that hope travels through a long night before the chorus arrives. Redefining "Belief": Exploring Marcus Borg's four Latin dimensions of faith—assensus (intellectual assent), fiducia (trust), fidelitas (fidelity), and visio (a way of seeing). Faith as "Be-Loving": How the word believe connects to holding dear and giving our hearts to love, grace, and justice when certainty is unavailable. Romans 5 & Tested Hope: Understanding Paul’s sequence of suffering producing endurance, character, and a hope that does not put us to shame because God's love is poured into our hearts. When You Can't Sing the Chorus: How community holds hope for us when we are too exhausted to sing it ourselves. When believing becomes hard, keep "be-loving" your neighbors, your children, and this wounded world. Let community carry you when your voice is weary, and trust that God's love is already poured out for you.

  2. Aug 4

    "Hallelujah" Sixth in our 10 part series-Songs That Changed the World

    Hallelujah  Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 What happens when our prayers don't lead to a neat, triumphant ending, but the thorn remains? In this sermon, we explore Leonard Cohen's iconic song "Hallelujah" alongside the Apostle Paul’s famous passage on his "thorn in the flesh" in 2 Corinthians 12. Written over several grueling years and initially rejected by his record label as "unmarketable," Cohen’s song didn't become a global anthem through immediate success, but through a long journey of coming "undone". Centuries earlier, Paul pleaded with God three times to remove a persistent, painful thorn. But rather than receiving an immediate cure, Paul heard a different word of promise: "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness." In a world that equates power with domination, noise, and winning, the Gospel offers a radically different truth: grace does not promise to erase every struggle, but promises that no struggle can separate us from the love holding us together. Join us as we discuss: The Story Behind "Hallelujah": How Leonard Cohen’s masterwork—initially deemed unmarketable—captures the honest, complicated mix of faith, doubt, love, and grief in actual human life. Paul's Unnamed Thorn: Why leaving the thorn unnamed in 2 Corinthians allows anyone carrying chronic pain, unanswered questions, or unbroken grief to find themselves in the story. Grace in What Is Unfixed: Dismantling the harmful idea that unanswered prayers mean inadequate faith, and discovering a God who meets us right inside our unfinished, messy places. Redefining Power and Strength: Contrasting the world's obsession with domination and retaliation against the Christ-like power made mature in vulnerability, service, and solidarity. The Holy vs. The Broken Hallelujah: Why a "broken Hallelujah" is not an inferior praise, but often the holiest praise of all—a language of survival, endurance, and grace. You don't need a polished, perfect story to offer praise. Whether your Hallelujah is a song of celebration or a quiet whisper of survival, grace is present, active, and holding you right here, right now.

  3. Jul 28

    A Change is Gonna Come

    A Change Is Gonna Come Scripture Reading: Exodus 3:7-12 When the struggle for justice feels long and wearing, how do we hold onto hope without burning out? In Part 5 of our summer sermon series, Songs That Changed the World, we explore Sam Cooke's timeless 1963 civil rights anthem, "A Change Is Gonna Come," alongside the calling of Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3. Born out of painful personal experiences with segregation and humiliation in Louisiana, Cooke’s song didn't offer cheap optimism or easy answers; instead, it voiced a weary, bone-tired, yet stubborn hope from deep inside the struggle. Centuries earlier, as the Israelites groaned under Pharaoh’s oppressive labor systems, God responded with three transformative verbs: "I have observed the misery of my people... I have heard their cry... I know their suffering." But God's deliverance didn't drop untouched from the sky—God turned to a reluctant, fugitive shepherd named Moses and said, "So come, I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt." When faced with massive systemic injustice, it is easy to feel overwhelmed, exhausted, and tempted to ask, "Who am I to make a difference?" But the Gospel reminds us that rest is not surrender, and we are never called to carry the weight of the world alone. Join us as we discuss: Hope from Inside the Struggle: Why Sam Cooke’s anthem continues to resonate, offering holy, persistent hope rather than artificial cheerfulness. God’s Response to Suffering: Exploring the power of a God who sees, hears, and knows human pain, refusing to remain neutral or detached. Understanding "Pharaoh" as a System: Recognizing how oppressive systems rely on wearing good people down into exhaustion, apathy, and powerlessness. Rest Is Not Surrender: Giving ourselves permission to breathe, rest, and let others carry us when our strength runs low, knowing that God is not finished with our courage. From "Who Am I?" to "I Will Be With You": Overcoming our feelings of inadequacy by trusting in God's presence and taking the next faithful, loving step right where we are. You don't have to fix the whole world by yourself, but by God’s grace, you can take your rightful place in it. Rest when you must, lean on community, and step forward into the change God is bringing through us.

  4. Jul 21

    What's Going On

    What's Going On Scripture Readings: Habakkuk 1:1-4; 2:1-4 When the world around us feels heavy with suffering, conflict, and injustice, how do we keep from shutting down? In Part 4 of our summer sermon series, Songs That Changed the World, we bring Marvin Gaye’s iconic 1971 song "What's Going On" into conversation with the ancient prophet Habakkuk. Written during a season of deep national upheaval, war, and social unrest, Gaye’s song didn't begin with easy answers—it began with an honest, aching lament. Centuries earlier, Habakkuk cried out with that exact same question: "O Lord, how long shall I cry for help, and you will not listen?" When headlines feel overwhelming, the temptation for compassionate people isn't always indifference; it is distance—retreating into powerlessness because we cannot fix everything ourselves. But both Habakkuk and the Gospel call us to a different posture: to stand at our watchpost, refuse to look away, and meet the world with stubborn, active love. Join us as we discuss: The Faithfulness of Lament: Why bringing our honest grief and hard questions to God is an act of deep trust, not a lack of faith. Overcoming the Trap of Distance: How feeling small in the face of massive global and local suffering can tempt us into silence, and why small acts of courage still matter. Restoring Human Connection: How Marvin Gaye’s lyrics ("Mother, mother... Brother, brother...") echo Jesus’s call to view every neighbor as family rather than a statistic or a threat. Love as Disciplined Action: Why "only love can conquer hate" isn't passive sentimentality, but active advocacy, mutual care, shelter, and accountability. Doing the Next Loving Thing: What it means to live by faithfulness—taking our rightful place, keeping watch, and doing the work of love right where we are. We cannot carry the whole world, but by God’s grace, we are not helpless. Step out of isolation, draw near to your neighbors, and do the next loving thing that is yours to do.

  5. Jul 13

    "The Sound of Silence" Songs That Changed the World (Part 3 of 10)

    Guest Speaker:  Rev. Anna Holloway "The Sound of Silence"  Scripture Readings: Lamentations 2:14-19 | Deuteronomy 24:10-22 What happens when our cultural conversations and religious systems fall silent in the face of human suffering and systemic harm? In this Sunday’s sermon, we confront the uncomfortable reality that silence in the face of injustice is never neutral—it is complicit. We bring together two powerful, contrasting texts: the agonizing grief of Lamentations and the radical, structural protections outlined in Deuteronomy. Lamentations offers a scathing critique of leaders and "false prophets" who chose the safety of comfortable silence, offering empty illusions rather than exposing the systemic iniquities affecting the community. Meanwhile, Deuteronomy brings our faith completely down to earth, demanding strict, daily economic protections for the hired servant, the resident alien, the orphan, and the widow. When the world encourages us to look away or remain quiet to preserve our own comfort, the Gospel calls us to break the sound of silence, expose structural inequality, and ensure that our faith is measured by how we protect the dignity of the vulnerable. Join us as we discuss: The Danger of Complicit Silence: Exploring how Lamentations critiques religious and cultural systems that choose polite, deceptive peace over the uncomfortable work of exposing systemic injustice. Economic Justice and Human Dignity: Diving into Deuteronomy's highly practical protections for the marginalized, from ensuring prompt, daily wages for hired servants to preserving the basic dignity of the poor. Crying Out for the Streets: Reclaiming the urgent call to pour out our hearts like water and lift our hands on behalf of those experiencing hunger, neglect, and systemic abandonment at the head of every street. Rolling Up Our Sleeves to Break the Silence: How practicing mutual care, advocating for local economic equity, and standing up for the marginalized are the real-world ways we turn our prayers into active, tangible justice. God does not call us to a passive, quiet faith that ignores the structural struggles of our neighbors. Step out of comfortable complacency, lift your voice for systemic fairness, and rest in the love of a God who hears the cries of the oppressed and calls us to move into action.

  6. Jul 7

    "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Songs That Changed the World (Part 2 of 10)

    Bridge Over Troubled Water (Sermon: July 5, 2026) Scripture Reading: Mark 2:1-12 What does it look like to be a bridge for someone when the waters of life get too deep, too rough, or completely impassable? In this Sunday’s sermon, we dive into the powerful story of the paralyzed man in Capernaum. Confronted by a crowd so thick that access to healing seemed entirely blocked, his four friends refused to let a barrier turn into a dead end. Instead, they carried him, climbed a roof, tore it open, and lowered him right into the presence of Jesus. Mark notes a profound detail in the text: Jesus healed the man when He saw their faith. Life frequently confronts us with obstacles that we simply cannot navigate alone. In those moments, the Gospel reminds us that we are called to be a "bridge over troubled water" for one another—breaking through barriers, dismantling obstacles, and carrying each other toward wholeness. Join us as we discuss: The Power of Collective Faith: How the faith of a community can carry, hold, and lift us up when our own strength and faith completely run dry. Dismantling the Barriers: Looking at the radical lengths the four friends went to break through physical and social structures to ensure their neighbor wasn't left on the outside. More Than a Physical Healing: Exploring why Jesus speaks a word of forgiveness first, addressing deep, internal fragmentation before telling the man to pick up his mat and walk. Rolling Up Our Sleeves as a Bridge: How practicing mutual care, working for local structural equity, and tearing down systemic roofs in our neighborhoods are the real-world ways we carry one another today. You were never meant to carry the heavy burdens of life entirely on your own, and you are surrounded by a community called to hold the ropes for you. Step out of isolation, trust the hands that are ready to help carry your mat, and rest in the healing love of a Savior who sees us and calls us whole.

  7. Jun 30

    "Born This Way" Songs that Changed The World (Part 1 of 10)

    Born This Way (Sermon: June 28, 2026) Scripture Reading: Genesis 1:26-31 What does it mean to look in the mirror and truly believe that what you see is "very good"? As we conclude Pride Month, we return to the very beginning of the sacred text—not to look through the lens of original sin, but to reclaim our original goodness. In this Sunday's sermon, we anchor ourselves in the creation account of Genesis, where God fashions humanity in the divine image (Imago Dei) and pronounces the vast, diverse spectrum of creation as holy, intentional, and completely good. Far too often, religious spaces have conditioned people to believe they must fix, hide, or apologize for who they are to be accepted. But the creation story tells a radically different truth: You do not have to earn your sacred worth. You were intentionally crafted by a loving Creator who delights in your existence, and you were beautifully born this way. Join us as we discuss: The Full Spectrum of the Imago Dei: How the beautiful diversity of human identity reflects the infinite creativity of a expansive God. Original Goodness over Original Shame: Reclaiming the truth that God’s first, most foundational word over your life is "Very Good." Dismantling the Divine Mistake: Stepping away from theological frameworks that weaponize faith against identity, and resting instead in inherent belovedness. Rolling Up Our Sleeves in Celebration: How embracing our own created goodness compels us to show up for our neighbors, fight for local equity, and build a community where everyone can safely live in their truth. You are a masterpiece of divine poetry, exactly as you are. Step out of the shadows of shame, celebrate the unique reflection of the Divine that only you can bring to the world, and rest in the love of the One who made you. Searchable Terms & Episode Summary Primary Topic: Sunday sermon celebrating inherent human worth, LGBTQ+ inclusion, and the foundational goodness of creation. Scripture Focus: The creation of humanity in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-31). Community Connection: Concluding Pride Month with a message of original goodness, deep neighborly love, and authentic local inclusion.

  8. Jun 23

    Rescue

    We welcome a guest preacher today, Rev. Nancy Hodgkinson.   Rescue | Genesis 21:8–21 In this sermon, “Rescue,” we turn to the difficult and powerful story of Hagar and Ishmael in Genesis 21:8–21. Cast out into the wilderness, Hagar reaches the end of what she can see, only to discover that God has not abandoned her or her child. God hears the cry of the vulnerable, opens her eyes to what is life-giving, and makes a way where there seemed to be no way. This message invites us to reconsider what divine rescue really looks like. Rescue may not always arrive as escape from every hardship, but as presence, provision, courage, and the opening of our eyes to the well already near us. For anyone who has felt pushed aside, unseen, excluded, or afraid, this sermon offers a reminder: God hears, God sees, and God remains present in the wilderness. Rooted in a progressive Christian understanding of Scripture, this sermon reflects on radical love, divine compassion, and the God who stands with the vulnerable, the rejected, and the beloved.

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Expansive faith rooted in compassion, justice, and thoughtful engagement with scripture. Questions welcome. Doubt allowed. New sermons every week. Preaching from New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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