Spray United Methodist Church Podcast

Hoyt
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Christianity

Church News and Sermons

  1. 2d ago

    S2E42 Gratitude as Resistance

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” Gratitude is more than good manners. It can be an act of spiritual resistance against despair, fear, cynicism, and the belief that our troubles are the whole story. In this episode, Hoyt reflects on the examples of Paul, Habakkuk, and the one healed man who returned to thank Jesus. He also shares how gratitude can remain possible during illness, exhaustion, and the difficult hours spent in a dialysis chair. Christian gratitude does not deny suffering or pretend that everything is fine. It reminds us that God is still present, Christ is still faithful, and darkness is never the whole story. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

  2. Oct 30

    S2E41 Bearing Fruit, Not Arguments

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” What good is it to win an argument if the way we conduct ourselves does not look anything like Jesus? In this episode, Hoyt considers how Christians can speak the truth without treating others as enemies. Drawing from Galatians 5, John 15, and James 1, we are reminded that our lives should display the fruit of the Spirit—especially when we are challenged or confronted. We may not handle every disagreement perfectly, but we can listen before speaking, respond with gentleness, and remain rooted in Christ. The goal is not to become better debaters. The goal is to become more like Jesus. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

  3. Oct 23

    S2E40 When Faith feels Thin

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” What do we do when we still believe, but prayer feels empty, worship feels mechanical, and faith no longer feels strong? In this episode, Hoyt considers why faith sometimes feels thin and reminds us that tired faith is not failed faith. Through Psalm 13, the desperate father’s prayer in Mark 9, and Elijah’s exhaustion in 1 Kings 19, we see that God does not abandon us when we struggle with doubt, disappointment, or weariness. We also consider several simple ways to remain open to God’s grace: praying honestly, borrowing words from Scripture, staying close to trustworthy people, choosing one small spiritual practice, and caring for our bodies. When our grip feels weak, Christ is still holding us. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

  4. Oct 16

    S2E39 We Are All Ministers

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” In Episode 39, “We Are All Ministers,” we explore the truth that ministry is not limited to pastors, church leaders, or people standing behind a pulpit. Every follower of Jesus is called and equipped to serve. Our gifts and circumstances may differ, but God can use each of us through ordinary acts of love—listening to someone who is hurting, encouraging the discouraged, welcoming a stranger, preparing a meal, making a telephone call, or quietly praying for another person. You do not need a title or formal position to make Christ’s love visible. We are not all pastors, but we are all ministers. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

  5. Oct 9

    S2E38 Why the Church Still Matters

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” Why does the Church still matter in a world where many people practice faith on their own—or have walked away after being hurt? In Episode 38, Hoyt explores the Church as the body of Christ: a place where faith is strengthened, burdens are shared, lonely people find belonging, and believers are sent to serve their communities. He also speaks honestly about the harm churches can cause and offers guidance for finding a healthy congregation centered on Christ, Scripture, grace, accountability, and service. Whether you are active in a church, considering returning, or healing from a painful experience, this episode offers a compassionate reminder that the failures of Christians do not erase the faithfulness of Christ. Scriptures include Matthew 16:18, Colossians 1:18, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Acts 2:42, Hebrews 10:24–25, Galatians 6:2, and Matthew 5:16. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

  6. Sep 25

    S2E37 Hope Without Denial

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” In Episode 37, “Hope Without Denial,” we explore the difference between genuine Christian hope and simply pretending that everything is all right. Faith does not require us to ignore our pain, hide our fear, or deny the difficult realities around us. Biblical hope looks honestly at hardship while continuing to trust in the goodness and faithfulness of God. Even in seasons of grief, uncertainty, illness, or disappointment, we can acknowledge what hurts and still believe that God is present, working, and leading us forward. Hope is not denial—it is confidence that suffering will never have the final word. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

  7. Sep 18

    S2E36 Waiting rooms of the Soul

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” Waiting is one of the hardest parts of life. We wait for healing, guidance, reconciliation, test results, open doors, and answers to prayer. In those uncertain seasons, it can feel as though God is silent or far away. In this episode, Hoyt reflects on the “waiting rooms of the soul” and what it means to remain faithful when we cannot hurry the answer. Drawing from Psalm 130 and the stories of Simeon and Anna, we discover that waiting is not wasted time—and it does not mean doing nothing. God remains present, offering sufficient grace for today and strength for the next faithful step. Hoyt’s books, The Apostles’ Creed and The Lord’s Prayer, are available on Amazon. Search for author Hoyt S. Barrett Jr. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

  8. Sep 11

    S2E35 Ministry of Presence

    If you’d like to share encouragement or questions about today’s message, you can text us. We may not respond individually, but your feedback helps us pray for you and shape future episodes.” What can we offer when someone is hurting and there are no words that can take the pain away? In this episode, Hoyt explores the ministry of presence—the faithful act of showing up, listening, and remaining beside someone when we cannot remove their burden. Drawing from Job’s friends, the tears of Jesus at Lazarus’s tomb, and his own experience with dialysis, Hoyt considers how simple acts of compassion can reflect the presence of Christ. We may not have the answers or the power to repair every loss, but through Christ, we can help one another carry the burden. “Sowing seeds of the Gospel, trusting God for the harvest.”™ 🌱✝️ “Intro/Outro music: Ambient Guitar Magic, courtesy of Transistor.fm (CC BY-SA 4.0 license).” The Spray UMC Podcast is a conversation for ordinary people seeking to follow an extraordinary Savior. Together we explore Scripture, Christian faith, and everyday discipleship in a way that is biblically faithful, deeply practical, and understandable for believers of all ages.

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