Idlewild Presbyterian Church

This morning, our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, continues as we revisit one of the most familiar figures in all of scripture: Moses. Long before he led God's people out of Egypt, Moses was a fugitive tending sheep in the wilderness when he encountered God in a burning bush. Our Theologian in Residence, Rev. Dr. Stephen Haynes will explore this pivotal moment and the surprising ways God calls ordinary, imperfect people into extraordinary purposes. What happened in the desert that convinced Moses to return to the country he had fled? And what might his story reveal about how God continues to call us today? Join us as we gather for worship, song, prayer, and a fresh encounter with an ancient story. Sermon on Exodus 3:1-15, delivered by the Reverend Dr. Stephen Hayes on June 7th, 2026.

This morning, we begin a new summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, revisiting some of the biblical characters we first met as children and discovering what their stories still have to teach us today. We begin with Noah, not the nursery version with smiling animals and rainbows, but a story about a world gone wrong, a God whose heart can break, and a grace that refuses to let creation go. Sermon on Genesis 6:5-8, 13-22, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on June 7th, 2026.

This morning, as we gather to celebrate Pentecost, we remember the moment that everything changed for the disciples. In fear and uncertainty, they had gathered together waiting on God’s promise. The Holy Spirit then moved among them, filling them with courage and a calling. Sermon on Acts 2:1-21, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on May 24th, 2026.

This morning, we continue in the joy of Eastertide and in our sermon series Resurrected Life, exploring what it means to live as people shaped by the presence of the risen Jesus. Our scripture lesson comes from the Gospel of Matthew 28:16–20, where the disciples encounter Christ on the mountain and are sent out into the world with a calling that is both challenging and full of promise. In this passage, we witness the shift from disciples to apostles, from those who follow to those who are sent, and we are invited to consider our place in that same movement. At the heart of it all is Jesus’ promise: “I am with you always,” a word of assurance that meets us in both our faith and our uncertainty. Sermon on Matthew 28:16-20, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on May 10th, 2026.

This morning, as we celebrate the second Sunday of Easter, our youth will take on the full work of worship; offering prayers, leading liturgy, reading scripture, and proclaiming the Word. Grounded in the Gospel of John, several of our graduating seniors will share sermons reflecting on what it means to hear and follow Christ's voice in a noisy world. Sermon on John 10:1-6 and John 21:15-19, delivered by Samuel Gilreath, Alex Colley, Ainsley Gale, and Tate Robertson on April 26th, 2026.

This morning, we continue to answer the question Who Do You Say I Am? with a sermon entitled “Christ the Teacher and Healer." I will preach a special Sermon from the Sofa (a format some of you may remember from a few winters ago), offering God’s Word from the warmth and comfort of home. Even while apart physically, we gather spiritually as we listen for Christ’s authority, compassion, and healing presence among us. I hope you'll join in from your living room, kitchen table, or wherever you’re cozy this morning, and come ready to worship as our Christological study leads us to the heart of our faith: the person, nature, and work of Jesus the Christ. Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on Mark 1:21-28, 32-34 on Sunday, January 25.

The first installment of our study, entitled Christ the Word Made Flesh, will grow from the Gospel of John. In its opening verses, we will encounter the mystery of the Word who existed from all eternity and yet comes to dwell among us in Christ. We will reflect on the scripture's cosmic and deeply personal dimensions, as it holds together God’s eternal purpose and God’s nearness to human life. Sermon on John 1:1-5, 14-18, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on January 11th, 2026.

Sermon delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on December 24, 2025.