Zionsville United Methodist Church

Listen to the June 14, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. In March 1965, a group of voting rights marchers tried to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, and were met with horses and bullwhips. The nation watched it happen on the evening news. Within days, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. put out a call for help — and a classroom full of seminary students in Boston had to decide whether to answer it.One of them was a second-year student from South Dakota named Kent Millard.He boarded an overnight bus to Selma not knowing if he'd come home. He marched to the courthouse steps, surrounded by hecklers and state troopers, paired up with a woman from Selma who looked at his face and said, "You march with me and you'll be alright." And then, before they marched, a pastor asked everyone to bow their heads — and pray for the people across the street who wanted to hurt them.Twenty-five years later, Rev. Dr. Kent Millard told that story to a room full of Alabama pastors. Afterward, a man came up to him in tears. He had been one of the highway patrolmen that day. And he wanted to explain what had happened to him since.This Sunday's message, preached at Zionsville UMC during Pastor Dave's sabbatical, is Rev. Millard's firsthand account of what it actually looks like to take Jesus seriously when he says to love your enemies and pray for those who are against you — not as a nice idea, but as the only thing that has ever truly changed a hardened heart. In a country that often feels just as divided now as it did then, this one is worth sitting with.https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the February 22, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Conflict is unavoidable, but it doesn't have to lead to gridlock. As we begin our Lenten series on the conflicts found in the Gospel of Mark, we look at the tension between the "old ways" of legalism and the "new wine" of Jesus’ grace.Using the research of John Gottman alongside the parables of Jesus, we explore why we often "clench our fists" to protect what we value, and how that defensiveness can prevent us from seeing what God is doing right in front of us.In this service, we discuss:Conflict vs. Gridlock: Understanding why 69% of relationship conflicts are perpetual and how to move past the "Four Horsemen" of criticism and defensiveness.The Calling of Levi: Why Jesus chose a tax collector—a social outcast—to be a disciple and what that says about God's priorities.The Parable of the Wineskins: A breakdown of why new wine requires flexibility and why the "old dog, new tricks" mentality can hinder our spiritual growth.The Power of Confession: How admitting we might be wrong opens the door for peace and restoration.Join us as we learn to open our hands and hearts to the transformative power of grace, even in the midst of our most difficult disagreements.https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the February 8, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. This week's service will be a little different. Pastor Dave and Children's Director Tracy Vermillion lead some of our 4th and 5th-graders through a conversation about the four friends who brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. There are some gaps in the audio as the students think about the questions they are being asked or complete tasks that they've been asked to accomplish.Have you ever felt "unseen"? In this message, we step into the ruins of Capernaum to look at a famous moment from the Gospel of Mark: the healing of a paralyzed man.When a crowd blocked the way to Jesus, four determined friends didn't give up. They carried their friend to the roof and lowered him right into the middle of Jesus' teaching. We look at how Jesus responded to this interruption—not with annoyance, but with a compassion that addressed the man's heart and his physical needs.Today we discuss:The Reality of Obstacles: What it feels like when we can't reach the help we need.The Power of Friendship: How we can "carry" others when they are struggling.The Vision of Jesus: Why Jesus sees us even when we feel alone or forgotten.The Dual Healing: Understanding why Jesus offers both forgiveness and physical restoration.This service reminds us that we are never unseen by God and challenges us to see the needs of those around us with the same compassion Jesus showed in Peter’s house.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the January 25, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. At the center of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus asks a question that changes everything, “Who do you say that I am?” When Peter names him as Messiah, it sounds like the right answer. But almost immediately, it becomes clear how misunderstood that title really is.The Messiah many hoped for was a king who would restore national power, defeat enemies, and bring peace through strength. Jesus accepts the title, but reshapes its meaning. Instead of armed revolt, he speaks of suffering. Instead of victory through force, he calls for surrender. Instead of taking power, he takes a cross.Set against the backdrop of Roman rule, false messiahs, and centuries of expectation, this moment reveals the tension between God’s promises and human expectations. Jesus remains faithful to God’s promises, even when that faithfulness leads to rejection, suffering, and death.The invitation is to examine where we still try to remake Jesus in our own image, anointing leaders as saviors, defending our side, and resisting the way of self-giving love. Following Jesus means laying down our need to win and trusting a King whose reign is marked by sacrifice, mercy, and faithfulness.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons

Listen to the January 11, 2026 Sunday worship service from Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN. Who Is This Man, Week 2: The Healer In the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus draws crowds for one clear reason: people believe he can heal. Bodies, minds, souls, whole lives. Yet the healing Jesus offers goes deeper than quick fixes or public displays. He meets people where they are, names what is broken, and restores them toward wholeness. This message reflects on Jesus as healer by looking at real lives in Mark’s Gospel and the real wounds we carry today. Trauma that still grips us. Exhaustion that drains our souls. Shame that keeps us hidden. Aimlessness that leaves us off course. Jesus does not rush past these places. He brings compassion, authority, and grace, inviting honest hearts to receive healing that reaches every part of who we are.!https://www.zumc.org/sermons