At First Methodist Houston our vision is to have an empowered, diverse faith family built on the foundation of God’s Word, sharing the transforming love of Jesus Christ throughout Houston and the world. We are First Methodist Houston: transforming lives and communities by putting God’s love into action. Click the subscribe button to always have the latest podcast downloaded to your device.
…
continue reading
1
Abundantly More: “Strengthened” - Lance Richards
14:52
14:52
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
14:52
We move into a new series as we enter stewardship - “Abundantly More” - and Lance wants us to see the great vision that God has cast before us. Sometimes it’s hard for us in times of scarcity to look back on times before, and think that everything that was going to happen has already been accomplished. But even though everything is not what we want…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: "What We've Learned" - Gracie Martinez, Amir Fele, Will Maddux, and Eric Pugh
13:20
13:20
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
13:20
On a Sunday of student-led worship, three of our youth come forward to tell the congregation what they’ve learned about the nature of Jesus, and how the mission of the church has helped them see Him more clearly - the ways that they’ve come to know God, and the various moments and missions that have opened their eyes to see His nature and His love.…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe… In The Life Everlasting” - Lance Richards
20:29
20:29
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
20:29
Lance jokes about discovering on social media that the Rapture supposedly happened this week - “I guess we all missed it.” But he talks about living in awareness of a future we know is approaching - how to live today as if tomorrow has already come. We hold the hope of heaven, the hope of eternity, inside of us. And because of that, we can know tha…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe… In The Resurrection of the Body” - Lance Richards
28:32
28:32
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
28:32
One of Lance’s favorite things to do with his grandmother was to sit down with her photo albums, and have her tell him his story, even the parts he was too young to remember. Likewise, Paul is opening up the photo album for the Corinthians, and showing them their story - even the parts they haven’t seen, weren’t there for, to help them make sense o…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe… In The Forgiveness Of Sins” - Lance Richards
12:54
12:54
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
12:54
There’s a lot of on-the-job training with the Holy Spirit. God equips those who he calls to him. So when God calls you, say “yes.” We have footsteps to follow in. We are to forgive the sins of others, that is our work. Take up and follow Christ. Matthew 6:12, 14-15 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe… In The Communion of Saints” - Lance Richards
17:29
17:29
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
17:29
When we gather for worship, we are gathering for worship with all the world, all the worship that spans distance and time and in fact all of eternity. We don’t have to be perfect - but we are saints! And we should strive for perfection. For we have been set apart to be holy. 1 Corinthians 1:1-9 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
I Believe in the Holy Catholic Church - Lance Richards
26:09
26:09
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
26:09
fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe in the Holy Spirit” - Lance Richards
21:27
21:27
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
21:27
To help us understand what the Holy Spirit is, Lance takes us to the root of the word, and shows us the ways the Spirit interacts with our lives. The Spirit is there with us - as a comfort, as a coach, as a wind that blows us towards where God wants us to be. But it’s on us to let it move us. Lance wants us to be a people moved by the Holy Spirit -…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe in Jesus… From Thence He Shall Come To Judge The Quick and The Dead” - Lance Richards
12:35
12:35
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
12:35
Judgment isn’t something we talk about all that often. But if there is a new heaven and a new earth coming, what we do in this life matters. We are called to social holiness, and that means not standing in judgment over one another, but raising one another up. 2 Peter 3: 8-15a fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe in Jesus… Who Ascended Into Heaven and Sitteth at the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty” - Lance Richards
24:09
24:09
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
24:09
Lance looks at the Ascension of Jesus, and the mission Christ left us on earth. We are the body of Christ. We have to live that! We’ve been given the power to fill every thing in every way with the heart of Jesus. And we’ve got work to do. “We cannot lament the way of the world if we are not doing anything about it!” Ephesians 1:17-23, 2:4-7 fmhous…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe in Jesus...The Third Day He Rose Again From the Dead” - Amanda Davis
24:15
24:15
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
24:15
Today, Amanda asks us “how do we let the Creed change us?” Today’s section talks about the risen Christ, and how having a risen Messiah changed everything for a people who had waited hundreds of years. Have you ever tried to change a tradition? It can be harder than you think. 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe in Jesus... Who Descended to the Dead” - Lance Richards
20:18
20:18
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
20:18
In the wake of hurricane damage, power outages, and a Presidential shooting, Lance talks about the reality of living in a broken world, and what to do as storms in our life come with greater frequency and greater intensity. We may be living in a broken world, but no one can stand between us and God. No one can separate. Romans 8:31-39 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe In Jesus… Who Was Crucified, Dead, and Buried” - Lance Richards
9:56
9:56
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
9:56
Today we get to the fulcrum on which all our faith pivots - the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. His cross opens up the way to eternal life. And we must pick up our crosses daily to follow him. Hebrews 2:10-18 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe In Jesus… Who Suffered Under Pontius Pilate” - Lance Richards
14:06
14:06
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
14:06
Today, Lance looks at Pontius Pilate, the only human mentioned in the Apostles’ Creed (other than Jesus), and reminds us that this is a real historical event. This really happened. Pilate knows that Jesus is innocent, and he keeps trying to keep Jesus from being killed. But Pilate could not save him, because Jesus was here to give himself away - so…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe In Jesus… Who Was Conceived By The Holy Spirit, Born Of The Virgin Mary” - Lance Richards
20:07
20:07
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
20:07
In the heat of summer, we get to remember the gift of Christmas. In Jesus, we seen the beauty in life, what life was intended to be. And because of that, we can be truly alive, and can fully live. “The virgin will have a song and his name is God Is With Us” - the story of Christmas is a story we shouldn’t be thinking about just once a year. Colossi…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe In Jesus Christ, His Only Son, Our Lord” - Lance Richards
11:44
11:44
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
11:44
When Lance left the hospital with his first child, he couldn’t believe they were sending him out without an instruction manual. But in life, we are not without direction. God sent Jesus Christ to show us to be fully alive - for us, he IS the instruction manual. Jesus is the exemplar of what it means to be divine. He made the face of God known on th…
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “Maker of Heaven and Earth” - Lance Richards
19:32
19:32
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
19:32
On our next step through the Apostles’ Creed, Lance covers “God as maker,” and how the very presence of creation around us reminds us that God is always with us. The stars in the sky above us show us that our God never leaves the one behind. Then, a trip to Homeboy Industries in California, where gang members find their way into the church. Isaiah …
…
continue reading
1
I Believe: “I Believe in God the Father Almighty” - Lance Richards
14:38
14:38
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
14:38
As we begin a period of what the church calls “Ordinary Time” - though Lance thinks it should be called “Extraordinary Time” - we begin a series defining what we believe, guided by the Apostles Creed. We start with the story of the Prodigal Son, but it’s not a story about a son. It’s a story about a father. A father willing to run to his son and we…
…
continue reading
1
Arise: “Live The Life Of Heaven Here” - Lance Richards
22:20
22:20
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
22:20
When Nicodemus came to visit Jesus, he was confused about how Jesus was asking him to be “born again” - wasn’t the first time enough? It wasn’t - but Lance reminds us that being born again is more than just a single moment, a story to look back to. What about the moments that are happening now? Our call to faith isn’t a one-time thing. We don’t hav…
…
continue reading
Av First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Arise: “Make The Most Of Every Moment” - Lance Richards
18:45
18:45
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
18:45
On Senior Sunday, Lance tells the graduates - and all of us - to wait on God’s timing. As he ascended to heaven, Jesus called the disciples to intentionality. To pray, and believe, and wait for the Spirit. He calls for us to do the same. “My prayer for you is that you hunger and thirst for the Lord more than anything else in this world.” Acts 1:1-1…
…
continue reading
1
Arise: “The Gracious Work of Forgiveness“ - Lance Richards
18:33
18:33
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
18:33
Not long after Jesus returned, we see how the disciples have returned to their old life, despite Jesus having sent them off to spread the gospel to all the world. But there is no place that we can run, no place that we can hide, that our Savior will not find us. John 21:15-19 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Arise: “Finding Jesus Wherever You Wander” - Lance Richards
20:53
20:53
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
20:53
In today’s story, we meet the disciples where they are fishing on the lake - they have returned to something familiar, some place they feel safe, in their grief. But Christ is coming to change all that, and give them a new spirit. We can be trapped in grief, in distraction, the endless scroll of life. But, “if we’ll only look up, if we’ll only look…
…
continue reading
1
Arise: “Believe Where You Have Not Seen” - Lance Richards
22:38
22:38
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
22:38
When we meet the disciples in today’s scripture, they are behind locked doors on Easter evening. But as the disciples are about to be the first to realize, there is no locked door, no sealed tomb, that can keep our Lord contained. And that same spirit is about to be poured out upon us. “No matter where you find yourself locked in the darkness, ther…
…
continue reading
1
Arise: “Proclaim Forgiveness” - Amanda Davis
18:36
18:36
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
18:36
When we meet the disciples in today’s story, they are still in the thickness of grief - and they remind Amanda a bit of toddlers being picked up after being preschool. But the Jesus who comes to them is simply WITH them, in their fear and their disbelief. Luke 24:36-48 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Arise: “Look For Jesus Along The Way” - Eric Pugh
15:57
15:57
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
15:57
As we begin a new series on “living as Easter People,” Eric tells us the story of the road to Emmaus - which, as he pictures it, is a bit like an episode of ‘Undercover Boss.’ Luke 24:13-35 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Easter Sunday: “Why Do You Look For the Dead?” - Lance Richards
12:13
12:13
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
12:13
We notice different things in different ways. Every time Lance returns to the Easter story, he finds a new perspective. The world prepares us to expect bad news. But when the women went to the tomb where Jesus was buried on Easter morning… if they had understood what Jesus had told them, they shouldn’t have been. Sometimes we are the same as the wo…
…
continue reading
1
Good Friday: “He Saved Others, He Could Not Save Himself” - Lance Richards
13:32
13:32
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
13:32
As Lance reads through the Passion story, he is struck by the mockery that Jesus endures throughout. But as he notes, this was always the plan. Jesus could not save himself, and still save us. But evil does not have the final word. Love does. And remember: Sunday’s coming. Isaiah 52:13-15; 53:1-3, 7-12 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
Palm Sunday: “Follow Where Christ Is Leading” – Lance Richards
23:44
23:44
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
23:44
As Jesus came into Jerusalem, he was hailed as a hero. The problem was that Jesus continued to not be who they had expected him to be. Where was their conquering savior? Mark 15: 1-39 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
We Strive To Bless: “Seek God Daily” - Lance Richards
14:12
14:12
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
14:12
We reach the last tenet of our core values: seek God daily. What does this look like? Maybe not what you think. Seeking God isn’t just in the inward practices, it’s in the outward practices: justice, healing people, reformation. Mark 10:35-45 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
We Strive To Bless: “Serve Continually” - Lance Richards
20:50
20:50
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
20:50
One of Lance’s favorite Christmas movies is the Muppet Christmas Carol - and while it’s not an ideal time on the calendar to talk about Christmas movies, it’s an ideal text to illustrate today’s lesson. Look at the effects Jesus had on people like Matthew, or Zaccheus. His love and generosity led to an overflowing generosity from the people whose l…
…
continue reading
1
We Strive To Bless: “Embody Christ” - Lance Richards
15:11
15:11
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
15:11
Lance wants this place to be the kind of church that hears the message that Jesus spoke and lives that message out. A church known for mercy, for grace, for compassion. Jesus is still resurrecting the dead, bringing life to those walking around who need to hear the message of grace and forgiveness. Let’s be the church that brings resurrection to th…
…
continue reading
1
We Strive To Bless: “Love All” - Lance Richards
19:13
19:13
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
19:13
Jesus told us to love all - and it’s important that, like Jesus, we don’t try to draw demarcations around what “all” means. This is the hallmark and cornerstone of Jesus’ whole ministry. Luke 6:27-38 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
We Strive To Bless: “Be Authentic” - Lance Richards
17:09
17:09
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
17:09
Lance introduces the church to our new core values, and what they’ll mean to our church as we try to put our mission statement into action. Luke 11:33-42; 12:1-3 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Ash Wednesday: "What Must We Bury to Produce Fruit?" - Lance Richards
11:37
11:37
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
11:37
Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, and as we ask "what should we give up for Lent this year," Lance asks a bigger question: "what do we need to bury for our lives to produce fruit?" Ash Wednesday is a time of penitence and repentance - from dust we came, and to dust we will return. But we need to also remember that God brings beautiful things …
…
continue reading
1
Putting God’s Love Into Action: “Putting God’s Love Into Action” - Lance Richards
27:39
27:39
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
27:39
Lance comes to the end of his series on our new mission statement: “transforming lives and communities by putting God’s love into action.” He notes that this church has always been dedicated to making disciples. And how do we do this? By putting God’s love into action. 1 John 3:11, 16-24 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
Putting God’s Love Into Action: “God’s Love” - Lance Richards
16:31
16:31
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
16:31
As we continue to break down our new mission statement, Lance turns to 1 John to look at God’s love, and the way God calls us to give our lives to one another. The fruit reveals the plant. When we remain in the vine, the fruit of the spirit grows out of u 1 John 4:7-21 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Putting God’s Love Into Action: “Transforming Communities” - Amanda Davis
25:20
25:20
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
25:20
In high school, Amanda went on her first Emmaus experience, and something stuck with her. “Do not anticipate, just participate,” they told her. The phrase has stuck with her. We have a mission statement. It’s time to take action. The biggest threat to our city not changing is us believing our city can’t change. Matthew 25:31-40 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
Putting God's Love Into Action: “Transforming Lives” - Lance Richards
26:22
26:22
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
26:22
What do we need to do to follow God? There are tough questions, and we discover the answers through community. We need community to grow, in order to leave worldly things behind. Colossians 1:3-14 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Putting God’s Love Into Action: “Do Not Conform, Be Transformed!” - Lance Richards
17:08
17:08
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
17:08
Lance introduces the new mission statement for the church, and tells the story of how it was we got here. Transformation in Christ is a lifelong process. We are more like a butterfly than we realize - the change happens to us. It is not something we create ourselves. Romans 12:1-2 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
Unshakable Joy: “Joy Guides Us To Worship Jesus” - Lance Richards
14:18
14:18
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
14:18
Lance brought his family out to Brazos Bend State Park to look at the stars. But when he tried again at home, he discovered how difficult it can be to see the light. Maybe, just maybe, it’s our job to shine light into the darkness. So God can be made known to those who are seeking after him. Matthew 2:1-12 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
Christmas Eve: "Good News Causes Great Joy for All People!" - Lance Richards
18:09
18:09
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
18:09
“There is no better news than a birth announcement.” Lance remembers the joy that surrounded the announcement of his own child, and points out what was so different about the one on this first Christmas: this news wasn’t proclaimed to those in power, it was given to those with the least power. God chose this family to bless the entire world. fmhous…
…
continue reading
1
Unshakable Joy: “Joy Rebuilds And Restores” - Lance Richards
22:08
22:08
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
22:08
Lance traveled to serve in Louisiana after Katrina with a group of youth. He’ll never forget the devastation, and how wherever they looked, there was no rebuilding taking place, just more tearing down. But God was there, even in the midst of destruction. The only way to rebuild is to rebuild the spirit, first and foremost. This is the mission of th…
…
continue reading
1
Unshakable Joy: “Joy Heals and Transforms” - Lance Richards
16:48
16:48
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
16:48
Lance’s family has been working on puzzles this Advent, spreading the work out over the whole season to watch the picture come together slowly over Advent - so they can learn how to look for joy. That’s what Advent is. We’ve been given a glimpse of the beauty wants to do in the world by the gift of the Savior. Isaiah 35:1-10 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
Unshakable Joy: “Joy Drives Away our Fear” - Lance Richards
17:21
17:21
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
17:21
Instead of rushing to the nativity this year, we are spending a time with the prophets. Which isn’t exactly everyone’s favorite! They can be a downer. But the joy the prophets speak about is a hope that we can cling to in the darkness, in good times and in bad. A joy that is unshakable. Zephaniah 3:14-20 fmhouston.com…
…
continue reading
1
The Goodness Of God: “The Lord, Our King, Is Good to All” - Lance Richards
16:38
16:38
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
16:38
Lance finishes our series on The Goodness Of God - just in time for Thanksgiving - and explains what it means to praise the Lord “from prayer to prayer.” He wants us to ask ourselves, “how are you blessing the name of the Lord?” Praise is the work of God’s people. Psalm 145 fmhouston.comAv First Methodist Houston
…
continue reading
1
The Goodness of God: “Taste And See That The Lord Is Good” - Lance Richards
13:16
13:16
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
13:16
Sometimes we wonder when we pray - does God hear us, does God see us? What does it mean to “taste and see that the Lord is good?” There’s a quote Lance has been considering: “In prayer we act like people, in praise we act like angels.” As he continues his series on the goodness of God, he dives deeper into the need to praise God’s name. Psalm 34 fm…
…
continue reading
1
The Goodness Of God: “Dwelling In The House of the Lord Forever” - Lance Richards
18:53
18:53
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
18:53
The word “goodness” has been running through Lance’s mind this season, as the news turns grim. As we begin a new series, he walks through Psalm 23 and reminds us of the faithful promises of God. As we walk through the difficulties of daily life, Lance urges us to look closely at the paths we are led down. Where are you going? Who is shepherding you…
…
continue reading
1
Multiply: “Commitment Sunday” - Lance Richards
20:36
20:36
Spill senere
Spill senere
Lister
Lik
Likt
20:36
Giving generously can cause anxiety - after all, we think, if we give away too freely, what if we don’t have enough? But in Corinthians, Paul is trying to tell us that the grace of God is more precious than any possession we can have. And when we give generously, we reflect the very nature of God. God doesn’t sow sparingly, he sows bountifully. Tha…
…
continue reading