Date Posted: 2025-09-17 10:31:55 | Video Duration: 00:25:33
Welcome to Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church, where faith is explored, challenged, and deepened. In a recent sermon, the congregation was invited to embark on a journey of discovery—not only of God’s nature but of their own identities and purposes. With a focus on the story of Moses and the burning bush, the sermon unraveled the profound mystery of who God is and how we are to understand our place in the world.
The sermon began by encouraging members to engage with a new initiative: a journal designed to accompany them in their devotional lives. The pastor expressed hope that this tool would help congregants dive deeper into the Word of God, beyond the traditional Sunday services and classes. “I hope that you’re bringing these with you in worship,” he shared, emphasizing the personal growth that comes from daily engagement with scripture and reflection.
Central to the sermon was the story of Moses from the Book of Exodus. After encountering God in the form of a burning bush, Moses was left confused and uncertain about his role. God’s response to Moses’ inquiry about His name—”I am becoming who I am becoming” (Exodus 3:14)—was highlighted as an invitation to embrace the mystery of the divine. The pastor noted, “God intends mystery, not clarity,” urging the congregation to accept the evolving nature of their understanding of God.
The importance of names was another key theme. Drawing from Brene Brown’s insights on trust, the sermon underscored how knowing and remembering names strengthens relationships and fosters a sense of belonging. “Names create a sense of belonging,” the pastor explained, linking this to the church’s culture of wearing name tags. Yet, the pastor acknowledged that while names are significant, they are not the entirety of our identity. “Sometimes you can know your name but never come to know who you really are,” he said, echoing Moses’ struggle to understand his own identity beyond his past and societal labels.
The sermon also addressed the challenge of reconciling our understanding of God with the realities of life. The pastor recounted walking alongside congregants during their most difficult times, acknowledging that these experiences often lead to questioning and redefining one’s faith. “Sometimes we have to lose the God we thought we had so that we can come to find and know the God who’s actually had us the whole time,” he shared, encouraging openness to a broader and deeper understanding of God.
As part of the application of this message, the congregation was invited to start each day with a simple yet profound prayer: “God, help me to trust your love even when I can’t see the way forward.” This call to action aimed to cultivate a mindset of curiosity over control, inviting individuals to see their lives and relationships through the lens of becoming rather than stagnation.
The pastor urged the community to reflect on areas where they might have made God too small, particularly in the face of societal issues like violence and division. He called for a commitment to a path of love and inclusion, one that aligns with the transformative love that God offers. “It’s a love that always includes the excluded,” he said, challenging the congregation to embody this expansive love in their interactions.
As the sermon drew to a close, the pastor left the congregation with a hopeful reminder: “May we live knowing that you are the one that God loves, and God is walking with you, waiting for you, and becoming with you.” This sentiment encapsulated the essence of the message—a call to embrace the journey of faith, open to the mystery and wonder of God’s continual becoming.
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