Episodes
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On the Move | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
There's something wonderful about this time of year when imagination seems to be everywhere! But imagination isn't just for children or costumes. It's also an extraordinary gift God gives us to envision possibilities beyond what we can presently see. I like to call it holy imagination. Holy...
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What is All In? | Rev. Brittany Stephan
As we look toward 2027, what does it mean to be All In? It’s about more than making a pledge—it’s about investing our hearts, our gifts, and our resources in the work God is doing through Noblesville First. Together, we’ll explore how each of us can take part in building a church where faith…
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Only God Can Judge Me | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
"Only God can judge me." The irony is that we usually reach for those words when it feels like we'e being judged by everybody except God. Judged for a decision we made. Judged for something in our past. Judged for how we parent, how we live, what we believe, who we love, or who we are becoming.…
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Spare the Rod | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Throughout Scripture, we encounter a God who is constantly forming people—teaching, correcting, redirecting, encouraging, forgiving, and calling them forward. God’s grace welcomes us as we are, but that same grace keeps working on us so that we can become more loving, more faithful, more...
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God Helps Those Who Help Themselves | Dr. Rev. Jevon Caldwell-Gross
“God helps those who help themselves” It sounds biblical, doesn’t it? Maybe because we’ve heard it so many times. We use it to encourage responsibility, perseverance, and action. And there’s certainly nothing wrong with doing what we can with what God has given us. There’s just one problem: The...
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God Needed Another Angel | Rev. Brittany Stephans
One of the gifts of being the church is that we get to practice this kind of ministry for one another. We celebrate together. We grieve together. We eat together. We pray together. We check on each other. And sometimes we simply sit beside one another and remind each other that none of us are in...
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Cleanliness is Next to Godliness | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Do you remember playing the game Telephone? Everyone sits in a circle. One person whispers a message into the ear of the person beside them, who whispers it to the next person, and around the circle it goes. By the time the message reaches the last person, everyone is waiting to hear what they…
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Connect Four | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
God has a way of placing people in our lives whose faith strengthens our own—people who pray when we don’t have the words, believe when our faith feels shaky, and remind us that we don’t have to navigate life’s twists and turns alone. This week, we’ll reflect on the people who have shaped our...
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Jenga | Rev. Brittany Stephan
Sometimes, things fall apart. Life can feel like a game of Jenga—one unexpected twist, one difficult moment, and suddenly everything we thought was steady comes crashing down. But the good news is that God meets us in the rubble, and we don’t have to rebuild alone. Let's discover how with God and...
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Clue | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Sometimes faith feels a little like a game of Clue. We’re always looking for the signs. Watching for the nudges. Trying to put the pieces together and figure out: Where is God in this? Where is God moving? What is God doing that I might be missing? The clues are all around us. God is at work. And...
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Sorry | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Because “I’m sorry” may be two of the shortest words in the English language, but they can also be two of the hardest to say. Saying sorry requires us to admit that we didn’t get it right. That our words landed harder than we intended. That our actions affected somebody besides ourselves. And...
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Candy Land | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
This journey of life is rarely a straight path. There are unexpected detours, difficult assignments, changing friendships, moments of triumph, and moments when we wonder if we'll ever find our footing again. This series, we'll begin with Candy Land. It may sound like a lighthearted game, but when...
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Water Speaks | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Water echoes the faith experiences of countless people in the Bible, but if we listen carefully, it also echoes our own. It reminds us that God is always moving, always renewing, always leading us somewhere deeper. We conclude our Take Me to the Water series by standing with Jesus at the Jordan...
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Stepping Out | Rev. Brittany Stephan
Peter often gets remembered for sinking. But before he sank, he did something that no one else in the boat was willing to do. He stepped out. The familiar boat represented safety, certainty, and comfort. The water represented uncertainty. It was risky. It was unfamiliar. And yet, when Jesus…
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Parting the Way | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Life places all kinds of barriers in our path. Some are obvious—a difficult diagnosis, a broken relationship, financial uncertainty, or grief that feels overwhelming. Others are quieter: fear, doubt, disappointment, or simply wondering what comes next. We often pray for God to remove every...
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Thirsty | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
When we are truly thirsty, nothing satisfies quite like water. It refreshes, restores, and gives us life. Perhaps that's why God so often uses water to teach us the deeper truths of our faith throughout scripture. God parts the waters of the Red Sea to create a way forward for a people who felt...
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Caring for Others | Rev. Mary Eileen Spence
This week, we celebrate the gift of Christian community and the calling to care for one another. As followers of Jesus, we are invited to be a family of faith that shows up with compassion, shares one another's burdens, celebrates one another's joys, and reflects God's love through acts of…
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Widen the Table | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Scripture reminds us that we are one body with many parts, each uniquely gifted for God's purposes. The beauty of the Church has never been found in our sameness but in our shared mission. When people with different stories come together around Jesus, God's kingdom becomes visible. We must think...
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Serve Your Neighbor | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
We were never meant to do life alone. In a world that often celebrates independence, faith reminds us of the incredible strength found in community. When someone walks beside us, encourages us, prays for us, serves us, and reminds us that we are loved, we discover courage and hope we never knew…
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Why We Sing | Rev. Brittany Stephan
Music has a unique way of shaping faith and carrying us through life’s most meaningful moments. Certain songs become woven into our spiritual journeys, giving voice to prayers when words are hard to find, offering comfort in difficult seasons, and reminding us of God’s presence when life feels...
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The Future is Now | Rev. Brittany Stephan
It is important that we continue to help children and youth discover that they are loved by God, valued by the church, and capable of making a difference right now. They are not just the future of the church. They are an important part of the church today. Their faith, questions, and enthusiasm...
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Prayer of Blessing | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
In this sermon, we will meet a man named Jabez, who prays that kind of prayer. And we’ll be reminded that God hears all of our prayers. Even the ones that aren’t proofread or polished. The ones prayed through tears, fear, frustration, and trembling faith. Because thanks be to God, perfection has...
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Prayer for Surrender | Rev. Brittney Stephan
A Prayer for Pentecost Spirit of the Living God, we’ve carried much too long, Holding burdens in trembling hands though we were made for song. We’ve worn exhaustion like armor, built walls around what’s inside, Yet deep within these weary souls, Your Spirit longs to rise. Give us the courage to...
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Praying for Our Nation | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
True prayer moves us beyond ourselves. It lifts our eyes from “my life,” “my problems,” and “my people,” and teaches us to see all people as beloved children of God. Explore what it means to pray faithfully, boldly, and compassionately—for our nation and God’s people throughout the world. Because...
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Motherhood: The Unbroken Prayer | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Prayer plays an important role in our lives, and it applies to everyone. Because the truth is, we all need it. Think about what you and those around you have gone through: trauma, illness, disappointment, addiction, betrayal, fear, grief—we can fill in the blank with whatever life has thrown our...
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All Creatures Praise | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Scripture tells us that all creation praises the Lord. Worship isn't confined to a building or a schedule. It is happening all around us. The zebras, the birds, the wind—they all participate in a kind of worship that is natural, constant, and unforced. And so are we invited to join. As we come to...
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Living Water | Rev. Amber Good
Water is necessary for life on Earth, so it’s no surprise Scripture is filled with momentous encounters and sacred imagery centered around it. Wells become places of unexpected meeting, rivers become places of cleansing, and “living water” becomes a promise of renewal. Isaiah speaks of God…
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A Collective Call to Creation | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Stewardship isn't just about having something - it's about caring for it, even when it's messy, inconvenient, or less exciting than we imagined. In Genesis, God entrusts creation to us, not so we can simply enjoy it, but so we can tend it with love and responsibility. As we continue this series,...
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The Earth Is the Lord's | Rev. Brittney Stephan
Psalm 24 begins with a simple but powerful truth: the earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. Everything. Not just the parts we build or manage. Not just the spaces we occupy. But the birds singing before sunrise. The trees just beginning to bud. The soil, the sky, the creatures we notice and...
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Thankfulness | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
When Easter arrives, our response can only be one thing: Thankfulness. Thankfulness is the natural overflow of a heart that remembers. We remember a Savior who loves us in spite of us. A God who didn’t turn away from our brokenness, but stepped into it. A King who chose a cross. A Redeemer who…
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Accountability | Rev. Dr. Jevon Caldwell-Gross
In our faith, sometimes Jesus slows us down or corrects us so we can see more clearly. His accountability is love in action—shaping us into stronger disciples and better teammates. As we move towards Palm Sunday and Holy Week, we invite you to consider: How is God calling you to accountability...
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Servanthood | Rev. Brittney Stephan
that celebrates being seen, Jesus calls us to serve. In a culture that rewards standing out, Jesus calls us to lift others up. Servanthood is about choosing to show up, to support, to give, and to care, even when no one is keeping score. As a church, that is who we are called to be. Each of us…
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Unity | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Scripture reminds us of this truth in Psalm 133:1: “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity!” Unity is where strength grows. Unity is where teams thrive. And unity is where God’s presence moves in powerful ways. In the church, we may not all wear the same jersey…
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Passion | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
When we're passionate about Jesus, it begins to affect the way we live. We want to spend time with Him. We want to know His Word. We talk about Him. We share what He's doing in our lives. Through Passion, faith stops being something we occasionally observe and becomes something we actively live....
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Humility | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Being on God’s team doesn’t mean we’re the stars of the show. It means we grow through challenge, trust through pressure, and remember that every gift we have has been given.
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Love Never Fails | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Love sacrifices. It gives. It shows up. We love this way because Jesus first loved us. He gave sacrificially—offering his time, his compassion, his very life—so that we might know love. When we pledge to the ministries of the church, we are choosing to participate in that same self-giving love.
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The Resilience of Love | Rev. Brittney Stephan
Our faith calls us to courageous love. To love is to risk disappointment. To love is to keep going when it would be easier to quit. To love is to cheer for someone else's success. The Olympic flame burns brightly for a season, but Christ’s love burns continually. May we train our hearts daily in...
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What Love Is Not | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
In a world that often feels rushed and harsh, we are reminded that love can be steady, attentive, and faithful. Love shows up over time—in daily practices that shape who we are, what we value, and how we care for one another. This kind of love forms us not only in our homes, but also as a church...
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The Character of Love | Rev. Brittney Stephan
In a time when division feels loud and fatigue runs deep, we believe love remains God’s most transformative force. This series will invite us to reflect on how love shapes how we speak, how we listen, how we disagree, and how we care for one another within our families, our church, and our wider...
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Becoming Beloved Community | Rev. Annetra Jones
Fresh starts are like that. They are not just inspiring words or shared quotes. They are lived out in community, sustained by love in action. Without that love, even our best intentions stall. Justice becomes theory. Hope becomes a slogan. This message will invite us to imagine what a fresh start...
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A Fresh Start | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Maybe you walked into January with motivation, good intentions, and a mental list of things you were finally going to get right - and then life intervened. Plans fell apart. Schedules unraveled. The fresh start already feels a little upside down. If that’s you, you’re not alone. Scripture says…
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Accept, Live In, And Reflect the Light | Rev. Marti Troyer
There is something about the turn of the calendar that stirs hope in us. A new year invites us to pause, take a deep breath, and imagine what might be possible. Even if nothing about our circumstances has changed overnight, January carries with it the promise of a fresh start. We often talk about...
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Wonder to Wander | Rev. Mary Eileen Spence
The story of the three wise men is a journey that begins in wonder and leads to faithful wandering. Drawn by a mysterious star, the Magi leave certainty behind and step into a long, unknown road—trusting that God is at work even when the destination isn’t clear. Wonder to Wander invites us to...
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Wonder to Hold | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
There is a kind of holy anticipation that settles into hearts every Christmas Eve—an energy that feels both reverent and joyful, quiet and alive all at once. It’s the joy of gathering again, year after year, to remember a story that never grows old. A story that still shines. Each year, as the...
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Wonder Into Witness | Rev. Brittney Stephans
When we hear in the story of the shepherds, we see that they were not expecting anything extraordinary. They were simply going about their work, living ordinary lives, when wonder broke in. Angels appeared. Good news was shared. And suddenly, they realized they were part of God’s story. But what...
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Wonder to Acceptance | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
This Advent season invites us into wonder—yet wonder often leads us somewhere deeper: acceptance. In recent weeks, shifting weather patterns have disrupted our carefully laid plans. Meetings have been postponed, deadlines rearranged, events reshaped. We’ve checked our calendars only to discover...
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Wonder to Silence | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Silence has a way of sharpening our vision. It slows us down enough to see what has been true all along but overlooked in the rush. It opens the door to wonder. In the hush of a dimly lit room, you remember, this is sacred. This is gift. And if silence can help us see our own children more…
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Welcome to Wonder | Rev. Brittney Stephan
This week, we turn to one of Scripture's most tender and astonishing encounters, the meeting of Mary and Elizabeth. Both women, carrying miracles they never expected, greet one another with joy that seems to shake the very air around them. Elizabeth's child leaps in her womb. Mary bursts into...
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Hands and Feet That Say Thank You | Rev. Nicole Caldwell-Gross
Gratitude is more than words, it's Hands and Feet in motion. Join us and begin considering even now: How might you put your gratitude into action this week? Whom can you bless? How can you show appreciation in a way that reflects God’s goodness?
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Hands That Heal | Rev. Brittney Stephan
It’s easy to feel invisible in this world, but your presence, your hands, your feet, and your heart can change everything for someone. Every casserole you drop off, every quiet prayer, every card you send, every visit you make, and every moment spent listening echoes Christ’s healing love. As we...
About this show
Noblesville First is an inclusive faith community that embraces all persons with no exceptions! Our mission is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Learn more at noblesvillefirst.com.
Hosted by
Noblesville First UMC
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