Salem First Friends Church

Influence is everywhere! Being influential is now even a vocation! Are Christians called to be influential? What does a successfully influential Christian life look like? 

When it comes to living a "successful" life, how we handle and process our pain is of the utmost importance. 

We all have an innate desire to be seen. How do we handle that need? What do we do to seek to fulfill it? And, how do our pursuits of success and importance overlap with that desire to be seen and known? 

This sermon takes a look at two biblical characters (Jeremiah and Paul) and how each felt about their qualifications. Are you letting a perceived lack of qualifications hold you back from pursuing God's calling in your life? Are you holding too tightly to what you think makes you qualified and missing out on a potential Divine pivot point? 

We're kicking off a new series of sermons, called Success and the Shape of Life, that will explore how our definitions of a "successful life" have a huge impact on the kinds of lives that we live. This first message focuses on the "success scripts" we've been handed... and if we want to keep living according to them or not. 

On Easter Sunday morning, after spending weeks looking at the ways that the apostle Peter "missed the mark," we now see him in the presence of a resurrected Jesus. What message does Jesus have for him, and how does it still speak to us today? 

For the final scene of Peter's failures in the "Missing the Mark" series, we examine his (triple) denial of Jesus. Peter moves farther and farther away from Jesus, with both his words and physical proximity... eventually ending up "outside" and "weeping bitterly" about his mistakes. What does his experience have to teach us today? 

The next scene of "Missing the Mark" in the life of the apostle Peter happens as Jesus is being arrested. When Peter responds with hasty, and well-intentioned, passion to defend his Lord, Jesus gives a quick rebuke that is in line with all his other teaching about adversarial violence... even if it's not what we want to hear. 

In this second message in a short, four-part series that will take us through the remainder of the season of Lent, we continue to focus on the failures of the apostle Peter and what we can learn from them as we reflect on our own failures and brokenness. In this episode, we cover the story of Peter being affirmed for declaring Jesus as "Messiah," and then (quickly) rebuking Jesus and being labeled as a "stumbling block" to the mission of Christ. 

This is the first message in a short, four-part series that will take us through the remainder of the season of Lent. The series is called Missing the Mark and will focus on the failures of the apostle Peter and what we can learn from them as we reflect on our own failures and brokenness. In the first sermon in the series, we see Peter walking on the water toward Jesus... until he starts to sink. 

Moving on in our Open Invitation series, we open up chapter 17 of Luke's gospel and hear Jesus describing some of the key features of what it looks like to "do life together" in the Church as brothers and sisters in Christ.  

In this episode, we arrive at one of the longer parables that Jesus tells: The Parable of Lazarus and the Rich Man. It has a lot to teach us about poverty, wealth, death, and resurrection. 

Next up in the Open Invitation series, we dig into three verses in the middle of Luke 16 that just don't seem to fit with everything else around them. Or do they? 

We're bouncing back to Luke chapter 16 to hear what Jesus has to say in the immediate aftermath of his telling of the Parable of the Shrewd Manager, which includes a well-known line about the impossibility of serving two masters. 

We're heading back to the well-known story of The Prodigal (Lost) Son in Luke 15 to take a look at the older brother, who is highlighted at the end of the parable. What does Jesus have to teach us through the words, attitudes, and actions of this critical character?

In the next message in the Open Invitation sermon series, we'll unpack a tricky parable from Jesus. The story of "The Shrewd Manager" can be difficult to understand on the surface, but looking a little more deeply reveals a beautiful reminder of how we should use what we have cleverly and wisely. 

In this message in the Open Invitation sermon series, we work through the final of the "triad" of "lost parables" in Luke chapter 15: the well-known story of The Prodigal (Lost) Son. 

We're back in the Open Invitation sermon series that has been taking us on a long and winding trail through the gospel of Luke! In this message, we open up Luke chapter 15 and seek to learn about God's attitude and posture toward "lost things." 

With the final Sunday of 2025, the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's, we're unpacking what Ephesians 4 has to teach us about God's desires for the Church. 

Christmas Under Wraps Pt. 4 - The two kings found in Matthew chapter 2, Herod and Jesus, couldn't be more different! This message will contrast the two rulers, and observe the core values of their kingdoms. Which king will you choose?

Christmas Under Wraps Pt. 3 - (warning: Pastor Pete's voice was affected by a severe cold during this sermon!) This message explores the importance of understanding why Jesus is referred to as Immanuel, God with Us.

Christmas Under Wraps Pt. 2 - This message unpacks why the gospel announcement of the birth of Jesus is good news and not good advice, and also explores why Matthew's gospel begins the exciting story with... a dusty old genealogy?!?

We're kicking off our Advent 2025 sermon series, Christmas Under Wraps, with a look at light. Isaiah's messianic prophecy described the arrival of the coming King as a time of "dawning light." How is the Light of Jesus still active in our lives and our world today?

It's not just the Trinity that's a complex and mysterious part of the Christian faith! There are many things that Christians believe that require an acceptance of mystery and a reverence for God. Let's use the scene of Moses at the burning bush as a case study for how to approach the more mysterious parts of life with God.

The concept of the Trinity is one of the great mysteries in the Christian faith. But, it can feel overly confusing, and not applicable to our lives. This message encourages us to think differently about what the Trinity can teach us about God and ourselves!

Changing from the Center, Pt 10: We finish this sermon series by looking at ways to make this journey of formation longer than just the ten weeks we've spent focusing on these themes. What do a plan and posture for ongoing formation look like?

Changing from the Center, Pt 9

Changing from the Center, Pt 8: We all want control. Some more than others. In some areas more than others. But, is clinging to control a sign of idolatry? Let's look at the issue of control through four biblical lenses.

Changing from the Center, Pt 7: We are encouraged so many times in the Bible: "Do not be afraid." Is it really possible to live a life that is never "shaken" by fear? What does it look like to walk through fear while maintaining an obedience to God... and even growing in the process?

Changing from the Center, Pt 5: How do our experiences with pain, hurt, struggle, and suffering speak to our souls? Are we open to God teaching or testing us in those times in order to grow in wholeness and holiness?

Changing from the Center, Pt 5: Are we allowing the truth of Scripture to define our reality? And, can we see the divine reality of the Kingdom of God emanating from our lives?

Changing from the Center, Pt 4: Our tendency as humans, when we sense brokenness, is to hide. From each other. From God. But, we've been called to vulnerably "walk in the light" to find forgiveness and reconciliation.

Changing from the Center, Pt 3: Spiritual resistance, experienced through what the Bible calls "the flesh," is very real, and very strong. But... it's not the strongest thing about you! 

Changing from the Center, Pt 2: Our wants and desires have a lot to reveal to us about who we are and who we are becoming. How should we view and handle them from a Christ-centered perspective?

We're kicking off a new Fall sermon series!!! For the next 10 weeks, we'll be in a series called Changing from the Center, which will follow along with themes and ideas from a book titled What Does Your Soul Love? by Gem & Alan Fadling. This first message is an introduction to what it means to "change from the center" by being attentive to the deeper interior of our lives.

We're finishing up the pair of sermons on what it looks like to grow and guard our zeal. In this message, we'll look at Moses as a model, but then also see how the New Testament encourages us to look past Moses as well. 

What does it look like to live a "zealous" life bubbling over with "spiritual fervor?"

We finish off Luke chapter 14 with two short verses from Jesus that remind us of the importance of "staying salty" as his followers.

Carrying from last sermon's theme of the challenges of choosing to follow Jesus, this message highlights the idea that we need to "estimate the cost" of being a disciple. 

We're back into the Open Invitation series! Moving on from the scene featuring Jesus speaking with those gathered for a meal in the home of an influential Pharisee, we now see Jesus addressing the larger crowds. His words to the growing flocks of people might surprise you!

Reflecting on a recent article written by Russell Moore, we have the option to follow one of (at least) two shepherds calling out to us and influencing our lives. Which shepherd do you want to follow?

In the aftermath of the Texas floods, this sermon unpacks some of the big questions we have about God in the midst of suffering and tragedy.

Jesus warns his tablemates about the possible excuses that can distract us from having a central focus on the Kingdom of God.

Continuing the scene of Jesus dining at the home of a prominent Pharisee in Luke 14, Jesus now describes how someone might determine a "guest list" in the ancient world. His calling is for his followers to live at a "blessing deficit" with the people in their community. 

Jesus follows up his healing—at a Sabbath meal, while dining at the home of a prominent religious leader—with an observation (and critique) of the seat-choosing behavior of the guests and what it reveals about their hearts.

Jesus is at it once again! He's healing on the Sabbath (for the third time in Luke) while welcoming an "unclean" man near the table of a shared meal. His opponents (who likely contrived this entire experience as a test) are left silent. What can we learn about their loss of words?

In a scene near the end of chapter 13 in the gospel of Luke, Jesus calls Herod a "fox" who wants to kill... and then refers to himself as a "hen" who wants to gather God's people. What can we learn from these contrasting labels? 

What does Jesus mean when he talks about entering the "narrow door" while telling a parable in response to a question regarding how many people will be "saved?"

We're back in our Open Invitation series, a verse-by-verse, scene-by-scene tour through the gospel of Luke. This scene in Luke's gospel reveals Jesus teaching, and then offering an unexpected healing, in the midst of Sabbath worship.

We're back in our Open Invitation series, a verse-by-verse, scene-by-scene tour through the gospel of Luke. In this message, we see Jesus using a parable to talk about fruitfulness in our lives.