Third Church Sermons

Forty Days - Lenten Guided Prayer

This Sunday, Ed Satterfield continues our study of the Psalms looking at Psalm 91 and the certainty of God’s promise of protection and care in the midst of all kinds of trouble.

A Prayer for Refuge

This Sunday we'll turn to the next beatitude, “Blessed are the meek…”

9/8/24 Sermon Sources:
- Opening illustration from Greg Thompson, "A Community of Meekness," preached at Trinity Presbyterian Church.
- Rowan Williams, Passions of the Soul
- John Stott, The Sermon on the Mount, Bible Speaks Today commentary
- Dale Bruner, Commentary on the Book of Matthew, volume 1

A Kingdom for the Meek

We look at the last of the eight beatitudes this week and explore what persecution meant in Jesus's time and what it could mean today.

A Kingdom for the Persecuted

This Sunday we are continuing in our study of Jesus' teaching in the sermon on the mount, this time on the subject of anger and contempt.

A Heart of Peace

Today's song is "From the Dust," by Paul Zach

Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io

Forty Days, Day 1 - Ash Wednesday, March 5

Today's song is "Rise Up" by Bifrost Arts

Today's instrumental music is "Compass," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io

Forty Days, Day 2 - Thursday, March 6

Today's Song is "God the Maker," by the Porter's Gate. 

Today's instrumental music is "Dear Gravity," by The Wonders. Licensed through Artlist.io

Forty Days, Day 3 - Friday, March 7

Today's Song is "Always With Me," by Iamson,

Today's instrumental music is "Heartache," by Amick Cutler. Licensed through Artlist.io

Forty Days, Day 4 - Saturday, March 8

Today's song is "In Labor, All Creation Groans," by Bifrost arts. 

Today's instrumental music is "Oh Dear Child," by Amick Cutler, licensed through Artlist.io

Forty Days, Day 5 - Monday, March 10

Today's music selection is "Psalm 126," by Bifrost Arts. 

Today's instrumental music is "Pilgrim," by Some Were At Sea. Licensed through Artlist.io. 

Forty Days, Day 15 - Friday, March 21

Sunday we will gather to celebrate our Risen Lord. The grave cannot hold him, death cannot win. Hallelujah!

Easter Sunday: An Upside-Down Hope

This week we’ll be looking at a familiar passage from the book of Acts and what it has to say about where we place our attention.

The Attentive Life

This Sunday we kick off a new sermon series on the book of Deuteronomy. While many know this as the book with not much storyline and a whole lot of laws, this is very likely the book that most significantly formed the theology and ethics of Jesus, so it's worth it to do the hard work of learning what is has to say.

Life on the Borderlands

This Sunday we begin to get at the meaning of the Torah, which is so much of what this book is all about.

The Law That Gives Life

This Sunday we get into the iconic Ten Commandments, often called "The Decalogue." How should we think about these commands and apply them to our lives today?

Life Under the Promise

This Sunday in our study of Deuteronomy we will hear the Shema, Israel’s central confession: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength” (Deut. 6:4–5). At the very center of faith is love—love for God that overflows in love for neighbor. In an age discipled by violence and contempt, Deuteronomy reminds us that God’s people are called to be shaped by love, embodying a different way of being human together.

Wholehearted Love

This Sunday, we’re continuing our journey through Deuteronomy, and we’ll be looking at the challenging topic of what it means to be “chosen.”

Chosen by Grace

This Sunday we continue our study of Deuteronomy by looking at the important theme of God's provision and our grateful response, which touches on how we understand our money and possessions and how we steward what we've been given.

Grace and Gratitude

This Sunday we'll continue our study of Deuteronomy. As Moses brings his first great sermon to a close, he sums up all he has been saying to the people of Israel, a passage which scholar Chris Wright calls “one of the richest texts in the Hebrew Bible.”

A Transformed Heart

This Sunday, our text from Deuteronomy casts a compelling vision of worship as the centerpiece of our life together.

A Community of Worship

This Sunday we look at Deuteronomy 15 and the social and economic implications of God's vision of generosity, grace, and mercy.

Justice and Generosity

This Sunday, Elisabeth Hayes will be preaching on what Deuteronomy teaches us about leadership and the distinct kind of leaders that God calls in his community.

God’s Kind of Leadership

This Sunday, we look at Deuteronomy 18 and God's promise that in a world that clamors for our attention, his people will never be left without his word.

The God Who Speaks

This Sunday we continue our study of Deuteronomy. The next section of chapters turns again to the ancient laws that shape Israel’s life together, especially how God’s people are to care for the orphan, the widow, the immigrant, and the poor.

The God of Justice and Compassion

Now Choose Life

Corey sits down for a conversation with author, Deuteronomy scholar & mission theologian, Rev. Dr. Christopher J. H. Wright. Together, they answer your most pressing questions about this rich and sometimes complicated book.

Deuteronomy Q&A with Chris Wright

This Sunday we'll look at the final chapter of the book, the moving story of Moses' death.

The End and the Beginning

This Sunday we begin the Christian year with the first Sunday of Advent! I'm excited to begin this season of waiting together.

Advent Begins in the Dark

This Sunday, we step into the wilderness with John and allow his voice to awaken us, so that we may be ready to receive Christ, the Judge who brings peace.

The Judge Who Brings Peace

As we draw closer to Christmas, we begin to reflect on the mysteries of the Incarnation, even as we continue to dwell in the darkness of Advent. This Sunday, we'll hold the tension of hope that we remember in Advent, as we claim the promise of renewal even as we look around and see very few signs of its coming.

Streams in the Desert

This Sunday, we'll consider one of those prophecies from Isaiah and how Matthew sees it being fulfilled in the life of Joseph and Mary.

Courage to Wait

This weekend, we will join together to proclaim the good news of Christmas alongside our brothers and sisters. Ed Satterfield will be preaching about Jesus as Suffering Savior.

A Suffering Savior

This week we are starting a new preaching series that will carry us through winter and spring. We will follow the life of Jesus in two parts, shaped by the rhythm of the liturgical calendar. The series is titled “Revealed & Given,” reflecting the dual movements of Epiphany and Lent — seasons that together draw us more deeply into the mystery of Christ.  This Sunday we'll be in Matthew 3:13-17 where Jesus is Revealed as the Beloved Son. In place of preparation notes this week, I encourage you to spend time meditating on those verses ahead of Sunday's service.

Revealed as the Beloved Son

Youth Sunday 2021

Third Church RVA is a Presbyterian church pastored by Corey Widmer in Richmond, Virginia. We believe we are called together for the renewal of all things through Jesus Christ.

Third Church, RVA

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