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At the beginning of Lent, we turn to Jesus’ forty days in the wilderness. Immediately after his baptism—after the voice from heaven names him “beloved”—Jesus is led into a season of testing. This sermon explores how the temptation narrative is less about spectacle and more about identity: Who is Jesus, and what kind of Messiah will he be? Drawing on Deuteronomy, the Exodus story, and Philippians 2, we consider how Jesus resists coercive power, refuses to exploit divine authority, and chooses the path of humility and love. His responses in the wilderness reveal a Messiah grounded in tradition, shaped by Scripture, and committed to abundant life for others. As we begin our Lenten series Blinded, we reflect on what keeps us from seeing clearly—decision fatigue, cultural pressures, the lure of power, and the noise that drowns out the quieter way of Christ. Like hikers watching for blazes on the trail, we are invited to remember who we are and to act accordingly: beloved people called to walk the path of mercy,

On Ash Wednesday, we begin Lent with a sober reminder: we are dust, and to dust we shall return. In light of that truth, Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 take on sharper meaning. This sermon explores Lent not as a season of public performance or ritualized guilt, but as a quiet return to what matters. Giving, praying, and fasting are not spiritual displays; they are practices meant to reshape the heart. The question is not what we can prove to others, but what God is doing in secret within us. Rather than simply giving up chocolate or Diet Coke, Lent becomes an invitation to honest self-examination. What has come between us and God? Where do pride, resentment, distraction, or avoidance need to be named? What practice might draw us closer to wholeness? “Dust to Dust” reminds us that our mortality clarifies our priorities. In these forty days, we are invited to release what diminishes life and take up what leads us toward deeper faith, reconciliation, and renewed devotion—so that when Easter arrives, we are not the

In the final week of our stewardship series, we turn to what may be our most limited and most revealing resource: time. Drawing from Acts 2:42–47, this sermon explores the early church’s intentional rhythms—worship, shared meals, prayer, generosity—and what they teach us about how we order our days. Time is not just something to manage; it is something to steward with purpose. We consider four invitations: growing deeper with God, investing in real community, serving through acts of mercy, and practicing Sabbath in a culture that resists rest. If we are mortal and cannot do everything, then our choices about time become spiritual decisions. What might change if we lived not as “human doings,” but as human beings—trusting that even of time, there is enough?

In this week’s message from our stewardship series, Abundant Life: Trusting God and One Another, we turn our attention to treasure—the financial resources we share to support life together in Christ. Drawing from Acts 2 and 2 Corinthians 9, this sermon explores how the earliest Christian communities practiced generosity not out of pressure or guilt, but out of deep commitment to one another. Giving was woven into daily life, sustaining community, meeting real needs, and making space for the work of God to flourish. This message invites us to see financial stewardship not as an obligation, but as a joyful and thoughtful response to God’s abundance. As we reflect on what we want to do together in the year ahead, we are reminded that generosity—offered freely and with intention—helps the church move from merely surviving to truly thriving.

This week we begin our stewardship series, Abundant Life: Trusting God and One Another, by reflecting on talent, the gifts, skills, perspectives, and experiences God has woven into the life of the church. Drawing from 1 Corinthians 12, this sermon explores the biblical vision of the body of Christ: many members, one body, each indispensable to the whole. From spreadsheets to music, teaching to hospitality, advocacy to prayer, we are reminded that no gift is insignificant and no person is unnecessary. In a moment marked by division, violence, and compassion fatigue, this message calls the church to respond not with fear or paralysis, but with love, grounded in community, shaped by Christ, and expressed through the particular talents God has entrusted to each of us. As Paul reminds us, love is not optional; it is the way we make our gifts matter for the common good.

On the 4th Sunday of Advent, Pastor LyAnna explores Joseph's story—the often-overlooked figure in the nativity who faced fear, scandal, and an impossible choice. When Mary showed up pregnant, Joseph's world turned upside down. But instead of going it alone, he chose to "go with"—to journey alongside Mary despite his fears. This sermon asks: Why do we so often choose isolation over reaching out when life gets hard? Pastor LyAnna reminds us that asking for help isn't weakness—it's brave. And being there for others isn't about saving them; it's about not looking away. Through practical tools (like the "sunflower emoji" hack for marking your trusted people in your phone) and a hands-on exercise in the service, this message invites us to practice what it means to truly bear witness to one another's stories and to remember: we're made for mutual interdependence, not isolation.

This week’s Westlake UMC sermon podcast shares Pastor LyAnna Johnson’s message titled When We Are Running Out of Hope, God Is at Work, reflecting on Matthew 11:1–11.

This week’s Westlake UMC sermon podcast shares Pastor LyAnna Johnson’s message from November 30, titled In the Time of Herod We Long for God to Break In, reflecting on Luke 1:5–13 and Lamentations 3:55–57.

This week’s Westlake UMC sermon podcast shares Pastor LyAnna Johnson’s Christ the King Sunday message from November 23, titled A Befitting Crown, reflecting on Matthew 27:27–31.

For Everything There is a Season (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8) by Westlake United Methodist Church

From the sermon series "Preach"

From the sermon series "Preach"

From the sermon series "Preach"

From The series "New Year, Now What?"

From The series "New Year, Now What?"

Jan 16th, 2022 - "The Search For Justice" From the series, "New Year, Now What?"

Jan 9th, 2022 - The Search For Justice From the series, "New Year, Now What?"

Oct 24th, 2021 Traditional Service by WestlakeUMC

Oct 24th, 2021 Contemporary Service by WestlakeUMC

Oct 31, 2021, Contemporary Service by WestlakeUMC