Sun Prairie United Methodist Church Podcast

Sermon - The Spirit-Led Summer

Drawing from Romans 8, Pastor Jenny contrasts a self-centered life with a Spirit-led life, emphasizing that what we focus on shapes who we become. Using the example of “Mr. Peanut,” a beloved school custodian whose kindness impacted generations of children, she illustrates how a Spirit-led person prioritizes relationships, compassion, and service. The sermon encourages listeners to make space for God, pay attention to people, stay connected to the church, and pray simple prayers such as, “Holy Spirit, lead me today,” trusting that God’s Spirit is still guiding and renewing lives.

Word of the Week - Life

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on John 10:10, where Jesus promises abundant life beyond mere existence. Revisiting her Epiphany star word, “life,” Pastor Jenny encourages us to reflect on how God’s presence, faithfulness, and renewing grace have brought growth, resilience, joy, and deeper purpose into our lives throughout the year.

Sermon - Sent Out for Summer

Pastor Jenny reflects on Jesus’ compassion for the crowds in Matthew 9–10, noting that ministry begins with truly seeing people and their needs. Just as Jesus sent ordinary disciples into their own communities, Christians are called to notice opportunities to serve in everyday life through simple acts of kindness, mercy, and care. The challenge for the summer is to answer the world’s “SOS” signals by seeing people as Jesus sees them and responding with compassion and service.

Park Days

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Psalm 104, which celebrates God as the wise Creator whose works fill the earth with life and beauty. Through memories of summer days at Vilas Park and an appreciation for the gift of public parks, we are invited to spend time outdoors, marvel at creation, and draw closer to God through the wonder of the natural world.

Sermon - Grace at the Threshold

Using Abram’s call in Genesis 12, lay speaker Bill Anciaux reflects on how God meets us at life’s thresholds—moments of change, uncertainty, and vulnerability. Through personal stories and the Wesleyan idea of prevenient grace, he reminds us that God’s loving presence comes before our response, offering blessing, strength, and companionship. The invitation is to trust the God who moves first and walks with us into the unknown.

Practicing Hope

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Romans 5:5, which assures us that hope does not disappoint because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit. Drawing on the theme of “Practicing Hope,” Pastor Jenny reminds us that Christian hope is not merely a feeling but a daily practice of trusting God’s faithfulness, believing that there is always more of God’s love, presence, and possibility at work in the world.

Here I am, Lord - Jack Malone

Jack Malone reflects on the Christian call to discipleship, reminding listeners that God calls each person in different ways to share Christ’s love and grace with others. Through stories of a woman serving people experiencing homelessness and his own experience mentoring two fatherless boys, he illustrates how answering God’s call often happens through simple acts of compassion and presence. The message concludes with the challenge to listen for God’s voice and respond, like the hymn says, “Here I am, Lord… I will hold your people in my heart.”

Seasons

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Ecclesiastes 3:1,11, which reminds us that there is a season for everything and that God makes all things fitting in their time. Using the arrival of the neighborhood ice cream truck as a sign that summer has begun, Pastor Jenny encourages us to recognize the different seasons of our lives and trust that God is present with us through each one.

Sermon - The Spirit's Toolbox

Pastor Jenny reflects on Pentecost as the birth of the church, where the Holy Spirit empowered ordinary people from many backgrounds to speak, connect, and serve together. Using the image of a toolbox, she reminds listeners that every person has different gifts—compassion, leadership, hospitality, prayer, generosity—and that the church needs all of them working together. The sermon challenges people to stop comparing themselves to others and instead allow the Spirit to use their unique gifts to bring hope, courage, unity, and love into a divided world.

Quiet

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Psalm 46:10, which invites us to “Be still and know that I am God.” Through the unexpected quiet of a power outage, we are reminded that stillness can become a sacred invitation to slow down, notice God’s presence, and create intentional space for prayer, reflection, and peace.

Sermon - Open Minds, Open Roads

Pastor Jenny reflects on the Ascension Day as a bridge between Easter and Pentecost, reminding the church that Jesus’ departure was really a sending-out of his disciples into the world. She emphasizes that faith rarely gives us a full roadmap—only the next faithful step—and calls listeners to move forward with courage, gratitude, generosity, and community rather than fear. The sermon especially encourages graduates to trust that they are grounded in God’s love and sent into an uncertain world “wrapped in blessing” and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Blessing

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Luke 24:50, where the risen Christ lifts his hands to bless the disciples before ascending to heaven. Through the beautiful image of a blessing as “giving everyone a hug all at once,” we are reminded that Christ blesses the world through us—through our hands, feet, compassion, and daily acts of love.

Sermon - Love That Listens

Pastor Jenny reflects on Jesus’ farewell teaching in Gospel of John, where he tells his disciples that loving him means staying connected through love, compassion, and attentiveness—not fear or perfection. She emphasizes that the Holy Spirit is God’s constant companion, especially in seasons of anxiety, trauma, and emotional struggle. The sermon reminds listeners that mental health challenges are not failures of faith, and that Christ’s commandment to love one another includes caring for ourselves, listening deeply, and creating supportive community.

Bursting Forth

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Song of Solomon 2:11–12, which proclaims that winter has passed and the season of singing has come. Using the sudden blooming of a crabapple tree as an image of resurrection and renewal, we are reminded that even when growth seems hidden, God is quietly preparing new life to burst forth in its proper time.

Sermon - It Is Well With My Soul

Pastor Jenny reflects on Jesus’ promise in Gospel of John that troubled hearts can still trust in God’s presence, even in grief and uncertainty. Using the story behind the hymn It Is Well with My Soul, she shows that “it is well” doesn’t mean life is easy—it means our souls are anchored in something deeper than our circumstances. Easter faith reminds us that Christ is with us in the midst of hardship, offering a peace that grows over time and does not depend on everything being okay.