Sun Prairie United Methodist Church Podcast

Sermon - Led by the Light to Serve

On Epiphany, Pastor Jenny reflects on the Magi’s journey in Matthew 2, where they follow Christ’s light with joy while Herod responds in fear. Epiphany reminds us that God’s light breaks into dark places, guiding us not toward power, but toward humble, compassionate service. Through the tradition of Epiphany star words, we are invited to let Christ’s light lead our lives in the coming year—shaping how we serve, where we give ourselves, and how we live out joyful service as an act of worship.

Covenant Renewal

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Hebrews 8:6, which proclaims Christ as the mediator of a new and better covenant founded on God’s promises. As the new year begins, we are invited through Wesley’s Covenant Prayer to renew our commitment to God—offering our lives in trust and faithfulness as we follow Christ into an uncertain future.

Sermon - What to Wear

Preaching from Colossians 3:12–17 during the Christmas season, Pastor Jenny reminds us that Christmas is not over on December 25—it unfolds across the twelve days leading to Epiphany. Using the familiar imagery of clothing received as Christmas gifts, she reflects on Paul’s invitation to “put on” compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, and above all, love. These are gifts from Christ that we may need to grow into, much like clothes that don’t quite fit at first. Unlike material gifts, these virtues are never returned—they shape how we live and how Christ is revealed through us. Pastor Jenny connects this to Jesus’ own life of humility and love, noting that faith cannot stop at the manger but must move into daily, embodied practice. Through a story of a compassionate train conductor, she illustrates how small, faithful actions can become moments of grace. The call is clear: as Christmas continues and a new year begins, we are invited to clothe ourselves in Christ’s love and offer these gifts freely to others.

Reflection question:
Which “gift” named in Colossians—compassion, kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, or love—might God be inviting you to intentionally “put on” and practice more fully in the days ahead?

The Mood of Christmas

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Luke 2:10–11, where the angels proclaim good news of great joy in the birth of Christ for all people. Drawing on Howard Thurman’s The Mood of Christmas, we are reminded that the true work of Christmas begins after the celebration—living out Christ’s joy through healing, justice, peace, and love in the world.

Sermon - All You Need Is Love

Preaching from Luke 6:27–36, Pastor Brad reflects on Jesus’ radical call to love—not just friends or those who love us in return, but enemies as well. He opens with the Beatles’ famous song All You Need Is Love, noting how the phrase can sound like a cliché, yet is profoundly biblical. Drawing on another preacher’s “ABCs of love,” he contrasts self-interested love (A and B) with the deeper, sacrificial love (C) that expects nothing in return, and finally with the most challenging form—enemy love (D): loving even those who hurt or betray us. Jesus’ teaching reveals that God’s love is compassionate, selfless, and extended even to the ungrateful and wicked. Pastor Brad reminds us that this kind of love doesn’t come naturally to us—and that’s precisely why God sent Christ: to show us what love truly looks like and to teach us how to live it. The message is clear and countercultural: real Christian love is radical, revolutionary, and rooted in God’s own compassion.

Reflection question:
Which “level” of love—self-interest, mutual exchange, selfless giving, or loving an enemy—feels most challenging for you right now, and what might Jesus be inviting you to practice this week?

Still Waiting

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on John 1:5, proclaiming that the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. As Advent draws to a close, we are invited to keep waiting with hope—trusting that even in real darkness, God’s light in Christ is present, persistent, and victorious.

TGWC - Addiction and Recovery

Addiction and recovery affect nearly every family and community—but stigma and silence often keep people from seeking help. In this episode, Heather Young talks with Michelle Jaskulski, who shares her family’s journey into opioid addiction, the shock and isolation that followed, and what she learned about recovery over time.

Grounded in the Revised Social Principles of the United Methodist Church (2024), this conversation frames addiction not as a moral failure, but as a complex reality that calls for compassion, evidence-based care, and human dignity.

Michelle discusses:

• The emotional toll on parents, siblings, and marriages
  
  
• Shame, stigma, and why families often “go quiet,” even at church
  
  
• Addiction as a brain disease—and why recovery isn’t one-size-fits-all
  
  
• The role of trauma, mental health, and spiritual care
  
  
• How churches can move beyond judgment into real support and connection
  
  

Sermon - Mary's Song, Our Joy

Pastor Jenny frames the third Sunday of Advent (Joy) around Mary’s “song” in Luke 1:46–55 (the Magnificat). Mary’s joy isn’t shallow happiness or dependent on perfect circumstances; it’s a deep, Spirit-born joy rooted in trust that God is with her and will set the world right. Mary praises God for seeing the lowly and for God’s “great reversal”—lifting up the humbled, feeding the hungry, and challenging the proud and powerful. Jenny compares this to the eager “search” of kids finding the elf on the shelf: joy grows as we look for God’s presence with expectation and wonder. She also notes that sometimes we can’t hold joy on our own—community can “hold joy” for us, like a toddler comforting an exhausted parent. The invitation is to let Mary’s song become our song: choose joy, seek signs of grace, trust God’s justice, and rest in God’s promises as we await Christ’s coming.

The Speed of Joy

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on John 15:11, where Jesus promises a joy that is complete and rooted in abiding relationship with him. In this Advent season of joy, we are invited to “go at the speed of joy”—slowing down, choosing presence and prayer, and making space for Christ’s joy to shape the rhythm of our lives.

Sermon - Preparing the Way for Peace

Preaching on Matthew 3:1–12, Pastor Jenny describes John the Baptist as the uncomfortable but necessary Advent guest—the wild prophet who shows up before the angels, shepherds, and baby Jesus. John’s message, “Change your hearts and lives,” cuts through religious entitlement and superficial readiness, calling us to integrity: that what we say we believe is actually visible in how we live. She contrasts this with a humorous but convicting Costco pumpkin pie story, where she realizes she missed a small opportunity to extend grace and make a pathway for peace. Advent peace, she reminds us, isn’t just the absence of conflict but the presence of shalom—wholeness, justice, healing, and right relationship—so preparing for Christ’s coming means examining our lives, choices, and daily interactions to clear space for that peace to enter our homes, communities, and world.

Reflection question:
Where is one small, very ordinary place in your week where you could “prepare the way for peace” by choosing integrity, grace, or kindness instead of frustration or entitlement?

Everyday Gifts

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Psalm 68:19, which proclaims, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.” Using the simple blessing of cold weather providing “garage refrigeration” for Thanksgiving leftovers, Pastor Jenny reminds us that God’s care often appears in small, everyday provisions—and noticing these quiet gifts invites gratitude and compassion toward those in need.

Sermon - Hope in an Unlikely Place

Preaching on the Annunciation in Luke 1:26–38, Pastor Jenny invites us into Advent as a season of waiting—waiting for God to heal, renew, and break in with hope. Through Mary’s encounter with the angel Gabriel, she shows how God’s love often arrives in the most unlikely places, through the most unlikely people, and at the most unlikely times. Mary’s honest questions remind us that faith doesn’t require certainty; it requires the courage to say yes even while afraid or unsure. Pastor Jenny connects Mary’s story to our own seasons of uncertainty, including the pandemic years, reminding us that hope often emerges in quiet, unexpected ways when we stay open to God’s presence. Ultimately, Mary’s prayer—“Let it be with me just as you have said”—becomes our Advent prayer of trust, courage, and readiness to receive the God who still comes to us as Emmanuel, bringing hope that changes everything.

Reflection question:
Where might God be inviting you to say a courageous yes this Advent—trusting that hope can be born in an unexpected place in your own life?

Holding Hope

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on Romans 15:13, which calls God the “God of hope,” who fills us with joy and peace so that we may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. As Advent begins, Pastor Jenny reminds us that hope is not passive or wishful thinking but an active trust in God’s steadfast love—an invitation to hold onto divine hope through prayer, generosity, and simple acts of faith each day.

Sermon - A Sign for All Times

Preaching on Colossians 1:15–20 for Christ the King Sunday, Pastor Jenny reminds us that Christ is the eternal sign of God’s love—unshaken by history, politics, or circumstance. In Jesus, “the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,” revealing a divine presence that transcends time and invites personal reflection on who Christ is for each of us. Through stories of transformation and perseverance, she contrasts worldly power with Christ’s reign of peace, mercy, and reconciliation. Christ’s kingship, she concludes, is not about domination but about love that holds all things together—a sign for all times.

Reflection question:
When in your own life have you glimpsed Christ as a steady sign of love and peace amid change or chaos?

Call to Prayer

This Word-of-the-Week Devotion from Pastor Jenny Arneson reflects on 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18, which calls us to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances. Using the ringing of her church bell as a daily reminder, Pastor Jenny invites us to let ordinary sounds and moments become gentle calls to prayer—drawing our hearts back to God’s presence throughout each day.