Sermon Preview for April 26th

April 26, 2026 - Fourth Sunday of Easter

Preacher:  Rev. Anne J. Scalfaro

Scripture:  1 Thessalonians 5:12-22

¹² But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; ¹³ esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. ¹⁵ See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. ¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not despise prophecies, ²¹ but test everything; hold fast to what is good; ²² abstain from every form of evil.

Quote at top of OOW: 

“In a world that often demands urgency and perfection, patience is a soft rebellion. 

It's a form of love that trusts the process, that believes in your growth even when you're unsure of it yourself. 

It’s someone seeing your mess and choosing grace instead of judgment. 

And that kind of love—steady, slow, and fiercely kind—might just be the softest, most beautiful form there is.”

- Balt Rodriguez

Sermon Title:

Patience: A Pep Talk

Third Sermon in Cultivating the Fruit of Patience

Part of Abide & Grow: Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit

Sermon Blurb:

This Sunday we’ll explore the Fruit of Patience through the lens of relationships and community. N.T. Wright said, “We applaud patience, but prefer it to be a virtue that others possess.” It is, indeed, hard to be patient with and toward others, particularly those with whom we are in close relationship. This is as true in our church as it is in our homes. 

In this week’s scripture, Paul gives the Thessalonians a spiritual pep talk on how to live together in Christian community. At the heart of his message is patience. But the patience Paul teaches is not a passive waiting; it is a persistent, purposeful approach to helping the community reach its full potential. Join us on Sunday for an encouraging and hopeful word about how to strengthen your relationships and our community with a deeper and more intentional practice of patience.