Category: Jesus
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Joshua Blake Hargrove 4-9-2026 memory
Joshua Blake Hargrove lived with joy, love, and a growing heart for Jesus. Though his life ended too soon, his legacy continues through lives touched, a youth ministry that endured, and a calling that shaped his parents’ lifelong service.
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“The Voice That Commands”
Text: John 5:1–9, 17–24, 39–40 Preaching aim: To move the congregation from curiosity about Jesus to reckoning with Jesus — and to show that the voice that healed a man at a pool is the same voice that will raise the dead, and that hearing it now is the only thing that matters. INTRODUCTION —…
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What I Do and Why
The author reflects on a career dedicated to infrastructure design and community service, particularly in broadband expansion for underserved rural areas. Guided by the profound grief of losing their son, Joshua, at eighteen, the author aims to channel love and compassion into helping others. This journey emphasizes the significance of presence, community, and honoring lost…
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One Faithful Step: Filling the Jars with Water
One Faithful Step: Filling the Jars with Water An application from John 2:1–25 There is a quiet detail in the opening chapters of the Gospel of John that has stayed with me. At the wedding in Cana, nothing dramatic is asked of the servants. Jesus does not tell them to pray harder, believe louder, or…
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God is Near
As Jesus’ birth approached, Bethlehem was bustling due to the Roman census, with families arriving, including a pregnant Mary and Joseph. Accommodations were scarce, and shepherds tended their flocks nearby. Amid this chaos, God’s promise was unfolding, as the Messiah was near, though not yet revealed.
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THE SHEPHERDS’ CANDLE: JOY
Zephaniah 3:14–20 • Isaiah 12:2–6 • Philippians 4:4–7 • Luke 3:7–18 Introduction Today we light the third candle of Advent—the Shepherds’ Candle—the candle of Joy. Its color is different for a reason. Joy is not merely another virtue in the Advent lineup; it is the evidence that the world is already being changed by God’s…
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My Epitath
Here lies John E. Hargrove January 24, 1958 – [date yet to be written] A boy from Buna who never stopped wondering how things worked and never stopped trying to make them work for others. He chased signals across microwave towers and fiber miles, built networks that carried light to forgotten places, and in the…
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Reminder of the Light
Some days I’m reminded to go back to the starting point. “In the beginning was the Word…” That truth centers me. It reminds me that everything we’re doing—family, work, community—rests on something solid and steady. The scriptures in the RCL today lean into that same hope. Daniel talks about God standing with His people even…
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WEEK 2 – The Coming Light Prelude Study for Book of John
Key Truth The light of Christ does not arrive after the night ends—it enters while it is still dark. God’s promise is not that suffering will disappear before He comes, but that His presence is stronger than any darkness you’re walking through. Scripture Focus Isaiah 9:1-7 “The people walking in darkness have seen a great…
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Let My Love Open the Door
Let My Love Open the Door (inspired by Pete Townshend’s song and the words of Jesus in Matthew 22:37–40) When Pete Townshend sang, “Let my love open the door to your heart,” he probably wasn’t trying to preach a sermon—but he touched on something deeply spiritual. Love is the master key. Jesus said it even…
