First Presbyterian Church Of Englewood Audio

During shopping season it is the goal of marketers to entice to make decisions we'll regret tomorrow. What we should always be doing is making decisions today from the perspective of tomorrow. A message on Mark 13:24-37, delivered on November 27, 2011 by Richard Hong.

"As you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me." These words of Jesus often have me feeling like a goat. Yet there is consolation for us in this passage. A message on Matthew 25:31-46, delivered on November 20, 2011 by Richard Hong.

In the well-known "parable of the talents", people often feel sorry for the one who received "just" one talent and buried it. But he wasn't just burying money, he was burying his dreams. A message on Matthew 25:14-30, delivered on November 13, 2011 by Richard Hong.

This final week of our annual Fireside Inspiration series addresses the topic of "Free to Be You." How can we help liberate others to fully be who they were created to be? We need to treat every person with dignity based on their humanity, not their productivity. A message on 1 Thessalonians 5:11-22, delivered on November 6, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Week 4 of our annual Fireside Inspiration series addresses the topic of "Free to Be Me." How can we be freed from the negativity of others to fully be who we were created to be? We need to find a balance between our acceptance of legitimate critique and getting past our need for others' approval. A message on Matthew 10:5-15, delivered on October 30, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Week 3 of our annual Fireside Inspiration series addresses the topic of "Freedom from Emptiness." How can we deal with feelings of worthlessness? A message on Psalm 8, delivered on October 23, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Week 2 of our annual Fireside Inspiration series addresses the topic of "Freedom from Power." How can we deal with people who abuse their power over us? A message on Matthew 22:15-22, delivered on October 16, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Week 1 of our annual Fireside Inspiration series addresses the topic of "Freedom from Prejudice." How can we free ourselves of prejudicial attitudes toward others? A message on Deuteronomy 10:11-22, delivered on October 9, 2011 by Richard Hong.

What are our obligations to God in exchange for living in the kingdom? A message on Matthew 21:33-46, delivered on October 2, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Is it better to be a person who doesn't follow through on promises or a person who refuses a just request? How about neither? A message on Matthew 21:23-32, delivered on September 25, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Do we want God to do what we want or do we want to do what God wants? A message on Matthew 16:21-28.

"Remembering Rightly" a message on Matthew 18:21-35 delivered on the 10th Anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

"Doubt Sunday" is a day for the congregation to pose questions that are answered extemporaneously. The questions were posed in writing and selected by Elder Sandy Bishop, chair of our Adult Ministry Team. The answers were given by the pastor, Rich Hong, on September 4, 2011. (Please note: there is no podcast for August 28 because services were cancelled due to Hurricane Irene.)

A house needs to both rest on a firm foundation and be remodeled to meet current needs. The same is true of our faith. A sermon on Matthew 16:13-20, delivered on August 21, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Jesus had an encounter with a Canaanite woman that seemed to be less than ideal. Maybe it should redefine our concept of "perfect" to include flexibility and a willingness to change. A sermon on Matthew 15:21-28, delivered on August 14, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Sometimes we're desperate for God to work a miracle in our lives, but we look for the miracle in the wrong places. A sermon on 1 Kings 19:9-18, delivered on August 7, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Sometimes the facts of a miracle get in the way of understanding the miracle. The feeding of the 5,000 is so famous that maybe it has obscured our understanding of why Jesus wanted the people to stay. A sermon on Matthew 14:13-21, delivered on July 31, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Paul reassures us that we absolutely cannot be separated from the love of God. But what do we do with that assurance? How does it affect our lives? This is part 4 of a 4-part series from Paul's letter to the Romans on accepting the absolute grace of God. A message on Romans 8:26-39, delivered on July 24, 2011 by Richard Hong.

Paul uses the metaphor of adoption to describe how we become a part of God's family because in Roman times, adoption meant becoming an entirely new person. In Christ we aren't just improved, we're transformed. This is part 3 of a 4-part series from Paul's letter to the Romans on accepting the absolute grace of God. A message on Romans 8:12-25, delivered on July 17, 2011 by Richard Hong.

The rules are great - until they become a goal unto themselves. How do we creatively pursue the things of God? This is part 2 of a 4-part series from Paul's letter to the Romans on accepting the absolute grace of God. A message on Romans 8:1-11, delivered on July 10, 2011 by Richard Hong.