God’s Acre on the Go

God's Acre on the Go: Awesome Responsibility

On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, Chapin explores the ancient words of Psalm 8, a song of awe and wonder that celebrates both God’s majesty and our astonishing role in the universe. From the stars overhead to the fragile cry of an infant, the psalm reminds us that though we are small, we are deeply loved and entrusted with great responsibility.

With stories from the Pilgrims’ first Thanksgiving and personal reflections on what it means to be trusted with something precious, this sermon lifts up gratitude as a powerful response to suffering and a faithful beginning to stewardship. Drawing also on 1 Corinthians 15 and Hebrews 2, Chapin invites us to see Jesus not only as the fulfillment of the psalm but as our pathway to fulfilling our divine calling.

Listen in for a message that calls us to reverence, thanksgiving, and renewed commitment to the care of creation and one another.

God's Acre On the Go: Love Language

In John 21:15–17, the risen Jesus meets his disciples on the shore after a long night of fishing. Over a charcoal fire, he cooks breakfast and restores Peter — not with a lecture, but with love. Before he ever commands, “Feed my sheep,” he first feeds them. Grace before commission; love before labor. In this message, Kelly Antonson reflects on what it means to embody Jesus’ love language: acts of service. Our love for Christ isn’t proven in words alone, but in how we tend, feed, and care for his people. On this Stewardship Sunday, we’re reminded that giving isn’t about money, but about meaning — a spiritual practice that turns gratitude into generosity and faith into action. Every pledge, every act of care, every “yes” is our way of saying, “Lord, you know that I love you.”

God's Acre On the Go: Blessing of Engagement

In this message based on Genesis 32:22–33, Chapin reflects on Jacob’s long night of wrestling at the River Jabbok—a struggle that transformed him from a fugitive into a man of faith. Jacob’s limp became his blessing, a mark of someone who chose engagement over escape.

Drawing from his recent journey to the West Bank with Frank Lyon and Eric Dupee, Chapin connects Jacob’s encounter with God to our own calling to stay engaged in a divided world. In an age obsessed with safety and separation, Blessing of Engagement invites us to rediscover the holiness of holding on—to God, to each other, and to the hard but sacred work of reconciliation.

As we stand between Election Day and Veterans Day, this sermon calls us to live with courage, empathy, and faith—to wrestle for the sake of blessing, and to trust that even when we limp, God walks beside us.

God's Acre On the Go: What is Your Wake Surf?

In this sermon from Matthew 14:22–33, we encounter the familiar story of Jesus walking on water — a miracle recorded in three of the four Gospels. But what if we read this story not as a rebuke of Peter’s doubt, but as a celebration of his faith-filled risk? Rev. Dr. Stephen Chapin Garner reflects on his own experiences as a lifelong “lake guy,” drawing parallels between teaching others to water ski and Jesus encouraging Peter to step out onto the waves. Through storytelling and scripture, we’re invited to see Jesus not only as Lord over the waters but as one who invites us to try, to risk, and even to fail — knowing he’ll lift us up.

What might be your next wake surf — the bold, faithful action that stretches you closer to Christ? Tune in to reflect on faith, courage, and the beautiful risks we take to walk more closely with Jesus.

God's Acre On the Go: Emmanuel Living

In this message, Chapin reflects on Jesus’ invitation to “Come and see” from John 1:35–42. From a front porch in West Virginia to a hospice bedside in New Canaan, from the hills of El Salvador to the embattled Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank, this sermon traces how presence—not productivity—is often the most powerful way we love and serve others.

The name Emmanuel means “God with us,” and this message reminds us that we are never alone—and that our greatest gift to others is often simply showing up. In an age of distraction, Emmanuel Living is a call to reconnect with God and with one another in real time, with real presence. Whether welcoming new members or traveling halfway across the world, we are called to be God's presence for others—flesh and blood reminders that love never leaves.

God's Acre On the Go: The Current of Compassion

In this episode, we reflect on Luke 8:40–48, where Jesus is surrounded by pressing needs — Jairus pleading for his daughter’s life, a woman reaching for healing after twelve years of suffering, and a crowd pulling at him from every side. In the midst of the chaos, Jesus notices the touch of faith, declaring, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

This story reminds us that compassion always costs something, but in the kingdom of God, love doesn’t run dry — it flows. Jesus lived from a rhythm of prayer, rest, worship, and community that kept him connected to the Source, so his love could keep pouring out.

We also explore a modern story of Monica and Kevin — a young couple learning that healing and renewal are sustained not by willpower, but by steady faith, supportive community, and God’s abiding grace. When compassion stretches us thin, we too are invited to return to the Source, trusting that the same God who renewed Jesus renews us.

God's Acre On the Go: Observations On the Water

When Jesus calmed the storm in Matthew 8:23–27, he didn’t just demonstrate his divine authority—he raised questions that still challenge us today. This sermon reflects on Jesus’ question to his disciples, “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?”, not as a rebuke, but as encouragement. Jesus, a “lake guy,” found rest and trust on the water—and even in a storm, he trusted his friends at the helm. With insight into boating, lakeside living, and deep faith, the message invites us to consider how we weather life’s storms, how we help others through fear, and how a mustard seed of faith may be all we need. The story of Horatio Spafford and the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul” underscores that faith doesn’t prevent storms, but offers us peace—even when boats go down.

Faith doesn’t erase fear, but reminds us that God is always in the boat.

God's Acre On the Go: The Impulse Within

In this episode, we explore a moment of sacred interruption. “In the year King Uzziah died…” begins the powerful scene from Isaiah 6:1–8, a passage where a young priest encounters the raw presence of God amid national instability and personal uncertainty. Isaiah’s instinctive reply to the divine question—“Whom shall I send?”—is stunning in its immediacy: “Here I am; send me.”

But what causes someone to respond with such impulsive courage?

Drawing also from 1 Corinthians 13, the great love chapter written by the Apostle Paul—himself radically transformed by a divine encounter—we reflect on how love, faith, and spiritual conviction can lead ordinary people to say yes to extraordinary callings.

In a cynical and fractured world, could the Spirit still be prompting you? Could that quiet tug you feel be your own “Isaiah moment”? This episode invites you to listen closely… and to respond.

God's Acre On the Go: Made Well

This week’s message reflects on Jesus’ healing of blind Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46–52 and Paul’s plea for deliverance in 2 Corinthians 12:7b–9. What do we really want God to do for us—and how does God sometimes answer in ways we don’t expect?

Drawing from real-life stories of struggle and grace, including the inspiring witness of a blind church member and a lesson learned from a high school football teammate with a stutter, Chapin explores the ways in which God’s strength is revealed through our weakness.

This is a powerful and honest reflection on what it means to be made well—not just healed of our infirmities, but transformed into agents of light, gratitude, and blessing. Whether you’re wrestling with unanswered prayers or wondering what your life’s challenges are meant to teach you, this episode reminds us that God’s grace truly is sufficient.

 

God's Acre On the Go: A Recipe for Hope

This week’s message, “Can These Bones Live?”, begins with a deeply personal story of addiction, emptiness, and hopelessness. The preacher compares his past to the prophet Ezekiel’s vision in Ezekiel 37:1–14, where God brings him to a valley of dry bones—lifeless remains that seem beyond restoration. But even here, in a place of total despair, God is present.

Through this vision, we see that God can breathe new life into what seems long dead. The sermon reveals a powerful spiritual truth: God revives dry bones through two essential ingredients—His Word and His Spirit. Just as the bones come together and rise into a vast army, we too can find healing and purpose when we allow God’s Word to move us and His Spirit to fill us.

No matter how lifeless your situation may seem, Jesus is near—as close as your breath—ready to bring you back to life.