Erin Church of the Nazarene

Wrestling Grace: God Uses Broken People

Pastor Daniel Medders begins by describing his tendency to learn things firsthand, which leads into a strongly critical comparison of Islam and Christianity before he turns to the biblical roots of Israel. He explains that Israel begins with Jacob, whose name is changed after wrestling with God, while also emphasizing that through Jesus the covenant is opened to all people rather than remaining tied to one nation or lineage. He traces Jacob’s early life through manipulation, jealousy, deceit, and deep family dysfunction, including the way he cheated Esau and learned broken patterns inside his home. Medders closes by highlighting God’s grace in using flawed people like Jacob and urging listeners who are wrestling with God to respond, repent, and make themselves available for God’s purposes.

Seeking the Bride: Ready at the Well

Pastor Daniel Medders teaches from Genesis 24 by placing it in the larger story of Abraham, Sarah, and Isaac, then focusing on Abraham sending his servant to find a wife for Isaac and on Rebekah being identified through her generosity, hospitality, and willingness to serve at the well. He argues that the chapter is more than a marriage story because it also foreshadows Christ and the church, with Abraham reflecting the Father, Isaac the promised son, and the servant pointing to the Holy Spirit seeking a bride who must respond willingly. Medders applies the passage both spiritually and practically, urging believers to be found faithfully doing the work God has given them, living responsibly, serving others generously, and being ready for Christ’s return even in the middle of an ordinary day. He closes by calling listeners to see God’s plan of redemption woven throughout Scripture and to respond with repentance, obedience, and renewed commitment to life with Christ.

The State of ECN: Growth, Service, and Space to Grow

Pastor Daniel Medders explains that this annual update is meant to help the congregation understand where Erin Church of the Nazarene is, what God has been doing, and how the church should prepare for what comes next. He highlights signs of spiritual and congregational health, including 15 recorded professions of faith, 24 baptisms this year, strong participation in prayer and altar response, five new groups launched, growing men’s and women’s Bible studies, about 295 volunteer hours each week, rising attendance, and major long term growth in charitable giving. He says this growth is happening because people trust a church that is visibly changing lives, investing in ministry beyond itself through missions and projects like the Camp Garner Creek dorm, and resisting a "country club" mindset in favor of service and sacrifice. He also acknowledges the strain that comes with growth, especially a crowded sanctuary and the reality that people cannot know everyone personally, while emphasizing that small groups are essential for connection in a larger church. He closes by urging the church to keep making room for more people, including by exploring the possibility of enclosing the rec building as added worship space, so ECN can continue welcoming those who are still looking for a place to grow.

Where Are You?: Hiding, Temptation, and Grace

Pastor Daniel Medders reflects on a past discussion about launching satellite church locations and says what troubled him most was that the conversation focused on logistics rather than on who would faithfully proclaim the Word of God. From there, he reminds the congregation that the church’s first purpose is to worship God, not to cater to personal preference, and he calls them to approach Scripture with reverence and attention. Preaching from Genesis 3, he explains that evil usually works subtly by planting doubt and creating small compromises, while people often cooperate with temptation by rationalizing sin and reshaping truth to fit what they want. He also applies the passage to marriage and family life, arguing that Adam and Eve failed to care for one another spiritually and urging husbands in particular to lead, pray, and watch over their households. The sermon builds toward God’s question, "Where are you?" as a call for each person to stop hiding, honestly confront sin, and respond to God’s grace with repentance and a renewed pursuit of holy living.

Ask Better Questions: From Prominence to Kingdom Service

Pastor Daniel Medders teaches that asking questions is good, but our questions often reveal what we truly understand or misunderstand, using stories like tire chains and local water shortages to make the point. He then examines the Gospel accounts of James and John, and in Matthew their mother, likely Salome and possibly Jesus’ aunt, asking for seats of honor, warning that this reflects favoritism, a desire for prominence, and competition among believers. Jesus’ response about drinking his “cup” reframes greatness as service and sacrifice, something the disciples do not yet grasp, though it later becomes clear in James’s martyrdom. Pastor Medders contrasts this with Brian Lennon’s story, where being grounded from flying led him to ask God how to use his time, resulting in a men’s Bible study that helped many men grow in faith. He closes by urging everyone to ask better questions that focus on how God can use their time and gifts to point others to Jesus, and he ends in prayer.

Don't Look Back: Lot's Wife and Forward Faith

Pastor Daniel Medders greets the ECN family during the lingering winter ice event of 2026, noting that main roads are improving but back roads and the church property are still slick, and he encourages people that conditions should get better soon. He then teaches from Genesis 19 and the story of Lot’s wife, stressing that God’s clear commands are to be obeyed even when we do not understand the reasoning behind them. He explores why “looking back” is so tempting, connecting it to a human impulse to watch others fall and to a culture drawn toward chaos and drama. He also warns against romanticizing the past, including sinful seasons and even past seasons of spiritual usefulness, sharing a lesson from his late friend James Anderson about the danger of missing “the old you.” Pastor Medders closes by urging listeners to be reflective and forward-looking, using each day as a gift to honor God instead of living in the “good old days.”

Snow Day Opportunities: Finding Grace in Winter Storms

Pastor Daniel Medders shares a short message during a January ice storm, noting the unsafe roads and describing the beauty and quiet of winter weather around his home. He recalls childhood stories of unexpectedly deep snow, including his parents’ anniversary trip to Gatlinburg and his own attempt to wade through snow in his grandfather’s garden. He reflects that difficulty can also create opportunity, and he points to the Israelites’ journey as a reminder that God is faithful and that people grow through hardship. He invites families to pause and discuss what opportunities this temporary loss of mobility might afford, then encourages them to enjoy stillness, savor time with loved ones, and check on neighbors who may need help.

Trust the Process: Righteousness Through Faith

Pastor Daniel Medders centers the message on Genesis 15, inviting listeners to picture Abram under a star-filled sky as God promises descendants too numerous to count. He reviews Genesis 12–14 to show Abram’s character forming over time, including Abram’s generosity toward Lot, Lot’s choice to settle near Sodom and the trouble that follows, and Abram’s rescue mission with 318 trained men. Medders highlights Abram’s integrity when he refuses the king of Sodom’s offer of wealth, so no one can later claim they made Abram prosperous, and he contrasts that with Abram’s earlier deception in Egypt during the famine to show growth in faith. He concludes that righteousness is found in trusting God through the process, then applies it to practical steps like living generously and acting with integrity, and he transitions toward baptisms and closes in prayer.

A Tale of Two Gospels: Jesus Pursues and We Choose

Pastor Daniel Medders opens by celebrating ECN’s recent growth, clarifying a small attendance math mistake from the prior Sunday, and offering practical ways to support continued growth through inviting others, improving parking flow, and making room for families and those with mobility needs. He introduces the message, “A Tale of Two Gospels,” by preaching two short sermons from Matthew that sit only 36 verses apart: the lost sheep in Matthew 18, which highlights God’s pursuit, awareness of the one missing, and the value of every person, and the rich young ruler in Matthew 19, which highlights surrender, trust, and the real responsibility of responding to Jesus. He cautions against forming “my Jesus” or “my Bible” around personal preference, explaining that believers can latch onto one biblical picture and treat it as the whole, which fuels polarization even within the same church. He urges the congregation to avoid extreme positions, to hold together both God’s compassionate pursuit and human choice, and to navigate hot button issues with prayer, humility, and care. He closes by inviting follow up conversation and praying for the church to handle differing opinions responsibly and with grace.

Break the Mirror: When Only God's Opinion Matters

Pastor Daniel Medders uses the story of Henry Molaison and the idea of “Henry’s mirror” to warn against living year after year without learning, then frames a 2026 challenge to grow in Christlikeness by learning how to handle opinions. He points to Moses as a model of steady leadership under criticism, Noah as an example of stubborn obedience while the culture spiraled, and David as a reminder that opposition can come from your own family when you step toward what God is calling you to do. He describes a “lonely chapter” that often comes with pursuing holiness, where you no longer fit with your old circle and have not yet found the new one, and he says it feels lonely mainly when your identity was rooted in people instead of God. He ends by saying the hardest opinion to overcome is your own, warning that “follow your heart” and self affirmation can become idolatry when they replace denying yourself and following Christ, and he concludes that the only opinion that truly matters is God’s as he closes in prayer.