PodPoint
Claremont United Church of Christ banner
Claremont United Church of Christ

Rev. Dr. Jacob Buchholz

Browse published sermons from Rev. Dr. Jacob Buchholz in Claremont United Church of Christ.

Jan 28, 2024 1:09 PM America/Los_Angeles

Simplicity

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells the crowds gathered to listen to his Sermon on the Mount, "Do Not Worry." But Jesus' words seem a little shortsighted in a world where there is an abundance of issues to worry about. Pastor Jacob digs deeper into Jesu

Jan 8, 2024 12:07 PM America/Los_Angeles

Meditation

Pastors Jen and Jacob launch a new sermon series by inviting us to put our lives in airplane mode and quiet all of the electronic interference, if only for a moment, as we practice ancient spiritual disciplines that are meant to strengthen our connection

Dec 17, 2023 12:15 PM America/Los_Angeles

Ruth

We continue our exploration of Jesus' ancestry with the great-grandmother of King David, Ruth. Ruth was a Moabite and according to Hebrew law, Israelites were not allowed to promote the welfare or prosperity of a Moabite as long as they lived. And, yet, a

Dec 3, 2023 8:16 AM America/Los_Angeles

Tamar and Rahab

Matthew's story of the birth of Jesus begins with a genealogy listing the names of all of Jesus' ancestors from Abraham to Joseph. This year, rather than skipping over the hard to pronounce names, we are going to take a closer look at Jesus genealogy and

Nov 6, 2023 10:26 AM America/Los_Angeles

Judas

Judas is the Bible's persona non grata for his betrayal of Jesus. But why did he do it? Should Judas take all the blame for Jesus' death? And what happened to him afterward? Did Jesus forgive him? As our Villains series continues, Pastor Jacob suggests th

Oct 23, 2023 8:04 AM America/Los_Angeles

Pharaoh

Pastors Jen and Jacob kick-off their new sermon series on villains in the Bible with a look at the quintessential villain in Scripture: Pharaoh! When Pharaoh refuses to let the Hebrew people leave their captivity in Egypt, the Bible says that Pharaoh hard

Oct 2, 2023 9:21 AM America/Los_Angeles

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words “ That They May All Be One”

In John 17, Jesus prays for unity for all of humanity as one of his final requests before his arrest. But was Jesus just engaging in wishful thinking? In today's installment of "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words," Pastor Jacob looks at one of the most f

Sep 17, 2023 3:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words "Ode to Hope"

In one of the most powerful images ever captured, 26-year-old lieutenant Charles Levy photographed the 45,000-foot-tall mushroom cloud over Nagasaki on August 9th, 1945. It is hard to imagine that humanity is capable of such destruction. The history of wa

Sep 3, 2023 3:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words: "Cosmic Humility"

Pastor Jen and Jacob return from sabbatical and launch our new sermon series, "A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words." They will be exploring the spiritual significance of photographs, both historical and personal. This first Sunday, we marvel along with th

May 21, 2023 7:57 AM America/Los_Angeles

A.K.A.: Nicknames & Name Changes in The Bible "Sons of Thunder"

When Jesus first calls the disciples, he nicknames James and John the Sons of Thunder. Scholars don't know what Jesus meant by these epithets, but the two brothers do have quite the tempers in the Gospels. Pastor Jacob explores why Jesus would call these

May 7, 2023 3:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

ROOTED.: Surprise Seeds

In Mark 4, Jesus tells us a strange parable about someone who scatters seeds and then goes to bed, and somehow those seeds grow without any further work. If any of us have ever tried to keep a plant alive, we know growing something is never that easy! On

Apr 23, 2023 3:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

ROOTED.: Look Around

Our sermon series "Rooted," is designed to celebrate the ways in which a community of faith can help us deepen our spirituality and connect with others. But strangely, Pastor Jacob begins his sermon by sharing all the ways religion and religious communiti

Apr 9, 2023 3:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

An Unhurried Lent: To Everything There is a Season (Easter Sunday)

The Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us in a passage made famous by The Byrds that there is a season for everything under the sun: a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to weep and a time to laugh. Pastor Jacob welcomes us all together this Easter morni

Apr 6, 2023 12:00 PM America/Los_Angeles

An Unhurried Lent: May You Be Blessed Today (Maundy Thursday)

One of the only stories contained in all four Gospels is the story of an unnamed woman with an alabaster jar who blesses Jesus before his death and burial. Pastor Jacob reminds us that small acts of kindness can revolutionize our lives and in a powerful c

Apr 2, 2023 3:00 PM America/Los_Angeles

An Unhurried Lent: Rest is Resistance

Pastor Jen reflects on the story of Jesus sleeping in the boat during a storm and considers how Tricia Hersey’s book Rest Is Resistance might help us understand the necessity of rest.

Mar 26, 2023 3:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

An Unhurried Lent: Pray Without Ceasing

In the first letter from the Bible that he ever wrote, Paul tells the church he started in Thessaloniki that they should, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances." Paul's words seem like pretty naïve advice if we have

Mar 5, 2023 2:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

An Unhurried Lent: Eat, Drink & Be Merry

In the Gospels, Jesus is constantly enjoying meals with whoever will join him! In today's sermon, Pastor Jacob invites us to take on a new spiritual discipline during this Unhurried Lent--having slow meals with friends! Tune-in to discover how preparing a

Feb 26, 2023 2:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

An Unhurried Lent: Be Still

In Psalm 46, the Psalmist tells us that God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in times of trouble. But what about those times when it feels like God isn't very much help at all, or that perhaps God has even abandoned us? Pastor Jacob helps

Feb 12, 2023 2:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

And the Best Supporting Actor/Actress Goes To...Baruch

The Prophet Jeremiah has a seldom talked about sidekick: Baruch. Baruch is a scribe who is tasked with writing down the words of Jeremiah. He even has to do it twice after one of the evil kings of Israel throws the first scroll in the fire. Because of Bar

Jan 22, 2023 2:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

Plot Twist: Intended for Good

In the story of Joseph, he experiences mishap after mishap and yet still is able to do good in the world. Pastor Jacob explores how God does not cause the misfortunes in our lives but still works through us in the midst of tragedy to bring something good

Jan 8, 2023 2:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

Plot Twist: His Eyes Were Open

In our current sermon series, we are exploring the big reveals and plot twists of Scripture, beginning with perhaps the biggest one of all: the conversion of Saul, the great persecutor of the Christian faith. Pastor Jacob helps to walk us through the stor

Dec 18, 2022 2:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

The Gospel According to Gabriel: The Appearance to the Shepherds

"The angels' final appearance in the Nativity story is to a group of shepherds watching their flocks at night. But it's an interesting choice since shepherds were not even allowed to give eyewitness testimony in a court of law. Why would God choose them t

Dec 4, 2022 2:00 AM America/Los_Angeles

The Gospel According to Gabriel: Appearance of Mary

In today's Scripture passage, Gabriel shows up at Mary's home and declares, "Greetings favored one! The Lord is with with you!" It's a strange message, especially when the angel informs her that she will bear God's son into the world. In a situation where