Central United Methodist Church (Arlington, Virginia) Sermon Podcast
An audio podcast of the weekly message preached at Central United Methodist Church in Arlington, Virginia. You're invited to join us online for worship on Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Visit us on the web at cumcballston.org to learn how to join us for worship via zoom or facebook live. You're invited to join our congregation where we worship God, serve others, and embrace all.
Central United Methodist Church (Arlington, Virginia) Sermon Podcast
The Unknown God Revealed
A Story Worth Sharing: The Unknown God Revealed
Scripture: Acts 17:16–34
This week at Central, we began a new worship series, A Story Worth Sharing. Pastor Sarah reflected on Paul’s visit to Athens, where the city was filled with shrines, altars, and philosophies — including one altar marked “to an unknown god.” Rather than debate or condemn, Paul began with the Athenians’ spiritual hunger. He connected their searching to the God already at work in their lives, the God revealed fully in Jesus Christ.
This is the Methodist story of prevenient grace: God’s love goes before us, stirring in our lives even before we recognize it. Like the Athenians, we may have “altars to an unknown god” — seasons or moments when we longed for something more but didn’t yet have the words or story to name it. Paul shows us that evangelism isn’t argument but invitation, telling the story of God’s grace in a way that meets people where they are.
Each of us has a story worth sharing — a story that reveals God’s presence and love in our lives. By telling those stories, we offer others not debate, but light.
🌀 Reflection Questions:
- When you look back at your life, where do you recognize God was already at work in your story before you fully knew it? What were some of your own “altars to an unknown god”?
- When you think about the people in your life who don’t share your faith, what are they already seeking or longing for? How do you see God at work in those desires?