The John Knox Presbyterian Church Podcast

"The Story of Fear"

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - John 3:1-21

Nicodemus’ nighttime encounter with Jesus reveals how fear keeps us in the dark — guarding our image, avoiding exposure, and holding back from transformation. Rather than condemning, Jesus invites us into new life: a “birth from above” shaped by the renewing work of the Spirit. Drawing on the promises of the prophets and the image of the lifted serpent in the wilderness, the message points to Christ lifted up on the cross as the place where healing and life are found. In a world marked by fear, this is a call to step into the light, trust the love of God, and receive the new life already being offered.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"The Story of Longing"

Marc Gronholz - John 4:1-30

The encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman reveals the deep spiritual thirst at the heart of every human life. As she searches for fulfillment in all the wrong places, Jesus meets her across every barrier—not with condemnation, but with an offer of “living water” that truly satisfies. Her story becomes our story, exposing the ways we try to fill a God-shaped longing with lesser things. The good news is clear: no sin is too great, no distance too far, and no wall too high to keep us from God’s pursuing love, which alone can transform our longing into abundant, lasting life. 

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"On the Verge of New Life"

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - Jonah 2:1-10 

On Easter morning, we step into the strange, subversive story of Book of Jonah and discover it’s not just about a prophet and a fish — it’s about mercy we resist and grace we cannot escape. Connecting Jonah’s descent into the deep with Matthew 12, this sermon proclaims the resurrection of Jesus as the ultimate “sign of Jonah” — God entering death itself to bring life. Through a vivid personal story of missing a stop sign and living as if nothing had changed, we’re invited to confront the deeper question: are we still living in the old story, or will we awaken to the new life God is already bringing? At the threshold between death and resurrection, judgment and mercy, the call is clear — how will you respond?

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"What’s Going Down"

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - John 13:1-17, 31b-35

In this Maundy Thursday homily based on readings from John 13 we enter the unsettling and beautiful moment when Jesus kneels to wash his disciples’ feet, revealing both the depth of his saving love and the shape of the life he calls us to share. What begins as confusion becomes clarity: this act points to the cross, where Christ fully cleanses and claims us by grace alone. From there, Jesus gives a new command — to love one another not as we love ourselves, but as he has loved us.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"On the Verge of Love"

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - Zephaniah 3:14-20 

Palm Sunday is marked by the tension of a cheering crowd longing for victory as Jesus rides in on a donkey, revealing a kingship marked by humility, sorrow, and costly love. Drawing on Zephaniah’s turn from judgment to joy, this message moves from a world unraveling under injustice to the startling vision of a God who delights, rejoices, and sings over God’s people. As Jesus continues toward the cross— with all the misunderstanding, betrayal, and suffering that accompanies that journey — we are invited to release our desire for “Easter without the cross” and rediscover a love that does not flee, but moves straight into the brokenness to redeem, restore, and make all things new.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"On the Verge of Hope"

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - Zechariah 9:9-12

In this sermon on Zechariah 9:9–12, we explore what it means to wait for God when expectations go unmet and hope feels uncertain. Through the prophet’s surprising vision of a humble king, alongside stories of disappointment, longing, and resilient faith we are invited to see that God’s hope often arrives differently than we imagine, yet no less powerfully. This message calls us to become “prisoners of hope,” trusting that even in quiet and unexpected ways, God is still at work, drawing us toward restoration and new life.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"On the Verge of Renewal"

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - Joel 2:12-32

In Joel’s day, a devastating locust swarm stripped the land bare and left the future uncertain. It looked like the end. But through the prophet, God speaks a surprising word: what appears to be the end may actually be the verge of renewal. In this sermon, we explore Joel’s warning about short-sighted living, superficial repentance, and the “Day of the Lord” that exposes what is truly going on beneath the surface of our lives. Yet Joel’s message is ultimately one of hope — because the God who calls us to “rend our hearts” is also the God who promises to restore what has been lost. Even now, through the mercy revealed in Jesus Christ, we discover that what looks like the end may be the beginning of something new.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"On the Verge of Mercy"

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - Micah 6:6-8

In this sermon from Micah 6:6–8 in the On the Verge series, we explore the prophet’s call “to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Speaking into a world where religious activity continued while justice and mercy were neglected, Micah reminds God’s people that what God desires is not more ritual, but lives shaped by faithful love. At the center of the message is the rich Hebrew word hesed — steadfast, covenant love — and the invitation to embody that same mercy in a world that desperately needs it, because as the song says, “we could use a little mercy now.”

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

"On the Verge of Justice"

Marc Gronholz - Amos 5:18-24

In this message from Amos 5, we explore what it means to stand “on the verge of justice” in a world filled with competing definitions of fairness and righteousness. While Israel longed for the “Day of the Lord” as judgment on their enemies, Amos delivers a sobering warning: God’s justice begins with his own people, especially when worship is empty and the vulnerable are neglected. Through Amos’ bold words, we are reminded that justice is rooted in God’s character and flows through lives marked by mercy, humility, and action. Though ultimate justice awaits Christ’s return, we live on the verge of it now whenever we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.

“On the Verge of Return”

Rev. Jimmy McPherson - Hosea 14:1-9

We love a comeback story — until it slips away at the last second. In this Lenten message, On the Verge of Return, we turn to Hosea 14 and discover that Israel’s greatest failure wasn’t on a field but in the heart: “you have stumbled because of your iniquity.” Through vivid imagery of broken covenant, misplaced trust, and relentless divine love, this sermon explores how we still manufacture modern idols and trust our own “horses.” Yet Hosea’s final word is not judgment but invitation: “Return.” Even more astonishing, God gives us the words to come home. In a season of confession and renewal, we stand on the verge — not of defeat, but of mercy — and are invited to return to the love that has been pursuing us all along.

Thank you for listening and for supporting the ministry of John Knox Presbyterian Church Seattle. To learn more about our life together and ministry, visit www.johnknox.church.