Podcast
Idlewild Presbyterian Church
Hosted by Idlewild Presbyterian Church · EN
The Idlewild podcast is a ministry of Idlewild Presbyterian Church in Memphis, TN. Every podcast includes a weekly sermon that explores scripture and provokes reflection about the mystery of God and what it means to model our lives on the life of Jesus Christ.
25episodes
Episodes
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Sunday Sermon: Tell Me A Story - David and Goliath
6d ago00:21:53Tap to summarizeThis morning, we will continue our Tell Me a Story series with two of the most well-known characters in all of Scripture: David and Goliath. Many of us learned this story as children as a tale of courage, faith, and the underdog who defeats the giant, and it is certainly that. However, David’s story also asks us to look more closely at the nature of power. It reveals how the vulnerable can overcome the seemingly invincible, and later the same people can become captive to the very power they once resisted. David is remembered as a shepherd, a poet, a king, and a person after God’s own heart; he is also remembered as one whose life reveals the deep contradictions of human nature. Sermon on 1 Samuel 17:4-11, 32-40, 45-49, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on July 5th, 2026.
Transcribe →Sunday Sermon: Tell Me A Story - Ruth
2w ago00:26:11Tap to summarizeAs we continue our summer sermon series, Tell Me A Story, this week we turn to the book of Ruth. It is here that we encounter a foundational story of devotion, community, and steadfast love. Ruth's 'outsider' status and her loyalty to her mother-in-law Naomi define the narrative and guide us to wrestle with God's boundary-breaking love in our own lives. Sermon on Ruth 1:1-19, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on June 28th, 2026.
Transcribe →Sunday Sermon: Tell Me A Story - Moses
3w ago00:17:19Tap to summarizeThis morning, our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, continues as we revisit one of the most familiar figures in all of scripture: Moses. Long before he led God's people out of Egypt, Moses was a fugitive tending sheep in the wilderness when he encountered God in a burning bush. Our Theologian in Residence, Rev. Dr. Stephen Haynes will explore this pivotal moment and the surprising ways God calls ordinary, imperfect people into extraordinary purposes. What happened in the desert that convinced Moses to return to the country he had fled? And what might his story reveal about how God continues to call us today? Join us as we gather for worship, song, prayer, and a fresh encounter with an ancient story. Sermon on Exodus 3:1-15, delivered by the Reverend Dr. Stephen Hayes on June 7th, 2026.
Transcribe →Sunday Sermon: Tell Me A Story - Joseph
4w ago00:24:37Tap to summarizeAs we continue our summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, we turn our attention to the story of Joseph. Spanning nearly half of the book of Genesis, Joseph's story is a sprawling narrative full of twists and turns, betrayals and surprises. Sermon on Genesis 45:1-15, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on June 14th, 2026.
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Sunday Sermon: Tell Me A Story - Noah
Jun 700:22:43Tap to summarizeThis morning, we begin a new summer sermon series, Tell Me a Story, revisiting some of the biblical characters we first met as children and discovering what their stories still have to teach us today. We begin with Noah, not the nursery version with smiling animals and rainbows, but a story about a world gone wrong, a God whose heart can break, and a grace that refuses to let creation go. Sermon on Genesis 6:5-8, 13-22, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on June 7th, 2026.
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Sunday Sermon: The Power of Relationship
May 3100:17:47Tap to summarizeOn Trinity Sunday, we celebrate the mystery and beauty of God revealed in relationship - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - distinct yet one, bound together in perfect love. In 1 Corinthians 12:4–12, the Apostle Paul reminds us that the church, too, is made up of many gifts, many callings, and many people, all joined together as one body in Christ. As we ordain and install new elders and deacons, we will reflect on the truth that faithful leadership is never solitary, but deeply relational, formed through our connection to God and to one another. We will learn again that the work of ministry is shared work, strengthened by different gifts offered in common purpose. Sermon on 1 Corinthians 12:4-12, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on May 31st, 2026.
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Sunday Sermon: Running from the Spirit
May 2400:18:51Tap to summarizeThis morning, as we gather to celebrate Pentecost, we remember the moment that everything changed for the disciples. In fear and uncertainty, they had gathered together waiting on God’s promise. The Holy Spirit then moved among them, filling them with courage and a calling. Sermon on Acts 2:1-21, delivered by the Reverend Mary Newberg Gale on May 24th, 2026.
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Sunday Sermon: Resurrected Life - Preparing to Witness
May 1700:15:49Tap to summarizeThis morning, we will wrap up our Eastertide sermon series, Resurrected Life, by reflecting on what it means to be sent into the world as witnesses to the risen Christ. Our scripture will come from Acts 1:6–14, where the disciples stand between Christ’s ascension and the coming of the Spirit, learning to trust what God will do next. Sermon on Acts 1:6-14, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on May 17th, 2026.
Transcribe →Sunday Sermon: Resurrected Life - With You Always
May 1000:25:13Tap to summarizeThis morning, we continue in the joy of Eastertide and in our sermon series Resurrected Life, exploring what it means to live as people shaped by the presence of the risen Jesus. Our scripture lesson comes from the Gospel of Matthew 28:16–20, where the disciples encounter Christ on the mountain and are sent out into the world with a calling that is both challenging and full of promise. In this passage, we witness the shift from disciples to apostles, from those who follow to those who are sent, and we are invited to consider our place in that same movement. At the heart of it all is Jesus’ promise: “I am with you always,” a word of assurance that meets us in both our faith and our uncertainty. Sermon on Matthew 28:16-20, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on May 10th, 2026.
Transcribe →Sunday Sermon: Resurrected Life - Deeper Trust
May 300:16:52Tap to summarizeThis morning, we will continue in the joy of Eastertide and in our sermon series Resurrected Life, where we are exploring what it means to live each day shaped by the presence and power of the risen Jesus. Our worship will center on John 21:1–14 as the disciples encounter the risen Christ beside the sea and are invited to cast their nets once more; trusting his guidance into deeper waters. In this tender story, Jesus meets them in their uncertainty and reveals again that life with him is marked not by scarcity, but by unexpected abundance. Together, we’ll reflect on how living a resurrected life means trusting Christ enough to follow where he leads, even when the way forward is not entirely clear. Sermon on John 21:1-14, delivered by the Reverend David J. Powers on May 3rd, 2026.
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