Shows
College Wesleyan Church SermonsRight-side UpEmily Vermilya: The Beatitudes are not commands to achieve but radical declarations of blessing that reveal the Kingdom of God, where the overlooked and broken are already favored.2025-06-1519 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsThe MiddleEmily Vermilya: The healing of the official’s son. What happens in the space between our requests of God and his ultimate action? Long before anyone knew of the miracle of healing that happened in Jesus’s second sign, the miracle of faith emerged.
2025-02-0226 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsAgainst the WindEmily Vermilya and Steve DeNeff: In the midst of a storm, we navigate more than govern. We discern more than decide. So what have we discerned for the direction of our Church?
2025-01-0546 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsAn Enduring GiftEmily Vermilya, Our understanding of the gift of the Holy Spirit is often incomplete. What does the Spirit make possible, not only through deliverance and relief, but also through sustaining and enduring our present realities?
2024-08-2521 min
GodWorx Podcast#22: The First Marketplace Multipliers Conference This month, Earl McJett takes over as host and speaks with Jeff Clark and Pastor Emily Vermilya about the first Marketplace Multipliers confrence in Marion, Indiana! We hope you enjoy listening!Show Links:Marketplace Multipliers WebsiteMarketplace Multiplier BookOrdinary Believers Becoming Multipliers2024-07-0115 min
RadiolabThe Alford PleaIn 1995, a tragic fire in Pittsburgh set off a decades-long investigation that sent Greg Brown Jr. to prison. But, after a series of remarkable twists, Brown found himself contemplating a path to freedom that involved a paradoxical plea deal—one that peels back the curtain on the criminal justice system and reveals it doesn’t work the way we think it does. Special thanks to John Lentini, Amanda Gillooly, Fred Buckner, Debbie Steinmeyer, Marissa Bluestine, Jason Hazlewood, Meredith Kennedy, Kristen Vermilya, Joshua Ceballos and Lauren Cooperman.We have some exciting news! In the “Zoozve” episode, Radiolab...2024-06-2853 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsHoly ObedienceEmily Vermilya, John 2:1-11. God encounters his people in the magnificent and the mundane. And while his Kingdom work is never limited by humanity, we see time and again, that his desire is to involve us in these efforts to restore and redeem. So often, the measure of God's activity is reflective of the measure of our obedience.
2024-06-1619 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsThe Benefit of DoubtEmily Vermilya - John 20:19-29; 1 John 1:1-4. Doubt has long been perceived as that which separates us from Christ. But in the Easter narrative, we see doubt as a regular, recurring, and formative part of the journey of faith. Ultimately, Jesus’ response to such uncertainty leads to the highest point of confession in John’s gospel and models for the church how we, as Easter people, should embrace seasons of uncertainty, ask the difficult questions, and welcome those who are still in search of the risen Christ.2024-04-0723 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsGet TogetherEmily Vermilya - Mark 10:1-34. Throughout the gospel accounts, crowds of people encounter Jesus. Intriguingly, in Mark 10, many of these meetings with the masses are followed by Jesus’s further engagement with only a few—his trusted small group of disciples. What conversations did Jesus save for this more intimate setting and community? And what role can this kind of meeting together play in our own formation as we seek to follow Jesus?2024-01-2124 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsWhere God Should BeEmily Vermilya - Luke 2:1-5 & Micah 5:2-5. One great surprise about God revealed in Jesus at the incarnation is God’s vulnerability. God is not confined to safe or polished spaces. Instead, he enters our mess. He shows up in “places God isn’t supposed to be,” exposing himself and entering our realities, messy as they might be. To this end, we don’t have to leave our own vulnerable states or situations to find God. He meets us there. He joins the struggle with us, making himself vulnerable right alongside us.
2023-12-1724 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsThe Fruit of GraceEmily Vermilya - 2 Corinthians 8:1-9; 9: 6-13. Generosity is typically understood as activity--described by actions of charity or through things we give away. But Paul describes generosity as something deeper: a responsive expression of the gospel itself, a disposition of our souls, and the means by which we allow God's sanctifying work to continue in and through us.2023-10-2228 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsThe Hard Work of HopeEmily Vermilya - Zechariah 4:6-10 & 1 Peter 1: 6-8 & 13-22. Once in the waiting room, Zechariah’s prophecy called Israel to the hard work of hope. But hope is more than wishful thinking or passively waiting for the world to change. Hope is the call of God to have faith in his promise, always preparing for the ultimate fulfillment of his promises, while actively partnering with God in bringing the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.2023-07-3026 minCollege Wesleyan Church SermonsGodspeedEmily Vermilya - Exodus 13:17~14:14. In the establishment and execution of his covenant with Israel, God was anything but efficient, at least by human calculations. What if our fixation with getting through the desert to the Promised Land comes at the expense of knowing God in deeper and more significant ways. What if in our relationship with God, the journey through the wilderness is just as significant as the destination?
2023-04-0223 min
Deep GraceRedeeming Ezer with Emily VermilyaOn this episode of the redeeming Ezer series Faith sits down with Dr. Vermilya, a professor of worship and pastor at College Wesleyan Church in Marion Indiana. Join in on the conversation as they discuss her experience as a woman in ministry, enjoy!
Hosted by:
Faith Van Schaick
Produced by:
Tyler Sanders (@tylerwsanders) and The Called Collective (@thecalledcollective)
Edited by:
Noah Yearout (@noah_yearout)
Graphics created by:
Hannah Harris (@hannahrae.of.sunshine)
Facilities Provided by:
Indiana Wesleyan University
...2023-03-0626 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsEvery Drop CountsEmily Vermilya - Isaiah 41:17-20; 43:18-21; John 7:37-39. Jesus promised his followers that “rivers of living water (that would) flow from within them,” referring to the gift he would impart to them in the Holy Spirit. In remembering our baptism, we remember that just as water channeled into the desert brings the promise of life, so we are God’s channels, called and equipped by the power of the Holy Spirit, to bring life into even the most barren places in our world.2022-08-0720 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsA Reconciled ResponseEmily Vermilya - 1 Peter 1:6-7; 3:13-18; 4:12-16,19. In a world filled with suffering, we're often tempted to go searching for the cause of such trials and hardships. But Peter’s instruction to the first century church encourages looking beyond reasons for why suffering exists and emphasizes the significance of how we respond to such difficulties in this life. Such a perspective change impacts our witness, our ability to cope with life’s challenges, and influences our understanding of the temporal nature of suffering.2020-06-2824 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsThe Challenge of SubmissionEmily Vermilya - 1 Peter 2:13-17, 3:8-9. Submission is a required and formative action in the Christian journey: first to God, then to one another, and even to the authorities placed in leadership over us in this world. Peter’s instruction for submission to the first-century church was born out of his own experience of being formed through submission as he walked with Christ. Such instruction continues to guide and form us today2020-06-2127 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsChosenEmily Vermilya - Isaiah 42:1; Luke 3:21-22; John 21:1-14; Romans 8:14-17. The same Spirit who empowered Jesus as the Son of God, empowers us to be “the children of God.” The “Spirit of holiness (who) appointed the Son of God in power” (Rom. 1:4) also appoints us toward the same end.2020-04-2628 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsA Long ObedienceEmily Vermilya - Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38. Sometimes a single act of obedience can take the rest of our lives to complete. Like Joseph and Mary, we are summoned into a story that has already begun and is larger than us, and to give our consent requires us to spend the rest of our lives doing what is hard and beyond us.2019-12-1527 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsHearing AidesEmily Vermilya - Acts 15. Discerning the voice of God lies at the heart of our desire to shift from asking to listening. But what if God’s leading seems unclear or leaves open a number of options for us in terms of next steps? What do we do when what we discern lies in direct contrast with what another brother or sister is hearing from the Lord? Examining the account of the Jerusalem Counsel (Acts 15), the Early Church models for us the role of others in helping us discern God’s voice and encourages us to become a community of p...2019-10-2726 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsRefocusEmily Vermilya - Matthew 13:3-13; 16-17. Listening is an art form necessary for those who desire to know, understand, and follow God. The parables of Christ call us to move beyond merely hearing the proclaimed word to truly listening for the fullness of the voice of God. Though usually offered as simple stories, the parables require us to look beyond the obvious for the deeper intended message and meaning. In the Parable of the Sower (as it has often been entitled), we find a reminder that in order to receive the Word of the Lord and see it flourish...2019-08-1827 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsThe Shepherd’s PsalmEmily Vermilya - Psalm 23 is often referred to as the most widely-known Psalm in the Bible. We learn it early in our journeys with Christ and recite it often. But there is a distinct differences in knowing the Psalm and living it. As a Psalm of assurance, Psalm 23 is intended as a Psalm for living—providing us with an expression of confidence in God, our great Shepherd who will provide for every need.2019-06-3023 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsThe Value of Being NobodyEmily Vermilya - John 3:22-30 & Matthew 6:1-4. Much like John the Baptist's disciples, we live in a culture that encourages us to vie for status and public renown—to broadcast our accomplishments widely and make known the great things we’ve done. Consequently, our perceived value and worth is often tied directly to the titles we’ve been given and the accolades we’ve received. But this mindset breeds a spirit of competition and self-centeredness; and we, like John’s disciples, can lose sight of our primary purpose and calling to “prepare the way of the Lord.” In the example of Joh...2019-05-2632 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsUnconditional LoveEmily Vermilya - John 1:1-2, 10-14; Colossians 2:9-10. When asked what God is like, most will say that He is “love” but do we know what this means? Jesus said, “The Father loves the Son” (John 5:20) and he prays “that the love you (the Father) have for me may be in them,” (John 17:26). In fact, the love of the Father for the Son and for us is the same love to the same degree. Just as the Father loved us through the Son, the Son will love others through us. God is not just the standard, but the Source of our love...2018-12-1623 min
College Wesleyan Church Sermons"Home"Emily Vermilya - Deuteronomy 6:1-25. The mission of God is timeless and unchanging. His "faithfulness continues from generation to generation,” (Ps. 119:90). Throughout the bible, we read of the home serving as a primary place of disciple making—a place where faith is birthed, scripture is revered, and discipleship is prioritized. The gathered church, then, serves as a supplementary disciple-making entity—a place where what is taught and modeled in the home is edified and supported. But in our contemporary culture, it seems too often this equation has been flipped and the “heavy lifting” of discipleship has been placed upon the church...2018-11-1130 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsA New ThingEmily Vermilya - Isaiah 43:15-21. We are people of ritual and routine. We like what's known—the things we can predict and plan for. We like to presume that the good things we have known and been a part of in the past will continue in the days ahead. But the story of God is filled with examples of the Lord disrupting the norm for the sake of doing something greater…"a new thing." And while neither God nor his mission ever change, the manner in which he accomplishes his will and ways is ever-changing, keeping us alert, active, and...2018-10-2830 min
Indiana Wesleyan University ChapelEmily VermilyaEmily Vermilya speaks on September 142018-09-1428 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsWhat Do I Still Lack?Emily Vermilya - Matthew 19:16-22; Hebrews 11:1-3;6. So often, as we grow in our walks with Christ, we ask God to increase our faith. We desire to see evidence of God at work around us so that we have greater assurance and reason to believe in his authority and power. But the author of Hebrews tells us that faith comes before proof—that it grows in the absence of something, rather than just in its manifestation. If this is true, then perhaps we must be intentional to cast off or give up things that prevent our faith from growing.2018-08-1227 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsOrdinary TimeRev. Emily Vermilya - Acts 2:42-47. The book of Acts is filled with stories of grandeur—healings, revival, and an assortment of overt demonstrations of the power of God. These accounts, like the momentous and extraordinary experiences of our lives today, are significant to our understanding of God and the story he is unfolding. But what of the seemingly “lesser” moments of the life of the 1st Century Church—or of our lives, for that matter? Was/Is God any less active in the everyday, unspectacular moments? And is it possible that God’s most formative work is being accomplished in these ord2018-05-2731 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsWhile You Have the LightRev. Emily Vermilya - John 12:34-36. When the crowd protested Jesus’ promise that the Messiah would die (“be lifted up”), he encouraged them to follow and he warned them to remember that they would not always have the choice: “Walk in the light before darkness overtakes you.” After this, he hid himself. To many, this was an exchange between Jesus and his inquisitors. But what if it is more? What if “the light” is coming and going all of the time, in windows of opportunity, in which we can choose to follow or choose to ignore? What if the most dreaded outcom...2018-03-1123 min
Positively CreativeEpisode 23 - Kristin Vermilya on How to Create Product & Brand Photography, Her Podcast How to Fail!, & Tips on BloggingOn today's episode Dorothy speaks with Kristin Vermilya on product photography, brand photography, on launching her podcast, How to Fail, and on blogging tips. Through her photography she helps connect your brand by sharing your personality with your dream audience and your communities. http://www.kristinvermilya.co/ http://www.howtofailpodcast.co/ https://www.instagram.com/kristinvermilya/ On Today's Show: (7:00) her photography tiers on product photography (8:00) on figuring out your brand (9:00) how to set up a DIY product photoshoot (10:00) seamless paper a continuous white backd...2017-09-2155 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsA Beautiful LifeRev. Emily Vermilya - Matthew 5:1-16; Ephesians 1:3, 11-14. What kind of people are called for by these times? A people formed by the gospel. The Beatitudes are a profile of people who are humble, vulnerable, modest, hungry, simple, compassionate, peaceful and persecuted. They are unlike anything the world has seen, yet they are the happiest and the most whole. And when they come together, in covenant with one another, they form a new society, becoming a social alternative for the world. This sermon will introduce the core practices and call us to live in covenant with each other. 2017-09-1034 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsAn “Ordinary" MiracleEmily Vermilya - Luke 5:17-26. Perhaps one of the most astounding things about the miracles was the way Jesus involved others—ordinary people. In the story of the healing of the paralytic man, we see, once again, how Jesus allows others to be involved in his life-transforming work. He allows our faith, our creativity and selfless nature to play a significant role in this inexplicable healing and reminds us that Christ still seeks to employ a community of ordinary people to help accomplish his miraculous Kingdom work on earth.2017-07-3030 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsTaking: Thinking and Acting Like an OwnerEmily Vermilya - Luke 19:11-27. "In most of us, there is a strong connection between our concept of God and our level of generosity. This sermon will explore that connection in the contrast between the mindset of a consumer (“I kept it laid away”) and a steward (“You have been trustworthy in very small matters”), and show how our concept of God (“I was afraid of you . . . Sir, here is your talent”) directly affects what we think of ourselves and our possessions. It will call us to think and act like an owner of our possessions so that we can be held...2017-01-1529 min
College Wesleyan Church SermonsThe Habitat of WisdomRev. Emily Vermilya - Proverbs 6:20-23; 14:1; 20:7. With
the demise of traditional institutions, where do you go to learn
wisdom? Of all places designed to teach it (schools, public forums,
etc), the most powerful might also be the most overlooked today. Nearly
everything that wisdom – or folly – has to teach us is first learned in
the home. Indeed, the family is the habitat of both. “The wise person builds her house; but with her own hands the fool tears hers down,”
(14:1). In spite of our confusion over what, exactly, a family is,
there remains a presence of both strong and weak families in...2016-10-3031 min