Believing in the Tension | The Benefit of the Doubt | Menlo Church Sermon Message

We close with a vision of faith rebuilt on Jesus, not on cultural scaffolding. Isaiah 61 reminds us that God brings beauty from ashes—and Jude 1:22 calls us to be merciful to those who doubt. This is not a return to where we were—it’s the beginning of where God is taking us. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week Jessica Morgan, our Menlo Park Associate Family Pastor, sits down with us to further lean into what it means to dive into doubt both personally, and for the kids and students in our life.  Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Mark 9:24 is the anthem of our generation: “I believe; help my unbelief.” This message explores the paradox of trusting Jesus while not having all the answers. The renewal we long for begins with a remnant learning to stand in uncertainty with conviction, not anxiety. Certainty often comes by blending things we think we can control with the mysteries we can’t, but curiosity leads to something much deeper and more powerful for living out who we are in Jesus. Connect with Us | Test Us: (650)600-0402

This week the Reverend Doctor Scott Palmbush joins us to walkthrough what it means to doubt our faiths, ask and answer questions of doubt well, and encourages us that this is, indeed, a normal and shared experience. If you struggle with doubt, or have a questions about faith deepens your doubt, text our team and we will chat about this on the next podcast! Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

We live in an age of unraveling—where inherited faith is being deconstructed, institutions are distrusted, and certainty is rare. But maybe doubt isn’t a detour from discipleship. Maybe it’s the door. Benefit of the Doubt invites us into the tension of belief and uncertainty. We’ll learn how doubt can purify faith rather than destroy it—and why resilient discipleship in a secular age requires depth, honesty, and the courage to rebuild on something more durable than cultural Christianity. This isn’t a call to ignore your questions. It’s a call to bring them to Jesus—to surrender shallow certainty for deeper trust. In a culture obsessed with authenticity, Jesus still offers the real thing. Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

This week we dive deeper into how to bring peace in a time where there is so much division around us. Matt and Junior help lay out some practical steps to take this week to lead ourselves and those around us to hope bring hope and peace. See you this Friday at San Mateo for the Worship Night! Connect with Us | Text Us: (650)600-0402

In this special episode of the podcast, Phil and Dawn walk us through some of the big picture questions around the Annual Congregational Meeting that happened in services today, as well as answer the questions that were submitted to us to help inform voting and strategy.  To vote, or see anything mentioned in this podcast around Bylaw Updates, Elders, or strategy click HERE.

In this message, we dive into the increasing polarization of our world, the loss of our cultural “third places,” and the way outrage has become a business model. Drawing inspiration from C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, we explore how the real battle is not right vs. left, but darkness vs. light — and how followers of Jesus are called to wage peace instead of war. This weekend at Menlo Church, we pause our regular series for a special ACM Weekend — celebrating what God is doing in our community, confirming elders, and updating our bylaws. You can find all of that info plus an extended strategic update video here. Connect with Us or ACM Voting | Text Us: (650)600-0402

Phil and Mark close out our series by circling around the importance of having deep roots, even if that means for a short time - and how we can only expect fruit if the roots are present. And, if you are listening to this when it comes out, see you at our Annual Congregational Meeting this weekend (9/21) in services!  Text Us: (650)600-0402 | Connect with Us

In a world that’s always looking for the next best thing—next job, next city, next community—God invites His people to plant themselves. In Jeremiah 29, God speaks to His people in exile, not with a plan for escape, but with a call to invest deeply in the place they find themselves. Even in discomfort, God calls us to build, plant, and pray. This message will challenge us to resist the cultural pull toward uprootedness and choose faithful presence instead. Because spiritual formation doesn’t happen at warp speed—it takes gardens, not microwaves.