Second on the Mount
No matter where you are on the journey of faith, God’s Word has something to say to you. Second on the Mount is a collection of sermons from Second Presbyterian Church on Mountain Avenue in Roanoke, VA. Listen to the encouraging words of ministers George Anderson, Elizabeth Link, Ben Brannan, and occasional guests as we journey together, finding direction by following Jesus. We hope you’ll return to this podcast, visit our website www.spres.org for more, or visit us in person!
Episodes
Matthew 13:10-17
Sermon by Dr. John McCall, guest preacher and our Evening VBS guest speaker, from Sunday, June 7, 2026.
"When we live with a nagging fear of scarcity, we really can’t hear God’s voice. When we live under constant pressure of missing out, we have to respond immediately to every sound from our smartphone. But Jesus never seems to be in a hurry. He was never controlled by the tyranny of the moment. In orde...
Romans 12:9-21
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Trinity Sunday, May 31, 2026.
"'Bless those who persecute you.' Can we really do that?
"This is where Christianity stops being theoretical. Loving people who love us is not especially difficult. Most people can manage that. But praying for people who wound us, refusing retaliation, refusing cruelty, refusing to dehumanize those we oppose, it doesn’t get much more coun...
Acts 2:1-21
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Pentecost Sunday, May 24, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
Mark 4:30-32
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, May 17, 2026.
"The greatness of the kingdom is not found in spectacle or domination. Its greatness is found in the life it makes possible… the life it shelters.
"Perhaps that is the impressiveness of Jesus himself. We call him 'king,' yet he commands no armies and occupies no palace. Instead, he heals the sick, touches lepers, welcomes the outcast, forgives sin...
Mark 4:1-20
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, May 10, 2026.
"In the Bible, the sea is never just water. It is the place where things come undone. And the beach—where land meets sea—is where order meets chaos.
"So, while many of us go to the beach for vacation, Jesus goes to the beach to work. For where better to do his work than right there at the edge—where things feel like they coul...
Luke 18:1-8
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, May 3, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
Luke 12:13-22
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, April 26, 2026.
"The problem is not that the man had a good year. The problem is that he could not imagine that his life still belonged to God. And so his world shrank… to himself.
"But when God is present—really present—everything changes. • Abundance becomes opportunity. • Resources become relationships. • And life becomes something to give… not...
John 21 (selected verses) Part VIII and conclusion of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, April 12, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
John 20:1-10 Part VII of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026.
"We belong here… you and I.
• "Whether our faith feels strong or uncertain, • Whether our life feels settled or unresolved, • Whether we are celebrating with confidence, or simply hoping something true might still meet us.
"Easter is not just a celebration at the end of a journey. It is a celeb...
John 18:1-14 Part VI of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, March 22, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
Matthew 16:21-27 Part V of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, March 22, 2026.
"This rebuke isn’t just for [Peter]. It’s for us—when the path feels too hard. It shows up in small, ordinary moments.
- "When we know we need to say something that is true—
- but we soften it so much that it is no longer true anymore.
- When we need to have a hard conve...
Matthew 16:13-20 Part IV of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, March 15, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at:https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
Matthew 16:13-20 Part III of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, March 8, 2026.
"The church is not built on Peter’s person or perfection. It is built on the grace that kept calling Peter back. • Peter confessed boldly. • He failed publicly. • And he was forgiven again and again.
"And that is the kind of church Jesus builds. • A human one. • A community whose Founder alre...
Matthew 14:22-33 Part II of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, March 1, 2026.
"Let’s return to Peter’s shining moment—the moment when he truly models faithfulness. No, it is not when he steps onto the water. It is when he cries out, 'Lord, save me!' That is where he shines. The moment he knows he cannot save himself.
"Faith is not proven in walking on water....
Luke 5:1-11 Part I of the Lenten Sermon Series "On This Rock"
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, February 22, 2026.
"Simon is not exaggerating here. He is simply telling the truth. His truth. The truth of someone who has reached the limit of his own capacity. 'Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing.' I can imagine Simon leaving a pregnant pause, hoping Jesus would say, 'No worries. I know you’r...
Romans 7:7-25
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, February 15, 2026.
"You already belong to Christ. He loves you. You love him. You already stand in communion with the One whose heart is aligned with the Father’s.
"Stay there. Even if you are well aware of how far short you fall, stay there! Don’t have a spiritual affair with some other social, political or personal ideology. Stay in relationship with the Jesu...
Genesis 1:1-25 (summarized), 26-27
From Youth Sunday, February 8, 2026.
Sermons by graduating seniors Ryan I'Anson (3:34) and Madelyn Lyons (11:42). Our Youth Group theme for the year is "Nurture Your Nature." May God's spirit remind you of who you are, that you might come to know more fully the love of God by which you were made.
Micah 6:1-8
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, February 1, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
Psalm 121, Matthew 19:13-25
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Sunday, January 25, 2026.
"God guards not only our bodies, but our identities. God holds not only our actions, but our worth. In a culture that says we are what we achieve, what we post, and how we compare, the church dares to speak a deeper truth: We are God’s children. We are held. We are known. And we are loved."
John 1:29-42
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from Sunday, January 18, 2026.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
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