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
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 just something to store."
...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 celebration ...
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 conversation—
- and we kee...
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 already knows w...
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. Faith is revealed in k...
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’re tire...
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 Jesus of the Gos...
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."
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: http...
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/
John 15:12-17
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Confirmation Sunday, January 11, 2026.
"What can be shocking today is when realize that Jesus wants us to be his friend. The kind of friend who speaks for him, acts on his behalf, and bears his love into the world even when it is uncomfortable, inconvenient, or risky. It means going to the places he went, welcoming the people he welcomed. It means not embarrassing his reputation b...
Colossians 3:1-17
*Sermon title comes from James K. A. Smith’s book, You Are What You Love: The Spiritual Power of Habit, published in 2016.
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from Sunday, January 4, 2026.
"Friends, we worship today at the beginning of a new year. And we do so in anxious and uncertain days – days when many voices compete for our allegiance, our attention, and our trust. Knowing this, may we be a community that...
Matthew 25:31-46 Part VI of the Advent Sermon Series "Once Upon an Advent"
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from the First Sunday of Christmas, December 28, 2025.
"There is a temptation to sentimentalize the Christmas season—to wrap it in nostalgia and soft lighting and comforting music. But Jesus won’t let us do that because Christmas has consequences. Christmas, at its heart, is the declaration that God has chosen to be found not i...
Luke 2:1-20, John 1 Part V of the Advent Sermon Series "Once Upon an Advent"
Sermon by Dr. George C. Anderson from Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
Luke 1:26-38, I John 4:7-12
Part IV of the Advent Sermon Series "Once Upon an Advent"
Sermon by the Rev. Elizabeth N.H. Link from the Fourth Sunday of Advent, December 21, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
Isaiah 35:1-10, Luke 2:8-20 Part III of the Advent Sermon Series "Once Upon an Advent"
Sermon by the Rev. Ben Brannan from the Third Sunday of Advent, December 14, 2025.
Read the manuscripts of our latest sermons at: https://www.spres.org/worship/sermons/
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