First Farragut United Methodist Church: Recent Episodes
Jackie Davis
Today we’ll see how the early church provides a model for a healthy church today. A key component to all the elements present in this snapshot of the early church is relationships with each other and with God. What can we imitate from their model?
Peter, on the day of Pentecost, boldly shared his experience. He demonstrated that God has always been in the business of resurrection. God resurrects people and churches.
All the post-resurrection disciples of Jesus did was tell the story of their experience with Jesus. They were still learning the vast implications of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.
At the completion of a boot camp, one is tempted to reward oneself with rich dessert or a week off from exercise. Boot camp is not an end to itself, it is preparation for what is to come. We celebrate the completion of the Lenten journey with the crowds around Jesus, but we are reminded the journey wasn’t simply for the sake of celebration; it was to prepare us for what happens after the changes we’ve made in our lives.
There comes a point in every challenge or attempt to make a change where it seems difficult to continue, as if hope is gone. God breathes hope into the most hopeless of situations. Jesus returns life to the lifeless. God takes our dead ends and makes them into a place to turnaround.
We are all defined by or as something. Descriptors such as beautiful/ugly, intelligent/dumb, funny/boring, rich/poor, tend to be used to define us. The people in Jesus’ day did the same thing. The man in John 9 was defined by his blindness until Jesus healed him. Jesus takes our imperfection, perceived classifications, and redefines who we are.
When our spiritual sources of hydration seem to run dry, how can we turn to God for living water? Rev Martha Scott preaches from John 4:5-42.
If we fail in the many temptations we face, is it possible to begin again? The change boot camp brings about means leaving behind some of our old habits, prejudices, and weaknesses. The gospel calls this “being born again,” and this spiritual rebirth offers us a new start.
Our journey for transformation through boot camp begins with recognizing the need for change. The temptation story of Jesus gives us a glimpse three human traits for which we are often tempted. Psalm 32 reminds us that it is in the shelter of God’s grace that we recognize our need for change. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that we can experience change.
February 19th was Transfiguration Sunday, a day in the church calendar for us to remember when Jesus’ identity was revealed in glory on the mount of transfiguration. Peter, James, and John were eyewitnesses to this magnificent event and shared their story to give people hope. We too are eyewitnesses and called to share our experiences of Christ’s glory with others.
The choice God gave the Israelites echoes through to us today: choose life or death. To choose life means to “attach” oneself to God which seems the opposite of freedom. But to choose “death” means to attach oneself to all whims we may experience. Freedom is a gift we must choose.
God’s promise of guidance reminds God does not leave us without direction. We may find it challenging to discern God’s will and way forward but the guidance of the grace of Christ remains an unchanged promise.
“Blessed” is a word that gets lost in translation. God’s promise of “blessing” has nothing to do with cause and effect, nothing to do with a state of ease or material or emotional “blessing,” but has everything to do with the acceptance we have in Christ’s love for us.
Much to our disappointment Jesus never called us to a life of ease. Instead, Jesus called us to serve. God’s promise of ministry is that we have a purpose, a job, a calling.
God’s faithfulness to us is not dependent upon our faith in God or our ability to be “full of faith.” There is freedom and joy in realizing God is faithful even when we’re not.
When we come to Jesus in a commitment of faith or baptism we are effectively dying and rising again, just as Jesus did at his resurrection. This “new life” is a gift and promise from God. Our role is to accept it and begin to move toward this new life through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah and the Psalmist cry out “Let us go up to the house of the Lord.” There are echoes of hope for better days, for peace, for calm, for a ceasing of war. How is Isaiah’s vision of hope relevant for us today?
The encounter with the Sadducees proves There’s no such thing as a dumb question” and “I don’t know” are perfectly acceptable answers. Sometimes the answer to the question is found in the question itself. Resurrection is about more than immortality.
The story of Zacchaeus challenges us to ask are we willing to go out on a limb for Jesus? Are we willing to risk total transformation or play it safe in our comforts?
After healing ten lepers, only one returned and fell at Jesus’ feet in thanks. The leper didn’t have eloquent words: his actions were his grateful response. How can our actions show gratitude for what Jesus has done in our lives?
In Luke 17, the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. Many of us feel like the disciples felt, inadequate in our own faith so we pray for more. But Jesus’s response suggests what we don’t need more, we just need exercise what we do have.
Contentment is a game-changer for a happy life. Wanting more, bigger, better, and faster, breeds perpetual discontent. Contentment is the answer to the pursuit of happiness.
Reframing prayer calls us to ask a revealing question: for whom am I, are we, unwilling to pray? This sermon challenges us to see the scope of our prayers as a barometer of our understanding of God’s reach.
Regret can trap us in the sorrow and remorse of what did – or did not – happen in our lives. It is not something to be “lived with,” but something to share.
This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint, click here.
Relationships take work. It’s easy to walk away from a relationship when conflict or estrangement arises, but followers of Jesus are called to do the hard work of reconciliation.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's Mid-Week Checkpoint, click here.
Parting words matter! The writer of Hebrews addresses sacrificial living. What difference does that make in our lives?
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (August 28), click here.
The writer of Hebrews was trying to get down to what really mattered for the Christians to whom he wrote. He writes of a loving God who creates, renews, and transforms and shares that our faith can be shaken and emerge even stronger.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (August 21), click here.
The writers of Hebrews reminds his readers of those who went before them. They endured hard times, making it through their difficulties by carrying the baton of faith. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (August 14), click here.
The letter of Hebrews is a document about remaining confident in Christ in the face of persecution, imprisonment, and loss of property. It reminds us that when we turn away from faithfulness, our faith can be rekindled. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (August 7), click here.
What path are you following in life? Jesus instructs us to follow a path of mutual love. What does that look like? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (July 31), click here.
The story of Hosea offers a rich metaphor for the infinite love and grace of God. Although Hosea’s experiences are shocking, he becomes a living image of God’s unwavering love to his unfaithful people. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (July 24), click here.
Amos was tasked with speaking a hard truth, and wrath was coming! God was angry because the people had forsaken their call to live with love and compassion. How can wrath and compassion co-exist? What does it mean to live with love and compassion? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (July 17), click here.
God told Amos he was about to measure the people, and they would be found failing in faithfulness. They would, therefore, be judged. They didn’t like Amos’s message! We want God’s judgment about evil and people who hurt us, but what does God’s judgment feel like when it’s aimed at us? How does God measure us? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (July 10), click here.
Sometimes we don’t like the path God leads us down because it might be too hard or too easy. It might require us to condescend our status or our comforts. Our pride is also at stake. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (July 3), click here.
Elisha was willing to walk away from the life he knew. He was “all in,” and he valued the importance of apprenticeship and mentoring. How is learning part of discipleship? How can spiritual mentors make a difference? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (June 26), click here.
Elijah was a “man of God,” but he was burned out, at the end of his rope, and mad at God. It’s okay not to be okay. But then what? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (June 19), click here.
Wisdom is more than just head knowledge -- it’s a way of living with God the Father, Jesus the Son, and with the Holy Spirit. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (June 12), click here.
Pentecost is the birthday of the Church. What does that mean to us today? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (June 5), click here.
This is the question Jesus put to his own disciples on the trail outside Caesarea Philippi one day: Who do you say that I am? If you are a follower of Jesus, this is one of the most important questions you will ever have to think about and respond to.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (May 29), click here.
The concluding scene in Revelation closely resembles the beginning scene of Genesis 1. Revelation brings us full circle with God’s overarching plan to bring new life.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (May 22), click here.
The resurrection of Jesus was only the beginning of making things new. We are all still "works in progress," and God is still in the process of bringing about a new way of life.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (May 15), click here.
The apostle John’s vision of the church reminds us we are called to be a great multitude of diverse people, all with our baggage, hang-ups and habits, yet all connected and pointing to the one who loves, accepts, and forgives us all
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (May 8), click here.
Through worship, we embody and enact what takes place in Revelation 5:11-14. The challenge for us is to remember who’s on the throne at the center.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (May 1), click here.
The Book of Revelation may perplex, scare, confuse or intimidate us. It may make us wonder what Jesus’ resurrection has to do with life here and now. When we better understand the context of Revelation, we can see how much we have in common with the early church. We can cling to the hope we have in Christ.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (April 24), click here.
Christian character doesn’t live in defeat. Despite the negative forces and influences in our lives and world, Christian character always remembers the victory of life over death, in this life and the next.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (April 17), click here.
Jesus never sought his own ambitions. To be like Jesus is to assume a mindset of humility. True humility is the gift of seeing yourself and others the way God sees you and others. This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (April 10), click here.
Paul (the greatest missionary of all time) admitted that he didn’t have all the answers. He, too, was striving for more confidence in Jesus. Faith is a journey -- not a destination. It is something we grow into. This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (April 3), click here.
Christian character reconciles our heart and mind with the heart and mind of Christ. To reconcile our values and beliefs with Christ, we need to allow Christ’s values to overshadow our own. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (March 27), click here.
Holiness does not mean flawlessness. Holiness for followers of Jesus refers to living in unity with the Holy Spirit over, above, and beyond the worldly influences that would divide our hearts and minds. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (March 20), click here.
To follow Jesus means to mimic Jesus. To mimic Jesus begins with having a relationship with Jesus. Through discipline (training), we more closely resemble Jesus. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (March 13), click here.
Mahatma Gandhi has been credited with saying, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” Why do you think Gandhi said that? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (March 6), click here.
The transfiguration reminds us of who Jesus is and what he came to do. The disciples wanted to stay right there with Jesus, but God cannot, and will not, be deterred. God’s ultimate will for salvation cannot be overthrown.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (February 27), click here.
When circumstances don't turn out the way we hoped they would, we may experience bad or trying times. Despite the bad that happens (at no cause from God), God can still work through the circumstances.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (February 20), click here.
We often think that doing good should always be rewarded with good, and bad rewarded with bad. Things do not always turn out that way. While God’s intentional will is for good, human brokenness can get in the way. As Pastor Martha says, ”A+B doesn’t always equal C.” Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (February 13), click here.
We frequently want Jesus to tell us exactly what to do, but Jesus rarely does that. We need discernment to figure out the will of God. How can we live in that tension? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (February 6), click here.
Jesus doesn't always tell us what we want to hear. Instead, he may tell us what we need to hear. When Jesus tells us what we need to hear, it may not feel good! Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (January 30), click here.
John Wesley, founder of the Methodist movement, once said that when Jesus returned from his wilderness experience, Jesus had been "abundantly strengthened after his conflict." Jesus stands ready to abundantly strengthen us, too! Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (January 23), click here.
We may be ordinary people doing ordinary things, but God created us for more. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (January 16), click here.
Baptism involves water, a symbol of cleansing and rebirth or new life – a new beginning. What new beginnings do you long for?
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (January 9), click here.
Sometimes our path is confusing or frightening. While we may experience difficulties and obstacles along the way, God is always with us.
Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (January 2), click here.
What creates chaos in your life? Bishop Wallace-Padgett says "We need someone bigger than ourselves to handle the situation" when chaos occurs. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (December 19), click here.
Gaudete Sunday (the third Sunday of Advent) focuses on joy. Where do you find joy? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (December 5), click here: files.constantcontact.com/852830ca001/43974aff-6905-4072-b34b-d4b30e619b08.pdf
Advent offers an opportunity to prepare for Christ anew -- to wait well, to reflect, and to examine our circumstances. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (December 5), click here.
Sometimes we feel like we are in a wasteland -- a place of desolation or a place that needs to be healed, rebuilt, or cleansed. T. S. Eliot describes it as "a heap of broken images." But there is hope! Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (November 28), click here.
Before Advent begins, it's important to celebrate Christ as King of the Earth and consider the Kingdom of God -- a Kingdom full of hope and expectation. God the King meets us in the darkness and calls us to light. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (November 21), click here.
“There’s something about valuing people not because they value you, but because you can see God in them.” (Bill Johnson, senior leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California). How do you value others? How do you see God in the stranger or in the people closest to you? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (November 14), click here.
We say we “love” a lot of things; for example, chocolate, the weather, or a person. St. Bernard of Clairvaux said, “What we love we shall grow to resemble.”That’s pretty convicting! God invites us to love as he loves. How can we respond to that invitation? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (November 7), click here.
Are you rich or poor? What's the difference between the two? How do God's perspective, and our perspectives, compare? What does it really mean to be generous with our money? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (October 31), click here.
How do you feel about time? We typically think of time in a measurable way but God's time offers so much more! This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (October 24), click here.
The Bible is filled with "wisdom literature" -- writing that offers instruction. Sunday's sermon focused on what it means to "speak a blessing" to God and to our neighbors. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (October 17), click here.
The apostle Paul reminds us that love binds everything together in perfect harmony. That's a lofty thought! What can it look like when we live it out? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (October 10), click here.
Sacrifices are mentioned frequently in the Old Testament, but the apostle Paul turned things upside down in the New Testament when he instructed us to "present your bodies as a living sacrifice . . .". What does that even mean? Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (October 3), click here: https://files.constantcontact.com/852830ca001/b984f7e5-0382-4519-afb1-5ffd8073d3a1.pdf
The prophet Micah invites us to stretch our faith as we do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with God. What could that look like in real life and real time? This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon.
To view this week's checkpoint (September 26), click here.
The United Methodist Church believes that every child of God is filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, specially gifted to play a unique and valued role in the body of Christ. No one is without gift or purpose. This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (September 19), click here.
We are called to be Christ’s disciples, and it’s important to understand who we are as God’s children (both individually and collectively). Our "holy ground" experiences with God are an important part of that understanding. Our Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon. To view this week's checkpoint (September 12), click here.
Life has been rough the last 17 months or so! We need not just resilience, but holy resilience – a resilience that comes from our ongoing relationship with God and neighbor. This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon.
To view this week's checkpoint (September 5), click here.
Staying in love with God empowers us to live by three simple rules that transform us from the inside out: 1) do no harm, 2) do good, and 3) stay in love with God. Staying in love with God invites us to embrace God’s wisdom. This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon.
To view this week's checkpoint (August 29), click here.
What does it mean to do good? How might doing good things make someone weary? How can it give us energy? This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon.
To view this week's checkpoint (August 22), click here.
Sometimes a commitment to “do no harm” reveals how our blind spots, preferences, and privileges cause harm even when we are unaware. This Mid-Week Checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon.
To view this week's checkpoint (August 15), click here.
Can three simple rules really change our lives? How can we 1) do no harm, 2) do good, and 3) stay in love with God?
Each day we have opportunities to choose life or death and blessings or curses. How can we choose life and blessing as we move forward with Christ?
Life can be challenging, and some days we can feel like we are fighting a battle. How can we respond?
In only five verses of scripture (Ephesians 5:15-20), Paul addresses wisdom, being filled with the Holy Spirit, music, and giving thanks. That's a lot to process!
In Ephesians, the apostle Paul spends a significant amount of time describing how Christians should behave. Why does truthfulness matter? How should we address anger? What does it mean to grieve the Spirit of God?
To view this week's Mid-Week Checkpoint (July 11), click here. This checkpoint uses scripture, thoughts, questions, and a prayer to help us think through Sunday's sermon.
The theme of Ephesians 4 is unity in the body of Christ (the Church universal). When we don't all look, speak, and act the same, that can be a challenge.
Midway through the book of Ephesians, Paul offers a powerful prayer. Prayer is one way to pay attention to God. Paying attention to God helps us know God.
In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul focuses on differences – Jews and Gentiles; those who are with God and those who are not; and those with hope and those who are hopeless. These differences can be like walls between us, God, and other people.
When Paul wrote his letter to the Christians at Ephesus, it was a letter of encouragement to a young church. How can it offer encouragement to Christians today?
Our guest speaker, Rev. Richard Edwards talks to us about how sometimes we get caught up in doing good things and forget to love the people around us. The apostle Paul reminds us that if we do not have love, we are nothing!
When we go through stressful times, practicing gratitude helps us experience the peace of Christ in our hearts.
The Holy Spirit is described in many ways including the Giver of Life, Comforter, Teacher, and Advocate. It brings order into the chaos of our lives in a powerful way.
When American Christians think about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of Heaven, we typically think of it as something experienced after death. It’s so much more, and it involves living in the Kingdom of Heaven before you die!
Learning to stick with Jesus can be challenging. Sometimes we need to be pruned like a vine -- old attitudes, habits, or ways of thinking need to be removed to make room for growth in the ways we think and behave. When that happens, we learn to stick with Jesus, and we can trust that Jesus sticks with us.
A Christian disciple is both a follower of Jesus and a learner. Doing and serving are part of learning. God invites us to a life of following Jesus -- learning, doing, and serving -- but we can only do that because of Christ’s resurrection power. 1 John 3:16-24 assures us that God’s love abides in us when we see the needs of others and help as we are able. Our responses are about more than words or lip service. God calls us to truth and action.
It's difficult to deal with unknowns. Christ's resurrection is not about evidence or reasoning -- it's about a relationship. We want proof of the resurrection, but faith is a growing thing that has to be experienced. Relationships with others can make all the difference as we become witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Relationships call for disruption! Relationships call for radical hospitality.
We want proof of the resurrection but faith is a growing thing. When we have doubts, it’s important to hang in there! Thomas often gets a bad rap for doubting the story the others tell him of seeing Jesus in person, but he asks very pragmatic questions that any normal human would ask. Thomas told the others he needed proof, seeing and touching. Did Thomas actually utilize both of those two means of proof (look at verse 27-28)?
An empty tomb and empty places in our lives . . . what do they have in common? The empty tomb led to new life for those who followed Christ. While our lives may sometimes feel empty, God stands ready to meet us just where we are -- in each ordinary and everyday moment.
In the middle of hard times, we may forget to celebrate that God is with us in our trials. Yet, even Jesus experienced celebration in the shadow of the cross. During the past year it has often been difficult to rejoice. We have been trapped in a season of isolation, fear, and uncertainty. Such seasons do not last forever; in fact, the writer of Ecclesiastes reminds us that “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, NRSV).
Worship is a tricky thing. The purpose of worship is to honor God, regardless of our personal preferences. Ideally, it feeds our souls, but the focus should always be on worshiping the Lord. Worship is not limited to any geographical center or building. God can become known anywhere and everywhere. It is not about where we worship – it is about how we worship. When we are listening to God throughout the week, we can go to worship services praying, expecting, and looking for God to do new and living work among us.
When we don't know which way to go, we sometimes pray in the spirit of Isaiah 30:21: Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it." We want a sense of comfort and certainty about what's next, but we don't always know how to discern it. We all have times when we want God to point us in the right direction. We may wonder about what is right or wrong or whether to stay where we are or try something new. What are some next steps you can take to listen for God’s direction?
We all sin. We miss the mark in our thoughts and actions. We also commit sins of omission when we know what God wants us to do -- but we just don't do it. When we confess our sins, we experience the gift of freedom from shame and guilt. Is God inviting you to confess to Him or to another person? What are your next steps?
Most of us have no interest in living under someone else's control and submitting to another's desires. How can submitting to the Lord of all be a positive thing?
With this series we will better understand that God created us to live in communion with one another, not just for potlucks and fellowship, but real, intentional, sustainable community. To help us see that community is more than just a place, it’s an invisible bond that ties us together and makes us stronger.
This sermon series examines how a relationship with God and others cultivates change within us that positively impacts all aspects of our lives.
This sermon series examines how a relationship with God and others cultivates change within us that positively impacts all aspects of our lives.
This sermon series examines how a relationship with God and others cultivates change within us that positively impacts all aspects of our lives.
This sermon series examines how a relationship with God and others cultivates change within us that positively impacts all aspects of our lives.
This sermon series examines how a relationship with God and others cultivates change within us that positively impacts all aspects of our lives.
This sermon series examines how a relationship with God and others cultivates change within us that positively impacts all aspects of our lives.
In this journey of making and becoming disciples, it’s important to remember that it is only by God’s grace that we are able, allowed, and empowered to grow. This series will examine what we mean by “grace,” more importantly what is God’s perception of grace. Grace is not a one-time ticket to heaven, it’s a ticket to transformation.
In this journey of making and becoming disciples, it’s important to remember that it is only by God’s grace that we are able, allowed, and empowered to grow. This series will examine what we mean by “grace,” more importantly what is God’s perception of grace. Grace is not a one-time ticket to heaven, it’s a ticket to transformation.
In this journey of making and becoming disciples, it’s important to remember that it is only by God’s grace that we are able, allowed, and empowered to grow. This series will examine what we mean by “grace,” more importantly what is God’s perception of grace. Grace is not a one-time ticket to heaven, it’s a ticket to transformation.
This series will help us to define and identify our enemies, and love them as Jesus taught.
This series will help us to define and identify our enemies, and love them as Jesus taught.
This series will help us to define and identify our enemies, and love them as Jesus taught.
This series will help us to define and identify our enemies, and love them as Jesus taught.
Many of us struggle with how to pray, when to pray, and what to say. We'll help answer some of these questions in our September Prayer series.
Many of us struggle with how to pray, when to pray, and what to say. We'll help answer some of these questions in our September Prayer series.
Many of us struggle with how to pray, when to pray, and what to say. We’ll help answer some of these questions in our September Prayer series.
Many of us struggle with how to pray, when to pray, and what to say. We’ll help answer some of these questions in our September Prayer series.