Zionsville United Methodist Church: Recent Episodes
Zionsville United Methodist Church
Zionsville United Methodist Church in Zionsville, IN is a place with a lot of energy and warmth toward people. While we have plenty of activities and opportunities, you will find that people are the center of our mission. That is because we are a reflection of the love of God for the world. We aren’t all alike at Zionsville UMC, but we are united in living out our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ.
Each person in our church family is like you—full of hopes and dreams, needs and joys. We are all at various stages in our spiritual life. We are OK with that. In fact, we think it is God’s plan that we are a place for all kinds of people. For that reason, you find more grace here than judgment.
This podcast will be a window into what we do in worship.
By: David Williamson, Rev. Jamalyn Peigh Williamson, Rev. Ashlea Barnett, Rev. Kim King, Rev. Amber Good
Message: Words For The New Year
Duration: 34 mins 30 secs
By: David Williamson
Passages: Psalm 23:2-3, Psalm 23:4 a, Psalm 23:4 b, Hebrews 10:23-25
Message: The Cup Of Encouragement
Duration: 57 mins 10 secs
Directed By: Lauren Rodenburger & Mary Hilton
In A Galilee Far, Far Away
ZUMC Children’s Choir & Cast
Duration: 42 mins 14 secs
ZUMC Chancel Choir Director: Katie Gardiner Accompanist: Travis Person
Soloists: Amy Cronin, Vandi Enzor, Mark Flight, Frank Bradford
Series - Up Close & In Person: Traditional Christmas Eve Service
Duration: 56 mins 47 secs
The Longest Night Scripture References:
- Hebrews 4:15-16 / 2. Colossians 3:12-17 / 3. Romans 8:26-27 / 4. Romans 8:31, 35-39
Rev. David Williamson / Rev. Ashlea Barnett
Liturgist: Bob Dralle
Stephen Ministers: Alisa Risinger, Don Porter & Dianne Studebaker
ZUMC Choral Ensemble (Director: Katie Gardiner)
Running Time: 50 mins 14 secs
Glory To God In The Lowest
2021 Children’s Musical
Series - Up Close & In Person: Glory To God In The Lowest
Duration: 43 mins 46 secs
By: Rev. Seth Neckers
Passage: 1 Peter 1:1-2 & Daniel 1:1-2
Series - Life In Exile: Life In Exile
Duration: 33 mins 54 secs
1 Peter 1:1-2
'Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to be obedient to Jesus Christ and sprinkled with his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance. '
Daniel 1:1-2
'In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried off to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put in the treasure house of his god. '
By: Rev. Dave Williamson
Passage: Matthew 25:31-40
Series - Chosen: Uncalculating Kindness
Duration: 37 mins 25 secs
Matthew 25:31-40
' “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ '
By: Rev. Seth Neckers
Passage: Deuteronomy 8:2-3, 15-18
Message: Remember The Wilderness
Duration: 33 mins 01 secs
Deuteronomy 8:2-3,15-18
'Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord . He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. He gave you manna to eat in the wilderness, something your ancestors had never known, to humble and test you so that in the end it might go well with you. But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your ancestors, as it is today. You may say to yourself, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.” '
Exodus 12:1-3
'The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, “This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year. Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household. '
Exodus 12:12-14
'“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord . The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord —a lasting ordinance. '
Exodus 12:12-14
'“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord . The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. “This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord —a lasting ordinance. '
By: Rev. Seth Neckers
Passage: John 15:1-12
Message: In This Together: Love One Another
Duration: 34 mins 47 secs
' “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ' John 15:1-12
Hosted By: Rev. David Williamson with ZUMC Clergy & Staff
Series - Home For The Holidays: Christmas Eve Service
Duration: 1 hr 09 mins 01 secs
Zionsville United Methodist Church
The First Christmas
2020 Family Service
Series - Home For The Holidays
Duration: 53 mins 20 secs
By: Rev. David Williamson/Rev. Perry Montgomery/Rev. Ashlea Barnett/Bob Dralle/Diane Studebaker
Scripture Passages Read By: ZUMC Stephen Ministers
Series - Home For The Holidays: The Longest Night
Duration: 1 hr 08 mins 09 secs
By: Rev. David Williamson
Passage: Luke 15:11-24
Series - Home For The Holidays - Joy At Home
Duration: 32 mins 30 secs
'Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. ' Luke 15:11-24
By: Rev. Dave Williamson
Passage: Matthew 15:14-27
Series - Off The Clock: Measuring Our Days
Duration: 28 mins 30 secs
+ Sermon Transcript One of my favorite movies of all time is “Groundhog Day.” If you’re not familiar with it, it’s the story of a man who is stuck living the same day over and over and over again. No matter what he does, no matter where he goes, he always wakes up to the same song on the radio, in the same hotel room, on the same day. That movie has turned out to be an apt metaphor for life in the COVID era. The things that usually structure our days (work, school, children’s activities, sports, even movies to look forward to)—they’ve all been broken. And without those structures, time has kind of collapsed on. Perhaps we began this seasion with a structure—I know in our family, we said “we’re going to have breakfast” at such-and-such hour, and school from this time to this time, and so on. Before a month passed, all that structure was gone. Just grab your breakfast from the pantry whenever you want. Finish your assignments. But if you don’t get to it today there’s always tomorrow… We have not been alone. Lots of people report having trouble sleeping these days, or getting up in the morning (or both). Yes, it has been nice to be take “breaks” during the workday. But it also greatly blurred the lines between home and work--a lot of us have ended up working in the evening or on our “days off” just to fill in our hours and complete our projects. I’m sure all of us have at some point asked, “What day is it?” because every day ultimately felt the same. Even now as we start to return to a “normal” routine (as school and office jobs return), there is still a sense of strangeness to time. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m hyper-aware now of the pace of life. I can feel that pace picking up--and that’s not a bad thing. But at the same time, we don’t want to just go back to the pre-COVID pace of life, where the norm was “busy-ness”--overstuffed calendars and overstretched relationships. Now is the perfect time, as we re-establish routines, to reflect on how we approach and use time. So for the next few weeks, we’re going to look at four specific habits:
- Measuring our days
- Maximizing our moments
- Making room for margin
- Remembering the end
Today’s scripture reading—the parable of the talents—is normally one you hear when we’re doing stewardship, and we all instinctively apply it to how we spend our money. (Talents were a type of currency in Jesus’ day.) But we all know the phrase “time is money,” and the parable equally applies to the concept of time. Let’s start with the fact that each servant is given a specific amount of money, some more and some less. I’ve never liked the injustice of that, but it matches reality. The truth is that all of us are given different amounts of time on this earth. Some get a lot, and some not as much. But the point of the parable isn’t how much you received, it’s about how well you use and invest what you’ve been given. That same principle can be applied to time—the lesson is to invest our time in such a way, that when the master returns and an accounting is demanded, you can be proud of the return your investment has produced.
A member of my staff shared the experience of going to a work conference once, and a speaker asked the audience a question—If you were given $86,400 right now, to invest however you want, what would you do with it? Would you spend it on frivolous things? Pay off debt? Save it in a bank? Invest in the stock market? What if that person gave you the same amount every day of your life? As Jim Valvano once observed, that is exactly what is given to us each day—86,400 seconds. It’s up to us what we decide to do with them.
Psalm 90:12 reads: “Teach me to number my days, so that I can gain a heart of wisdom.” There’s something that happens when we number our days, when we wake up to the fact that our days are limited, they matter more. Think of a basketball game—we’re just resuming the NBA these days. Notice what happens to players when the clock starts to near zero. The last two minutes are played with more intensity and focus than any other part of the game. Once we start counting seconds, every second matters.
This isn’t to say that we have to cram everything in that we can. That tends to be our approach to limited time. If time is limited, we try to maximize it by pressing, pressing, pressing to accomplish more, to experience more. Yet we know from personal experience that stretching and pressing time doesn’t increase its value. It often has the opposite effect of making it slip away faster. The goal of counting our days, the Psalmist says, isn’t anxiety. The goal is to gain a heart of wisdom.
So let’s step back and think about time in general. Where does it come from? Well, it comes first off from our general sense that actions happen sequentially. There is a past, a present, and a future. We don’t get to go backwards, it only flows one direction (like a river). Beyond that, we’ve learned to measure time according to cycles and rhythms. The earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours. Our world rotates around the sun every 365 days. These revolutions create cycles and seasons that repeat themselves. Thus we have days and years. These rhythms are also built into our bodies—we need to sleep for so much time each day, and eat every so many hours. So right off the bat, we have two ways of experiencing time—cyclical and sequential.
Author Reggie Joyner suggests that time is created by God for a purpose. That there are values and lessons that cannot be taught in an instant, but can only be demonstrated over time. Patience might be needed in the moment, but patience can only be demonstrated over time. Love can be expressed (or maybe even felt) in a moment, but true love and commitment is not fleeting—it must be demonstrated over time to know it’s real.
Reggie writes: “Have you ever considered that maybe God established time as a platform so He could communicate something so complex that it needed to be presented strategically over time. Why didn’t God just send Jesus as soon as Adam & Eve ate the fruit? He could have resolved the issue then and there. But he waited. He used time. He gave Abraham a son. He let Joseph sit in a jail. He sent Moses to deliver a nation. He let that nation wander around in the desert for decades. It was as if God decided: ‘I can help you understand something with time that you could never understand fully in a moment.”
So you have this contrast between what can be known/experienced in a moment, and what can only be understood over time. And when we repeat anything over time, it’s impact and importance grows. You go for a run once. Good for you. But if you put exercise over time, it results in fitness. You pray to God once in a moment of crisis. Good—no prayer is wasted. But if you repeat prayer over time, it produces a relationship of intimacy and trust. You can go there with negative things, too, like how many sodas you drink or how many Netflix shows you binge, but let’s stay focused on the positive!
Think about it: If the lesson of the Parable of Talents is about investing our lives with purpose, one of the principle truths of making investments is the law of compounding interest. Early investments have greater impact than investments we make at the last minute. Why? Because when we invest early, there’s more time for that investment to grow. Now today is the last Sunday before we begin the school year, and typically this is when we have our “School Blessing” service. We have a special “Back to School” bash planned for this Saturday out on the lawn at 6pm, I hope the families who are watching can join us then. But for now, let me offer something for teachers, parents, grandparents, anyone who has the opportunity to invest in the lives of young people. Because as Reggie says, “If our heavenly Father uses time to clarify and solidify certain values in our hearts, then maybe that’s how we cultivate what really matters in the hearts of our own children.”
He suggests five distinct gifts we can give our children over time:
- First comes words, which over time create direction. Think about the pieces of advice that your parents and teachers gave to you, the ones that have perhaps guided you in life. My bet is those words were repeated over and over again until they planted in your psyche. So we give kids powerful and hopeful words to help provide a compass in our confusing world.
- Stories over time create perspective. These can be the stories from your own life, or stories about your family. Even better are stories that come from other perspectives or minority voices, to help broaden a child’s perspective and help them see themselves as part of God’s bigger story.
- Fun over time creates connection. Fun is crucially important. When we take time to play with our kids—video games, board games, sports, whatever—we are building a relational bridge. Kids don’t adopt our values because we preach it to them; kids adopt our values because they’re connected to us.
- Tribes over time create belonging. I’m not talking about tribalism, which we have too much of today perhaps. I’m talking about having a group of people with whom you feel safe, with whom you share values, people that you feel in your gut are “your people.” When the church becomes not just a place to go, but a tribe to belong to, we give a great gift to a child.
- And finally, Love over time creates worth. We all have an inherent need for value. But the only way we know value is love over time. And when we love a kid over time, we not only tell them that they have value to us, but we also point them towards a God who has loved them since before the foundations of the world were laid.
My hope in this series, for all of us, is that we learn to see time as a gift. Not something to be squeezed or stretched, but as a platform over which God demonstrates his care and love for us all. Time is not just a gift, it is a trust—something the master places in our hands, with the expectation that we will be good stewards. So the application for us is two-fold. First, it’s an invitation to reflect on the routines and habits of our days—both the good and the bad. It’s not hard to take any habit and place it over time, and imagine what the end result will be. If you want to take a deep dive into this, and really explore how you’re using your time, go to our website and click on the “Off the Clock” icon. You’ll see a link to a “time audit,” which you can use to help you assess where your time is spent and how you might want to make adjustments.
But if you’re planning to make adjustments, allow me to make a suggestion from Reggie. Remember, anything you put over time will have impact, so you don’t have to go big. Start small, and be consistent. A few minutes a day can have lasting impact. In fact, Reggie suggests, don’t think daily at all, but instead think “weekly.” Within a week, we will eat together as a family this many times. Or within a week, I will exercise x number of times. Or even just once a week, I will write a note to a friend, or take time to journal, or serve in the community or even attend church or be part of a small group if those things aren’t part of your life right now. Put any of those habits over time, and you’ll see greater connection, health, peace, and joy.
One particular small habit we’d like to suggest is prayer. Here at the church, we have these small sand timers, the kind you find in board games. They’re designed to last exactly two minutes. To each time we attached a card with Psalm 90:12. “Teach me to number my days, that I may gain a heart of wisdom.” And what we want to suggest is to use this timer throughout your day as a “time-out” whenever you need a moment of wisdom. When you’re facing a difficult decision, searching for the right words to respond to someone, or just needing a mental and spiritual rest. Take two minutes to pray. To help you get started, we’ll send out prompts every day for something you can pray about in two minutes. (The schedule for these prayer topics can be found on the same “off the clock” page on our website.) Even if you’re not here at the church to pick up a timer, you can always raid your board games at home or just use the two-minute timer on your phone. Let’s see together, as a grand experiment, what happens when we faithfully give a little bit of our time to God—what good things he can produce when that time is repeated time after time.
We close our service, as always, with the sacrament of communion. In some ways, it is a perfect example of what we’re talking about. Jesus’s sacrifice for us was a one-time event, it was all that was needed for our salvation. But he also knew that his disciples would need a practice, that could be repeated time over time to remind them of the story and to help them experience his grace and forgiveness. So on the eve of his death, he gathered them together, and he gave them a ritual (building off the ritual of Passover, which also reminded the people of Israel, year after year, of the story of God’s deliverance). He took a loaf of bread….
' “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ ' Matthew 25:14-27
By: Rev. Seth Neckers
Passage: Hebrews 11:1-2, 11:39-40, 12:1-3
Series - People of The Promise: Bound For The Promised Land
Duration: 32 mins 10 secs
Hebrews 11:1-2
‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. '
Hebrews 11:39-40
These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.'
Hebrews 12:1-3
'Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. '
By: Rev. Dave Williamson
Passage: Genesis 22:1-14
Series - People of The Promise: The Price Of A Promise
Duration: 32 mins 58 secs
'Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Early the next morning Abraham got up and loaded his donkey. He took with him two of his servants and his son Isaac. When he had cut enough wood for the burnt offering, he set out for the place God had told him about. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance. He said to his servants, “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?” “Yes, my son?” Abraham replied. “The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” “Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.” But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together. When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” ' Genesis 22:1-14
By: Rev. Dave Williamson
Passage: Genesis 16:1-13
Series - People of The Promise: When Promises Break
Duration: 32 mins 25 secs
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Learn more 'Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. so she said to Abram, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the Lord judge between you and me.” “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. The angel of the Lord also said to her: “You are now pregnant and you will give birth to a son. You shall name him Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery. The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.” Then the angel of the Lord told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?” “I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered. He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers.” She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” The angel of the Lord found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur. ' Genesis 16:1-13
By: Rev. Dave Williams
Passage: Genesis 12:1-3
Series - People of The Promise: The Power of a Promise
Duration: 29 mins 02 secs
'The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” ' Genesis 12:1-3
By: Rev. Dave Williams
Passage: Luke 7:36-50
Series - The Art of Neighboring: The Art of Receiving
Duration: 29 mins 22 secs
'One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to have dinner with him, so Jesus went to his home and sat down to eat. When a certain immoral woman from that city heard he was eating there, she brought a beautiful alabaster jar filled with expensive perfume. Then she knelt behind him at his feet, weeping. Her tears fell on his feet, and she wiped them off with her hair. Then she kept kissing his feet and putting perfume on them. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know what kind of woman is touching him. She’s a sinner!” Then Jesus answered his thoughts. “Simon,” he said to the Pharisee, “I have something to say to you.” “Go ahead, Teacher,” Simon replied. Then Jesus told him this story: “A man loaned money to two people—500 pieces of silver#7:41 Greek 500 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage. to one and 50 pieces to the other. Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the larger debt.” “That’s right,” Jesus said. But neither of them could repay him, so he kindly forgave them both, canceling their debts. Who do you suppose loved him more after that?” Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Look at this woman kneeling here. When I entered your home, you didn’t offer me water to wash the dust from my feet, but she has washed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You didn’t greet me with a kiss, but from the time I first came in, she has not stopped kissing my feet. Then Jesus said to the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” And Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.” The men at the table said among themselves, “Who is this man, that he goes around forgiving sins?” “I tell you, her sins—and they are many—have been forgiven, so she has shown me much love. But a person who is forgiven little shows only little love.” You neglected the courtesy of olive oil to anoint my head, but she has anointed my feet with rare perfume.' Luke 7:36-50
By: Rev. David Williamson & Rev. Seth Neckers
Passage: Matthew 18:21-35
Series - The Art of Neighboring: The Art of Forgiving
Duration: 31 mins 56 secs
'Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?” “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!#18:22 Or seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars.#18:24 Greek 10,000 talents [375 tons or 340 metric tons of silver]. He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt. “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt. “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars.#18:28 Greek 100 denarii. A denarius was equivalent to a laborer’s full day’s wage. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment. “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full. “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt. “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters#18:35 Greek your brother. from your heart.” Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ ' Matthew 18:21-35
By: Rev. Seth Neckers
Passage: Luke 10:25-37
Series - The Art of Neighboring: Barriers To Neighboring
Duration: 36 mins 08 secs
'On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” ' Luke 10:25-37
By: Rev. David Williamson
Passage: Luke 10:25-37
Series - The Art of Neighboring: Who Is My Neighbor?
Duration: 34 mins 52 secs
'On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” He answered, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ” “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” ' Luke 10:25-37
By: Rev. David Williamson & Rev. Seth Neckers
Passage: Matthew 22:34-40
Series - The Art of Neighboring: Love Your Neighbor
Duration: 22 mins 34 secs
'Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” This is the first and greatest commandment. ' Matthew 22:34-40
By: Rev. David Williamson
Passage: Psalm 121
Series - The Psalms: Travel Song
Duration: 33 mins 58 secs
'I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord , the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.'
Psalms 121
By: Bishop Julius C. Trimble
Passage: Mark 12:27:34
Message: The Great Commandment [Aldersgate Sunday]
Duration: 26 mins 59 secs
'He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ' Mark 12:27-34
By: Rev. David Williamson & Rev. Jamalyn Williamson
Passage: Psalm 103
Series - The Psalms: Unlimited
Duration: 28 mins 09 secs
'Praise the Lord , my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord , my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel: As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. Praise the Lord , all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the Lord , my soul. Praise the Lord , all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord , you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all. with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord ’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children— he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. ' Psalms 103:1-22
By: Rev. David Williamson
Passage: Psalm 139:1-4,13-18
Series - The Psalms: Woven Together
Duration: 30 mins 57 secs
'You have searched me, Lord , and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord , know it completely. For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. ' Psalms 139:1-4,13-18
By: Rev. David Williamson
Passage: Psalm 42
Series - The Psalms: Thirsting For God
Duration: 29 mins 41 secs
'As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him? Day and night I have only tears for food, while my enemies continually taunt me, saying, “Where is this God of yours?” My heart is breaking as I remember how it used to be: I walked among the crowds of worshipers, leading a great procession to the house of God, singing for joy and giving thanks amid the sound of a great celebration! Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar. “O God my rock,” I cry, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I wander around in grief, oppressed by my enemies?” But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing his songs, praying to God who gives me life. I hear the tumult of the raging seas as your waves and surging tides sweep over me. Their taunts break my bones. They scoff, “Where is this God of yours?” Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!' Psalms 42