“The Bible seeks to catch our lives up in a grand adventure, a great saga of God’s dealing with humanity – a saga begun in God’s journey with Israel, continued in the surprising call of God even unto Gentiles. The church is the product of that story.” – William Willimon, Shaped by the Bible The […]
10 SIGNS YOU ARE a Chair Two Christians Crazy Love by Francis Chan. In chapter 4 there is a list of the 10 signs you might be lukewarm (half hearted about being Christian). Lukewarm people attend church regularly, because that’s what good Christians do. Lukewarm people give money to charity and church…as […]
We all want to leave a legacy, to do something that will make a significant difference. We all want to know that the time we spent on this plant, the reason for our existence meant something to somebody. We want to leave a legacy. There are three things every legacy speaks to. (1) What is […]
Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die. So the question is not “Will I leave a legacy?” But rather, “What kind of legacy will I leave?” Psalm 1 is consider by many to be the gatekeeper or the entry into the psalms in both wisdom and theology. Wisdom comes from […]
Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die. So the question is not “Will I leave a legacy?” But rather, “What kind of legacy will I leave?” In his letter to the new pastor, Timothy, Paul shares his experiences and his wisdom as he mentors Timothy in his calling. Read 1 […]
Because there is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us. Christmas Past – You fear too much Are you becoming more the person you wanted to be, more the person God wanted you to be and the kind of person Christmas offers. Is there still a little bit of Bah Humbug in your […]
There is a little bit of Scrooge in all of us. GENEROSITY is the best cure for a Heart-cold It must flow OUTWARDLY: “I will bless you and you will be a blessing to others.” Gen 12 When we bless others, we feel God’s presence flow It must flow FAITHFULLY: Give us today our daily bread. Matthew […]
Every one of us will leave a legacy behind when we die. So the question is not “Will I leave a legacy?” But rather, “What kind of legacy will I leave?” In his letter to the new believers in 1 Corinthians 13, Paul reveals three characteristics that produce a long lasting spiritual legacy: faith, hope […]
When we think about the purpose of Christmas we often fall back on classic hymns, but they can often be misleading. Consider “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” God rest ye merry, gentlemen Let nothing you dismay Remember, Christ, our Saviour Was born on Christmas day To save us all from Satan’s power When we were gone […]
Sermon Slides: Christmas Eve Service 12.24.14 Charles Dickens published this classic work on December 19, 1848 and it quickly became a best seller. The message is timeless and the journey from miser to benefactor is one every person on earth must travel. This Christmas Eve, we consider the story of the birth of Christ learn how […]
I believe more people are afraid of the reality of grace than not. Grace, as defined in the Bible, is confrontational and deeply troubling. It demands a response and says this is the right way to live and to be human. In the face of grace all our delusions, well crafted excuses and alternative realities […]
Jesus has had without a doubt the greatest influence on world history, social structure, political structures, national boundaries and our understanding of human existence than any other person in history. We still study his teaching, dissect and parse his words, mine his parables and seek to look through the lens of spirituality he reveal as […]
We all go through difficult times in our lives, times when we feel like no body else understands what we’re going through or what we need. We hide behind smiles and tailored suites and dresses secure in our misery of loneliness. If only someone understood, if only someone could share the burden, if only someone […]
The men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” Numbers 13:33 There they are, […]
There comes a moment in everyone’s life when we feel our back’s up against the wall, something has got to be done and God seems silent. We pray, we plead, we promise and we prostrate ourselves in the hopes that God will take away the pressure. The History of the Bible is filled with such […]
When God appears to Moses and to the Hebrews, it is a far cry from what they had expected as it usually is with us as well. We look for God to take care of our problems, solve the predicament we’ve gotten ourselves into, forgive every selfish decision, overlook every grievance and in general bless […]
We all go through seasons of dryness when the joy and excitement of new life seem to be a distant memory. Actually we feel like God has abandoned us and life as we know it has come to an end. If you’ve never felt that way, hang on because it is a basic human experience. […]
We each need our own Aldersgate Experience in which the presence, power and purpose of God are made real and personal. For John Wesley and for his brother Charles, that moment would be the convergence of Failure, Faith and Grace all coming together in one inexplicable moment of spiritual transformation. On May 24, 1738, John […]
Each day we are bombarded with all kinds of advertisements, enticements to be more, have more and look more successful than we feel. In our rush to do everything we’ve got scheduled, to enjoy all that we have amassed and build all that we have in mind to build, we look past a certain group […]
We live in a hyper-competitive world where celebrity and champions are singled out at the highest achievement of success. This means, of course, that 99% of the world’s population are not successful and struggling to reach the top. Is this really the way life was meant to be, struggle all your life, accumulate all you can, […]
“The gospel is not a doctrine of the tongue, but of life. It cannot be grasped by reason and memory only, but it is fully understood when it possesses the whole soul and penetrates to the inner recesses of the heart.”― John Calvin, Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life Jesus says, “To what can I […]
We as a people are defined by what we believe, what we profess and what we act upon. In the United States “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” I would take almost two centuries for us to figure out what that really meant. When we consider what it […]
Holy Communion (or the Lord’s Supper) is a mystery too deep for words. Its meaning and impact will vary for each of us depending upon circumstances in our lives and growing faith in Christ. But three essential meanings are caught up in this proclamation in our Communion service: “Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ […]
The change in the attitudes and actions of the early disciples was evident to everyone who saw and heard them. Some where fishermen who now spoke with a passion and authority few had seen before. Some were peasants who were now willing to give all that they had to the poor even to the point […]
Have you ever felt lost? I don’t just mean confused, disappointed, or frustrated, I mean desperately searching for a way when you’ve lost your way. Your heart is racing, there are sleepless nights and you feel you’ve reached a dead end. This way of existing, of course, leads to more stress, which leads to more […]
As Jesus led the disciple out of Jerusalem, they pointed out to him the magnificent buildings of their history, faith and hope that one day the Jewish people would rise to power again. Jesus all but dashes that vision by telling them that in the not so distant future, every stone, every hand carved pillar, […]
Imagine standing before a judge in court about to be sentenced for your crimes or for a debt you owe. In the back of the court room stand your wife and children who are dependent upon you for their survival shivering in fear for the life they must now endure. Your sentence will profoundly affect […]
Each parable Jesus uses is meant to illuminate some spiritual principle or value unique to the Kingdom of God that we don’t really understand very well by getting us to engage in a story that we do understand and perhaps have even lived. Parables usually begin by saying something like, “The Kingdom of God is […]
The Purpose of the Parables “Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” (v. 17). – Matthew 13:12–17 What is the purpose of parables? Jesus tells us in Matthew 15:12–15 that He speaks in parables […]
In 1799, fifty years before the California gold rush, gold was discovered in North Carolina. At Stanfield in Cabbarus county a 12 year old boy found a nugget weighing 17 pounds. His father, John Reed, not knowing what it was, used it as a doorstop. In 1802 he took it to a market in Fayetteville. […]
We celebrate Easter each year because it is our defining moment, it is the light in a dark world, it is the courage we need in a harsh world and it the promise of victory when confronted with pain and hurt. We, as Easter People, have a distinct advantage over the rest of world. It’s […]
At some point in our lives we must all make choice either by intention or by default. Sometimes that choice is intentional based on sound reasoning and careful, even prayerful, consideration of the results and the costs associated with a particular path. Other times we abdicate our choices to time and chance and simply accept […]
Imagine a young man running up to you desperate to ask a question before you turned to your next appointment and the opportunity was lost. Out of breath, he captures your attention and greets with traditional politeness, “Good sir, what should I do with my life?” I suppose Jesus could have answered the obvious question […]
In part I of this series we looked at the styles and reasons Jesus asked people seemingly simple questions. They were questions that drew the listener into a deeper conversation about their life, what they were doing and where it would ultimately lead. In John 5 Jesus asks a man paralyzed for 38 years, “Do […]
Jesus constantly challenged his followers as well as the authorities that always seemed to be hovering around to think differently about the world and their place in it. We are no exception. Jesus’ words challenge us, invite us, and prod us to move in new directions. As we embark on this journey through Lent, we […]
Every church I’ve ever known has been plagued by division, complaining and factions that tug and pull at the heart and soul of the Gospel often leaving it in tatters. People outside the church who are looking for something to believe in see what is happening and believe the Gospel of Jesus, a […]
Do you feel blessed, grateful, joyful and happy? Probably not. We live in a competitive world where we see each gift as a stepping stone to the next higher achievement. We want more and we’re never really quite satisfied with where we are and yet never quite arrive at where we want to go. We […]
I thought all my problems would be solved when I became a Christian. But in many ways they have increased. Maybe they didn’t tell me, maybe I didn’t read the fine print, maybe I didn’t want to know. Cost? Pain? Sacrifice? Surrender? These elements don’t fit into the American way of life of avoiding discomfort […]
Would you describe yourself as a Dog Person or a Cat person? A Dog person looks at life and says, “you feed me, you care for me, you play with me and make me feel loved… YOU must be God.” A Cat person looks at life and says, “you feed me, you care for me, […]
Psychologists tell us that there are 3 major “wants” in life. The first “want” is to want comfort – to want food when we are hungry, to want something to drink when we are thirsty, to want a cool place when we are too hot, to want shelter from the storm. We want to be […]
Guest Pastor, Rev. Meredith Grudger-Raines shared a message of hope everyone should hear. Enjoy. Sermon Audio:Meredith Grudger Raines 1.5.14E Meredith Grudger Raines 1.5.14L Related posts: 3 Most Important Spiritual Questions Just how far? Is Evangelism Important? 7 Questions Every Church Must Answer
Each year it’s the same. We say good bye to the previous year by celebrating the fact that we survived another one, and we look apprehensively to the coming year with unknown troubles, unexpected joys and opportunities to become more than we currently are. Life moves faster and faster and we feel we’re falling […]
We all have our favorite Christmas movies, the ones we watch year after year – movies that bring friends and families together, that inspire us, and that make us laugh. And sometimes, they remind us of what Christmas is all about – the timeless story of hope and joy and love – the birth of […]
None of us get through life without a few detours. They come at times we don’t expect, they challenge us to say the course and they force us to realize that control is partly an illusion. Opportunity comes with so many different faces that we often don’t recognize it. That’s probably […]
God interrupts the monotony that is our day to day life and offer a new challenging way of life. Appointments to be kept. Tight schedules to maintain. Routines established. That’s how most of us try to live our lives. But what happens when life is interrupted with something totally unexpected? What happens when God steps […]
If we want to be happy, and who doesn’t, then we must focus our energy on what is rather than dwell on what isn’t. “To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us – and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of […]
I know, I know… I’ve heard it a million time, “there is no perfect church and if there was one, we would ruin it by joining it.” I am here to say I disagree. There is a perfect church, and I’ve found it. If that doesn’t get your attention and make you want to read […]
What does it mean to be blessed? How do you define it? Do you recognize present, past or future Blessings? Do you feel Blessed and are you energized by them? Are you motivated by your blessings to try new things, meet new people, and grow in new exciting ways? Do you ever expect to be […]
Imagine going through life never depending on anything or anyone. There are times when that certainly sounds attractive, but it doesn’t last long. We need people, we need some predictability, and we need some sense of direction. Without these three elements, we live lives that are lonely, chaotic and pointless. We build our lives on […]
Hope is much more than wishful thinking or having a “Polly Anna” attitude about everything. Hope is certainly realistic about the problems and pitfalls of life, but it isn’t overwhelmed by them. Hope has a healing quality about it that suffers pain like everyone else, but has a confidence that the day always follows the […]
“Indeed the safest road to Hell is the gradual one–the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.” [C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters] The easiest way in life is to follow the crowd, do what others are doing, and go where others go. But if you remember you’re mother’s advice (“would you jump […]
“He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Benjamin Franklin Our spiritual lives are filled with excuses. Adam blamed Eve for the apple he bit into, Eve blamed the snake for the apple she plucked, and you and I blame everyone and everything for the inconveniences, conflicts and challenges that […]
Pivotal Circumstances – something big happened, death, sickness, divorced, birth of a child, lost a job, got a job, got married had a child and now responsibility set in. A miracle given to us, perhaps not the one we asked for, and now we’re responsible for a beautiful life or the hard work of rebuilding […]
Imagine how different your outlook on life would be if you had absolute confidence that God was with you, right here, right now? Imagine how differently you would respond to difficulties, temptations, and even good things if you knew with absolute certainty that God was in all of it and was planning to leverage it […]
According to an ancient legend, if you could find a touchstone on the coast of the Black Sea and hold it in your hand, everything you touched would be healed and restore life and vitality. You would recognize the touchstone from ordinary stones by its warmth. Ordinary stones would feel cold and empty, but when […]
Jesus is on a mission. He’s turned his face toward Jerusalem and knows there is a destiny with death that lies before him. On his way, just outside of Jerusalem, he stops at the home of his dearest friends, Mary, Martha and Lazarus. If you’re not familiar with the details of the story, I encourage […]
If I asked you if you were a confrontational person, how would you respond? Do you admire confrontational people or flee from them? Are they helpful or hurtful? Most of us I think avoid conflict and confrontations at all cost, even if it means sacrificing our happiness and our better judgment as long at it […]
“I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment’s gone. All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.” [Dust in the Wind” by Kansas, 1978] As a Christian I don’t share the hollow despair of “Dust in the Wind,” yet […]
If life isn’t about money, then why does it cause so many problems. A recent survey the Barna Research Group found that 54% of Non-Christians and 51% of Christians believe the MONEY is the main symbol for determining a successful life. In Paul’s letter to pastor Timothy, he speaks about the temptation, the […]
God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12 “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give you […]
Most of the time we settle for happiness when Joy is being offered. Happiness is circumstantial and depends on things going the way we expected. Joy is deeper and certainly longer lasting. Joy understands the ups and downs of life because its focused on the destination and know that trials and troubles are a necessary […]
February 22, 1012 The season of Lent is a time when we prepare our hearts, minds and souls for the sacred observance of Christ’s death on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter. In Lent, we recognize we are simply dust and ashes without Christ, we confess our sins to God, and we […]
“At that time Jesus said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Matthew 11:25-26 When we get past all the frenzy of the Christmas experience, what’s left with the nagging […]
The Great Story of God This is a transcript of the service used on December 24, 2011. It is a closer look at the characters, circumstances and context that combine to make each piece part of the Greater Story of Christmas. No one character had all the pieces of the puzzle at the time, but […]
We all have them, family members that cling desperately to the family tree you’re just positive dropped from a high branch at one time or another. We all have those crazy uncles, aunts or cousins that we just don’t talk about much, but you know they’re part of your gene pool. And if you can’t […]
We must never loose sight of the fact that God engaged Mary and Joseph in a life story they did not fully understand, after all who could understand what God was up to when He decides to use an unwed teenage girl to give birth out of wedlock. It is nothing less than… Scandalous! I’m […]
Our expectations are critical in giving us goals and standards for which to strive. Yet we can also be blinded by our expectations too! Each Year we prepare for Christmas with a flurry of activity, partly due to fear, guilt and competition to have the best dinner party, find the best gift or have the […]
Generosity is a matter of Action, Intention and Heart. It is reorienting my perspective on what life is means and what God is doing through my life. Generosity is natural response to God’s Love in Christ. Scripture Verse: Mark 10:17-23 Download our 2011 FUMC Stewardship Pledge Form Sermon Notes “Satisfying Our Hunger for God” Lord, How […]
A great deal of our culture and lifestyle is driven by Greed. Greed in our world is a very strong desire and is changes who we are! And you know what? It’s always been like that, since the beginning of time. Nearly 2000 years ago Jesus was teaching to a crowd of people who were following […]
“God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will […]
40 Days of Love, Week 4 “Let LOVE be your Highest Goal!” 1 Corinthians 14:1 Discipleship – When we change the way we think, then it’ll change the way we feel and it will change our behavior. Sometimes we think we can change others, but we can’t. However, we can change ourselves. Look what happens to an […]
40 Days of Love, Week 2 “Let LOVE be your Highest Goal!” 1 Corinthians 14:1 You can’t fully understand how to love other people until first you understand how much God loves you. You cannot offer to other people what you don’t possess yourself. You can’t be gracious to others if you haven’t felt God’s grace. You […]
40 Days of Love, Week 1 “Let LOVE be your Highest Goal!” 1 Corinthians 14:1 So often, love is seen as an uncontrollable event, like something you “fall” into or fall out of. But love is a choice, a commitment and the greatest challenge of your life. We need HELP! We need Divine intervention, we need God. The […]
To what extent are we a Christian community? According to William Willimon, Bishop of the Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, We are Christian to the extent that we conform to and are confronted by the Word of God. In Romans 12, Paul advises his readers not to be conformed to the pattern of […]
Week of May 1, 2011 One of the first ways you can celebrate your new relationship with God is to be baptized in water because this act of faith is important to Him. There are four key reasons to be baptized in water after you have become rightly relationship to God through His gift […]
This message delivered on August 7, 2011 by Reverend Sandy Runnion at First United Methodist Church. A Walk on the Wild Side (Late service) A Walk on the Wild Side (early service) Related posts: Shaped by God Remember Your Baptism Christmas Eve: The Great Story of Christmas Podcast: Confronting Evil
“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” John Wesley “Directly opposite to this [the approach of the desert mystics] […]
July 17, 2011 We drastically underestimate the power of sin. Sin, by its nature, hides itself. It crouches at your door; it always looks smaller than it is. Your sins are not done with you when you think you are done with them. But there is hope in the gospel. Why do we […]
Week of July 10, 2011 Sin is more than just an action to be avoided, it is a power that is released in our lives that continues to enslave and choke the life out of us. In this passage from Number, God’s people are addicted to the pleasures of Egypt even though they hate the […]
Week of July 3, 2011 As Christians we have an obligation to pass on those values and beliefs to the next generation. As a church I hope we can pass along to our children these key values Christ Centered / Kingdom Focused / Mission Minded. Scripture Verse Deuteronomy 6:20-25 Sermon Slides worship 07.03.11 Christian Independence […]
Week of June 26, 2011 We drastically underestimate the power of sin. Sin, by its nature, hides itself. It crouches at your door; it always looks smaller than it is. Your sins are not done with you when you think you are done with them. But there is hope in the gospel. Scripture Verse Genesis […]
Week of June 19, 201 We drastically underestimate the power of sin. Sin, by its nature, hides itself. It crouches at your door; it always looks smaller than it is. Your sins are not done with you when you think you are done with them. But there is hope in the gospel. Scripture Verse Genesis […]
Regardless of what anyone says, life is messy and we all have messes in our lives. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either in denial and/or a liar. Sometimes the mess is one of our own making through something we did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say. Other times we are thrust into the […]
Regardless of what anyone says, life is messy and we all have messes in our lives. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either in denial and/or a liar. Sometimes the mess is one of our own making through something we did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say. Other times we are thrust into the […]
Regardless of what anyone says, life is messy and we all have messes in our lives. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either in denial and/or a liar. Sometimes the mess is one of our own making through something we did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say. Other times we are thrust into the […]
[gigya width=”320″ height=”397″ src=”http://sermonplayer.com/swf/free_ads_player.swf” quality=”high” flashvars=”clientid=20139&d=http://sermonplayer.com/” align=”middle” wmode=”transparent” allowScriptAccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” ] Related posts: Sermon Player – Sermon Player – Sermon Player – Sermon Player –