Sermon:           “Not from Around Here”

Theme:            As Christians we live by values that do not blend with the culture and often cause us to feel alienated and alone, but that is how we testify to Christ’s love and justice.

Purpose:          The congregation will seek to be peaceable and compassionate rather than angrily seek to get their way.

Scriptures:       1 Peter 2:11-25   You should live as aliens, living peaceably and enduring hardship

Luke 4:14-30       Jesus was not accepted when he returned to Nazareth.

Questions:

Do we consider ourselves as “strangers” and “aliens” or do we think of ourselves as people with rights and entitlements? Do we treat the people around us as fellow travelers? Or do we think of ourselves as belonging and others as not belonging? What is the cost to our relationship with God when our identity takes on the values of the world around us? Do we like the values of the culture around us at this time? Do we want to be shaped by our knowledge of God or will we allow the attitudes and beliefs that surround us to form our faith?

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Sermon:           “Knowing God Through Those Around Us”

Theme:            On our pilgrimage we come to know God through the people whom we meet along the way, both those whom we are called to serve, and those who serve us.

Purpose:          The congregation will be conscious of how their relationships with the people around them shapes their relationship with God.

Scriptures:       1 John 1:1-10  We fellowship more than just with other people, but with God in our conversations with other people (light and darkness).

Matthew 22:35-40      We learn the law of God in context of loving our neighbor, and of faithfulness to God.

Questions:

Is our faith journey a solo or do the people whom God places around us matter? Can we have healthy spiritual growth without healthy relationships with family, friends, and other people of God? In what ways is growth in Christ dependent on our growth in relationships with others? What role does forgiveness, acceptance, and love for others play in our relationship with God? In what ways do we need to be conscious about growing in our relationship with Christ in order to be healthy and the people who are around us?

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Sermon:           “Amazed by the View”

Theme:            God gives us moments which put our pilgrimage into perspective so that we may be better prepared for hardships and expectations which are to come.

Purpose:          The congregation will put spiritual high experiences in perspective rather than constantly gauging their faith by experience.

Scriptures:       2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Paul speaks about his powerful spiritual experience coupled with his unanswered prayer.

Mark 9:1-10    Disciples encounter Jesus transfigured before them.

Questions:

Should we rejoice and take joy in those moments when we recognize how far we have come in our growth in faith? Is it false pride or giving praise to God when we appreciate the growth and maturity that has developed in our lives? How do we balance appreciation of the spiritual highs that we have known, with dedication to faithfulness regardless of how we may feel at the time? How do we respond to our “mountain top” experiences? Who can we talk to about the wonderful moments when we have felt God’s presence? What difference does it make to our life in Christ as we recognize and appreciate those joyful and uplifting experiences?

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Sermon:           “Wrong Turns – Part of the Journey”

Theme:            God works through us along the way so that we may be transformed, instructed, and renewed as we follow God’s leading.

Purpose:          The congregation will understand that we are changed by God’s call to open our hearts and listen.

Scriptures:

Jonah 1:1-17   Jonah called to go to Nineveh, and he chooses to disobey God.

Matthew 3:1-12          John the Baptist preaches repentance and baptism.

Questions:

What does it mean to be obedient to God? Is God looking for people who are perfect at following all of the laws and rules that have been given to us? Or is God looking for people who are wanting to use their own intelligence and creativity to follow God? What difference did it make to God that Jonah chose not to go where God was sending him? Why did God continue to work with Jonah and his obedience rather than simply get a different prophet who would be less stubborn? What does it mean to us that God calls us to repentance and to aligning our hearts with our actions?

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