Sermon:           “Signs of Christ’s Reign”         

Theme:            The reign of Christ is seen in the way in which we share God’s forgiveness, love, healing, and peace.

Purpose:          The people will seek to submit their relationships to Christ’s love and healing.      

Scriptures:       Revelation 21:1-6        The reign of God brings healing and reconciliation to all people.

                        John 13:31-35 Jesus commands that we love one another, and that is how we are known as his disciples.

Questions:

What does it mean to us that Jesus’ command was to love one another? In what ways are our relationships with one another as Christians a sign to the world of the reign of God? How do we reflect the sacrifice that Christ has made in our relationships with one another? How do we practice a relationship which recognizes God’s love which cares for every tear of His beloved children? What does it mean to us that it is the desire of God to make His home among “mortals?” What does this say about the way we view the weaknesses and challenges that those near us are struggling?

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Guest Preacher: Chaplain Darren Beachy

Pleading the 5th:
Honor Our Father and Mother

Scripture readings:
Ephesians 6:1-9
Exodus 20:1-12

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Sermon:           “Jesus Comes to Us”  

Theme:            Jesus makes his presence known to all who seek to know him and seek him.        

Purpose:          The congregation will continue to seek Christ’s presence in their lives.      

Scriptures:       Revelation 1:4-8          Jesus will come with the clouds and proclaims he is the beginning and the end, the Almighty.

                        John 20:19-31 Jesus appears to the disciples, and again appears to Thomas.

Questions

What do we need to experience so that we can receive the resurrection with all of its meaning? How do we see our lives differently through the confidence of the power of God to overcome death? What do we need in order to take the resurrection seriously in our perspective towards the problems and fears that we face? In what ways does Christ become for us a source of strength and confidence over all of the evil that is in the world? How can we participate in the reign of Christ that overthrows the powers of evil and darkness in the world?

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Sermon:           “Why are You Weeping?”      

Theme:            The gift of Easter is a promise of resurrection life that renews us in hope and restores us to a constant anticipation of God’s renewal.       

Purpose:          The Congregation will renew their hope in Christ.   

Scriptures:       1 Corinthians 15:19-26           Christ is the first fruits of resurrection and our source of eternal life.

                        John 20:1-18   The empty tomb, Jesus appears to Mary.

Questions:

What does the resurrection really mean to us? How does the gift of Christ’s resurrection make a difference in our fears and worries? How can we receive the resurrection as more than a theological or traditional event? How can we receive the resurrection as a sign of God’s power to overcome death? What difference does it make to us to orient our lives around God’s love and power?  How can we participate with Christian’s throughout the ages in the triumph of the resurrection over the forces of death and evil?

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Sermon:           “Choosing: The Past or the Future?” 

Theme:            God invites us to lay aside our past history and accounts against one another and to instead extend grace to one another.

Purpose:          The congregation will intentionally practice grace and forgiveness rather than holding onto the grievances of the past.    

Scriptures:       2 Corinthians 5:16-21 We no longer regard others from a human point of view, all have become new in Christ.

                        Luke 15:1-3, 11-32      The parable of the Prodigal Son and the older brother, a story of forgiveness and struggling to choose love over resentment.

Questions:

What does it mean for us to cease to see people from a human point of view? How do we open our minds and hearts to seeing people differently? Does forgiveness mean that we allow others to take advantage of us? How do we practice grace and forgiveness while at the same time recognizing healthy boundaries and wisdom in relationships? How is the story of the Prodigal Son a story of God’s grace and our need to develop healthy relationships?

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Sermon:           “Choosing: Fear or Joy?”        

Theme:            God’s people must practice choosing to live in the love and joy of God rather than to be pulled into fear, grievances, and despair.    

Purpose:          The congregation will reflect on daily practices to choose serving Christ over dwelling in fear and worry.      

Scriptures:       Isaiah 55:1-9    Why do you spend your money on that which does not satisfy? Seek the Lord and know his ways.

                        Luke 13:1-9     Galileans speak of the atrocities committed against them, Jesus tells the parable of the fig tree bearing fruit.

Questions:

Why do we spend so much of our time and energy on things that are meaningless? How is it that we become caught up in things that do not matter? What is the impact upon our relationship with God when senseless disasters and atrocities take place? How do we live in the healing and renewal of Christ Jesus rather than in the grief, hostility, and resentments of unresolved past hurts?  What can we do to help others be part of what truly bears fruit rather than caught up in what does not add to anyone’s life?

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Sermon:           “Choosing the Cross” 

Theme:            Through prayer and focusing on God’s love we learn to choose the love and healing of the cross over our own defensiveness and bitterness.   

Purpose:          The congregation will work to live and express the grace of God.   

Scriptures:       Philippians 3:17-4:1    “Enemies of the cross,” those who set their own wants and issues above their relationships with Christ and with the body of Christ.

Luke 13:31-35 Jesus is warned by the Pharisees of Herod’s intent to kill him. Jesus mourns the division between the people and God.

Questions:

What does it mean to be an enemy of the cross? How is it we are entangled in resentments and conflicts? From where does our animosity and bitterness arise? How is it we allow grievances to dominate the way we see ourselves and our relationships? How do we live without participating in the divisiveness and bitterness of the world? How can we have freedom to daily live in love and acceptance for all who are around us?

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