Sermon:           “The Water and the Spirit”

Theme:            The people of God are empowered by a relationship with God that is in community with one another as God is in community within God’s self.

Purpose:          The congregation will examine their relationships with one another.

Scriptures:       Isaiah 6:1-8      Isaiah is called – “Here I am, Send me”

John 3:1-17     Jesus speaks with Nicodemus about the Water and the Spirit.

Questions:

What difference does the Trinity make to us? What does it mean to us that God is in community within God’s self? How do we draw from the presence of God within us to be in relationships with one another and with the world? In what ways do we fail to participate in the fullness of God’s presence and power in our attempts to care for the world? How do we celebrate and live in the relationships of being God’s beloved people, abiding with Christ in the world?

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Sermon:           “The Spirit of God Gives Life”

Theme:            Our strength, inspiration, and power comes from the power of the Holy Spirit.

Purpose:          The congregation will seek to be empowered by the presence of the Holy Spirit and God’s love.

Scriptures:       Ezekiel 37:1-14            The valley of dry bones and Spirit of God.

Acts 2:1-21      The Holy Spirit comes down on the disciples, enabling to speak in languages.

Questions:

What does Pentecost mean to us today? How do we allow the Holy Spirit to move and energize us? What causes us to be resistant to allowing the Holy Spirit to act and be creative in our midst? What does it mean today to have the dry bones of our failed efforts to come alive as a mighty force for God’s work? What is needed so that we may be faithful in using our gifts and abilities to serve Christ as the people of God?

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Sermon:           “Strangers in a Strange Land”

Theme:            God calls us to be in the world but not emotionally or spiritually invested in the values of the world.

Purpose:          The congregation will evaluate their priorities and attachments.

Scriptures:       1 John 5:9-13  Whoever has the Son has life – this is our testimony from God.

John 17:6-19   We belong to Christ and are not of the world.

Questions:

What are the things to which we become emotionally attached? In what ways do those attachments affect our relationship with Christ and with other Christians? What are the things that we make more important than God in our life? How do we learn to put things in a healthy perspective? How do we find the humility to put our relationships with Christ and those Christ has placed in our lives above our own need for control and the things that we begin to make overly important in our minds?

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Sermon:           No Longer Servants – Now Friends

Theme:            We are chosen by Christ to be in a relationship of confidence and joy as we abide in love that overcomes all that we may face in the world.

Purpose:          The congregation will seek to learn confidence through practicing the love of Christ.

Scriptures:       1 John 5:1-6    Everyone who believes is born of God, and through Christ we conquer the world.

John 15:9-17   Jesus commands us to love one another and abide in that love.

Questions:

What does Jesus mean when he says that he no longer calls us servants, but calls us friends? What does it mean to be a friend of Christ Jesus? In what ways does our understanding of what it means to be Christian change when we move from serving out of an obligation to living out a loving friendship?  How do we become full of the love that Jesus showed in offering forgiveness to the world so that we may be free from judgment, guilt, or fear? How does one develop a faith that enables us to lay our life down as servants of God?

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Sermon:           Strength Flows From Christ

Theme:            Our real source of strength and confidence flows from knowledge of God and love which that knowledge creates within our hearts.

Purpose:          The congregation will examine their source of strength and need to practice love in order to know confidence.

Scriptures:       1 John 4:7-21  There is no fear in love, we must love one another because God is love.

John 15:1-8     Jesus says: I am the true vine, abide in me.

Questions:

What does Jesus mean when he says that he is the vine and we are the branches? How do we connect to God as our source for strength and wisdom? In what ways does God’s love flow through us in fellowship and mutual support for one another? What impact does judgement, bitterness, and resentment play in interfering with our strength and confidence? What is meant that “perfect love casts out fear?” How do we come to know and practice that perfect love?

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The parables in Luke 15 are about noticing what is lost and going on a search to find it. Those of us with the most have the most to lose. Would we notice who or what is missing from that which we have? And if someone is missing, are you willing to do whatever it takes to get them back?

Scripture Readings

First reading: Luke 15:1-10

Second: Luke 15:11-16, 25-32

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Sermon:           “In Defense of Doubt”

Theme:            Our faith is shaped through walking with Christ and experiencing the living gift of God’s presence in our lives.

Purpose:          The congregation will open themselves to the experience of exploring faith and doubt.

Scriptures:       1 John 1:1-2:2 God is light, in him is no darkness, and we have fellowship through Jesus death and resurrection.

John 20:19-31 Jesus appears to the disciples and offers the Holy Spirit.

Questions:

What role has doubt played in your own faith? In what ways has your faith changed and evolved in the course of your life? What would you want to share with someone who is in a time of transition or change in their faith?  What difference does fellowship with other Christians play in growing closer to God through doubt? How should we develop an attitude of exploration and curiosity that builds our faith?

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Sermon:           “This is Our Good News!”

Theme:            The resurrection is the message of God’s love and justice overcoming everything, including death so that we live in confidence and unending joy.

Purpose:          The congregation will embrace the meaning of the resurrection for their own life.

Scriptures:       1 Corinthians 15:1-11 The testimony of witnesses to the resurrection.

John 20:1-18   The story of the resurrection

Questions:

What does the resurrection mean to us today? How can we live as those whose confidence comes from God’s victory over death and suffering? How do we put the challenges and problems that we and those whom we love face into a perspective that is shaped by the promise of the resurrection? What is God seeking to teach us in and through the resurrection in practical terms? What can we do to face the challenges we experience of death and suffering with confidence and peace?

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Sermon:           “The Covenant of Peace”

Theme:            Real peace is found through developing strength of humility and mercy that comes from the full knowledge of the love of God.

Purpose:          The congregation will embrace the love and compassion of Jesus so as to know the fullness of God’s presence.

Scriptures:       Philippians 2:5-11       Have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus that he humbled himself.

Mark 11:1-11  Jesus enters Jerusalem riding a colt.

Questions:

What does it mean to us to have the mind of Jesus Christ and his humility? How do we learn to practice humility when we are fearful of being abused or taken advantage of? What is the difference between humility and being weak? How do we use our own personal power and authority in gentleness and compassion? What practices enable us to think more highly of others? How do we put Christ first in our lives so that we are able to be raised by God rather than fighting for our own status or position?

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Theme:            God calls us to have the law of God written on our hearts through openness, love, and forgiveness.

Purpose:          The congregation will seek to learn understanding and forgiveness.

Scriptures:       John 12:20-33 Unless a grain dies, it will not bear fruit, but out of suffering comes our gift of salvation for the world.

Jeremiah 31:31-34      The Law of God, written upon the people’s hearts.

Practice:          Learning to be less anxious and reduce defensive reactions.

Questions:

What does it mean to us to “Know the Lord?” How should the knowledge of God and love of Jesus Christ be reflected in our words and actions? In what ways is the covenant of practicing God’s love a challenge for our life every day? What can we choose as our current area to focus on practicing Jesus’ love in our relationships? What are some of the relationships in which that practice is most needed today?  What difference will this practice make in our lives?

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