Sloth vs. Commitment
Sermon: “Love and Serve”

Theme: God calls us to commit our way to serving Christ and to be willing to use our time to glorify God.

Purpose: The congregation will understand that serving God is not about “looking busy” but about discerning the will of God and living by that will.

Scriptures: 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13 Those who will not work should not eat, but do not tire of doing what is right.
Matthew 7:21-29 The house that is built on the rock as opposed to building on sand.

Questions:
What is sloth? Is it possible to be busy, and doing a lot of things, but at the same time not using your time in a healthy manner? In what ways is sloth destructive? Why are we always too busy to serve God? Why is sloth a problem in terms of enabling us to grow in our faith? How do we learn to practice service and submitting our time to God? Why is it some who think they are doing many things that are important find out that they are actually serving their own ego and not serving Christ?

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Pride vs. Humility

Sermon: “Destructive Pride” 8:00 Baptism

Theme: The sin of pride is to place our own will above God’s and in that way to destroy our relationship with God.

Purpose: To examine what it means to be humble versus what it means to be absorbed with our own will.

Scriptures: Deuteronomy 8:2-5, 12-14, 17-19 Warning against the destructive power of Pride.
James 4:5-12 Humble yourselves and banish pride so that you may be close to God.
Mark 7:18-23 It is from within the heart that evil intentions come.

Questions:
What is the difference between having a good image of yourself, and the sin of pride? In what ways does pride actually hurt anyone else? What does humility have to do with a healthy self-image and healthy relationships? How does pride make it impossible to trust and appreciate God’s presence? What are the destructive powers of pride in the world around us? How are arrogance, selfishness, and unforgiveness related to the sin of pride?

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Lust vs. Chastity

Sermon:  The Destructive Power of Lust

Theme: We destroy our relationships through lust when we reduce another human being from being the “image of God” to a commodity, property, or something that functions only for our gratification.

Purpose: To sensitize the congregation to what makes a “monster” and to recognize the significance of what sin does in our lives.

Scriptures:  Matthew 5:27-30 Everyone who looks with lust has already sinned in their heart;
James 1:2-4, 12-17 Temptation is not to ruin us, but to teach us wholeness.

Questions:
What is lust really? In what ways is it destructive to see people as property or as tools for our own benefit? Is lust destructive if we just “keep it to ourselves?” Or does lust create a monster within us, that damages relationships and causes us to be in conflict with God? What does it mean to practice “chastity?” Is chastity more than just keeping our minds off of things we shouldn’t think about? Does chastity have more to do with having a healthy view of the people around us?

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Installation of Officers at both services.
Sermon: “The Light has Come”

Theme: God has given us light so that we may dwell in joy and to walk in confidence.

Purpose: To call the congregation to appreciate the light and see themselves as those who bear the light to all times and places.

Scriptures: Isaiah 60:1-6 Arise, your light has come.
Matthew 2:1-12 The visit of the Magi

Questions:
Which power do we tend to believe in: The force of a ruler like Herod that can bring death upon those who threaten him? Or the power of God shown in the life of a Messiah who promises peace upon all of the earth? What difference does it make that we worship the Messiah who was a refugee from his own land? What does God intend for us to do with the light that we have received from God? How do we shine that light when we see so much cruelty and violence in the world? What does it mean for us to “go home by another way?”

Click HERE to listen to the message from January 4, 2015

8:00     “Into the Darkness, and then to Light”      

Sermon:           “Into the Darkness, Then Comes Light”

Theme:            Often the path that leads us into darkness is the way in which we come to know Christ, and have a message to share.

Purpose:          The congregation will be encouraged that times of darkness are the pathway to growing closer to Christ and wiser.

Scriptures:       1 John 1:5-7     God is light, and we learn to walk in the light.

Acts 26:9-18    Paul’s testimony of being plunged into darkness, and then carrying the message of the light.

Questions:

Paul was convinced he was doing right when he was persecuting and full of rage; but discovered that he was completely wrong.  Have we had times when our hostility and our overconfidence caused us to do harm? How do we know that we doing what is right or wrong? In what ways are times of darkness and doubt important in coming to be open to new possibilities?  What will Jesus say to us about the grudges and hostilities that we bear? In what ways are times of being confronted and challenged by Christ an act of grace and mercy? Do we receive them as gifts, especially when they disturb our assumptions and plans?

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8:00                 “Being On the Messiah’s Side”     

Sermon:           “Choosing the Messiah’s Side”

Theme:            It is not a question of whether God is on our side, but whether we are on God’s side.

Purpose:          The congregation will be challenged to seek to set aside their focus on themselves in order to grow in knowing and following Christ.

Scriptures:       Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11      The Spirit of the Lord has called me to proclaim good news to the oppressed.

Luke 1:46-55   Mary proclaims that the Messiah will be on the side of the weak and distressed.

Questions:

We want the coming of God’s blessings but do we want God’s justice as well? Are we prepared to see the poor and oppressed receive greater blessing because of their suffering? Are we prepared to let go of our control and our advantages in order to see others blessed?  We want to see God’s restoration of the righteousness but are slow to want to have our own lives examined and our own sins taken seriously?  What do we have to sacrifice in order to rejoice at God’s justice?

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Communion – In the Pews, Baptism at 8:00 Service

Sermon:         “The Lord’s Time”

Theme:          We are changed by our waiting and learn to be transformed by the Holy Spirit so that when the time comes, we will be holy and mature in Christ.

Purpose:         The congregation will turn from focusing on issues of the ego and instead focus on their relationship with Christ so that they may grow through the times of darkness.

Scriptures:     Isaiah 40:1-11 Prepare the way for God’s presence.

2 Peter 3:8-15a  For the Lord a day is like a thousand years, everything in its time. We wait.

Questions:

In what ways do we need to grow in order to be ready to embrace Christ’s coming in our lives? What are the valleys and mountains that need to be smoothed over in our spiritual lives? In what ways are we too full of bitterness, unforgiveness, and hostility to embrace Christ’s presence? In what ways are we needing to have jealousy and selfishness burned away so that we might be purified? What has to happen so that we may rejoice in these purifying times rather than to be complaining and blaming God for our troubles?  How do we grow so that waiting on Christ becomes a source for growth rather than a cause for resentment?

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Sermon: “The Light Will Come”
Theme: Among people struggling and encountering darkness we proclaim good news of God’s healing light.
Purpose: To motivate the congregation to share Christ’s light in the midst of all of the busy Christmas season.
Scriptures: Mark 13:24-37 Powers are broken and chaos take place as a part of the work of God.
Isaiah 60:1-6 Light has come and will shine for the nations.

Questions:
How do we open ourselves to Christ’s light in the dark places of our lives? What is the light that we are craving will dawn upon us? How might we become light in the midst of the darkness that others are feeling in their lives? How do we begin to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ? How do we let go of our expectations of the way things should be and our disappointments in the way things are?

Click HERE to listen to the Sermon.