Sermon:           “Called to Live Generously”

Theme:            Real joy is found when we learn to live in the abundance of gratitude and generosity.”

Purpose:          The congregation will consider ways of practicing generosity.

Scriptures:       1 Thessalonians 1:1-10           You have been chosen by God to serve and to share Christ’s love.

Matthew 22:15-22      Give to God what is God’s and give to the emperor what is the emperor’s

Questions:

How do we learn to be less anxious and worried about our possessions? How does fear and feelings of scarcity affect us? What would happen if we were continually confident that our needs will be provided? What would change if we no longer worried or felt fearful about our property? In what ways are we called to learn and practice gratitude so that we may show the world what it means to be joyful and generous? In what ways does generosity change the world around us?

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Sermon:            “Just Come to the Banquet”

Theme:            Our way of being free is to be submitted to Christ’s invitation to enter into relationship which has real purpose and joy.

Purpose:          The congregation will understand and work to practice submission.

Scriptures:       Philippians 4:1-9         Rejoice in the Lord always, focus on the things that are pure and honorable.

Matthew 22:1-14        Parable of the wedding banquet.

Questions:

What does God really want us to be and to do? What does it mean to be welcomed by God in grace and acceptance? What should our response be to that gift of love? What happens when we practice gratitude and acceptance? What strength and peace can we find in letting go of our past hostility and battles? What really is the sacrifice of letting go of the past?  In what way are we rejecting God when we hold onto our identity of resentment and attempt to retain the ability to judge and condemn others?

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Sermon:           “Called to Put Our Faith into True Action”

Theme:            Christians will show their knowledge of Christ through forgiveness and working for God’s justice In the world.

Purpose:          The congregation will recognize our true call to serve and set our egos aside.

Scriptures:       Philippians 3:4b-14     Paul’s history of religious practice versus growing in the love and knowledge of God.

Matthew 21:33-46      Parable of the Landowner and the unfaithful tenants.

Questions:

What is the real meaning of faithfulness? What difference does it make to a person to faithfully practice their relationship with Christ? How does this affect a person’s view of themselves? How does this affect our view of our work and practice? Is the purpose of being Christ just to feel better about ourselves or does our joy and confidence flow out of an experience that comes out of being in Christ? What does this do to our attitude towards rewards and accolades?

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Sermon:            “United With All Who Serve God”

Theme:            We are one with all people who practice the righteousness of God’s love, humility, and grace.

Purpose:           The congregation will seek greater openness towards people of other cultures and styles of faith.

Scriptures:        Philippians 2:1-13       Christ emptied himself, taking the form of a servant and humbling himself.

Matthew 21:23-32      Faithfulness is to do the things that God commands us to do.

Questions:

What does it mean to us to worship Christ who humbled himself and served others? Is it possible to know Christ without also practicing humility and service? What does serving do to our faith? Are we like the child who is obedient in speech but not in our actions? Or are we obedient to God in our service and humility? How do we learn real healthy humility?

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Sermon:           “Called to Share Forgiveness”

Theme:            We share a gift of forgiveness as we give forgiveness and enable others to know the peace of God in our words and actions.

Purpose:          The congregation will seek to intentionally practice forgiveness for others.

Scriptures:       Romans 14:1-12          We are in fellowship with one another to build one another up and to glorify God.

Matthew 18:21-35      The parable of the unforgiving servant and the king who forgave the accounts.

Questions:

How does our lack of forgiveness affect our relationship with God? Can one be a Christian without learning forgiveness? How do we learn to forgive, especially in places where hurt runs deep? Does forgiveness leave others unpunished? What is the impact bitterness and unforgiveness on our relationship with those who are closest to us? In what ways does abusiveness and violence rise up out unforgiveness?  What forgiveness do we owe God and what has God forgiven us?

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Sermon:           “Called to Heal”

Theme:            We are called to be joyfully healed as we take part in God’s work of bringing light and healing to the world.

Purpose:          The congregation will reflect upon our common call and practices as we serve Christ.

Scriptures:       Romans 13:8-14          Love one another, awaken and clothe yourselves with light.

Matthew 6:9-15          In prayer, love and offer forgiveness.

Questions:

What difference does our prayer life make in our relationships? In what ways does connecting to God as our source of strength and supplying our needs free us to be loving and forgiving? How is it that anxiousness about the things we need causes us to be jealous, envious, and unforgiving?  In what ways are our selfishness and hostility causing us to miss out in the joy of relationships and healthy living? Are the myths of our own control and depending on our own strength robbing us of the fullness of what God would like to share with us?

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Sermon:           “Being Ourselves, Being Christ”

Theme:            God created us to be in a relationship of serving and boldly giving ourselves so that we may be a part of God’s work.

Purpose:          The congregation will examine their own call to boldly follow Christ.

Scriptures:       Romans 12:9-21          Let love be Genuine, live peaceably with all.

Matthew 16:21-28      Jesus’ mission to sacrifice, those who seek to save their life will lose it.

 Questions:

What does it mean for us to “let love be genuine?” Are we able to be ourselves and to practice genuine love? Is it possible that our best self was designed to practice genuine love? What happens to our true self if we begin to practice and live a sacrificial faith? In what ways did the path the cross flow out of Jesus’ true self? How do we come to be ourselves and become Christlike in our relationships?

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I hate to say it but the problem is you.

“Are you the sour milk”

Sermon:           “Are You the Sour Milk?”

Theme:            We have control over how we perceive and interact with the conflicts in which we are a part.

Purpose:          The congregation will take time for self-examination and seek to learn from the conflicts in which they have become involved.

Scriptures:       Ephesians 6:10-19       Put on the whole armor of God, we wrestle not with flesh and blood.

John 5:1-15     Do you want to be made well?

Questions:

What does it mean that we do not “wrestle with flesh and blood” but with spiritual powers?  What are the spiritual powers with which we are wrestling today? What are the battles and conflicts that we have experienced repeatedly? How can we come to see our own role in the conflicts and problems that we face? How do we answer the question: “Do you want to be healed?” What is our role in coming to see differently and learn through times of conflict?

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The Udder Side of Relationships

Sermon:           “The Ways We Learn and Grow”

Theme:            God’s people have always had to go through periods of working through their differences in order to grow and move forward.

Purpose:          The congregation will appreciate healing and recognize growth through the process in which we have been engaged.

Scriptures:       James 4:1-12   Where do these conflicts come from?  Do not speak evil against one another.

Matthew 18:15-20      If another member of the church sins against you.

Questions:

In what ways have you grown spiritually through participating in the LMPC training and process? How have you come to see conflicts and disputes differently? What is the difference between seeking to “win” and seeking to grow in the love and knowledge of Christ Jesus? What is our mission in assisting those who are floundering in conflict and alienation in the world? In what ways to do we see working through differences and strong emotions to be a necessary part of growth?

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“Milk it for all it’s worth”

Sermon:           “Insecurity and Security Blankets”

Theme:            Instead of creating “Sacred cows” we will find our security in the knowledge of God’s unending loving care for us.

Purpose:          The congregation will recognize their insecurities and begin to seek to set them aside.

Scriptures:        Romans 8:31-39          All things work together for those who are in Christ, if God is for us, who can be against us?

Matthew 14:22-36      Jesus walks on the water to the Disciples, who are struggling in the boat.  The people want to touch the fringe of his cloak.

Questions:

How do we respond to the anxieties and fears that are with us over long periods of time? What roles do “good luck charms” and other attachments play in our lives? In what ways do we enable fears to dominate our lives? In what ways do we lack trust in God’s love or willingness to care for us? What are the ways in which we can remind ourselves that God’s love is with us? What can we do to break our dependence on superstitions and other crutches for dealing with anxiousness and fear? What is a healthy understanding of anxiousness and fear for Christians?

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God clothes us in a robe of being valued for ourselves.

Sermon:           “Putting On an Identity of Love”

Theme:            We are constantly pushed to show importance, power, influence, and success but real happiness and security is found in clothing ourselves with compassion, humility, and above all, love.

Purpose:          The congregation will become sensitive to their need to be noticed and important so that they may seek instead to find love and peace.

Scriptures:                    Matthew 6:28-30        Consider the lilies of the filed.

Colossians 3:12-17      Above all clothe yourselves with love.

Questions:

What shapes the way we think of ourselves? In what ways do we allow our “self” or identity to be given to us by others? In what ways do we have a solid self that holds onto our value and purpose? What role does love play in our values? In what ways do we allow superficial things to determine how we feel about ourselves and the attitudes we hold towards others? What impact does the tendency to make judgements about other people’s appearance make on ourselves and our own relationships?

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