Sermon: “Are We on God’s Side?”
Theme: God is on the side of righteousness, justice, and peace rather than on the side of power or might.
Purpose: The congregation will recognize that power and authority bring responsibility.
Scriptures: 1 Samuel 17:4-11, 31-40, 45-47. David meets Goliath’s threats with faith in God and using his own capabilities.
Romans 12:3-8 Let each person use the faith and gifts that they have been given.

Questions:
What is the real message of the story of David defeating Goliath? How is it we always see ourselves as the “David” in these stories when most of us are the more powerful and influential people in the world? What warnings should we take from this story (as we recognize our own power and influence)? What is the story really about? What should we learn about David’s claim that faithfulness and trust in God are what will bring victory rather than might or power? Do we focus more on faithfulness? Or we more interested in “Might and Power?”

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Sermon: “The Cost of Arrogance”
Theme: Samson did not recognize that his strength flowed from his relationship with God, and this forced a journey of restoration.
Purpose: The congregation will understand that our power and strength needs to come from our relationship with God.
Scriptures:  Judges 16:4-22 Samson falls in love with Delilah and she betrays him.
Matthew 10:16-22, 34-39 Jesus warns the disciples of betrayal, and rejection, that those who will follow have to set relationship with God above all else.
Questions:
Why do we retell the story of Samson and Delilah, especially to children, when it is a story of such deceit and bloodshed? Was Samson just not very intelligent in his relationships or was God in some way using his lack of ability to restrain himself? What does it mean to be so personally devoted to God as a Nazerite? How is it that some people are so focused on personal devotion that they are not able to see what impact their decisions have on others? How can God use such a violent and unrestrained man as Samson? Was it a good thing that he killed so many Philistines? What is with the conflict between the Philistines and the Judean people? How has our view changed of how to bring peace?

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Sermon: “On the Way to Nineveh”
Theme: The sin of Jonah was to treasure his resentment more than God.
Purpose: We become aware of how we justify our hostility and resentment in place of faithfulness to God.
Scriptures: Jonah 1:1-6, 1:15-2:10 Jonah is swallowed up by the Whale and spewed out.
Matthew 7:21-23 Some will say they are faithful but will not act in the knowledge of God.

Questions:
What is the difference between having “strong convictions” and being stubborn? Jonah’s prejudice against the people of Nineveh got in the way of his relationship with God. Do we ever do that? Are there times when our unforgiveness, prejudice, or other grudges make want to defy God’s direction to us? Why did God use such extreme means to return Jonah to the path He had set for Jonah? Was that for the benefit of Jonah or for the Ninevites? Why did God choose Jonah even though God knew Jonah hated the people of Nineveh? Are there ever times God will call us to go or do things so that our attitudes will be changed?

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Sermon: The Lions You Will Face
Theme: Daniel’s decision as to how to live his life meant that he was in danger of losing it.
Purpose: To see in Daniel’s story that he had to choose what manner of life he was going to live, and to claim a life that is full rather than one that complied with other’s expectations.
Scriptures:  Daniel 6:1-28 Daniel thrown in the lion’s den.
Romans 8:31-39 What will separate us from the love of Christ?

Questions:
What is the cost of our being faithful to God and true to ourselves? When are we tested and tried, to prove what we believe and to hold fast to our values? What kind of person never has their values or beliefs tested? What is the difference between holding true to our beliefs or values, and being stubborn as we refuse to question or to grow? How do we learn to be people who know what to hold fast to, and where to compromise? What are the values that we will never compromise upon?

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Sermon: “Broken Stories from Broken Lives”
Theme: The gift that God gives us of the bible is a human glimpse into what is divine, the gift of the knowledge of God in particular times and circumstances.
Purpose To introduce the bible as a human and divine description of God’s love and presence.
Scriptures: John 1:14-23 Jesus, the Word Made Flesh, is known first through Isaiah, Elijah, and other Old Testament prophets.
Hebrews 11:3-13 The faith that began in the Old Testament fulfilled in Christ.
Questions:
Why do we need to have the Old Testament? Why do we tell the Old Testament Stories to our children? Do the stories really mean what we think they mean? How do we deal with the way in which people saw God in parts of the Old Testament? Should we eliminate the stories that include violence and ways of thinking we now know to be destructive? What can we learn from these stories?

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One Worship Service 9am

Sermon: “The People On Fire” Memorial Day Weekend
Theme: The Holy Spirit fills and enlivens our ministry, directing us to be empowered and enlivened by God’s own power.
Purpose: The congregation will embrace the gift of God’s Spirit rather than focus on their own control.
Scriptures Acts 2:1-21 The Holy Spirit comes upon the church.
John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit will come and will bring new understanding.
Questions:
Can we allow God’s power to become more important than our own control? Why do we not see the power of the Holy Spirit flowing more freely in the world today? What do we need to change in order to become more open to Christ’s energizing and renewing presence? How do we become more Holy Spirit oriented without losing the strengths and capabilities that God has given us uniquely? What does Jesus mean by leaving us “The Advocate?” How do we use these gifts effectively?

Click Here to listen to sermon from May 24th.

8:00 Service:

Sermon: “Meanwhile, In the Real World”
Theme: The hardships and trials that God’s people face enable them to stand out and show Christ’s compassion and grace in the world.
Purpose: To enable the congregation to connect their challenges and trials with opportunities to share Christ’s love.
Scriptures: Psalm 1 Happy are those who meditate on God’s law, like trees planted by a stream.
John 17:6-19 Jesus prays for the disciples who will abide in the world and share what they have received from Christ.

Questions:
What does it take to have a strong faith in the world today? What are the practices and disciplines that enable us to be like a tree planted by a consistent source of sustenance? How do we use the “Law of God” to be a guide to our faith? What does it mean that we do not belong to the world? In what ways should we separate from the world and to what degree are we here to transform the world?

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Other: Grade School Bibles will be received during worship;
Sermon: “Experience the Resurrection”
Theme: As we experience Christ with us, we are healed, and renewed, and sent out to share the message of Christ’s rising from the dead among all who are still struggling with darkness and fear.
Purpose: The congregation will joyfully recognize their experiences of Christ’s resurrection and share this with all they meet.
Scriptures: John 20:19-31 The disciples experience Jesus’ presence in the upper room.
1 John 1:2:2 We proclaim what we have seen, and touched, and heard, that Christ’s light heals us from our sins.
Questions:
What does the resurrection mean for our life and faith? How do we integrate our experience of Christ’s raising from the dead in our daily lives? How do we share this gift of hope and expectation of blessing with people who are struggling with feelings of emptiness and anxiousness? How do we become people who receive the resurrection on a daily basis?

Click HERE to listen to the message from April 12th, 2015

Sermon: “Because He Is Risen…”
Theme: By Christ’s rising from the dead we are freed from our bondage to the past and our fears of the future.
Purpose: The congregation will celebrate and rejoice in the gift of the resurrection.
Scriptures: Isaiah 25:6-9 On this day we receive a feast of gladness because death no longer has power over us.
John 20:1-18 Christ is raised and witnessed by Mary.
Questions:
What is different in our lives because of the gift of Christ’s resurrection from the dead? What is the difference between “resurrection” and “resuscitation?” How is our perspective on life changed by the knowledge that death has been defeated? What becomes our purpose in life as people who have the message of hope over death to share? What can we do to truly celebrate the resurrection?

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