Mask: To conceal one’s real personality, character, or intentions Masks prevent us from looking at our lives honestly or experiencing true intimacy with others. Mask don’t protect they suffocate. Jesus’ encounter with people was so dramatic because he saw right through the masks we wear, address the fear that made us feel we needed them, and gave […]
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Like seasons of the year, the church also has seasons for spiritual growth, renewal, harvest and planting. Seasons for self-reflection, seasons for joyful exuberance and seasons for tending the seeds already planted. We find ourselves in the season of Lent, a time of inner reflection and self-evaluation. During Lent, we confront our own self-righteous attitudes and look at […]
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If I asked you if you were a confrontational person, how would you respond? Do you admire confrontational people or flee from them? Are they helpful or hurtful? Most of us I think avoid conflict and confrontations at all cost, even if it means sacrificing our happiness and our better judgment as long at it […]
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Have you ever been walking down the street when you came upon someone in need, either asking you directly for help (financially or perhaps a hitchhiker) or someone caught in a mishap that looks like it is going to ruin their day (flat tire, shopping cart overturned, etc.)? What do you do? What should you do? […]
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As leaders of God’s church, our greatest responsibility is to create an environment in which people can give generously. When people in our churches have an encounter with the living God and are touched by his grace, we find no greater evidence of God’s power than the existence of a culture of reckless generosity. Generosity […]
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If life isn’t about money, then why does it cause so many problems. A recent survey the Barna Research Group found that 54% of Non-Christians and 51% of Christians believe the MONEY is the main symbol for determining a successful life. In Paul’s letter to pastor Timothy, he speaks about the temptation, the […]
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Natural wisdom says, “I’ll give when all my needs are met.” “I can’t afford to give” or “I’ll give when I’ve got some surplus.” God’s wisdom says, “Give now, even in your time of need, and watch me work!” The Bible teaches that when we give in faith (trusting totally in God) even when we […]
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God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 1 John 4:12 “The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds. And that’s what you’ve given me. That’s what I’d hoped to give you […]
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Most of the time we settle for happiness when Joy is being offered. Happiness is circumstantial and depends on things going the way we expected. Joy is deeper and certainly longer lasting. Joy understands the ups and downs of life because its focused on the destination and know that trials and troubles are a necessary […]
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HOPE: to cherish a desire with anticipation, to expect with confidence, trust Read: Luke 1:16-38 NIV Immanuel – God with us. The Presence of God in our world radically changes the nature of how we see and live each day. The Light of Christ shows us the world as it is and brings us the HOPE […]
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Advent, like Lent has strong themes of preparation, of waiting, of the coming dawn. And the story started a long time ago. Why did God decide to be born a man? Why was a rescue plan of this magnitude needed? It all started way back in at the beginning of beginnings: Read Genesis 3:8-19 We all […]
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What is FAITH? Simple Definitions Quiz Match the words Faith, Hope, & Trust to their corresponding definition. (1) Once, all villagers decided to pray for rain, on the day of prayer all people gather and only one boy came with an umbrella — That’s called _______ (2) Example of feeling of a one year old […]
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In Part 1 of our series, Faith that Works, we described the essential elements that distinguishes faith from belief. Belief is a mental activity that agrees with something, but does not necessarily act on it. Belief is essentially passive in nature. Faith, however, is active and risks life and limb out of a deep sense of trust […]
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Faith has two elements: 1) being convinced of the truth, being certain of reality, having evidence of unseen things, and 2) then acting upon those truths to achieve a certain outcome. “There are things, say in learning to swim or to climb, which look dangerous and aren’t. Your instructor tells you it’s safe. You have […]
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The time for Joy is now. As a third-century man was anticipating death, he penned these last words to a friend: “It’s a bad world, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and holy people who have learned a great secret. They have found a joy which […]
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“[Saint Anthony] said, in his solitude, he sometimes encountered devils who looked like angels, and other times he found angels who looked like devils. When asked how he could tell the difference, the saint said that you can only tell which is which by the way you feel after the creature has left your company.”― Elizabeth […]
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See Part 1 of the Spiritual life of a Hoarder The TV show “Hoarders” documents people who are unable to part with their belongings – to the point where they are on the verge of a personal crisis because their “stuff” takes over their homes and even their lives. ”Hoarders” features the true stories about […]
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The TV show “Hoarders” documents people who are unable to part with their belongings – to the point where they are on the verge of a personal crisis because their “stuff” takes over their homes and even their lives. Sometimes we’re no different – especially as it concerns our gifts, forgiveness, or even our money […]
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In the movie “The Bucket List” Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson are two of the most unlikeliest of characters who are thrown together because of they share a common enemy, DEATH. They have both been diagnosed with cancer. They now come face to face with Ultimate Truth, perhaps for the first time, they are mortal. […]
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We’re all sojourners, refugees in a foreign land and to some extent, nomads. We cannot stay here on Earth forever, our destination lies beyond to a place we’ve never been before, or can’t remember if we did. We wander through life trying to find our way, hearing music that sounds familiar but we can’t quite place. We’re like […]
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There’s just something odd about the human heart. We just can’t seem to get it together. Throughout the centuries we’ve been at war with each other, struggled through famine, drought and disease yet we never seem to learn from our mistakes. It’s almost as if we can’t help ourselves. We fight to have more of […]
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There was an interesting experiment done in the 1920 that examined our inability to walk in a straight line while blindfolded. It seems that we all are curiously unable to walk in a straight line without some sort of external reference to know when we’re off course. As a result, we continue to walk […]
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I had a conversation this week about the purpose of the church, it’s mission and even about its ability to help us make sense of our lives in the confusing, chaotic world in which we live. It seems that we’re all a bit confused, perhaps even conflicted, by the relevance of our faith […]
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Have you ever thought of your life as a miracle? No? Why not? You should you know. Have you ever thought of your daily routine as a gift, a privileged, or as a journey worth sharing? No? Why not? Have you bought into Solomon’s curse “and there’s nothing new under the sun”? Over the past 100 […]
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The Three Simple Rules Life can be complicated at times. We often feel scattered and overwhelmed. We come to church seeking peace and direction. We come hoping to gain perspective and fulfillment. Drawing parallels between Wesley’s time and the world today, the feelings of disenfranchisement, doubt and fear are much the same. But Wesley’s three […]
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What could be more valuable than gathering and passing along all of the knowledge and wisdom you’ve acquired over your lifetime? Imagine how powerful it would be for every coming generation to learn from each impactful thought and critical decision you’ve made in your lifetime. Imagine how redeeming it would be to transform each stumble and […]
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So how is it that we can spend our entire lives in the church…working for Christ…serving the church…going to meetings…reaching out to hurting people…worshiping and joining in prayer with other Christians…and not be madly in love with God? As Rev. McShane writes, “We miss it…we skim right over the first, the most important, […]
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We all face lions, those beasts that threaten our security, keep us awake at night with fear and consume our identity. They come in different forms, economic lions, illness lions, career lions just to name a few. They are indifferent to our good intentions, social standing, education or wealth. They affect everyone in […]
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The Three Simple Rules Life can be complicated at times. We often feel scattered and overwhelmed. We come to church seeking peace and direction. We come hoping to gain perspective and fulfillment. Drawing parallels between Wesley’s time and the world today, the feelings of disenfranchisement, doubt and fear are much the same. But […]
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The Three Simple Rules Life can be complicated at times. We often feel scattered and overwhelmed. We come to church seeking peace and direction. We come hoping to gain perspective and fulfillment. Drawing parallels between Wesley’s time and the world today, the feelings of disenfranchisement, doubt and fear are much the same. But […]
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Sometimes storms simply come out of nowhere. No matter how much we plan, prepare or protect what we love, storms are unpredictable and sometimes devastating. They clear away all the false beliefs we cling to, useless possessions that define us, or priorities that are powerless to give life real meaning or significance. Storms reveal that life […]
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Inspiration God wants our devotion even in the little things of life. Tomorrow is Monday morning again. We could wake up depressed at the thought of another working week, or we could wake up thinking about how we might bring glory to God through the way we live, the way we speak, the way we […]
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Temptation bait without a hook, choice without consequences, motion without meaning. Each day we are tempted by the choices we’re offered and by the choices we avoid. Remember no decision is still a decision. Each Sunday we pray “Deliver us from temptation…” but do we look for it or expect it to come Monday Morning. […]
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What happens when Sunday People live in a Monday Morning World? Have you ever noticed that the energy and enthusiasm you have on Sunday fades when you finally come to Monday Morning? Have you ever witnessed good church going people act like Attila the Hun at a restaurant, grocery store, or on the highway? Have […]
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Summer offers us something no other season can: Perspective. During the summer months we plan for family vacations, reunions, outdoor activities and a chance to look back at all we’ve done and ask if it was all worth it. Each month we celebrate Holy communion for the same reasons: Perspective. Through the Lord’s Supper we […]
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“The most powerful weapon on earth is the human soul on fire.” Marshal Foch Have you ever felt like you’re stuck, trapped or so far in a rut you don’t know the path you’re on? Some times you wonder whether there even is a path and in moments of desperation give up believing life is more […]
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Priorities reflect our Values Passion reflects our Vision Persistence reflects View “The More choices you have, the more your values matter.” Michael Schrage This week we’ve been celebrating our graduates and their future. We’ve watched them grow, we taught them God’s plan, and we’ve offered them the love and security of a church family. But at this […]
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When we ask ourselves that basic of all questions, “What am I doing here” we judge the responses based on our instinctive desire to find joy. For example, if I say I’m here to work and build a comfortable life for myself, that answer is evaluated by this standard – “ok, but will that bring […]
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Ephesians 1. This book has had a profound impact on my life: Who I understand God to be; all that he has accomplished for me in Christ; how I view myself as a result; what I value and live for; how I view others inside the Church; outside the Church; how the Gospel transforms my […]
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The story of Jesus healing the paralytic in Mark 2:1-14 is more than just another example of Jesus’ power of healing and restoration, it is also the dedication and compassion of a group that brought this paralytic to Jesus. It is not enough to know the truth if you never do anything with it. It […]
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A Gift from God an Affirmation of Faith A Promise Forever! “People need to be reminded more often than they need to be instructed.” ~ C.S. Lewis Life is a series of Remembrances (1) What you’ve learned – know to be true (tests & trials) “I once was lost, but now I found, was blind but […]
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For the most part we already know the basics of the Easter story. What I mean is we know the timeline. Palm Sunday is followed by the Lord’s Supper (although we may not call it Maundy Thursday or know that it is derived from the Latin “mandatum” for command. Check out John 13:34 to see […]
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Based on Matthew 21:1-4 Sermon Notes 04.01.12 Staying Power Announcement Slides 4.01.12 Worship 04.01.12 Palm Sunday Late Service Early Service Related posts: Footprints: Staying Power Beyond the Walls What is Heaven? part 1 The Pursuit of Heaven part 4
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His Italian mother named him after the gospel writer, Mark in the hopes that he too would tell the gospel truth. It is ironic that, later when he wrote a bestselling book on his world travels, cynics nicknamed it Il Milione: .The Book of a Million Lies.. And Mark, whose mother hoped would grow up […]
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Heaven is not a place you go to, It is a place you grow to. Heaven is the gift of what you pursue in life. If your life is dominated by the pursuit of self-indulgent pleasure and privilege you will be rewarded by living in a world of hoarding and scarcity. If you live by giving and […]
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“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.” Colossians 3:1-2 Have you ever been invited to a wedding celebration? Often there is […]
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Are you looking forward to heaven and what God has planned or is it all simply wishful thinking? Does Heaven fill you heart with wonder, excitement and enthusiasm or fear and loathing? In the midst of pain, trials and difficulties, why should we be talking about Heavent? When Jesus knew he was facing the cross and that […]
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Why are we not satisfied with this world as it is? Why do we long for beauty, love and fulfillment? Why is pain, suffering and death so revolting and something we fight against? John Lennon in his song “Imagine” suggests we ignore the reality of Heaven and the after life in favor a more immediate […]
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February 22, 1012 The season of Lent is a time when we prepare our hearts, minds and souls for the sacred observance of Christ’s death on Good Friday and his resurrection on Easter. In Lent, we recognize we are simply dust and ashes without Christ, we confess our sins to God, and we […]
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I’m always amazed at how little planning, thinking and preparing for the future we do these days. Infants tend to be short term thinkers, crying when their demands aren’t met, but as adults we’re to have a longer perspective on things that this. We tend to be short term thinkers, dealing with the Tyranny of […]
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Church means many different things to many people. To some it is an event, a building, an organization, a place on the map, a charity, and a group of people. When we actually consider getting involved in “a church” we are bombarded by all kinds of internal questions: What will I get out of this? […]
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Following Jesus is never as easy as some would have you think. If you are experiencing times of doubt, troubles, grief, anxiety, fear, and depression, you are in company with the Apostle Paul, Peter, John the Baptist, David, Moses, Abraham, Sarah, Joseph … well you get the pictures. Life is difficult and being a […]
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In the midst of hectic life, it’s easy to get lost. We rise to the top of our profession to realize we were climbing the wrong ladder. God, what happened? How did my life end up like this? Where is the peace that passes all understanding? Where am I, can someone help me, please? When […]
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When we became Christians we entered a process in which the life of Christ became the air we breathe, the blood which courses through our veins and the wisdom that guides our thoughts and actions. To know what the next step is in our spiritual growth, we must first know where we are and where […]
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“Herod was disturbed, and all of Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:1-12 When we stop to consider all the activities of Christmas we are left with two questions: “So What? Now What?” When Herod encounter the Magi, he was disturbed by their presence, their questions and their conviction to travel so far. The problem was that […]
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“At that time Jesus said, I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.” Matthew 11:25-26 When we get past all the frenzy of the Christmas experience, what’s left with the nagging […]
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The Great Story of God This is a transcript of the service used on December 24, 2011. It is a closer look at the characters, circumstances and context that combine to make each piece part of the Greater Story of Christmas. No one character had all the pieces of the puzzle at the time, but […]
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We all have them, family members that cling desperately to the family tree you’re just positive dropped from a high branch at one time or another. We all have those crazy uncles, aunts or cousins that we just don’t talk about much, but you know they’re part of your gene pool. And if you can’t […]
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We must never loose sight of the fact that God engaged Mary and Joseph in a life story they did not fully understand, after all who could understand what God was up to when He decides to use an unwed teenage girl to give birth out of wedlock. It is nothing less than… Scandalous! I’m […]
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Our expectations are critical in giving us goals and standards for which to strive. Yet we can also be blinded by our expectations too! Each Year we prepare for Christmas with a flurry of activity, partly due to fear, guilt and competition to have the best dinner party, find the best gift or have the […]
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Generosity is a matter of Action, Intention and Heart. It is reorienting my perspective on what life is means and what God is doing through my life. Generosity is natural response to God’s Love in Christ. Scripture Verse: Mark 10:17-23 Download our 2011 FUMC Stewardship Pledge Form Sermon Notes “Satisfying Our Hunger for God” Lord, How […]
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A great deal of our culture and lifestyle is driven by Greed. Greed in our world is a very strong desire and is changes who we are! And you know what? It’s always been like that, since the beginning of time. Nearly 2000 years ago Jesus was teaching to a crowd of people who were following […]
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“God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love—like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. He keeps us in step with each other. His very breath and blood flow through us, nourishing us so that we will […]
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40 Days of Love, Week 4 “Let LOVE be your Highest Goal!” 1 Corinthians 14:1 Discipleship – When we change the way we think, then it’ll change the way we feel and it will change our behavior. Sometimes we think we can change others, but we can’t. However, we can change ourselves. Look what happens to an […]
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40 Days of Love, Week 2 “Let LOVE be your Highest Goal!” 1 Corinthians 14:1 You can’t fully understand how to love other people until first you understand how much God loves you. You cannot offer to other people what you don’t possess yourself. You can’t be gracious to others if you haven’t felt God’s grace. You […]
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40 Days of Love, Week 1 “Let LOVE be your Highest Goal!” 1 Corinthians 14:1 So often, love is seen as an uncontrollable event, like something you “fall” into or fall out of. But love is a choice, a commitment and the greatest challenge of your life. We need HELP! We need Divine intervention, we need God. The […]
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These slides were used as part of the children’s time during worship. The use of slides and images is intended to engage children who are far more visual than auditory when it comes to learning and retention. Back to School Lesson 1 Back to School Lesson 2 Related posts: Good News for Ladder People – […]
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Week of September 11, 2011 On September 11, 2001 we experienced evil on a scale never imagined. Thousands died, 10s of thousands more were left to grieve over the loss of a parent, child, spouse or friend. This Sunday we remember the 9/11 Tragedy and rededicate ourselves to confront evil in our world with truth, […]
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To what extent are we a Christian community? According to William Willimon, Bishop of the Alabama Conference of the United Methodist Church, We are Christian to the extent that we conform to and are confronted by the Word of God. In Romans 12, Paul advises his readers not to be conformed to the pattern of […]
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Week of May 1, 2011 One of the first ways you can celebrate your new relationship with God is to be baptized in water because this act of faith is important to Him. There are four key reasons to be baptized in water after you have become rightly relationship to God through His gift […]
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“Do all the good you can, By all the means you can, In all the ways you can, In all the places you can, At all the times you can, To all the people you can, As long as ever you can.” John Wesley “Directly opposite to this [the approach of the desert mystics] […]
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July 17, 2011 We drastically underestimate the power of sin. Sin, by its nature, hides itself. It crouches at your door; it always looks smaller than it is. Your sins are not done with you when you think you are done with them. But there is hope in the gospel. Why do we […]
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Week of July 10, 2011 Sin is more than just an action to be avoided, it is a power that is released in our lives that continues to enslave and choke the life out of us. In this passage from Number, God’s people are addicted to the pleasures of Egypt even though they hate the […]
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What follows is a collection of quotes on the subject of Sin, Addiction, and God’s reaction through the work of Jesus Christ. These quote and ideas were used in a sermon Series “Breaking Free” presented at First United Methodist Church on July 10 & 17, 2011 and are currently available on line for listening and […]
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Week of July 3, 2011 As Christians we have an obligation to pass on those values and beliefs to the next generation. As a church I hope we can pass along to our children these key values Christ Centered / Kingdom Focused / Mission Minded. Scripture Verse Deuteronomy 6:20-25 Sermon Slides worship 07.03.11 Christian Independence […]
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Week of June 26, 2011 We drastically underestimate the power of sin. Sin, by its nature, hides itself. It crouches at your door; it always looks smaller than it is. Your sins are not done with you when you think you are done with them. But there is hope in the gospel. Scripture Verse Genesis […]
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Week of June 19, 201 We drastically underestimate the power of sin. Sin, by its nature, hides itself. It crouches at your door; it always looks smaller than it is. Your sins are not done with you when you think you are done with them. But there is hope in the gospel. Scripture Verse Genesis […]
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see Luke 22:14-34 the Cross became for the early church a symbol of hope, life and transformation. Yet it was to those outside the church a symbol of death, humiliation, and condemnation, certainly nothing to rally behind. So what made the Cross so powerfula symbol that people would change their lives because of it. Will […]
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Regardless of what anyone says, life is messy and we all have messes in our lives. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either in denial and/or a liar. Sometimes the mess is one of our own making through something we did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say. Other times we are thrust into the […]
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Regardless of what anyone says, life is messy and we all have messes in our lives. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either in denial and/or a liar. Sometimes the mess is one of our own making through something we did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say. Other times we are thrust into the […]
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Regardless of what anyone says, life is messy and we all have messes in our lives. Anyone that tells you otherwise is either in denial and/or a liar. Sometimes the mess is one of our own making through something we did or didn’t do, said or didn’t say. Other times we are thrust into the […]
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Transformed by Baptism Sermon based on Acts 8:26-39 Audio Podcast and Sermon Notes available here Sermon Slides Worship 05.01.11 Baptism Baptism Liturgy Slides Remember Your Baptism Liturgy For many people Baptism was something that was done a long time ago and has since lost it’s meaning and significance for their lives. Our goal is to […]
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Good News for Ladder People! Since we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always […]
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Audio Podcast available here Based on Luke 16:19-31 Worship 04.17.11 Myths 6 Hell 2 Blessing of the Palms What is hell, then? It is God actively giving us up to what we have freely chosen-to go our own way, be our own “the master of our fate, the captain of our soul,” to get […]
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April 10, 2011 Worship 04.10.11 Myths 5 Hell Sermon Audio Related posts: Sermon Slides: The Importance of Hell Baptism: Beyond Words Love Forgives – Sermon Slides Breaking Free: The Addiction of Sin
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Sermon Slides for Sunday April 3, 2011 Audio Podcast can be found by Clicking Here Worship 04.03.11 Myths 4 Baptism Related posts: Transformed by Baptism Remember Your Baptism Doctrine of Hell Sermon Slides Remember Your Baptism
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Dr. Steve Gedon