God initiates worship. It is His action, His work. He invites us to join the continuous fellowship and outpouring of joy that is occurring all the time around us and in the Heavens. All creations is constantly adoring and constantly exalting in perfect unity the creative power and majesty of God (see Psalm 9). Who [...]
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“I can safely say, on the authority of all that is revealed in the Word of God, that any man or woman on this earth who is bored and turned off by worship is not ready for heaven.” ― A.W. Tozer Do you expect and look forward to new experience, new challenges and new friendships in [...]
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“I close my eyes, only for a moment and the moment’s gone. All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity. Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.” [Dust in the Wind” by Kansas, 1978] As a Christian I don’t share the hollow despair of “Dust in the Wind,” yet [...]
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I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me. Proverbs 8:17 Christmas is worship. I love what the Magi said in Matthew 2, “For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” More importantly, I love what they didn’t say. Nothing about asking. Nothing about receiving. Nothing about [...]
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I wait. Year after year, generation after generation I’ve been here, waiting, watching and hoping. I’ve watched so many climb these steps as the bell rang through the streets. I’ve watched generations pass by on their way to and from school and wondered if they knew why I was here. I’ve watch as horses gave [...]
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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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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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Have you ever felt hungry, yet nothing sounded good to you. You have a craving that needs to be satisfied, but don’t know for what. Have you ever tried everything and yet nothing completely. We really can’t live on appetizers alone, at some point we need to bite down. “The point of having [...]
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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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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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Raymond R. Parrish, 77, of Vienna, WV died Sunday January 15, 2012 at Health South. He was born in Kenna, WV a son of the late Roscoe and Faye (Anderson) Parrish. He retired from Universal/Diamond Glass. When he was younger he served on the Vienna Volunteer Fire Department. He was a member of First [...]
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There seems to be a movement these days to separate spirituality from community. As if a personal, private encounter Christ is better than dealing with others at church. Nothing could be further from the truth. We were made to live in community, to practice the skills of forgiveness, grace and love and in the process [...]
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Church is born out of forgiveness, grace and love. Not just flowing from Jesus to you, but from you into others! The Church then is a conduit, an overlap of Heaven and Earth in which the prayer “Thy Kingdom come, on earth as it is in Heaven” is fulfilled, at least temporarily. Is this conduit [...]
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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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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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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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My Membership Covenant Today I am stepping across the line. I’m tired of waffling and I’m finished with wavering; I’ve made my choice, the verdict is in and my decision is irrevocable. I’m going God’s way. There’s no turning back now! I will live the rest of my life serving God’s will with God’s people [...]
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Celebrating Worship Imagine a young couple going to a 5-star restaurant. It is a restaurant without Styrofoam hamburger shells, chicken nuggets or soda fountains. This is a five star restaurant, the kind that makes a suit and tie for guys and dresses for ladies seem natural and appropriate. The couple enters and are greeted by [...]
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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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Our church has a large screen in the front of the santuary for visual support of the worship experience. Now I realize that for some the screen is a nuisance and for others a sign of the decline of true worship. But for a new generation, images are more apart of their vocabulary than the [...]
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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 [...]
READ MORE »http://myemail.constantcontact.com/News-from-First-United-Methodist-Church.html?soid=1101570165871&aid=lB5_8rAdhdM. Related posts: Deeper Roots for October 10, 2011 Deep Roots: Spiritual Wisdom for Unquenchable Faith 5.22.11 Deep Roots for June 20, 2011 Deep Roots: Spiritual Wisdom for Unquenchable Faith
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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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We reach out to people and welcome them into the church We have a direct responsibility for people of the “world” around our church, the community in which we study, work, shop, play, and so forth. In this world are people with many hurts, doubts, and questions. There are some who are new in the [...]
READ MORE »Perhaps you’ve heard this challenging word about worship from author Annie Dillard (in Teaching a Stone to Talk), but hear it again: “Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on [...]
READ MORE »This is God’s Word for my life in this place and at this time. Today, I am a new creation in Christ, I am God’s very own, and I believe He has a purpose for my life. Matthew 7:24-29 (NIV) Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a [...]
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Lectio Divina Read John 13:1-5; 23 What would go through your mind, your heart, and your soul if you were able to reclining at the table with Jesus like John? Your head resting gently on His chest, feeling each breath, listening to the beat of His heart, feeling the closeness and His acceptance? How would your [...]
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I am a pietist. I once tried to recover from my pietist upbringing, trading it in for something more grand (like Eastern Orthodoxy). Alas, I can not help myself. I am a pietist in my bones. It was bred into me, and I don’t think I could ever divest myself of my pietist heritage. But [...]
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We talk alot about church growth, about motivation of the frozen chosen, and living as faithful discipleship in the post-modern world. All good questions to be sure, but I have come to believe that the questions behind all other questions is “why are we here?” It seems simple enough really. Surely everyone knows why they are [...]
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Dr. Steve Gedon