2021-06-27

Posted on Jun 27, 2021 in Sunday Sermons, Topical |

Do Justice

[Deuteronomy 10:12, 17-18 ESV] “And now, Israel, what does the LORD your God require of you, but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, … For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe. He executes justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the sojourner, giving him food and clothing.
 
[Psalm 10:17-18 ESV] O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed, so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more.
 
[Isaiah 1:16-17 ESV] Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.
 
[Jeremiah 22:3 ESV] Thus says the LORD: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.
 
[Micah 6:8 ESV] He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?
 
[Matthew 25:31-46 ESV] “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Call To Worship – Psalm 146

1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I have being.
3 Put not your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 Their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is in the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord, their God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
9 The Lord watches over the sojourners,
and upholds the widow and the orphan;
but the Lord brings the way of the wicked to ruin.
10 The Lord will reign for ever, your God, O Zion,
from generation to generation.
Praise the Lord!

Music

2002 – I Will Call Upon the Lord
2242 – Walk with Me
2128 – Come and Find the Quiet Place
2024 – From the Rising of the Sun

Benediction

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see the needs of others;
open my ears that I may hear their cries;
open my heart so that they need not be without succor;
let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,
nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.
Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,
and use me to bring them to those places.
And so open my eyes and my ears that I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for thee.
Amen.

Biblical Justice – Work verses

[Genesis 2:15 ESV] The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
 
Exodus 20:8-9 – [Exo 20:8-11 ESV] “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
 
Proverbs 6:6-11
Proverbs 12:14
Proverbs 14:23
Ecclesiastes 3:13
Ecclesiastes 5:12
Romans 12:11
 
[Eph 4:28 ESV] Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
 
[2 Thessalonians 3:6-12 ESV] Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.
 
[1 Timothy 5:3-8 ESV] Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
 
[Acts 2:42-47 ESV] And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
 
[Acts 4:32-37 ESV] Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.

Biblical Justice – All Created Equal verses

[Genesis 1:26-27 ESV] Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
 
[1 Samuel 16:7 ESV] But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
 
[Acts 10:34-35 ESV] So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.
 
[Romans 10:11-13 ESV] For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
 
[1 Corinthians 12:13 ESV] For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
 
[Galatians 3:28 ESV] There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

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2021-06-20

Posted on Jun 19, 2021 in 2 Peter 2021, Sunday Sermons |

2 Peter 3:14-18 – Don’t Mess With The Scriptures!

[2 Peter 3:14-18 ESV] Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.
 
[Romans 10:14-17 ESV] How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

 Call to worship: UMH #556 – Litany for Christian Unity

Let us ask the Lord to strengthen
in all Christians faith in Christ,
the Savior of the world.
Listen to us, O Lord.

 

Let us ask the Lord to sustain
and guide Christians with his gifts
along the way to full unity.
Listen to us, O Lord.

 

Let us ask the Lord
for the gift of unity and peace
for the world.
Listen to us, O Lord.

 

Let us pray.
We ask you, O Lord,
for the gifts of your Spirit.
Enable us to penetrate the depth
of the whole truth,
and grant that we may share with others
the goods you have put at our disposal.

Teach us to overcome divisions.
Send us your Spirit to lead to full unity
your sons and daughters in full charity,
in obedience to your will;
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Music

452 – My Faith Looks Up to Thee
462 – ‘Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus
Lord, I Need You by Matt Maher
454 – Open My Eyes That I May See
334 – Sweet, Sweet Spirit

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2021-06-13

Posted on Jun 12, 2021 in 2 Peter 2021, Sunday Sermons |

2 Peter 3:1-13 – What Sort of People Ought We to Be

[2 Peter 3:1-13 ESV] This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.
 
[Matthew 24:36-42 ESV] “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

Call to Worship – UM Book Of Worship #555

Almighty God,
giver of every good and perfect gift,
teach us to render to you
all that we have and all that we are,
that we may praise you,
and not with our lips only,
but with our whole lives,
turning the duties, the sorrows, and the joys
of all our days into a living sacrifice to you;
through our Savior Jesus Christ.
Amen.

Music

469 – Jesus is All the World to Me
189 – Fairest Lord Jesus
2025 – As the Deer
526 – What a Friend We Have in Jesus

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2021-06-06

Posted on Jun 5, 2021 in 2 Peter 2021, Sunday Sermons |

2 Peter 2:12-22 – Who Are You Listening To?

[2 Peter 2:12-22 ESV] But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction, suffering wrong as the wage for their wrongdoing. They count it pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are blots and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, while they feast with you. They have eyes full of adultery, insatiable for sin. They entice unsteady souls. They have hearts trained in greed. Accursed children! Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet’s madness. These are waterless springs and mists driven by a storm. For them the gloom of utter darkness has been reserved. For, speaking loud boasts of folly, they entice by sensual passions of the flesh those who are barely escaping from those who live in error. They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved. For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”
 
[Numbers 22:22-30 ESV] But God’s anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD took his stand in the way as his adversary. Now he was riding on the donkey, and his two servants were with him. And the donkey saw the angel of the LORD standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand. And the donkey turned aside out of the road and went into the field. And Balaam struck the donkey, to turn her into the road. Then the angel of the LORD stood in a narrow path between the vineyards, with a wall on either side. And when the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she pushed against the wall and pressed Balaam’s foot against the wall. So he struck her again. Then the angel of the LORD went ahead and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the LORD, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck the donkey with his staff. Then the LORD opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, “What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?” And Balaam said to the donkey, “Because you have made a fool of me. I wish I had a sword in my hand, for then I would kill you.” And the donkey said to Balaam, “Am I not your donkey, on which you have ridden all your life long to this day? Is it my habit to treat you this way?” And he said, “No.”

Call to Worship: UMH #293

Behold the Savior of mankind
nailed to the shameful tree;
how vast the love that him inclined
to bleed and die for thee!

Hark how he groans! while nature shakes,
and earth’s strong pillars bend!
The temple’s veil in sunder breaks,
the solid marbles rend.

’Tis done! the precious ransom’s paid!
“Receive my soul!” he cries;
see where he bows his sacred head!
He bows his head and dies!

But soon he’ll break death’s envious chain
and in full glory shine.
O Lamb of God, was ever pain,
was ever love like thine?

 

Music

2022 – Great Is the Lord
2023 – How Majestic Is Your Name
601 – The Word Is a Lamp
474 – Precious Lord, Take My Hand
400 – Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing


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2021-05-30

Posted on May 29, 2021 in Sunday Sermons, Topical |

Memorial Day – Guest Speaker – U.S. Navy SEAL Commander Michael H. Imhof (ret.)

[Mark 11:23 ESV] Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him.
 
[John 15:11-13 ESV] These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Call to Worship – UMH 69 – For True Singing

Glorious God, source of joy and righteousness,
enable us as redeemed and forgiven children
evermore to rejoice in singing your praises.
Grant that what we sing with our lips
we may believe in our hearts,
and what we believe in our hearts
we may practice in our lives;
so that being doers of the Word
and not hearers only,
we may receive everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Music

696 – America the Beautiful
2191 – Eternal Father, Strong to Save
697 – America (My Country, ‘Tis of Thee)
698 – God of the Ages (vs. 1,2, 4)


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2021-05-23

Posted on May 22, 2021 in 2 Peter 2021, Sunday Sermons |

2 Peter 2:1-11 – Buckle Up!

[2 Peter 2:1-11 ESV] But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly; and if he rescued righteous Lot, greatly distressed by the sensual conduct of the wicked (for as that righteous man lived among them day after day, he was tormenting his righteous soul over their lawless deeds that he saw and heard); then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment, and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones, whereas angels, though greater in might and power, do not pronounce a blasphemous judgment against them before the Lord.
 
[Acts 2:1-21 ESV] When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians–we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’

Call to worship: 542 – Day of Pentecost

God of grace,
you sent the promised gift
of the Holy Spirit
upon the apostles and the women,
upon Mary the mother of Jesus
and upon his brothers.
Fill your church with power,
kindle flaming hearts within us,
and cause us to proclaim
your mighty works in every tongue,
that all may call on you and be saved;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.

Music

558 – We Are The Church
3105 – In Christ Alone
420 – Breathe on Me, Breath of God
2162 – Grace Alone


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2021-05-16

Posted on May 15, 2021 in 2 Peter 2021, Sunday Sermons |

2 Peter 1:16-21 – Who Said That, I AM Said That!

[2 Peter 1:16-21 ESV] For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

Call to Worship – Psalm 63:1-4 (UMH #788)

1 O God, you are my God, I seek you,
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land
where no water is.
2 So I have looked upon you
in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3 Because your steadfast love
is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4 So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands
and call on your name.

Music

261 – Lord of the Dance
2025 – As the Deer
444 – O Young and Fearless Prophet
347 – Spirit Song

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2021-05-09

Posted on May 8, 2021 in 2 Peter 2021, Sunday Sermons |

2 Peter 1:8-15 – Don’t Forget

[2 Peter 1:8-15 ESV] For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

Call to Worship – #755 Psalm 24:1-6

1 The earth is the Lord’s
and the fullness thereof,
the world and thosewho dwell therein;
2 for God has founded it upon the seas,
and established it upon the rivers.
3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand
in God’s holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands
and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls
to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication
from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the generation of those
who seek the Lord,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Music

10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman
338 – Where He Leads Me
468 – Dear Jesus, in Whose Life I See
666 – Shalom to You

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2021-05-02

Posted on May 1, 2021 in 2 Peter 2021, Sunday Sermons |

2 Peter 1:1-8 – Building Blocks of A Strong Faith

[2 Peter 1:1-8 ESV] Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Call to Worship – 477 – For Illumination

Open wide the window of our spirits,
O Lord, and fill us full of light;
open wide the door of our hearts,
that we may receive
and entertain thee
with all our powers
of adoration and love.
Amen.

Music

384 – Love Divine, All Loves Excelling
561- Jesus, United by Thy Grace
378 – Amazing Grace
601 – Thy Word Is a Lamp


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2021-04-25

Posted on Apr 24, 2021 in Colossians 2020, Sunday Sermons |

Colossians 4:7-18 – Update From The Field

[Colossians 4:7-18 ESV] Tychicus will tell you all about my activities. He is a beloved brother and faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are and that he may encourage your hearts, and with him Onesimus, our faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They will tell you of everything that has taken place here. Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, and Mark the cousin of Barnabas (concerning whom you have received instructions–if he comes to you, welcome him), and Jesus who is called Justus. These are the only men of the circumcision among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God, and they have been a comfort to me. Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. For I bear him witness that he has worked hard for you and for those in Laodicea and in Hierapolis. Luke the beloved physician greets you, as does Demas. Give my greetings to the brothers at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house. And when this letter has been read among you, have it also read in the church of the Laodiceans; and see that you also read the letter from Laodicea. And say to Archippus, “See that you fulfill the ministry that you have received in the Lord.” I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Remember my chains. Grace be with you.

Call to Worship – 574 – For Renewal of the Church

Renew your church, Lord,
your people in this land.
Save us from cheap words
and self-deception in your service.
In the power of your Spirit
transform us,
and shape us
by your cross. Amen.

Music

Living Hope by Phil Wickham
364 – Because He Lives
2143 – O Lord, Your Tenderness
668 – Let Us Now Depart in Thy Peace


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2021-04-18

Posted on Apr 17, 2021 in Colossians 2020, Sunday Sermons |

Colossians 4:2-6 – Outline For Impact

[Colossians 4:2-6 ESV] Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ, on account of which I am in prison– that I may make it clear, which is how I ought to speak. Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.
 
[Act 17:22-31 ESV] So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription: ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

Call To Worship – #323 The Ascension

Everlasting God,
your eternal Christ once dwelt on earth,
confined by time and space.
Give us faith to discern
in every time and place
the presence among us
of him who is head over all things and fills all,
even Jesus Christ our ascended Lord. Amen.

Music

157 – Jesus Shall Reign
147 – All Things Bright and Beautiful
496 – Sweet Hour of Prayer
664 – Sent forth by God’s Blessing


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2021-04-11

Posted on Apr 10, 2021 in Colossians 2020, Sunday Sermons |

Colossians 3:18-4:1 – “Don’t Shoot The Messenger”

[Colossians 3:18 – 4:1 ESV] Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged. Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality. Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.
 
[Ephesians 5:25-30 ESV] Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body.

Call to Worship – UMH #335 – An Invitation to the Holy Spirit

O God, the Holy Spirit,
come to us, and among us;
come as the wind, and cleanse us;
come as the fire, and burn;
come as the dew, and refresh;
convict, convert, and consecrate
many hearts and lives
to our great good and to thy greater glory;
and this we ask for Jesus Christ’s sake.
Amen.

Music

TFWS #2164 – Sanctuary – 2 times
UMH #155 – All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name
UMH #133 – Leaning on the Everlasting Arms
TFWS #2070 – He Is Exalted
TFWS #2173 – Shine, Jesus, Shine


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2021-04-04

Posted on Apr 3, 2021 in Easter, Lent 2021, Sunday Sermons, Topical |

Easter Sunday – It Is Finished … But Its Not Over

[John 3:16-18 ESV] “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
 
[John 20:19-23 ESV] On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”
 
[Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV] Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Opening Prayer – 281 – Passion/Palm Sunday

Almighty God, you sent your Son,
our Savior Jesus Christ,
to suffer death on the cross.
Grant that we may share
in his obedience to your will
and in the glorious victory of his resurrection;
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit, One God, now and ever.
Amen.

Call to Worship – Matthew 28:1-6 ESV

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn
of the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary
went to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake,
for an angel of the Lord
descended from heaven and came
and rolled back the stone and sat on it.
His appearance was like lightning,
and his clothing white as snow.
And for fear of him the guards trembled
and became like dead men.
But the angel said to the women,
“Do not be afraid, for I know
that you seek Jesus who was crucified.
He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.
Come, see the place where he lay.

Music

322 – Up from the Grave He Arose
302 – Christ the Lord Is Risen Today
327 – Crown Him with Many Crowns
334 – Sweet, Sweet Spirit
307 – Christ Is Risen


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2021-03-28

Posted on Apr 1, 2021 in Lent 2021, Sunday Sermons, Topical |

Palm Sunday – Jesus On A Mission

[Luke 19:41-44 ESV] And when he drew near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, “Would that you, even you, had known on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up a barricade around you and surround you and hem you in on every side and tear you down to the ground, you and your children within you. And they will not leave one stone upon another in you, because you did not know the time of your visitation.”
 
[Luke 19:28-40 ESV] And when he had said these things, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. When he drew near to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount that is called Olivet, he sent two of the disciples, saying, “Go into the village in front of you, where on entering you will find a colt tied, on which no one has ever yet sat. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ you shall say this: ‘The Lord has need of it.'” So those who were sent went away and found it just as he had told them. And as they were untying the colt, its owners said to them, “Why are you untying the colt?” And they said, “The Lord has need of it.” And they brought it to Jesus, and throwing their cloaks on the colt, they set Jesus on it. And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he was drawing near–already on the way down the Mount of Olives–the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.”

Call To Worship – Hebrews 4:14-16 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Music

#278 Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
#277 Tell me the Stories of Jesus
#2159 Jesus, Draw me close (2 times through)
#2241 The Spirit sends Us Forth to Serve


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2021-03-21

Posted on Apr 1, 2021 in Lent 2021, Sunday Sermons, Topical |

Do You Believe This?

[John 11:21-27 ESV] Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

Call to Worship – John 12:28-32

Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”

Music

#368 My Hope is Built
#168 At the name of Jesus
#472 Near to the heart of God
# 98 To God be the Glory


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