Episodes
Monday Nov 24, 2014
The Coming Shepherd (Ezekiel 34:11-16,20-24)
Monday Nov 24, 2014
Monday Nov 24, 2014
A shepherd has a very particular relationship with his sheep. He gathers in the ones that wander away from the flock and he protects them from the wolves that seek to devour the strays. On this Christ the King Sunday, we see how God promises to his people Israel, through the prophet Ezekiel, to be the shepherd for his own people - a promise that he kept when he came to Earth as the man Jesus Christ.
Thursday Nov 20, 2014
Playing by the Master's Rules (Matthew 25:14-30)
Thursday Nov 20, 2014
Thursday Nov 20, 2014
What do you do with the talents and gifts that God has given to you? Provide for your family? Make a name for yourself? The world today tells us we need to do as much as we can for ourselves. But in today's lesson we will look at how God trusts us with certain abilities, and how he expects us to use them, for his sake. It's another mid-week lesson at our Wednesday night contemporary service.
Sunday Nov 16, 2014
The Cycle of Sin and Redemption (Judges 4:1-7)
Sunday Nov 16, 2014
Sunday Nov 16, 2014
You know how on shampoo bottles it says "Lather, Rinse, Repeat?" We human beings have been stuck in an endless cycle of sin and redemption, and it dates all the way back to Genesis chapter three. But in today's lesson we see how God's abundant grace is the only reason this cycle continues. God could have given up on us long ago, yet he continues in his love and forgiveness to extend to us the mercy and grace of the cross.
Friday Nov 14, 2014
Words of Eternal Life (John 6:53-69)
Friday Nov 14, 2014
Friday Nov 14, 2014
Well this week we have a bonus sermon, one that I gave a couple years ago when I was a layperson. From the Gospel of John, this message centers on Peter's declaration to Jesus, "You have the words of eternal life." We sometimes forget that we can only be satisfied in Christ. We try to fill our lives with things that the world tells us to value. In this message, from the Summer of 2012, we look at what the world has to offer, and how it pales in comparison to God's abundant grace.
Wednesday Nov 12, 2014
Whom Do You Choose? (Joshua 24:1-3,14-25)
Wednesday Nov 12, 2014
Wednesday Nov 12, 2014
We all make choices, all the time, every single day. We might choose which shirt to wear for the day or what to eat for breakfast. Today as we begin to look at some old testament texts in the weeks leading up to Advent, we take a look at the choice that Joshua laid out to the people of Israel: choose to serve the Lord, or choose not to. It's a critical choice to make and one with eternal repercussions.
Thursday Nov 06, 2014
By Our Witness (Matthew 28:16-20)
Thursday Nov 06, 2014
Thursday Nov 06, 2014
In 2008, the United Methodist General Conference added "witness" to the vows that a Christian makes when he or she joins the local church. Witness is an important part of our Christian walk, but the vast majority of Christians are reluctant to talk about their faith to unbelievers. Even so, everything we do as Christians is our witness - the way we live and the things we say bear witness to who we are as Christians. The question is, what does our witness say about us? And what does our witness say... about Christ?
Tuesday Nov 04, 2014
By Our Gifts (1 Chronicles 29:1-9)
Tuesday Nov 04, 2014
Tuesday Nov 04, 2014
As we continue our look at the five promises we make when we join the local church, we look at what it means to faithfully participate in its ministries by our gifts. Giving is an unpopular topic in the church, and often a sermon about tithing gives the impression that the church only wants our money. But we will see that stewardship is not about an amount, but the faithful management of the resources that God gives to us, and our giving is a response to the love and grace He has already shown.
Saturday Nov 01, 2014
By Our Service (John 13:3-15)
Saturday Nov 01, 2014
Saturday Nov 01, 2014
We continue our look at the five promises we make to the local church when we become members, and this week we look at what it means to participate by our service. Our guest speaker Jen Andrade has quite a unique perspective on service, being active in the United Methodist Women and also serving as a missionary in residence to La Palmilla, Mexico. She delivers quite a strong message, based on Jesus' washing of his disciples' feet.