God’s Abundant Gathering
08/17/08
Time after
Pentecost- Lectionary 20
Matthew 15:21-28
Most of you are familiar with the stories of Theodor Seuss Geisel, a man most of us know as Dr. Seuss. Born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts, Dr. Seuss authored over 40 children’s books including such classics as The Cat in the Hat, How the Grinch Stole Christmas and Horton Hears a Who. In 1960 Bennett Cerf bet Dr. Seuss $50 that he couldn’t write an entire book using only fifty words. The result was Green Eggs and Ham, probably my favorite as a kid.
Read More...God’s Abundant Presence
08/03/08
Time after Penteost- Lectionary 19
Matthew 14:22-33
I. Introduction
Our summer of focus on God’s abundance continues. We have an abundant God that provides abundantly. A few I’ve talked about: Provision, Word, mercy, protection, rest, seed, and kingdom. Today’s lesson, Jesus walks to the disciples in the midst of a storm on the water, and is then joined by Peter. Today I want to focus on God’s Abundant presence. God is abundantly present in distress, doubt, and fear. Read More...
Matthew 14:22-33
I. Introduction
Our summer of focus on God’s abundance continues. We have an abundant God that provides abundantly. A few I’ve talked about: Provision, Word, mercy, protection, rest, seed, and kingdom. Today’s lesson, Jesus walks to the disciples in the midst of a storm on the water, and is then joined by Peter. Today I want to focus on God’s Abundant presence. God is abundantly present in distress, doubt, and fear. Read More...
God’s Abundant Protection
06/22/08
Sermon Outline
Mt. 10:34-39
Lectionary 12
I. Intro.
How many parents or step-parents do we have in the cong. today? Show of hands
What one thing do all loving parents want for their children? That they be safe and protected. None wants to see children harmed in any way, so we do all we can to protect them. Read More...
Mt. 10:34-39
Lectionary 12
I. Intro.
How many parents or step-parents do we have in the cong. today? Show of hands
What one thing do all loving parents want for their children? That they be safe and protected. None wants to see children harmed in any way, so we do all we can to protect them. Read More...
God's Abundant Mission
06/15/08
Due to a power outage that lasted several hours,
Pastor Jeff did his sermon notes the old fashioned way,
on a yellow legal pad! His focus is on the
abundant mission to which we all have been called.
It is first of all a mission of compassion. Without compassion, there can be no mission. This is demonstrated by Jesus himself, as he has compassion on the crowds, who were like "sheep without a shepherd." We celebrate today all the ways our congregation does compassionate ministry, in this community and throughout the world.
The mission is also a mission of harvest. We all were once a mission field, and someone reached out to us. Now we reach out to others. This can make us uneasy, feeling we are ill equipped and not at all qualified. But remember, the disciples were certainly not qualified when they began, yet God used them. "God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called." Further, the harvest is God's harvest, not ours. It is God that prepares the fields for harvest. We may play a small part in that, as we show God's love to others. Occasionally, we may actually see the harvest of a person who comes to a living faith in God. Regardless, it is God's harvest, we're just the laborers. It's all God's doing, which ought make it easier for us to be faithful witnesses.
We lift up mission today, mission of compassion and mission of harvest. May we do both, taking part in God's abundant mission in the world. God bless!
It is first of all a mission of compassion. Without compassion, there can be no mission. This is demonstrated by Jesus himself, as he has compassion on the crowds, who were like "sheep without a shepherd." We celebrate today all the ways our congregation does compassionate ministry, in this community and throughout the world.
The mission is also a mission of harvest. We all were once a mission field, and someone reached out to us. Now we reach out to others. This can make us uneasy, feeling we are ill equipped and not at all qualified. But remember, the disciples were certainly not qualified when they began, yet God used them. "God does not call the qualified, he qualifies the called." Further, the harvest is God's harvest, not ours. It is God that prepares the fields for harvest. We may play a small part in that, as we show God's love to others. Occasionally, we may actually see the harvest of a person who comes to a living faith in God. Regardless, it is God's harvest, we're just the laborers. It's all God's doing, which ought make it easier for us to be faithful witnesses.
We lift up mission today, mission of compassion and mission of harvest. May we do both, taking part in God's abundant mission in the world. God bless!