Month: September 2018

Sermon:           “Real Faith: Wisdom and Humility”

Theme:            Strength and peace flow from the maturity and wisdom of releasing our need for control and importance.

Purpose:          The congregation will examine themselves in order to learn and grow in humility.

Scriptures:       James 3:13-4:3, 7-8a   Gentleness and wisdom are keys to contentment.

Mark 9:30-37  Disciples arguing over who is greatest in the kingdom of God.

Questions:

What does it mean to be humble? What are the benefits that humility creates in a wise Christian? In what ways does humility enable Christians to focus on what is truly meaningful and important rather than to be distracted by their own insecurity? In what ways does humility give the wisdom to see our challenges differently? What does it mean to us that Jesus taught that whoever is greatest is the servant of all?

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Sermon:           “Real Faith: Choosing Our Words”

Theme:            Faith calls us to respond to God’s call for caring rather than react to our own past issues or fears.

Purpose:          The congregation will examine their reactive nature and seek to live compassionately.

Scriptures:       James 3:1-12   Taming the tongue

Mark 8:27-38  If any want to become followers of Christ, let them take up their own cross.

Questions:

What did Jesus mean when he told the people to take up their own cross and follow? What does it mean to us that we worship one who suffered on behalf of others? What difference does practicing the love of Christ make in the way we speak to, or about other people? How can we learn to be more thoughtful before responding to the issues and problems we face?  What does James mean when he speaks of the tongue as a “restless evil, full of deadly poison?”  Do we take seriously the dangers of the way in which we speak? Do we recognize how our language affects our relationship with God?

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Sermon:           “Real Faith Really Acts”

Theme:            Our mature faith is shown in that we show our caring in ways that make a difference and bring healing.

Purpose:          The congregation will focus on practical acts of compassion not to impress.

Scriptures:       James 2:1-13   The body matters: knowledge of Christ demands that we be practical in our love for neighbor.

Mark 7:24-37  The healing of the Syrophoenician (privileged person) woman’s daughter.

Questions:

Who has been left out of the blessings and abundance around us? What is our responsibility to people who are in need? What difference does it make if we discriminate for or against particular groups of people? What difference does economic class make in the way we treat people? How does that affect our relationship with God? What can we do to be more open and accepting of people who we perceive to be affluent, and people we perceive to be poor or needy?  What does James mean when he says that partiality is a sin?  What is wrong about favoring one group over another?

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Sermon:           “God’s Call on Us”

Theme:            We are called to be people who show we have Christ’s love in us through the way we are thoughtful and kind in our manner with our neighbors.

Purpose:          The congregation will examine what is important about their relationship with Christ and treatment of others.

Scriptures:       James 1:17-27 Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, be doers of the word.

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23        What makes us clean or unclean.

Questions:

Do we worry more about traditions and other people’s behaviors than about our own relationship with God? What does Jesus mean when he quotes: ““This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; ⁷ in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.” Do we put more emphasis on things that do not matter or on doing the things that show God’s love and compassion? What does James mean when he says: “²⁷Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world?” Do we do a good job of practicing our religion in ways that demonstrates God’s love?

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