... mind? Perhaps only a parent who has lost a child to death can truly know. Perhaps only those who have experienced the death of a loved one can truly describe the emotions. Is she thinking of the angels singing and the shepherds at his birth? You know, it's not very ... we stand at the foot of the cross today, we see the depth of our sinfulness and yet even more wonderfully, the extent of God's love for us. We see the power of God's forgiveness and the grace to begin again. It is a promise that we who are God's ...
... my mind, I want to be God's willing servant, but instead I find myself enslaved to sin. So you see how it is; my new life (the redeemed life in Christ) tells me to do right, but the old nature that is still inside me (my sinful human self) loves to sin. Oh, what a terrible predicament I'm in! Who will free me from this slavery to sin? Thank God! It has already been done by Jesus Christ our Lord. He has set me free! "Repent," Jesus says. "Acknowledge your sinfulness." That's the first step in beginning to ...
... learned is that having religion is no guarantee that it's going to affect your life. You can have faith, but if you don't live it out, something is missing. Faith has to be alive if it's going to be faith. There is something about the call to love that is more important than being able to follow the rules. I could be really mad at those two who passed me by that day, but I realize that if this hadn't happened to me, I would probably have reacted just like they did. I would have assumed that ...
... foretold the coming of Christ, of angels and shepherds, ox and donkeys, wisemen and King Herod, Mary and Joseph, and the baby and the Manger. We've seen it for years. We've heard it for years. And still, we come to hear it again. Tradition! And it is a lovely story, with angels and a baby and a shining star. It doesn't hurt. In fact, it helps to have such loveliness during the longest nights and dreariest days of the year! But for my friends Jim and Denise who are trying each in their own way to find out ...
... were, however, things about her that got on my nerves -- and, of course, I got on hers -- but that's another story. The truth was there were times when both of us thought the other was a bit stupid. I reckon that's just part of marriage, but basically, we loved and respected one another. Anyway, I did sometimes think Eve was a bit stupid, because she chattered on and on in a starry-eyed way a lot. She often seemed to talk when she didn't have anything to say. As time went on, however, I realized she was not ...
... . It is our faith that opens the door to everlasting life. Our faith is indeed our hope both now and forever. My prayer for you this day is that you may make your investment in a life of faith this day. May God bless you now and always with his love and his peace. Benediction: Gracious and eternal God, we have come together this day as friends to worship you and praise your name. We have heard something of what you expect from us as your disciples. As we go from this place, may we take the hope and peace of ...
... so do what you have to to be happy. We speak of death as an escape from the pressure of life, or as the loss of a loved one. I would hope no one here today considers the life of ____________ as lost. She is very much found, in the grace, the protection of ... Lent, as we are vividly reminded of the passion of our Lord we take to us the tremendous price of our redemption, and can only love him more. And in the power of the cross, our sins were paid for, our lives bought with the precious blood of the Lamb. He ...
... heart gave out, and he died. Part of our pain is that, while his life was too short, it was long enough for us to come to love him and so we grieve, missing him. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope. For ____________ is now with God. He now has ... is a fact, a hard and painful fact. But death does not have the last word. God has the last word, and that word is life. God loves us and gives us life. "I am the resurrection and the life," Jesus says. Life is found in God's Son Jesus, and it begins in this ...
... this gets to the heart of the sermon. It is at this point where I begin to disagree with the bumper sticker. God's love is universal. God's forgiveness reaches out to every person despite their faith. God's desire is to reach out to every human being ... others. Christians are in on an open secret and I underscore the word open. It is not to be a closed-shop type of thing. God's love and forgiveness is for all. Persons do not have to repeat the creed the way we repeat it, or believe the way we believe for God' ...
Reader 1: Now before the festival of the Passover, Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart from this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The devil had already put it into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot to betray him. Reader 2: And during supper Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going to ...
... , they recall the message of the text. Another time I preached a sermon titled "Precious in the Sight of God." The point of the sermon was that human beings are precious not because of any inherent quality within us, but because we are created by God, who has loved us enough to send his Son to die for our reconciliation and salvation. We are precious because we are precious to God. I needed an object which had value not in itself but given to it. First I held up a piece of high-quality carpet about a ...
... get it back, once they've let it go. Jesus was telling them that the surest way to keep their souls (lives) was to commit themselves to God's way and will. He warned them that their families and friends might not understand, and that those they loved might turn against them for their decision. Becoming a Christian and taking up the cross was not a thing to be done lightly. Taking up the cross may mean different things to different people. For some it meant letting go of someone or something precious to them ...
Acts 8:26-40, Psalm 22:1-31, 1 John 4:7-21, John 15:1-17
Bulletin Aid
B. David Hostetter
... wood and producing the fruits of the Spirit. Forgive us if we in pride seek to take over your role as Gardener, discontent to be but branches of your true vine, Jesus Christ. Amen. DECLARATION OF GOD'S FORGIVENESS Hear the Good News! God is love, and God's love was disclosed to us in the sending of the divine Son into the world to bring us life, the remedy of the defilement of our sins. Friends, believe the Good News! In Jesus Christ, we are forgiven. EXHORTATION Remain united with the Vine, Jesus Christ ...
... do? I just hate to make decisions like this. As a matter of fact, I am beginning to hate one end of this candle. I just don't know which end I hate and which end I love. It is confusing. The same thing is true of you and me that is true of the candle. We were made by God, to serve and love God. But the devil seems like so much more fun sometimes that we think maybe we should be on the devil's side. Of course we can't be on both sides. That is when everything seems ...
... tells me that I do. The Bible tells me that I belong to Jesus. I want to belong to Jesus, but even more important is the fact that Jesus wants me to belong to him. He tells people how much I belong to him and I am glad. If I love Goldie so much because she belongs to me, then think how Jesus must feel when he says that I belong to him. That is a good feeling. The same thing is true of you. The Bible teaches us that you belong to Jesus and that he is happy about it ...
... them watered. Do you like the idea of giving flowers? (Let them answer.) You don't think that God would like either as a gift from us? I have one more thought. I have this beautiful piece of jewelry. It has been in my family for years and people just love to look at it and they always tell me that they wish they had a piece of jewelry that looked like this. Do you think God would wear my old family jewelry? (Let them answer.) The answer is still no. What do you want to give to God that will ...
... 's what she did most of the time anyway. Somehow it was hilariously appropriate that she inadvertently chose the lines from the hymn, "Redeemed," which says, "I think of my blessed Redeemer, I think of him all the day long, I sing for I cannot be silent, His love is the theme of my song." Yes, I've known her in lots of trouble, but never without that spark of joy that springs up eternally in the heart that walks in faith and obedience. Obedience Is The Key Is there anything we Christians of today need more ...
... to ask God. I wonder what they would be. I probably would not ask God for a ten-speed bicycle, but I think that I would ask him for some extra-special love to share with the mean old man who lives across the street from me. I know I don't have enough love by myself and only God could give me enough love to love that mean man. If I loved him really good, then maybe he would not be so mean to anyone anymore. What would you ask from God if you could write out a list? (Let them answer.) Those are ...
... in God's intentions. "I like to think that, through my limitation, God is working out some great adventures, and they have taught me understanding and friendship and how to be able to serve the world." Don't you see it now? We who wander into the vastness of his love, find a Friend. We also find our neighbor. When we return, we find ourselves, too. Not a bad bargain - three for the price of one; a lot of mileage for faith. In the end we really can't come down hard on the disciples. For their defense we must ...
... of our faith and allow his strength to infiltrate? "Take, eat ... Open yourselves to me. Trust me. I have promised you the abundant life. It's yours for the asking ... and trusting." Could we not use all the valentines we can get in this nuclear episode of history? He loves us. His love runs so deeply that he has come forth with his Son. This Sacrament is not a reminder of that Gift. It is the Gift who reminds us that he is real. He is here as a Friend who does not let go. In one of Richard Hook's drawings ...
... men [and women]." There can be but one answer. There can be but one Way and that is, to jump into the deep waters of unconditional love and discipleship. Say with Peter, "You are the Christ. You are God Himself in the flesh. You give life and conquer death." "You are the Christ ... of jumping in over your head. Once you are in, the water is fine! It is the water of life, fed eternally by the springs of love, so go on in! Who do you say He is, and how will your life be different once you say to Him, "You are the ...
... all over the world. Their examples of courage and self-sacrifice could well be learned by many Christians today, who are "neither cold nor hot" (Revelation 3:15) and who live their faith somewhere between comfort and commitment. There are other lessons good soldiers can learn, like love and loyalty, which is the story of two Air Force pilots who were shot down on the same day over North Viet Nam and taken prisoner. These two men, who had never met before, were put into the same prison cell because one was a ...
... s Day stands as a milestone, marking opportunities for new beginnings. You two are doing this New Year's in a big way. You have come to this sanctuary with beloved family members and faithful friends, to share with them the sacred moments when you declare your love and promise before God to live as husband and wife for the rest of your lives. You are embarking on a brand new adventure of life. It will be an adventure, I assure you, with surprises, problems, victories, and the wonder which is a part of every ...
... think of that? (Talk about it.) We wouldn't like that very much, would we. Of course not. We would say, "Wait a minute. What about us? Our country is much bigger than Palestine. Aren't we good enough for God's love too?" Well, the answer is that nobody is really "good enough" for God's love. But God is good enough to share it with the whole world anyway. He started with the little tiny country of Palestine. Then he shared it with the people over here (show them Asia Minor) and then here (move to Greece) and ...
... the branches on the vine and then we will "bear fruit." Do you know what bear fruit means? (Let them respond.) Bear fruit means that we feel good about ourselves. When we feel good and full of love then we can be friendly to everyone and tell others about Jesus. But look at the dried up old raisin. It can't be friendly and loving. That's what happens to us when we don't come to church and church school to hear stories about Jesus. That's like breaking off from the vine and then we get unhappy and dried up ...