To Such As These

Circles Sermon Series

July 15th, 2018

Eighth Sunday After Pentecost

Guest speaker Matt Whisenhunt, the pastor of Youth Minsitries at Strongsville UMC is preaching today.

The Inner Circle

Circles Sermon Series

July 8th, 2018

Seventh Sunday After Pentecost

Reverend Dan is preaching.

Matthew 17:1-9

The transfiguration of Jesus Christ is crucial to those three disciples that accompanied Jesus on the mountain top.

Jesus was walking with 12 disciples but it was those three who were really in Jesus’ inner circle. It was those three who saw Jesus for who he truly was as they heard the voice of God speak. God said, “This is my Son.”  Jesus made sure that the three in his inner circle knew exactly who he was. Who are the people in your inner circle/ Do they see you for who you truly are in God’s eyes/ Do they see you as the person that God has created you to be or are you still trying to be someone you’re not with the people that love you the most?

First Fruits

Circles Sermon Series

July 1st, 2018

Sixth Sunday After Pentecost

Pastor Paul is preaching.

Exodus 15:1-5

The notion of putting God first in life is one many believers widely embrace.

Of course God comes first, right! Yet putting this notion into practice is often a completely different story. Would we be more apt to put God in His proper place if we better understood the impact it has on every other relationship and experience we have in life/ Perhaps. God went to great extremes in the Old Testament to impress upon His people the importance of seeking relationship with Him first and foremost. From His provision of daily sustenance of flakes of grain appearing on the ground, to His very specific instructions for the treatment of animal sacrifices and annual harvests, God instructed His children as to what is truly most important in life. And guess what, it hasn’t changed! Let’s explore together.

Sermon Series - Circles: Who's In Yours? June 30 - July 28, 2018

It’s simple!

We were created to be in relationship with the one who created us. Our life on this earth is all about the relationships in our lives. At times we can look at them as concentric circles. There is one at the center with the other circles getting larger and larger as they spill out from that center. Who is at the center of your concentric circles when it comes to the relationships in your life/ Do you need to change how they are organized and prioritized/ If we don’t get the center circle right it can negatively affect every circle from then on in your life. This July, let’s look at those circles.

Below are the upcoming worship events for this sermon series To learn more about each sermon, please click on the sermon title!

July 1, 2018: First Fruits

July 8, 2018: The Inner Circle

July 15, 2018: Guest Preacher

July 22, 2018: All For One and One For All

July 29, 2018: "Look At Us!"

Pure Gold

Tick Tock Sermon Series

June 24th, 2018

Fifth Sunday After Pentecost

Reverend Dan is preaching.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Just like the calendar year our life is full of seasons.

In our church we call them chapters. Some chapters we love and want them to last forever, while other chapters we want to get through as quickly as possible as they bring us heartache and pain. It still all comes down to time and how we see ourselves and God in the midst of it.

What season or chapter are you in and who is writing that chapter? All chapters are beautiful chapters when we live them in the midst of walk with Jesus Christ. How can we see the beauty in ALL of the chapters of life?

Whose Time Is It Anyway?

Tick Tock Sermon Series

June 17th, 2018

Fourth Sunday After Pentecost and Father's Day

Reverend Dan is preaching.

Mark 1:14-20

James and John were living their lives on their time.

They were learning their father’s fishing business. They knew what their time would look like as they planned out their lives. That all changed when they were called to live their lives on God’s time through his one and only Son, Jesus Christ.

On whose time are you living your life? Are you on your time or the time that God has always had planned for you?

What Are You Waiting For?

Tick Tock Sermon Series

June 10th, 2018

Third Sunday After Pentecost

Reverend Dan is preaching.

2 Peter 3:1-10

I’ll do it tomorrow.

How many of us have said that about a task at hand only to never get to it? In today’s scripture the people are just waiting around for Jesus to come again. They think that he could come at any moment so why should they go to work and live their lives? We don’t know when he will come again so we are to be living our lives for Christ right in the midst of the lives that he has given us.

If that is our call in this world, what are you waiting for?

For Such A Time As This

Tick Tock Sermon Series

June 3rd, 2018

Second Sunday After Pentecost

Reverend Dan is preaching.

Esther 4:12-17

Upon the long line of eternity we will all have our time.

Our lives are but a small mark on that long and forever moving timeline. What will you do with your time? What has God created you to do with your time on that line? How have you been gifted for such a time as this--your time on the long line of eternity?

What you do with the time God has given you could have eternal consequences for you and all the people you come in contact with throughout your life.

Sermon Series - Tick Tock: June 3 - 24, 2018

TIME!  We never seem to have enough of it and the time that we do have seems to just be filled with the “busy” of life.

How can we see and use time differently? How does God look at time when it comes to his people? Our world is constantly trying to discover how to find meaning and fulfillment in the time we have versus just being busy. In this sermon series we will dig deeper into the difference between being busy and being fulfilled when it comes to time.

Below are the upcoming worship events for this sermon series To learn more about each sermon, please click on the sermon title!

June 3rd, 2018: For Such A Time As This

June 10th, 2018: What Are You Waiting For?

June 17th, 2018: Whose Time Is It Anyway?

June 24th, 2018: Pure Gold

Indivisible

May 27th, 2018

First Sunday After Pentecost & Memorial Day Weekend

Pastor Paul is preaching.

Mark 12:13-17

On this weekend in which we remember the sacrifice of our nation’s greatest heroes, we pause to ponder anew what it means to serve both God and country. 

Though our nation remains unified in many ways, the divisions among us are increasing, and the space between grows wider by the day.  As Christians, how are we to not only exist in but contribute to a divided world?  We are quick to forget that Jesus faced this same challenge during His time here on earth.  May his wisdom in responding to a fractured society grant us wisdom for the same 2000 years later.

The Fire Still Burns

Party Time Sermon Series

May 20th, 2018

Pentecost Sunday

Rev. Dan is preaching.

Acts 2:1-21

There are people from all over the world gathered for a party.

The term Pentecost comes from Greek meaning "fiftieth" (50th). It refers to the festival celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover, also known as the "Feast of Weeks." When you go to a party you bring a gift.  God showed up at this party and through Jesus Christ gives the church the gift of the Holy Spirit.  What are you doing with this gift that God, in Christ, has given to you?  Have you yet “regifted” the gift of the Holy Spirit to someone else?

Listen To Your Mother

Party Time Sermon Series

May 13th, 2018, Mother's Day

Rev. Dan is preaching.

John 2:1-12

On this Mother’s Day we will read a scripture that has Jesus’ mother giving him instructions at a huge wedding reception on what to do. 

He almost does not listen to his mother.  Jesus does end up listening to his mother and because of that we see the first of his many miracles.  Do we listen to the wise advice of others or do we feel that we already know it all?  The Bible is full of the wise advice and teachings of those who have gone before us.  When we listen to Christ miracles happen in our lives and in the people’s lives around us.  That is cause for celebration.  This all happens in the midst of a party. 

Don't Miss It

Party Time Sermon Series

May 6th, 2018, Confirmation Sunday

Rev. Dan is preaching.

Luke 15:11-32

There was a huge party being thrown with food, music, and a ton of people and one person refused to show up. 

The older brother of the Prodigal Son refused to go to the party because he felt that it was unfair that his brother had a party thrown for his return.  The fact is that because the older brother never left the love of the father the party was always available to him.  He was living in the midst of the celebration because he never left.  Why would he choose to miss it now?  Are you missing out on the party that the Lord has had for you your entire life? 

Water Heals

Water Shapes Us Sermon Series

April 15th, 2018

Rev. Dan is preaching.

Mark 8:22-26

Water still heals. 

It may be the ocean, a stream, a fountain, Lake Erie or the Sea of Galilee, but water seems to just reach deep down into our souls and bring about peace and healing.  This week will be about the healing powers of Jesus spit.  Yep, his spit.  He spits in the eyes of the blind man and his sight is restored.  It was a two part healing.  The man had to find his way into the presence of Jesus to receive that healing.  How many of us are standing in the presence of Jesus in our lives? 

Water Destroys

Water Shapes Us Sermon Series

April 8th, 2018

Pastor Paul is preaching.

Exodus 14:13-14, 21-31

Amongst all the beautiful God metaphors highlighting the priceless gift water can be in our spiritual journeys, one cannot venture too far into the Bible, or in real life, without encountering reminders of the sheer destructive power that water possesses.  

It is no coincidence that the same substance that heals, nourishes and cleanses also inflicts great harm on those who choose to reject it.  It may not be the most comfortable concept from Scripture to discuss, but it can’t be ignored.  And you might be surprised to find out that the simple Sunday school story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea paints the picture as well as any other story in Scripture. 

Shall we explore?

 

Water Cleanses

Water Shapes Us Sermon Series

April 29th, 2018

Rev. Dan is preaching.

John 4:4-29

Before we come to Jesus Christ and his grace and forgiveness in our lives we can feel broken, guilty, and unworthy. 

The woman at the well went to the well at a time when no one else was supposed to be there.  Her self-image, self-confidence, her self-worth were all an all time low.  She did not want to run into anyone.  When she shows up at Jacob’s well she meets Jesus.  She went to the well seeking the water of the well.  What she received was the water that comes from the heart of Jesus Christ.  She arrived as one person and left as a new creation.

Water Nourishes

Water Shapes Us Sermon Series

April 22nd, 2018

Rev. Dan is preaching.

Hosea 6:1-3

The prophet Hosea brings the bad news of God’s punishment to the people of Israel and Judah if they do not repent and turn back to God.  

God does not want to punish. 

He wants to send his rivers of love into our lives.  The Israelites were living lives that were slowly building a dam filled with their sinfulness which was keeping God’s love at bay.  His love always flows into our lives.  What are we putting in the way of that love, and its power to nourish us in the midst of our stories?

What Do You Expect From Easter?

Made For A Miracle Sermon Series

April 1st, 2018

Easter Sunday

Rev. Dan is preaching.

John 20:1-18

In the book that we have been studying through the season of Lent, “Made For a Miracle,” the author says in the last chapter,

“Our expectations become the ceiling of our life reality.”

If we have low expectations for our kids than we should not be surprised if they never reach their true potential. What are your expectations this Easter? What do you expect from the empty tomb and what are Jesus’ expectations for us? I expect a risen Lord to come and change my life so that as I live that changed life, I live it according to his expectations of me and not my own expectations. What do you expect this Easter?

Good Friday Prayer, Reflection, and Communion in the Chapel from noon to 4:00pm.

Good Friday Prayer, Reflection, and Communion in the Chapel from noon to 4:00pm.

These four hours will be a time for people to come and reflect, pray, meditate, and receive the sacrament of Holy Communion.

It is a time to look inward as we seek out Jesus Christ in those three days between Good Friday and Easter Sunday morning. What does the cross mean for me today in 2018? Why did he take my rightful place on the cross? What was that darkness like for Jesus’ followers from Good Friday to Easter Sunday morning? What does that darkness of those three days mean for me?

Come for four minutes or come for all four hours. May God bless you as you look inside yourself to see Jesus already dwelling in you.

Love = Miracles

Made For A Miracle Sermon Series

March 29, 2018

Maundy Thursday

Reverend Dan is preaching.

John 13:1-17, 31b-35

When we live lives of love towards others we cannot help but want and work for the best in their lives.

When we love it means we put others first in our lives over our own wants and desires. When we love we will be looking for opportunities to bring about miracles in the lives of other people. Jesus modeled that in the Upper Room when he washed the disciple’s feet and told them to do the same. Love = Miracles. Maybe we are not open to God using us for his miracles in the world because we have not yet learned to love others above ourselves.