Posts Tagged With: God
Discipleship
I once had a chemistry professor (Dr. McKnight) at Hinds Community College who told all his classes upon their first meeting the following statement or something pretty close to it, “In chemistry, it is very easy to get bogged down, confused, overwhelmed and discouraged. When you feel yourself getting to this point, go back to [...]
Stewardship According to John Wesley
An outline of John Wesley‘s Sermon on Stewardship: “The Good Steward” Summary: Wesley uses this sermon to explain that we as God’s Stewards are not the owners of what God entrust to us, but temporary custodians. This applies to our souls, bodies, possessions, time, abilities and opportunities. Wesley states in this sermon that there will [...]
Growing Generosity by Julie Holly
“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, [...]
The Important Invitation
“Yours, O Lord, are the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is yours; yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all.” -1 Chronicles 29:11 (NRSV Translation) This verse is part of King David’s ongoing [...]
The Danger of Riches
“The Danger of Riches” 1 Timothy 6:9 Summary: As the population of the Methodist grew, the found themselves with more members who were wealthy. Wesley used this sermon to speak on the dangers of wealth and how it could be inlet to sin. He describes how people should gain as much as they can, save [...]
Stewardship Article by Ron Schultz
The line was long as people moved toward the altar to leave an offering. Some put in large , impressive amounts of money. One poor widow stepped forward and gave two small copper coins. Jesus declared to His followers that the two copper coins from the poor Widow was more than anyone else had given. [...]
John Wesley’s View on Money
As we begin our sermon series on the use of money, I thought it would be appropriate to give you an outline on John Wesley‘s view of money. This sermon can be broken down to 3 points: Gain All You Can, Save All You Can, and Give All You Can. “The Use of Money” Summary: [...]
The Transforming “I Will”
On a clear, cool Fall Sunday morning a young family makes their way to the altar of a local United Methodist Church. They had been attending the services for three months. After conversations with the pastor, and prayerful consideration, they made the decision to become members of the congregation. As they approached the chancel rail [...]
Wesley’s Sermon: “The Use of Money”
Summary: Wesley uses this sermon to outline the proper use of earning, possessions and wealth with a very articulate statement: “Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.” He uses this as an opportunity to insist that we are not owners of our assets, but stewards. Introduction: There will be an [...]
Being a Good Father
I am now a Father and I’m learning everyday. It’s amazing how much I really don’t know. Here are some of the things I’ve learned about being a father: You don’t mind cleaning up your child’s “throw-up”. (I’ve always gotten sick from someone throwing up) When they are sick, you want them close to you. [...]
6 HUGE Mistakes a Pastor Can Make
I’m now coming up on my 10th year in ministry and I’ve discovered some mistakes (some I’ve made and some I’ve seen) which can greatly limit a pastors ministry. Here is what I have found: Mistake 1. Micro-managing your staff/volunteers. If there is a need to micro-manage because the job may not get done correctly, [...]
What Is It? The Wesley Quadrilateral…
The Wesley quadrilateral is a method of exploring and understanding God. John Wesley adopted and adapted three of these position from the Church of England (Scripture, Reason, and Tradition), and he added Experience to form the quadrilateral. Scripture John Wesley believed as I do, that Scripture must be primary among the other sources. Wesley believed [...]
5 Signs Your Church Underperforms
Great article by Mark Howell Mark Howell serves as Community Life Pastor at Parkview Christian Church in Orland Park, IL. He founded SmallGroupResources.net, offering consulting and coaching services to help churches across North America launch, build and sustain healthy small group ministries. He spent four years on the consulting staff at Lifetogether and often contributes [...]
Dissension in the Church
”Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.”Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” Philippians 2:14-16 NIV I’ve been around a great many churches in [...]
15 Signs Your Church Is in Trouble
Here is a great article which gives some great points. All churches need to keep these in mind as they reach for their goals. Also, a church doesn’t need to have all 15 to be in trouble. One or two could give you an idea. Click on the link below for the article. 15 Signs [...]
5 Biggest Changes In My Life
Everything in life is about change. It’s a fact. If there is life, there is change however, that does not make us like change any better. I have found that anytime there is some sort of change in my life, it’s carries with it nervousness, anxiety, hesitation, a un-sureness about the future and wondering if this [...]
Communion Questions and Answers
CLICK HERE TO READ ARTICLE ON UMC PAGE Why do United Methodists call this sharing of bread and cup by different names, such as Lord’s Supper, Holy Communion, and Eucharist? Each of these names is taken from the New Testament and highlights certain facets of this sacrament’s many meanings. Calling it the Lord’s Supper reminds [...]
The Sacrament of Holy Communion
The sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion are crucial means of grace, or vehicles, that God uses to reach humanity. They are channels by which the grace and love of God flows, and it is through them that we can receive prevenient, justifying, and sanctifying grace. They are outward and visible signs of an inward, [...]
Communion by Rev Ted Leach
For me, communion is a way of receiving God’s undeserved love, which we sometimes call grace. I cup my hands to receive the bread as a gesture of receptiveness. The bread and the cup are reminders of Jesus’ last supper with his disciples, which was a celebration of the Passover meal on the night that [...]
Hold Yourself Accountable (Wesley Style)
I was doing some research today and I ran across these questions that are similar to the ones that John Wesley gave to the members of his discipleship groups. This was over 200 years ago and they are still good questions for Christians to ask themselves today. I challenge you to make these questions a [...]
