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St. John's UMC Kingman
United States
Приєднався 19 лип 2020
We welcome and affirm all people to experience the love of God, learn together to follow the example of Jesus, and work to be a blessing to our community and the world.
Find out more at www.stjohnsumc.com.
Find out more at www.stjohnsumc.com.
Chapter 52|God in the End
Scriptures that go with the Chapter 52:
Luke 15:11-32
Romans 8:31-39
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Questions from Chapter 52
1. What one though or idea from today's lesson especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, challenged, encouraged, warmed, warned, helped, or surprised you?
2. Share a story about a moment in your life when everything came together and, for at least a moment, "all was well".
3. How do you respond to the image of the end as a great homecoming celebration, or a great marriage banquet?
4. For children: If someone said, "Tell me the five best things about being a part of your family," what would you say?
5. This week, keep the words "this mystery" with you...and contrast the deep ocean of "this mystery" with the little boats of human speculation.
We are so grateful to have Brian's permission to bring the project to life. You can thank him by visiting his website: brianmclaren.net/. Ask me if you want some additional book recommendations by Brian!
Visit St. John's Website.
www.stjohnsumc.com/
Luke 15:11-32
Romans 8:31-39
1 Corinthians 15:50-58
Questions from Chapter 52
1. What one though or idea from today's lesson especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, challenged, encouraged, warmed, warned, helped, or surprised you?
2. Share a story about a moment in your life when everything came together and, for at least a moment, "all was well".
3. How do you respond to the image of the end as a great homecoming celebration, or a great marriage banquet?
4. For children: If someone said, "Tell me the five best things about being a part of your family," what would you say?
5. This week, keep the words "this mystery" with you...and contrast the deep ocean of "this mystery" with the little boats of human speculation.
We are so grateful to have Brian's permission to bring the project to life. You can thank him by visiting his website: brianmclaren.net/. Ask me if you want some additional book recommendations by Brian!
Visit St. John's Website.
www.stjohnsumc.com/
Переглядів: 28
Відео
Chapter 51|Spirit of Hope
Переглядів 1714 днів тому
Scriptures that go with the Chapter 51: Psalm 126 Revelation 1:9-19; 19:11-16; 21:1-9; 22:16-21 Questions from Chapter 51 1. What one though or idea from today's lesson especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, challenged, encouraged, warmed, warned, helped, or surprised you? 2. Share a story about an invitation that changed your life. 3. How do you respond to the idea of Revelation being lite...
Chapter 50|Spirit of Life
Переглядів 2814 днів тому
Scriptures that go with the Chapter 50: Psalm 90 Luke 20:27-38 Philippians 1:20-30 Questions from Chapter 50 1. What one though or idea from today's lesson especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, challenged, encouraged, warmed, warned, helped, or surprised you? 2. Share a story about one of your significant encounters with death. 3. How do you respond to the idea that people are enslaved by ...
Chapter 49|Spirit of Holiness
Переглядів 821 день тому
Scriptures that go with the Chapter 49: Psalm 98 John 14:15-18, 25-27; 15:26-27; 16:33 1 Corinthians 3:9-15; 15:20-28 Questions from Chapter 49 1. What one though or idea from today's lesson especially intrigued, provoked, disturbed, challenged, encouraged, warmed, warned, helped, or surprised you? 2. Share a story about a time when what seemed impossible became possible and then actual for you...
Chapter 45|Spirit of Unity and Diversity
Переглядів 12Місяць тому
Chapter 45|Spirit of Unity and Diversity
Chapter 44|Spirit of Love: Loving Self
Переглядів 11Місяць тому
Chapter 44|Spirit of Love: Loving Self
Chapter 43|Spirit of Love: Loving Neighbor
Переглядів 202 місяці тому
Chapter 43|Spirit of Love: Loving Neighbor
Chapter 42|Spirit of Love: Loving God
Переглядів 142 місяці тому
Chapter 42|Spirit of Love: Loving God
Chapter 40|The Spirit is Moving (Pentecost Sunday)
Переглядів 102 місяці тому
Chapter 40|The Spirit is Moving (Pentecost Sunday)
Chapter 39|Whatever the Hardship, Keep Rising Up
Переглядів 122 місяці тому
Chapter 39|Whatever the Hardship, Keep Rising Up
Chapter 38|The Uprising of Stewardship
Переглядів 293 місяці тому
Chapter 38|The Uprising of Stewardship
Chapter 37|The Uprising of Partnership
Переглядів 73 місяці тому
Chapter 37|The Uprising of Partnership
Chapter 35|The Uprising of Discipleship
Переглядів 124 місяці тому
Chapter 35|The Uprising of Discipleship
Chapter 34|The Uprising of Fellowship
Переглядів 134 місяці тому
Chapter 34|The Uprising of Fellowship
Chapter 33|The Uprising Begins (Easter Sunday)
Переглядів 64 місяці тому
Chapter 33|The Uprising Begins (Easter Sunday)
Chapter 32c|Doubt. Darkness. Despair (Holy Saturday)
Переглядів 85 місяців тому
Chapter 32c|Doubt. Darkness. Despair (Holy Saturday)
Chapter 32b|Everything Must Change (Good Friday)
Переглядів 255 місяців тому
Chapter 32b|Everything Must Change (Good Friday)
Chapter 30|Why We Worry, Why We Judge
Переглядів 95 місяців тому
Chapter 30|Why We Worry, Why We Judge
Chapter 25|Jesus, Violence, and Power
Переглядів 46 місяців тому
Chapter 25|Jesus, Violence, and Power
The vocalists are mic'ed but the instruments are not, hmm....
Great sermon and music. Great seeing everyone again.
I missed church Sun. Listened online. Super sermon! 🏆
Great sermon today. Thank you!
@@johnschneider6664 Thank you John! We appreciate you being a part of our online services !
We don't know what was better. Chris's music or Pastor Amy's sermon. The whole service was wonderful. Thanks everyone.
@@johnschneider6664 Thank you John! Glad you were able to join us.
Great sermon Chris, Wanda and I always loved that sermon. Thank you.
Beautiful sermon again this evening. Thank you
Great stories of mothers. Chris, my sister Wanda and I had tears in our eyes today and the first time we heard it. Thanks and Happy Mothers day.
In this chapter McLaren focuses on “the children who suffer in our world because of greedy, power-hungry elites”, “grieving mothers who weep for lost sons and daughters, throughout history and today,” and calls for “all people everywhere to hear their weeping.” A suggested activity is to “try to look at personal and political situations from the vantage point of how they will affect children and their mothers.” One need only look at their daily newsfeed to see the tragic loss of children’s lives in places like Gaza, Israel, and Ukraine. In Gaza, over 13,000 children have been killed and in Ukraine over 2,000 children have died. If ever there were a time to model Jesus’ promise of comfort and mercy, now is it. My prayer this week is for God to show us how to come near and bring that comfort and mercy to all children near and far. I am glad to be participating in this with you. This book really speaks to these trying times and how we can learn to walk with God and each other. 🥰
Good reading ❤
This week’s comparison between the story of Jesus’ departure in Acts and the story of Elijah’s departure in 2 Kings seems very appropriate to consider as we celebrate Palm Sunday - Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. For me, this chapter reinforces the lesson my Bible Study group (a women’s Bible study group from my church, All Shepherds Lutheran) studied this past week from “Finding I Am: How Jesus Fully Satisfies the Cry of Your Heart by Lysa TerKeurst. We looked at several of the Old Testament prophecies and how Jesus fulfilled them. As we spent time looking up and studying the Scriptures, we saw many instances where the words of the Old Testament point to fulfillment in the New Testament. We saw that God is at work throughout and across all time and that He is going to complete what He has set out to do. “Consider that the Israelites who are now under the authority and rule of Roman occupation were desperate to be released and set free again. They were in eager anticipation for the return of this great and glorious King whom they thought would provide political and physical freedom.” After examining Jesus’ triumphal entry in John 12:12-15, TerKeurst continues, “As we look at all these prophecies of the coming King and His kingdom, it’s clear the Israelites have an expectation for Jesus to become their king on earth and right the political injustices they were facing. If that were true, the Messiah probably would have ridden in on a horse or stallion. However, when Jesus enters, He enters on a donkey! The significance is immense. Not only was Jesus riding on a donkey the fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, but it also signaled Jesus had a different plan and purpose. He didn’t come to bring a temporary victory by becoming an earthly king through battle. He came to bring an everlasting victory by becoming the eternal King who died on a cross to save His people.” The author, McLaren, gives us something to consider as we head into Holy Week and beyond, “We see something very similar in the story of Jesus’ departure. Will His followers look up at the sky and speculate about their departed leader with their heads in the clouds? Will they be fans instead of followers? Or will they get down to work and stay focused on living and sharing Jesus’ down-to-Earth way of life, empowered with his Spirit?”
My husband and I enjoyed The Flash television series, and watched it weekly for many seasons. As in many superhero shows and movies, The Flash (aka Barry Allen) would have to deal with all kinds of monsters and bad guys bent on taking over the world. One of the things that I liked about the show was Barry’s reluctance to kill the villains, stating, “There’s always a better way…” Sometimes there would be a lot of fighting, but more often than not Barry would prevail, either by convincing his opponent to stop or by taking him or her into custody. This chapter reminds me of the old Paul Harvey radio broadcasts - at the end, he would always say, “And now you have the rest of the story.” I liked how the author compares God’s commands to Joshua in Deuteronomy 7 with Jesus’ compassionate actions in Matthew 15 - “Matthew’s version of this story makes a confession: Our ancestors, led by Moses and Joshua, believed God sent them into the world in conquest, to show no mercy to their enemies, to defeat and kill them. But now, following Christ, we hear God giving us a higher mission. Now we believe God sends us into the world in compassion, to show mercy, to heal, to feed - to nurture and protect life rather than take it.” Starting with Jesus’ cleansing of the temple by overturning the money tables, the New Testament shows us new ways of looking at the Sabbath, generosity, prayer, forgiveness, reconciliation and ultimately the defeat of death itself. As we head into Holy Week, I definitely want to focus on Jesus’ Victory that calls to our violent world that “there always a better way.”
Great reading
When I reflect on the phrase “get the slavery out of the people” my mind goes to Jesus’ directions in Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” What a relief to know that whatever wilderness I find myself in - whether it’s the wilderness of consequences for bad choices I made, or the wilderness of reconciling broken relationships, or the wilderness of doubt or despair - the One who has named me and claimed me, Jesus, has been in that same wilderness and has promised to carry me through it. The author ends this chapter by saying, “There are no shortcuts. The road cannot be made by wishing, by whining, or by talking. It can be made only by walking, day after day, step by step, struggle by struggle. It’s easier, it turns out, to get people out of slavery than it is to get slavery out of people.” The good news is that I don’t have to walk the road alone. Jesus is with me through others that walk alongside me and the Holy Spirit that lives inside me. And if there are times that I feel too weak to walk, I know that He will carry me.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said, “He comes in the form of a beggar, in the dissolute child in ragged clothes, asking for help. He confronts you in every person that you meet. As long as there are people, Christ will walk the earth as your neighbor.” Throughout history, we find examples of vulnerable people being treated horribly by oppressors and even today all we have to do is turn on the evening news or check out our newsfeed. It’s heartbreaking and often overwhelming. As followers of Christ, we are called to love our neighbors and so all I know to do is pray that the Holy Spirit will open my eyes to the needs right in front of me and guide me to find the ways to be His hands and feet in the world.
Ephesians 4:32 says “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.” I like how this chapter reminds us of all of the characters from Bible times who struggled mightily with forgiveness, and we’re STILL struggling with it nowadays. In my book, I highlighted this passage: We all experience wrongs, hurts, and injustices through the actions of others - and we all inflict wrongs, hurts, and injustices upon others. If we want to reflect the image of God, we will choose grace over hostility, reconciliation over revenge, and equality over rivalry. When we make that choice, we encounter God in the faces of our former enemies. And as we are humbled, surrendering to God and seeking to be reconciled with others, our faces, too, reflect the face of God. We come alive as God’s image bearers indeed. In these divisive times, we can’t hear that message too many times!
Today’s lesson brings this verse from Scripture to mind: 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think about slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. In chapter 7, the author points out that the people of Abraham and Sarah’s time believed that “God is a severe and demanding deity who can bestow forgiveness and other blessings only after human blood has been shed.” But time and time again, God shows us through His promises and actions that He doesn’t want to give up on us. As a response to that patience, we are called to not give up on ourselves, each other, or God. There are countless times in my life when it has been tempting to give up on a troublesome relationship, project, or situation. Through prayer and reflection, I have hung on. From the other side of pain, I am glad that I stuck with it. For an example in today’s world, we see the devastating impacts of climate change all around us: more severe weather, catastrophic flooding, wildfires, etc. Many believe that “it’s too late” or “impossible” to get consensus for action or to make changes to reverse the effects of carbon pollution. But if we take a patient, eternal perspective we can each do what we can to help improve our world in a way that glorifies God and His kingdom.
This chapter about the “otherly identity” brings this verse of Scripture to my mind: John 10:16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. As Christians, we are often tempted to believe that our beliefs and traditions are superior to those of other religious backgrounds and cultures. But this chapter helps push back against this superiority complex, by showing us Abram and Sarai and their background. Incidentally, another good book to read that explores different faith backgrounds from a Christian perspective is Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor. In today’s world it’s easy to be caught up in the divisive, “us vs them” mindset that is running rampant as we gear up for a rough political season. But no matter what happens in the White House, the courts, the statehouses or at the ballot box, I can practice the kind of “otherly” identity to which God called Abram (“us for the sake of others”) by being truly present for those in my life who need me, participating actively in the mission and ministry of my church, and sharing time and treasures with my neighbors.
When thinking about the comparison between stories and scientific theories, I am reminded that Jesus used parables to illustrate the moral and spiritual truths he was teaching. So, it makes sense to consider that the Scriptures themselves use stories in similar fashion. The real life illustration of the top and bottom of the pyramid that comes to my mind is when I was a schoolteacher: I was at the top of the pyramid when I was dealing with young children but I was definitely at the bottom of the pyramid when dealing with my principal and administration. When I look around at our world today, the biggest examples I see of the powerful exploiting the vulnerable - that makes me say “We can do better than that” are right out of the headlines: our treatment of undocumented immigrants, the heartbreaking plight of innocent civilians in places like Gaza & Ukraine, and the inability of our elected leaders to work together to solve problems rather than fighting about them.
I think everyone can point to times in their lives when envy and competition affected a relationship; whether it was sibling rivalry, competition with schoolmates or coworkers, or trying to keep up with the neighbors. I think our consumer culture and the rise of social media influencers have exacerbated this - I read that these so-called influencers are responsible for $100 billion being added to the economy. And of course, the current political climate definitely shows the effects of rivalry, revenge and anger. I appreciate the reading from Philippians 2 as it shows us more specifically how to change all of that and to live as Jesus wants us to.
I think for most of my life I have lived according to the logic of compliance in order to stay out of the crosshairs of those who live according to the logic of rivalry. Thankfully my church family & time spent in Bible study, prayer and worship are gently leading me to live more by the logos of Love. The more I follow this logic, the more I feel aligned with God’s call to serve Him and serve others, to love Him and my neighbors, and to enjoy peace and joy.
The first time I most felt the humble awe and joyful wonder described in this chapter was the very first time I saw the ocean in person. I was with my family on a vacation to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and the first time I stood on the beach and thought about how on the other side of this body of water was other continents, I was taken by the immensity of God’s world. Through my life I have seen and experienced many beautiful places, but I still think that I feel closest to God on the deck of a ship at sea. When you’re in the middle of the ocean without land anywhere in sight, it’s amazing to be a part of this world. As spring starts to take hold, I am looking forward to getting back outside and taking walks on the wooded trails near my home. These walks through trees and past fields and ponds remind me of how lucky I am to be a part of God’s creation and that He has special plans for each one of us. Being in His creation gives me the opportunity to listen, pray, and plan how I am going to serve Him in His kingdom. 😊
We can all be better for sure
I wish dearly I could have been there in person. 🤦
Blessings be said for Lorraine 🙏🏼 in the passing of her dear Mort. 🙏🏼
Why couldn’t I hear the reading of the gospel?
Thank for these words. May I have a copy of your sermon? Excellent writing! 🙏🏼
Thank you, Lord, for letting me hear our worship today. 🙏🏼
For some reason I couldn’t get sound.😔
Thank you Rex
Chop them up? 😬
*Promo sm* 🍀
😊
Congratulations on your home. ❤
Hi St John us Alana across the pond, can I get a copy of the schedule for readings we have left? I don’t see it on the website, maybe Heidi can copy and email it to me? Much appreciation, hid bless you all
God bless you and praise be to God
Hi Pastor, nice weather
Hi pastor so blessed to still do the lesson
Thanks for the reading
Hi from uk, sunday a.m. 9
3000 miles away, still finding time to read the 365-day Bible enjoying every day. 😊
Hi, all been on a plane all day. I was totally exhausted and finally made it to Pennsylvania
Hi all😊
Hi everyone ☺️
This is saurday 4/22 right? No Facebook
Yes, for Sat 4/22, uploaded to FB later on
🙏🏽🙏🏽
Solid bro
I never noticed how similar Elijah’s and Elisha’s miracles were.