Sermon
No Rest for the Weary - Mark 6:30-34
July 31, 2022
As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd,
and he had compassion for them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd,
and he began to teach them many things.
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Following Jesus, his being the Lord of our lives, means living and giving as Jesus does for us.
Living Light - Mark 6:6b-13
July 24, 2022
So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.
They cast out many demons and anointed with oil
many who were sick and cured them.
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Jesus sent his disciples out by pairs, telling them not to pack for the journey, not to take a change of clothes, and to not even take food or money.
That is a big ask. It takes real faith to not prepare.
It is even more astonishing to consider that Jesus sent otherwise ordinary people to do things they could never do on their own, including healing people and casting out demons. Jesus sent them out, not because they could do these things themselves, but because God can do great things through ordinary people.
Hometown Welcome - Mark 6:1-6
July 17, 2022
Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor
except in his own town, among his relatives
and in his own home.”
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What will we do with what we’ve seen and heard about Jesus?
Do we see him as the “carpenter’s son” or the Son of God?
A great teacher or the Living Word?
The one who heals on the Sabbath or the Lord of the Sabbath?
Will we reject Jesus or receive him?
Sermon Only
Entire Service
Getting Out of the Grandstands - Mark 5:21-43
July 10, 2022
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well;
go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
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We can come to Jesus out of habit, curiosity, or casual commitment. Or, we can come desperately aware of our need for Jesus' healing touch.
We must come out of the grandstands filled with religious spectators and empty our hearts to experience the love, healing, and power that we deeply need.
But Can You Heal me? - Mark 5:1-20
July 3, 2022
They came to Jesus and saw the man
previously possessed by demons sitting there,
clothed and in his right mind
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Are you ready to change?
The Gospels of the New Testament are filled with accounts of Jesus healing people. In every case it radically changed the healed person's life. For the man who had been an invalid for 38 years, who had waited at the pool for healing for a long time, without anybody to help him, Jesus said, "Stand up, take your mat and walk." He no longer required help from others, he could help himself. In today's passage, Jesus casts demons out of a man. Rather than returning to what he had done before, the man is called to tell others about Jesus.
Somebody Wake Up Jesus! - Mark 4:35-41
June 26, 2022
“Who then is this, that even the wind
and the sea obey him?”
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There will be storms in our lives. We live amid chaos and forces that are bigger and stronger than us.
The good news isn't that God holds an umbrella to keep us from getting wet, but rather that God can grant us peace in the midst of the strongest storm.
Someone once wrote, “I'd rather be in a rocking boat with a calm Jesus than to be in a calm boat with a shaky captain.
It's Unfair - Romans 5:6-11
June 19, 2022
God proves his love for us in that
while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
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God's love and grace isn't fair.
They are incredible gifts to people like you and me who do not deserve them. Jesus died for us while we were still sinners, not once we got it right.
Let us live this good news, both in our own hearts and lives, but also for the sake of others. For it is God's grace that saves a wretch like me.
Leap of Faith - Romans 5:1-5
June 5, 2022
Since we have been justified through faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Faith is taking the first steps of a journey not knowing how you will get there. Faith isn’t about what we can do.
Faith is about what God has already done.
Faith is about who God is.
Faith is about what God is yet to do.
Filled with the Power - from Acts 2:1-36
June 5, 2022
All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in other languages,
as the Spirit gave them ability.
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How often do we make excuses to God?
We say, "I can't do that? I've never done that? Please find someone else? There are lots of people more qualified than me."
God's response is usually, "You're right. You can't do that. But I can. The Holy Spirit within you will get it done through you."
Who? Me? - Acts 1:1-11
May 29, 2022
"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit
has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses
in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the ends of the earth.”
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We often pray, "God, when will you __________?"
Jesus' disciples were no different when they asked him, "Is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus' response continues to often be the response to our questions. He tells them that there is more at work than they can imagine, but they have a part in it. He tells them, don't worry about all that. Instead, get ready, the Holy Spirit will empower you to do far more than you ever imagined.
God continues to enable us to be witnesses to Jesus, whether it is right where we are, or to the uttermost parts of the earth.
