Sermon
Who Are You?
November 17, 2024
John 13:34-35
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another.
Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.
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The amazing Rev. Dr. Nancy Graham Ogne, pastor Paul's better half, shares God's word with us this Sunday.
Fragrant Aromas
November 10, 2024
2 Corinthians 2:14-17
For we are the aroma of Christ to God
among those who are being saved
and among those who are perishing;
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Our sense of smell often brings memories to mind more vividly than other senses. Paul’s words about “the fragrance of knowing Christ” reflect this connection: it’s not about an external scent but the lasting impression that a close relationship with Christ has on our lives. Just as time with certain people can influence us, spending time with Christ shapes our character. His qualities—love, compassion, selflessness—start to rub off on us, and others begin to catch glimpses of Jesus in our actions and attitudes. This fragrance of Christ is something we carry with us, touching those around us and becoming a pleasing aroma to God.
May we stink to high heaven so that others will see Jesus through us.
The Gift of Giving
November 3, 2024
Philippians 4:15-23
Not that I seek the gift,
but I seek the profit that accumulates
to your account.
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Sometimes, two things can be true at the same time. In quantum mechanics, particles can exist in two different locations simultaneously, a phenomenon that unsettled even Einstein.
Jesus’ teachings can feel like that, too. We are called to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and seek humility over power. Jesus reveals the kingdom of God as a reality where giving is gain, challenging the idea that we lose something by helping others.
By living with self-giving love, we help others and find true life and purpose ourselves.
The Heart Work of Contentment
October 27, 2024
Philippians 4:10-14
I have learned to be content with whatever I have.
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Saying "That's enough" can be one of the hardest challenges in life.
Recognizing when we have enough—be it money, clothes, or food—does not come naturally. The Apostle Paul speaks about learning contentment, suggesting it requires growth. Despite our possessions or circumstances, we often find ourselves searching for more.
Contentment is a deeply spiritual issue. God’s purpose for us is not about chasing “more” or “less.” Both materialism and asceticism miss the point; the focus should be on God's pursuit of us. Only by learning to be content, as Paul did, can we truly live in the present.
A Cold Glass of Water
October 13 2024
Acts 3:11-26; John 7:37-39; Revelation 22:1-2
“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,
and let the one who believes in me drink."
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This week we are blessed to have our wonderful brother Pastor Bill Westlund share God's word with us.
Cancerous Conflict
October 6, 2024
Philippians 4:2-9
Be of the same mind in the Lord.
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People bump heads, things go wrong, people disagree, feelings are hurt, anger builds, and the issue becomes the other people rather than the original problem. Listening has ceased, conversation stops, fortress walls of self-righteousness are built, and recruitment of allies begins. The primary purpose has been forgotten, and the battle is being waged over details, often in ways that defeat the original purpose.
Politics isn’t the only place this happens. It also occurs in churches and families.
In this scripture, two women are in conflict - Euodia and Syntyche. We don't know what the disagreement was about or who was right. We only know that it was a longstanding feud between two otherwise amazing women.
The Apostle Paul doesn't write to settle their dispute but to urge them to get over it. He isn't the judge or the referee. He doesn't use his Apostolic wisdom to address and settle the issue.
He urges them to look past it—to have "the same mind in the Lord," reminding them that they were part of something far more important than their disagreement.
1 John 4:10-11 puts it this way:
In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
Paid in Full
September 29, 2024
1 Peter 2:4-10
Once we were not a people,
but now we are God's people
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This Sunday, we are celebrating paying off the church's mortgage. It has been a long process, and many people contributed financially and with their hard work to these wonderful facilities.
An important question is, what are we supposed to do with this amazing asset?
Fundamentally, it goes back to our belonging to God and the conclusion that if we belong to God, so do our resources.
This Sunday, we will have people from various groups use the church grounds. They will share with us how their use of God's church makes a difference in so many people's lives.
Be prepared to be blessed in this celebration.
Your Own Story
September 22, 2024
1 Peter 3:13-16a
Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
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Our experience of God's work in and through our lives is the most powerful thing we can share with others. Just last Sunday, a person who had gone to church as a child shared how powerful it was when one of his college friends shared his faith story with him.
This Sunday, several Theta Alpha ladies will share some of their faith stories with us.
Mind-Fullness
September 15, 2024
Philippians 4:8-9
Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, or praiseworthy, think about such things.
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A small country church near where I lived in South Carolina had a sign out front with messages they would occasionally change.
Only one message sticks with me:
otherwise, the devil will put garbage in.”
The sign may have had the right motive but it missed the point. What is more important, closing our minds or seeking things that are good?
I know that this may sound weird, but stay with me. God doesn’t want you to avoid sin. God’s great desire is for our hearts and lives to be so full of his love that the things that once tempted us no longer do.
We are invited into a new existence filled with all God has to offer. Not a life struggling to be “good enough, " not even a life of avoiding sin. But life with Jesus in charge, directing our lives, opening our eyes, hearts, and lives to his way rather than our own.
Missing Peace
September 8, 2024
Philippians 4:4-7
The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
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The peace of God that surpasses all understanding is the ultimate sense of completeness. Each piece of life fits into place. What was once a jumbled mess forms a whole, bringing order into the chaos of our lives. There is a sense of rest rather than anxiety. We find ourselves thankful and rejoicing.
Many things can rob us of the peace we are offered in Jesus Christ. Because we think we need to rush, we fail to take the time to pray. Our insatiable hunger for more keeps us from finding peace with what we have. When things don’t turn out the way we want, we question God's nearness. Because we pursue our own will rather than seeking God’s, we do not achieve either.
Like the old Footprints in the Sand poem - Our own urgency often keeps us from seeing what God has already done and is doing, especially when we think we’re all alone.
Over the last couple of weeks, we've been studying this passage from Philippians from many angles: rejoicing in the Lord, gentleness, the nearness of the Lord, not worrying, praying, and thanksgiving.
- Gentleness is living among others in the same patient, loving manner as God loves us.
- The nearness of the Lord is the awareness that we are not forgotten and that even when things feel dark and lonely, God is with us.
- Not worrying about anything but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, letting our requests be made known to God is to trust in God rather than ourselves. To rely on God’s ability rather than our own.
- Thanksgiving is mindfulness of what God has done in the past, is doing in the present, and is yet to do in the future.
- Rejoicing in the Lord is to celebrate his awesome presence and faithful love, rejoicing in the same things in which the Lord rejoices.,
This is the path to the peace of God that surpasses all understanding, a peace guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
