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Archive for the ‘holidays’ Category

Second Sunday of Advent-Dec 8

05 Dec

 Gold-symbolizing Jesus as the coming King-While hymns portray the Wise Men as Kings, they were more likely astrologers who were advisers to the Persian kings, sent by the kings as representatives bearing gifts.  The songs say there were three but we don’t know how many. However the Wise Men brought gifts of Gold, Frankincense and Mirth in recognition of the roles that Christ would fulfill. The first gift they brought was Gold in recognition that He would be a King. Indeed, He would bring hope because He would subdue all the powers of the world and would become King of Kings and ruler over all creation. However, before He would wear a crown of Gold, He would wear a crown of thorns as He conquered death itself as the sacrificial lamb. While before, all we knew was the way of serving the flesh, Christ came to show us a better way through serving God. We can conquer the slavery to the flesh and live as God intended us as we allow Christ to be ruler of our life. A lot of people don’t know any other way than serving the flesh and won’t know there is a better way unless we step out into the world like Jesus did and show them.

 

 

 

First Sunday of Advent -December 1

27 Nov

Expectation-Angel-From the time of Adam, God had promised that He would send a deliverer. Before Judah fell to the Babylonians, the prophets reminded the Jews of the promise of a Messiah. When Judah fell to conquerors after the return from Babylon, the Jews again looked for the promised Messiah that would deliver them from their enemies. When the angel appeared to Mary, he told her that the time had come and she would conceive and bear a son. He would be the Messiah and His name would be Jesus (a form of Jeshua or Joshua)(meaning God is Salvation) He would be a leader like Joshua who would lead His people out of Egypt (the world) into the Promised land. Because of His name, the Jews did not realize that He must first come to be the Sacrificial Lamb before He would come as the conquering King. He could have been born in a palace but lowered Himself to come not only as a mere man, but as the lowest of men, born in a stable.

 

video-Advent intro

27 Nov

 

video-Intro to Christ the King Sunday-Nov 24

22 Nov

 

video-Why We Celebrate

13 Nov

 

Sermon-Why Celebrate Kingdomtide

28 Oct

 

Trinity Sunday May 26

24 May

Trinity Sunday B-The season of Pentecost occurs during the summer and today is a time when the church reaches out through special ministries to reach those who don’t know God that they may see God’s love and turn to Him. The zeal of the church in its ministry testifies to the presence of the Holy Spirit in it just as the tongues of fire testified to the presence of the Holy Spirit on the first Pentecost after Jesus rose from the dead. The church’s goal should be to be a witness to God’s love and to introduce unbelievers to the love of God in the hope that they will desire that love and turn to Christ for their salvation. The church’s main emphasis should be to reach out to those around it, conduct charity, and minister to the needs it finds. While these should be carried out all year round, Pentecost should be used to expand the church’s outreach

 

 

Pentecost Sunday-May 19

17 May

The Holy Spirit cleanses our hearts like a fire refines gold. As a kid, my brother and I collected the lead tire balances that fell off cars along the road and would melt them in our furnace downstairs. After the lead melted, the impurities floated to the top. We then waited until the impurities burst into flames and burned off so that we would have pure lead before pouring it into molds. In the same way, the Holy Spirit helps cleanse our lives of those things that will hinder our witness through the trials and troubles we experience, and our changed life will witness to the Holy Spirit within us. One day, believers will stand before God and their works will be tried as with fire and those works that bore no fruit will be destroyed, though the believer will be saved. Only those works that produce fruit will remain.

 

 

Video-The Meaning of Pentecost-Seasonal Intro

17 May

 

Ascension Sunday-May 12

08 May

Sunday before Pentecost- Focus on mission-Ascension Sunday reminds us of Christ’s ascent to heaven and is the prelude to Pentecost when the church should be launching its summer evangelistic efforts. Before it starts, the church should be clear on it’s mission. After Jesus rose from the dead and showed Himself to His disciples, He appeared to them in Galilee-Matt. 28: 16-20 He gathered them and told them to go and make disciples of all nations, and to teach them all that He commanded them. During Pentecost, we concentrate on winning the lost. We are to seek the lost and lead them to the Lord. Once they receive Christ, we are to baptize them, symbolically illustrating their death and resurrection in Christ. During Kingdomtide we will focus on making disciples when we seek to teach them to do all that Christ has commanded us. That involves active training, not the passive attendance which is common in many churches today. Now is a good time to finalize plans for a summer campaign to reach those who do not know Christ. Every church board should open every meeting with the questions “What can we do to win souls?”.