Sunday 2017-01-01

Order of Worship for 7:45, 9:00, & 10:30

Always a New Beginning

2 Kings 23:1-3; Revelation 21:1-6a

Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the Lord . The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord —to follow the Lord and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
1Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! Godʼs dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”5He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 

 

New Year….and everyday….promises from Scripture

Our God is the God of new beginnings.

Our God is the God of ‘do-overs’.

Our God is the God of forgiveness, hope, and promise. 

2 Kings:  Josiah

God’s people had lost their focus.

Josiah called the people to remember whose they are and to renew their covenant with God. 

Revelation:  the new Jerusalem

God’s people are again in trouble and need to be recentered.  

John calls the church to remember whose we are and the promises God makes to us.

A theme from Isaiah through Paul to Revelation:  making all things new:

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.  See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” (Isaiah 43:18-19)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

What is the ‘old’ that you need to release in order to make room for the fresh new wind of the Holy Spirit in your life?

Today's Preacher

Debbie Reese is Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary       UMC

 

Sunday 2016-12-25

Order of Worship for 10:00AM

Living in the Light

John 1:16-18


 16-18 We all live off his generous bounty,gift after gift after gift.We got the basics from Moses,and then this exuberant giving and receiving,This endless knowing and understanding—all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.No one has ever seen God,not so much as a glimpse.This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,who exists at the very heart of the Father,has made him plain as day.

What has Jesus made known about God?

First, He says this:

“For God so loved the world…so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have       eternal life.”

Secondly, this:

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day.”

The third insight we find in Matthew 22:37-40:

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

 

John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.”

Today's Preacher

Randy Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC

Christmas Eve

The Light Shines in the Darkness

Christmas Eve, 2016; Luke 2:1-20

“And we gather to see, to view with fresh eyes again, the light that all the darkness in the world cannot ever extinguish.” 

What is it about Christmas that makes it such a ‘magical time of the year’?

Are we looking for the light in a dark world more at this time of year than at any other time? 
Jesus, whose birth we’re celebrating is the SOURCE of the peace that we’re seeking.  

What must the shepherds have felt when that incredible Light of God shined on them?

The glory of the Lord…..the light of God:  That’s what got the shepherds’ attention:  and it terrified them.  Why?  

What would sustain the generous spirit, the loving attitudes, the empathy for others, that seems to prevalent at Christmastime?  

God sustains peace….through the Light of Jesus.
God sustains joy…..through the Light of Jesus.
God sustains hope….through the Light of Jesus.

Today's Preachers

Randy and Debbie Reese are Co-Directing Pastors at Calvary UMC

Sunday 2016-12-18

Order of Worship for 7:45, 9:00, & 10:30

God Moved IN!

John 1:14-17

14The Word became flesh and blood,and moved into the neighborhood.We saw the glory with our own eyes,the one-of-a-kind glory,like Father, like Son,Generous inside and out,true from start to finish.15John pointed him out and called, “This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word.”16-18We all live off his generous bounty,gift after gift after gift.We got the basics from Moses,and then this exuberant giving and receiving,This endless knowing and understanding—all this came through Jesus, the Messiah.No one has ever seen God,not so much as a glimpse.This one-of-a-kind God-Expression,who exists at the very heart of the Father,has made him plain as day.

“The Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood!”

  • What would your neighborhood do if Jesus….in human form…..moved in?  What would change?  What would remain the same?

The expectation for the Israelites was that God would send someone like Moses; or like David; or like Elijah.

  •  What are your expectations for the Messiah?
  •  How have your expectations been met, disappointed, or exceeded?

Do you prefer to live in a neighborhood of darkness or one of light?  How are you willing to let the Light transform your lifestyle?  How are you willing to allow the Light to fill you with joy?  How are you willing to share that joy with others?

                                          

Debbie Reese 1 Up.png

 

Today's Preacher

Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC.

Sunday 2016-12-11

 Order of Worship for 7:45, 9:00, 10:30

The Child of God

John 1:9-13

The Life-Light was the real thing: Every person entering Life he brings into Light. He was in the world, the world was there through him, and yet the world didn’t even notice. He came to his own people, but they didn’t want him. But whoever did want him, who believed he was who he claimed and would do what he said, He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves. These are the God-begotten, not blood-begotten, not flesh-begotten, not sex-begotten.

Seasoning Verses:  Romans 8:16-17

16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

There’s actually 2 parts to these verses of scripture as a unit:

  1. Why was He not recognized by the world or by His own?
  2. The “right to become children of God” or as the Message states, “He made to be their true selves, their child-of-God selves.” - the blessing of being children of God.

What do I want you to get from these verses?

  • A clarity from these verses how to become a child of God
  • An affirmation about being a child of God

What do I hope you will do?

  • Some moments to rejoice if I am a child of God - that I am a child of the Most High God.
  • To develop a heart and spirit of gratitude and a confidence that says “I’m not ashamed of the gospel” Romans.  We’ll deal a bit more about the first, “he was not recognized” in our Tuesday podcast and this morning, we’ll listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice in thinking about being children of God.  

   Today's Preacher

    Randy Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC                               

 

Sunday 2016-12-04

Order of Worship for 7:45, 9:00, 10:30.

Reflecting Light

John 1:6-8;

6-8 There once was a man, his name John, sent by God to point out the way to the Life-Light. He came to show everyone where to look, who to believe in. John was not himself the Light; he was there to show the way to the Light.

John the Baptist/Baptizer came to POINT TO the light…..not to BE the light.


Jesus came to earth over 2,000 years ago.
Jesus walks with us every day through the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives.
Jesus is coming to earth again!


What do we do with the Light of Jesus?

  1. Let it BE the light.
  2. Observe what it reveals.
  3. Follow the light.


When light hits an object, it does one of 3 things:

  1. Absorbs the light
  2. Transmits the light
  3. Reflects the light

Every day is a great day to reflect the light of Christ to someone else.  To whom is God calling you to reflect that light?

Today's Preacher

Debbie Reese is the Co-Directing Pastor of Calvary UMC